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

He wanted to take another one, but Cao Xiulian snatched the bag from his hand and replaced it with a hot steamed bun.

He even stole his sister's snacks and ate her steamed buns.

Ya Ya pursed her lips and smiled secretly. Poor Brother Zhao.

Zhao Haohao wasn't picky; he'd wait and find another opportunity later.

After finishing the large steamed bun, Zhao Haohao washed his hands, wiped his mouth, and came back to help portion out the meat sauce.

Two children stood guard beside the insulated container, taking turns scooping spoonfuls of meat and pickled beans in chili oil. The aroma wafted into their noses.

"Hey, Ya Ya, why aren't you wearing clothes that fit? I remember my mom bought you a lot, but this is too big." Zhao Haohao said while scooping meat sauce, glancing at Ya Ya who was working diligently across the bucket.

Upon hearing this, Ya Ya looked down at her large, dark blue dress. It fit her perfectly.

"I think it fits perfectly. The clothes my aunt bought me were too thick, and I sweated a lot wearing them. This one just reaches my feet and it's also windproof. I even wear the yellow duck costume my aunt bought me underneath."

"Yellow Duck? What kind?" Zhao Haohao asked curiously. He only knew that his mother had bought several sets for Ya Ya, but he didn't really know what style she had bought.

Ya Ya unzipped the zipper a little, revealing overalls and a yellow duck sweater underneath: "Look, isn't it pretty? Don't you have one?"

"That's for kids. I'm a big kid. Look how cool my clothes are. Do you know Kuromi?" Zhao Haohao patted his windbreaker.

"I know Ku Nuomi, she has two pointy ears."

"Do you know what's on my neck? And this too." Zhao Haohao showed off his squad leader armband.

Ya Ya tilted her little head, looking back and forth at the thin red cloth, then at the white tag with a thick red line printed on it on the side of his hand, and honestly shook her head: "I don't recognize it, Brother Zhao, your scarf is so thin."

Zhao Haohao, looking incredulous, waved the dangling red scarf around. "You don't even recognize a red scarf? You, you, you! This isn't a scarf, it's a red scarf, the symbol of the Young Pioneers! And this is me with the stripes, the stripes! I'm the Young Pioneer's squad leader, I'm an officer, a leader! Do you understand?"

"ò~~"

Ya Ya's eyes widened instantly, filled with shock.

Through the insulated container of meat sauce, she tentatively reached out her small hand and gently touched the red scarf hanging on Zhao Haohao's chest.

"What kind of organization is the Young Pioneers? Brother Zhao, you're actually an official? That's amazing!" Ya Ya exclaimed with admiration, pressing for more information: "Brother Zhao, where are you an official? In the town or the county? How many people are you in charge of?"

Zhao Haohao held his chin high, his tail practically wagging in smugness: "I'm an official at Red Leaf Elementary School! Have you heard of Red Leaf Elementary School? I'm the second-grade team leader, and soon I'll be the middle-level team leader! I have eight people under me, and our group all listen to me!"

"That's amazing!" Ya Ya genuinely thought Zhao Haohao was impressive; she couldn't believe her aunt's son had become an official at such a young age.

Grandpa Fang studied until his hair turned white, but he still couldn't become an official.

"Hehe, it's not that amazing." Zhao Haohao was a little embarrassed by the praise, looking at the little guy in front of him who was much shorter than him. "From now on, when you go to school, just say my name, I'll protect you!"

Ya Ya blinked, not understanding the new words: "Protect me? Why would you protect me?"

"No, 'covering you' means I'll protect you."

"Okay, thank you, Brother Zhao. You're so kind, Brother Zhao," Ya Ya said happily. Her aunt said that girls here could also go to school, and if she really went to school in this area in the future, she wouldn't be afraid anymore, because she had Brother Zhao, who was an official!

Cao Xiulian listened to the two children chatting and laughed.

Speaking of which, we still don't know where Ya Ya's household registration is. We'll have to wait for Grandpa Fang to come and ask her sometime. We really need to take the child's schooling seriously.

