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

(Thanks to "Qingwan~", "Chaofeng", and "Xiaoxiaxia c" for their generous donations. Bonus chapter x1)

The dishes were served one after another, and the whole courtyard was filled with an enticing aroma.

A large pot of black-boned chicken stewed with wild bamboo shoots, the soup was clear, the bamboo shoots were tender and the chicken was fresh, and a few handfuls of water celery were also thrown in.

A plate of wild bamboo shoots stir-fried with broad bean paste and rabbit meat, glistening with red oil, smelled so good that Zhao Hu couldn't stop sniffing it as soon as it was served.

There's also water celery stir-fried with sliced ​​pork, cooked in lard, it's incredibly fragrant.

There was a little bit left from deep-frying, so I fried it again until it was crispy and fragrant.

Zhao Hu stared at the plate of stir-fried rabbit with fermented soybean paste, gritted his teeth and picked up two pieces. The rabbit meat was tender and flavorful, the aroma of the sauce wrapped around the freshness of the wild bamboo shoots. It smelled so good that he nodded repeatedly and ate half a bowl of rice in one go.

Seeing Uncle Zhao's "fierce" eating habits, Ya Ya also picked up a small piece of rabbit meat.

The chicken was stir-fried with this bright red sauce yesterday. Ya Ya and Xiao Douzi only ate a little bit. The people in Lotus Village have never seen chili peppers before, but this flavor is so pungent and spicy that I instinctively felt that the little kids shouldn't eat too much of it.

The moment the chicken nuggets entered their mouths, the two little guys' faces turned red, and they gasped for breath with their mouths open.

But the taste is both spicy and fragrant. It's so spicy that it makes your nose sweat, but the more you eat, the more intoxicating it becomes, and it warms you up all over.

Today there's rabbit meat in chili oil again. Ya Ya is experienced now, so she opened her mouth and took a small bite.

The familiar taste spread across her tongue, and a fine sheen of sweat appeared on her nose. She quickly took a big gulp of chicken soup.

She took another small bite, her eyes sparkling. Now she's learned how to eat this red vegetable.

After a lively meal, everyone rested for a while before starting to organize the day's harvest.

Fang Tiesheng led several children to the side to learn to read and tell stories.

First, spread out the bundles of water celery in a ventilated place to dry for a while, then shake them vigorously to shake off the leeches and other small insects hiding in the gaps between the leaves.

Fill a large basin with water, dissolve a handful of salt, put the water celery in, and let it soak for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

When the time comes, pick them up one by one, carefully clean the gaps between the stems and leaves, pinch off the old roots and rotten leaves, and finally rinse them twice with clean water until they are bright green and there are no insects or ants in sight, before arranging them neatly aside.

The wild bamboo shoots we dug up were divided into two piles. One pile was kept for our own consumption, and the other pile was to be taken to Ya Ya to sell over there after dark.

Deal with the pile that was sold first.

Gently peel off the outermost layer of muddy and damaged old bamboo shoot husks, leaving the inner, bright, tender husks intact, so that the bamboo shoots remain whole and upright, looking fresh and beautiful.

Wild onions are a regular feature; I always pick a few clumps whenever I see them while passing by.

Shepherd's purse and other wild vegetables were sorted, washed, drained, and placed separately in small baskets.

After putting the cleaned wild vegetables and bamboo shoots into Ya Ya's little cart, the village chief straightened Ya Ya's clothes and said, "When you go over there this time, if you have time, look for some garlic and buy some for Grandpa. You can bring it back to plant."

Ya Ya suddenly looked up. Oh dear, how come I forgot to buy garlic after going so many times? No wonder Aunt Lin's cooking always seems to lack flavor.

Garlic is a great thing! It grows so fast. You can eat the garlic sprouts and the garlic scapes. My mother-in-law planted a small patch of it before.

She nodded vigorously, as if she had seen garlic at the old man in the red coat who sold ginger.

……

Cao Xiulian's business has been booming lately, so she's been thinking of adding a new twist: sugar-coated fried dough sticks with red date soy milk.

Neither of these requires much effort; if prepared in advance, even with a large number of people, they can manage.

Moreover, most of her customers are women, and red dates are perfect for nourishing qi and replenishing blood.

Set the two large buckets aside, pack the carefully selected icing into a transparent frame, and as the oil temperature slowly rises, the day's business is about to begin.

"Hey girl, got a new trick up your sleeve?"

Wang Guifen strolled over with her hands behind her back.

"Yes, ma'am, I made my own red date soy milk with rice, soybeans, and red dates. I also have sugar-coated fried dough sticks. Would you like some? Could you take a look and tell me how it tastes?"

Cao Xiulian smiled and scooped a small fried dough stick into the pot, then took a small bowl to serve soy milk.

The soy milk has a light pink hue and looks delicious.

"Be careful, it's hot."

Wang Guifen didn't refuse, took the bowl, and took a sip.

One sip and the warmth travels down your throat, filling your mouth with the subtle sweetness of red dates mixed with the aroma of soybeans. It's rich, smooth, and creamy, and you can tell at a glance that it's not the kind of diluted soy milk powder.

Wang Guifen's eyes lit up: "Wow, this soy milk is great!"

Cao Xiulian picked up another freshly fried dough stick, sprinkled it with a layer of snow-white icing, wrapped it in a plastic bag, and handed it over, saying, "Try this one too."

Wang Guifen took a small bite; the outer layer was crispy, the inside soft, and the icing sugar melted slightly when heated, sweet but not cloying.

She had eaten countless fried dough sticks in her life, but this was the first time she had ever tried sugar-coated fried dough sticks. She thought it was just a fancy trick that young people were messing around with, but she was surprised to find that it tasted exceptionally good.

"Tsk, not bad at all, crispy and sweet. Give me five, and a large serving of soy milk. Do you have a large bowl?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft "rolling" sound came from not far away, and the familiar little cart slowly rolled over.

They both looked back at the same time and laughed.

Ya Ya pushed a small stroller, carried a small basket on her back, and had a cloth bag slung over her red jacket. A bright yellow dragon was hanging from the bag, swaying back and forth.

"The little boss is here!" Wang Guifen said, then took a big gulp of soy milk from her bowl.

Upon seeing Ya Ya, Cao Xiulian smiled and scooped up a small bowl of red date soy milk, adding extra sugar: "Ya Ya, try Auntie's newly made red date soy milk."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Ya Ya obediently took it, pursed her lips, and her eyes instantly curved into little crescents.

It's milky, sweet, and fragrant—it's so delicious!

"Delicious!" Ya Ya took two sips, put the bowl aside, and took off the small basket from her back.

There were also some water celery and tender bamboo shoots in the basket.

The cart was completely covered, so I have no idea what it carried today, or if it had any new wild vegetables.

Wang Guifen stood quietly to the side, hands tucked in her pockets, waiting for the young boss to open the box and set up the stall.