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

Then came the second, the third...

The hunter Zhao's lame leg made a sickening sound as it bent, but he knelt without hesitation.

Grandma Fang and Grandpa Fang helped each other, taking one slow step at a time, until they reached the earthen slope and bent down.

Just the day before yesterday, the couple had already passed away peacefully under the old locust tree. It was the bowl of salt water in the village chief's hand that pulled them back from the brink of death.

Ya Ya was their savior.

In front of the small mound, eighteen people, old and young, disabled and infirm, all knelt down. Even little Shuanzi, who was staring blankly at the meat bun and swallowing his saliva, was gently put down by Grandpa Liu, who pressed his little head down so that his forehead touched the ground.

Little Shuanzi swayed slightly, but didn't struggle. He obediently lay down, just like an adult.

There were no words, only suppressed breathing and the rustling of the wind through the locust tree leaves.

Ya Ya was frightened and hid behind Grandma Liu.

Grandma Liu gently pushed her forward, and then slowly bent her knees, her forehead lightly touching the ground.

The old village chief was the last to kneel, his forehead pressed against the cold ground, his voice muffled from the muddy earth:

"Today, before our ancestors and this old locust tree that has guarded our village for hundreds of years, the remaining twenty people of Lotus Village, heart to heart, make a vow!"

He raised his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over the prostrate figures before him:

"First, we twenty people keep Ya Ya's abilities a closely guarded secret. Even if we die, we will never let a single word of it out. Anyone who breaks this oath will be immediately removed from the family register, struck by lightning, and die a horrible death!"

Secondly, from this day forward, our Lotus Village will dedicate all its resources to protecting Ya Ya. We can't rely solely on Ya Ya to survive! As long as we have breath, we can't just lie there waiting to die! We must find our own way, gather our own strength, and get the housework done so that Ya Ya can go out without any worries! When she comes back, she'll have hot soup to drink and a soft bed to lie on, without having to worry about us old bones!

The wind rustled the locust tree leaves.

But it couldn't drown out the vows that were squeezed out of their throats.

Ya Ya stood on the small earthen mound, clutching the hem of her clothes with her little hands, looking completely bewildered.

Her little head was spinning. She only remembered that when the village elders passed away, the younger generation had to kneel to see them off, and that during the New Year, she could get a piece of candy or a few lucky coins by kowtowing to her grandparents. But there was never any reason for adults to kneel to children.

"Grandpa Village Chief, please get everyone up! The ground is cold, it's making our knees hurt... The meat buns won't taste good if they get cold."

Upon hearing this, the old village chief felt a mix of warmth and sorrow in his heart. He leaned against the tree trunk and slowly stood up, feeling a little relieved. The people in the village had not disappointed him, nor had they let Ya Ya down.

The things that Ya Ya brought back later were also brought through the proper channels.

He raised his voice: "Everyone get up and listen to Ya Ya!"

Everyone then slowly got up.

The old village chief walked to the cloth bag and the thermos that were still faintly warm. He opened the cloth bag and said that it was made of the best white flour, fine grain. What kind of place was that?

He counted them: four meat buns, five steamed buns, and eighteen fried sugar cakes.

The thick, fragrant rice porridge in the thermos was still warm.

She glanced back at everyone, picked out two meat buns, two steamed buns, and five fried sugar cakes, and put them aside. "Grandma Liu, take these back and save them for Ya Ya. We'll share the rest and have everyone try them."

As he spoke, the old village chief began distributing the items.

The villagers had already lined up in an orderly fashion, and the bowls used to distribute the kudzu root paste were still there.

First in line was Liu's youngest grandson, Xiao Shuanzi. The little boy, who could barely stand, was being led by his grandfather.

The old village chief stuffed a large meat bun into Xiao Shuanzi's hands. The bun was as big as three of his hands. Xiao Shuanzi's eyes widened as he held the meat bun in both hands.

She then gave each of Grandpa Li and Grandma Li a fried sugar cake, while Grandma Liu used a wooden spoon to fill their bowls with sweet corn porridge.

Little Bean also got a meat bun, Hunter Zhao got a big white steamed bun, and Aunt Lin also got a big steamed bun. They were all gone in no time.

The villagers carefully held the food, and the long-lost aroma filled the air under the old locust tree. Everyone cherished this hard-won food, and some were even reluctant to touch it.

Someone pinched the outer layer of the fried sugar cake, and the crispy crumbs fell into their palm. They quickly and carefully licked them.

"It's so exquisite, I've never eaten anything this good in my life."

"This porridge is so thick and creamy, and it even has sugar in it."

"This thing called fried sugar cake actually has red bean paste inside! The filling is steamed until it's incredibly smooth and creamy; even old folks like us can eat it. It melts in your mouth, and it's sweetened with sugar!"

Some people's eyes reddened as they ate, they wiped their eyes with their hands, and continued to chew in small bites.

Xiao Shuanzi finally took a bite of the meat bun. The delicious meat juice melted in his mouth, and his eyes lit up. However, he still broke off a large half and handed it to his grandparents. Grandpa Liu took a small bite from his hand, and his eyes also welled up with tears.

The old village chief watched as everyone ate slowly. After they had filled their stomachs and carefully put away the leftovers, he raised his hand to lower his voice and said, "Wang Dazhu, Zhao Hu, Fang Tiesheng, you guys come with me to Granny Liu's house later, let's discuss this. The rest of you, don't just sit around, tidy up your own things, those who can dig up kudzu roots should go find some, those who can gather firewood should gather some, we need to get things organized."

The village chief named several men: Wang Dazhu, who had been to the county and seen the world; Zhao Hu, needless to say, was the only strong man in the village, bold and careful when hunting in the mountains; and Fang Tiesheng, an old scholar, literate and meticulous.

They are all the backbone of the village.

"Okay."

……

Grandma Liu led Ya Ya back home, holding her hand.

Ya Ya hopped and skipped along, her short legs moving happily.

Seeing everyone eating so happily, she felt a sweet sense of accomplishment.

The village chief and his entourage followed behind. As the village chief told them what he knew, his eyes followed the bouncy little girl, filled with tenderness.

squeak-

The dilapidated wooden gate was pushed open, and Grandma Liu pulled Ya Ya to sit on the stone stool in the yard, gently smoothing the stray hairs on her forehead.

The village chief and the others followed, finding stones and wooden stools to sit on. Grandpa Wang groped his way to sit next to Ya Ya, gently patting her small hand with his thin, dry hand, and said softly, "Little girl, don't be afraid. We grandpas won't ask how you crossed it. We just want to know, what's it like over there? Is the road difficult to walk on? Is there anything scary? How long can you stay each time you go?"

Ya Ya blinked and saw everyone smiling at her, waiting to hear what she had to say. She coughed seriously and began to describe the scene over there in detail, gesturing with her little hands.

She felt an indescribable joy when someone listened to Ya Ya's Adventures!

"There are wide, paved roads, bright, colorful lights that shine even brighter than the sun, many tall stone houses, and lots of food..."

She spoke incoherently, her thoughts scattering, but the group could still get a general idea from her description.