Chapter 11: Solving a Physiological Problem

After working tirelessly all night, Jiang Zhi Ning finally managed to harvest some rice.

But due to her spatial dimension being at a low level and the underdeveloped state of the rice technology, the yield was unimpressive.

Even though she hadn’t slept for a full eight hours, she ended up with barely ten kilograms of rice.

With limited tools in her space and no dehusking machine, she planned to give the rice directly to the Shen family and let them take it to a rice-processing workshop themselves.

Exhausted, she drank a good amount of spiritual spring water before finally feeling refreshed.

When the sun was high in the sky, Jiang Zhi Ning lazily got out of bed.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw something steaming on the stove. Noticing her, Lin Chunmei greeted her with a warm smile.
“You’re up, Zhi Ning? Come eat the steamed buns while they’re still hot.”

As she spoke, Lin Chunmei took the buns out of the pot along with some pickled vegetables.

“Thank you,” Jiang Zhi Ning said and began eating with her chopsticks.

Maybe because she’d been working all night, she was incredibly hungry and even the plain steamed buns tasted delicious.

Lin Chunmei watched her fondly. “If you like them, there’s more in the pot—no rush.”

Jiang Zhi Ning glanced at her, thinking about how to come up with a reason to give the rice to the family.

“Is there a marketplace nearby?” she asked casually.

“There is, but it’s about ten kilometers from our village. If you want to go, you can have Yueyue take you around.” Lin Chunmei responded kindly.

Jiang Zhi Ning shook her head. “No need. I’ll go on my own another day.”

“What if you get lost?” Lin Chunmei said with concern.

Seeing that, Jiang Zhi Ning gave up on that plan and decided to find another excuse.

Just as she finished eating, Lin Chunmei brought over a steaming bowl of chicken soup.

“This is from the old hen we raised. It’s very nutritious. Drink up while it’s hot,” she said gently.

Jiang Zhi Ning recalled that when she first arrived yesterday, she’d seen only two chickens in the yard, clearly being raised for their eggs.

She stood up and pulled ten yuan from her bag. “Please take this money…”

“Oh no, absolutely not.” Lin Chunmei quickly refused, her rough, calloused hands gripping Jiang Zhi Ning’s with red eyes and a kind smile.
“Zhi Ning, we’re so happy you’re willing to stay with us and let us take care of you. Keep your money. You’ll need it for other things later.”

“I can earn more.”

“Just keep it. You’re delicate—you shouldn’t have to suffer. Your dad, your brother, and I all agreed we’ll pay back the fifty yuan too.”

The Shen family believed they owed her a great deal since they’d never raised her and couldn’t just accept her money freely.

Looking at the simple, kind woman before her, Jiang Zhi Ning smiled. “You don’t have to repay the fifty yuan. I still have more with me—what I took when I left the Jiang family.”

“They weren’t all bad to you, were they?”

“Good?” Jiang Zhi Ning scoffed, then briefly explained the Jiang family’s cruelty.

Lin Chunmei slapped her thigh in outrage. “Those people are too much! How could they treat you that way?”

Jiang Zhi Ning remained calm. “It’s fine. This way, I’ve cut ties with them for good.”

Lin Chunmei looked at her sorrowfully. “Zhi Ning, even though we’re poor, as long as you’re willing, we’ll take care of you as best we can.”

Jiang Zhi Ning smiled slightly. “I’ll be going with the military soon. I won’t be home much, but when I do come back, I’ll definitely visit you.”

Hearing this, Lin Chunmei’s eyes shimmered with tears. This daughter—so different from that ungrateful Shen An’an—was truly precious.
“Drink your soup while it’s hot.”

Jiang Zhi Ning nodded and began sipping the chicken soup.

It was delicious—but once she finished, she faced a serious problem: she needed to use the bathroom!

She had hoped to use the one in her space last night, but since her space was low-level, the tiny cabin didn’t come with a bathroom.

And in a rural area like this, there were no proper toilets—just pit latrines and chamber pots.

When she’d passed the pit latrine yesterday, the stench nearly knocked her out. There was no way she could use something that filthy.

As for the chamber pot in the house…

Thinking about last night, she had tried squatting over it, only to find it nearly full. If anything splashed back…

Jiang Zhi Ning covered her face, disgusted just thinking about it.

“I’ll go take a walk,” she said, heading out of the house.

In Li Village, many residents were working in the fields during the day, so the roads weren’t crowded. She passed a few people here and there.

Knowing there were lots of mosquitoes in the countryside, Jiang Zhi Ning had worn a long skirt.

“As long as I don’t think about it, the urge will go away. A walk might help me hold it,” she mumbled to herself.

But reality is harsh—the longer she walked, the more desperate she became.

Spotting a pit latrine not far off, she anxiously circled in place.

“What should I do? Don’t tell me I actually have to use that?” Just the thought made her nauseous.

But she was reaching her limit!

Just as she was debating, an elderly man appeared.
“You’re the girl staying with the Shen family, right?”

Jiang Zhi Ning looked up. She remembered Lin Chunmei greeting this man when she’d first arrived yesterday.

“Yes,” she nodded, slightly hunched from the pressure in her bladder.

Seeing her discomfort, the old man kindly said,
“You need to relieve yourself but aren’t used to our village’s latrines, right? That’s normal—girls from the other villages aren’t used to them either.”

Jiang Zhi Ning gave an awkward smile.

“I have a toilet at my house. If you don’t mind, you’re welcome to use it,” he offered with a smile.

“You… have a toilet?” she asked in surprise.

“Yes. My legs haven’t been good for years, so I had one built inside.” He chuckled warmly. “Come, I’ll take you.”

Jiang Zhi Ning hesitated—she didn’t really know him.

Seeing her pause, the old man explained,
“I’m actually a distant relative of your parents. That makes you my grand-niece.”

She remembered Lin Chunmei seemed to know him well yesterday, and he looked kind enough. Eventually, she nodded politely. “Sorry for the trouble.”

“We’re all villagers—helping each other is natural,” he said, leading the way with his hands behind his back.

After a short walk, they arrived at his home—one of the few stone-built houses in the village.

Sure enough, inside there was a small bathroom. There was no door, just a curtain for privacy.

Jiang Zhi Ning hesitated briefly but, seeing the old man go into another room, she sighed in relief and went in.

Finally, problem solved. She smiled in satisfaction.

But just as she lifted the curtain to step out—a pair of wrinkled hands suddenly grabbed her!

She screamed in shock, “Ah!”

Turning her head, she saw the once-kind old man now with eyes gleaming in malice, grabbing her tightly and trying to drag her toward the inner room.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!” she struggled hard.

“Didn’t you say we should help each other? I gave you convenience—now you help me,” he leered.

She instantly understood what he meant.

Even though he was old, he was still strong. Jiang Zhi Ning quickly elbowed him while he was off guard. He winced in pain and loosened his grip just enough for her to bolt.

But her high heels slowed her down, and just as she reached the yard—he caught her again.

“Just one kiss, girl. If you give me that, you can use my toilet anytime you want,” he said shamelessly, gripping her wrist tightly.

“Let go of me! Help! Somebody!”