Chapter Five: The Compassionate Heart of Old Madam Jiang
Early in the morning, a wonderful day began once again with the fragrant stench of foul excrement.
Jiang Haohhao barely slept all night, struggling amidst the odors of gas and feces.
She suspected that the immortal elixir’s transformation of her body was nearly complete; otherwise, she might have been overwhelmed by the stench herself...
That same night, another person also hardly slept.
Song Liyao spent the entire night pondering what expired food she might have eaten, as she was plagued by diarrhea and lingering foul smells.
Meanwhile, the eldest brother and second sister had risen early to care for their little sister.
The potency of the little sister’s foul mess was overwhelming—the whole room reeked—so they had to get up to clean her soiled bottom, worried she might be swimming in that toxic filth.
Second sister even wickedly speculated that the filthy old woman must have broken her own leg and was cursing their family all the while!
After breakfast, Jiang Haohhao lay basking in the sunlight; her mother wanted to sun her belly and back, apparently following some health regimen.
She sprawled softly inside a sturdy large bamboo basket her father had made for her, able to curl up completely.
Her mother had lined the basket with the softest fabrics in the house and scattered some unknown immortal herbs and flowers, fragrant and pleasant.
Just as Jiang Haohhao was beginning to feel drowsy under the sunlight, her eyes caught a flicker of movement in the corner—a small white tail wagging.
Curious, she stared motionless, but the creature did not emerge.
When her mother left to fetch something, the white tail finally appeared.
It was a tiny tanuki servant!
Barely over two months old, small and adorable.
Like a lion, it had long whiskers, and its eyes shone blue and yellow like diamonds in the sunlight.
Its fluffy white fur seemed to glow brightly under the sun.
It slowly approached Jiang Haohhao, who remained still, watching it. When it reached the bamboo basket, she reached out to gently stroke its soft fur.
The little tanuki seemed to like her, obediently licking her tiny finger.
Jiang Haohhao immediately fed it a few drops of immortal water.
Hehe, this little tanuki won’t get away now!
After swallowing, the tanuki stared blankly at Jiang Haohhao, sniffed her scent repeatedly, then without hesitation bit her finger gently, drawing a drop of blood.
Jiang Haohhao felt a mysterious bond unfold in her mind—an ancient totem linking their souls and thoughts.
When her mother returned, she sensed something was off in the air, as if a secret pact had been forged, but after careful inspection found nothing unusual and let it be.
By then, the bound little tanuki had vanished without a trace.
Despite the distance of thousands of miles, Jiang Haohhao and the little tanuki remained spiritually connected by that ancient covenant.
Next time they met, she planned to give it a proper name and hoped it might attain immortality.
The little tanuki, hiding in a corner of Jiang’s courtyard, was somewhat bewildered.
The sweet immortal nectar seemed to make its body stronger and more agile, and its mind gradually cleared, learning to think.
It felt joyful, but suddenly noticed a stranger emerging from the shadows.
The newcomer’s gaze was fierce; the tanuki shrank back, frightened.
Usually, white tanuki servants were bullied, and if a kind cultivator offered spiritual food, others would snatch it away.
Soon another companion appeared, carrying freshly hunted prey, standing beside it without hostility or attack.
What were they doing?
Following it?
Their heads lowered to the ground in a gesture of friendship.
Even the one carrying the food left it nearby.
Were they offering it to the tanuki?
Surprised, it felt kindness from its peers for the first time and received food from their mouths.
Instinctively, it wanted to carry the food back to offer to their tanuki king.
Halfway there, it suddenly questioned why—why give away its hard-earned food so devotedly?
Where did it come from?
Where was it going?
This young tanuki, long oppressed, was now tormented by these questions of the soul.
Meanwhile, Jiang Haohhao was too happy to be curious about the little tanuki; she was happily holding her bowl of food from her mother.
Her mother’s elder looked even larger than before during confinement...
Just as she finished eating and was smacking her lips, there was a knock at the courtyard gate.
Her mother opened the door. Jiang Haohhao lay in her arms, gazing up at the visitors—two somewhat elderly female cultivators.
One was simply dressed but wore silk finer than ordinary cultivators could afford.
The other exuded a mature, noble beauty; her ornate robe, though not new, was exceedingly splendid.
Jiang Haohhao had never seen them before, but her mother’s utterance of “Mother” startled her.
This noble-looking woman was her mother’s mother?
No, she seemed more like her father’s mother...
This matriarch clearly was not from their village, especially since she was attended by a maid.
The plainly dressed maid first surveyed the courtyard, then pulled out a grand official’s chair from a mustard seed pouch, allowing the elderly lady to sit.
Jiang Haohhao stared, stunned, wondering if her father’s family was truly wealthy—could she be a second-generation rich?
Yet she had never seen this old lady before, nor heard her parents mention her, and even village gossip never spoke of her. This was truly strange.
The elderly lady sat with majestic bearing and authority in the chair, fixing her gaze on Song Liyao.
Usually calm, Song Liyao was now solemn and grave.
Jiang Haohhao felt uneasy; she sensed this old lady was no good.
Soft yet sharp, capable of killing without a trace.
She was the one who had ruined her own son’s life, shattering his future, pride, and heritage.
Standing aside, Song Liyao summoned all her composure to carefully ask,
“Mother, is there something you have come for?”
The elderly lady remained silent, her gaze gentle yet laden with pity.
Beside her, the maid sneered harshly,
“Brother’s path to enlightenment is hopeless, idling without cultivation.”
“Second sister clings to powerful men, eager to become a servant.”
“And what use is this little child?”
At this, the seemingly compassionate elderly lady gently rebuked,
“Nurse Xu, she is still just a child; there is no need to be so harsh!”
Jiang Haohhao understood the scene: one playing the stern role, the other the gentle one.
The vicious hypocrite performing a double act in their small courtyard.