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

When the little pheasant in the yard called for the third time, Ya Ya woke up.

Grandma Liu neatly folded all the clothes she was going to wear and placed them aside. Today she's wearing the new pants her aunt bought for her!

The thick, dark gray trousers were slippery and rustled as you moved. You could pull them on by the waistband, and they were on easily. The inside was lined with warm fleece, which kept your legs and feet warm and made your body even warmer.

She carefully buttoned up her clothes again, then slowly climbed off the kang (a heated brick bed) with her short legs and pushed open the door.

The courtyard outside was already bustling with people. Some were gathered around the stove, some around the village chief and a few others, and some, unable to stay still, were weaving baskets in the short time they had.

There was a sour and salty smell in the air, and Ya Ya sniffed hard with her little nose.

"Are you awake, little one?"

"Go brush your teeth and wash your face. Your auntie made some new fruit for you today. Try it later!"

When Ya Ya came out, everyone greeted her warmly.

By the time the little guy squatted down by the fence to brush his teeth, everyone had already eagerly divided up the cotton pants. There were three left over, waiting for Grandma Wang and Aunt Lin to alter them to make them smaller for the little guy.

I haven't had a chance to part with those fleece pants yet, and I can't bear to wear them anytime soon.

Only Xiaodouzi and Xiaoshuanzi each held onto a yellow duck-patterned pant leg, rubbing their little faces against it, reluctant to take it off.

These pants are so comfortable, soft, and beautiful!

Grandma Li was afraid the two boys would get their new pants dirty, and since it was almost time to eat, she pulled the pants back from the two little rascals' hands.

Little Bean was a little reluctant, staring longingly at the pants: "Grandma, Little Bean is healthy and not afraid of the cold... Little Bean wants to wear the yellow duck pants. Can you alter these pants so I don't have to wear the flowery cotton pants?"

Grandma Li was both amused and annoyed. Life was too good for them; they even had a child to choose from.

Ya Ya obediently washed her little hands clean, and Grandma Liu used a warm towel to wipe her face clean. When she returned to the yard, she was stunned by what she saw.

Everyone in the courtyard had changed into new clothes from head to toe.

Red, blue, and floral cotton-padded jackets, paired with dark cotton-padded trousers covered with colorful small flowers, everyone was dressed neatly and warmly.

Everyone had rosy cheeks and a healthy glow, and looked very energetic.

The aunt who used to be rather thin and frail, now wrapped in thick clothes, looked plump and cheerful, and seemed to have good fortune.

Ya Ya felt a surge of joy in her heart. She didn't know the word "sense of accomplishment," but she was very happy.

"Dinner's ready!" Aunt Lin brought out the last dish.

Everyone sat around the large shared table.

A large bowl of eggplant stir-fried with pork, glistening with oil, the soft eggplant coated in the aroma of pork; a small plate of tomato stir-fried with eggs, red and yellow in color, looking very appealing.

This morning we cooked porridge. Although we had four large bags of refined rice, the villagers still couldn't bear to eat dry rice every meal.

Aunt Lin chopped up a small sausage, sprinkled some fermented black beans on it, and cooked it with the porridge. It smelled delicious.

Everyone looked at the two novel dishes but didn't dare to touch them, mainly because there weren't many made, and if they were so delicious that people couldn't stop eating them, there wouldn't be enough for the little ones.

Ya Ya picked up a small spoon and scooped up a spoonful of tomato and egg stir-fry.

One bite, and it's sweet, sour, and a little salty—so delicious it makes your big toe pop out!

"Aunt Lin's cooking is so delicious! Ya Ya wants to buy these persimmons again next time!"

A small spoonful was placed in front of Xiao Shuanzi, and Grandpa Liu fed him a small piece of persimmon. Xiao Shuanzi's eyes lit up, "More!"

The eggplant was soft and fluffy. With each bite, it absorbed the aroma of meat juices and seasonings, and the juices burst in your mouth. Ya Ya nodded as she ate.

Uncle in the red coat wasn't exaggerating; it really tastes even better than meat!

"Delicious, so delicious!"

Everyone at the table picked up their chopsticks and ate with gusto. Their usually bland appetites were whetted by the two dishes, and thankfully Aunt Lin had cooked plenty of porridge.

After they had almost finished eating, Ya Ya realized that she hadn't mentioned the basket yet.

With her little chin raised, she imitated the way the village chief usually spoke, and coughed seriously, "Everyone, quiet down and listen to me."

The villagers, who were just about to get up and clear the table, paused and looked at her with smiles.

The village chief was amused by her cute appearance, and his lips curved into a smile as he waited quietly for her to speak.

"Yesterday, everyone sold 350 yuan worth of baskets! Grandpa Wang's baskets were the most valuable, selling for 70 or 80 yuan each! The smallest ones were also sold for 10 yuan each; many people wanted them, they were very popular!"

Everyone was both surprised and delighted. Grandma Wang held Grandpa Wang's hand tightly, her voice trembling slightly, "Old man, is this basket really that valuable outside? Seventy or eighty? Then..."

Grandma Wang glanced down at her warm trousers and jacket, "One basket is worth four sets of such fine clothes!"

Grandpa Wang's heart was filled with warmth. He gently patted his wife's hand and said, "I will weave more and more carefully in the future, and I will definitely earn more money to buy you, our daughter, and everyone else the newest and best things."

"I never imagined that our reed baskets would be so valuable over there!"

Ya Ya counted on her fingers and then continued, "Auntie also promised several other aunties that they wanted six of those little baskets."

"Smaller ones sell better. It seems they prefer something more delicate, or something like the style Wang Dazhu made, something fresh and ingenious," Fang Tiesheng pondered, stroking his chin.

The villagers listened with increasing enthusiasm, and they discussed making more small and exquisite ones, which they were sure would sell well.

"If it doesn't rain during the day," someone said, "we can go up the mountain this afternoon to pick some wild vegetables and mushrooms."

"Yes, I'll go take a look this afternoon."

"Half of the nimble-footed ones go up the mountain, be careful on the way, it just rained and the road is slippery. The other half stay in the yard and weave baskets." The village chief quickly arranged today's work.

"Work harder today, then check the soil moisture tomorrow. If the ground isn't too sticky, we'll take a day off and everyone can go sow the wheat seeds!"

Lotus Village has only seven or eight households in total. Together, young and old, they only have one old wooden plow, which was made by the previous generation through hard work and saving.

The plowshare is made of old hardwood, worn smooth and shiny by the years.

The iron plowshare at the front was rusted red, and the tip was worn round, so it couldn't penetrate the hard soil. There was a thin crack on the plow handle, which the villagers wrapped around it with thick hemp rope again and again, and it could still be used with difficulty.

The village chief glanced at the dense, towering mountains behind him, and figured Tiger had probably gone up the mountain again.

He sighed softly, put his hands behind his back, and went to the roadside to look for rough stones. People are like iron plowshares; if you grind them down, they can all be useful.