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

Xia Chu burst into laughter, feeling that Wang Qiuyu was like a little monkey.

When Wang Yong reached the door, he heard his daughter laughing and his youngest son yelling. He immediately smiled and asked as he walked in, "What are you so happy about?"

Zhao Huazhang quickly put the man down, and Wang Qiuyu drooped his head and puffed out his mouth.

Xia Chu was still laughing, "Dad, Qiu Yu wants to practice with Zhao Huazhang, hahahaha..."

Wang Yong was also happy when he heard it, "You have great ambitions. Even your father doesn't dare to ask you to practice with your brother Hua Zhang."

"Humph," Wang Qiuyu was still a little unconvinced, "Brother Huazhang has no moral principles! He lifted me up and I couldn't even reach him!"

"I lifted you up?" Wang Yong raised his eyebrows. "One hand?"

"Yes, he has no moral principles!" Wang Qiuyu said angrily.

Zhao Huazhang smiled at Wang Yong, "Uncle Wang."

"Qiu Yu must be over 80 pounds, right? Good boy, you're quite strong." Wang Yong looked at Zhao Huazhang. He was slender but not bulky. If it weren't for his different aura, you wouldn't have known he was a military commander.

"It's innate." Zhao Huazhang explained.

"Talent." Wang Yong walked over and patted the back of Wang Qiuyu's head. "You're not even very diligent in your martial arts training. What's there to be dissatisfied with?"

Xia Chu poured Wang Yong a cup of tea with a smile on her face, "Dad, have a drink."

"Be good." Wang Yong took it and drank it, then turned around and started chatting with Zhao Huazhang.

Dong Xiaohuan heard the noise and came out to take a look, especially looking at Zhao Huazhang.

The meal was soon ready. Dong Xiaohuan seemed particularly enthusiastic today, constantly serving food to Zhao Huazhang and urging him to eat more. She pretended to be casual and asked about the Zhao family's situation. Zhao Huazhang had actually mentioned the basic situation a few times before, but he hadn't given any more details.

When Wang Qiuyu got into trouble, the couple and their youngest son went to the Zhao family's house to express their gratitude. They only went there once, sat in the front hall for a while, and then returned. The Zhao family's master was not at home at the time, so Mrs. Zhao received them.

Mrs. Zhao's attitude wasn't particularly good; she offered only a few polite words before serving tea and sending the guests off. Wang Yong and Dong Xiaohuan expressed their gratitude, unconcerned with the other person's attitude. They felt it was natural for the wealthy to look down on ordinary people like them. They'd thought they could become close relatives if they could get along, but the other party clearly didn't see it that way.

The couple never visited again, but Zhao Huazhang would come over from time to time. He treated the Wang couple with great respect and courtesy. Dong Xiaohuan didn't think much of it at the time, simply thinking Zhao Huazhang was good-natured.

Now that he said it was his stepmother, it made sense.

I heard he was raised by his grandmother, having lost his mother at a young age. His older brother was in academy, and his father was busy. When he grew up, his older brother passed the imperial examination and became an official in the capital. Although he had younger brothers and sisters, they weren't from the same mother, so they weren't close.

The words didn't explain what his stepmother was like, but Dong Xiaohuan, thinking of Mrs. Zhao's attitude at the time, could guess what life was like for him as a child. No wonder he always liked to cling to their family back then; he must have been lonely.

Dong Xiaohuan felt a little more sympathetic towards Zhao Huazhang when she thought of this, and her attitude softened considerably. But then she thought, if Xiaochu married into the family, wouldn't she have to endure the wrath of her stepmother? That wouldn't do.

Wang Yong thought his wife was a little strange, but he didn't think much of it. He thought to himself that since Zhao Huazhang was here, it wouldn't be too much to ask for some wine. He tentatively said, "Xiao Huan, bring out a pot of wine. Huazhang and I can have a couple of drinks."

When Dong Xiaohuan heard this, she knew that he was craving for wine again, but Wang Yong listened to her advice and didn't drink much on weekdays, so she agreed.

It was a good opportunity to see how Zhao Huazhang could handle alcohol and how well he drank. If he was too weak, that wouldn't do either. Especially his drinking habits; many men beat their wives when they were drunk, which was unacceptable. Zhao Huazhang was so big and so naturally strong; a blow like that would have nearly killed him.

Before anything was decided, Dong Xiaohuan had already adopted the mentality of a mother-in-law and was considering Zhao Huazhang in every way.

Zhao Huazhang felt something and became even more nervous, fearing that Dong Xiaohuan would be dissatisfied.

Xia Chu watched the fun from the side, happily as if it had nothing to do with her.

In the evening, everyone dispersed. Wang Yong drank some wine, washed up, and went to bed. Dong Xiaohuan sent Wang Qiuyu to bed, and she didn't need to worry about Guan Xu. After she finished packing, she knocked on her daughter's door, "Xiaochu, can you come in?"

"Come in." Xia Chu expected Dong Xiaohuan to come and was waiting.

Seeing her expression, Dong Xiaohuan guessed that she knew her purpose, so she asked directly, "Xiaochu, you and Huazhang..." She paused, "is it what mother thinks?"

Xia Chu smiled and said, "Probably not. We're just trying to get along. Marriage hasn't been confirmed yet."

Dong Xiaohuan frowned, "What do you mean? Men and women shouldn't touch each other. If you're not engaged, you shouldn't be alone together. What do you mean by just trying to get along? If you're not getting married, how can you do this? If outsiders find out, they'll spread gossip."

"Marriage is a lifelong commitment. If you don't try to get along, what if you find out you're not suitable after you get married?" Xia Chu thought of Jia Qingwu. She spent her best years and years in a state of unconsciousness. The thought was painful. "Let outsiders say what they want. I haven't done anything wrong."

"Well, isn't it always like this?" Dong Xiaohuan felt that what she said made sense, but it also seemed wrong. She couldn't put her finger on what was wrong.

"Don't worry, mom. Zhao Huazhang abides by etiquette, and I also know my limits. It's just a matter of seeing his temper." Xia Chu hugged Dong Xiaohuan's arm and acted coquettishly.

"You're usually very well-behaved, but Elder Shan did something shocking." Dong Xiaohuan couldn't do anything about her. Thinking of Zhao Huazhang's behavior, she said, "I think Huazhang is pretty good, but his stepmother is not easy to get along with."

"Then there's nothing to worry about." Xia Chu disagreed. "If we really get married, I'll be marrying Zhao Huazhang. What does it have to do with his stepmother? We can live our own lives behind closed doors. How can she still come and find trouble with us every day?"

Dong Xiaohuan didn't have a mother-in-law herself, but she had seen and heard stories of mothers-in-law tormenting their daughters-in-law. But it was too early to say anything about that now. "Have you thought it through?"

Xia Chu shook her head, a bit confused on her face, "I don't know, I think Zhao Huazhang is good. But I'm still so young, I don't want to get married and have children yet."

"You're still young?" Many girls would have children by Xia Chu's age, but after all, she was the daughter she had raised. Dong Xiaohuan still sided with her and retorted, "Actually, there's no need to rush."

Xia Chu chuckled.

Dong Xiaohuan stretched out her finger amusedly, wanting to poke her, but when it touched her forehead, she couldn't bear to do so and just tapped it lightly. "You're the only one who's a mischievous one."

"I was spoiled by my parents." Xia Chu said proudly.

"The more I talk, the more arrogant you become." Dong Xiaohuan loved seeing her like this, lively and cute. He couldn't help but hug her and gently pinch her face, which was still as smooth and tender as when she was a child.