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

Fang Tiesheng's brows furrowed more and more deeply.

There's a thread in my mind that seems to be starting to unravel, but I just can't seem to pull it out.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy.

No one spoke, afraid that making a sound would disturb Fang Tiesheng's thinking.

Tiger said that he made Da Niu practice assembling the entrenching tool for half an hour until he could assemble it in a few breaths before taking Da Niu up the mountain.

Fang Tiesheng recalled the details bit by bit.

Suddenly, he stood up abruptly and put his hand on Zhao Hu's shoulder: "Hu Zi."

"Uncle, please speak, I'm listening, please slow down." Zhao Hu's eyes were red and filled with guilt.

"After you escaped, did you hear any other noises behind you? Did you hear any fighting or the sound of weapons clashing?"

In the deep mountains and dense forests, if there is a real threat to his life, Da Niu will inevitably resist, and if he resists, there will definitely be a sound.

Since there was no sound, both of his guesses were confirmed!

Fang Tiesheng stared intently at Zhao Hu, his burning gaze seemingly about to burn a hole through his face.

"No, there was no fighting, no clash of metal, I'm sure there wasn't." Zhao Hu helped Fang Tiesheng sit down. "Uncle, I'm sorry, I couldn't protect Da Niu."

Fang Tiesheng didn't reply, but a spark of hope suddenly ignited in his eyes.

"Think back carefully, did you hear any other noises at the time?"

"At that time, I was only focused on getting away as fast as I could, not being exposed, not letting Da Niu sacrifice himself for nothing... not protecting me for nothing, so I didn't dare to look back. I think I heard a faint conversation, but I'm not sure, or I might have misheard. But those two kinds of sounds you mentioned were definitely not there."

If it's there, it will be especially noticeable in the deep mountains and forests; I can hear it no matter how far I go.

Zhao Hu said with certainty.

Fang Tiesheng's tense body and heartstrings relaxed considerably, and he let out a long breath, "That's good, that's good."

"Uncle, why don't you scold me a bit? I'm really scared of you. I was just running and I didn't look back or check on Da Niu's condition..." Zhao Hu became even more uneasy when he saw Fang Tiesheng like this.

"Why would I scold you? I'll only scold you if you turn around!" Fang Tiesheng rebuked.

"Don't you know why Da Niu stayed behind to cover for you? If you go back, all my son's arrangements will be for nothing, and the lives of the entire village will be at stake! Do you think I'm the kind of person who doesn't understand reason?"

Dr. Chen quickly chimed in, "Your Uncle Fang is right. Our most urgent task right now is to ascertain Da Niu's situation and then devise a safe way to rescue him without revealing the village's special circumstances."

"We can't go up the mountain for now. We've taken down the solar lights in the yard these past few days just in case," Fang Tiesheng said, lowering his eyes.

"Not going?" Zhao Hu, Xinghua, and Doctor Chen were all taken aback.

"Yes, we can't go! If a big shot like him appears, those people will definitely be on guard. If we go again, we'll definitely be discovered. Those people have horses, and more than one. They're most likely government troops or private soldiers under a prince." Fang Tiesheng said in a deep voice.

He was more worried about his child than anyone else, but at this moment he also had to be calmer than anyone else.

"Tiger said there was no fighting, Xinghua saw the group searching for items, and the troops are stationed here today. These things make it very likely that, just as my son guessed, there is something that some important person needs in Luanyun Ridge. This is combined with the young master's identity and the defeat in the Northwest."

Based on my deduction, it is most likely silver coins, it is—

The military supplies and provisions for a rebellion.

Fang Tiesheng's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.

"The fact that those people stationed here didn't lay a hand on Da Niu is enough to prove that they haven't found the hiding place yet. They need someone familiar with Luan Yun Ridge. My son isn't good at anything else, but this is the only reason that they spared his life."

A hint of worry flashed in the village chief's eyes. The villagers had been rooted here for generations, living honestly by cultivating the meager fields in the mountains, asking for nothing more than three meals a day and peace year after year.

Life had gradually returned to normal after the dire situation, but after Fang Tiesheng's analysis, the thing hidden deep in the mountains became a sharp blade hanging over the entire village.

……

"Grandma, why is the house so quiet? Where did everyone go?" Ya Ya, who was doing a big shopping trip, appeared at the small mud house pushing a cart full of clothes.

The usually bustling little table was empty today, with only Grandma leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed) and idly weaving straw sandals by the lamplight.

"They rested early today, they must be tired. What good things did Nannan buy this time?" Grandma Liu straightened her back and looked curiously at the tall cart that Yaya had piled up.

Ya Ya's eyes sparkled as she excitedly rummaged through her stroller, exclaiming, "Grandma, look! I bought so many clothes! This one is really interesting; it has a cotton-padded jacket inside that can be removed! The clearance sale boy said it can be worn for two seasons; when it gets hot, you can take out the cotton-padded jacket and wear it as a light coat."

They even said the fabric of this garment is exceptionally sturdy; it's so durable that it's difficult to cut with a knife!

Ya Ya held up a navy blue quilted work uniform with both hands and handed it to Grandma Liu, then took out a pair of work pants from the trolley.

"Grandma, and these pants too! They have six pockets on top, and pockets on both sides of the legs. They can hold a lot of things!"

Grandma Liu touched the clothes in her hand with great interest, then glanced at the pants that Ya Ya was holding.

They're all durable and wear-resistant, perfect for changing into when the weather gets warmer.

"Our little girl is getting better and better at shopping! These clothes will be a big surprise when everyone comes over tomorrow and we divide them up!"

"Hehe~" Ya Ya pursed her lips and giggled, unable to suppress her smile as she thought about how surprised everyone would be tomorrow.

"Grandma, I bought a lot more clothes. I saw during the day that Brother Da Niu's clothes were dirty with cement, so he had to wear his old, tattered clothes again, and his pants were also torn. I bought more so that everyone can change clothes whenever they get dirty, and we won't have to wear tattered clothes anymore."

Big Brother Niu will be so happy to see his new clothes tomorrow!

Grandma Liu reached out and hugged Ya Ya tightly: "Oh my, our capable little girl is so thoughtful and observant, she's getting smarter and more capable every day!"

Ya Ya nestled into Grandma Liu's arms, her eyes crinkling with joy.

"It's just that our smart and capable little girl needs to wash up and rest. If she doesn't get enough sleep, she won't grow tall."

Just as Ya Ya was about to continue showing off the big blackboard and the new book, she heard this and hurriedly pressed her little hands to the top of her head. Not tall enough?! That won't do! She wants to grow tall and strong like her aunt, so she looks powerful!

"Quickly, Grandma, take me to wash up, I want to sleep!"

Grandma Liu was amused by her reaction. She wondered why this little one was so obsessed with growing taller. She raised her hand and gently brushed the tip of Ya Ya's nose: "Alright, alright, let's go take a nice bath and go to sleep."