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

Once the soup starts to bubble slightly, add the almonds to the pot and cook together. Grandma Liu gently stirs the almonds around the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon from time to time.

After simmering over a low flame for nearly half an incense stick's time, a thin layer of milky white foam slowly rises to the surface of the pot.

Ji Chuntao carried a basket of freshly made steamed buns to the stove. "Aunt Liu, I'll watch the pot later. We'll take turns eating. This job can't be left unattended."

Grandma Liu smiled and didn't refuse.

In previous years at this time, the stove and pot would be cold, and the family would have to use bran sparingly, let alone white flour. They could only mix it with wild vegetables picked from the mountains and knead it into loose dough, barely managing to shape the outline of a swallow, which they would then use as a substitute for a swallow.

If you cook another pot of porridge so thick you can see your reflection in it, then the Cold Food Festival is complete.

Where is it like this now, so lively and bustling, with our stomachs full and our hearts warmed?

Being busy is always a good thing.

Ya Ya followed behind two little tails, Xiao Douzi and Xiao Shuanzi, and came to the stove.

"Grandma, is this savory milk? It doesn't smell very good."

"It's not done yet. Thanks to my daughter, we can make authentic sweet rice wine this year. This is just the beginning!" Grandma Liu took a clean piece of fine gauze and covered the bamboo sieve with Ji Chuntao. Together, they filtered out the softened wheat kernels and almonds in the pot, and collected the milky white liquid that was filtered out into another large pot.

The filtered wheat kernels and almonds were put back into the stone mortar and given to Da Niu and Zhao Hu to pound into a fine and dense paste.

While she was pounding the paste, Ji Chuntao cooked a pot of clear soup noodles, simply adding oil and salt, and also gave each person a boiled egg. She then asked Ya Ya for five pork knuckles and a large piece of braised beef, which she cut into small pieces and arranged on a plate.

A simple, delicious, and filling breakfast is ready.

If it weren't for the fact that Nannan was going to that place called the night market, they wouldn't have been in a hurry to eat.

Ya Ya sipped the oily pork knuckle, eating with a nodding and swaying head.

The big piece of meat is so delicious.

After quickly finishing her noodles, Ji Chuntao took over the task of watching the soup pot from Granny Liu, and then sent Da Niu and Zhao Hu to eat. Only then did she pour the paste-like wheat and apricot puree that the two of them had pounded back into the filtered original juice, stir it repeatedly with a wooden spoon, and put it back on the stove.

The fire in the stove was also simmering slowly at the lowest setting.

This step is the most time-consuming and requires constant attention. It needs to be stirred every few moments, otherwise the bottom will easily clump and become burnt.

As the steam slowly evaporates, the liquid in the pot gradually thickens, turning a warm, light beige color, and smells of a mixture of the sweet aroma of barley and the subtle nutty fragrance of almonds.

Only when the slurry could be drawn out in a thin, continuous stream with the wooden spoon did Ji Chuntao extinguish the fire.

Ya Ya, Xiao Douzi, and Xiao Shuanzi leaned against the back of their chairs, staring intently at the thick porridge in the pot, inhaling its delicious aroma. Aunt Chun Tao's hands were truly magical; what was clearly a pot of tasteless rice water had, with just a few stirs, slowly transformed into a fragrant porridge right before their very eyes.

"Nannan, aren't we going to that area today?" Ji Chuntao turned around and was taken aback when she saw the three little heads.

"Oh dear, I forgot! I still need to buy milk powder! I'm leaving!" Ya Ya's eyes widened, and as soon as she finished speaking, she disappeared from the chair.

"This little guy." Ji Chuntao shook her head with a smile.

Immortal magic! It really is immortal magic!

Standing not far away, Xiong Bo, wearing his new work clothes, had a sudden tremor in his pupils.

Seeing the calm expressions of everyone around him, he suppressed the excitement in his heart. He couldn't be so ignorant; he had to stay calm.

He pulled out the lighter he'd taken from Fang Tiesheng the night before. This thing could light with a single press, but what was the liquid inside? Why could water turn into fire when pressed? Was it also filled with alcohol?

Xiong Bo's hands were a little itchy.

Fang Tiesheng, the village chief, and Da Niu Zhao Hu had just left the courtyard when he overheard that they were going to the village entrance to check on the damage to the well and start repairing it.

Does he take it apart to look, or does he take it apart to look?

……

Ya Ya pushed her little cart briskly through the bustling night market.

The fried rice vendor heard the long-lost sound of car wheels, looked in the direction of the sound, and immediately spotted the small figure he had been longing for day and night in the crowd.

"Young boss!" His eyes lit up, and he quickly walked through the crowd to greet him.

"Oh, it's been days since I've seen you. Did you bring any wild onions today?"

Hearing the noise, the two owners of Qianlixiang Wonton and Jianbing Guozi turned around and looked over.

Ya Ya gently shook her head: "No, Grandma said that the wild onions in the village, on the mountain, and along the roadside have been almost all picked clean recently. We can't keep picking them, otherwise they won't grow back next year. If I can find a large patch of wild onions, I'll bring some for you, Uncle."

The fried rice stall owner paused for a moment after hearing this, but he wasn't disappointed.

He knew in his heart that these wild onions that grow naturally in the mountains could not be supplied in large quantities and in a stable manner.

The wild scallions brought by the young boss did make their business boom for a while, but they can't rely too much on something that's hard to come by. Ultimately, they still need to improve their skills and find other ways to increase their income.

He smiled gently and waved to Ya Ya, "It's alright, it's alright, Uncle will buy more when he has it. No rush, come here. I recently added a new snack called the Meat and Egg Burger. Can you try it and see what you think?"

Meat and eggs are filling?

Ya Ya followed the double-chinned uncle to the stall with curiosity.

Next to where there used to be only one stall cart, there is now a stove with a black iron plate on it, and seven round holes in the plate.

"What is a meat and egg plate?" Ya Ya asked curiously, looking at the novel round plate.

The fried rice vendor chuckled: "Watch closely, Uncle's about to show you his skills."

As he spoke, he began to work, first drizzling a thin layer of oil into the grooves of the disc, then cracking an egg into each one, and slowly frying them over low heat.

Ya Ya stood to the side, her eyes wide open, staring intently at the egg in the mold.

With a nimble flick of his wrist, the double-chinned uncle gently lifted the egg in the groove with a small shovel, turning it over obediently. His movements were as swift as magic.

"Wow, Uncle, you're amazing!"

The owner of the fried rice stall couldn't help but curl one corner of his mouth slightly.

Once the bottom of the egg had set slightly, he used the tip of the spatula to poke and stir the runny yolk and egg white together, ensuring the egg mixture was fully combined.

"Why do you mash the egg?" Ya Ya couldn't help but ask again, smelling the aroma of the fried egg.

"This way the eggs will be more tender, and it will be easier to add the filling later." The fried rice vendor said as he scooped spoonfuls of beige batter into the mold and then gently placed the fried eggs on the batter.

Ya Ya moved even closer, watching as the originally thin batter slowly solidified under the high temperature, with a golden layer appearing at the edges, puffing up like a small pancake.

Then the fried rice vendor spread a layer of fresh minced meat on the surface of the eggs and gently spread it evenly with a small spatula.

The pink meat quickly oozed oil, and the aroma of the meat mixed with the fragrance of eggs and the wheat scent of the bread rushed into Ya Ya's nose.