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

While waiting for the batter to settle, Ji Chuntao began preparing the filling.

The small fish and shrimp caught from the mountain stream yesterday were gutted, their whiskers trimmed, and then thoroughly washed. All the bamboo shoots that had been stored in the cellar and found during previous trips into the mountains were also brought out. Yan Erzhu sat on a stool, responsible for peeling and cleaning the bamboo shoots.

Sanya removed the old stems from the two large baskets of watercress picked yesterday, and then chopped them into small pieces along with the bamboo shoots that her second brother had cleaned.

"Aunt Chuntao, what dish are you making?" Sanya asked curiously while quickly chopping vegetables.

Ji Chuntao intentionally trained Sanya to help with chores, and her answers were exceptionally detailed.

"To make 'Shan Hai Dou' (a type of steamed bun), 'Shan' refers to bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Uncle Fang said the original recipe called for bracken, but since we've had a long drought here and no bracken is available, we use water chestnuts instead. 'Hai' refers to the fish and shrimp from the stream." Ji Chuntao muttered as she put the small fish and shrimp into the iron pot, sprinkled some minced ginger and a little salt, and stir-fried them over low heat.

As the fish and shrimp are heated, they slowly turn a light golden yellow, and their delicious aroma wafts into the quilt through the crack in the door.

Ya Ya sniffed, then groggily sat up abruptly: "It smells so good!"

"At first I planned to use rice paper to wrap them, because rice paper is soft and chewy. But Uncle Fang said that the ones made in restaurants are all made with mung bean flour. The skin made with mung bean flour is translucent and chewy, and it doesn't break easily. It can maintain its shape when steamed after being filled. However, the mung bean flour has to be ground very finely. Fortunately, your older sister helped me last night, and that's how we were able to grind such good mung bean flour."

As Ji Chuntao spoke, she scooped out the stir-fried fish and shrimp to let them cool.

Sanya smiled and said, "Big sister is the strongest in our family."

After Ji Chuntao poured the cooled fish and shrimp, along with diced bamboo shoots and chopped water chestnuts, into a large bowl, she drizzled a little sesame oil over it and gently mixed it. The white bamboo shoots, the emerald green water chestnuts, and the bright red shrimp—all sorts of colorful ingredients mixed together—created an irresistible aroma.

Erzhu and Sanya both swallowed hard.

The villagers who were coming in one after another outside the courtyard gate were also extremely hungry.

The village chief stood by the sofa and, together with Fang Tiesheng, distributed the slippers and clothes that Nannan had bought yesterday to everyone.

It's chilly in the mountains in the mornings and evenings, so everyone is bundled up, and wearing slippers makes your feet very cold.

But the villagers couldn't contain their curiosity, and many sat down on the spot to try on the slippers. These were slippers that glowed when you walked on them!

Grandma Li took a few steps in her slippers.

"Old man, are my shoes glowing? I can't see them clearly."

Grandpa Li squinted and bent down: "It seems a little bit, the red light is obvious, but it's not very noticeable in other lights."

"It's not as bright during the day as it is at night. The light comes from the battery inside. Once the battery is used up, it won't light up anymore, so everyone should use it sparingly," Fang Tiesheng reminded him from the side.

Upon hearing this, Grandma Li quickly took off her shoes, carefully blew off the dust, and gently tucked them into her bosom.

"Two pairs of slippers for each person, one pair that lights up and one pair that doesn't. Remember to wear the non-light-up pair when you go to the bathroom. One set of clothes for each person, choose the size that fits you." The village chief instructed each person.

"Oh my, new clothes again! We have enough clothes to wear. This material is so nice and feels so comfortable. There are words on the back, and they're even in gold thread!" Grandma Zhao muttered to herself as she touched the clothes, her words changing frequently.

"What word? How do you pronounce it?" Da Niu had already put his new clothes over his factory uniform and was now twisting his head to look behind him.

"Youyuan Dance Troupe," Fang Tiesheng said irritably. "Wait until it gets warmer before wearing these. Take them off now so you don't get them dirty."

Zhao Hu was carrying two pairs of slippers. Luckily, most of the larger sizes were dark-colored; one pair of his slippers was black, and the other was dark brown, but both were adorned with bright red and green three-dimensional flowers.

"Brother Tiger, aren't you going to try it on?" Da Niu cleaned up his clothes and shoes and looked at Zhao Hu.

Zhao Hu frowned, staring at the floral pattern on the shoe, his hands itching.

How could a tough, strong man like him be suited to wear shoes covered in tiny flowers? Can't those flowers be peeled off?

After helping Ji Chuntao finish her work, the three siblings, Yan Daya, Yan Erzhu, and Yan Sanya, stood in a corner, their eyes unable to resist glancing towards the sofa. Watching the other villagers come forward one by one, happily accepting the pretty slippers and brand-new clothes, the three siblings felt both curious and full of envy.

As most of the villagers had already received their supplies, the pile of things next to the sofa gradually thinned out.

Fang Tiesheng glanced around and saw the three of them still standing blankly in the corner. He raised his voice and shouted, "Da Ya, Er Zhu, San Ya! What are you three standing there for? Come and get your things!"

The three siblings were suddenly taken aback.

The three of us just arrived, so how could we possibly get a share?

Daya glanced silently at her younger siblings.

Grandma Li, who was standing nearby, smiled kindly and said, "Come on, don't stand there, we have everything."

Upon hearing this, the three of them blushed slightly with embarrassment. They exchanged a few awkward glances before slowly and cautiously taking their first steps forward.

Da Ya's hands were slightly stiff.

She stretched out her hands and solemnly picked up the dress that belonged to her.

"We can tell if the clothes fit or not, and we can alter them if they're too big. But you'll have to try on the shoes first. I'll write down the sizes after you try them on, and you can exchange them if they don't fit," Fang Tiesheng reminded you, holding a notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other.

"Huh?" Da Ya didn't know what to do with her hands and feet. She still had to try them on? These shoes were so pretty, and their socks were already stiff. Wouldn't it be a waste to wear them?

"Xinghua, take the three of them to the bathroom to rinse their feet, then ask Nannan to get three pairs of socks for them to change into." Grandma Li noticed Daya's embarrassment and gently called Xinghua over.

"OK."

"The clothes are made of thin material, and it's cold in the mornings and evenings now, so put them away properly and wear them when it gets warmer. As for the place to stay... you shouldn't continue sleeping in the same room anymore. That room is drafty. I'll have Xinghua take you to find a new room nearby. Put the clothes and slippers inside, have dinner, and then tidy up a bit," Fang Tiesheng added.

"After you try on the shoes over there, Xinghua, please note down the size. If they don't fit properly, whether they're too big or too small, please note that down and let me know later."

"Okay, Grandpa Fang, I'll go right now," Xinghua readily agreed.

The three Yan siblings were at a loss for words after hearing Fang Tiesheng and Granny Li's words.

Each word was like a warm, soft pie hitting them on the head, fragrant and comforting.

My heart felt warm, and my nose felt hot too, so hot it even a little sore.