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

Zhao Huazhang was busy. He had to go to the military camp and take inventory of his own storehouse and his mother's dowry. Half of the dowry was given to his eldest brother for his wedding, and the other half was for him.

Most of the jewelry and head ornaments were out of date, so Madam Zhao ordered them to be melted down and remade. Of course, she also added some new ones.

Luo Shanshan felt uncomfortable looking at all those goodies. But she couldn't touch them, which made her even more uncomfortable. Her family wasn't prominent, and she had relied on her kindness to Zhao Zeying. Her life wasn't easy when she first married in. Old Madam Zhao disliked her, and the son from her first marriage treated her with a cold eye. Zhao Zeying wasn't warm to her either, and it was difficult for her to move forward.

It took her considerable effort and thought to slowly win Zhao Zeying's heart. However, Zhao Zeying cared deeply about his two sons. Luo Shanshan had suffered many setbacks at the hands of Zhao Huazhang, but no matter how much she provoked him, Zhao Zeying never punished her severely. Furthermore, with Madam Zhao's protection, she always suffered the consequences.

The style of jewelry may become outdated, but if the material used at the time was sufficient, it will look good if it is modified into a fashionable style.

There are also some luxurious fabrics that will never go out of style and will still look as bright and shiny as new.

Luo Shanshan, envied, eagerly approached, hoping to get some for herself and her youngest daughter. Before she could speak, Old Madam Zhao glanced at her coldly, a mocking smile on her lips, as if she knew what she was about to say. Luo Shanshan blushed crimson with embarrassment. She coveted the original wife's dowry. If she got word out, she would not only be ridiculed but also looked down upon.

Mrs. Zhao had given her own dowry to Zhao Huazhang's mother when her son got married, and she had also given quite a bit to her eldest grandson when he got married. Now, she gave all the remaining dowry to Zhao Huazhang.

Luo Shanshan was filled with hatred and grievance after learning about this. She cried pitifully to Zhao Zeying, "Am I not the grandson of the Zhao family? It's okay that my mother has always disliked me, but how can she not even love her own grandson? She gave all those things to Hua Zhang. If others find out, I don't care how they will laugh at me. But what about Kuan'er and Jun'er? What about Qing'er's future?"

Luo Shanshan cried as she spoke, her eyes red. She was well-maintained, much younger than Zhao Zeying, and yet she looked so pitiful. Zhao Zeying's heart melted at the sight of her tears streaming down his face.

He may be soft-hearted, but he's not easily confused. "How could that be? Mother probably has her own reasons. Huazhang is so old now, getting married, and he's always been at my side, so it's normal for her to be a little partial. Besides, Huazhang's mother died young, so mother just loves him. Mother usually gives Kuan'er and the others a lot of things. Qing'er just got a pair of jade bracelets not long ago."

Seeing Zhao Zeying simply hugging her and trying to comfort her without saying anything else, her heart sank. But no matter how much she cried, Zhao Zeying wouldn't budge. Finally, her tears grew sore on him that he excused himself and went to the study. Luo Shanshan didn't know what she was expecting; Zhao Zeying had always been like this over the years. She might get on her side if she cried over small matters, but he was never confused about big things. She wiped her tears and laughed to herself, wondering why she wouldn't give up.

Jia Qingwu accompanied Xia Chu to select fabric for her wedding gown; this needed to be prepared early. The more sophisticated the family, the more elaborate the gown. The Zhao family possessed a high status. Jia Qingwu didn't want her daughter to be looked down upon, so she had to choose the finest fabric for the gown. She had cleared out all her possessions; when her daughter married, she would let her take them all, leaving only the two shops for herself to live on.

"Mrs. Jia is here?" The shopkeeper came out to greet her with a smile as soon as he saw her. "The goods you wanted have arrived. They're upstairs. Shall I show you?"

"Okay." Jia Qingwu ordered two fabrics. One was phoenix tail satin, patterned with phoenix feathers. It looked luxurious and exquisite, and felt even more special to the touch. She thought it would be perfect for a wedding dress. It depended on whether Xia Chu liked it or not. If she didn't, that was fine. She also ordered rosy cloud satin.

Xiayun satin is colorful and gorgeous, as beautiful as the sunset, and is also very suitable for making wedding dresses.

The shopkeeper looked at Xia Chu for a few seconds and said, "Is this your daughter who is about to get married? She looks just like you."

"Yes, everyone says it looks like me." Jia Qingwu was happy to hear this.

After a few pleasantries, the two of them made their way to the second floor. Almost as soon as they entered, they could see the two pieces of brocade. They were simply too dazzling. Other ordinary fabrics pale in comparison.

Xia Chu had assumed the clothes Jia Qingwu made for her were already excellent, but she hadn't expected something even better and more luxurious. The two fabrics were finely woven, smooth and soft to the touch, and the vibrant colors were irresistible. "Isn't this gorgeous? Is this really meant to be made into clothes? It's like a work of art." She couldn't imagine how beautiful it would look on her.

The shopkeeper puffed out his chest with pride and satisfaction upon hearing this. "The weaving of Phoenix Tail and Cloud Satin is very complex, and there aren't many finished pieces. These two pieces took a lot of work, and it's only because Miss Jia is so close to my wife that I agreed to help."

In his shop, this kind of brocade was practically the treasure of the shop, priceless and in short supply. It was often snapped up immediately upon arrival, with demand exceeding supply. After all these years in business, he had only been able to secure a small share. But with this small share, he had established a firm foothold in Lin'an.

Jia Qingwu smiled and thanked him, then asked, "Why don't you see Sister Rong?"

"She's gone back to her parents' home for some business." The shopkeeper said with a smile, "Your daughter's wedding is such a big event, she will definitely come back tomorrow and personally sew the wedding dress for your family."

"I couldn't ask for more." Jia Qingwu said, and after looking at Xia Chu, she asked, "Which one do you like?"

"It's so hard to choose." Although she said it was so hard to choose, Xia Chu's eyes couldn't leave the phoenix tail satin, it was so beautiful.

"Then this one will do." Jia Qingwu, knowing full well from her appearance, decided on it. The embroiderer nearby stepped forward to help measure the size, while the shopkeeper retreated to the first floor to avoid suspicion.

After Jia Qingwu and Xia Chu went downstairs, the shopkeeper asked, "Then let's order the phoenix-tail satin. Can we choose the style of the wedding dress?"

"I've chosen." Jia Qingwu nodded and took out the banknote to pay the bill.

"According to the rules, we only take a deposit, and the balance will be paid after you're satisfied with the wedding dress." The shopkeeper counted it and frowned, "That's not right. Even if we paid everything, it wouldn't be this much." He widened his eyes slightly, "Do you want the Xiayun satin too?"

Jia Qingwu smiled, "Of course I want it. I'll make it into casual clothes for you to wear after your wedding."

The shopkeeper was secretly amazed. How much he doted on his daughter! Such expensive material, and he just bought two pieces. But then he remembered what his wife said: she was an only daughter and her husband had passed away. So he could make some excuses.