Chapter 2, Coming Back to Life
Hao'er ... ... Hao'er ... ... Wuwuwu, it is all your mother's fault, you should never ... ... never have been born into this world ... ... this life has brought you suffering, in your next life find a good family, and do not endure such grievances again ... ...
"What?" Yang raised her tearful eyes and, upon seeing her son indeed looking at her with his eyes open, could not help but feel both astonished and overjoyed: "My child, you are still alive, you are still alive, my son..."
Yang cried inconsolably over her son, whose breath had already ceased. This son had truly endured countless hardships throughout his life; even the children of ordinary peasant families had not suffered as he had. Although he had a father, he lived like a child without one. Born into a wealthy family, he had been deprived of food and clothing since childhood, faring worse than the children of ordinary tenant farmers. This was all because Old Master Ding feared that people would discover he was his illegitimate son, tarnishing his reputation. Not only did he refuse to offer any care, but he was even more stringent than the usual servants.
This stout man, surnamed Xue and named Liang, is nicknamed "Sao Zhu Er". He shares a close bond with Ding Hao, who has been shy and reticent since childhood and often bullied. It is Xue Liang who has always supported him, and their relationship is akin to that of brothers. Yesterday, Young Master Ding Er went to the Quhua Pavilion in the eastern part of the city and stayed with a young lady there, returning only at this time. Xue Liang accompanied him in a carriage, constantly concerned about his brother's health and the condition of the books. At this moment, he was attending to his return, having just unloaded the carriage and hurried over.
Master Ding's first wife bore him two sons and one daughter. The eldest son, Ding Chengzong, currently manages the household affairs on behalf of the old master. The eldest daughter, Ding Yuluo, was once betrothed, but unfortunately, her fiancé passed away due to illness before their marriage, and she has yet to remarry. The second son, Ding Chengye, is only eighteen years old and is a carefree young man of leisure. Master Ding has taken a second wife, Mrs. Zhou, with whom he has a daughter who is now eight years old.
This cry of "mother" is filled with indescribable sorrow. It is unclear whether it is the Yang family, who has lost their own son and is lamenting their own hard life, or if it is a reflection on their biological parents, whose faces they can no longer remember.
Just then, a flurry of chaotic thoughts suddenly flooded his mind: This is Bazhou City in the Great Song Dynasty, and I am Ding Hao, the illegitimate son of the Ding family
He slowly turned his head to look at the door and window frames, which were imbued with an ancient charm and appeared to have some years behind them. A woman in light blue attire was collapsed against him, sobbing in pain, her chest soaked in a large patch of moisture. However, as she leaned forward, he could only see her raven-black hair and could not make out her features.
Everything suddenly surfaced in Yang Decheng's mind, leaving him both astonished and terrified. How could such an unfathomable event occur? Could it be that he had traveled through time? He had read a considerable amount of fiction and watched several movies about time travel, but he never believed that such things could actually happen in reality. Even if scientists claimed that the theory of time black holes truly exists, it had nothing to do with him. Yet, everything before his eyes... Could it be that the antique bottle that the madman Old Xu struck him with was indeed an ancient artifact, or perhaps a magical one? Yang Decheng was genuinely confused.
Yang was overwhelmed with joy and wept, embracing Yang Decheng tightly in her arms. As Yang Decheng was held in her embrace, he recalled the half of his life spent in confusion and despair after losing his mother in childhood. His heart ached involuntarily, and he instinctively called out, "Mother..."
I remembered that it is currently the cold winter season, and I have been suffering from a high fever for several consecutive days. However, the day before yesterday, Young Master Ding Chengye insisted that I accompany him to a friend's banquet and still required me to serve him by driving him into the city. While he and those young masters were drinking and enjoying themselves in the warm room, I stood outside in the cold for half the night, resulting in my condition worsening upon my return, leading to a fainting spell from which I could not awaken
Yang said with tears: "Xiao Liang, Hao'er he..."
The sound of crying, now distant and now near, reached Yang Decheng's ears as his consciousness gradually awakened: "Am I hospitalized? Who is crying beside me? This is really unfortunate..."
