Late at night, after Xiao Man finished her cultivation, she clasped her left hand and focused her mind to enter the Treasure Pearl Space. Her physical body went in again. She wandered around for a bit but didn’t see the Snake Lord. She picked some more lotus leaves, but this time she couldn’t bring them out!

Xiao Man stared at her empty palm and sighed helplessly. ’Looks like the body tempering this morning consumed too much of my Essence, Qi, and Spirit. I’ll have to wait for it to recover!’

She then comforted herself. ’It’s fine as long as my physical body can enter. Even if I can only take out lotus leaves once a week, that’s still incredibly encouraging!’

After quietly taking a bath, Xiao Man fell asleep the moment she lay down on her bed. But in her dreams, she thought she heard Grandma calling out. She quickly opened her eyes and listened carefully. It really was Grandma shouting, "Xiao Man! Xiao Man!" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Xiao Man scrambled out of bed, opened her door, and ran across the main hall to Grandma’s room. The moment she stepped inside, she was hit by a foul stench that almost made her gag.

"Grandma! What’s wrong?" Xiao Man asked, pinching her nose.

"Oh, Xiao Man... Grandma... my stomach feels like it’s being twisted by knives... I’ve passed so much gas, I think... I think I’m about to have diarrhea... Quick! I’m in too much pain, I don’t have any strength. Help me up... to the toilet..."

In that era, rural toilets were called outhouses, and they were truly just small, earthen huts with thatched roofs. Inside, a raised platform was built from wooden planks. People would squat on top to do their business, then use a broken gourd ladle to scoop ash from plants and the stove out of a dilapidated basket, sprinkling it over the waste. The mixture would ferment until the following spring, when it would be used as fertilizer.

This was why in some places, they were also called "ash sheds."

Previously, when they lived in the Mo family courtyard, Grandma was blind, and Grandpa, fearing she might fall if she went to the outhouse alone, had prepared a chamber pot for her. Grandpa would empty and wash it when he returned from the reservoir. But after moving into their house in the Youth Corps Courtyard, things were different. The backyard had a two-stall toilet for men and women, built with brick and stone. It had a tiled roof and a flat, clean concrete floor. These were squat toilets. By the entrance stood a large, chipped water vat containing a wooden ladle. After using the toilet, you would use the ladle to flush with water, which flowed directly into a sealed septic tank. In such an environment, Grandma was no longer willing to use a chamber pot. Besides, after drinking the spiritual spring water Xiao Man gave her, she had more strength in her legs. She could manage on her own, using a bamboo pole to feel her way there. What was a little extra time? It wasn’t like she was in a hurry.

But today, her stomach was twisting in pain. It was urgent, and she had no strength, which was why she had shouted for Xiao Man.

Xiao Man saw that the sky outside was faintly lit. It was probably around five in the morning, just bright enough to see the path. She helped Grandma up, pulled her long pants down, leaving her in just her underwear, then hoisted her onto her back. She ran quickly to the backyard toilet. The moment she set Grandma down over the squat toilet, she heard it...

Even in her pain, Grandma remembered to push her away. "Go on, get out of here! The smell is awful..."

Xiao Man leaped away from the toilet and bolted back to the main courtyard. She let out a long breath, then squatted under the rose trellis and burst out laughing, rocking back and forth. ’I bet this is just like what happened with my little clay figurine in the space,’ she thought. ’The Spirit Lord must have made a grand escape, too!’

’Grandma’s diarrhea smelling this bad... it must be because of those lotus leaves!’

’Wow, I can’t believe such a tiny piece of lotus leaf is so potent. Thank goodness I wasn’t too greedy, or else... I can’t imagine how much worse it would have been for Grandma!’

’But it seems like things aren’t great right now, either. She’s been in there for a long time. Grandma’s legs must be getting numb from squatting, right?’

Xiao Man waited and waited, but when she heard no call for help, she grabbed a wad of toilet paper. Braving the stench, she walked closer and called out to her grandmother. Covering her mouth, Grandma replied, "Go away! Stay back! I’ll come out on my own in a minute!"

Xiao Man could tell from her voice that she wasn’t weak or exhausted. In fact, she sounded relieved and unburdened. Holding her breath, Xiao Man walked over and said, "Grandma, the paper!"

