How can someone travel through time and space and become a beggar?

Butler Sun knelt on the ground, sweat dripping down his face onto the ground, leaving round water marks.

"How many days has it been?" Sun Wujiu's face was gloomy, his tone full of dissatisfaction, "You haven't seen anyone yet?"

"Master, I've never even been inside the Jia residence." Steward Sun leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the watermark on the ground, his voice trembling slightly. "I've been guarding the Jia residence gate every day, but I've never seen Madam come out."

"Waste! What use are you to me?" Sun Wujiu slammed the table in anger, his palm suddenly numb and painful, which made him even more furious. "You're not coming back, right? Bring me a pen and paper. I want to write a divorce letter!"

Butler Sun suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with surprise, then turned to contempt. He should have tried to persuade him, but he didn't want to. With a silent sneer, he got up and fetched a pen and paper.

Sun Wujiu wrote a divorce letter in one go. His mind calmed down. He had only been angry for a moment. Now he thought about it: everything in the house was brought by Jia Qingwu. Her dowry was all that was needed for their current expenses. If he divorced her, he would only have the meager salary from the academy, and he would be hard-pressed to make ends meet.

But the divorce letter had already been signed, and Steward Sun had waited with his head bowed. He felt embarrassed to go back on his word now. Steward Sun, usually a chatterbox, was completely silent now. Sure enough, he wasn't his own man, his heart wasn't on his side at all.

Sun Wujiu gritted his teeth, but Steward Sun remained silent. Could it be that Jia Qingwu was waiting for this divorce letter, hoping to see him make a fool of himself later? Unable to comply with her wishes, he found a way out and waved his hand, saying, "I'll think about this matter again. You can leave now."

Butler Sun twitched his lips, but he wasn't completely stupid. "Yes."

While Sun Wujiu was getting anxious, Jia Qingwu gradually calmed down.

Mrs. Jia San had given birth. Although she had been in agony all night, both mother and child were safe. Xia Chu got the news and asked Madam Xu what to send.

Aunt Xu said that the gift should be similar to that of the old lady and the other two ladies, neither more expensive nor too cheap. Xia Chu couldn't decide the right balance, so she had to ask Jia Qingwu.

Jia Qingwu explained the whole thing to her in detail. She was getting married and had two sisters-in-law. If the gift was too expensive, her mother and sisters-in-law would be embarrassed. But the child was her younger brother's first child, so she couldn't be too frivolous.

She asked Aunt Xu to find out what other people had given her as gifts and then give her something of similar value.

According to the ceremony when Madam Jia Da and Madam Jia Er gave birth to their children, Madam Jia gave each of her children a golden longevity lock, and there will probably be no change this time.

The first and second wives would most likely give a silver bracelet, a small gold pendant, a small lucky bag with longevity fruit, or a small ruyi. Furthermore, the gift should be similar to the one Xiachu received when she was born, preferably of a higher value but not too high.

It’s quite troublesome, Xia Chuxin thought.

When Aunt Xu returned, just as Jia Qingwu had expected, Old Lady Jia gave her the same longevity lock, the first lady the golden gourd pendant, and the second lady the golden ruyi.

Xia Chu was a little surprised. It was all gold. She asked, "What should we give as a gift? A small silver locket or a bracelet?"

Jia Qingwu smiled and said, "Let's give a little bat as a gift."

"Bats?" Xia Chu was a little surprised, but also thought it was normal. Even though modern people don't like bats, in ancient times, bats were a blessing. Whether it was carvings on furniture or embroidery on clothes, bats often appeared.

"Madam Xu, go find one in the shop," said Jia Qingwu.

"Okay, I'll go right away." Aunt Xu responded and went.

Jia Qingwu continued, "Not just for births, but also for the third birthday and the full moon. This time, I'm going to prepare a welcoming gift. Just give the third birthday a basin and some coins. For the full moon, you can give something of the same value, or something less."

"It's so complicated." Xia Chu couldn't help but say.

Jia Qingwu felt a little distressed. If they hadn't been apart for so many years, Xia Xia would have learned these simple things just by watching. Fortunately, it wasn't too late now. Xia Xia wasn't married yet, so there was still time to teach her the etiquette of welcoming and seeing off guests and the trivialities of housekeeping.

As for the shops and farms she brought as a dowry, when she's stronger, she'll take Xia Xia to see them all. She'll let the shopkeepers recognize them. When she's gone, they'll all be hers. At least they'll ensure she has enough food and clothing for the rest of her life, without having to worry about money.

How to manage the shop, check the account books, take your time. She needs to get better soon, and hopefully live a few more years. Only when she sees Xia Xia get married and have children can she rest in peace.

Seeing Jia Qingwu's sad face, Xia Chu felt a pang of worry, fearing she might suddenly become ill. She quickly called out, "Mom?"

Jia Qingwu came back to her senses and asked, "Hmm?"

"Mom," Xia Chu was actually fine, but she was worried that she would suddenly have a seizure, which seemed to have no pattern. "Let's go swing? I liked that swing when I came here."

"Okay," Jia Qingwu smiled and stood up. "Your grandfather had it made. He also planted some winter jasmine. In spring, it'll cover the entire swing and attract butterflies."

The two chatted and laughed as they went. The swing was large enough for one person to lie flat on. They sat on it together, Xia Chu propping herself up with her legs and swaying gently.

The autumn wind, which was already a little chilly, carried the fragrance of chrysanthemums in the garden and gently brushed across my cheeks.

How pleasant it was. Xia Chu thought of a poem she had read somewhere before: "Sitting alone in an idle garden, facing the idle flowers, I gently brew time and slowly brew tea. I do not care about worldly affairs, and let the years taint my beauty."

The poem was fitting, with a sense of calm and carefreeness. Jia Qingwu tilted her head, surprised that she could write poetry. Her brothers had taught her how to write, but girls weren't allowed to attend school. The Wang family couldn't afford a private tutor, so could Xia Xia have a talent for it?

Xia Chu noticed her gaze and immediately explained, "I didn't write this poem. I don't know where I saw it. I just remembered it because I thought it fit the situation right now."

Jia Qingwu smiled, "Why are you in such a hurry to explain?"

"I'm afraid you have too high expectations of me, and you'll be very disappointed if you find out later that I'm completely uneducated." Xia Chu said with a smile.

Jia Qingwu's expression turned serious upon hearing this, and she said earnestly, "All I expect of you is that you are safe and happy, nothing more."

Xia Chu's smile faded as she thought of modern parents. No playing around, no laughing, just homework and piano practice every day. Back then, she felt like a robot without self-awareness, a life filled with only study and piano practice.

She expected praise and recognition time and again, but each time she received nothing. Even when she won an award, her parents would only nod in satisfaction and then set a higher goal for her.

Obviously, she loved the pipa so much, but she betrayed it and turned it into a tool to please her parents. As long as she practiced hard and achieved her goals, her mother would smile at her.