All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

“I was absolutely against her marrying into the Liu family. I told her right away that she could never marry into the Liu family. What kind of people are the Liu family? Liu Sihai was adopted by the eunuch Liu Dahai. His ancestors were all spineless eunuchs who turned the tables and bullied their masters. How could I let her marry into such a treacherous and despicable family?”

The ragpicker was speaking with great enthusiasm, clearly unable to vent his anger. He slammed his hand on the table, his face flushed red.

“I didn’t agree to her marrying him, and guess what she did? She betrayed her own family and went directly to the neighborhood committee to report me, digging up all my past misdeeds. I was made an example of and labeled. During that time, I was heartbroken. I finally got through it, and now she’s begging me again. Her husband is sickly. They’ve been married for so many years, and not only do they not have any children, but he’s also bedridden now. Isn’t this karma?”

After finishing speaking, the anger in his heart seemed to subside a lot. He picked up his wine cup and downed another cup of wine. He had spoken so quickly and urgently that sweat had appeared on his forehead.

After hearing the whole story, Han Chunming sighed. It's true that every family has its own troubles!

Such a daughter deserves to die a thousand deaths. If she were his own daughter, he might have done even worse than the ragpicker.

Han Chunming took a sip of wine, looked up at the ragged Hou, and saw struggle and pain in his eyes. Clearly, this was not what he wanted to see.

Even tigers don't eat their cubs, and the same applies to daughters. As a father, is he really willing to see his only daughter living in poverty?

Han Chunming saw the struggle and pain in the eyes of the ragpicker; he simply couldn't let go of the hatred in his heart.

Hou Su'e's personality and temperament are equally stubborn. She knows that she has done things that have wronged her father in the past, but what she thinks about more is that her father has ignored her all these years.

After marrying into the Liu family, she suffered so much. When she felt wronged, she wanted to talk to her father, but all she got was abuse and being driven away. Over time, the rift between the father and daughter became completely unbreakable.

Han Chunming sighed, picked up his wine glass. People have two sides to their personality. The distinction between good and bad people is something others can't judge. They can only use their own inner scale to measure it. Moral standards are different in different eras, let alone between father and daughter who are as close as blood.

With Han Chunming as his listener, the ragpicker finally managed to vent all the pent-up emotions he had accumulated over the years. Han Chunming accompanied him as they drank wine, finishing one bottle and opening a second.

The ragpicker was a little drunk and spoke even more recklessly. He put down his cup, his eyes red, looked at the bottles and jars all over the room, and suddenly burst into tears. He didn't say anything, just wiped away his tears, picked up his wine, clinked glasses with Han Chunming, and drank it all in one gulp. He put down his cup, stood up unsteadily, and said to Han Chunming.

"Brother Chunming, I'm in a good mood today. Let me show you my treasure. You know your stuff, so please take a look!"

After finishing speaking, the ragpicker stood up unsteadily, walked to his bedside, bent down and fiddled with something under the bed for several minutes before sweating profusely. He then took out a black bundle, carried it to the table, put it down, and gestured to Han Chunming.

"Open it and take a look!"

Han Chunming was a little curious. He smiled and reached out to gently untie the bundle. When the contents appeared in front of him, his somewhat intoxicated gaze suddenly cleared.

Inside the package was a Ge ware octagonal cup. The cup was octagonal in shape, with an open mouth, deep belly, folded bottom, and flared high foot. The rim was octagonal in shape, and the entire cup body had fine crackle patterns. The entire cup body emitted a faint golden light, as if in a dream.

Han Chunming wasn't surprised by the priceless treasure itself, but rather by the faint golden light emanating from it, a light that seemed to possess a mysterious allure.

Han Chunming thought he was drunk, so he quickly rubbed his eyes and opened them again. But the Ge kiln octagonal cup in front of him still emitted a faint golden light, and Han Chunming finally became serious.

