Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Grandfather and Brother

After work, Xun Xiang mostly stayed home alone, learning crafts, cooking, or gardening through videos, sometimes meeting friends for karaoke or other activities, with her favorite destination being her best friend Zhou Zhou's place.

Zhou Zhou had started a food vlogging venture a few years back, focusing on cooking rather than eating, and had amassed millions of followers. She managed all aspects of her channel without a team, relying only on herself and her parents.

Helping Zhou Zhou, Xun Xiang also enjoyed delicious meals.

Xun Xiang thought her life would continue in this relaxed, comfortable, and solitary manner.

But then she fell ill.

With a high fever of 40 degrees Celsius, difficulty breathing, and completely drained of energy, she lay in bed alone, too weak even to drink water.

She mustered the strength to make several phone calls. First to her mother, father, and uncle, who "coincidentally" were all out of town, advising her to take a taxi to the hospital.

She also called two men who had been pursuing her, but they too "regrettably" were not in town and couldn't come.

She never considered calling friends. If her own family and those who professed love for her didn't care, why test the humanity of others?

An hour later, paramedics arrived when she was in a semi-conscious state.

When she woke up again, she found herself being held upside down by a midwife, getting her bottom slapped...

Family love? Romantic love?

Nonsense!

At that moment, she guessed this would be the outcome, and the best choice was to call emergency services immediately. Yet, at her most isolated and helpless, she still hoped for a miracle.

She even thought, if one of those men came to her house, she would break her vow and marry him...

However, recalling the crafts she had inadvertently learned, she felt a secret thrill. Was her previous life preparing her for this one? Was her transmigration predestined?

Even without any special powers or systems, she was determined to ensure a good life for herself and her family in this lifetime.

The donkey cart's gentle jolting, coupled with Mrs. Zhang's soft pats, made Ding Xiang extremely comfortable.

Soon, she fell asleep again.

Ding Xiang was awakened by a loud voice.

"Dad, Mom, you're back! Hey, who is Mom holding?"

Ding Zhao laughed, "Li Chun, this is your sister, Xiang Xiang."

Ding Xiang fully woke up, realizing they had arrived in North Spring Village.

The boy's voice exploded near her ear, "A sister? I have a sister now?"

Ding Zhao laughed heartily, "Of course, you do."

The boy then shouted excitedly, "Grandpa, Grandpa, my dad and mom are back, and Mom gave birth to a sister..."

His excited shouts and footsteps receded into the distance.

That loud voice shattered the tranquility of the small village, and suddenly there was a surge of noise: voices talking, doors opening, dogs barking, and chickens clucking.

Ding Xiang's heart leapt with excitement. It was night, but she could still perceive a faint light, indicating the stars were incredibly bright, and her vision was improving.

A woman's loud voice questioned, "Did our sister-in-law really give birth to such a big baby all of a sudden?"

Her tone was full of disbelief.

Ding Zhao shot the woman a disapproving look and said irritably, "It wasn't sudden. Zhi Niang became pregnant shortly after arriving in the capital, and the child was born in July. Once my illness was cured and the baby reached a month old, we hurried back."

Someone asked, "Is your illness really cured?"

Ding Zhao flexed his left arm, "Yes, completely. Doctor Fang is a miracle worker."

The same woman remarked scornfully, "Just a girl, what's there to be happy about? I gave birth to my fourth son this May."

But the majority of the voices were congratulatory.

Ding Xiang guessed the disagreeable woman was Wang Shi, the wife of Ding Zhao's eldest cousin Ding Youcai. She had often heard Ding Zhao and Mrs. Zhang complain about their aunt Ding Xia Shi and cousin-in-law Wang Shi, describing them as greedy and shameless, especially harboring resentment towards Ding Xia Shi, who seemed to be involved in the early demise of Ding Zhao's mother.

Ding Xiang's good mood wasn’t spoiled by Wang Shi's bitter words. Being in separate rooms, dislike was inconsequential.

A young boy's voice, initially distant but growing nearer, called out, "Daddy, Mommy, I missed you..."

The voice was youthful and tearful.

Then a booming voice like a bell asked, "Zhao, your wife had a daughter?"

Ding Zhao bowed to his father and replied with a smile, "Dad, Zhang Shi has given you a granddaughter, Xiang Xiang. As soon as the child was a month old, we rushed back..."

Hearing that his daughter-in-law had given him a granddaughter, Ding Zhuang was overjoyed, laughing heartily and reaching out his large hands.

Mrs. Zhang, guessing her father-in-law wanted to hold the baby but fearing he might not handle an infant well, had already wrapped Ding Xiang in a blanket like a little chili pepper and handed her over.

Ding Li Chun and Ding Li Ren were completely captivated by their sister, tugging at their grandfather's clothes and standing on tiptoes to see.

Ding Li Chun, now seven and quite tall, could barely see by standing on tiptoes. Four-year-old Ding Li Ren, even standing fully, could only see the back of his sister's head, almost crying in frustration.

Mrs. Zhang smiled and lifted her second son.

Ding Xiang, now in another embrace, felt a strong scent of sweat but found it reassuringly sturdy and warm, smiling enthusiastically at her holder.

Finally having a granddaughter in his arms, soft and lively, Ding Zhuang was ecstatic.

He chuckled, "What a beautiful girl, as handsome as An An. Let's go home, don’t let all these people scare her."

His voice was deliberately soft and gentle, as if rumbling in his throat, and due to its depth, his words were somewhat muffled.

Ding Xiang had heard her parents casually mention that her late grandmother's maiden name was Xue An. This grandfather openly praising his wife's beauty and using her nickname suggested he was open-minded and had a deep affection for his wife.

This made Ding Xiang even more eager to embrace her new home.

Ding Li Chun pleaded, "Grandpa, let me hold my sister."

Ding Zhuang lifted his hands higher, scolding, "Go away, you can't hold her, she’s too delicate."

"I can hold her," Ding Li Chun insisted, reaching out determinedly.

Ding Zhuang kicked at him, "Scram! If you drop my granddaughter, I'll thrash you."

He raised his voice inadvertently and then quickly softened it, saying, "My dear granddaughter, grandpa wasn’t scolding you, don't be afraid."

Upon returning to their own courtyard, a large black dog barked wildly and lunged at Ding Zhuang.

Ding Zhuang kicked it away, "Back off, don’t scare my granddaughter."

Ding Li Chun tied the dog, Heizi, under the eaves with a rope.

Ding Zhao first held Ding Xiang and bowed to his mother Xue Shi’s memorial tablet, then unwrapped Ding Xiang and placed her in Ding Zhuang’s large hands.

Ding Zhuang sat in a chair holding Ding Xiang, with both brothers gathered around to see their sister.

The dim light cast a soft glow on the baby’s delicate skin, her bright eyes quietly observing them, her tiny mouth still holding a hint of a smile.

A gentle smile played on Ding Zhuang's lips, his gaze tender and fixated on Ding Xiang's face, unwilling to look away.

For Mrs. Zhang, it was her first time seeing such a look in her father-in-law's eyes, and for Ding Zhao, it was a look he hadn't seen in nearly twenty years.

Both felt a sense of vulnerability, swallowing nervously in unison.

Thank you to Song A Mei and Miao Xiao Yu's Xiao Hao for the rewards, and thank you to Yunho for the monthly ticket.