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

"Oh, right, Grandpa Fang. I transferred five thousand yuan to Auntie yesterday. Auntie told me today that they don't have to hand over any money or anything about the government. After Auntie finished speaking, she tried to return the money to me, but I didn't accept it." Ya Ya took out her phone, held it up in front of Fang Tiesheng, and showed him the video she had recorded earlier.

Fang Tiesheng took the phone, turned up the volume slightly, and listened intently to Cao Xiulian's explanation.

The village chief approached, and Xiong Bo, who was about to reserve a spot in the outhouse, also stopped.

"Is there really such a thing in the world? Opening a shop and doing business without paying taxes to the government?" The village chief looked incredulous. "Here, anyone who opens a shop has to pay a property tax, and anyone who sets up a stall has to pay land fees. At most, there might be temporary reductions during years of famine. How can there be a long-term tax-free business?"

Xiong Bo's tone was also filled with emotion: "Indeed, in the past, when the country was strong, the imperial court would bestow grace and temporarily exempt people from famine for a period of time. There has never been such a precedent. The country must be very strong to be able to set such a rule. Only when the people are wealthy and the treasury is full can such a policy of leniency be applied to small merchants."

If a region is impoverished and the government needs money everywhere, how could it dare to exempt commercial taxes like this?

Fang Tiesheng handed the phone back to Ya Ya. His understanding of the country's strength in that region far surpassed that of others in the village. Although he had only been there once, his limited experience was enough to give him a glimpse into its power.

"Nannan did a very good job. It was right not to accept the returned money. Although Xiulian said it was tax-free, how could there be no expenses for market shops? Street sweeping, site management, these miscellaneous tasks all need to be handled by someone, and most of these expenses will be shared among the merchants. In addition, there are water and electricity costs, and various other miscellaneous matters that need to be handled and coordinated with the officials. It is all your Aunt Xiulian who has been running around and dealing with these matters for us."

She should accept this money.

Ya Ya nodded as if she understood, her cheeks puffing out slightly. She quickly put the matter aside and leaned closer to Fang Tiesheng with bright eyes.

"Grandpa Fang, I also learned pinyin today! I learned three characters!"

Fang Tiesheng was taken aback. "So, the young tutor has already started teaching?"

"Yes! Sister Yuanyuan has prepared so much! There's a tablet, notebooks, and pretty pens. Grandpa Fang, I want to buy one of those tablets too, so everyone can learn together. I also asked Sister Yuanyuan to download that cartoon that teaches pinyin and lots of other videos for me!"

Ya Ya opened her mouth and said, "Ah—"

Fang Tiesheng subconsciously opened his mouth wide to imitate him, muttering the same thing over and over.

After reciting the three vowel sounds, he vaguely grasped the key points.

"Are you going to continue studying tomorrow?"

"Yes! Tomorrow, Brother Zihan will teach me how to make a punishment chart!"

"Then my little girl must study hard and learn well so that she can teach Grandpa Fang to read in the future. Everyone in the village is waiting for our little girl to come and teach."

Ya Ya nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice, and boldly promised, "Okay, once I learn it, I'll teach everyone, and the whole village will learn together, so that everyone in our village can read!"

"Hmm... hiss~" Fang Tiesheng wanted to say a few more words, but suddenly his stomach rumbled. His old face turned red. "Daughter, the medicine Grandpa took seems to be working. I need to go to the outhouse. We can talk about it later. If you're sleepy, go to bed early."

After saying that, he clutched his stomach and ran out of the yard in a flash.

"Uncle Fang's legs are getting more and more agile," Ji Chuntao remarked, watching Fang Tiesheng's fleeing figure.

"Sister Chuan Chuan! Aunt Chun Tao!" Ya Ya raised her hand to beckon the two of them to the table, while she climbed onto a chair.

"This box should contain sanitary napkins we bought earlier. My aunt said they're for women. Do you want to open it and take a look, or should I keep them in my spatial storage?"

Qiao Chuan and Ji Chuntao's faces flushed red.

Master Xiong is still in this courtyard; how can we discuss such private items?

"What's a 'sanitary machine'? I forgot there's a box too. Do we need to assemble it? I'll assemble the other sewing machine tomorrow and then put the sanitary machine on." Xiong Bo scratched his head, looking blank, upon hearing a new term.

Grandma Liu stood to the side, her dough slightly warm, secretly worrying about how to explain this delicate item to Xiong Bo.

Seeing that none of the others were speaking, Xiong Bo assumed it was some kind of extremely complex and sophisticated object, so he cautiously approached the box.

"Hey, don't touch it!" Ji Chuntao protected the box. "These are things we women use."

"Yes, it's for girls. It's not a sanitary pad, it's a sanitary napkin!" Ya Ya nodded repeatedly, racking her brains to recall what her aunt had told her: "Auntie said it's a physical phenomenon that girls experience after they grow up. They bleed every month and it hurts, so they wear this sanitary napkin so the blood won't stain their clothes."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Bo instantly realized what was being discussed. His face flushed, and he stumbled back a few steps, awkwardly turning his back. He didn't know where to put his hands and dared not look at the box again.

"Oh dear, how embarrassing! I'm so sorry," Qiao Chuan muttered softly, covering his face.

Ya Ya looked confused and tilted her head: "Why did Sister Chuan Chuan say it was a sin? Auntie said every girl has it, it's normal."

Qiao Chuan's lips trembled as he whispered, "People in my village and town say it's unclean and impure. Such things shouldn't be discussed in public. If a man outside the family hears it, it's a sin, a loss of face. And during menstruation, one shouldn't freely enter important places, as it's said to be blasphemous."

"Disgraceful? A sin?" Ya Ya's eyes widened, completely unable to understand why bleeding from her body was considered a sin.

"Everyone has blood on their body, and they bleed when they are injured. Why does blood become filthy? I'm sure I remember Auntie's words correctly. Auntie said it's normal."

Ji Chuntao looked up at the sky.

She also thought this was normal, but...

Grandma Liu sighed softly and hugged Ya Ya into her arms: "What the little girl said makes sense, and what Xiu Lian said is right. It is just the natural order of blood and flesh, and it should not be regarded as dirty or shameful."

"But it's not wrong for us to feel ashamed or embarrassed about Chuan Yatou and Chun Tao. Shame and disgrace are two different things."

Grandma Liu didn't say anything more. Ya Ya was still too young. Besides, she had been quite shocked and thought about it for a long time when Xiu Lian introduced sanitary napkins. People from two different places have different ideas, and how to choose between their ideas is something they need to think about.

Regarding the matter of menstruation, she felt that Xiulian's words made sense and that it should not be regarded as unclean or dirty, but the separation between men and women should also be observed.

Qiao Chuan and Ji Chuntao lowered their heads in thought, their ears still burning.

Xiong Bo clutched his stomach: "Um, I'm going to the outhouse now, my stomach hurts."

How could a man like him listen to a woman's private affairs? He should leave quickly.