Although he has been reborn so many times in his dreams, he has mostly lived in the urban world. The Ge kiln octagonal cup in front of him, which is emitting a mysterious pale golden light, is already somewhat supernatural.

This sudden strange phenomenon left Han Chunming slightly uneasy, and he was still unsure of what was going on.

He picked up the Ge ware octagonal cup and carefully examined it in his hand. The fine lines, like golden threads, seemed to be wriggling, deeply drawing Han Chunming's spirit into them.

Across from him, the ragged Hou smiled broadly, watching Han Chunming, who was captivated by the Ge kiln octagonal cup, without disturbing him. He filled his own cup and took a delightful sip.

Although he was somewhat drunk, his mind was clear. This young man, Han Chunming, was neither arrogant nor impatient, but generous and magnanimous. Most importantly, he could not see any greed in this young man's eyes, which was especially rare.

He has encountered countless people of all kinds in his life. Those who appear righteous on the surface have countless shady dealings behind the scenes. Very few can escape his discerning eye.

This Ge ware octagonal cup was his grandfather Prince Su's beloved treasure. It later passed to his father and then to him. His father once told him that such treasures are extremely rare in the world, and this Ge ware octagonal cup in our family is especially precious. You must pass it down.

Even during the most difficult times, the ragpicker Hou never took out this cup, but today he suddenly had a whim and wanted to show Han Chunming his family heirloom.

Han Chunming didn't even glance at the treasures filling his room, so the ragpicker wanted to test whether his family heirloom could surprise Han Chunming. Unexpectedly, Han Chunming was actually attracted to the thing.

However, the ragpicker had no idea that Han Chunming was attracted to the cup not because of its rarity, but because he saw something that others could not see.

Han Chunming's gaze gradually became unfocused, and the golden patterns on the Ge kiln eight-tenths cup seemed to writhe in his eyes, as if hypnotizing him.

He gradually felt several images appear in his mind: a man dressed in ancient costume firing kiln wares, and a shirtless man picking up a bright red Ge kiln octagonal cup from the kiln. He took a sip of the golden liquid and spat it out of the cup, and the Ge kiln octagonal cup gradually revealed its true form.

The scene shifts, and he sees a man dressed in imperial robes, looking utterly captivated as he examines the Ge ware octagonal cup in his hand. The jade plate of delicacies and rare treasures behind the emperor seem to pale in comparison at this moment.

The final scene transforms into a living hell, with countless torches and flashing swords. One by one, figures fall to the ground, blood flowing like rivers. A general-looking man strides into the palace, his face contorted like a demon, and approaches the emperor sitting on the throne, carrying a long sword.

The two barely exchanged a few words before the emperor's head rolled to the ground, splattering blood everywhere. The head, with its wide-open eyes, watched all this unfold. Not far from his head, an octagonal Ge kiln cup lay beside his headless body...!

Han Chunming was suddenly jolted awake from the scene. He felt tired and his vision was blurry. He quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and rubbed it. What had just happened was unbelievable. He forced himself to remain calm and looked at the Ge kiln octagonal cup in his hand again.

"Huh? Why has the color changed?"

Han Chunming looked at the Ge ware octagonal cup in front of him in disbelief. It had been shining with golden light just now, but now it was not shining at all in his hand. In the dim room, the Ge ware octagonal cup in his hand appeared pale yellow with clear patterns, but there was no movement at all.

Was that just a hallucination?

No, it wasn't a hallucination. Han Chunming closed his eyes, and the scene from just now appeared in his mind. He absolutely couldn't have been mistaken. The Ge kiln octagonal cup had indeed exhibited an unusual phenomenon, and only he could see it.

Han Chunming looked at the ragged Hou and saw him smiling at him. Clearly, Hou was unaware of the wonders of the Ge kiln octagonal cup.

When the ragpicker saw that Han Chunming had taken a liking to him, he smiled and said...

