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

(Thanks to the amazing Hanqing boss who loves green plums for the generous donation and verification!)

After lunch, Dr. Chen led Da Niu and several other young men to get busy. The group first compacted the bottom and side walls of the pit, then carefully mixed the cement little by little according to the previously successful ratio, and drew up detailed construction drawings based on the actual terrain.

Zhao Hu then used a tricycle to haul a load of burnt lime outside the yard, intending to thoroughly repair the yard's surface first.

Previously, we simply compacted the soil surface, but when it rained heavily, the rain would still splash into the yard, making it muddy and slippery. Moreover, the underlying soil was loose, and in recent days the ground has started to slowly sink and become uneven.

It needs to be tamped down every now and then.

It just so happens that the entire kiln of lime has been fired. We can use the mixed soil to renovate the yard first. If Grandma Liu expands her house and yard in the future, the ground can still be used.

Three-in-one soil feels warm and moist underfoot, is cool in summer and warm in winter, breathable and does not get damp. In towns and villages, almost every family with some means uses three-in-one soil for their indoor floors.

"Uncles and aunts, please gather around the stove. I'll lay half of the yard with mortar and lime first." Zhao Hu tidied up the straw, firewood, and other items piled up in one corner of the yard and moved them to the other side before starting to unload the lime.

As soon as the commotion started, the three little ones, Ya Ya, Xiao Dou Zi, and Xiao Shuan Zi, immediately came over, peering through the courtyard gate to see what was going on, their little heads pressed tightly together.

Seeing that Zhao Hu had stirred up a lot of white dust even though he had moved very gently, Ji Chuntao quickly stepped forward and pulled the children behind her.

"Get away quickly, the dust is too thick, don't let it choke your throat. Let's stand back and watch."

The children reluctantly retreated to the table.

After unloading a truckload of lime, Zhao Hu straightened up, rubbed his back, and his gaze fell on Ya Ya, who was staring intently at him from a distance. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind.

I wonder if Nannan's space can hold all the fine sand and yellow mud from the river.

Can it only accept objects with fixed shapes?

If it can be done in one go, not only will we save a lot of trips, but there will also be less dust in the yard, and the progress will be much faster.

Zhao Hu looked at the lime at his feet, thought for a while, and finally couldn't help but ask tentatively, "Nannan."

Ya Ya looked over when she heard this.

Zhao Hu carefully patted the dust off his clothes before taking a few steps closer and asking in a low voice, "Uncle is going to the river later to collect stones, mud, and sand to mix with lime. Can your space... hold the fine sand and pebbles from the river?"

Ya Ya blinked and stood still for a few seconds, as if she were communicating with the Great Duck Fairy in the space.

Zhao Hu waited quietly.

A moment later, the little guy smiled and answered earnestly, "Uncle Zhao, Grandma Duck said it's okay, she'll help!"

"That's wonderful!" Zhao Hu exclaimed with delight, then cautiously inquired, "Uncle will take you to the riverbank. Would you please help Uncle fetch some mud, sand, and pebbles back, please?"

"Great! We can watch over the eggs!" Ya Ya's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly. It had been a while since she had been to the riverbank.

"Guard the eggs!" Little Bean clapped along.

Little Shuanzi: "Catch bugs, feed the eggs!"

Zhao Hu was immediately overwhelmed. One little sprout was easy to take care of, but now all three little ones were clamoring to go out. It had just rained by the river, and the water level had risen quite a bit. The road was also slippery. How could he possibly take care of them all by himself?

He put on a stern face and waved his hand, his tone serious: "No, only Nannan will come with me. You two stay in the yard and learn to read with Grandpa Fang."

Especially you, Xiao Shuanzi, do you remember the '8' I taught you yesterday? We learned it all even though we're slower than you.

Xiao Shuanzi's face fell, and he muttered as he left the group chat.

After carefully wiping his clothes clean with a damp cloth, Zhao Hu greeted the village chief and others, then picked up Ya Ya and strode towards the river.

After several days of rainfall, the river level has risen noticeably, and some water has entered the area where the ducks used to live near the bank.

Fortunately, the village chief took good care of the ducks, moving the nest to a higher place and even building a small shed above it. A few wooden beams supported the frame, and the top was covered with several layers of plastic sheeting and a thick layer of dry grass.

Zhao Hu carried Ya Ya slowly closer, afraid of disturbing the wild ducks incubating their eggs.

Ya Ya nestled on his shoulder, her little face full of anticipation, and leaned close to the nest: "Guardian Egg, we've come to see you!"

The mother duck in the nest opened her eyes alertly, but when she saw that it was a familiar person, she squinted her eyes again and remained motionless, guarding the eggs beneath her.

Judging from its posture, Zhao Hu estimated that it would make a move in another two or three days.

Without making a sound to disturb them, he quietly tidied up the grass that had been torn up on the roof of the shed, and then continued walking down the riverbank.

After the rain, the riverbanks were repeatedly washed by the water flow, and soft silt and rounded pebbles piled up in the shallows downstream, covering a large and small area, making them very convenient to use.

Zhao Hu's gaze swept across the shore, where clumps of fresh, emerald-green water purse clung tightly to the ground, their verdant stems and leaves crowding together to form a lush green carpet on the wet beach.

"Uncle Zhao, it's water spinach! There's so much! Put me down, I want to pick it and sell it for money!" Ya Ya's eyes lit up, as if she could see a pile of red bills on the ground.

Zhao Hu stopped and carefully placed Ya Ya on a dry, low stone.

Watercress shoots are tender, crisp, and juicy, with a slightly meatier texture than water celery, and have a subtle spicy aroma.

It can still be eaten by older people, but it's not only difficult to chew and dry, but also spicier.

Right now, this patch of watercress is just starting to sprout, so taking it over to sell should be a good idea.

"Uncle will pick them, and I'll collect them!"

After saying that, he bent down and began to pick them.

There's a specific technique to harvesting watercress: only pinch off the tender stems and leaves from the top three inches, and gently twist them along the root to break them off without disturbing the old roots, so that new shoots can sprout from below.

Zhao Hu picked them very quickly, gathering handful after handful, and once he had picked enough, he tied them tightly with fine grass from the riverbank, stacking them into neat little bundles.

Ya Ya silently followed behind Uncle Zhao, collecting the bundled watercress.

After the wetland was harvested, a tall pile of wild watercress appeared in the space, along with a small pile of round pebbles that Ya Ya had casually gathered in.

After finishing with the wild vegetables, Zhao Hu went to a place where the sand and gravel were piled up the thickest. Pointing to the stones of various sizes mixed with yellow sand, he turned to Ya Ya and said, "Daughter, can you put this sand and gravel in here? Uncle wants to move it to the gate of the yard so that we don't have to come over to pick it up again."

Ya Ya nodded vigorously, "Okay, Uncle Zhao."

As soon as he finished speaking, the huge pile of sand and stones in front of him vanished without a trace.

Ya Ya glanced worriedly into the space, wondering if all this mud and water would make the vegetables dirty.

But upon looking, the little guy paused, then his lips curled into a wide smile. "Uncle Zhao! Grandma Duck even separated the pebbles, sand, and mud! They're all floating in the space inside my head!"