The little one's purse connects the two worlds, turning a desolate village into a paradise.

The bean sprouts were grown from the soybeans that Nannan brought back last time, and they were ready to eat today, so Ji Chuntao took advantage of their freshness and prepared a meal.

Heat a little oil in a pan, add some minced garlic, then stir-fry the tender bean sprouts. Simply sprinkle with a little salt and some chopped green onions, and a simple plate of stir-fried bean sprouts is ready.

Pick up a piece with your chopsticks and put it in your mouth. It's crisp and tender, making a crunchy sound when you bite into it. The juice is sweet and not mushy, and there's not a trace of raw bean smell.

One bite is refreshing and appetizing.

Ya Ya ate with a beaming smile, chewing little by little. We'll go see Auntie tonight to buy some more soybeans; soybean sprouts are so delicious, so crunchy!

After dinner, the warm sunshine streamed into the yard. Ya Ya, Xiao Dou Zi, and Xiao Shuan Zi sat obediently with Grandpa Fang, learning to read and write. There weren't many boxes left of the Nezha Cave Fun toys on the side. The scattered little ornaments were put together, and Xiao Shuan Zi was playing with them enthusiastically, holding one in each hand.

As the sun gradually slanted westward, the villagers who had gone up the mountain to pick wild vegetables returned one after another, carrying bamboo baskets on their backs.

The basket was full of fresh wild vegetables, one of which had leaves covered in fine white down, looking particularly tender and special.

"I'm lucky today, I found quite a few Artemisia capillaris," Granny Li said with a smile as she put down her bamboo basket.

"I kept some; the older ones can be used in medicine. I'll go pick more next month."

Grandpa Liu also came over carrying a bamboo basket. The basket was quite heavy, and inside were tender red buds.

"We picked the first batch, and now the second batch has sprouted tender shoots. My wife and I each picked a basketful, making sure to pick the tenderest ones."

Everyone gathered together and cleaned and arranged all the wild vegetables that Ya Ya was going to take with her, then moved them all to Ya Ya's front.

Everyone knows that Ya Ya has a space, so she doesn't bother to collect the wild vegetables she picks anymore. She picks as many as she can, not worried about not being able to take them all with her. However, she can't pick too many, or she'll easily be found out.

Ya Ya put most of it into her own space, leaving a small portion in the stroller. Time to go make money again!

……

Cao Xiulian's business has been booming lately. Ya Ya went over by herself, greeted her, and then slowly spread out the yellow checkered cloth that her aunt had specially placed next to her.

Then, little by little, I arranged my wild vegetables on top.

Cao Xiulian wanted to come over and help, but Ya Ya tilted her little face up and waved her little hand, "Auntie, you don't need to help. I can set up my stall by myself now. I can do it. Auntie, you go ahead and do your own thing."

Seeing the little guy's confident and sensible appearance, Cao Xiulian stopped insisting on helping and nodded with a smile: "Okay, then you can take care of it yourself. Auntie will watch over it for you."

Ya Ya skillfully spread out the wild vegetables one by one, while Cao Xiulian stood aside and glanced at them from time to time.

Has the little one grown a bit taller? She stared at Ya Ya's pants, which she had bought a size larger than usual, but now it seemed the hem hadn't grown much.

After Ya Ya finished, Cao Xiulian took a closer look and, wow, there was another whole ground covered with toon leaves and new wild vegetables, with white downy hairs, which turned out to be Artemisia capillaris!

Artemisia capillaris in March, Artemisia argyi in April, and in May they are used as firewood.

This is when they are at their freshest and most tender.

Artemisia capillaris nourishes the liver and moisturizes dryness, and is a rare fresh product in spring. There are many ways to cook this vegetable, such as steaming, cold salad, stir-frying with eggs, making steamed buns and dumplings.

The elderly like to dry the herbs in the sun and steep them in water to drink, as it is believed to protect the liver and reduce internal heat.