But Grandma said, "I have some! I grabbed a handful before I came out!"

Xiao Man was speechless.

’This is what I get for not paying attention and being careless—I had to get hit by that smell all over again!’

She went back to the well, drew some water, and washed her hands and face. After a moment’s thought, she drew another bucket, carried it into the kitchen, and poured it into the large pot. Then she started a fire to heat the water. ’After all that, Grandma will definitely want a hot bath to get rid of the smell completely, haha!’

Just as Xiao Man predicted, Grandma was perfectly fine after her episode. She had no aches or pains, nor was she pale, dizzy, or weak. After a hot bath and drinking the warm water Xiao Man handed her, a healthy blush even appeared on her cheeks. She seemed completely refreshed and invigorated.

After careful consideration, Xiao Man decided not to bring up the cause of the diarrhea with her grandmother. It was better to let Grandma come to her own conclusions.

Sure enough, Grandma soon offered her own explanation, cautioning Xiao Man, "Even though the days are hot, our house stands alone with no neighbors on either side. Sometimes at night, a cool breeze blows right through. Last night, I enjoyed the cool air a little too much while I was sleeping and ended up with an upset stomach! You have to be careful, Xiao Man. Always keep your stomach covered at night!"

"I know, Grandma!" Xiao Man replied, sticking her tongue out at her grandmother, who couldn’t see her.

When Grandpa returned, Xiao Man told him about Grandma’s bout of diarrhea. Worried about her health, Grandpa went and asked her about it repeatedly. Grandma just smiled and said she was fine. Seeing that her complexion was clearly even better than usual, Grandpa didn’t press the matter.

Grandma then gave Grandpa the same warning she’d given Xiao Man. "Remember to cover your stomach when you sleep at night. Especially you, up at the reservoir. It’s much easier to catch a chill there than at home!"

Grandpa casually agreed. He then called Xiao Man over, and the two of them resumed sorting the herbs.

They had just finished lunch when someone started pounding on the courtyard gate. Xiao Man ran to ask who it was, and Liu Fengying’s voice came from outside. "It’s your mother! Xiao Man, open up! Your grandmother, your uncle, your second and third aunts, and your uncles are all here! Open the gate, now!"

Xiao Man was speechless. ’What are they planning to do, bringing this many people?’

"Liu Fengying, if you’re looking for a fight, go find someone else to pick on! There are only elderly people and a child in this house. We’re no match for all of you. I’m not opening this gate!"

The gate was pounded a few more times, this time by an old woman with a vicious voice, like the big bad wolf from a fairy tale. "Mo Xiaoman! You ungrateful little wench! Your mother went through so much to give birth to you, and this is how you treat her? I hope the Duke of Thunder strikes you down! I hope Heaven comes to claim your wicked soul!"

"You disobedient, unfilial brat! Open this gate right now so I can get in there and tear you to shreds!" This was another sharp, female voice. Xiao Man recognized it as Liu Fengying’s third sister, who had married into the neighboring Ma Mountain Commune.

"Mo Xiaoman! If you don’t open this gate, I’ll kick it down and your head will roll!" That was Liu Fengying’s brother.

Xiao Man suppressed her seething hatred. ’My former self was so thoroughly deceived by Liu Fengying,’ she thought. ’I really believed she was my birth mother. I was so loyal, so trusting of that so-called ’family bond.’ How could I have been so stupid! I remember how I always lived by the saying that a maternal uncle’s authority is as absolute as the heavens. I obeyed every word from Liu Fengying’s family. Every year during the busy farming season, I’d work myself to the bone to finish the chores at their house, only to be sent off to help this gang of relatives. I slaved away for them like an ox, and for what? Not even a single kind word!’

’I’d love to throw open that gate and give them all a piece of my mind, but now isn’t the time to settle scores. There are too many of them. Grandpa is strong, but he’d have to look after Grandma, who can’t see. If a real brawl broke out, we’d definitely get the short end of the stick. Besides, I’m sure Liu Fengying is here because of what happened yesterday. Mo Laoer robbed her, and since she can’t do anything to him, she’s trying to make Grandpa her fall guy!’

’I won’t let her get what she wants!’