I travel back and forth between ancient and modern times, hoarding goods to raise my grandchildren a

The Huai'an mentioned by Lao Si was originally named Xu Huai'an.

He was the unfavored grandson of the Duke of Dingguo, and also the fourth prince's good brother. They were the same age, five years apart.

The fourth brother nodded vigorously, "I have been thinking about it. I haven't seen Huai'an for three months. Huai'an's family doesn't like him. His older brother and sister bully him. I don't know if he can even get food now."

"Grandmother, are you going to take me to find Huai'an?"

After finishing that bowl of porridge, the fourth brother's remaining doubts about Yu Wanwan disappeared.

If even immortals can provide such delicious food, then curing madness would be an even easier task.

He still admires Yu Wanwan to some extent in modern times.

"Yes, go to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion to find Huai'an."

Yu Wanwan still wants to go out and see the outside world.

Yu Wanwan could only learn so much from the original owner's insane memories.

They packed their things and went out.

Method of getting out of the house: Walking.

During the drought, no grass or trees grew, and the horses couldn't find food. A year ago, the horses in the general's mansion had already starved to death.

All seven of them had now showered and changed into clean clothes, making them stand out in the current environment.

To ensure their safety, Butler Zhou arranged for three guards to accompany them.

When Zhou Nan learned that they were going out, he ignored the housekeeper's attempts to stop him and eagerly followed them.

After leaving the general's mansion, it took about half an hour to reach the street.

Judging from the original decoration of the houses on both sides of the street, those should have been restaurants, teahouses, pawnshops, cloth shops, grain shops and the like.

However, all the shops were closed.

There weren't many people on the street.

The few who were there were all wearing dirty clothes and had dry, equally dirty faces.

Because their faces are thin, their eyes look very big, but there is no light in those big eyes, only despair and numbness.

When they brushed past Yu Wanwan and her group, they didn't even turn around to look at them.

They were so hungry that their minds became dulled, and they had no awareness of anything other than food.

This scene seemed somewhat familiar to Yu Wanwan; she had seen it on television before, where people on the Middle East battlefield and African refugees had the same expressions.

Being there in person is far more impactful than watching them on television.

They were still in the capital, right under the emperor's nose. If even the capital was like this, she couldn't imagine what kind of lives the people outside the capital must be living.

Everyone felt somewhat heavy-hearted throughout the journey.

We continued until we crossed that street and entered a quieter residential area.

The fourth brother said excitedly, "We'll be at Huai'an's house soon."

Everyone was slightly infected by the fourth brother's excitement and also became expectant.

This alley is lined with grand mansions, inhabited by high-ranking officials and nobles from the capital.

Right now, all the houses are closed.

The fourth brother led them to a five-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) in the center of the alley and knocked on the door.

After a long period of knocking, a thin servant finally came to open the door.

The servant said impatiently, "Go away, go away, stop knocking. There's no food left in the mansion. If you want to beg, go somewhere else."

After he finished speaking, he looked up and saw several clean-cut people. The servants were stunned.

Upon recognizing someone, he asked hesitantly, "Fourth Young Master Pei?"

The Pei family didn't have much contact with the Duke of Dingguo's family, and besides, the children changed every year.

Apart from the fourth son, who had visited their home a few months prior and was still recognizable, the other servants were unfamiliar with everyone else.

The fourth brother nodded: "Yes, it's me. I've come to see Huai'an."

The servants told them to wait a moment while he went in to announce their arrival.

Xu Huai'an's grandmother, Madam Yao, who was also the matriarch of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, frowned. "The old lady of the General's mansion has come to see Xu Huai'an with Pei Haoyu and a few others?"

"Isn't the old lady of the General's Mansion that the crazy young lady from the Yu family? Why is she bringing her grandsons here at this time? Could it be that they've run out of food at their mansion and are now eyeing our Duke's Mansion?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose: "Find a reason to send them away."

The stepmother, Madam Zhu, rolled her eyes.

“Mother, Yu Wanwan is now considered an old lady of the General’s Mansion. She personally led people to come to Huai’an’s house. If we just drive them away like this, it won’t sound good. People will say we don’t respect the General.”

"Although no one may necessarily notice our family's affairs now, what if they do?"

Madam Yao nodded: "What you said makes sense. Do you have any ideas?"

Madam Zhu curled her lips into a smile: "Mother, since they've come looking for Huai'an, why don't we let Huai'an go back with them? I know that Huai'an and Pei Haoyu have been as close as brothers since childhood. Pei Haoyu brought Grandmother to look for Huai'an, so he must miss him."

We let Huai'an go back to the General's Mansion with them for a few days, which would be a good opportunity for their brotherly bond.

If Xu Huai'an were gone, she could withhold his share of food and give it to her children.

Moreover, she had heard that Yu Wanwan had taken all the grain from the General's Mansion for herself, and now those children were still starving.

Sending Xu Huai'an there, and if he can also starve to death in the general's mansion, would be killing two birds with one stone.

No one could find a single fault with the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.

Yao nodded: "Okay, we'll do it your way."

The following words were spoken to the servants: "Take Huai'an to them and tell them that if they are willing, they can take Huai'an back to the General's Mansion to play with the Fourth Young Master of the Pei family for a few days before sending him back."

As for whether it was appropriate to send her own child to someone else's home under such circumstances, Yao no longer cared much.

They were looking for this person, and she generously delivered him to them. What more could they want?

The servant had more to say.

He also wanted to tell the two ladies that the people in the general's mansion seemed different; they had all washed themselves very clean.

The old lady spoke logically and clearly, and was not at all crazy.

But seeing their disdainful look towards the people from the General's Mansion, he dared not say anything more.

He went to Xu Huai'an's courtyard and brought him out.

Five-year-old Xu Huai'an was so thin that he looked like he was only three years old.

Despite being the grandson of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, he now dresses almost like a servant.

It's not that his clothes were filthy, almost like a servant's; in those days, even the princes' clothes were filthy.

Rather, the fabric and style of his clothes were so rough that they resembled those of a servant.

On the way here, Yu Wanwan had heard from the fourth brother that the Duke of Dingguo's mansion was richer than the General's mansion, and that they owned many estates.

Therefore, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion had plenty of grain reserves, and their master was able to eat at least one meal a day that was about three-tenths full.

Looking at Xu Huai'an, Yu Wanwan remained skeptical of Lao Si's words.

"Grandmother, quick, come help! Huai'an has fainted."