Divorced woman with child travels through time

Seeing that the little beggar didn't speak, Chen Xuanyu put the things in his arms. Chen Wenfang, having received the gifts, led the children away.

By the time the little beggar came to his senses, they were already far away. The aroma of wheat wafted from the bread in his arms, reminding him that this wasn't a dream. The little beggar picked up a bread, took a bite, and tears streamed down his face. So much; it would last a long time. He recognized her; her name was Chen Niangzi, the one who had killed someone. She really was a very good and kind woman. Good riddance to the bad guy.

The little beggar, clutching the flatbread, carefully evaded the constables as he walked through the bustling market. He'd heard from a homeless old man that the constables here would take people away, and then he'd never seen them again. He couldn't afford to be arrested. He squeezed through the gap between two restaurants, then turned right into a small alley. Beside a dilapidated wall, with a large gap in it, the little beggar skillfully climbed over. He weaved through the bushes and arrived at the outside of a run-down temple. Afraid to stay inside, fearing someone would target him, he crawled through a wooden plank laid across the corner between the temple and the side.

“Brother, you’re back!” A younger beggar, about five or six years old, stood up happily to greet him.

"Fifteen, here you go." The little beggar took out a cake and gave it to Fifteen. "Are you hungry? Eat quickly." The little beggar was called First Day, and his younger brother was called Fifteen.

Fifteen ate her pancakes happily, taking small bites, and looked at the big bag in First Year's arms, asking, "Brother, why are there so many pancakes today?"

Chu Yi also took one and started munching on it. The white flour pancake had a chewy texture and a rich wheat flavor. Chu Yi chewed it casually, swallowed it, and said, "I met a really kind person today, do you know Madam Chen? Her son gave it to me."

While eating, Shiwu raised his hand and said, "I know, it's that bad guy who killed the widow Chen Niangzi who went to her house to rob her money."

Chu paused for a moment and said, "You can't call her a widow, that's impolite. Just call her Madam Chen. Are you thirsty? I'll go get you some water."

Fifteen nodded, "Oh, I understand."

On the first day of the lunar month, they took a chipped and broken jar and filled it with water from a stream behind the dilapidated temple. This stream was a branch of the Willow Lane Stream, which was used by the monks in the dilapidated temple for water. Later, the temple was abandoned, and the stream became the water source for the residents. It was considered running water and relatively clean. Many people in the town drew water from this stream, and the two of them enjoyed a delicious and hearty meal.

Chu Yi thought to herself, "Now I won't have to go hungry for quite a while."

Chen Wenfang brought her three children to the blacksmith shop, took out the blueprints and said to the young man in front of her, "Master, take a look, can this be made? I specially ordered a furnace for Young Master Ouyang to make food."

Upon hearing that it was Young Master Ouyang, the blacksmith master Zhang Rong dared not be negligent and stepped forward, saying, "Madam Chen, let me take a look." He took the blueprints and examined them carefully. "I wonder what Madam Chen intends to use this for?"

Chen Wenfang said, "It's used for baking fruit."

Master Zhang said, "It's fine to use iron for the outer round barrel, but what should we use for the inner chamber?"

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "You can just put a clay mold in the middle. The main thing is to make sure the wire frame inside has a good curvature, otherwise it will easily fall down and burn out. Also, you must leave a space underneath for ventilation and to collect charcoal ash."

Master Zhang nodded and said, "Yes, yes, don't worry, madam. With the drawings, it's easy to do."

Chen Wenfang said, "How much would you like to know? I'll pay a deposit first, and I'll come back to pick it up when it's ready. I also need an iron box, the kind with a door that can be opened on the side. I've written the specifications on a piece of paper. How much would it cost in total?"

Master Zhang pondered for a moment and said, "I'll charge you three taels of silver for this. I'll let you know when it's ready in about a month and deliver it to your home."

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "Alright, then I'll pay you one tael of silver as a deposit first?"

Master Zhang said, "Okay."

After paying, Chen Wenfang browsed around for a while longer, buying some seasonal vegetables, sugar, and salt for seasoning, as well as ten catties of cotton. She planned to learn how to make padded jackets herself as the weather turned cold in autumn.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, I went to a pastry shop and bought a box of mooncakes before taking the child back to the stall. These mooncakes were really expensive; four cost two hundred coins. No wonder there were so few people selling them.

Uncle Liu Hai had already returned. Seeing that almost everyone had returned, Aunt Liu began packing her things, planning to go home together.

The vendors at the market began to pack up, and fewer and fewer people were browsing. Two elderly homeless people appeared, rummaging through the trash others had left behind. A glint flashed in Ah Li's eyes as he saw them. He thought to himself, "Under the adults' management, Li Family Town hasn't had any homeless people for a long time. Where did these come from? I'll have to investigate properly later; maybe some place has been hit by a disaster again."

Seeing Aunt Liu packing her things, Ah Li also picked up the box and helped them load it onto the wheelbarrow.

The group walked together along the side path. Looking at the entrance where two people stood side-by-side, Ah Li asked Uncle Liu Hai, "How long will it take to walk back?"

Uncle Liu Hai replied respectfully, "About an hour."

"It's too slow, I'll go rent a carriage. Wait for me." Ah Li put down his things and quickly rented a carriage.

Together, they moved the things back onto the carriage, letting everyone get on first. Ah Li stood below, and with a "whoosh," he lifted the wheelbarrow with one hand and placed it at the back. Everyone looked at him in amazement, and Uncle Liu Hai chuckled, "Sir, you're really amazing."

Ah Li nodded, his face serious, and said, "Sit tight and hold on, I'm driving a bit fast." With that, he jumped into the carriage, didn't need a driver, grabbed the reins, cracked the whip, and sped off like lightning.

Everyone on the bus swayed from side to side, nearly thrown off. Luckily, they held on tightly beforehand. Chen Xuanyu and Shi Tou laughed heartily, finding it extremely amusing. Chen Wenfang thought to herself, "This Ah Li must be a soldier; his style is so decisive and efficient."