"How about it? This Ge ware octagonal cup is a family heirloom, extremely rare. It only appeared once in 1945 and has never been seen again. Countless high-ranking officials and nobles wanted to buy this cup back then, but it has never been seen in person again."

To keep this secret, my father only told me the location of the hidden treasure on his deathbed. I originally intended to pass this treasure down to my descendants, but now that's just a pipe dream. Today, I'm bringing it back to life just to open your eyes. Seeing surprise in your eyes, young man, is a great joy in life!

The words of the ragpicker were tinged with melancholy and a hint of amusement as he looked at Han Chunming, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing that the strange phenomenon of the Ge kiln octagonal cup had disappeared, and looking at it from left to right, it seemed to have returned to normal, Han Chunming couldn't help but feel a little regretful. The strange phenomenon just now had caused a slight tremor in his heart, and this tremor made him very excited, because he seemed to have found the secret of his time travel.

But it was still a little short. Yes, just a little short. In that strange phenomenon, his spirit and energy seemed to be drawn into those patterns, and his entire consciousness seemed to appear within those scenes. He even had a feeling that if the phenomenon had been any stronger, he might have been able to directly enter the characters within those scenes.

If I had just suddenly traveled through the world in the picture, wouldn't I have traveled through a dream?

That's amazing! In short, this Ge kiln octagonal cup is indeed amazing, and it made Han Chunming's eyes show longing for the first time.

Seeing Han Chunming's gaze, the ragged Hou became more sober and quickly took the Ge kiln octagonal cup from Han Chunming's hand, saying something as he did so.

"I can't give you this treasure. I usually can't bear to take it out to look at. But today, for the sake of your wine, I'll let you choose any item in this room that you like, except for this one in my hand, as payment for the wine. How about that?"

Han Chunming also regained some of his senses, and shook his head with a smile.

"Forget it, apart from this Ge kiln octagonal cup, I really don't like the others. This wine is on you, Brother Hou. What do you think of the thing I told you before about me following you to collect scraps?"

The ragpicker was speechless for a moment, then looked at Han Chunming and said helplessly.

"Are you really sure?"

Han Chunming nodded!

Seeing that Han Chunming had made up his mind, Marquis of Broken Relics could only sigh helplessly.

"Alright then, come find me when you've made up your mind, and I'll show you the rules!"

Han Chunming smiled and readily agreed!

If it was just a passing thought before, now that Han Chunming has seen the Broken-Robbery Hou's Ge Kiln Octagonal Cup, he has made up his mind to take it.

Since the unusual phenomenon could appear on this Ge ware octagonal cup, it could also appear on other antiques. With such a good opportunity, why not give it a try?

Today's strange phenomenon has left Han Chunming with a turbulent and restless heart. If he really finds the secret to traversing dreams in the antique, then perhaps he can roam the world at will in the future.

Just thinking about it made him a little excited. Han Chunming picked up the wine bottle and filled the bottles for the two of them. Only then did he realize that there wasn't much wine left. But that was fine. Today's drinking session was worthwhile. Han Chunming raised his wine glass and said to the ragpicker.

"Brother Hou, let's stop drinking here. It's settled then. I'll have to trouble you again in the future!"

The ragpicker played with the Ge kiln octagonal cup in his hand, picked up a wine cup, nodded without saying a word, which was taken as an agreement.

After finishing his drink, Han Chunming stood up to take his leave. The ragged Hou didn't even see him off, just watched Han Chunming's figure disappear.

Han Chunming walked out of the alley, shook his head, and then a smile appeared on his lips. "This drinking session was worth it," Han Chunming muttered to himself as he looked back at the alley entrance.

"Now that I've seen your treasure, let me grant you one of your wishes!"

After saying that, Han Chunming walked towards Hou Su'e's house.

Han Chunming had no particular opinion about Hou Su'e. He had different thoughts from different perspectives. Although Hou Su'e was foolish and stubborn for treating her own father that way, she could not be judged by modern moral standards in many ways.

