On the way back, Ji Huan arranged to hire Uncle Xie's mule cart for the trip to Dafeng Village. After all, she had a lot of things, and it was getting late.
Uncle Xie often transported people to the town and county seat to support his family, so of course he agreed.
When they got back to Xie Ditch, they saw a crowd gathered from a distance in front of Widow Xie's family home. A huge ruckus was breaking out in the courtyard.
Ji Huan squeezed through the crowd to take a look. An old woman was lying on the ground—it was none other than Widow Xie's paralyzed, bedridden mother.
Nearby, Widow Xie's face was flushed red as she argued with her younger brother and his wife.
From the surrounding chatter, Ji Huan learned that Old Mother Xie had soiled the bed again that day. The Ma woman, Xie Kun's wife, could no longer stand it and was demanding they carry her to the abandoned Land God Temple outside the village.
