Fragrance Returned

Ding Zhao and Ding Zhuang talked about it late at night before returning to the house.

Mrs. Zhang was sewing clothes for Ding Zhao under the lamp.

In the soft light, my wife's skin is much whiter and tenderer than before. She looks several years younger and looks good, no worse than those official wives.

Ding Zhao's eyes were full of tenderness.

Mrs. Zhang stood up with a smile and took off Ding Zhao's leather waistcoat.

Ding Zhao pulled her to sit down and whispered, "I want to tell you something important. I know who Xiangxiang's biological parents are."

Zhang was stunned for a moment, then turned around with a serious face.

He said angrily, "I must have drunk too much, and I'm talking nonsense. Xiangxiang is my biological daughter. If you want to sell her, I won't agree."

After so many years of marriage, this was the first time that Zhang had such a bad temper with Ding Zhao.

Ding Zhao said, "Look at how anxious you are, Xiangxiang is also my daughter, how could I sell her. But we can't cover our ears, that family has already appeared, and they are still relatives."

Zhang became even more panicked, turned around and asked, "Who are they?" Her eyes bulged again, "They can't be Princess Dongyang's daughter, right?"

Her arms and legs felt weak and her chest felt tight.

Over the past few days, Aunt Wei had told her many things to note in the capital. The most important one is to respect the royal people, otherwise you will be charged with "disrespect".

If she is the daughter of a princess, I dare not not return it.

Ding Zhao was amused, waved his hand and said, "Who is the princess? Her daughter has royal blood, who dares to steal her."

It's easier to handle if she's not a princess's daughter.

Mrs. Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and said in a suppressed voice, "I have raised Xiangxiang for ten years, and I love her more than my son. They cruelly put Xiangxiang in a wooden box and threw it away, because they didn't want her anymore. Xiangxiang is me My dear daughter, I won’t pay you back, I won’t pay you back!”

After speaking, she covered her mouth and started crying. She had long regarded Ding Xiang as her own daughter and the flesh of her own body. How could she be willing to cut off the flesh?

Ding Zhao said, "You think it's a coincidence that Xiangxiang looks like my mother and Fang'er, right?"

Mrs. Zhang nodded, she always thought it was a coincidence and fate.

Ding Zhao added, "My father said that my mother also has a fragrance, but it is lighter than the fragrance and generally can't be smelled. I also smelled it vaguely when I was a child, and always thought it was the fragrance of paste. It was before I went to the capital to sell rice paper. , dad told me about my mother’s life experience..."

He talked about his visit to the capital that year to investigate, and how Dong Yihe found his family through the appearance and aroma of lilacs. This year we found out that Shen Yu's daughter was also born in the 18th year of Qingguan and died in just over a month.

"Xiangxiang is Chen Yu's biological daughter, that's right. My mother, Fang'er, and Xiangxiang, they all resemble the virtuous queen of the Dong family's ancestors. And Xiangxiang is more similar and more fragrant than my mother and Fang'er... It’s really God’s will, and the child picked up by chance turned out to be the granddaughter of my second aunt.”

Mrs. Zhang also realized that she understood, gritted her teeth and cursed, "The daughter of the Su family hates the daughter of the Dong family, so she asked her servants to put Xiangxiang in a box and carry her out of the house. Either she will be thrown into a mass grave outside the city, or she will be sold." .The Su family is so bad and deserves to be beheaded."

Ding Zhao nodded and said, "Not only is Mr. Su bad, but Mr. Shen is also confused. Xiangxiang will not have a good life when she goes back, and my father will not be able to bear it... We are determined not to return it, but there are some things you must pay attention to, and you must not be exposed to others. We found some clues. The secret was revealed, and we couldn’t protect it even if we wanted to.

"After entering Beijing, you should meet less with the Shen family, be careful what you say, and control Xiangxiang from interacting with them... If you accidentally meet old neighbors or old acquaintances from Qikou Hutong, treat them as strangers and don't say anything about us. Where have I lived, what medical center have I been treated in... If someone recognizes me, just say the same name..."

Ding Zhao talked about various precautions, and Zhang agreed repeatedly.

Mrs. Zhang was still uneasy and stood up and said, "I'm going to throw the clothes Xiangxiang wore when she was a child into the stove and burn them."

Ding Zhao didn't stop him, and he didn't want to leave any evidence. When Mrs. Zhang took out the small package, she held her back.

"Don't burn it, it's a souvenir of Xiang Xiang. We have sold her little pearls and we can't destroy these things anymore."

He opened the small package and took out the small green clothes and the small pink hat. They were not damaged or discolored at all, just as they were ten years ago.

Thinking of the little man curled up in the box, looking at them quietly with clear and bright eyes, Ding Zhao smiled and said, "Ten years, time flies so fast."

Mrs. Zhang also smiled, "Master, I still remember the way Xiangxiang looked at us eagerly, for fear that we would throw her away again. Xiangxiang is smart, she was still a baby at that time, and she seemed to know everything."

The two recalled the scene at that time and were reluctant to burn these things again.

The next morning, Ding Zhao, his wife, children, and Ding Li came to have breakfast in the east chamber.

Ding Chi and Tang also shamelessly came to block the door.

Ding Chi's nose was red and swollen, just like Ding Zhuang's nose.

It was Ding Zhao who beat me yesterday.

The atmosphere was good today. Ding Zhuang didn't want to curse, so he pointed at the table, and the couple ran over to sit down happily.

Yesterday, Ding Zhuang discussed with Ding Zhao that it was impossible for him to deny this traitor, so he had to be taken seriously. If they go to the capital, he can follow them.

Mrs. Zhang kept putting food in Dingxiang's bowl and coaxing her with gentle words, just like coaxing a baby.

The warmth in her eyes moved Lilac.

Ding Xiang had some guesses. Maybe her father told her yesterday who her "biological parents" were, and her kind-hearted mother felt that she had been wronged and wanted to give her more care.

Judging from the looks of both of them, they would definitely not be a holy mother and give birth to a child.

Ding Xiang was so moved that she pulled Zhang's sleeve and acted coquettishly, making Ding Zhuang jealous.

After dinner, Ding Zhuang, his two sons and two grandsons sat on the kang and talked about important national affairs. Mrs. Zhang led her servants to clean the yard and put up lanterns and lights. Mrs. Tang stood aside stupidly, not knowing what to do.

Ding Xiang went to Tao's house with letters and gifts from Sun Yumu and Tao Weng's son to Tao Weng.

The old lady laughed and cried when she saw the letters and gifts from her children and grandchildren. The more we celebrate the New Year, the more I miss them.

Ding Xiang suggested, "Gao Feng has been deposed, and Liang Tu is no longer in the way of the master. The master and the old lady can go to the capital to have fun with their grandchildren."

Children, grandchildren, daughters, and grandchildren all advised them in this way in their letters, and the old lady became very excited.

She has never been used to living here. When Ding Xiang went to the capital, she felt even more lonely.

Tao Weng liked this place very much. It was quiet, leisurely, beautiful and not easily disturbed by worldly things.

But seeing the old wife like this and being called by her children and grandchildren, she was tempted.

Ding Xiang pulled his sleeve and coquettishly at the right time, "Master, I haven't learned all your skills yet. I'm not good at painting, and it's your old man's face that's been embarrassed."

Tao Weng said with a smile, "Then you can stay and continue studying."

The old lady smiled and said, "If you keep Xiangxiang, Ding Hongnose will come to the door and fight for your life."

The old man and the young man persuaded the old man, and the old man finally relented and returned to Beijing together.