Mudan had been sold and resold by human traffickers to several places. Auntie Wang, however, was always haunted by a lingering fear. Knowing the girl might be a celestial being descended to earth, she felt uneasy and grew desperate to get rid of her. She had originally intended to sell Mudan to a wealthy family as an adopted daughter, but after several failed attempts, she finally sold her to a blind old man. The man intended to take the child back to his hometown to serve as a future wife for his dim-witted son. He mounted his donkey, strapped young Mudan to his back, and wobbled his way back to his home village.
Throughout the journey, Mudan struggled to break free from the ropes, but she was simply too small and weak to escape. The blind old man, meanwhile, hummed a happy little tune, as if he could already see the blissful life his son would enjoy once he had a wife.
Finally, the blind old man reached his home—a dilapidated shack surrounded by weeds and rocks. But when he excitedly lowered the child to the ground, he found the swaddling clothes completely empty. He hopped about in a rage, though he hadn't even noticed when his own blindness had miraculously cleared!
Chapter 115