After Ya Ya and Zhao Haohao finished serving the meat sauce, Cao Xiulian led Zhao Haohao to the small table where the induction cooker was placed and instructed him: "Haohao, when customers come to the shop later and order chicken and snail noodle soup, you help them make the soup and cook the noodles. When the water boils, add the noodles, remember to stir them to prevent them from sticking to the pot, and take them out after five minutes. If the customers want to add sauce, it's three yuan a spoonful, use this spoon."

"Don't worry, Mom, I understand." Zhao Haohao followed Cao Xiulian to fill a pot with purified water and then stood guard by the pot.

"What about me, Auntie?" Ya Ya tugged at Cao Xiulian's sleeve when she saw that Zhao Haohao had been assigned tasks.

"Our Ya Ya is the little boss, she just needs to collect the money. Hao Hao is here to work, let him do the work, you can supervise him, and deduct his wages if he doesn't do it well." Cao Xiulian smiled and patted Ya Ya's little head.

"Oh my, we have another new employee today, he's really strong!" Wang Guifen said, leading her family to eat noodles again right on time.

Yesterday, the aroma of those bowls of noodles was so enticing that she could still taste the delicious broth in her dreams. Today, without her having to call out to them, the whole family set their alarms and were incredibly eager to eat.

"Good morning, Grandma Wang!" Ya Ya greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, boss. No wild vegetables today?" Wang Guifen glanced around and found that the only side dish was wild scallions.

It doesn't matter if there are no wild vegetables; she bought a lot yesterday, mainly for this soup.

She deftly pulled out her phone, scanned the 140 yuan, and waved her hand dismissively: "Same as always, five bowls of chicken and snail noodle soup with meat sauce." With that, she prepared to cook the noodles herself.

"Grandma, please sit down. I'll cook all the noodles today." Zhao Haohao straightened his back as soon as he saw that there was work to be done. "Please sit down properly. I'll call you when the noodles are cooked."

Wang Guifen glanced at the red scarf around his neck and the squad leader badge on his arm, "Oh, he's a squad leader! Is he Boss Cao's son? He's so sensible! I'll be waiting for him then."

Zhao Haohao patted his chest, turned around, grabbed a handful of noodles, and put them into the bubbling pot.

Ya Ya stood quietly by his side, watching him cook noodles. After a while, Ya Ya suddenly remembered a question: Brother Zhao was here to cook noodles for her, so shouldn't she pay him? She wondered how much her aunt had paid Brother Zhao.

"Brother Zhao, how much does your aunt pay you?"

Zhao Haohao was stunned. His mother hadn't given him the exact amount; she guessed it was five yuan, or at most ten yuan.

But that sounds too little; it doesn't suit his official position at all.

He remembered a skin he liked, and with a quick thought, he made up a number: "My mom said she'd give me twenty-eight yuan after I finish the work."

In no time at all, five bowls of chicken and snail noodle soup were ready.

Although Zhao Haohao is not very old, only three years older than Ya Ya, his movements are quite skillful. He scoops noodles and soup according to Cao Xiulian's instructions, and he scoops meat sauce evenly in each bowl. He even counts the chicken pieces, placing three pieces in each bowl.

This soup smells so good, no wonder it costs 28 yuan a bowl.

Zhao Haohao watched Wang Guifen and the others carry their bowls, sniffed hard, and exclaimed, "Five skins at once!"

Seeing Grandma Wang and the others getting ready to eat, Ya Ya went over and pulled out the plastic bag that had contained the chicken feet from her pocket: "Grandma Wang, would you like some chicken feet? My aunt's stewed chicken feet are so delicious!"

Wang Guifen glanced up and saw the chicken feet coated in red oil, looking soft and tender. She immediately grinned, "You have this good stuff? Give me five, are you trying to rob me?"

"It's free. Grandma Wang is my good friend. This is a gift for you." The little boss, Ya Ya, was very generous.