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

Ya Ya leaned forward, pointing with her little finger at the small half of the braised egg: "Grandpa Village Chief, this egg is salty, it will give you strength. Share it with Grandpa and Grandma, and Uncle Zhao, he's exhausted from going up the mountain to find food."

The village chief's eyes widened suddenly as he stared intently at the food on the millstone. His Adam's apple bobbed repeatedly, saliva dripped from his mouth, and his cheeks moved unconsciously.

He hadn't tasted salt in so long, let alone the oily braised eggs, the fluffy pastries, and the glistening candies. The aroma filled his nostrils, making his very being tremble.

He leaned shakily against the edge of the millstone, his arms and legs numb, but he managed to stand up slowly, took a deep breath of the aroma, and after his withered hands trembled for a long time, he carefully picked up the small half of the braised egg.

He couldn't bear to crush it, and in the end, he just brought the finger that had touched the braised egg to his lips and licked it carefully.

It's salty, and it really tastes salty!

The village chief suddenly looked up at Granny Liu and Ya Ya, his cloudy eyes revealing undisguised doubt.

The surrounding land has been dug up layer by layer, and the road out has long been blocked. People from the outside can't get in. Where can you find such fresh and still warm novel food?

How could he not see through Granny Liu's thoughts?

He knew perfectly well what was going on, but he didn't ask a single question. Ya Ya was such a sensible child that it was heartbreaking. It wasn't just her who wanted to protect her; they all felt the same way.

The village chief gently put the braised eggs back, staring at the few small portions of food.

Seeing that he hadn't moved for a while, Ya Ya looked up at him with her little face and said, "Grandpa Village Chief, there's not enough food. Next time, Ya Ya will go and collect more, so that Grandpa, Grandma, and Xiao Douzi can all eat their fill and everyone can be well!"

The village chief raised his hand and gently rubbed Ya Ya's head with his rough palm. The movement was so light that it couldn't be gentler. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Ya Ya's stomach rumble loudly.

"Oh!" Ya Ya blushed with embarrassment and covered her tummy.

Grandma Liu's heart clenched instantly, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

When the child came home, she said she was full and that these were the leftovers. That stupid old woman actually believed her because she could describe the taste of every single food item!

Who knew that this little girl didn't actually eat any of it; she probably just tasted it and then saved it all for them to bring back.

It hurt her heart to hear such a lie from such a young child.

The village chief heard it too, and the rumbling stomach hit him like a hammer blow.

He looked at the food on the millstone, then at Ya Ya pursing her lips, pretending not to be hungry. His heart ached, and he sighed heavily.

She reached out and picked up the soft pastry with colorful sugar cubes, stuffed it into Ya Ya's hand, and said in a hoarse voice, "Darling, you eat this."

Ya Ya waved her hand, trying to push the food away: "Grandpa Village Chief, I'm not hungry, you guys eat..."

"Eat it when we tell you to!" The village chief said sternly, but there was no fierceness in his face. He just pressed the cake into her hand more tightly, his voice choked with emotion. "We are all elders, with hands and feet. How can we let a little child like you go hungry and expect to support us? That's not right! You are the village's little girl. It's our responsibility to protect you, not for you to bear our burdens."

"You eat this cake, keep this round dumpling, and Grandma Liu, you keep this transparent jar for the child. You can exchange it for money when the roads open up; it's a rare item. Grandpa, take the rest and share it with the others, just to give them a taste."

Grandma Liu looked at this scene, turned her face away, wiped her eyes, and the anxiety in her heart slowly eased.

Ya Ya held the soft pastry in her hand, watching as Grandpa Village Chief sorted out the items, retied the cloth, and carefully held it in her arms. She then popped the pastry into her mouth with a gulp, the sweet taste melting in her mouth. With the pastry in her mouth, she whispered, "Grandpa Village Chief, next time Ya Ya will really be able to pick up more."

The village chief squatted down, his rough thumb gently wiping the crumbs of cake from the corner of her mouth. His cloudy eyes were filled with tenderness, and he spoke softly, "Little girl, Grandpa believes in you. But you must remember, no matter whether you can find food next time or not, take care of yourself first, understand?"

He touched the cloth in his arms and spoke to Ya Ya, word by word, as if speaking to himself: "You're only five years old, so small. How can you shoulder the burden of the entire village? This is not your responsibility. Once we've tasted this salt and this sweetness, we'll have the strength to keep going."

"Once your Uncle Zhao and the others recover, we can go up the mountain to find some wild vegetables and mushrooms. The old men and women in the village can also move around. Let's clear out that piece of wasteland at the edge of the village and make do until the officials from the county town open up the road. Grain and people from outside will eventually be able to come in, and things will get better."

He paused, then squeezed Ya Ya's little hand: "So you don't need to think about how much food you have to bring back. Your safety is more important than anything else. Even if you don't bring back anything next time, Grandpa won't shortchange you on food, understand?"

Ya Ya's cheeks were bulging, and she hadn't been willing to swallow that small piece of sweet cake. It was hidden in her cheeks, and her mouth was full of sweet fragrance.

She mumbled a reply, "I know, Grandpa Village Chief, Ya Ya will be careful."

Looking at her obedient appearance, the village chief stood up and gave Granny Liu a look. In that look, they both understood each other's thoughts: protect Ya Ya and bear the burden together.

Then, carrying the bag of food, he walked more steadily than before, slowly heading towards his home.

This slightly salty and sweet dish is the most precious thing to look forward to right now. We should save it so that everyone can have a taste and boost their spirits.

The village chief returned to his own courtyard, and without even taking a break, he picked up a large, chipped, rough porcelain bowl from the yard, walked to the nearly empty water vat, scooped out a full bowl of water, pinched off a small piece of yolk from the half-eaten braised egg and put the rest into the bowl.

He held a sharpened wooden chopstick and slowly mashed and stirred the braised eggs, letting the salty flavor gradually infuse into the water.

He took another bowl, peeled off a piece of fruit coated with sugar, and said it was sweet.

It was also soaked in water.

After tidying up, he carried the two bowls to the village entrance, carefully placed them on the ground, and then struck the large gong hanging on the old locust tree.

"Clang—Clang—Clang—"

The sound of gongs echoed through the quiet village.

In these times of year, everyone is conserving their energy. If the village chief is going to the trouble of banging the gong, something important must have happened.

Upon hearing the sound of the gong, the villagers slowly emerged from their houses.

The elderly people, leaning on the wall and using canes, moved only three inches at a time. Aunt Lin and Zhao, the hunter who had just come down from the mountain, each holding a dejected little child's hand, also slowly walked towards the village entrance.

Old Man Fang and Old Woman Fang, standing under the old locust tree, strained to open their eyes, their noses twitching.

Everyone had a sallow complexion, sunken eyes, pale lips, and walked unsteadily.

Prolonged salt deficiency leads to a feeling of weakness and limpness throughout the body.

Some elderly people had swollen legs so badly that pressing on them left a deep dent, and the children were so thin they were just skin and bones. Despite all this, everyone helped each other and slowly made their way to the old locust tree without complaining.

Everyone knew that the village chief wouldn't have summoned them for no reason.