Jincheng, the Xia residence.
Spring was in full bloom, and the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard were at their peak, their pink-and-white petals drifting down on the breeze to carpet the bluestone pathway. Xia Huai'an squatted beneath a flowering tree, carefully holding his daughter Ruyuan's tiny hand as he guided her in taking her first steps in life.
"Come on, my good girl, walk forward—" Xia Huai'an's voice was uncharacteristically gentle for a military commissioner, sounding more like a flustered first-time father. He backed up slowly, his hands securely supporting Ruyuan's little arms.
Chapter 208