Chapter Seven: Is It Their Child, Jiang Xiaxia?

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Bai Chu dropped the cigarette butt and stomped hard on the ground. "I believe her too!"
Just because this young girl had saved the soldiers under his command, he trusted her.
But this matter wasn’t something that could be settled by mere trust.
"We have you officially assigned for protection, but behind the scenes—" Bai Chu patted Jiang Jing’s shoulder and sighed, "This has already been reported. Your wound is healing strangely and involves enemy spies, so the higher-ups are taking it very seriously! You must not mess up! Keep everything confidential!"
"Captain, rest assured, I understand! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have played dumb in front of the nurses and doctors just now," Jiang Jing saluted and then contacted Wang Lianjun. After arranging temporary identification for the young girl, he returned to the ward.
At this moment, Jiang Hua had already packed up her youngest son's belongings, while 5188 watched curiously as her nurse tidied a small bundle.
It was tiny—she could carry it alone.
But from the memories of this little one, those who had imprisoned her always brought in a large trunk each time.
"A trunk?"
5188 pointed at the small bundle, then hesitated before asking, "No money?"
Hearing this from the doorway, Jiang Jing’s eyes flickered with concern. Worried that the girl might have developed bad habits from those spies, he stepped forward deliberately, "Yes, our old Jiang family is poor. We might have one meal, but the next could be gone. Are you afraid?"
5188 frowned and reached out to touch her nurse’s hand, which was indeed as withered as it had been during the apocalypse.
Her little mouth pouted, and 5188 tapped her own chest, speaking in a sweet, childish voice, "Raise Nurse!"
Jiang Jing looked at this tiny companion issuing such grand words and snorted. He took the small bundle from his mother’s hand.
Though small, it contained all his allowances and saved vouchers over the years!
Hearing disdain in his tone, 5188 pouted even more. As Jiang Jing stepped out of the ward, she clenched her teeth and muttered two words, "Rely on me!"
Jiang Jing scoffed, "My mother has me to take care of her! You’re just a little girl who can’t even finish your words—what are you going to raise?"
5188’s lips puckered in grievance as she tugged her nurse’s hand and walked out.
According to Huaguo’s tradition, sons are supposed to support their mothers. She, an outsider unrelated to Nurse, surely couldn’t do that.
"Jiang Xiaxia, why are you silent?"
Jiang Jing patted the little girl’s head. Seeing her shocked face lifted to look at him, he raised an eyebrow, "What, don’t want to be a Jiang family granddaughter? I told you we’re taking you back to the Jiang family, and we’ve even registered your name under our household. Not happy about that?"
5188—no, the newly named Jiang Xiaxia—brightened up and turned to look at Jiang Hua with a smile, "Nurse!"

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The little voice, filled with excitement, echoed down the narrow corridor.
"Hey! Nurse’s good granddaughter!"
Whether it was daydream or reality, Jiang Hua felt this "Nurse" sounded even sweeter and more comforting than before.
Jiang Xiaxia, seeing the smile spread across Nurse’s face, spun around her a few times in excitement.
Jiang Jing deliberately cleared his throat, "I handled this matter! Jiang Xiaxia, you owe me something now!"
Jiang Xiaxia paused, looked up at Jiang Jing with a smile, tilted her head, and suddenly blurted out one word: "Dad!"
Jiang Jing shuddered and quickly waved his hand, "No, no, just call me uncle, little uncle!"
Jiang Hua frowned, "Under whose household registration is she?"
Jiang Jing was somewhat helpless, "Naturally under my side. Officially, we say she’s a comrade’s child whose parents died, so I adopted her."
Jiang Hua’s lips twitched, seeming a bit dissatisfied.
Jiang Jing hurried to explain, "Mom, if I said she was my biological daughter, what about my wife? If that got out, it’d mean I made a big mistake!"
Jiang Hua knew this well, and even so, if her youngest son ever got married, he’d probably be looked down upon a bit.
But—
"We’re making Xiaxia suffer!" Jiang Hua patted the little girl’s head and sighed, "If your third uncle had pulled through and married early, he could have handled a formal adoption!"
Jiang Xiaxia didn’t quite understand. Didn’t third uncle just say she was already part of the Jiang family? Why wasn’t it official yet?
Though confused, she was a well-behaved little one. She shot a disdainful look at Jiang Jing, mimicking Jiang Hua’s shaking head and sighing.
Jiang Jing was amused and couldn’t help but rub the little girl’s head again. Then he picked her up, "Once we’re on the train, no matter how much you dislike me, you can’t leave my sight. Otherwise, you won’t even get to be the Jiang family granddaughter!"
Jiang Xiaxia lay on Jiang Jing’s shoulder, blinking at Nurse who followed behind.
"There are many bad people on trains. Some like to kidnap little kids your size and sell them!"
Jiang Jing, walking ahead, recalled Jiang Xiaxia’s past and casually asked, "And then it was like before! You don’t want to live like that anymore, right?"
Jiang Xiaxia tilted her head, thinking. Her faint memories were of being locked in a pitch-black room, and when she was even smaller, the bad humans would put her in a little black box and carry her around.
Every time they fed her, it was through a small hole. If she didn’t eat, they’d set dogs on her.

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The humans said this was to cultivate her obedience!
Shuddering involuntarily, Jiang Xiaxia gripped Jiang Jing’s shoulder tightly and urgently said, "Not dark!"
Jiang Jing winced from her grip but kept his expression neutral, prompting, "Not dark where?"
"Black room!" Jiang Xiaxia clenched her small hand again and added, "Box!"
Jiang Jing immediately understood what she meant, "They locked you in a box and carried you around?"
Jiang Xiaxia nodded obediently, "Dogs!"
Seeing Jiang Jing and Jiang Hua’s puzzled looks, she carefully explained, "Steal food!"
Jiang Hua’s eyes reddened. She quickly took the little girl from Jiang Jing’s arms, "Don’t be afraid. From now on, stay with Nurse. Nurse always has food, and so will you!"
Jiang Jing felt a pang of pain in his heart and loosened his collar, muttering under his breath, "Damn it, they’re all a bunch of beasts!"
Jiang Hua immediately covered the girl’s ears and shot Jiang Jing a glare, "No swearing in front of the child!"
Jiang Jing lowered his head. Seeing those earnest, curious eyes rolling on him, he choked up, "Won’t do it again!"
Jiang Xiaxia saw Nurse scolding little uncle and knew it wasn’t a good habit, so she quickly tugged her hand, promising, "Won’t learn!"
Jiang Hua laughed happily.
Nearby, Wang Lianjun was walking over carrying something. Watching the three, two adults and one child chatting, he muttered to himself, "From a distance, they really do look like a family of three!"
His muttering stopped as he reached them.
What he didn’t know was that Jiang Jing’s hearing had improved greatly. Hearing Wang Lianjun’s words, he looked at Jiang Xiaxia with a thoughtful gaze.
Jiang Xiaxia could hear too. Hearing Wang Lianjun’s words, her face lit up, and she immediately thought he was even better looking than the so-called Captain Bai.
After he handed her a few large bills, Jiang Xiaxia felt he was even more handsome than her own third uncle!