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

There were far fewer people here than at the morning market, and the streets were cleaner, but most of the shops were deserted and not open for business. It lacked the hustle and bustle of the morning market, but had a more orderly feel.

"There's a gold shop up ahead. It's quite early; there are very few shops open on the street. This is the only one that opens early in the area," Cao Xiulian explained to Ya Ya.

Ya Ya looked up and examined the signs on both sides of the street. There were very few food stalls on this street; they were mostly clothing, electricity, and some crooked and twisted symbol signs.

"Xin...Xinhua Bookstore. Is this a bookstore?" Ya Ya looked curiously at a huge red signboard that took up almost half the street. The roller shutter door was down, so you couldn't see what was inside.

Before Cao Xiulian could answer, Ya Ya's gaze fell on another golden sign next to the Xinhua Bookstore: "Xin Jin Jin Shop, oh, I know, Auntie, this is a gold shop. Grandpa Fang said there are houses of gold in books, so that's what it means! They really are hidden next to the books!"

"It's Xin Xin, three gold characters stacked together, pronounced 'xin'. 'There's a golden house in books' isn't understood in this way..." Cao Xiulian chuckled as she ruffled Ya Ya's hair.

Kids' minds are always wandering, and they can always make people laugh with something they suddenly say.

Ya Ya touched her head and realized she had misread another word. She had already studied several pages of the second "King of Literacy" book, but she still hadn't learned enough.

It's a pity this bookstore is closed, otherwise I could have gone in and bought a few more books.

Grandpa Fang and Grandpa Village Chief have been worried about the things they bought recently. It would be great if they could buy books that could help them.

Grandpa Fang is so capable, it's not that he doesn't know how, it's just that he lacks a book that explains things clearly so he can learn from it.

"Auntie, when will this bookstore open its doors to let people in to buy books? I want to buy some books for Grandpa Fang."

"We should be able to sell the gold by the time they open, so let's go sell the bracelets first," Cao Xiulian replied, glancing at her phone.

"good!"

Ya Ya followed Cao Xiulian into Xin Xin Gold Shop. As soon as she entered, Ya Ya was stunned.

The shop was so bright it looked like dozens of suns were shining inside. The floor and walls were covered with smooth, large stone slabs with black and gray patterns, and the ceiling was filled with small, warm yellow lights, filling the entire shop with a warm glow.

The room was surrounded by glass display cases filled with all kinds of gold jewelry, which shimmered under the lights.

Ya Ya clutched her wildly beating heart. No wonder Grandma Duck liked the sparkly thing; she liked it just the way it was!

Cao Xiulian stood to the side, looking at the room full of gold, and felt a little happy.

She rarely goes into jewelry stores. In all the years she's been married to Zhao Yu, he only buys her a few small gold beads to collect on their wedding anniversaries.

Firstly, it's a source of joy to count them when nothing's wrong, and secondly, it can be exchanged for money should anything happen in the future.

If you really had the means, who wouldn't love glittering gold jewelry? Not only women like it, men like it too. Otherwise, why would the main villains in TV dramas always have a big gold chain around their necks?

The counter is filled with all sorts of pretty little gold pieces: delicate bracelets, pendants, and necklaces. They're displayed in cabinets, and there are several signature gold ornaments at the entrance, illuminated by spotlights shining down from above, making them sparkle brilliantly.

Ya Ya's face was pressed against the transparent glass cabinet, her attention completely drawn to the big golden crown at the entrance, her feet seemingly glued to the ground.

This golden crown is so magnificent! It's covered with a large expanse of feathers, each feather with its own clearly defined pattern. The feathers even have little golden tassels sticking out. In the very center lies a large bird with its wings spread wide, and several smaller birds are nestled on either side of it.

The long chain hanging down looked heavy; I couldn't imagine how dazzling it would be to wear it on my head while walking.

Seeing Ya Ya's infatuated look, Cao Xiulian couldn't help but laugh and instructed, "Ya Ya, stay here and don't run around. Auntie is going over there to exchange the bracelet."

"Okay, Auntie!" Ya Ya's eyes were still glued to the golden crown.

There was a small triangular sign underneath, with one eight, two eights... six eights. Ya Ya counted them carefully, and there were a total of six eights on this price tag. How much money is that!

"Eighty-eight hundred thousand," Jie Chi's voice rang out.

"Wow—" Ya Ya stumbled back two steps.

My brain hasn't quite processed the concept of 880,000 yet.

Previously, Sister He Miao gave a month's deposit for more than 500 pairs of shoes, plus the previous shoe payment, which only amounted to 80,000 yuan. So, a gold crown costs 880,000 yuan. How many shoes would she have to make and how long would it take to earn that much?

Ya Ya's gaze fell on the small golden stove next to her. This stove was perfect for Grandma Duck to use as a nest. There were six big toads around the outside, and several gold ingots were engraved inside the stove.

The price is just...

Looking at that long string of numbers, Ya Ya silently took a few steps back.

Not long after, Cao Xiulian returned with a smile on her face after completing the formalities.

She lowered her voice and whispered, "Ya Ya, I sold your bracelet for you. The gold was of good quality, and the shop gave a high buyback price. It weighed 52 grams, and they bought it for 1,038.1 grams. I'll transfer the money to you when we get back to the shop."

Ya Ya blinked. "What does 'gram' mean? How much is it in total?"

Never mind, I'll find out when I get back and my aunt transfers the money.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Auntie." Ya Ya took the initiative to put her hand in Cao Xiulian's palm. The two of them, one big and one small, walked out of the jewelry store reluctantly. They had come all this way and they really hadn't seen enough.

The two left the jewelry store. Cao Xiulian glanced at the Xinhua Bookstore next door, and the door opened.

There were only a few employees tidying up the shelves in the store, and not a single customer. It was deserted.

Old-fashioned bookstores are not what they used to be. Back when electronic devices weren't so common, bookstores were everyone's favorite place to go.

Especially in the summer, all the neighbors flock to the bookstore to enjoy the air conditioning, pick out a sample book, lean against a corner, and can sit there for an entire afternoon without moving.

Nowadays, bookstores all sell coffee and drinks, and the prices in physical bookstores are much higher than online. Xinhua Bookstore is no longer as bustling as it used to be.

However, since it is a state-owned enterprise with educational resources, it can continue to operate.

"Does Ya Ya want to buy books? The bookstore is open, shall I take you to have a look?" Cao Xiulian asked Ya Ya, looking down at her.

"Okay, let's take a look!" Ya Ya looked at the dense wall of books behind the transparent glass wall and couldn't wait. She grabbed her aunt's hand and rushed inside.