When Empress Dowager Xia saw Xia Zhijin, she was incredibly enthusiastic. She immediately bustled over and pushed freshly washed apples and bananas into Xia Zhijin's hands.
"Come, dear, have a seat on the sofa and start with some fruit."
Xia Zhijin sat upright, her posture as stiff as a student in a classroom. Her hands trembled slightly as she accepted the fruit from Xia Qin, her cheeks flushing as she shyly thanked her. "Thank you, Auntie!"
Xia Qin sat down beside Xia Zhijin, took her hand, and asked with a smile, "Dear, your name is Xia Zhijin. Is that the 'Xia' from summer?"
"Yes." Xia Zhijin nodded lightly.
Empress Dowager Xia grinned broadly. "What a coincidence! My surname is also Xia. Who knows, maybe a few generations back we were from the same clan."
Xia Zhijin was startled. She looked at the plainly dressed woman before her and asked in a soft voice, "Auntie, your surname is also Xia?"
