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

The stall owner's wrinkles deepened with his smile as he looked at the tiny baby, his hands clasped tightly.

Finally, I weighed Ya Ya: two persimmons, one large eggplant, and five catties of ginger, totaling 19 yuan.

He helped put everything into Ya Ya's little stroller, gave her change, and then sat back down on his little stool. Hey, what a great start!

Ya Ya gripped the handlebars, thought for a moment, then tilted her head and asked the stall owner, "Uncle, do you know where I can buy fermented black beans?"

Fearing her uncle wouldn't know what fermented black beans were, she gestured with her little hands to indicate: "They're those black, little beans."

"You also know about fermented black beans? Look, walk over there, about 50 meters, there's a spice stall, and on the stall there's a blue and white porcelain jar full of fermented black beans. They've been making them for decades, and the beans are big and plump."

The stall owner smiled and pointed out a direction to Ya Ya.

"Thank you, Uncle."

After thanking him, Ya Ya pushed the cart in the direction her uncle had given her, towards the blue and white porcelain jar...

I saw it!

Ya Ya quickened her pace, and as she got closer, a strong and fragrant aroma wafted over first.

It's a mixture of spicy, numbing, fragrant, and astringent flavors that all rush into your nose, making your nose tip itch.

The stall, made of wooden planks, was packed full of goods, covered with a snakeskin cloth, with various seasonings arranged separately.

There were large boxes filled with shiny white rock sugar cubes, and small bags containing fine white powder with open openings.

The other large boxes contained pieces of dried tree bark or clusters of dried, small red berries.

There is also a fruit that looks like a small flower, brown in color with a few small pointed tips.

Bundles of dried leaves, with a bitter smell, piled up at the tip.

Various red, yellow, and brown powders were carefully gathered into small piles by the stall owner, creating a colorful and lively scene.

The most eye-catching thing is the large blue-and-white porcelain vat in the middle of the stall. The vat has a wide mouth and looks quite old. It is the one that Uncle in the red coat mentioned.

Ya Ya dragged her little cart to the stall. She didn't know what the pile of red powder was made of. It was spicy and pungent, and Ya Ya's nose was itchy, so she quickly turned her back.

"Achoo!"

A loud and sudden sneeze startled her.

She rubbed her nose, moved aside, and got a little further away from the small pile of red powder before tilting her head up to look at the old man tending the stall. "Grandpa, is that fermented black beans in this jar?"

The stall owner didn't see anyone at first glance, but when he stood up and looked down, he found a little one standing in front of his stall, with only two pigtails and a pair of round eyes visible through the stall.

"Yes, it's authentic, high-quality fermented black beans, very fragrant."

The jar was placed too high; even when Ya Ya stood on tiptoe, she couldn't see inside.

Seeing her struggling little face, the old man chuckled, reached out and picked up a small wooden ladle, scooped it into the blue and white porcelain jar, and the black, shiny, and plump fermented soybeans were revealed, each one round and plump, smelling fragrant and mellow.

"Little one, you know about fermented black beans? Smell it." He beckoned to Ya Ya.

Ya Ya carefully leaned closer, took a gentle sniff, and a rich aroma of soybeans mixed with a salty fragrance filled her nose.

It smells so good! This is it!

She knew this taste all too well.

In the village, poor families didn't have many good dishes. There was little oil and even less meat. A few bran cakes were occasionally served with some porridge. As long as a few fermented black beans were sprinkled on top, the dry and tough cakes would become so delicious that they could be swallowed several more times.

Moreover, this grandpa's beans look big and round, they are top-quality beans!

They're really generous here, unlike in their village where good beans are saved to exchange for money, and only small, broken, and shriveled beans are used to make fermented black beans.

"Grandpa, I want to buy this."

"How much do you want?" the stall owner asked with a smile, picking up a transparent plastic bucket, unscrewing the lid, and preparing for Ya Ya to use it to hold the fermented black beans.

Ya Ya stared at the transparent round jar in Grandpa's hand. It was that kind of jar again, so clear. It must be a good thing!

The sweet water she brought back last time was also in a transparent jar like this. Grandma Liu washed it clean and now keeps it locked in the kitchen cabinet.

"Grandpa, is this jar expensive?" Ya Ya asked softly. If it's too expensive, she'll change it to a small bag.

The stall owner was amused by her and waved his hand, saying, "It's not expensive or not, it's a plastic container, it's free."

Ya Ya was relieved and carefully examined the size of the jar.

"Fill it full."

The stall owner smiled and agreed, filling the ladles to the brim, and weighing them—a full pound and a half.

He screwed on the bright yellow cap, which had a small handle, making it very convenient to carry.

This fermented black bean is a top-quality product made in his own home. The beans are large, fragrant, and slightly more expensive than others.

One and a half pounds, that's fourteen yuan in total.

Ya Ya counted out a ten-yuan note and handed it over in four-yuan notes.

The stall owner placed the small jar on the lid of Ya Ya's little cart. Seeing the cart, he casually asked, "Want anything else? Star anise, cinnamon, chili powder... we have everything, it makes the dishes smell wonderful."

Ya Ya looked in the direction her grandfather pointed. "These old tree bark and dry leaves, can they be used to make dishes too?"

But then I thought, if wild vegetables from my own village are in high demand here, it's not surprising that these tree bark and leaves can be sold for money.

She tilted her little face up and asked curiously, "Grandpa, how do you cook with all this dried bark and leaves? Are they expensive?"

The stall owner, an elderly man, patiently explained to her that since no one was coming to his stall at the moment, "This is not ordinary tree bark; it's called cinnamon bark. The dried leaves are called fragrant leaves, and this thing that looks like a small flower is called star anise."

Add a little when stewing pork ribs, stewing chicken, or making braised dishes; it makes them incredibly fragrant. Braised pork is also made with these seasonings.

Ya Ya has never eaten stewed meat with star anise and cinnamon before, but as soon as you mention braised meat, she knows what it tastes like.