Chapter 61

Ding Xiang believed that her grandfather and father would not sell her, but how would they overcome this difficult situation?

Ding Liren, holding Ding Xiang, cried out, "Don’t sell my sister, let's go and tell Grandpa and Dad to sell me instead."

Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Ding Xiang embraced her brother and wept.

She felt both helpless at her inability to do anything and heartbroken for her grandfather and father.

She had underestimated the evil of the wrongdoers. If she had anticipated they would target her, she should have devised a plan earlier instead of focusing solely on raising money.

Her previous confidence had vanished; facing a bunch of ruffians, she felt utterly powerless. How would she contend with even more powerful and cunning evil forces in the future?

Mrs. Zhang also started wailing loudly, not knowing what to do. She couldn’t bear to sell either her son or daughter. But if not selling them, what else could she do?

She held her son and daughter tightly in her arms. If anyone tried to take them, they would have to kill her first.

A little more than an hour later, Ding Zhao returned with heavy steps alongside Ding Shan, who placed six strings of cash on the table.

Ding Zhao, looking distressed, shook his head at Ding Zhuang, indicating he hadn’t been able to borrow the money.

Just as Sun Datou was about to speak, Ding Lichun stepped forward.

He bowed and said, "Sun Datou, I am ten years old this year, the eldest son of the Ding family. I am strong, can fight," he gestured towards the enforcers, "and will surely be more formidable than them when I grow up. Buy me instead, I am more useful than my sister."

Sun Datou showed a flicker of admiration, but shook his head, "You're not even worth ten taels of silver, and selling you still wouldn't cover the debt." He gestured broadly, "Go to the east wing and take her as payment."

"Wait!" Ding Zhuang bellowed.

Somehow, a kitchen knife had appeared in his hand, his eyes bloodshot.

The men from the pawnshop drew their weapons, pointing them at him.

Ding Shan and Xia Lizheng hurriedly intervened:

"Don't do it."

"We can't let blood be shed."

Ding Zhao and Ding Li Chun also picked up a hoe and an iron rake from behind the door, ready to join the fight.

Even if they were to lose, they were determined to fight.

Sun Datou scoffed, "A family of desperados, daring to challenge our pawnshop."

Ding Zhuang glared at him and said, "I’ve heard it's a practice of your pawnshop to chop off a finger of anyone who can't repay ten taels of silver. I'll chop off three fingers, and that should settle our debt."

Before anyone could react, Ding Zhuang swiftly brought down the knife, and blood spurted out.

"Father."

Crying, Ding Zhao rushed forward to embrace Ding Zhuang.

Xia Lizheng and others screamed in horror, "Someone's been hurt, it's going to be fatal."

Many others were trembling, unable to speak.

Sun Datou, seeing Ding Zhuang's pale face but not collapsing, instead glaring at him with bloodshot eyes, and blood spurting continuously from his hand held by Ding Zhao, with three severed fingers lying on the table.

He was stunned by such ruthlessness.

Sun Datou, terrified, found this more frightening than if he had committed murder himself.

He saw Ding Zhuang as a demon, capable of attacking and chopping him up at any moment.

Too scared to stay any longer, he shouted, "Let's go."

He was the first to leave.

The rest hurriedly carried out the boxes previously filled with silver and coins, too frightened to take the blood-stained money on the table or remember to lead away the ox in the yard.

Xia Erbo chased after them, shouting, "The debt is cleared, leave the IOUs behind."

Sun Datou flung the IOUs at him and ran away.

Ding Zhuang slowly collapsed, and Ding Zhao ran into the bedroom to fetch a packet of hemostatic powder for him. Ding Shan, Ding Shuan, and others quickly bandaged his wounds.

Only then did Ding Zhao realize why his father had bought hemostatic and wound-healing medicines and placed them in such a visible spot, having prepared for the worst beforehand.

He wept inconsolably.

Ding Shan yelled, "Er Shuan, go quickly and call a doctor."

Ding Ershuan, agreeing, ran out frantically.

There was a doctor in Nanquan Village, whom all the villagers in the area turned to when they fell ill.

Ding Lichun screamed and wailed, his legs weak with fright, unsure of what to do.

Mrs. Zhang and Ding Xiang, unaware of what had happened, only heard Ding Zhuang's loud shouts and someone yelling about a fatality. When the pawnshop people ran off, they opened the door and rushed out.

Seeing Ding Zhuang collapsed in Ding Zhao's arms, the table splattered with blood, Ding Xiang didn't know exactly what had occurred but understood that her grandfather had harmed himself to protect her.

She screamed and rushed towards Ding Zhuang, crying, "Grandpa, Grandpa..."

Her grief and pain were even greater than when her grandmother passed away in her previous life. If Grandpa died, she didn't want to live either.

Someone shouted, "Take the children away."

Terrified, Mrs. Zhang grabbed Ding Xiang and ran back to the east wing, holding her tightly despite her cries and struggles.

Ding Liren was also terrified and sat crying in the yard until someone picked him up and put him in the east wing.

After her voice went hoarse from crying and she was exhausted, Mrs. Zhang finally let go of Ding Xiang.

A faint fragrance lingered in the room, wafting from the small window, but the scent of blood was overpowering, masking the fragrance.

Ding Xiang had calmed down. Her crying and fussing were futile and she didn’t want to cause more trouble.

She lay on the kang, sobbing silently.

From the sounds, Ding Zhuang was still breathing and the bleeding had stopped.

The doctor said his skills were limited. If Ding Zhuang survived the night, they should go to the county town the next day to find a better doctor and buy more effective medicines.

As night fell, people kept coming and going in the main room. It seemed more people were coming to donate money, some contributing just a few wen, others tens or even hundreds of wen.

They couldn't understand why Ding Zhuang would rather cut off his own fingers than sell his granddaughter, but they still wanted to help this desperate family hold on.

Surprisingly, the son of Xia Yuanwai also came, bringing five taels of silver. Xia Yuanwai hadn't expected Ding Zhuang to be so ruthless and didn't dare offend him further.

The six strings of cash brought by Ding Shan, which the thugs hadn't had time to take, along with these new contributions, meant they could buy good medicine in the county town tomorrow and call another doctor.

The Xie and Zhao families came again to cook for the second branch.

As the night deepened, the visitors gradually went home, and the main room finally quieted down.

Mrs. Zhang, Ding Xiang, and Ding Liren went to the main room.

Ding Zhao and Ding Lichun stood by the kang, their eyes red and swollen.

Ding Zhuang lay motionless on the kang, his face pale, eyes tightly closed, as if dead. His left hand was wrapped in cloth, which was soaked red with blood, resembling a blood-drenched bun.

Ding Xiang knelt down, crying, "Grandpa, you can’t die. If you die, I won't be able to live either. Grandpa, it must hurt so much... my heart aches too..."

Her tender, childlike voice echoed hauntingly through the night, heart-wrenching.

Everyone except Ding Zhao started crying again.

Ding Zhuang's eyes fluttered and opened, turning to look at Ding Xiang.

His lips moved, "Xiang Xiang, my dear granddaughter, don't be afraid..."

Joy appeared in Ding Zhao's eyes, "Dad is awake."

Ding Xiang quickly got up, grabbed Ding Zhuang's clothes with both hands, crying, "Grandpa, don’t die, I can’t live without you..."

Ding Zhuang spoke weakly, "Good child, Grandpa won’t die. Be good, go back and rest."

Ding Zhao felt as if his heart was being torn apart, sensing his father had something important to tell him.

He said to Mrs. Zhang, "Take the two kids back to the room, don't disturb Dad."