Look at this thick down, it has a great aroma and is very durable for brewing, and its appearance is also top-notch.

The shepherd's purse from the veteran employees was also fresh, tender, and lush green.

Cao Xiulian took out her phone and sent a message to the WeChat group, informing everyone that new toon leaves, wormwood, and shepherd's purse had arrived, and that anyone who wanted some could come and choose.

Not long after the message was sent, Wang Guifen came running over hurriedly, "Oh my! It really is Artemisia capillaris, and it looks so tender! This is the best fresh ingredient for nourishing the liver, and my old man loves drinking tea made with Artemisia capillaris!"

She then looked down at the toon leaves beside her; their tender red leaves were particularly appealing. "I didn't expect the second harvest of toon leaves to grow so fresh and tender. They look amazing! Little boss, how much per pound?"

Cao Xiulian had already written the prices on the small blackboard. She placed the blackboard next to Ya Ya and said with a smile:

"Sister, we won't raise the price for this second batch of toon leaves. It's 45 yuan per jin. Look at the color, so red, tender, and plump..."

Wang Guifen waved her hands repeatedly: "No need to say more, no need to say more. The goods are right here. We're regular customers, we know your prices are fair, and the quality is worth the price!"

"Artemisia capillaris is 15 yuan, and shepherd's purse is still the same price. It's all written down."

"Give me a pound of toon leaves, three pounds of artemisia capillaris, and some shepherd's purse as well," Wang Guifen said, her purchases as generous as ever.

"Alright, that's exactly one hundred." Cao Xiulian helped weigh and bag the items. Customers also came to her stall. She was busy with both tasks, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Ya Ya felt a pang of guilt as she watched her aunt bustling around.

Wild vegetables are a business in the village, but most of the time, it's my aunt who runs the business, taking care of everything, from greeting customers to weighing and calculating accounts.

My aunt has always been kind and warm-hearted towards me, taking care of everything and often buying me nice shoes, clothes, and even underwear. She always thinks of everything. But I've always been a burden to my aunt, making her suffer.

Ya Ya's eyes were fixed on the electronic scale. She watched the numbers appear after pressing the button with her fingertip, silently memorizing the weighing method over and over again. She looked at it carefully and only raised her little face when she felt that she should be able to do it.

In a serious tone, she said, "Auntie, I understand now. Can I try out this scale myself?"

Cao Xiulian was stunned when she heard this. Looking at Ya Ya's serious eyes, she suddenly realized that because she loved Ya Ya so much, she had taken care of everything for her and only wanted to help her. In the end, the child could not learn anything, and she herself had been under a lot of burden.

This is the worst way to provide assistance.

She should trust Ya Ya to nurture her independence instead of blindly feeling sorry for her and taking the burden upon herself.

It's such a simple thing, yet Ya Ya has to explain it herself.

Thinking of this, Cao Xiulian's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Alright, Auntie will teach you again. Look here, press this blue button, put the wild vegetables on it, and the row of numbers on it is..."

Ya Ya learns very quickly. There were some parts that she didn't understand before, but after her aunt explained them and she tried it herself, her movements gradually became more proficient, and she weighed and bagged the products for the customers in a very professional manner.

Almost all the customers who come to buy groceries are regulars. They are all very kind to the young shopkeeper and will lend a hand from time to time, helping him with the bills.

Seeing that Ya Ya was already able to steadily take over the work at the stall, Cao Xiulian felt relieved.

After selling for about 15 minutes, Ya Ya's vegetable stall was empty. She squatted down and carefully folded the yellow checkered cloth, thanked her aunt, and left.

After pushing the stroller a few steps, Ya Ya looked back at her aunt's busy figure.

Auntie had always tried her best to help her, but she didn't know what Auntie needed. After visiting many times, Ya Ya realized that these wild vegetables were no match for Auntie's help.

Although my aunt always says she considers me family, I can't bring myself to trouble her.

When I get back, I must ask Grandpa Fang for a way to repay Auntie properly and make things easier for her.