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

Fifteen's words silenced everyone present, and Cuihua looked at her young lady.

"You sent her off and even asked your sister to come along," Xia Chu teased Shiwu, feeling rather bad. But for now, she couldn't think of any way to help Li Tao. After all, she needed someone at home, so asking her to work wasn't realistic. She had a mad mother-in-law and a bedridden man who both needed someone to take care of her.

On the way to Hong Fei Courtyard, Cui Hua suddenly asked, "Miss, how should we write this story?"

"Let me think about it," Xia Chu waved her hand. She didn't want to write this story for the time being. She pondered how she could help Li Tao become self-reliant. As the saying goes, help in times of need, not in poverty. Giving money is fine, but how much is hard to decide. And the money she gave yesterday was like buying a story. Giving more money would be like giving alms out of sympathy. It's better to teach a man to fish than to give him fish. What kind of work could she do at home that would also help take care of her family?

Xia Chu glanced at the flowers in the garden. Planting flowers? It's not impossible, but flowers have a growth cycle, and you can't make money every day. Plus, flowers are prone to disease and insects, and require energy to care for.

Growing vegetables? The garden needed them every day, but Li Tao could only grow so much at home. Most importantly, she couldn't afford to have someone go so far to get them every day.

It’s difficult.

The idea of exchanging stories for drinks was, after all, just a passing fancy on Xia Chu's part. The ladies and noblewomen who actually visited Yin Ge Garden didn't take it seriously. They wouldn't trade their own experiences for drinks, nor would they trade gossip they'd heard for drinks; after all, they didn't need the money for drinks. So, while some people went to this "bar" to drink, the idea of exchanging stories for drinks wasn't particularly popular.

More than a month later, only Li Tao was mentioned. But even this one story had a lasting impact.

Xia Chu couldn't think of any way to help her, but she kept thinking about Li Tao's hands. Most farmers who work the land, or do heavy work like repairing houses, have black cracks on their hands. It's not because they're dirty, it's just that they can't be washed off. Some dirt or something else has gotten into the cracks. If the wounds aren't properly cared for, or if they continue working even though they're injured, these marks will remain on their hands over time.

One day, Xia Chu was looking over her account books when Qiu Niang suddenly walked in, asking for bookmarks. She had run out of bookmarks, and a customer wanted some today. Xia Chu still had a box, so she decided to take some.

"Take it yourself." Xia Chu waved her hand. Suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind! Bookmarks! She could ask Li Tao to collect all kinds of leaves, make them into bookmarks, and sell them to Yin Ge Garden!

Some of the customers who had given out the bookmarks were very fond of them. It would be a good idea to collect leaves from all seasons and make a variety of bookmarks to give as small gifts to customers. Even if they couldn't give them all away, they could sell them at Mo Qingmei's bookstore. Making bookmarks is inexpensive: whole leaves are picked, flattened, and dried, then coated with glue to prevent them from breaking. The cost is only the glue itself, but fish bladder glue can be made yourself, though it's more complicated.

And bookmarks can be made not only of leaves but also of flowers.

"The young lady said that both leaves and flowers are fine. You can choose any leaves you like, but don't use too many of the same kind. You can change them according to the seasons. Here are the methods for making bookmarks and glue. I heard that your husband can read, so I'm sure he can understand them." Fifteen repeated Xia Chu's words and handed over two more pieces of paper.

Li Tao took the two pieces of paper that would determine the rest of her life in disbelief. She opened her mouth, but before she could utter a word, tears began to stream down her cheeks. She dropped to her knees, pressing the prescription to her chest. She lowered her head and sobbed, "Thank you so much, Miss, for your kindness."

Fifteen turned aside, her eyes reddening. "I've already said it. If you succeed, just send it to Yin Ge Garden." She walked out, but when she reached the door, she remembered there was one thing she had forgotten to mention. She turned around again and said, "The young lady said she knows of a chair that can move around. It can be used by disabled people to sit on it and move around without relying on others."

If the previous words had moved Li Tao so deeply she was speechless, then the last sentence was like thunder, exploding in the ears of both Li Tao and Yang Lang. A heavy object crashed to the floor from inside the house, and before Li Tao could react, she saw her husband crawling to the door. Through his tears, he hoarsely asked, "Really? Is there really a chair that allows me to move around on my own?"

Li Tao came to her senses from the shock and hurried to help Yang Lang.

Yang Lang had no time to look at her. He stared at Shiwu and asked again, "Really? Is there really a chair like that?"

Fifteen had never seen that kind of chair, but since the lady said it existed, it must exist. She nodded solemnly, "Yes."

"How can I get that chair?" Yang Lang said, looking back at the bare walls of their house. What else could they possibly have left to trade?

Fifteen didn't keep the secret, "The young lady said that it would cost at least seven taels of silver to make this chair. If you have enough money, go find her at Yin Ge Garden."

Xia Chu had her own concerns about not sending the wheelchair directly. A little kindness, a little resentment. She'd already given them a way to make money. Telling them they had this chair was to give Yang Lang hope, to stop him from becoming a loser, relying solely on his wife. People don't value things that come easily; let them fight for it.

Moreover, this wheelchair was worth more than seven taels. Xia Chu asked the carpenter and was told it would cost at least twelve taels. She had given him about five taels of silver last time, so even if she spent some of it, it wouldn't take long to piece together the rest.

As long as Li Tao works hard to make bookmarks, she will always have enough.

With that matter settled, Xia Chu finally had the time to think about this story. Too lazy to write it herself, she handed the last note to Li Yun. After reading it, Li Yun felt a little emotional and said she would polish it up a bit.

"Miss, lunch is ready. Do you want to take it to Hongfeiyuan or go to the cafeteria?" Cuihua heard the lunch bell and came in to ask.

"Yes..." Xia Chu said halfway, thinking of Zhao Huazhang. A few days ago, Zhao Huazhang would come to eat with her every noon. But yesterday he said he was going to the military camp, and she didn't know if he had gone. She looked at Cuihua, "Go to the door and help me see if Brother Zhao is there."

Cuihua's expression shifted slightly. Yesterday, when Young Master Zhao said he was going to the military camp and might not be available for the next few days, she was there. Could it be that the young lady had forgotten? She hadn't expected the young lady to be so preoccupied with him in just a few days, when they hadn't seen each other much. But she did as the young lady told her, and without further ado, she turned and headed for the door.