When a woman is in love, her IQ drops to almost zero. She can abandon not only her own father, but even her own son.

Most importantly, in those days, denouncing one's own father was not a shameful thing, but rather an honorable one. It's impossible for Hou Su'e not to feel regret now.

A pitiful person may also have hateful aspects. Hou Su'e is actually the most realistic representation of human nature: foolish and ignorant, blindly obedient, and even a little greedy. These are all the most realistic aspects of human nature.

So her current plight is also a reflection of human nature; even when seeking help from her own father, she still clings to her pride and suffers in silence.

The same goes for the ragpicker, a typical example of someone who suffers for the sake of saving face. He clearly sees his daughter suffering and feels pain in his heart, but he can't let go of the past and lives in a state of inner turmoil fueled by hatred and pain.

Since that's the case, Han Chunming is prepared to resolve the misunderstanding between the father and daughter. As for whether Hou Su'e will appreciate it, that's up to her.

Hou Su'e's home was also in a hutong, but the environment there was much worse. It was narrow and damp, and there was a strong smell of urine in the hutong. When Han Chunming entered Hou Su'e's home, the smell of urine became even stronger. He sniffed and frowned as he pushed open the door of her house.

Chapter 18: Kneel One Hundred Times!

A dimly lit room, a black wooden bed, and a emaciated man, hunched over and curled up on the bed.

Hou Su'e sat on the edge of the bed, her hair disheveled and not bothering to tidy it up. She lowered her head and sobbed silently. At this moment, her mood was already gray.

There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart, no greater grief than silence. She had no other choice. She had sold everything she could in the house. Apart from this bed, there wasn't even a chair left. What was she supposed to do now?

As Han Chunming entered the room, a strong, pungent odor immediately filled him, making him feel as if his nose was blocked. He resisted the urge to leave and walked to the bedside.

As she approached the bedside, Hou Su'e suddenly woke up, quickly stood up, and looked at the person who had come in a flustered manner.

Seeing that it was Han Chunming, she assumed that Han Chunming had been sent by her father, and she said with a long face.

"What is he trying to do now? Does he want you to see the terrible state of my house?"

Han Chunming frowned, looking at Hou Su'e, whose temper was still very fiery. He was not a worthless Hou who had to give her face, so he coldly reprimanded her.

"You're so stubborn and suffer for it. You deserve to live like this. If you're going to ask someone for help, you should have the right attitude. When you go to your father's place, you make a scene and act all dramatic. Who are you trying to impress?"

When Hou Su'e heard that this young man, Han Chunming, dared to scold her, she became furious and pushed him while shouting.

"Get out of here! Get out! Our family matters don't need his hypocrisy. Get out! Get out...!"

Han Chunming snorted and pushed Hou Su'e away with a little force. Hou Su'e was probably dizzy from hunger. When Han Chunming pushed her, she stumbled and fell to the side of the bed and immediately cried out loudly.

Han Chunming frowned and scolded Hou Su'e.

"If you keep crying and whining in front of me, I won't save your husband!"

Han Chunming's words silenced Hou Su'e, who was still wailing. She seemed not to have heard him clearly, and looked up at Han Chunming with a blank expression.

Han Chunming snorted, slowly walked to the bedside, then squatted down to examine the man's injuries. The man's right leg was now black and blue, and swollen beyond recognition. Han Chunming pressed on the root of the right leg, and the man let out a weak groan.

Han Chunming frowned and turned the man over again. His frown deepened. The man had probably broken his leg, but it wasn't too serious and he had already received some basic treatment.

However, he encountered an incompetent doctor. Not only was the bone not set, but the injury also caused an infection. His right leg was inflamed and infected, but it could still be treated, though it would take more effort. In addition, the person was severely malnourished and in very poor physical condition.

After examining the body, Han Chunming stood up with a stern face and then spoke.

"I can save your husband's life, but I have one condition. I will only begin treatment after you fulfill this condition. Think it over carefully before you decide!"