A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

Liu Yan was also startled. How could such a thin body produce such a big burp?

"Grandpa, have you eaten yet?"

The old beggar shook his head and said, "I'm full, little girl. Your cooking is quite good. I think it tastes better than Guangjuxuan in the capital."

A nearby customer scoffed, "Guangjuxuan in the capital, my foot! Have you ever been to the capital? Why don't you say it's even better than the ones in the palace?"

The old beggar picked his teeth and crossed his legs, saying, "You can't get this kind of pickled cabbage in the palace."

The guests burst into laughter and mocked, "What a crazy old man."

Ignoring the mockery of others, the old beggar smiled at Liu Yan and said, "Hehe, little girl, this old beggar has no money, so how about I give you a tonic pill as payment for your meal? I made this myself."

After saying that, the old beggar reached into his patched cloth bag and rummaged around for a while before taking out a black ball about the size of a thumbnail, covered in dust.

"Here you go, little girl."

Liu Yan blushed when the old beggar called her "little girl." She was a grandmother, yet she was being called "little girl."

Looking at the black, filthy meatball the old beggar had taken out, Liu Yan swallowed hard. She was certain that eating that meatball would definitely give her diarrhea.

Liu Yan waved her hand, "Grandpa, please keep these meatballs. I told you I'd treat you."

The old beggar looked regretful. "Tsk tsk tsk, little girl, this is a good thing. What a pity. If you don't want it, I'll be leaving."

Liu Yan blushed and said, "Grandma, please don't call me a little girl anymore. I'm not young anymore; I'm a grandmother now. Just call me Liu Yan."

Upon hearing her name, the old beggar hummed a song, "Little Swallow, wearing a flowery dress, comes here every spring."

"Little Swallow, I'm off!"

Liu Yan choked. Little Swallow? It would be better to call her a little girl.

After he left, Liu Xiong ran over and asked Liu Yan, "Who is this old man?"

Liu Yan smiled sheepishly: "I don't know him. I just felt sorry for him because he was so thin and being bullied everywhere. That's why I brought him here to have dinner. Brother, I didn't even discuss it with you. I hope this won't interfere with your business."

Liu Xiong patted Liu Yan on the shoulder, "My sister has always been kind-hearted. What do you mean by delaying things? It's our own little restaurant, we can invite whoever we want to eat at."

Liu Yan smiled with relief, then looked at the old beggar's back and said slowly, "The year my father passed away, he was just like this old man, so thin that you could see his bones."

At that time, Liu Yan's father fell ill, and the family spent all their money on treatment but still couldn't get better. The family didn't even have the money to cook him a bowl of millet porridge, so they had to make hard buns instead, which Liu Yan's father couldn't eat and became pitifully thin.

Liu Yan had experienced poverty herself and wanted to help others by providing them with an umbrella within her means.

Liu Xiong: "Sigh..."

The old beggar had already walked far away, and normally he shouldn't have been able to hear the two people talking inside the restaurant. However, the old beggar overheard every word of their conversation.

The old beggar paused slightly, then shook his head and left.

In the following days, the old beggar no longer appeared at the entrance of the West Market in the afternoon. Instead, he would appear at the entrance of the small restaurant when the West Market was about to close and most of the customers had left.

Whenever he appeared, Liu Yan would pull him into a small restaurant to eat something. One meal would be pickled cabbage and sliced ​​pork soup, and the next would be braised pork offal. After each meal, the old beggar would let out an extremely loud burp.

"Little Swallow, if you don't want my tonic pills, how about I teach you a few martial arts moves to defend yourself?"

"I won't learn, I won't learn." Liu Yan refused decisively.

The old beggar shook his head. When he was younger, countless people asked him to teach them martial arts, but at that time he was very arrogant and would not bother to talk to anyone who did not have any special talent.

Nowadays, even offering to teach martial arts will be met with rejection.

This Little Swallow really doesn't know what's good for her. He prepared his super-nourishing pills for 49 days, which would completely nourish the body after taking them. His martial arts skills are so good that even a few moves would benefit one for life, yet Little Swallow doesn't want any of them.

Liu Yan: "My arms and legs are too old to learn anymore. Old man, if you really know kung fu, you can teach my daughter Qianqian."

The old beggar said, "Who cares about thousands or tens of thousands? She didn't give me any food. If you don't learn, I'm too lazy to teach others."

Liu Yan: "Well, I'm very clumsy. I'm only good at cooking. I really can't learn martial arts."

Suddenly, the old beggar's nose twitched, and he exclaimed, "Good wine!"

Liu Xiong was opening the wine Nie Qianqian had given him, intending to take a few sips, when the old beggar smelled it as soon as the cork was opened.

The old beggar had only three wishes in his life: first, to protect his master and ensure his lifelong safety; second, to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts; and third, to eat all the delicacies and drink all the fine wines in the world.

Having lived half my life, my first two wishes have already fallen through, leaving only the last one.

He flipped over and was right in front of Liu Xiong. “This is really good wine. Where did you get it? This old beggar has never smelled wine like this before.”

Liu Xiong held the wine bottle tightly. He was all too familiar with the old beggar's eyes; they were the possessive look of a connoisseur of fine wine.

This is the last bottle he has; he won't give it to me.

Liu Yan noticed the longing in the old man's eyes. "Brother, let the old man drink this wine. I'll ask Qianqian to get a few more bottles for you."

Liu Xiong pursed his lips, reluctant to part with the wine, but finally reached out his hand. The old beggar didn't take it, but instead seemingly touched the wine pot lightly. Without anyone noticing how much force was used, the wine pot was lifted high and tilted down, the wine spilling out like a small waterfall. The old beggar tilted his head back and opened his mouth, and not a drop of the wine spilled into his stomach.

After the wine was finished, the wine jug fell to the ground and landed right in the old beggar's hands.

"Excellent wine!"

Liu Yan was stunned. Drinking alcohol like this was amazing. This old man must have some skill.

"Grandpa, this wine is Qianqian's. Does this mean Qianqian gave it to you? Can I teach Qianqian kung fu now?"

The old beggar glanced at Liu Yan: This little swallow isn't as stupid as she looks.

"Oh, alright, alright, I'll teach you anything, no matter how many."

Liu Yan smiled and brought the old beggar another bowl of hot water. "Old man, you're so thin. Drink less alcohol and more hot water in this weather."

The old beggar, with his legs crossed, sipped his water. Seeing Liu Xiong looking at the empty wine bottle with such heartache, he pursed his lips and said, "This old beggar doesn't like to owe anyone favors. Xiong Da, let me teach you a few tricks."

Liu Xiong was taken aback, and it took him a while to realize that he was being called.

This old beggar really loves giving people nicknames.

The wine has all been taken away, and he still won't learn. However, looking at the old beggar's thin arms and legs, Liu Xiong figured his skills were probably just rudimentary.

After the old beggar finished eating, Liu Yan and Liu Xiong packed up and left Xishi, returning to Qinghe County.

The old beggar lay on a set of steps, squinting and patting his belly. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and glanced at an alley outside the West Market.

In an inconspicuous corner of the alley, two men were watching Liu Yan and her group leave intently, whispering to each other.