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

After Xia Chu washed her face, Dong Xiaohuan said she would take her out for a walk and call Dong's father home for dinner.

"Where is grandpa?" Xia Chu pulled two wild grasses from the roadside out of itchiness, and shook them in his hands.

"Working in the fields." Dong Xiaohuan's home was in the middle of the village. Going east, across the river, you'd find the villagers' fields. A bridge made of a few wooden logs stretched over the river, looking casual and unsafe. Dong Xiaohuan walked over nonchalantly, and seeing Xia Chu seemed a little scared, she said, "Don't be afraid. This bridge has been here since I was a kid. It's stable."

The wooden bridge, which is more than ten years old, sounds even more dangerous.

"Then you wait for me here, it's very close." Dong Xiaohuan didn't force her. She asked her to stay where she was and not move, and walked away.

Xia Chu wanted to cross the bridge, but her mind was filled with images of the wooden bridge crumbling and her plunging into the river. Never mind, she'd just wait here. Standing by the river, she noticed two fish swimming leisurely, occasionally nibbling at the weeds hanging down in the water. Suddenly intrigued, she stirred the water with the weeds in her hand, and the two fish vanished with a flick of their tails.

There seems to be a kind of grass that can catch fish? It's called Polygonum multiflorum, a bunch of pink ones. I loved pulling them up as a kid, but they were a bit pungent. She looked around and actually saw a few. This grass is very resilient and can be found almost everywhere in the fields.

Having nothing to do, she found a stone and smashed the Polygonum hydropiper into pieces, then threw it into the river. It was said that Polygonum hydropiper could also be used to make wine yeast, but the exact ratio was unknown.

The river was calm, but not static. The waterweed slowly drifted down the river. Xia Chu couldn't help but follow it. Fortunately, after a few steps, he got caught on some waterweed.

"Xiaochu! Stay away! Don't fall!" Dong Xiaohuan's voice came from a distance, and Xia Chu immediately took two steps back.

Dong Xiaohuan and an old man came over. The old man had his trouser legs rolled up and was barefoot, with a hoe on his shoulder. He was Dong's father. He had heard his daughter say she had found an orphan and had been observing her from a distance.

He had two small bags on his head tied with a red headband and wore a red dress, looking like little Nezha. His little face was white and more handsome than the Fuwa in the New Year pictures.

"Mom! Grandpa." Xia Chu greeted with a smile.

I've lived for decades, but I've never seen such a beautiful baby. Could it be the maiden from Guanyin Bodhisattva who came down to earth to save her from disaster? Father Dong was not good at speaking, so he smiled. He subconsciously felt around in his arms, but there was nothing. He had gone to the fields early in the morning, so it was impossible for him to bring anything with him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Be good, go back and ask grandma to kill a chicken for you to eat."

No wonder my parents have been living in peace all these years. They even have the same ideas. Dong Xiaohuan chuckled, "Kill them and stew them."

"Yeah." Father Dong nodded. He wanted to go forward and hold the child's hand, but he was afraid that the mud on his body would get on her. He curled his fingers and clenched them, then waved his hand, indicating that she should follow him. "Go back."

Xia Chu didn't notice the old man's actions. He looked back at the Polygonum multiflorum and didn't see any fish floating up.

Dong Xiaohuan took a look and saw nothing. "What are you looking at?"

"No." Maybe he remembered it wrongly. Xia Chu held Dong Xiaohuan's hand, walked a few steps and felt unwilling to give up, so he looked back again.

This sight made her jump up with joy, let go of Dong Xiaohuan's hand and ran to the river.

Dong Xiaohuan was stunned at first. Seeing her rushing into the river, she was so frightened that she stopped breathing. "Xiaochu! Come back!"

Father Dong reacted faster than her. He took two steps forward and grabbed Xia Chu by the collar.

"Fish! I caught a fish! Fish!" Xia Chu was picked up and still flapped his limbs, trying to see the fish he caught, "Mom, fish, look!"

"What fish? You kid, you almost scared me to death." Dong Xiaohuan was startled, and then she felt a little angry after she recovered.

Father Dong put her down and fished out two floating fish from the river. They still moved when they were shaken. "What's wrong with these fish?"

"This grass, when fish eat it, it's like people drinking too much alcohol." Xia Chu plucked two sprigs of Polygonum multiflorum and shook them.

"Another one has floated up." Dong Xiaohuan also picked up one and asked doubtfully, "Can this grass-caught fish be eaten? Is it poisonous?"

Xia Chu hurriedly shook her head, "It's not poisonous! Put it in clean water for a while and it will be alive."

"It's not poisonous. Cows can eat it without any problem." Father Dong looked at the Polygonum aviculare again and again. "Just throw it in the water?"

"Crush it with stones and throw it away." Xia Chu pointed to the pile he had thrown away.

"There's another one!" Dong Xiaohuan threw the fish in his hand on the ground and picked up the fish in the river.

When Dong Xiaomao arrived, he saw three generations of his family squatting by the river, looking at something, with a lot of fish thrown at their feet. "Dad, sister, what are you doing?"

"Look, they're catching fish." Dong Xiaohuan pointed to the fish at her feet, her tone tinged with excitement. Village children would often sneak out to the river to play, hiding from their parents. They'd tried catching fish before, but never really caught anything. Adults would sometimes catch fish, too, but their success was rare.

"How did you catch so many in just a short while?" Dong Xiaomao glanced at the river. "Are there so many fish in this river?"

Dong's father glanced at the sky. It was already late. No wonder his son had come looking for him. His wife must have been waiting anxiously. "Let's go back." He twisted a few pieces of grass and strung the fish together.

Seeing that his sister was about to do it, Dong Xiaomao hurriedly said, "Let me do it, don't get your hands fishy."

It's dinner time now, and I haven't seen many people along the way, otherwise I would definitely be stopped and questioned.

"Where did so many fish come from?" Dong's mother was waiting at the door and saw the two strings of fish at a glance.

"Come in first." Father Dong walked straight into the door.

Dong's mother didn't ask any more questions. "Then let's eat quickly. We've been gone for so long, the food is almost cold."

They found a large basin, threw all the fish in it, and the family sat down to eat. Dong's father then told them about Xia Chu's discovery that Polygonum hydropiper could catch fish, "Let's see if the fish is still alive."

Li Xi's eyes rolled, and he asked eagerly, "If it's okay, can you catch some fish and sell them? They're so good, they can sell for a lot of money, right?"

Dong Xiaomao glanced at her with a bad look on his face.

"It's good to sell fish! There are so many fish in this river!" Xia Chu responded.

Dong's father glanced at his daughter, and Dong Xiaohuan smiled with a hint of pride. "I don't know what's wrong with this child. She's not even as tall as the table, but she loves to figure out how to make money. Not only did she let me sell cakes, she also figured out a recipe. It's delicious."

Dong's mother said in surprise: "He is still a little lucky star."

"She's a good child, treat her well." Dong's father said.

"I know." Dong Xiaohuan picked up a chicken leg for Xia Chu, and Dong's father pushed the plate of food over there.

Li Xi snatched the other chicken leg and put it into his son's bowl, and asked anxiously, "When are we going to sell fish?"

Dong Xiaomao kicked her under the table. Li Xi twisted her shoulder and knocked her chopsticks hard.

Mother Dong sighed.