Chapter 7: Receiving the Family Heirloom

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

Fang Bo Song pulled a box out from under the bed. Inside were some baby supplies—diapers, a brand-new glass feeding bottle, and a small bottle of malted milk powder.

Seeing the bottle nearly empty, Fang Bo Song sighed and rinsed it with hot water. “Everything happened so suddenly. We didn’t bring Mingxi’s things. This little bit of malted milk powder won’t last more than a few feedings.”

Tong Lingxian didn’t even look up. She poured warm water into the bottle, mixed in the malted milk powder, shook it evenly, tested the temperature to make sure it wasn’t too hot, and then carefully put it into Fang Mingxi’s eager little mouth.

Fang Mingxi pouted and clutched the bottle, sucking greedily.

“If it comes to it, we’ll have to wean Mingxi early!” Tong Lingxian’s voice echoed over her head.

Fang Mingxi slowed her drinking and nodded seriously, as if she understood.

Indeed, in such extraordinary times and with her unique status, being able to drink malted milk powder was a sign of the household’s wealth.

If anyone dared call it “capitalist,” the whole family could be in trouble tomorrow.

Tong Lingxian rubbed her slightly calloused fingers across Fang Mingxi’s face. Seeing how slowly she drank, her eyes softened with tenderness.

In just a few days, the chubby little one had already lost a noticeable amount of weight.

Even though they had prepared early, the overwhelming situation had still caught them off guard.

Most of the family’s assets had already been secured.

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

A tiny mistake could have catastrophic consequences.

Now, with insufficient malted milk powder and no breast milk available, could Fang Mingxi survive on just rice water?

Fang Bo Song thought the same, scratching his head in frustration. “If it really comes to it, I’ll just swallow my pride and ask the Brigade Leader for help…”

“No. The Brigade Leader has already helped us a lot just the day before yesterday. You can’t involve him again,” Tong Lingxian said sharply. “Even if we don’t know why he’s helping us, we can’t reveal any leverage.

“You can’t be in danger. None of us can be.”

Fang Bo Song slumped his shoulders, watching Fang Mingxi drink obediently. His heart ached. “When has a child of the Fang family ever suffered like this?”

Tong Lingxian softened her tone. Then, catching sight of the white strands in her husband’s hair, her nose tinged with sorrow. “We’ll have to wean her early. The little malted milk we have left should last a few more days if we ration it.”

It could only be done this way. Fang Bo Song sat on the bed for a moment, then suddenly crawled under the floorboards again.

“What is it?” Tong Lingxian asked, lifting Fang Mingxi.

“Looking for something.” Fang Bo Song dragged out a worn suitcase from under the bed and, from a pocket in a piece of clothing, pulled out a tightly sewn red cloth pouch. “Found it.”

He carefully opened the pouch and took out a circular jade pendant, green and carved with rice stalks and a quail. He untangled the thread and hung it around Fang Mingxi’s neck.

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

Fang Bo Song tucked the pendant under her clothes and smiled. “May our Mingxi be safe year after year, and may your father and mother return to us soon.”

The coolness of the jade penetrated through her clothes, sending a shiver through Fang Mingxi. She froze, her pupils widening as a rapid series of images flashed before her eyes.

“Commander, my condolences. Captain sacrificed himself for the country. You must not collapse here…”

“Fang Jing, 32 years old, sacrificed on January 1, 1974, approved as a martyr…”

“Bo Song, I’m going to be with Mingxi now. 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 anymore. I’m coming to you. Let’s find our daughter and reunite the family…”

“My little Xixi, have you missed Daddy? Daddy is now a second lieutenant, and soon Xixi will also be a child of the compound…”

“Mom, Dad, I got into university…”

“Xixi, will you marry me? I pledge my life to you…”

Dozens of scenes rushed into Fang Mingxi’s mind. Her body stiffened as she passively absorbed memory after memory.

Her eyes moved from shock to weeping, then sorrow, and finally to overwhelming rage.

When the visions faded, a tear fell on Tong Lingxian’s hand. She looked down to see Fang Mingxi’s eyes glistening with tears.

The bottle lay abandoned, still half full of malted milk powder.

Tong Lingxian’s voice softened, full of concern. “Mingxi, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” She cradled her gently, soothing her face to face.

Fang Bo Song, tidying up nearby, looked over. “What happened to Mingxi?”

“I don’t know. The little one cried… maybe she’s missing her parents?”

Fang Mingxi yawned widely in front of them, eyes wet with nearly-fallen tears at the corners, eliciting a chuckle from both adults.

“Looks like Mingxi’s tired. Let’s sleep. We still have work tomorrow.”

“Mm.”

Tong Lingxian laid Fang Mingxi on the bed, washed her face and feet, and then quickly took care of her own washing.

Fang Mingxi slept in the innermost part of the bed, with Tong Lingxian’s hand resting gently on her back. She sang softly, lulling her to sleep.

When the kerosene lamp went out, Fang Mingxi realized the hand on her body had stopped moving. She opened her eyes and glared at the tattered straw roof.

Alright, fine! So that’s how it’s going to be!

No wonder she felt so uneasy under He Xi’s gaze today, she was a “blessed treasure”!

A girl who could pick up money on the street, climb mountains empty-handed, yet succeed in everything she did.

And she, Fang Mingxi, was nothing more than cannon fodder, a mere passerby delivering golden opportunities.

The He family had trampled the Fang family to rise, going to university, doing business, and eventually becoming new nobility in the capital.

If she hadn’t returned in time, Fang Mingxi’s coffin would already have been emptied, the family jade pendant in He Xi’s hands, and her body devoured by dogs.

Her parents’ sacrifices had been only to pave the way for He Xi’s father.

Fang Mingxi’s eyes widened as her blood boiled with rage toward the He family.

What a “blessed treasure.” Trampling the entire Fang family to rise, utterly disgusting.

Tong Lingxian shifted in her sleep, mumbling softly.

Fang Mingxi listened, her vision dim but clear enough to see the white hairs at the temples of the elderly couple. Her heart ached sharply.

Grandpa and Grandma loved her so much, and she wouldn’t allow them to be harmed.

In the original timeline, the jade pendant would fall into He Xi’s hands today. The grandparents would discover it on the seventh day after her deaths, their shock causing their bodies to fail.

This marked the start of the Fang family’s decline and the He family’s rise.

Now that she had returned, the first step had been unexpectedly cut off. The second step would surely follow.

Her father had been sacrificed in January 1974, her mother before him. According to the timeline she pieced together yesterday, Fang Mingxi had been two years old at the time.

With just over a year remaining, there was still time to stop everything.

Fang Mingxi touched the jade pendant on her chest. Its icy chill had already warmed from her body heat. Her gaze hardened, and she opened her interface to activate the grand gift package.