Given the weather and the fact that it wasn't a holiday, there weren't many tourists visiting the ancient town. Most of the people coming and going were wearing down jackets or bundled up tightly. Only Xia Zhiyi, relying on her Internal Cultivation to protect her from the cold, dressed however was convenient for her.
When Xia Wanyi went out, she was worried that Xia Zhiyi might be cold wearing so many clothes, but when she touched Xia Zhiyi's hand, it was warmer than her own, who was fully bundled up, so she simply stopped worrying about it.
Xia Wanyi thought that Xia Zhiyi might be naturally warm and not afraid of the cold, and that she should feel warm now that she was in a well-heated room.
Xia Zhiyi waved her hand. "No need, I'm not hot."
"They might call me over for lunch, so I just came to check on you and Xiao Zhen. I have to go back later."
It wasn't that Xia Zhiyi didn't want to bring Xia Wanyi and Xia Zhen to have dinner together, but rather that Xia Zhiyi felt they weren't familiar with each other. If it were just Xia Wanyi, she might have thought about getting along with her brother's colleague.
But if Xia Zhen is brought along, it would be better for Xia Wanyi not to go, for the sake of the young girl.
The little girl looks no different from other children now, but you can occasionally tell from the details that she doesn't like to interact with strangers, especially multiple strangers.
This is normal. The little girl is still slowly adapting to her new life, and it's normal for her not to like socializing.
In any case, neither Xia Zhiyi nor Xia Wanyi would force her to interact with strangers under the guise of doing what's best for her.
Xia Zhen: "Isn't my brother having lunch with us?"
Xia Zhiyi smiled and said, "Not today. I have a business dinner at noon."
Upon hearing this, Xia Zhen tilted her head and asked curiously, "Socializing? Does it involve drinking?"
Xia Zhiyi chuckled and asked, "How did you know that social gatherings involve drinking?"
Xia Zhen: "That's how it's always portrayed on TV. Dad says he has to go out for business, and then he comes home drunk, leaving Mom to take care of him."
Xia Zhiyi paused, subtly observing the girl's expression. Finding nothing amiss, she smiled and said, "That does happen, but socializing doesn't mean drinking, so brother doesn't necessarily have to drink."
"Drinking is bad for your health, so my brother will avoid drinking if he can."
" Xiao Zhen too, you're still young, you definitely can't drink alcohol, drinking too much is bad for your brain."
"Even after you become an adult, it's best for girls not to drink outside. If you really like drinking, just try it at home or at a trusted friend's house."
As she said this, Xia Zhiyi stroked her chin and looked at Xia Zhen again, "Hmm, Xiao Zhen, after you've rested a bit more, you can practice martial arts with me."
He had already confirmed that Xia Wanyi had a physical condition that prevented her from learning from him, so Xia Zhiyi simply arranged a bodyguard for Xia Wanyi.
Xia Zhen has some talent, though she's not a genius. But if she's willing to work hard and learn, she should be able to protect herself.
Xia Wanyi: " Xiao Zhen will be going to school soon, right?"
Xia Zhiyi: "Let's wait another six months."
Xia Wanyi turned to look at him, not refuting him directly, but waiting for Xia Zhiyi to give a reasonable explanation.
She believed her brother wouldn't make a rash decision.
Xia Zhiyi: "Before, I only considered that Xiao Zhen was still young, and that going to school was what someone her age should be doing after she recovered."
"But if she goes to school next semester, she'll be a transfer student. The other students will already know each other, and it wouldn't be suitable for Xiao Zhen to just squeeze in like that. She's also quite introverted."
Xia Zhiyi didn't spell things out too clearly, but the siblings weren't uneducated, so they were aware of the potential issues that might arise with students of that age.
Xia Wanyi frowned. "You have a point."
Xia Zhiyi: "Besides, a few months is too short a time, and we don't want to put too much pressure on Xiao Zhen. Xiao Zhen's learning progress is still a bit behind that of her peers."
"If she's demoted, the teacher won't need to ask too many questions, but once her classmates find out Xiao Zhen age, they might ask about her situation. What will Xiao Zhen say then?"
Xia Zhiyi: "Let's keep her at home for another six months, give Xiao Zhen more time to recover, and let her catch up. Xiao Zhen is so smart, six months should be enough. When the new school year starts, we can arrange for her to attend a school that will rearrange the class schedule."
Some schools will shuffle the classes and rearrange the seating charts at the start of the academic year, while others will not.
If it's the former, then it's not surprising at all that Xia Zhen is mixed in.
If it's the latter, then Xia Zhen is still a transfer student.
Some people find being a transfer student exciting, but many others subconsciously feel a bit xenophobic.
They're not deliberately bullying people; it's just that kids have a sense of group dynamics, and they'll gradually accept it over time.
However, as a parent, Xia Zhiyi definitely had to consider all aspects for Xia Zhen. He felt that this integration process could be skipped— Xia Zhen was already a bit withdrawn because of her past experiences. Although she had improved somewhat with the efforts of her siblings, she was indeed more difficult to approach than other children.
If Xia Zhen encounters xenophobic situations again, she probably won't actively try to integrate; instead, she'll simply shut herself off.
Why did they send Xia Zhen to school?
Should we let her be bullied?
Even if they didn't mean it, this is still passive-aggressive behavior!
So let's leave it for another six months. During this time, Xia Zhiyi and Xia Wanyi can take turns taking Xia Zhen to other places to explore and help her become more outgoing. Then there won't be any major problems with her starting school.
Xia Zhen listened to the conversation from the side.
She might not have understood much of what Xia Zhiyi said, but Xia Zhen was quite happy when she heard that she could stay at home for another six months. "Really? Really?"
She didn't have any objections to her parents' arrangements; she knew everyone was doing it for her own good, and she didn't particularly dislike studying.
However, she knew that if she went to school, she would have much less time to spend with Xia Wanyi, and she would have to sit in a classroom with many people she didn't know. Xia Zhen subconsciously felt a little resistant to this.
But she wouldn't refuse, because she knew that education was a very serious matter, something she couldn't simply give up on.
Xia Wanyi reached out and patted her head, looking at Xia Zhiyi: "If that's the case, we'll have to communicate with them later."
Xia Zhiyi: "Yes, I'll handle this. Sister, you don't need to worry too much. Everyone's doing this for Xiao Zhen's sake, we understand."
The "them" they referred to were the Women's Federation and the Education Bureau, official agencies that had learned about Xia Zhen Xia Zhen's situation when they processed her adoption. Since Xia Zhen was directly involved in a major case, they paid even more attention to her situation.
Even now, officials still visit from time to time, fearing that the Xia family their youngest daughter properly.