Although Ding Yun did not agree with her birth mother's words, nor did she believe that a woman couldn't live without a man, she was too weak to argue with her mother, who had been stubborn for years and had already invested significant sunk costs in her beliefs.
So, she remained silent. Her elder sister, Ding Zhaodi, who was by her side, probably also felt their mother's words were incorrect but, limited by her own knowledge, didn't know how to refute them or perhaps didn't want to. She could only remain silent, pretending to agree.
After recounting their hardships for a while longer, Wu Hua went to rest. Ding Zhaodi also washed up and quickly went to sleep.
As for Ding Yun, considering her current weak physical state and the fact that Wu Hua slept with Ding Dayang, she worried about waking Wu Hua when she went to feed the transformation spring water in the middle of the night, and it would be difficult to explain.
So, after taking a Rejuvenation Pill for herself, she quickly lay down and went to sleep.
The next morning, Wu Hua got up early to start her chores, and the eldest sister, Ding Zhaodi, also rose early to help. Ding Yun, however, secretly got up, replaced the plain boiled water in the cup by her parents' bedside with transformation spring water, and then went back to bed for a second sleep.
Every time Ding Dayang got drunk, he would sleep late the next morning and drink water to quench his thirst as soon as he woke up. The cup of water by his bedside was specifically prepared for him by Wu Hua, and no one would drink it.
Therefore, there was no need to worry about anyone accidentally drinking it.
An hour or so later, many household chores were done, and breakfast was ready. Wu Hua specifically went back into the room to check on Ding Yun. After feeling her and finding her to be fine and just sleeping, she told her eldest daughter to eat breakfast first, and then, after school, to ask for a leave of absence for her younger sister.
Although it was a waste of tuition to not attend classes, her younger daughter had indeed been seriously injured the previous day, and the clinic doctor, Ding Shuigen, had advised her to rest and avoid strenuous activity.
So, it was better to take a few days off first.
After breakfast, Wu Hua went to the fields to work, and Ding Zhaodi went to school. Ding Yun continued to sleep, using the time to repair her internal injuries.
It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky, past nine and approaching ten o'clock, that Ding Dayang finally woke up. As soon as he woke, he casually reached for the cup beside him and drank the water. The transformation spring water itself had no taste and was indistinguishable from normal boiled water, so Ding Dayang didn't notice anything unusual. After drinking, he went to the toilet.
There were no public toilets or indoor plumbing, just a rural outhouse.
And then, as soon as he entered the toilet, before he could even pull down his pants, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, which gradually spread throughout his entire body. It was a pain far beyond his comprehension, as if his entire body was being constantly hammered and carved with knives and axes. Especially his abdomen and lower body, it was more painful than being struck by hundreds of maces, an unimaginably excruciating pain.
Fortunately, his limbs were agile. In his unbearable pain, he managed to fall backward instead of forward. If he had fallen forward, he would have landed directly in the cesspit. Falling backward, while not entirely clean, at least kept him outside the pit.
What followed, of course, was agonizing screams.
He rolled around, writhing in pain and wailing.
The first to be awakened was Ding Yun. However, Ding Yun did not rush to witness the spectacle but instead began to ponder: "This might have been a bit too impulsive.
Now that he's screaming in such pain, it's hard not to attract the attention of the nearby neighbors. I don't know what the process of a male transforming into a female looks like, and whether it will be too obvious. Even if it's not obvious, he'll definitely need to go to the clinic if he's in so much pain. Once he gets to the clinic for an examination, even if Ding Shuigen's skills are poor, he shouldn't be unable to tell if someone is male or female.
I was too hasty, too hasty. I only thought about making him suffer more and forgot about being discovered. However, there's no need to worry too much, as no one would suspect me of being involved. Given the superstitious beliefs of some people in this village, they'll likely think it's divine retribution or something similar. So, let's leave it for now. At worst, I'll deal with it as it comes or be more careful in the future."
Thinking that as long as she didn't go too far or reveal herself, no one would suspect this little girl of being involved, Ding Yun quickly and calmly went to Ding Dayang's room first, disposed of the remaining transformation spring water he hadn't drunk, and wiped the inside of the cup clean with paper.
Then, pretending to be nervous and remembering her injured state, she slowly made her way to the outhouse.
Upon arriving, she feigned panic, muttering, "How could this happen? What's wrong? Dad, are you okay?" while curiously looking him up and down, witnessing his body continuously transforming under the effect of the transformation spring water.
Of course, she also paid attention to her own safety, keeping a good distance away, fearing she might be accidentally bumped by Ding Dayang, who was rolling on the ground in pain. After watching for a minute, Ding Yun quickly shouted loudly to attract the attention of the neighbors.
However, just as Ding Yun turned her head and shouted twice, she heard a "plop."
Turning around, she saw that Ding Dayang, who had been rolling outside the outhouse pit just moments ago, had disappeared and fallen into the pit. He was still struggling and writhing inside, and when he opened his mouth, the scene was beyond description – incredibly disgusting, the kind of sight that would make one unable to eat for three days.
It was probably that despite his extreme pain earlier, he had managed to avoid rolling into the cesspit. But as the pain intensified, his reason gradually weakened. Then, seeing his daughter approaching, he likely felt a sense of impending rescue. His focus relaxed, and he forgot about the nearby cesspit, accidentally rolling into it.
At this moment, Ding Yun could no longer bear it. She quickly covered her nose and retreated, suppressing the urge to gag. Fortunately, she hadn't eaten dinner the previous day or breakfast this morning, otherwise, it wouldn't have been just dry heaving.
The only thing to be thankful for was probably that their family's cesspit wasn't deep, so there was no danger of Ding Dayang drowning.
Following this, the startled neighbors naturally rushed over to understand the situation and offer help if possible. However, upon seeing the scene, even the most enthusiastic among them couldn't help but take a couple of steps back.
No one could genuinely step forward to help rescue him.
Although they were no strangers to handling manure for fertilizing fields, rescuing someone from a cesspit, especially someone thrashing around and splashing the contents everywhere like a "flower fairy scattering blossoms," was something they couldn't stomach.
For a moment, the sound of retching was incessant.
Of course, some people genuinely threw up, as not everyone had skipped breakfast. Those villagers who had eaten heartily and were full found it difficult not to vomit now.
At this moment, Ding Yun truly regretted her actions.
If she had known the house would be ruined like this, she shouldn't have replaced the boiled water. Even if she had, she should have tied Ding Dayang up to ensure he completed his transformation without moving.