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

"Sister also brought some milk powder for Ya Ya. Drinking it will help her grow stronger and less prone to illness. She'll also be stronger," He Miao said, pointing to the can of children's milk powder. "There's also special milk powder for the elderly, which can also boost their immunity and reduce illness. Sister will bring some for Ya Ya next time."

Seemingly knowing the child was about to ask, He Miao quickly added more information.

Ya Ya firmly grasped a few sentences—

They are not prone to illness, are strong, and even the elderly can be found among them.

This powder must be very expensive, right?

She thought for a moment, then reached into her small cloth bag and pulled out a handful of red bills. She looked up at He Miao.

"Sister, I'd like to buy some of the powder for the elderly that you mentioned, so that everyone can stay healthy and have more energy. Is this enough money?"

As she spoke, she placed a stack of red bills on the counter, then reached into her small cloth bag and turned to Chen Lei: "Uncle, I want to buy those lamps again... nine more! And that little cup with the flowers from last time, and a water ladle, a bucket..."

Ya Ya spoke softer and softer, feeling a little flustered.

She wanted to buy so many things.

She wanted to bring a sun lamp to every household in the village, so that every house would be bright at night and her grandparents wouldn't fall when they got up.

That little cup with a handle is lightweight and pretty, much more convenient than a bowl. She always sees it, and although her grandparents don't say anything, they all like it very much.

I only bought five last time.

Aunt Lin often takes it to look at.

There's also the water ladle. The wooden ladles in the village are too heavy, and she needs to replace the buckets too. They're all so heavy that Grandma Li has to bend over very low every time she carries a bucket.

We need to replace them with the lighter buckets and ladles here.

He Miao looked at the wad of hundred-yuan bills spread out on the counter and roughly counted them; there were at least two thousand.

Chen Lei was also stunned. Looking at the pile of fifty, twenty, and ten yuan coins, the two looked at each other and were both shocked.

They originally thought that Ya Ya's little cloth bag contained at most some loose change, and that it wouldn't be much even if it was bulging.

I never expected this little girl to be carrying so much cash. Her little cloth bag didn't even have a zipper. She's so careless.

"Oh dear, silly child." He Miao quickly gathered the money, folded it neatly, and stuffed it back into her small cloth bag. "You don't need so much, it's enough, Ya Ya, you keep these. There's a lot of money here, enough to buy a lot of things."

"Don't take it yet, I'll buy it for you first. I've never bought milk powder for the elderly before, so I don't know the price. You can pay me after I've bought it, okay?"

Chen Lei scratched his head, chuckled, and discussed it with her:

"Ya Ya, Uncle wants to talk to you about something. Bucket, basin, small cup? You mean a cup? And a lamp, Uncle can take these for you, no money required, how about we trade?"

He pointed to the pair of straw sandals in the small basket, "Uncle also wants a pair of shoes like these, but they have to be flip-flops, the kind with a bar at the toe so your toes can be caught on it."

"Flip-flops?" Ya Ya tilted her little head.

"Yes, yes, that's it."

"But Uncle, straw sandals will break if they get wet, they're not worth that much money." Ya Ya stared intently into Chen Lei's eyes, this uncle was trying to fool her again.

Chen Lei was both amused and exasperated. Did he really have such a low reputation in this little girl's eyes?

"It's worth it. Your mother-in-law's straw sandals are made with traditional techniques. Nowadays, there are very few people in China who can weave such exquisite straw sandals. Chen Lei even insisted on making them by hand. He got a good deal even though it cost over a hundred yuan."

He Miao stood by and helped explain.

There are many machine-woven straw sandals sold online for a dozen yuan a pair, with rough textures and loose details.

These are in a completely different league from the pair that Ya Ya brought.

The straw used for these shoes is split very finely and has a very high density. The cattail is of a uniform and smooth color, and it is clear that it was carefully selected. The woven pattern has a natural sense of interlacing, and the edges are exquisitely finished.

The average price for these is over one hundred, let alone a custom-made one.

Ya Ya covered her mouth with her little hand in surprise. Everyone in their village knew how to weave straw sandals.

A pair of straw sandals can be worn for one or two months, but if you go to work in the fields, they will break in half a month.

To make them last longer, the grass had to be thoroughly dried, the rope had to be twisted tightly, and the soles had to be woven in several layers.

When they have free time, they chat and weave shoes and baskets at the same time. They can weave several pairs a day, and they can even weave in the dark at night.

The straw sandals that the shopkeeper uncle wanted were made even faster; no need to weave the uppers, Grandma could finish them in half an hour.

But now, Sister Hemiao is saying that these straw sandals are worth more than a hundred yuan?

A single red bill can buy so many things, except for that magical milk powder.

"Okay, I'll ask Grandma to weave some straw sandals for my feet when I get back." Ya Ya nodded vigorously.

Chen Lei was overjoyed. He measured his foot and told Ya Ya. He knew that these old craftsmen didn't use sizes; they were all made by measuring the length.

Ya Ya carefully wrote it down; this was something she was going to exchange for, something that could be sold for money, so she couldn't make a mistake or forget it.

"I'll remember. I'll bring it to Uncle when Grandma finishes weaving it."

"Okay! I don't have that light here, but I'll order it online for you. You can pick it up in about three days, okay?"

"good!"

After finalizing these matters, Chen Lei asked Ya Ya how many buckets and basins she needed, then turned and went to the warehouse.

They gave her five buckets, five basins, and twenty small cups.

The cups, old clothes, milk powder, calcium tablets, and candy were all put into the bucket, and the basins were stacked on top of the bucket. It fit perfectly into the stroller box, but the lid couldn't be closed properly, so it was left uncovered.

In the bowl on top, there was also a serving of fried rice with egg and an extra-thick jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe).

After packing her things, Chen Lei helped her carry the car down the steps.

Ya Ya thanked the two of them sincerely and then waved goodbye.

It was the busiest time of the night market, and Ya Ya weaved through the crowd, searching for an inconspicuous empty alley.

As they passed a narrow alley, Ya Ya noticed some shiny reflections inside, and she curiously pushed her cart into it.

This is an alley connecting two streets; there is light on both sides, so it's not too dark inside.

When Ya Ya walked up to the reflective object, she froze.

It turned out to be a huge mirror, long and tall, wrapped in a soft black fabric, leaning against the wall at an angle.

There was a black crack in the lower right corner, which made her leg look like it had been cut in two.

Next to the mirror are two trash cans.

Ya Ya stood in front of the mirror, her little mouth slightly open and her eyes wide open.

It was the first time she had ever seen such a large and bright mirror.

The bud in the mirror also had its mouth open and its eyes wide open.

Ya Ya grinned. This red dress is so pretty. She looks really good today.

After playing for a while, Ya Ya looked around and found that it was quiet and there was no one around.

The mirror was dirty and broken, and it was placed with unwanted trash.

This must be... something that someone else didn't want, right?

She knew that the people here would pile up things they didn't want.

It's such a waste to throw away such a big mirror.

Ya Ya pursed her lips, reached out her little hand towards the mirror, and then pulled it back.

What if it wasn't something someone didn't want? It's such a big and clear mirror; it would be so heartbreaking to lose it.