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

Where did Jia Qingwu go?

In the East Street market, a plump woman carrying a basket of vegetables was haggling with someone. Behind her, a master and servant watched with curiosity as she exchanged prices with the stall owner. The two men haggled as if they were arguing, but after the transaction was settled, both smiled.

One said he would come again next time, and the other said his food looked fresh and he would definitely come next time.

Dong Xiaohuan didn't feel embarrassed to haggle with Jia Qingwu; instead, she taught her how to bargain. Jia Qingwu had her own shop, so naturally, she'd negotiated business before. Listening to Dong Xiaohuan's explanation, it felt like it was no different from negotiating prices in business. It's just that businesspeople like them wouldn't be so blunt about bargaining; they were more subtle. But understanding the other person's psychology, observing their expressions to gauge the extent of the bargain, and inquiring about the price beforehand to get a good idea of it were all the same.

Jia Qingwu saw something and followed behind with great interest. She had never bought vegetables before and had no idea about the prices. Seeing Dong Xiaohuan walk around for a long time, filling her basket, and spending only a little over a hundred coins, she was very surprised. "Madam Xu, are these vegetables so cheap?"

How could Madam Xu know? Although she had lived a hard life before, that was many years ago. As a nanny who took care of her master personally, she didn't have to buy groceries or run errands. Besides, except for banquets, most of the food in their house was delivered directly from the farm. "It's really cheap."

Dong Xiaohuan left the shop in the care of her younger brother and spent some quality time at home with Jia Qingwu and Xia Chu. However, Xia Chu had been lazy these past few days, sleeping until noon. Jia Qingwu and Dong Xiaohuan had just returned from grocery shopping, and the three of them went for a stroll down the street that afternoon.

Jia Qingwu, however, kept an eye on the shops on the street, what was popular, and where there were shops for sale. She planned to open a shop that would be profitable, determined to leave a fortune for her daughter in Lin'an.

She wasn't just looking at shops; she was also looking at houses. Dong Xiaohuan said she'd leave this matter to Wang Yong. He wasn't a high-ranking official, but he was often around town. And most people would give him some respect and wouldn't dare to cheat.

As the saying goes, it's easy to avoid the King of Hell, but hard to deal with the little devils. High-ranking officials were rarely encountered by the average person. But yamen runners encountered them frequently, whether on patrol or collecting taxes.

Wang Yong naturally agreed to the request and went to the government office to inquire with his brothers. He got a lot of information and told Dong Xiaohuan when he returned. He asked her to take Jia Qingwu to see it. If she liked it, he would take time to accompany her to buy it and keep it safe.

Two days later, Dong Xiaomao received a message from the two elders of the Dong family, saying that they wanted to come and see Xia Chu.

Xia Chu refused repeatedly. She was a junior, so how could she let the elders come to see her? She immediately said that she would go back to the village to visit the old people the next day. However, Dong Xiaomao said that in addition to seeing her, the two elders also wanted to see their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, so she didn't need to go back.

When Jia Qingwu learned that her elders were coming, she took out some gifts.

Dong Xiaohuan had long suspected her parents would come. The elders had doted on Xia Chu since she was a child. Especially after their relationship improved, they kept calling her "Little Lucky Star." She and Jia Qingwu had gone to the market early in the morning and bought a lot of vegetables.

Dong's parents packed up a lot of wild delicacies and brought over the hen they kept at home. Dong Xiaomao also came with his son to reunite with them. However, he had to work at the shop during the day and couldn't come until dinner time.

Wang Qiuyu took the day off and took his cousin to the backyard to look at horses. Horses are rare. Farmers usually buy donkeys, mules, or cows. Horses are expensive and difficult to use for farm work. And horses this small are something they've never even seen before.

Jia Qingwu was not so nervous this time. In the two days she had stayed at the Wang family's house, she had already found that the Wang couple were very easy to get along with, and from Dong Xiaohuan's personality, she could tell that her parents were not difficult to deal with either.

Although Dong's mother was quite old and had grandchildren running around, she still insisted on showing off her cooking skills for the guests and cooked dinner herself. Guan Xu had a good relationship with her grandmother and helped out while cooking.

Dong Xiaohuan was busy in the kitchen because she wanted to accompany Jia Qingwu. As they were chatting about the houses they had seen today, Daan suddenly stood up and rushed to the door. Dong Xiaohuan was stunned for a moment, then stood up with a smile on her face, "Xiaotian, it must be Xiaotian who is back."

"I'll go check it out!" Xia Chu hurried out. Da'an had already opened the door. Who else could it be if it wasn't Xia Tian at the door? "Brother!!"

"Xiaochu! You're back!" Xia Tian looked at his sister happily. It seemed that everything was fine.

"Brother, you have the day off today!" Xia Chu happily stepped forward and affectionately took her brother's arm. "What a coincidence! Grandpa and grandma are here too. Our family is truly reunited."

"That's what a coincidence." Xia Tian looked at his sister with a smile. Finally, he didn't have to worry anymore and didn't have to go to Huizhou anymore.

He first met his grandfather and parents, exchanged greetings with Jia Qingwu, and then went to the kitchen to chat with his grandmother for a while.

When Dong's mother saw that everyone was present, she smiled even more and said, "Xiao Xu, add two more dishes."

"Okay, you tell me what to add and I'll take care of it." Guan Xu was also happy.

By dinner time, there weren't enough seats at the table. Wang Yong went to the utility room, brought out an old table, cleaned it, and set up two tables in the living room, one for the adults and one for the children—just the right size.

The old man just loves the hustle and bustle, especially when he sees his family gathered together, the smile on his face never fades.

Dong Xiaomao had to catch a ride back soon, so he didn't drink. Jia Qingwu was a woman, and not in good health, so naturally she couldn't drink much either. So Zhang Zhou accompanied Wang Yong and Dong's father for a drink.

Jia Qingwu didn't expect that Dong's mother had such good cooking skills. In addition, there were so many people around, and the mood was cheerful, and her appetite was even better.

"Grandma's food is still so good. I haven't eaten it for a long time and it tastes even better." Xia Chu finished eating half of his food before taking the time to praise.

Dong's mother was so happy that she said, "If you like it, eat more. Next time, let Xiaoxu cook whatever you want. His cooking skills are almost as good as mine."

After a happy meal, Dong's mother saw that Jia Qingwu was quiet and gentle, but without the airs of a young lady from a wealthy family. Furthermore, her face, which resembled Xia Chu's, delighted her and she talked to her for a long time.

Jia Qingwu listened patiently to the old man's stories of Xia Chu's childhood, not even slightly bothered. He emphasized how clever and well-behaved Xia Chu had been as a child, and how much good fortune she had brought to their family. Dong Xiaohuan had told these stories, too, but she never seemed to tire of them.

God bless, if they hadn't adopted Xia Chu, who knows what would happen to her now. At the same time, I felt that my daughter was lucky to have met such a family who loved and pampered her and brought her up so well.

When Dong's mother heard Dong Xiaohuan say that she had developed hysteria after losing her daughter, she, as a parent, felt a surge of sympathy and pity for her. She told her to stay in Lin'an and treat it like home.

There was no room at home, and Dong Dongdong had to go to the academy, so he had to rush home at dusk. Xia Chu hugged her grandmother and felt reluctant to leave. "Grandma, I will go back to see you in a few days."

"Okay, grandma, wait. I'll buy a big pork elbow and stew it for you." Dong's mother said with a smile.