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

For men, women, and children in the village, underwear was initially something that was both embarrassing and unfamiliar. It was a short piece of cloth that was wrapped tightly around the body, and it looked really awkward.

Originally, these women had no undergarments; their inner garments consisted only of a slip and a tube top, with their lower bodies entirely covered by layers of skirts. They suffered greatly from the constant friction of their skirts against their thighs while doing housework, cutting grass, and walking.

Men are slightly better off than women, as they have trousers (kūn).

But that thing was just a simple piece of coarse linen to cover the crotch, with two cloth ropes tied around the waist. It had no trouser legs and no elasticity, so it rubbed against the inner thighs when walking, and the skin would stick when sweating. Whenever you walked a long distance or did farm work, the skin would often become red and broken, itchy and painful.

When they first put them on, they were not used to it and felt uncomfortable all over. They always felt like there was an extra layer of cloth on their lower body, and they would subconsciously clench their legs when walking, feeling very restrained.

Even Zhao Hu, who used to walk with the most unrestrained gait, became hesitant, taking even smaller, more fragmented steps than Granny Liu.

But in just two days, everyone got used to these colorful little underwear.

Especially during a woman's menstrual period, she used to only be able to use dry, coarse linen as a pad, which was stiff, didn't absorb leaks, and often shifted. With these little underwear, the straw or cloth pads could be held securely, and the discomfort of those days was greatly reduced.

So when Ji Chuntao first saw the huge pile of scraps of cloth that Ya Ya had brought back, her first thought was to make them all into little underwear, and make several pairs for changing, so that she wouldn't have to worry about running out of spares after washing them.

Once they've gotten used to wearing underwear, they simply can't accept going back to their old ways.

"I used those scraps of cloth to make underwear, and I've used them all up." Ji Chuntao's cheeks flushed slightly, and she was always a little embarrassed when talking about these intimate items.

Grandma Liu, who was listening to the two talking, blushed and chimed in with a smile: "It's more than just making them. Your Aunt Chuntao is skillful and kind-hearted. Everyone in the village got three or four. The one I'm wearing now was sewn by her own hands."

These little underwear are so comfortable; once you wear them, you never want to take them off again.

Ya Ya slapped her forehead. Oh dear, her aunt had prepared a lot of underwear for herself, and she wore them every day. But she didn't expect that everyone in the village had only bought them once and had no replacements.

Fortunately, there was Aunt Chuntao.

"I'll go to my aunt's later and buy some more underwear for everyone, and I'll go buy some more fabric tomorrow too. I didn't even think of that!" Ya Ya said, somewhat annoyed.

"Our little girl is still just a child. She doesn't need to worry about everything. It's our responsibility as adults to be considerate. Don't put any burden on her. Even if you're too lazy to run around or don't want to work, just rest and take care of yourself first, okay? We are capable of living now, and the hardest days are long gone."

The mother-in-law hopes her daughter can live a relaxed and carefree life, doing whatever she likes and wants to do.

Grandma Liu gently stroked Ya Ya's soft, fluffy hair.

Ji Chuntao also came over and said softly, "That's right, Nannan. Everyone in the village is working hard to make a better life. They don't want to put all the burden on you. They won't ask for help with things that they can manage."

Seeing that Ya Ya still wanted to say something, Ji Chuntao gently pinched Ya Ya's increasingly rosy and soft little face: "Auntie knows that you want to contribute to the village, and you also know that you like to help everyone, right? If anyone really needs anything, they will ask you. We are all one family in the village, and we won't stand on ceremony with you!"

"Okay!" Ya Ya nodded emphatically. "Then it's a deal, don't be shy. Just tell me if you need anything or want to buy anything. I'm rich! Everyone's money is stored in my little watch!"

After a simple lunch, the villagers split into three groups and got busy.

Xiong Bo, Da Niu, and a few others continued working on the bathroom, focusing on adjusting the pipes of the water storage tank and the solar water heater; Xinghua, Gou Ya, Old Sun who weaves straw sandals, and Grandpa Wang stayed in the yard to do handicrafts; the village chief and Granny Li led the remaining villagers to weed and catch insects in the fields, and then to the mountains to collect snails and find some wild vegetables.

There's an old saying: "Snails during Qingming Festival are better than fat geese."

With the water temperature now stable, the snails that come out to forage in the gentle bays and crevices between rocks are becoming plumper.

If the chicken and snail soup business continues at this rate, it can last for about half a month. In another ten days or so, when Grain Rain arrives, the snail meat will be covered with small snails and become tough and unpalatable.

Grandma Li had been picking wild vegetables by the roadside for a month, and with the recent lack of rain, she could barely gather a few pounds of shepherd's purse, which used to be a common sight. So, she carried her basket and headed into the woods.

"Gousheng, I'll try my luck in the woods. The ground outside is too dry; wild vegetables won't grow."

"The forest slope is steep and the road is slippery, don't go too far or you'll fall," the village chief warned while picking snails.

"Got it." Li Guixiang plunged into the woods.

The scenery inside the woods was completely different from that outside; the further in you went, the more damp it became, cool and moist.

After walking for about half a cup of tea's time, under a patch of low bushes, clusters of curled tender shoots suddenly caught Li Guixiang's eye.

It's cat's paw leaf!

Li Guixiang's eyes lit up, and she quickly walked closer.

The newly sprouted stems are light green all over, and the leaves at the top are tightly curled inward, clustered together, looking very much like a kitten's folded paw pads, so the villagers call it cat's paw vegetable.

The tender buds are so juicy that they burst with water when pinched, while the older stems unfurl their leaves, taste bitter, and are difficult to chew.

She crouched down, picked up a tender bud, and brought it to her nose. A refreshing and light herbal fragrance wafted towards her.

This vegetable was also bought at the market in previous years. It is blanched in water to remove the bitterness, sprinkled with a little coarse salt and mixed well before eating. It is crisp, tender and smooth, and has a sweet aftertaste that many people love.

She knew that the younger the fruit, the better it tasted, and that the people in that area seemed to like eating the tender tips, as they could fetch a good price. So she only picked the tender tips, leaving the old roots in the soil, and soon she had picked half a basketful.

The dampness under the trees was perfect for the growth of cat's claw vegetables. Li Guixiang couldn't finish picking them all by herself, so she quickly got up and called for help.

The group went back into the woods together and searched for a while, finding several patches of cat's claw greens. Before long, their two large bamboo baskets were full, and they also picked a lot of wild onions.

After meeting up with a group of people who were collecting snails by the river, the group gathered their snail and vegetable baskets together and headed back to the village, chatting and laughing.

As soon as the village chief and his group reached the gate of the courtyard, before they even had a chance to unload their baskets, they heard Da Niu's excited and loud shouts from afar, which could be heard clearly even from a distance.

"Great news! Great news! Brother Bear has connected the water pipes to the bathroom!"

Inside the courtyard, everyone at the gate looked up at the sound. Da Niu ran along, shouting loudly, his face beaming: "That big silver tank, once the pipe is connected, just a gentle turn of the tap and clear water gushes out, then another turn and the water stops! It's so convenient!"

"Really done? Come on, let's go take a look." The village chief's face also lit up with joy. He helped Li Guixiang unload the bamboo baskets from the two of them and put everything in the yard.

"Uncle Bear finished so quickly? Let's go take a look!" Ya Ya heard the voice and quickly ran out.

"I heard there's a white box on the wall. They say that after using the toilet, you press it and water will come out of the white porcelain basin to flush away the waste. I've never figured out how the water comes out. Now it's great that I can see it!" Grandma Zhao said with anticipation.

"Quick, quick, everyone go to the end of the village and see what's there!"