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

The old man, leaning on a cane, hobbled to his daughter's bedside. He sighed softly and stroked his daughter's face. "What are you doing? Isn't it good for the child to have a good future? Why are you so depressed? Look at the swallows. When they were little, they were fed one bite at a time. Once the little swallows learned their skills, the big swallows wouldn't let them come back. Isn't it the same for people? Daughters have to marry into other families and start their own families. Sons grow up, and the more ambitious they are, the higher they will go. There's a saying, 'If you are mediocre, you will be a happy family; if you pass the imperial examination, you will soar to the sky.'"

"I know." Dong Xiaohuan's face was haggard. She could understand the reason, but she felt uncomfortable. The thought that her son might not come back for years or even decades made her feel uncomfortable. She had felt uncomfortable for a while when she left home in the summer, but after all, they lived close and she could often come back to stay overnight. But what about Zhang Zhou? She closed her eyes, looked at her old mother, and couldn't help crying.

Dong's mother put down her crutches and, like she did when her daughter was little, stroked her hair with one hand and patted her chest with the other. "It's okay, it's okay, just cry for a while and you'll get up. We still have Wang Yong and three other children at home. You scared them all, and it was originally a good thing, look."

Dong Xiaohuan cried for a while, and then fell asleep again under the comfort of her mother. Dong's mother watched her sleep soundly, and then slowly walked out. Wang Yong hurried over to support her, "Mom, what's wrong?"

"It's okay, let her sleep for a couple more days. You know her, she loves her children the most, she can't stand it all of a sudden." Dong's mother wasn't as relieved as she had just said. Her daughter knew her best. Dong Xiaohuan had always loved children, and all of them in the family loved her like the apple of their eye. It was naturally hard to accept that her son wouldn't see her for many years.

"I know, but I'm a little worried. I haven't seen her sick for many years." Wang Yong nodded.

"What's wrong?" Dong's father just glanced at his daughter twice before being driven out by his wife. He was also a little worried about his daughter's health.

"Take a rest. I'll stay here for a few days." The old man said, thinking that this was the Jia family. Although Jia Qingwu looked good-natured, it was not her home after all. "Yong'er, is it convenient? Go ask."

"That's convenient. Sister Qingwu heard I was going to invite you, so she suggested you stay for a few days. She's been waiting at home since morning and has sent people out shopping to treat the two elders well. The rooms are already cleaned, and a feast is prepared for lunch." Wang Yong didn't interact much with Jia Qingwu, but he often heard Dong Xiaohuan praise her. She was well-educated, polite, considerate, and obedient, as if she were free.

After they moved in, they felt even more thoughtful. Fearing they wouldn't be used to it, the maids and servants rarely came over. If there was anything, they would just shout outside the courtyard.

Even the two dogs at home were well taken care of, with cooked bones and meat brought to them every day. Someone even came to take the dogs for a walk, which was very thoughtful.

Uncle Fu was kind and respectful when he met them, and there was almost no discomfort.

"That's too much trouble! How can we two old people afford to eat? Why bother preparing this?" Dong's mother said this, but she felt relieved. She thought Xiaohuan was really lucky. Not only did she get a daughter, but she also got a real relative. Maybe it was because she had already endured all the hardships in her childhood, but her luck kept getting better and better.

"That's right, Yong'er, go and tell Madam Jia to stop causing trouble. We'll go back when Xiaohuan gets better." Father Dong felt a little uneasy, a feeling of guilt for causing trouble to others.

"Grandpa, grandma, just live here with peace of mind." Xia Chu advised, "Mom always felt that our home was lonely. She's very happy that we're here. She feels like there's someone new."

Yes, Jia Qingwu was a woman who came to Lin'an from Huizhou to follow her daughter. It's normal for her to feel lonely and lonely staying alone in such a large house. Dong's mother nodded and said to Wang Yong, "Then we can't live here with a clear conscience. We say that money is too much. We must remember this friendship. If there is anything we can do to help in the future, we must do our best."

"My son knows." Wang Yong thought so too.

After Jia Qingwu arranged accommodations for the two elderly people, she went to the kitchen and looked around. She figured it was almost time before she came back. She didn't come right away because she thought Dong Xiaohuan was ill, and the two elderly people would be anxious to see their daughter, too busy to exchange pleasantries. This was a bit rude, after all, when a guest arrives at home, the host should come out first to greet them. But Xia Chu was her biological daughter, so there was nothing wrong with her coming to greet them.

"Uncle, aunt, how are you." Jia Qingwu came over and bowed gently with a smile on her face, looking very amiable.

"Qingwu is here, please sit down." Just as Dong's mother was about to get up, Jia Qingwu came over and helped her sit down again. "You are the elder, you can't do this. Besides, you are so polite, don't you think of me as a family member? I will be very sad." She said this with a hint of grievance. Dong's mother smiled and patted her hands, then continued, "That's not right. I can't bear to make such a beautiful girl sad."

As the two chatted affectionately, Dong's mother's awkwardness gradually dissipated. Dong's father listened from the side. In just a few words, the two old men, knowing that they had a daughter, also smiled.

Dong Xiaohuan was still asleep during lunch time, so her mother didn't ask anyone to wake her up, saying they could eat after she woke up.

Jia Qingwu was gentle and talkative. Xia Chu chimed in, joking around, and the two elderly people were so happy that Wang Yong felt a little redundant. After dinner, he took his taciturn father-in-law to a side for tea, leaving the three women to chat.

The more Dong's mother interacted with Jia Qingwu, the more she liked her and the closer she became to her. She even invited her to visit the village. While the village wasn't as bustling and convenient as the city, it still had its own rustic charm. A stroll there occasionally would be a great place to relax and unwind.

"Why didn't grandma invite me? Are you afraid that I would be greedy for the little hens at home?" Xia Chu pretended to be jealous.

Dong's mother naturally knew that she was coaxing her, and tapped her nose, "If you still want me to treat you, go ahead and go. You can still eat the chicken and duck at home."

The three chatted for a while before Cuihua came over to say Dong Xiaohuan had woken up. They all went back to Dong Xiaohuan's room. After a nap, Dong Xiaohuan regained her appetite. She drank a bowl of shredded chicken porridge and sat up.

With her mother's company, her good sisters' comfort, and her daughter's attentive care, Dong Xiaohuan gradually recovered.

Zhang Zhou, perhaps having a premonition, hadn't even reached the capital when he sent two letters back. Both letters inquired about Dong Xiaohuan's condition. Wang Yong, thinking Dong Xiaohuan was already well, didn't need to worry Zhang Zhou, so he didn't mention Dong Xiaohuan's illness in his reply. He simply said that Dong Xiaohuan had been upset for a few days but had recovered.