Chapter 7: Receiving the Heirloom

After finishing the meal, Mingxi Fang was carried back to her room.

Baesong Fang retrieved a box from under the bed, containing some baby supplies: diapers, a brand-new glass bottle, and a small bottle of malted milk powder.

The malted milk was nearly finished. Baesong Fang sighed softly and rinsed the bottle with warm water. “Things happened too quickly. We didn’t bring all of Xi Xi’s things. This little bit of malted milk will be gone after a few feedings.”

Lingxian Tong didn’t look up but filled the bottle with warm water and added the malted milk, shaking it evenly and testing the temperature to ensure it wasn’t too hot before placing it into Mingxi Fang’s eager mouth.

Mingxi pursed her lips and sucked greedily on the bottle.

“If it really doesn’t work out, we’ll have to wean Xi Xi early,” Lingxian’s voice sounded above Mingxi’s head.

Mingxi slowed her drinking and nodded seriously.

That was the reality—they lived in a special era, with a special identity. Having malted milk at this time was a sign of considerable family wealth.

If anyone mentioned capitalism, the whole family would be in trouble by the next day.

Lingxian’s calloused fingertip gently brushed Mingxi’s cheek, noticing how slowly she drank, her eyes full of pity.

It had only been a few days, but the chubby little one had lost a whole ring of flesh.

Although they had prepared early, the sudden onslaught caught them off guard.

Most of the family’s assets had already been dealt with.

But Mingxi’s belongings were too conspicuous—mostly brought back from abroad. To avoid unnecessary trouble, they hadn’t brought too many things.

A tiny misstep could lead to a thousand-mile difference.

Now, with malted milk running low and no breast milk available, could Xi Xi’s health improve by drinking only rice water?

Baesong Fang was thinking the same, scratching his head in frustration. “If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just shamelessly ask the team leader for help again...”

“No,” Lingxian’s gaze hardened. “The team leader has already helped us a lot recently. You can’t drag him into this. Even if we don’t know why he’s helping us, we mustn’t reveal such obvious leverage.”

“You can’t afford to get into trouble, and neither can we.”

Baesong Fang’s shoulders slumped miserably. Watching Mingxi drink obediently, his heart nearly twisted. “When has a child of the Fang family ever suffered like this?”

Lingxian softened her tone and suddenly caught sight of her husband’s white hairs. Her nose tingled with emotion. “We’ll wean the little darling early. Saving the remaining malted milk can last a few more days.”

It had to be this way. Baesong Fang sat on the bed for a while, then suddenly crawled back under the bed.

“What’s wrong?” Lingxian lifted Mingxi in her arms.

“Looking for something.” Baesong Fang pulled out a worn leather suitcase from beneath the bed again. From the pocket of a garment, he carefully extracted a small red cloth pouch, tightly sewn shut with needle and thread. “Found it.”

He struggled to open the pouch and carefully took out a jade pendant, round and green, engraved with rice ears and a quail. He untied the string and hung it around Mingxi’s neck.

“Xi Xi, this is our family heirloom. Today, Grandpa entrusts it to you.”

Baesong Fang tucked the pendant inside Mingxi’s clothing and smiled. “May our Xi Xi be safe year after year. May your father and mother return to us soon.”

The coolness of the jade pendant penetrated Mingxi’s body through her clothes. She stiffened, her pupils suddenly dilating as a rapid series of images flashed before her eyes.

“Commander, please accept my condolences. Captain Ou died serving the country. Please don’t faint here...”

“Jing Fang, 32 years old, died on January 1, 1974, posthumously recognized as a martyr...”

“Baesong, I’m going to accompany Xi Xi now. You must take care of yourself...”

“Yulan, we’ve been vindicated. We can return to the city to avenge our in-laws...”

“Yulan, I don’t think I can hold on much longer. I’m here to be with you. We’ll find our daughter and reunite the whole family...”

“My dear Xi Xi, have you missed your father? Daddy is now a second lieutenant. From now on, Xi Xi will be a child of the compound.”

“Mom and Dad, I got into university...”

“Xi Xi, will you marry me? I swear on my life...”

A dozen scenes flooded Mingxi’s mind. Her body stiffened as she passively received the memories.

Her eyes shifted from shock to tears, to sorrow, and finally to overwhelming hatred.

When the images disappeared, a tear fell onto Lingxian’s hand. She looked down to see Mingxi’s eyes glistening with tears she hadn’t noticed before.

The bottle was tossed aside, still half full of malted milk.

“Xi Xi, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Lingxian asked tenderly, holding Mingxi close and coaxing her face-to-face.

Baesong Fang, tidying up nearby, looked over and asked, “What’s wrong with Xi Xi?”

“I don’t know. The little one just cried. Could it be she’s missing her parents?”

Mingxi’s thoughts returned to the present. She yawned widely in front of them, a nearly fallen tear sliding down her cheek, prompting them to chuckle softly.

“Looks like Xi Xi is sleepy. Let’s get some rest. We have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Mhm.”

Lingxian laid Mingxi on the bed, washed her face and feet, then hurried to wash herself.

Mingxi lay deep inside the bed, Lingxian’s hand resting lightly on her as she softly sang lullabies to soothe her to sleep.

The kerosene lamp in the room was extinguished. Mingxi sensed the hand on her body had stopped moving, and she opened her eyes to stare coldly at the holey thatched roof.

Fine, fine, so this is how it is!

She had wondered why being watched by Xi He today felt so uncomfortable. Now she knew—she was a lucky treasure!

A daughter of Heaven’s Way who could find money on the street, never returning empty-handed from the mountain—everything she wished for came true.

And Mingxi Fang was merely a pawn, a cannon fodder with a golden finger.

The He family stepped on the Fang family to rise: entering university, doing business, gradually becoming new aristocrats in the capital.

Had she not transmigrated, her coffin would already have been dug up, the ancestral jade pendant lost to him, her corpse devoured by dogs.

Her parents’ sacrifice was only to make way for He Xi’s father.

Mingxi’s eyes widened, blood surging fiercely through her body. The rage in her eyes could burn down the entire He family.

What a disgusting so-called lucky treasure, rising by trampling the entire Fang family.

Lingxian turned over, murmuring softly.

Mingxi listened carefully. In the dim light, the white hairs at the temples of the two elders pierced her heart like a knife.

Grandpa and Grandma loved her so much; she would not allow anything to happen to them.

In the visions, the jade pendant was obtained by He Xi today. Grandpa and Grandma would receive the news on the seventh day after death, causing them to suffer a heart attack and decline until death.

This marked the beginning of the Fang family’s decline and the first step in the He family’s rise.

Now that she had transmigrated, the first step was unexpectedly cut off. Surely, there would be a second step.

Father died in January 1974; mother died before father. From the clues she uncovered yesterday, Mingxi was exactly two years old at that time.

There was still more than a year left—if she could stop all this in time.

Mingxi raised her hand to touch the jade pendant on her chest. The cool jade had warmed to her body temperature. Her gaze was resolute as she opened her interface and activated the grand package.