"If there's a way to save her, hurry up!"
Madam Li's personal nanny shouted at the old serving woman.
The serving woman immediately stripped off Xie Huaishan's diaper, stepped forward, and slapped it over Madam Li's burning head!
She did it all in one smooth motion!
The stench of urine mingled with the smell of hot, baked shit wafted from Madam Li's head.
The fire was out!
But the liquid dripped down Madam Li's face, covering it completely. She licked her lips and promptly vomited!
"Urgh... what is this... urgh..."
She dared not open her mouth to speak, because that stuff would run down her cheeks and into her mouth!
The serving woman beside her went deathly pale at the sight.
No wonder that diaper had felt so heavy!
It wasn't just wet-it seemed to have come with a little extra cargo!
And now it was all dumped on Madam Li's head!
She stepped forward and said, "Young Master Huai Shan wet himself!"
Madam Li's expression softened a little, though her face was too black for anyone to tell! All they could make out was the yellow liquid trickling down from her head.
"That's my good grandson... urgh..."
"You knew to save your grandmother in a crisis... urgh..."
Suddenly, a yellow lump fell from her head.
Madam Li vomited! It really did stink!
Xu Rourou came forward to show her concern. "Madam Li, Madam Li, are you all right... urgh! Madam Li!"
She hastily covered her nose, trying her best to look as though she wasn't disgusted!
Madam Li shook her head and gestured for someone to help her leave. Although she knew this was her darling grandson's shit and piss, she really couldn't take it anymore!
Who knew what Xu Rourou had been feeding the child? His waste stank worse than any other baby's!
The maids and nannies hurriedly escorted Madam Li out of Liu Wan's courtyard.
They covered their noses as they helped her walk.
Little Wanwan clutched her mother's lapel, nearly laughing herself silly!
[Everyone in the Marquis's Residence is the male lead's lapdog. They even have to praise his stinky poop!]
[I'm honestly speechless. What kind of author could write a plot like this!]
[Now that this old hag has no hair and is so black, she's even less fit to be seen. Finally, nobody will come hurt Mommy! Woohoo! I wonder how my charred-firewood dad is doing!]
Only upon hearing that did Liu Wan suppress the smile tugging at her lips and look toward Pan Chun!
Inside the room, Pan Chun was clutching her stomach and rolling around on the floor with laughter!
It felt so good. So incredibly good!
Even Heaven couldn't stand what Madam Li had been doing anymore.
It had truly vented her mistress's pent-up anger. What a relief-it could clear every blocked duct in your breasts!
"Madam, the water vat just happened to be empty. I didn't do it on purpose, hahahahaha!" Pan Chun explained, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
Liu Wan said, "I arranged earlier for Xie Huaishan to be sent to the Fourth Master's courtyard. I'm still the mistress of this household, so go out and tell Xu Rourou that I permit her to accompany him!"
Pan Chun's expression sobered. "Huh? Madam, why would you..."
But she didn't ask any more questions and went out to tell Xu Rourou!
Xu Rourou smiled smugly. She thought Liu Wan had only relented because she was afraid of Madam Li!
So she happily took the child to the Fourth Young Master's courtyard!
Things weren't going much better for Xie Jin'an.
He soaked his face in water and scrubbed until his skin was raw, but the blackness seemed to have grown into his face!
Red showed through the black, yet no matter what he tried, he couldn't scrub it off!
He kicked the footbath flying, then beat both the servant who had brought the water and the Residence Physician!
"Useless! You're all useless! How am I supposed to attend court tomorrow looking like this? How am I supposed to face anyone?!"
His salary had already been docked. Now that he looked like this, if he failed to attend court, he could be stripped of his official post at any moment!
Which deity had he offended to deserve being treated like this?
After yesterday's events, the anger that had built up over an entire day and night finally burst forth!
He wondered how his mother was doing. He desperately wanted to throw himself into her arms and cry!
Just then, another blackened man came in.
Xu Xinbo comforted him for a long while before saying, "I'm afraid we've attracted something unclean!"
