Chapter 89

"Uh-huh." Upon hearing this, Isabel did not think much of it, but she found it a bit strange. Since Xu Jianxing had such abilities, his family background should be quite good, and they should at least have a nanny. Why would he still think about buying groceries himself? Perhaps this was also a way for Xu Jianxing to show filial piety, Isabel thought to herself.

Immediately after, Isabel booked a room at the Yingchuan Grand Hotel, and the luggage was taken up by a few bodyguards. Then, she and Aina walked out again. Seeing Xu Jianxing under a tree outside the hotel, she smiled and said, "Let's go."

"Uh-huh." Xu Jianxing nodded, and with his suitcase, he led Isabel and Aina to the market. Along the way, they attracted many passersby's attention, both men and women. Mainly because of Isabel's beauty and气质, she truly had the charm of a top Hollywood star.

This made Isabel a bit smug as she whispered to Xu Jianxing, "Doesn't it feel great to walk with me? Do you feel a bit smug inside?"

"Uh-huh." Xu Jianxing was slightly taken aback. Deep down, he did feel a bit smug. After all, having such a beautiful foreign woman by his side, any man would feel that way, as it was somewhat of a face-saving matter.

Thinking this, Xu Jianxing then said without hesitation, "What's there to be smug about? No matter how beautiful a woman is, in the dark, they all look the same. I think as long as she's usable, that's fine."

"You crude man." Isabel's face turned red with embarrassment as she muttered, then said with disdain, "Men like you are always inconsistent. You say you don't care about a woman's appearance, but would you be happy if I introduced you to a woman like Sister Feng?"

"Uh." Xu Jianxing laughed awkwardly, not expecting Isabel to know about Sister Feng. He then defended himself, "Although men do pay more attention to a woman's appearance, a woman who is not very attractive but has her own charm can still make a man fall in love."

Isabel naturally did not argue with this point, but she was not interested in continuing the topic. Instead, she asked with some concern, "Xu, your parents won't really dislike foreigners, will they?"

"Uh-huh." Xu Jianxing nodded with a suppressed laugh, "Didn't I tell you that our family has a heirloom that was once stolen by some invaders?"

"What is it?" Isabel asked with great interest. She thought that since Xu Jianxing had such impressive skills, his ancestors must not have been ordinary people, and the stolen item would not be simple.

"Ah, I won't say. It will only add to your pressure," Xu Jianxing shook his head with a sigh.

"Why are you like this? You always leave things half-said. Hurry up and tell me," Isabel was a bit impatient. Although the matter had nothing to do with her, she knew that the attitude of Xu Jianxing's parents was crucial if she wanted to learn something from him. If she could help find the heirloom, she would definitely do her best.

"Alright, since you are so sincere, I'll tell you," Xu Jianxing smiled mysteriously, "Come closer."

Without hesitation, Isabel moved closer to Xu Jianxing. Then she heard him whisper, "A chamber pot."

"A chamber pot?" Isabel was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and said angrily, "You jerk, you're just teasing me. Can't you be less crude?"

Xu Jianxing laughed heartily, "If you stay away from me, I promise to be less crude."

"You wish." Isabel replied with a glare.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Wait outside. It's too hot inside. Just watch the luggage for me."

It was early autumn, and the weather was still very hot. Even if Xu Jianxing lacked manners, he would not let Isabel and Aina enter the crowded market with him. After saying this, he walked into the market and started browsing. With his current discerning eye, he not only ensured the quality of the ingredients but also picked them quickly.

After a short while, Xu Jianxing returned with several large bags, weighing dozens of pounds. However, he had only bought vegetables and no meat, as he had various meats stored in his space, along with some fish he had caught and wild game from the forest.

During his shopping, Xu Jianxing also called Lu Qian to report his safety.

After reuniting with Isabel and Aina, Xu Jianxing saw that each of them was holding two gift boxes and a fruit basket. He did not say much, called a taxi, and they headed home...

Xu Jianxing's father, Xu Anlin, and mother, Yang Yulan, were both long-time employees of a state-owned textile factory. Due to poor management and the decline of the textile industry, the factory was almost bankrupt. Even if there was work, it was not much, and their monthly salary was only about 800 yuan, far below the average wage in other industries. Such a low salary made it difficult to support the family, especially with Xu Jianxing's sister in college.

So, every evening, Xu Jianxing's parents would set up a small stall to sell things and supplement their income. Their life was not extremely poor, but it was not good either.

