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

The village chief was pulled by Zhao Hu and instantly came to his senses.

The beam of the flashlight swayed frantically in the night.

Zhao Hu glanced at the corpses on the ground, his eyes flashing. He squatted down and searched the two men, finding the ropes and kerosene they had brought. He then quickly tied them together with the branches the village chief had picked up, making two simple torches. He lit them with the little fairy chicken and held them high.

The village chief turned off his flashlight and took another torch.

The firelight flickered, illuminating the way and also slightly driving away wild beasts lurking in the shadows.

The three of them dared not linger and hurried down the mountain, their steps uneven.

The howls of wolves soon drifted closer on the wind, one after another, and it even seemed as if tearing and gnawing sounds could be heard from behind.

It sent chills down your spine.

None of them dared to look back, they just kept rushing forward, their hearts pounding with anxiety, and finally they made it down the mountain safely.

The clothes and cotton shoes on the group were covered in mud and hung heavily on their bodies. A gust of cold wind blew, and Granny Li sneezed.

The village chief and Zhao Hu both felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

It was the hour of Yin (3 AM), the third watch of the night, the deepest time of night, when the air was coldest.

Even though it was pitch black, Lotus Village at the foot of the mountain exuded a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, with raindrops pattering on the rooftops.

The three quickened their pace, stumbling and staggering back to the village chief's house.

As soon as he entered the door, Zhao Hu busied himself boiling water and making ginger soup.

Granny Li was old and had been caught in the rain and frightened. She sneezed one after another, her head was dizzy and her body was weak.

The village chief held her cold hand, his eyes reddening with heartache.

Granny Li shook her head, her voice hoarse: "At my age, I've done my part... It's worth it to protect the village. But there's still one of those people left, so be careful."

"Don't worry, we're here." The village chief patted her hand. "Take care of yourself first."

Zhao Hu prepared the ginger soup and hot water, and only rushed home after watching Granny Li drink it.

The village chief helped Granny Li up, changed her into dry clothes, dried her off, added more firewood to make the kang (a heated brick bed) scorching hot, and then covered her with the only two quilts in the house.

Meanwhile, Zhao Hu returned home, wrung out his soaking wet clothes, and took a quick shower. He was strong and healthy, so the chill passed quickly.

Lying in bed, he was wide awake, fiddling with the fairy chicken in his hand.

He was a hunter who had spent his childhood in the mountains, where he had seen blood and killed countless wild animals with his own hands.

But it was still a beast.

For the first time, he panicked in front of people, hesitated for a moment, and almost caused a disaster.

He only snapped out of his daze when Granny Li smashed the rake down with red eyes and when he gripped the handle tightly.

In this world, what's more ferocious than a bear is a human being, and what's more ruthless than a hungry wolf is also a human being.

Zhao Hu's heart grew colder and colder, then hardened again.

He wanted to keep all dangers out of the mountains, out of the village, and out of sight of Ya Ya and all the villagers.

He wanted to stay in this poor but warm village that people couldn't bear to leave.

They watched over that little sprout with her smiling, crescent-shaped eyes, who had pulled them back from the brink of death.

The wind and rain continued all night, and the wolves on the mountain howled for half the night.

Ya Ya rubbed her eyes and got up from the kang (a heated brick bed).

She was a little unaccustomed to not seeing the village chief, Grandpa Fang, and Uncle Zhao, who were usually waiting for her at home, when she came back yesterday.

"It's raining, and the roads are difficult to walk on, so they won't be coming," Grandma Liu explained carefully, looking at the large pile of things Ya Ya had brought back.

Listening to the soft patter of rain outside the window, Ya Ya suddenly realized, a look of surprise crossing her little face. "It's raining! The bok choy and radishes are going to sprout! And the wheat can be planted too!"

"Yes, it's about to sprout."

"Grandma, Ya Ya bought so many delicious things again!"

As Ya Ya spoke, she took out the bag of braised food that was still steaming, pinched off a piece, and put it into Grandma Liu's mouth.

"Grandma, try it! It's so tender!"

The braised pork is tender and juicy, not dry or greasy, and full of flavor.