Xie Jin'an felt his hair stand on end. Thank goodness his elder brother-in-law was here.
With tears streaming down his face, he said, "Let's invite Master Yuantong down from the mountain. He's an enlightened monk. He'll definitely be able to help us!"
"All right, I'll tell my wife right away!" Xu Xinbo went out!
Xie Jin'an took out the Sharira his mother had given him. "I'll take this to Huai Shan in a moment. It doesn't matter what happens to us, but nothing can happen to the child!"
This was his only son, after all.
He happily took the Sharira to the Charity Hall to find Xu Rourou.
But a servant told him that she and the child had gone to his Fourth Brother's courtyard!
Xie Jin'an's expression instantly darkened.
Then he went to find the old madam!
The old madam had already heard about Xie Jin'an being struck by lightning. She was in the Buddhist shrine, devoutly worshipping and praying for blessings.
"May the Buddha protect us. Please make the Thunder God stop targeting my grandson and daughter-in-law. I am willing to worship you for the rest of my life!"
Having finished her prayer and offered incense, the old madam turned around and saw a pitch-black man walking toward her with a cold expression.
She promptly fainted from fright!
Her lips still murmured, "Lord Thunder God."
I meant no offense. If there's a problem, please take it up with my daughter-in-law.
That evening.
Wang Xia returned.
She said that everything was ready at the Minister's Residence. They would go outside the city to distribute porridge tomorrow, with Lady Liu and the Third Young Master attending in person.
Liu Wan felt reassured and smiled faintly. "My mother has always been sensible."
Wang Xia also brought back the hundred-tael banknote Liu Wan had given her. "Lady Liu said you should keep this money for your own use. The Marquis's Residence isn't doing well these days, and you still have plenty of expenses to cover, Eldest Young Madam!"
Liu Wan's eyes grew slightly moist.
Today, she had instructed Pan Chun to deliver all the account books and the mistress's jade token to Madam Li. She no longer needed to deal with those rotten accounts.
Madam Li had been away from home for years. Liu Wan wondered how she would react when she saw that enormous deficit.
Wang Xia asked why she had handed over control of the household so readily. Liu Wan said,
"When the marquis went to war, it was also to seek punishment and prove his innocence. The Imperial Court has withheld the Marquis's Residence's stipend all these years, so money has long been tight."
"Even the businesses outside have barely kept running with subsidies from my dowry. Now that I've withdrawn my own money, there's a substantial shortfall in the household funds. If Madam Li is willing to make up the difference herself, that's fine. If not, heh."
"The Jinxi Jewelry Store in particular has an enormous deficit. It still needs a huge sum to come back in before it can get back on its feet. By taking over Zhong Kui, Madam Li has undoubtedly inherited a rotten mess. I'm free of the burden now."
With both the household and its businesses in such financial straits, Liu Wan had still managed to keep everything running respectably, which showed just how capable she was.
Now that she had withdrawn her own money, the businesses outside would probably soon be unable to keep going.
Little Wanwan sneezed and woke up again.
This time, she found her mother unoccupied for once. She reached out and babbled, asking Mommy to hold her!
[Mother! Mother, your little baby is awake! Hurry up and come hold her!]
Liu Wan went over, picked up Little Wanwan, and played with her on the couch.
A small box nearby held all the gifts from the Fifth Princess, the Empress Dowager, and the Crown Prince. There was quite a bit of gold inside.
Little Wanwan picked something up at random and played with it to her heart's content!
[Any one of these could make the male lead die of envy. I'd better keep them safe. When I go to the palace later, I'll have them clinging to my coattails.]
Just then, Pan Chun hurried in. "Eldest Young Madam! Eldest Young Madam, something's wrong. The heir and Concubine Xu are fighting!"
Little Wanwan sat up straight, instantly wide awake.
[What? What? Scumbag Dad and the homewrecker are fighting?]
[What's the gossip? What's the gossip? Hurry up and tell me! Doesn't a gossip-munching melon-field critter's life matter too?]
Before you continue