Xu Jianxing had thought about getting his parents to leave the state-owned enterprise, but he gave up. After all, they had spent their whole lives at the textile factory and had no other skills. Even if they left, what could they do? Moreover, according to their mindset, even though the salary was low, having a stable job was very satisfying.

The only good thing was that after 20 years of hard work, they had bought a low-cost apartment, though it was on the fifth floor and only about 70 square meters. Still, they had a home of their own.

It took about ten minutes.

The taxi stopped at the entrance of the neighborhood. Xu Jianxing paid the fare, got out, and looked at the old building where he had lived for over a decade. He felt both excitement and a deep sense of sorrow.

Without too much reflection, Xu Jianxing walked to the back of the car and took out the luggage.

At the same time, Isabel got out of the car and looked at the old, dilapidated buildings around her, her eyes filled with disbelief. Even without Xu Jianxing saying anything, she knew this must be his home; otherwise, the taxi would not have stopped here. This was completely different from what she had imagined. After all, with Xu Jianxing's abilities, his home should not be like this.

Even Aina looked puzzled and confused.

Seeing their expressions, Xu Jianxing knew what they were thinking and smiled, "Surprised, right?"

"Uh-huh." Isabel and Aina nodded quickly.

"But I won't tell you why." Xu Jianxing laughed and then took the plastic bags from the taxi with his other hand, walking briskly into the neighborhood.

"You jerk." Isabel gritted her teeth and followed, while Aina shook her head with a bitter smile and followed behind.

"Is Jianxing just back from outside?" An elderly man in his sixties saw Xu Jianxing and smiled, glancing curiously at Isabel and Aina behind him. Foreigners were rare in this city, so he was naturally curious. Xu Jianxing bringing Isabel and Aina home would likely be the talk of the neighborhood by the end of the day.

"Yes, Grandpa Zhang." Xu Jianxing smiled back. Although he had changed somewhat due to the ring, the changes were not significant, and those familiar with him could still recognize him easily.

"It's good to have you back. I won't keep you, but come visit me when you have time."

"Sure, Grandpa Zhang." Xu Jianxing waved and continued down the road. Fortunately, it was during the workday, so he did not encounter anyone else and smoothly reached the fifth floor of his building.

Xu Jianxing usually got the key from the bathroom window, but seeing it tightly closed and hearing the sound of running water, he knew someone was home.

The only person who could be home at this time was his sister, Xu Rou. Xu Jianxing smiled and pressed the doorbell, calling out, "Xiao Rou."

"Uh-huh." A surprised voice came from inside, followed by a sweet and cheerful shout, "Brother, is that you?"

"It's me." Xu Jianxing smiled.

"Brother, wait a moment. I just got back from tutoring a little girl at two in the afternoon. I was so hot, so I took a quick shower. I'll be right out."

"Alright, no rush." Xu Jianxing smiled.

At this moment, Isabel, standing behind Xu Jianxing, stepped forward and asked curiously in a low voice, "Is that your sister inside?"

"Uh-huh, my sister, Xu Rou." Xu Jianxing nodded.

"Oh." Isabel smiled in understanding.

After about six or seven minutes, the door suddenly opened, and a girl in her early twenties appeared before Xu Jianxing. She was about 1.66 meters tall, with a sweet face, fair skin, and a slender figure. Her wet hair was draped over a simple home T-shirt. This girl was Xu Jianxing's sister, Xu Rou.

"Brother, I've missed you so much." Xu Rou's face lit up with joy as she ran over and hugged Xu Jianxing, wrapping her legs around him like a koala and resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"Alright, you're a big girl now, and we have guests." Xu Jianxing patted her head affectionately.

"Uh-huh, guests? Could it be Sister Xiaoxue?"

Xu Rou muttered in surprise. Although Xu Jianxing's ex-girlfriend, Chen Haoxue, had never been to their home, Xu Rou was very familiar with her. She had seen photos of Chen Haoxue and Xu Jianxing together and had even gotten Chen Haoxue's phone number from Xu Jianxing. They often talked and even video chatted, though less frequently in the past year. Xu Rou did not think much of it, assuming they were busy after graduation.

So, in their mutual affection, they had become very good friends.

Xu Jianxing had never told his family about his breakup with Chen Haoxue. When asked, he would give a vague reason. Chen Haoxue had also not mentioned it to Xu Rou over the phone, so Xu Rou and Xu Jianxing's parents still thought they were dating. This was why Xu Rou thought this way.

When Xu Rou put her legs down and looked up, she was momentarily stunned. "Why are there two Western women? They look quite beautiful."