Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Great Escape to Victory

For the first time since her transmigration, Ding Xiang thought of her parents from her past life.

Their parents, entangled in affairs with their first loves within their marriage, cleverly manipulated each other. Her cunning mother, seizing a leverage over her father, initiated a divorce and secured a larger share of the family wealth. Her father, realizing too late, retaliated by assaulting her mother, escalating the matter to the police station.

Post-divorce, neither parent wanted to take care of little Xun Xiang, leaving her grandmother no choice but to take the seven-year-old into her own home.

Later, each parent had another child, and apart from sending Xun Xiang a monthly allowance, they were particularly anxious about her “causing trouble” at their homes. Xun Xiang, harboring resentment, had no desire to live with them.

Whenever she needed money, she would call them, saying, “I’m out of money, I want to come live at your place.”

Just mentioning this would prompt either her father or mother to hastily transfer money to her, dreading her disruption of their lives.

Both families were financially stable, never shortchanging Xun Xiang, yet they never offered the love she yearned for.

As Xun Xiang grew older, she reflected on her parents' actions: if “infidelity,” “thrills,” “lies,” and “scheming” defined love, she would rather have none of it.

She held no attachment to that world. Her grandmother, the only person she loved and who loved her, passed away during her senior year in college, leaving her heartbroken and feeling utterly alone.

Her belief in love shattered, Xun Xiang felt that her grandmother’s death had taken away all her familial love and affection.

In this life, born into luxury only to suddenly find herself among commoners, she was grateful for the transmigration's blessing that not only saved her from disaster but also led her to such a kind and caring family, better than some biological parents.

Ding Xiang felt no regret for losing her wealth, only immense gratitude for surviving the ordeal and finding solace in this new family.

Ding Xiang, trying not to cry, softly whimpered as she soiled herself. Mrs. Zhang promptly cleaned her up, and Ding Zhao got up to warm some rice soup for her.

This showed their genuine love and cleanliness, especially Ding Zhao, who was diligent and attentive without any trace of the traditional male chauvinism.

The next morning, Ding Zhao went to the market, while Mrs. Zhang prepared rice soup in the kitchen.

Ding Xiang lay quietly on the kang, listening to the chirping of birds outside the window, the laughter of children and adults in the alley, and the hawkers' calls beyond the alley.

This bustling marketplace was starkly different from the silent, restrained environment of a princess's mansion.

She turned her head towards the light, gazing at the window.

The brightness contrasted the disparities between homes of wealth and poverty.

In her former life, the brightly lit nights were almost indistinguishable from the days due to the distance of her bed from the window and the wide verandas.

But here, the stark contrast between the dim oil lamp at night and the bright daylight allowed Ding Xiang to differentiate between day and night, bringing joy to her, who had been effectively blind for over a month.

Even without sight, she could sense the abundance of birds nearby, indicating her proximity to a small window.

This gave Ding Xiang a sense of freedom, as if the world outside was vast and she could soar freely.

Her heart fluttered like a bird, and she kicked her legs in the air with delight.

Unrestricted by blankets, she felt truly liberated.

After kicking a few times, she remembered she wasn’t wearing a diaper and, feeling the cool air, she lowered her legs.

Mrs. Zhang placed the rice soup on the table, fetched a diaper, and, wrapping it around Ding Xiang, lifted her up to feed her.

As she did so, she lamented, “Alas, poor Xiang Xiang has to settle for rice soup. Once we're on the boat, I’ll pay someone to nurse you. When we reach our hometown, we’ll buy goat or cow milk for you.”

Ding Xiang, not keen on drinking a stranger’s milk, eagerly drank the rice soup, showing her contentment and no sense of deprivation.

Seeing this, Mrs. Zhang felt even more pity, “Ah, my Xiang Xiang should be living a life of luxury, not suffering with us.”

That morning, the house door was knocked on twice by women from the neighborhood.

Mrs. Zhang, not allowing them inside, feigned illness with a headache and lack of energy.

The women, unable to enter, still gossiped about the officers searching for a child the day before.

“Oh my, whoever finds that child will be rich for life. Just think of it, 500 silver taels! Shows how desperate the parents are. Ah, why can’t I be that lucky…”

Mrs. Zhang humored them briefly before closing the door.

In the afternoon, Ding Zhao returned home, not only with soft cloth and a bag of sugar cane for Ding Xiang, but also a rattle-drum and a small embroidered hat.

Ding Zhao amused Ding Xiang with the rattle-drum, and she obligingly showed her enjoyment. Her head turned left when the drum was on her left, and right when it was on her right.

This delighted Ding Zhao, proud of his gift choice, seeing his daughter’s enjoyment.

Ding Zhao worked late into the night preparing the medicinal pills, placing two in a sachet and attaching it to Ding Xiang's clothes. The strong scent of the medicine overpowered the faint fragrance.

Seeing his daughter smile at him, Ding Zhao lovingly instructed, "Remember, Xiang Xiang, you must always carry this sachet with the medicine from now on."

Mrs. Zhang chuckled, "You're so happy you're being silly, Xiang Xiang can't understand you."

Ding Zhao replied, "Our Xiang Xiang is smarter than other children; she understands, even if she can't speak."

On the 22nd of August, Ding Zhao and Mrs. Zhang rose early in the morning, before daybreak, having finished their breakfast.

After feeding Ding Xiang rice soup, they placed the crushed medicinal pills in her clothes, intensifying the medicinal aroma. They also packed the remaining rice soup in a small copper pot, wrapped in a quilt to keep it warm for feeding during the journey.

To appear more like a nursing mother, Mrs. Zhang stuffed cotton in her chest area to make it look fuller.

The night was cool like water, with stars filling the sky.

Mrs. Zhang carried Ding Xiang, covering her with a cloth, and walked to the nearby street corner, where a donkey cart from the carriage service awaited them.

Ding Zhao had the landlord from the previous alley over to transfer the house, then carried two large baskets of belongings to meet Mrs. Zhang.

Leaving at this hour meant the neighbors wouldn't see them, and they would reach the south city gate just as it opened at dawn.

Ding Xiang felt a mix of nervous excitement and a tinge of regret and reluctance, as if she was part of a great escape.

After the mourning ceremony concluded last night, the princess, her mother, and her brother must have returned to their mansion. They surely hadn’t noticed the switch of the child; otherwise, the capital wouldn’t have been so quiet last night. A massive search would have ensued.

Perhaps, as the old woman said, the princess's mother was already in poor health, and the added grief and exhaustion worsened her condition, leaving her unable to even glance at her daughter. Even if her son saw his sister, with ointment on her face, he wouldn't notice anything amiss.

No matter the reason, losing one's daughter at home is a failure of motherhood.

Ding Xiang was deeply disappointed in the princess's mother; she seemed indifferent to her child. If she kept her child close and knew everything about her, or if she had entrusted her to a trusted servant or a fiercely loyal wet nurse, those people wouldn't dare harbor such malicious intentions.

Initially, Ding Xiang thought her transmigration meant a life of leisure, clinging to the powerful, and enjoying revengeful pleasures. She didn't expect a switch that sent her miles away from the capital to a rural area.

The plot shifted forcibly from a classic, fictional setting to one focusing on farming and business.

"Thank you, Meng Hui Mo Qian Shan, for the 5000 Qi Dian coins; thank you, Xue Shu Xia De Xue, for the 1000 Qi Dian coins; thank you, Song A Mei, for the 500 Qi Dian coins; and thank you, Ni Mao Er and Ru Mo 357, for the monthly tickets. Thank you for all your support."