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

"Century egg and lean pork congee?" Ya Ya subconsciously swallowed and took a small step back.

It smells so good!

"Yes, it's century egg and lean pork congee. The black stuff is just diced century egg. Would you like to try some?" The owner smiled as he held a spoon, looking at the little guy who was about the same height as the shopping cart.

What goes around comes around, and today it's her turn.

Century egg? Ya Ya didn't reply; her little brain was working frantically.

How can there be black eggs? What animal lays black eggs? Can such black eggs taste good? Are they like stinky tofu?

"Auntie, what kind of animal lays century eggs? Why are they so black? Is this delicious?" Seeing that the auntie was still waiting for her, Ya Ya quickly came back to her senses and asked.

The porridge stall owner pondered for a moment: "This stuff has a rather unique flavor. Some people can't get used to it and think it has a strange smell. But those who like it love its aroma. It's soft and smooth, with a slightly salty and savory taste. Mixed with lean meat and white porridge, it tastes very delicious."

As for why it's black, preserved eggs are actually duck eggs pickled using a special method. The name comes from the fact that after processing, the eggshell is coated with a layer of mud and rice husks, making the shell hard and resembling an extra layer of skin. Also, because of the color change, in some places it's called "century egg" (变蛋).

"How about it, want to try some?"

"Well, I'll just try a little bit, thank you, Auntie!" Ya Ya pursed her lips, then looked at the other small jars of porridge. The colorful porridges smelled sweet and looked delicious.

The owner smiled and took a small, clear plastic cup, scooped out a small half-spoon of preserved egg and lean pork congee, and deliberately only scooped out a small piece of preserved egg, afraid that the little one wouldn't like preserved egg. He then handed her a small spoon.

"Here, have a taste, but be careful, it's hot."

Ya Ya took the small cup, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it as if she were doing it properly, and then put it in her mouth.

The warm, thick white porridge slid onto my tongue, first with a faint aroma of rice, then after a couple of chews, the dark, preserved egg melted between my teeth. A faint, indescribable aroma with a hint of fishiness spread out, initially seeming a little strange, but it miraculously blended together with the warmth of the porridge and the savory flavor of the minced meat.

It has a savory and rich flavor, and a soft and chewy texture.

Ya Ya's eyes lit up immediately, and she scooped up several spoonfuls in a row.

The porridge stall owner's eyes lit up too; seeing the child's reaction, she knew her business was secure!

"Auntie, I'll take this whole pot of preserved egg congee. May I try some of the other congee as well?"

Oh my, the boss, hearing this and that crisp, tender voice, felt as if he were hearing heavenly music, his eyes and brows beaming with joy: "Of course! Come, come, sit here quickly."

As he spoke, the boss deftly set up a set of single folding tables and chairs and placed them behind the stall. He then took out several disposable cups, scooped out a little porridge from the porridge bucket, and placed them one by one on the small table in front of Ya Ya.

"The red one is red bean and barley porridge. The red beans are smooth and creamy, and the added barley helps to remove dampness. The green one is mung bean porridge, which is cooling and detoxifying. There's also white fungus and lotus seed porridge, which is soft, sweet, and refreshing. The golden one is millet and pumpkin porridge, which is good for the stomach. The brown one is longan and red date porridge, and this is seafood porridge."

The small table was piled high with small cups of porridge.

Ya Ya rubbed her little hands together, picked up a small spoon, and tasted each bowl one by one, taking small bites.

Red bean porridge is smooth and creamy, mung bean porridge is refreshing and crisp, and white fungus and lotus seed porridge is smooth, sweet, and delicious...

Each dish had its own unique flavor, and the little guy's eyes crinkled as he ate, ignoring the animated series about the Boundary Dragon in his room and staring intently at the live food broadcast, swallowing his saliva.

Why are you so greedy for dragons?

After trying them all, Ya Ya looked up and said, "Auntie, I want them all!"

Oh my, the boss's grin was practically reaching his ears.

"Alright! Little one, sit down, Auntie will serve you. Oh dear, this is so much, how am I going to put it all in? Little one, wait a minute, I'll go find something to put it in, Auntie will make sure it's neat and easy for you."

"Auntie, don't worry. I also need to pack a separate portion of mung bean porridge, white fungus porridge, and preserved egg porridge in a small bag, separate from the others. I need to pack them up and eat them separately first," Ya Ya said, trying to comfort the shopkeeper's auntie who was in a flurry of activity.

These three types of porridge were ordered by Grandma Duck; she's been mentioning them in the online space several times already.

"Okay, then Auntie will install it for you first."

"Auntie, could you please deliver the rest to Huaya's shop on Hongye Second Street? I'm leaving now." Ya Ya stood up.

"OK!"

After the owner put the separate bowl of porridge into the cart and finished paying, Ya Ya glanced at the time on her little watch and continued pushing the cart to the back.

When passing by the braised meat stall, I also took the sausage and large intestine that the stall had left for her.

……

Zhao Jiale squatted behind his stall, yawning and playing a mobile game.

"Young man, your training clothes look nice. Want to buy a set?" An old man passing by stopped in his tracks when he saw the clothes on the stall.

"One hundred and eight, you send it, I send it too. Hey sir, wanna get a set?"

The old man squatted down, touched the fabric, and felt its sincerity.

He picked up his clothes again and shook them, looking around in all directions. When he saw the Youyuan Xiangju Dance Troupe behind him, his lips twitched.

"What's with the writing on your back? It sounds so outdated. What kind of group would come up with this name? What era are we living in?"

Zhao Jiale looked up and grinned: "Oh, grandpa, this is the old man's dance troupe. I heard that the troupe disbanded and the manufacturer was stuck with it, so I came here to sell it. Isn't the name nice? It's such a good word, 'fate,' we only met because we were destined to."

The old man waved his hand: "If these words weren't included, I would have taken two sets, one for my wife too. What a pity..."

Zhao Jiale wasn't discouraged. "If you really like this style, sir, you can take a picture of it at my stall, and you can find it online."

"Young man, you're a nice guy." The old man picked up his phone.

When the camera focused on a large bag of slippers next to him, he paused, then said, "It's just a matter of aesthetics..."

The old man shook his head and sighed.

"What's up, sir? I have great taste, you know. This bag is specially made for my big client. She'll absolutely love it!"

The old man's lips twitched; it really was like finding a kindred spirit in a humble, polluted place.

While chatting with the old man, Zhao Jiale vaguely heard a series of tinkling celestial music. Not quite sure, he listened again.

He stood up, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked towards the red tents of the morning market. He could vaguely see a small pink figure in the crowd pushing his familiar little cart.

Zhao Jiale looked at it several times before he was sure that this was the person he was waiting for.

The yellow cotton-padded jacket just wasn't as eye-catching when it turned pink.

"Sir, my customer is here, I can't chat with you anymore."

"You're busy." The old man moved to the side, standing there with his hands behind his back, reluctant to leave. He wanted to see what kind of big client would like these things.

From afar, Ya Ya saw the clearance sale guy waving vigorously at her. On the stall in front of him were many clothes and a big, bulging bag of items.

Hey, the young man finally got back from his restock! He was gone for many days this time, he must have gotten a lot of good stuff.

"Hey sir, you're back from your restock!"