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

In the Lotus Village, where construction waste collected from Ya Ya was stored, Xiong Bo, Zhao Hu, and others were pondering over two wheelbarrows.

"Is this thing sturdy? Bricks and stones are not like other materials, and this sheet metal doesn't look very thick to me. What are these wheels made of? Da Niu, do you know?"

Da Niu squeezed the dark tire hard: "I don't know either, but since it's an iron frame, it shouldn't be too bad. Besides, Nannan said it's for hauling goods and moving stones for us, so it'll definitely work. Er Zhu, why don't you get in and I'll push you around?"

Erzhu shook his head repeatedly. He wasn't a child anymore; this was outrageous.

Upon hearing that it could indeed hold cement, Yan Daya promptly and efficiently loaded several bags of cement into the truck bed. "Master Xiong, Tiger, how about we just make a trip up the mountain? It'll be a good opportunity to test how well this truck handles uphill."

Xiong Bo nodded: "Sure, I'll take this opportunity to go up and check how the wall is drying, and I also need to check if the electric fence poles are installed in the correct positions. If not, we can adjust them before they're completely dry."

All five of them are action-oriented and get things done as soon as they say they'll do it.

Da Ya loaded a truck full of cement and piled up a lot of broken bricks. Da Niu carried two buckets of leftover water from washing vegetables for mixing. Zhao Hu had bad legs, so everyone told him not to do too much work and only let him carry one bucket. Xiong Bo carried all sorts of small tools with him. Er Zhu pushed another empty cart with two shovels inside, planning to pick up any suitable stones he found along the way and take them up the mountain.

After the five of them finished packing, they headed up the mountain path.

They hadn't gone far when Yan Erzhu and Yan Daya noticed something was different.

When the villagers fled famine, most of the work of pulling the cart fell to Erzhu. The wooden-wheeled cart would rattle and bounce wildly when it rolled over gravel, making his hands numb and his arms ache. But these thick, big black wheels caught the bumps, and although they weren't completely undisturbed, they were much more stable.

"This cart is really good!" Erzhu walked briskly, pulling the cart all the way.

When encountering a steep slope, slow down, pull the empty truck to a flat area first, then turn back to help the older sister hold the truck and lift it up together.

It wasn't because the car was too heavy; it was mainly because the older sister had loaded it too full, and the bricks kept sliding backward.

"Next time I'll put less in. In terms of actual weight, it's not as good as carrying two loads on a shoulder pole," Yan Daya said as she strained. "But carrying loads on a shoulder pole is risky because the basket might break or the rope might snap, which is hard on the back and takes a lot of effort. This tin cart called a 'hut cart' only requires a little effort on steep slopes. When the road isn't too steep, it saves a lot of trouble."

Da Niu looked at the two black wheels under the car: "Sister Da Ya, I'll try to tow it when we go down the mountain later."

"OK."

Erzhu would stop every now and then, picking up any large, flat stones he saw and putting them into the truck bed. There were also several half-person-high stones piled up at the mountain pass, which they had carried over on the way when they were building the wall.

When they arrived at the location, Xiong Bo looked up at the wall, which was at least two people high, and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing that Master Xiong remained silent for a long time, Yan Daya and Yan Erzhu felt uneasy and unconsciously tightened their cuffs.

"Master Xiong, did we do something wrong? Is there something wrong with this wall?"

Xiong Bo didn't answer immediately, but took a few steps back and looked up to examine him again.

This wall is about three zhang wide and two people high, with several fiberglass poles supporting it on top. It was specifically reserved for setting up an electric fence.

The wall was nearly four feet thick, and although it was only a small section, like a baby who had just been sent out to guard the city, it was still quite imposing, almost like the city wall of a small town.

Seeing that Xiong Bo remained silent, the group became somewhat nervous.

"Brother Xiong, at least say something! If you make a mistake, we can correct it. Don't stay silent, it's creepy." Da Niu rubbed his arms.

"Don't be nervous." Xiong Bo waved his hand, regaining his composure. "I just didn't expect you to make such a fast pace, building such a high and wide wall, and the walls are so thick. It's just that the amount of cement you'll need later will probably be twice as much as originally estimated."

The group breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Zhao Hu, as he had insisted on building the walls thicker and higher.

Zhao Hu explained, "We didn't originally plan to build such a thick and tall wall, but Uncle Fang and Uncle Village Chief both said that we won't have any more contact with the outside world in the future, and no one will go out. The world outside is not peaceful, and there are two mountains between us... If we build the wall higher, people from outside won't be able to get in, and it will be safer."

Xiong Bo nodded: "That makes sense. Taking strict precautions is always a good thing."

He carefully inspected the wall, especially the connection between the two sides and the mountain. Since the wall construction had already begun, it had to be done perfectly, and no gaps could be left for anyone to find their way in.

"Here, build another section up, a little shorter. Leave space for the poles too. I'll ask Little Fairy Ya Ya to buy more electric fence wire so the whole village can be fenced off."

After confirming that there were no flaws in the wall, and with cement, water, and plenty of stones on hand, plus Xiong Bo as a technical advisor, they decided to start work on the spot. Everything they brought came in handy.

To save on materials, the inner side of the wall was filled with yellow mud, and the outside was reinforced with cement plaster. The main body was made of large stones from the mountains filled with crushed yellow mud. This method not only saved materials but also ensured the wall was sturdy.

The group divided the work: some mixed cement, some moved stones and broken bricks, and Xiong Bo and Zhao Hu used trowels to fill and smooth the gaps in the wall little by little.

Before we knew it, the sun had gradually climbed to its zenith.

Yan Erzhu raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and looking at the high wall that had grown even taller, he felt a sense of accomplishment.

Looking down at the winding mud and rock barrier below, a sense of urgency arose in my heart.

These mudslides, formed by the confluence of yellow mud, gravel, and decaying wood, currently serve as a natural barrier, shielding Lotus Village from outside prying eyes. However, the mud will eventually be washed away by the water. After a severe drought, there are often floods, and the mountains receive several days of rain unless new mud and water replenish the area. But the mountains are already so high that only a landslide could create a barrier of that height.

We still need to hurry up and finish the work; relying on ourselves is worse than relying on fate.

"Sis, have you decided what to buy when you register with Uncle Fang this afternoon? There are three of us in the family. Originally, each of us got a 100-yuan credit limit, but after pooling our resources, we not only didn't lose any, we actually got an extra 50 yuan. I'm so rich, I don't even know what to buy." Erzhu rubbed his aching arms and looked at his eldest sister who was working hard.

Yan Daya's cheeks flushed slightly.

After everyone finished their discussion, Sister Chuntao quietly pulled her aside and told her about something new, something called a sanitary napkin that Uncle Fang hadn't explained in detail.

It's said that the device was specially designed for women during their menstrual period. It's disposable, incredibly absorbent, and leaves the skin dry and non-sticky. Unlike before, when only wood ash mats could be used.

It's filled with soft cotton!

It's unbelievable that a woman would use something as precious as cotton for that kind of thing!

Back in town, there was a family in their alley who were merchants. When their daughter got married, the only thing they brought as dowry was a small box of cotton. That item was rare, and all the women on the street had heard about it and were envious.

This made everyone know that the Yue family had the ability to get rare goods from outside, and the girl who married into the family felt much more confident.

(One chapter today, more in a couple of days. I've been having terrible writer's block lately...)