Chapter 851: Small Fullness

Chun Xiaoman took out three incense sticks and lit them by tilting them over the candle. With a gentle wave, she extinguished the flames on the incense tips. Then, kneeling on a prayer cushion, she held the three incense sticks above her head and bowed to the statue before her.

The appearance of the Wusheng Laomu statue had transformed completely. Seated in the center of twin lotus flowers was a kind-faced elderly woman with a red mark between her eyebrows, leaning on a dragon-headed staff. Although the statue was made of stone, devotees had painted it, making Wusheng Laomu appear lifelike.

"Oh, Greatly Compassionate, Greatly Benevolent, Greatly Gracious, and Greatly Virtuous Wusheng Laomu, may your disciple, after death, ascend to the Pure Land and serve you for all eternity with all the other brothers and sisters…"

After performing three bows and nine prostrations devoutly, Chun Xiaoman placed the incense sticks into the censer and backed out of the main hall, still facing the statue.

Outside the hall was the White Lotus Sect's chapter house. Chun Xiaoman was still covered in black fur, yet no one here treated her differently. Once someone joined the White Lotus Sect, everyone was considered a brother or sister, treated equally. Disdaining a fellow member's appearance was a major taboo within the sect. On the contrary, because of her distinctive appearance and her fearless dedication during previous encounters with the Fa Sect—always standing at the forefront—Chun Xiaoman earned considerable respect and admiration within the White Lotus Sect.

Chun Xiaoman returned the greetings to the smiling and respectful devotees who welcomed her. When she first started practicing divine combat and White Lotus Sect techniques, Chun Xiaoman hadn't thought much beyond wanting to help Miaomiao and gain the strength to better protect Niuxin Village. However, after leaving Niuxin Village and gradually integrating into the large family of the White Lotus Sect, her mindset began to change. She loved being there; she felt a sense of home in that place.

In the past, she had always doubted whether her birth into this world was a mistake, but now, she no longer harbored such thoughts. Here, she now had not only friends and siblings but also faith. Everything she had once lacked could be found here, and she truly loved being there. Chun Xiaoman had long decided in her heart that she would dedicate her entire life to this home, the White Lotus Sect.

After leaving the chapter house, she entered the residential alleyways of other White Lotus devotees. Although everyone was poor, they were not at all slovenly; even houses without roofs were kept spotlessly clean. No one here needed to lock their doors, as theft was unheard of. Everyone was kind and treated each other with courtesy. If help was needed, a single shout down the alley would bring everyone running, like a utopian community.

"Sister Xiaoman! Sister Xiaoman!" A few raggedly dressed children ran up, circling Chun Xiaoman excitedly. Although they were beggars, they were all White Lotus Sect beggars. "Sister Xiaoman, where have you been? We haven't seen you for days; we've missed you so much."

"I just got back from the Siji Chapter House. It's quite far from here, so I was delayed on the way," Chun Xiaoman explained gently to them. Seeing their appearance, Chun Xiaoman couldn't help but recall her own past. "Are you all hungry? What would you like to eat? My treat."

Hearing this, all the beggars immediately jumped with joy, exclaiming happily as they pulled Chun Xiaoman towards the alley entrance. "My straw hat, someone help me get my straw hat!"

Soon, in the bustling East Market, each beggar had a sesame scallion pancake in hand, eating with great relish. Chun Xiaoman gently stroked the back of their heads, softly telling them to eat slowly and not to choke. Since she had decided to become a celibate woman, she certainly wouldn't have children. Later, Dogwa's experience solidified her decision to forgo having any. However, this didn't prevent her from treating the younger members of the White Lotus Sect as her own children. The White Lotus Sect provided everything.

She noticed a little girl gnawing on a pancake she held, her eyes fixed on a distant wheelbarrow laden with several ceramic jars. Xiaoman walked over, and ignoring the dirt on the girl's clothes, picked her up into her arms directly. "What's wrong? Do you want to eat that? I'll buy it for you." The little girl cautiously glanced at the eldest beggar's face, then gently shook her head. "Sister Xiaoman, I don't want it. One pancake is enough."

"It's alright. Even though most of my earnings are donated to our sect, there's still enough to buy you little ones some snacks," Chun Xiaoman said, leading them towards the wheelbarrow.

Chun Xiaoman brought them to the wheelbarrow and asked, "Hey, what are you selling?" The skinny man with a dog-skin plaster on his forehead chuckled, removing the lid from a jar. "This is a rare commodity, something I bought from Tianyi Pavilion."

Chun Xiaoman looked and saw that it was merely fruit peels soaking in water. "Fruit peels? You probably picked these out of Tianyi Pavilion's slop bucket, didn't you? And you're selling them?"

"Go on, go on, what are you saying! My good brother works as a chef there; these are clean leftover fruit peels, ten *wen* a handful."

"Ten *wen* a handful? That's enough to buy a bowl of plain noodles! Have you gone mad thinking about money?" Chun Xiaoman thought the man was a profiteer.

"Can't you see they're soaked in sugar water? Besides, look at the season; these things are precious right now. They're all grown in heated greenhouses."

"Sister Xiaoman, let's go. I don't want any."

"Sister Xiaoman, let's go back. One pancake is already enough."

Looking at their faces, Chun Xiaoman reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of silver. The skinny man's face immediately lit up, and he moved the ceramic jars from the wheelbarrow. Just then, the eldest beggar, who was leading the group, stepped forward and said very earnestly, "Sister Xiaoman, we don't want it. These things are too precious, and we're already full. We shouldn't waste the money of our sect sister like this."

"It's fine, what's a few fruit peels?"

Soon, strips of fruit peel soaked in sugar water were distributed to the beggars. Everyone instantly beamed with joy, continuously tasting the peels and comparing which ones were more delicious. Seeing their happiness, Chun Xiaoman also smiled slightly. "When I was little, I really craved these street foods, but my father would only buy them for my younger and older brothers. My sister and I could only watch."

As she spoke, Chun Xiaoman recalled the past. "Later, to satisfy our cravings, my youngest sister and I would go to the streets with two bamboo tubes on hot days to collect watermelon seeds that people had spat out. They tasted delicious after being dried, hehe." But for some reason, Chun Xiaoman's expression gradually grew somber.

"Sister Xiaoman, try this one. This is roasted melon rind; it's so tasty." As she put the melon rind in her mouth and looked at the little faces before her, Chun Xiaoman suddenly felt a sweet sensation, and her smile returned.

"Sister Xiaoman, Sister Xiaoman, try this one, this seems to be persimmon peel."

As they shared their joy, Chun Xiaoman noticed a group of lamas in the distance. Chun Xiaoman remembered them; their mummy-like faces unequivocally belonged to lamas from the Zhongyin Temple. What struck her as odd was that these lamas from Zhongyin Temple were heading towards the White Lotus Sect's chapter house.