Ya Ya flipped through the pastries again, then picked out a golden, soft pastry and handed it over.

Grandma Liu looked at the unfamiliar food and asked, "What is this? It smells like eggs."

"This is called a sponge cake, and it's sweet!"

Grandma Liu took it, took a small bite, and her eyes widened instantly.

It's soft and fluffy, requiring almost no chewing, and the sweet aroma melts gently in your mouth, not too sweet or greasy, just right for the elderly.

"Ouch... this thing is so soft."

A small piece of sponge cake, you take a bite, I take a bite, and the whole house is filled with its aroma.

My dreams are filled with meat and cake.

Because of the rain, the things were heavy, so Grandma Liu didn't move them to the cellar; they were still piled up inside the house.

When I woke up, the room still had a faint fragrance.

Outside the courtyard, the rain lessened, and the village gradually came to life with the sounds of people.

Many villagers were busy working under the shed.

Ya Ya peered out from the door frame, but still couldn't see Grandpa Village Chief. She only saw Grandpa Fang with his hands tucked in.

"Grandpa Fang, come quick! Call Grandpa Li and the others to help move things! There's meat and steamed egg cake!" Ya Ya waved her little hand at Grandpa Fang.

Hearing Ya Ya's crisp shouts, the villagers all looked over. What was a sponge cake? A pastry?

Soon, the group came out of the house carrying large and small bags.

Aunt Lin carried two bags of steamed egg cakes and first gave half a cake to each of Xiaodouzi and Xiaoshuanzi.

Little Bean stood properly and gently accepted the half of the golden, soft pastry with both hands. It was moist and soft, a magical treat brought by Fairy Sprout Sister!

He didn't rush to put it in his mouth. He first said softly, "Thank you, Auntie," before taking small bites.

It melts in your mouth, smooth, sweet, and warm. Little Bean's eyes lit up: "So delicious!"

Little Shuanzi was held in Grandpa Li's arms. He grabbed the sponge cake with his little hand and squeezed it curiously, the unique texture making the fluffy cake shrink a little as he squeezed it.

Seeing his older brother Xiaodouzi eating, he grabbed some and stuffed it into his mouth, the sweet aroma spreading instantly.

Little Shuanzi narrowed his eyes instantly and giggled, "Sweet...cake, sweet, Grandpa eat."

Grandpa Li didn't mind looking at the crumbs of pastry that were covered in his saliva, and took a big bite of them, while Xiao Shuanzi kicked his legs impatiently.

Ya Ya sat on the threshold, resting her chin on her hand, smiling as she watched the lively courtyard. How wonderful!

At this moment, the village chief pushed open the courtyard gate with heavy steps and came in.

"Grandpa Village Chief!" Ya Ya greeted the village chief happily. "It's raining! Can we plant wheat now? Have the chicks hatched yet?"

When the village chief saw Ya Ya, the worry in his eyes instantly disappeared, and he managed to force a gentle smile.

"Yes, we can plant them now. The eggs haven't hatched yet. If they still don't hatch in a couple of days, we'll just boil them and eat them."

"Oh. Grandpa Village Chief, why didn't Uncle Zhao and Grandma Li come with you?" Ya Ya peeked her little head behind him.

The village chief's heart tightened, and he quickly made up an excuse: "I was busy in the vegetable garden, and I was afraid the rain would ruin the seeds."

Without thinking much, Ya Ya grabbed the village chief's hand and stood up. "Grandpa Village Chief, Ya Ya brought some fine rice, meat, and steamed egg cake. Grandma has already eaten them and said they are especially delicious and suitable for the elderly. Please bring some for Grandma Li as well."

The village chief's hands were cold and trembling slightly. When Ya Ya's little hand touched his wound, he twitched very slightly.

Ya Ya lowered her head, loosened her little hands, and saw the fresh wound on Grandpa Village Chief's knuckles. Her little brows furrowed.

The village chief quickly hid his hands behind his back, "I was chopping wood yesterday and it was an accident."

For some reason, he felt a little guilty when Ya Ya looked at him.