When the pregnancy was first discovered, the master almost summoned the doctor to terminate the child. At that time, it would have been wise to comply with him; however, I could not bear to do so, and at the same time, I held onto a glimmer of hope, wishing that once a son was born, the master might soften his heart and take me as a concubine, thus granting me a certain status. But who would have thought that Ding Tingxun, who prided himself on his scholarly heritage and being from a family of literary tradition, would always regard this scandalous affair as a disgrace, too busy to cover it up, let alone accept an ordinary girl from a peasant family as a concubine.
Despite his son having a high fever, the second young master still insisted that he take the carriage out, braving the heavy snow to serve him on his outing. When the son returned, he collapsed and could not get up. The doctor from the village examined him and said that the persistent high fever was very dangerous, and perhaps only Doctor Xu from Bazhou City could save his life. However, upon hearing that a carriage was to be sent for him to go to the city for treatment, and that it would be Doctor Xu, who had once held the title of imperial physician, the master nonchalantly instructed: "A common servant in the village falls ill; what reason is there to send a carriage to take him to Doctor Xu for treatment? If this gets out, won't the gentry of Bazhou think that I, Ding, have no sense of propriety and have disrupted the hierarchy? A mere slight fever, what is the big deal? Let the village doctor treat him with all due diligence."
Yang had not finished speaking when Xue Liang joyfully exclaimed, "Ah Dui, you are awake? I have been so anxious all day; it is good that you are awake."
Yang Decheng was startled by m.hetushu.com, and suddenly opened his eyes. Upon opening them, he was even more astonished. The setting sun cast a dim yellow hue over the room. Lying on his back, he immediately saw the beams of the ceiling above him—thick round logs, with ribs-like purlins on either side, devoid of any dust. It resembled the old house he had lived in during his childhood at the town orphanage, certainly not the scene one would expect in a hospital. Lying on his back, he immediately saw the beams of the ceiling above him—thick round logs, with ribs-like purlins on either side, devoid of any dust. It resembled the old house he had lived in during his childhood at the town orphanage, certainly not the scene one would expect in a hospital.
The son was born, her monthly allowance increased, but she was subsequently driven out of the inner quarters and sent to the outer quarters' kitchen to work as a cook. The master became indifferent to her and her child, treating them as strangers, even though they were his own flesh and blood
After such a delay, she watched helplessly as her son took his last breath. When the master learned of this, he remained silent for a while, then merely instructed that a simple coffin be prepared for burial the next day. How cruel he truly was. Yang knew that in the master's eyes, she and her son were a source of great embarrassment to him. He would rather see them completely disappear from this world, never having regarded them as part of the Ding family.
Yang Decheng never imagined that such a bizarre event would occur to him, his lips trembling yet unable to utter a single word... Those chaotic thoughts once again merged into his memory, further muddling his mind...
He is a member of the Ding family, named Ding Hao. The Ding family is the largest landlord in the Bazhou area, owning thousands of acres of fertile land. The head of the family, Ding Tingxun, is a well-known local gentry. Due to the Ding family's possession of over a million stones of rice and their location in the northwest, they have traditionally focused on selling military provisions to the border troops. As a result, they are not only wealthy but also possess significant influence, making them one of the most prominent and prestigious families in Bazhou City
How is it possible? Did I borrow this body of Ding Hao, or has this Ding Hao inexplicably acquired my memories? The two sets of memories surged and intertwined, causing him a splitting headache and a feeling of nausea, leaving him momentarily unable to distinguish who he truly was
Yang was both crying for her son and feeling pity for herself, almost gasping for breath in her sorrow. Yang Decheng lay there, having already figured out the cause and effect during this time. Seeing this woman beside him crying so tragically, despite it being their first meeting and lacking any mother-son bond, he still felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. He slowly reached out his hand, intending to call out to Yang, when suddenly, heavy footsteps approached from outside. A stout, dark-skinned man burst in, and before even entering the room, he shouted anxiously: "Aunt Yang, is Ah Dai's condition any better?"
Ding Hao's mother was originally a maid in the Ding family. One time, after getting drunk, the old master of the Ding family took advantage of her and she gave birth to Ding Hao. In this era, the son of a concubine held a lowly status, equivalent to that of a servant, and since his mother did not even have the status of a concubine, his position was no different from that of an ordinary servant in the Ding family