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

As dawn broke, the pheasants in the yard chirped, but they couldn't wake the sleeping villagers.

After dinner last night, by the time the pots and pans were cleaned up, it was already late at night. After rendering the oil and putting it away, the only thing left to do was to marinate the fish.

The village chief repeatedly urged people to go back and rest, but the people in the courtyard seemed to have nails in their feet, insisting on waiting for the fish to be pickled before leaving.

The fish needed to be dried for one or two hours; the whole village was simply being ridiculous.

After rubbing the small fish with salt and spreading them out in a clean bamboo sieve, the moon in the sky disappeared from view.

Aunt Lin looked at the several scaleless yellow croakers that had been processed and were now in a dilemma.

The fish was extremely tender when you poked it. After scraping off the slime, Aunt Lin thought for a moment and kept one, only rubbing it with a thin layer of salt and wrapping it in gauze. The others were marinated as usual.

She always felt that the fish wouldn't taste good if it was marinated. Such tender meat should be eaten fresh. It looked like it would make a good soup.

I'll leave this one for tomorrow morning.

Hopefully it won't smell bad tomorrow morning.

The village chief, yawning incessantly, escorted everyone back to their homes, before finally helping Granny Li back to their house.

……

Chen Lei stood guard at the cashier, processing payments for customers while glancing towards the door every now and then.

It's the weekend, and business is much busier than usual. There's a constant flow of people coming and going, and many parents bring their children to reward them with small toys.

A new batch of goods had just arrived that morning, and he specially picked out a few thermos cups with straps so he could carry them on his body, intending to keep them for Ya Ya to take back to her when she came over, so she could use them to make formula and drink warm water.

But even as the shop was about to close at nearly 10 p.m., the little guy still hadn't come over.

Thinking about what he had said about her waiting two or three days to pick up the lamp, he sighed softly, carefully put the cup back in the cabinet, and decided to check on it again the day after tomorrow.

The logistics for the solar lights are very fast; they should arrive the day after tomorrow.

He Miao was a little worried because she had never bought milk powder for the elderly before.

There are all sorts of brands online, with prices ranging from high to low, which can be overwhelming. I've heard that many elderly people suffer from age-related illnesses such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and osteoporosis.

She didn't dare to buy anything indiscriminately. She had previously seen a news article that claimed to be a highly touted imported milk powder for the elderly, with a factory price of only seven yuan and a retail price of two hundred and forty yuan. However, it was actually made from cheap oat flour and milk powder, and the anti-counterfeiting labels were all fake.

Some products advertised as "safe for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes," but they actually contain glucose. Isn't that harmful?

Thinking about this made He Miao furious. These people are truly despicable!

After much thought, she decided to ask a close friend to help her take care of the baby. Her friend's parents worked at a hospital, so they were knowledgeable, reliable, and she could buy from them with peace of mind. It would also be a good opportunity for her to meet up with her girlfriends on the weekend.

The following afternoon, a light knock came from outside He Miao's door, along with a cheerful shout: "Miss has arrived! Open the door quickly!"

He Miao, wearing the slippers Ya Ya had given her, hurried to open the door.

This girl is a little too obsessed with playing mobile games.

The house was warm and cozy with the heating on. He Miao had been wearing the shoes that Ya Ya had given her for the past two days.

These shoes are so comfortable and soft. They're so light you can walk in them without making a sound. The soles fit snugly against your feet, and they even have a faint, pleasant scent of grass and wood.

They were a little stiff when I first put them on, but after wearing them for a day, they fit better and better, becoming softer with each wear. They're so much more comfortable than her old favorite Crocs. The craftsmanship passed down from our ancestors is truly excellent.

As soon as the door opened, Su Yuqing rushed in, carrying large and small bags: "What a surprise! I'm exhausted from carrying so much good stuff for you!"

He Miao quickly reached out and took them. They were heavy: two paper bags of milk powder, a bag of 4J early-ripening cherries, and a bag of spicy braised duck.

"Why did you buy so much stuff? It's so heavy. Let's go inside, it's cold outside."

Su Yuqing plopped down on the shoe-changing stool, and as the door closed, her gossipy expression intensified: "Hey, Miaomiao, why did you suddenly decide to buy milk powder for the elderly?"

"Tell me honestly, are you dating someone? Things are progressing so fast, you've already gone so far as to buy gifts for their parents? You've been hiding this so well, am I still your eldest daughter?"

He Miao laughed out loud at her words and gently pushed her: "What nonsense are you talking about? I bought it for someone else. Their village is remote, so it's inconvenient for them to come out."

"Oh...I see." Su Yuqing drawled out her words, chuckling as she teased, "I thought our Miaomiao was going to quietly find a boyfriend and settle down without making a sound."

"Stop joking." He Miao was both annoyed and amused, and bent down to get her slippers.

Su Yuqing has her own special porcupine slippers at home.

"Huh? Your shoes?"

Su Yuqing's attention suddenly shifted to He Miao's shoes. Her eyes lit up, and she nimbly ripped one off He Miao's foot and held it in her hand.

"Which store did you buy this from? The craftsmanship is amazing! It's even more exquisite than what I've seen at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum before! The fodder used is also very particular."

Su Yuqing is a fashion designer. She is currently working on a series of clothing designs in the style of springtime in Jiangnan. She has already drawn the shoe designs, but she hasn't been able to find a craftsman to make the shoes.

There are very few people who know how to weave straw nowadays, and it has to be someone who can weave according to her patterns.

These shoes are like a wonderful surprise that fell from the sky.

He Miao snatched the shoes back from her hand. "These were a gift from someone, the one who asked me to buy milk powder. It's a little girl who came with the village elders. Her mother-in-law knitted the shoes herself."

As they talked, the two carried the bags of things Su Yuqing had brought into the house, putting what needed to be put in the refrigerator and what needed to be placed on the table.

The TV in the living room is playing a currently popular idol drama, featuring handsome men and beautiful women.

But Su Yuqing's eyes were still glued to He Miao's slippers, unable to look away.

"Miaomiao, could you please ask that little girl's family elder, her mother-in-law, if she would be willing to make a few pairs for me? I'll pay her, so she doesn't work for nothing."

Then Su Yuqing quickly stated her expected price: "These half-slippers are 200 yuan a pair. The straw sandals that fully cover the feet, if modified according to my style, will start at 300 yuan a pair. If I want to add patterns, two colors, or make complicated designs, they can do it, and the price will be charged separately according to the craftsmanship."

Su Yuqing's price was quite reasonable, considered high for handmade straw weaving.

He Miao also considered it in her mind. This was indeed a good source of income for Ya Ya's village. She could earn some pocket money with her skills, which was better than farming and selling vegetables.

Moreover, if Yuqing's designs sell well and the market opens up, this will generate a large number of orders, bringing continuous revenue to the village.

However, she was unsure about the village's production capacity, whether the villagers were willing to take the job, and whether the work would be too tiring for the elderly.

She thought for a moment, "When she comes over, I'll ask her properly for you. If the old lady is willing, I'll tell you."

Su Yuqing immediately nodded: "Okay! Great, thank you Miaomiao!"

"By the way, I'll send you the design drawings now. You can take them with you and see if these styles can be made. As for the sizes, make them universal, like size 36 or 38, so they're easy to match with my clothes."