Chapter 93

Ding Sifu initially brightened at this, then shook his head.

"Grandpa and Uncle might fear Second Grandpa and listen to him, but my mom won't spare Sister Pan. She wants to sell her to the brothel not just for money, but also to make her suffer.

"Yesterday, I overheard my mom saying that if not for the higher price, she would break Sister Pan's legs and scar her face, condemning her to a life as a cripple and a 'monster'. I think Sister Pan is better off running away to a place they'll never find her."

Ding Xiang felt a pang in her heart. Mrs. Wang, already a difficult person, fueled by her hatred for Mrs. Hao, was indeed capable of such cruelty. Even if they managed to free Pan's sister by paying, Mrs. Wang would still find opportunities to harm her.

Being young herself, she couldn’t take charge of much, and with her grandfather and father harboring deep hatred for Mrs. Hao, they were unlikely to interfere much with the affairs of the main house. Ding Sifu’s idea of escaping far away, beyond their reach, might be the better option.

Escaping that home completely could possibly transform Pan's sister's life entirely.

Ding Xiang looked at Ding Sifu, thin and short, with a pointed little chin and bright, sparkling eyes.

Such a clear-headed understanding from a real six-year-old child was astonishing.

Feeling a surge of pity, Ding Xiang gently cradled his small face, forgetting she was even younger than him.

She spoke softly, "If you help Sister Pan escape, your parents won’t let you off; they’ll be ruthless in punishing you."

Tears welled up in Ding Sifu’s eyes as he sniffled, "I want to help Sister Pan, I don’t want her to die. My parents disdain me, my eldest brother ignores me, my second brother is rarely home, my third brother often beats me, but only Sister Pan is kind to me.

"The way she looks at me, it's like how Li Chun and Li Ren look at you, Sister Xiang. In my family, only she looks at me that way, and I love that gaze. She's not like Mrs. Hao; she's a good person, not a villain.

"Even if my parents beat me to death, I still want to help her. Sister Xiang, can you lend me more money for Sister Pan to use on the road? I promise to repay you. I'm as smart as Li Ren; when I grow up, I'll find ways to earn money and pay back every penny."

This child was not just kind-hearted and perceptive, but also tender-hearted and grateful.

Ding Xiang liked this child.

And Pan's sister, too, a good child, unfortunately burdened with such a mother.

The saying "like mother, like daughter" was not always true.

Ding Xiang said, "I have some silver and I'm willing to lend it to you."

She didn’t say, "I’ll give it to you, no need to repay."

A few taels of silver might set this child on a path of self-reliance and strength. Being kind-hearted and soft is not enough; one must also be strong, especially for Ding Sifu with his crippled leg.

Ding Xiang opened a cabinet and took out a large box containing some jewelry, twelve silver ingots, assorted smaller silver pieces, and copper coins.

The gold necklace was bought by Ding Zhao, the silver necklace by Ding Zhuang, the flower by Mrs. Zhang, and the silver bracelet was a gift from Mrs. Qian, while the silver was what she had requested.

Each time her ideas helped earn money, she would ask her grandfather for a share. Combined with her New Year's money, she had saved up quite a bit, even more than her working eldest brother.

Mrs. Qian was the wife of Qian Er, the deputy head of their clan. So far, Ding Xiang had never met the couple, but knowing she was Ding Zhuang's treasure, they occasionally sent her gifts through Li Chun.

Ding Xiang took out a purse and first filled it with a handful of large copper coins without counting them.

She then added three small silver ingots to the purse and told Ding Sifu, "Make sure to tell Sister Pan clearly, these are silver ingots, each weighing two taels, equivalent to two guan of money. She should only use these in times of great need."

For people like Pan's sister and Ding Sifu, who had never handled silver, it was important to explain these details.

Ding Sifu looked solemnly at the silver ingots, having only heard of them before. Now he saw what they looked like.

He nodded and repeated, "Each ingot is two taels, worth two guan. I understand."

Ding Xiang then added ten small silver pieces to the purse, "Each of these small silver pieces is two qian, equivalent to two hundred large copper coins. Keep the money hidden and separate. Have Sister Pan dress in third brother’s clothes and disguise herself as a boy when leaving.

"If she has nowhere to go, she should head to the docks north of the county and take a boat. Traveling by water is safer than by land. Whether heading towards the capital or Qianzhou, the destinations are wealthier, offering better opportunities to earn money. She should take the mountain footpath to avoid the Ding family members returning from the county."

Even in this era, where travel and property ownership required permits and household registration, disguising as a boy and blending in with a family could still get a twelve-year-old through checkpoints.

Ding Sifu, his eyes sparkling with gratitude, tucked the purse into his chest and bowed to Ding Xiang, "Thank you, Sister Xiang. I'll remember this favor and won't mention your involvement."

Ding Xiang ran to the kitchen and grabbed some leftover rice-flour buns from the morning, wrapping them with the remaining chicken pieces in lotus leaves and handed them to Ding Sifu.

"If your mother beats you, I'll ask Grandpa to help you."

Ding Zhuang had always been fond and sympathetic towards Ding Sifu, and he would surely be willing to help. Moreover, since she was also involved in this matter, even Grandpa couldn’t ignore it.

Ding Sifu, holding the lotus leaf package, limped away quickly.

Outside, two teenagers taunted him, "Ha, the little cripple runs quite fast. Hurrying home to beat up Pan's sister?"

Ignoring them, Ding Sifu hurried home and bolted the door.

Inside, Pan's sister was pacing restlessly, unable to sit or lie down in peace.

She had just rummaged through her parents' chest, finding only twenty-three large copper coins.

Sorting through her belongings, she found only a few sets of short, tattered clothes and two pairs of shoes, along with some hair ties.

She packed a set of clothes, a pair of shoes, and the twenty-three coins into a cloth bundle.

In the kitchen, she looked for food but found nothing even at the bottom of the pot.

Ding Sifu pulled Pan's sister into the house, took out the purse, and relayed Ding Xiang's instructions word for word. He counted sixty-six large copper coins.

The more Pan's sister listened, the brighter her eyes shone, as if seeing a clearer path ahead.

They went to several well-off neighbors' houses, where Ding Sifu fetched a set of clothes belonging to their third brother, Ding Sanfu.

Ding Sanfu, two years younger than Pan's sister but taller, had clothes that she could wear.

Pan's sister also took out a set of undergarments, quickly sewing several small pockets onto them to hide the silver ingots and small silver pieces, keeping only the copper coins in the outer purse.

As they prepared, Ding Sifu fed her a bun and stuffed several pieces of chicken into her mouth, taking a piece for himself as well.

For both siblings, it was their first time eating such chicken, but they were not in the mood to savor its taste.

Pan's sister disheveled her hair into pigtails, wrapped a scarf around her head, slung the bundle diagonally across her body, and stepped into the courtyard.

The sun was nearing its zenith, signaling the beginning of noon.

Tears Ding Sifu had been holding back fell as he whispered softly, "Sister, you must survive."

Pan's sister lifted Ding Sifu into her arms, burying her face in his hair as she began to cry.

"Sister, you must go quickly," Ding Sifu urged again.

Pan's sister raised her head, gave him a few instructions, put him down, and hurriedly ran out the front door.

Pan's sister would have her own remarkable journey...