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

Dong Xiaohuan's parents' home was in a small village east of Lin'an Prefecture. She would go out when the sun rose and arrive at dawn.

It was almost the Dragon Boat Festival, and the weather was getting hotter. Xia Chu walked until her forehead was covered in sweat. Dong Xiaohuan felt distressed and regretful, worried that the sweat would flow into her wounds. He tried to carry her on his back several times, but was rejected.

"Xiaohuan! You're back?" Dong's mother was strolling in the village with her grandson. Seeing her daughter, she was overjoyed. "I was just wondering if Duanwu would come back, and now you're back! What's this?"

"Mom." Dong Xiaohuan looked around. The women who were chatting gathered around and looked at Xia Chu. "Let's talk when we get home."

"Okay, let's go." Dong's mother tentatively extended her hand, "You're so pretty, little girl. Will you come with me?"

"Grandma." Xia Chu held her hand and smiled.

Seeing her delicate and graceful figure, Dong's mother raised her voice, as if she was afraid of scaring her. "Hey, be good, grandma will cook meat for you."

"She looks like a wealthy lady. She's really clean."

"The ringlets are getting more and more beautiful as they grow longer."

"The water and soil of a big place nourish people."

"I've got so many things on my back, I don't know what they are."

"Did she buy new clothes for her mother again?"

"It's not New Year's Day."

A group of people followed to Dong's house to watch the fun. Dong Xiaomao was about to go out. Seeing his sister coming back, he hurriedly came to greet her, "Big sister is back!"

After finally getting rid of the villagers, Dong's mother pulled Dong Xiaohuan aside and asked, "Where did this child come from? Could it be that Wang Yong is out there?"

"No, no," Dong Xiaohuan explained, laughing and crying, seeing her mother had misunderstood, "He's an orphan I met in the city. He's so pitiful, without a father or a mother. He's obedient and sensible. Brother Yong and I haven't heard from him, so we've discussed adopting him."

He then briefly recounted his encounter with Xia Chu.

Dong's mother felt sympathetic after hearing this. "Such a beautiful girl, no one wants her? People in big cities are really... Fortunately, Xia Tian was kind enough to pick her up and pretend to be a boy. Otherwise, who knows where she would have ended up."

"We didn't know it was a girl at first."

"It's the child's luck that she met you. The bigger she gets, the harder it will be to hide. She's still young now, but someone with sharp eyes can see it at a glance. Just give it up. I don't know what's wrong with your stomach? Those folk remedies..." Mother Dong shuddered as she recalled the way Wang Yong looked like he was going to destroy the family when she gave her daughter the folk remedies. "Forget it, Wang Yong didn't say anything."

Dong Xiaohuan still felt a lingering fear when she thought about that incident, but it was mostly sweet. They had been married for nearly six years and had known each other for almost eight years, and Wang Yong had only lost his temper twice.

Once, her younger brother's wife, who had married late, was already pregnant. She flaunted her feelings in front of her, making sarcastic remarks and making insinuating comments. Wang Yong overheard this and immediately overturned the table. He wanted to go to her younger brother's wife's parents' home to ask how to raise their daughter.

Since then, her sister-in-law has been respectful to her.

Once, her mother found her a folk remedy, but she became ill after taking it. Wang Yong found out who gave her the folk remedy and almost tore her house apart.

Seeing her daughter's beaming smile, Dong's mother felt both disgusted and happy for her. "Go away, don't let the child think too much. Since you adopted her, treat her well. Even if you have children in the future, don't be too partial to one over the other."

"I know, Mom." Dong Xiaohuan hugged her mother's arm and went to cook together.

"Sister is back." The speaker was Li Xi, Dong Xiaomao's wife, who had just returned from washing clothes.

Dong Xiaohuan was indifferent. She had never really liked this sister-in-law. She loved to take advantage of others and was not careful with her words. Her family had been deceived by a matchmaker. Besides, Li Xi was pretty, so Dong Xiaomao liked her. "Yeah, come back early, and don't come back for the Dragon Boat Festival."

Li Xi didn't care. She only saw her a few times a year. And every time her elder sister-in-law came back, she would bring a lot of things with her. She could also benefit from it. When she saw a strange child, she thought she was from the village. "Whose girl is this? Why haven't I seen her before?"

Dong Xiaohuan was too lazy to explain and said directly: "Xiaochu, call me aunt."

"Hello, aunt." Xia Chu keenly noticed his mother's attitude, and stood beside her after calling her.

Li Xi was confused. "Ah? Big sister gave birth to a baby? Has it grown this big in an instant?"

Dong Xiaomao knew that his sister didn't like his wife, so he pulled her over to explain.

Li Xi curled her lips in disdain, secretly complaining, "If I can't give birth, I'll just pick one up. Even if I do, it won't be a son." But she didn't dare say it out loud, not only because she was afraid of her brother-in-law. Her husband also had a very good relationship with his eldest sister-in-law, and she couldn't stand hearing such words.

Xia Chu was squatting at the kitchen door when she suddenly felt a curious gaze. It was her uncle's son, Dong Dongdong, a chubby three-year-old who walked like a duck, wobbling, the flesh on his face trembling as he walked.

He walked up to Xia Chu and said, "Sister, you look beautiful."

"You're so cute." Xia Chu smiled and poked his little face, which was as soft as tofu.

"Sister, come and play." He raised his chubby little hand and waved.

"What are you playing?" Xia Chu looked at the small dimple on the back of his hand and wanted to poke it.

"Come on!" The little fat boy led her to the backyard and looked for something in the lush vegetable garden.

"What are you playing?" Xia Chu leaned over curiously, and a fleshy green caterpillar almost touched her nose. She screamed in fright and turned and ran away.

Dong Dongdong was frightened by her scream and was stunned for a long time before blinking.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Dong Xiaohuan threw away the firewood and ran over quickly.

Xia Chu dived into her arms. She could almost see the caterpillar's furry body and its waving legs. She felt incredibly itchy, as if those legs were crawling all over her. "Bugs!"

Dong Dongdong came over holding the bug, not understanding what was going on, "Sister, come and play."

"What's wrong?" Dong's mother and Dong Xiaomao also came over.

As soon as Dong Xiaohuan saw the bug on Dongdong's hand, she understood, "Dongdong, throw the bug away quickly. Sister is afraid of bugs."

"I'm not afraid, it's soft." Dong Dongdong took two steps closer, wanting his sister to take a closer look. The insects were not scary at all.

"Don't look, don't look!" Xia Chu heard the sound approaching and used his head to push Dong Xiaohuan back.

Li Xi watched the fun from the side and didn't mind it, and applauded his son in his heart.

"Dongdong." Dong Xiaomao grabbed his son's arm and dragged him away. "Dad will play with you. Let's go play with the bugs over there."

"Okay, okay, the bugs have gone away." Dong Xiaohuan was about to make fun of her daughter, but when she looked down and saw her red eyes, she couldn't bear it anymore.

Li Xi muttered quietly, "The eldest lady is different. She is afraid of the insects that can be found everywhere in the village."

Dong Xiaohuan didn't bother to pay attention to her and pulled Xia Chu into the house.

Xia Chu looked back and saw the child walking away. She pouted and said she wanted to wash her face. She felt the hairs on the insects falling on her face.

Mother Dong turned around and gave Li Xi a look, then smiled at Xia Chu again, "Wash, grandma will get you some water."