Why hasn't Chen Xiaobao grown up yet? Is it possible that he is ageless?

What Mother Zhao and Taohua said deeply moved Yan Chixia and Bai Xiaoyue. Yan Chixia hurriedly smiled and said:
"Auntie, Taohua, these monies are gifts for you two, so you don't need to worry about anyone else. As for the fellow villagers in the village, I will give copper coins to every single family without missing one... Really, Auntie, I still have three hundred strings of copper coins stored inside this 'storage ring'."
"Is that so?" Mother Zhao stood up, walked closer to Yan Chixia, and looked at his 'storage ring' with radiant joy. "Chixia, then you must wear this ring securely and make sure nothing goes wrong!"
"Hee hee hee..." Taohua beamed with smiles. "Mother, look at what you're saying, as if my Brother Chixia were some sloppy soldier."
"Ha-ha," Mother Zhao hurriedly smiled, "My Chixia is extremely clever, certainly no sloppy soldier!" Having said this, her gaze fell upon the pile of copper coins again, and she became somewhat troubled. "Chixia, with this huge amount of money, Taohua and I will never be able to spend it all. We can't just leave it lying around out in the open like this... Where do you suppose we should put it?"
Yan Chixia thought for a moment and said:
"Auntie, I remember when my parents were alive, they used to put copper coins into jars and bury them underground. Whenever they needed money, they would break the seal of the jar and take some out..."
"Really?" Mother Zhao blinked. "Then... Chixia, should we also put the money into jars now and bury it underground? Take some out whenever we need to spend it?"
"Mother, give it a rest!" Taohua smiled. "With this massive pile of money, how many jars would we even need?"
"That's true..." Mother Zhao was left helpless once again.
Yan Chixia wanted to use the [Paper Talisman Incantation Art] to manifest a large vat to hold the copper coins for Mother Zhao and then help her bury it underground. However, upon second thought, he realized he couldn't. With the current magical power of his [Paper Talisman Incantation Art], a manifested large vat would only last for a little over a year, and at most no more than two years, after which the vat would disintegrate and vanish. Yet, those copper coins could never be spent so quickly—in that case, the coins inside the vat would end up buried directly in the earth, and they would likely rot away before long... What should he do?
Just as Yan Chixia was racking his brains for a solution, he suddenly heard Taohua smiling and saying:
"I have an idea! Mother, we can just use our water vat to hold the copper coins, and then bury it underground."
"Taohua, your idea is quite good, and these funds will finally have a place to settle. But if we use the water vat to hold money, what shall we use to hold water?" Mother Zhao asked doubtfully.
Upon hearing this, Taohua let out an "ah" and said:
"Mother, why are you so slow-witted? Now that we have money, can't we buy whatever we want? There are several large water vats sitting in Little Tiger's family's grocery store just waiting for someone to buy them, why don't we..."
"Oh?" Before Taohua could finish, Yan Chixia couldn't help interrupting her, "Taohua, Little Tiger's family opened a grocery store?"

"Yes!" Taohua replied without a moment's hesitation. "Brother Chixia, as early as seven or eight years ago, Little Tiger's father opened the 'Li Family Grocery Store' right at their home... Nowadays, Little Tiger's family is very wealthy! A month ago, Matchmaker Li from our village came to our house and said that Little Tiger's family has already saved up five strings of copper coins. Everyone says that among all our surrounding villages, their family is the wealthiest now."
"Is that so?" Yan Chixia was extremely delighted and said, "Taohua, does Little Tiger fancy you? Did he ask Matchmaker Li to come and propose marriage?"
"Ah?" Taohua's face instantly turned completely red, and she suddenly stammered, "This... this..."
Seeing this, Mother Zhao hurriedly jumped into the conversation and said:
"Indeed! Chixia, Little Tiger has long taken a liking to Taohua, and his father has had Matchmaker Li come to our house to propose marriage more than once. But no matter what Matchmaker Li says, Taohua simply refuses..."
"Mother, stop talking about it!" Before Mother Zhao could finish, Taohua hurriedly interrupted her.
Noticing that Taohua was evading the topic of her marriage prospects with Li Xiaohu, Yan Chixia smiled and said:
"Fine, let's not talk about that matter anymore. Taohua, let's go. Accompany me to the 'Li Family Grocery Store' to take a look, and by the way, we can buy a large water vat back so we can store the money."
"Okay!" Taohua replied instantly and cheerfully. "Brother Chixia, let's go right now." Having said this, her gaze fell upon Bai Xiaoyue's face. "Sister, shall we all go to the 'Li Family Grocery Store' and take a look?"
Before Bai Xiaoyue could speak, Yan Chixia smiled and said:
"Mingzi, you don't need to go. Stay here at home and keep Auntie company for a chat; Taohua and I will be right back."
"Mm," Bai Xiaoyue nodded and said, "Danzi, you go along with Taohua."
"Alright!" Yan Chixia replied, and immediately handed the nine golden pellets he was holding to Mother Zhao, saying, "Auntie, keep these golden pellets safe. Save them just in case anyone in the village falls ill with consumption, so you can give them one pellet."
"Mm, I understand!" Mother Zhao replied, and as if receiving a priceless treasure, she hurriedly took the nine golden pellets into her hands and instructed, "Chixia, you and Taohua go and come back quickly. In a little while, Auntie will cook a meal for you two!"
"Great! Auntie, Mingzi and I will eat the meal cooked by your honorable self in a moment—and by noon, I invite Auntie, Taohua, and everyone in the village to come over to my house for dinner together."
"Ah?" Mother Zhao asked with utmost confusion, "Chixia, at noon you're going to invite everyone to eat at your house? You've just returned, and you have nothing at home, how are you going to treat everyone to a meal?"
"Ha-ha..." Yan Chixia smiled. "Auntie, don't you worry, I have my own ways. You'll find out when the time comes! Taohua, let's go quickly!"

Taohua gave her assent and set off walking immediately. However, after taking only a few steps, she suddenly smiled and said:
"Brother Chixia, wait for me to bring the money!"
With that, she hurried back to the pile of money, crouched down, reached out, picked up a string of copper coins, and turned to leave. Just then, she heard Mother Zhao calling out:
"Taohua, what are you doing taking a string of coins? Are you going out to show off?"
"No, I'm not!" Taohua smiled. "Mother, aren't I going with Brother Chixia to buy a water vat?"
"Buying a water vat only requires twenty copper coins," Mother Zhao replied.
Upon hearing this, Taohua's face flushed red and she said:
"Oh! Mother, I know!"
With that, she put down that string of copper coins, used both hands nimbly to untie the oxhide cord threaded through them, counted out twenty copper coins into her pocket, and then happily walked out of the door with Yan Chixia, heading straight toward Li Xiaohu's house along the village path.
As Yan Chixia walked along with Taohua, chatting with her in the long-missed village, his heart surged with boundless emotions and a myriad of thoughts.
Before long, the two arrived in front of the gates of Li Xiaohu's house. They saw a cloth banner with red borders, a white background, and black characters hoisted high on a bamboo pole above the Li family's grand gatehouse, fluttering in the wind. The banner prominently bore five regular-script characters reading: "Li Family Grocery Store."
"Ha-ha..." Yan Chixia smiled as he examined the banner. "Little Tiger's grocery store has quite an air about it! Truly, 'when people have been apart for three days, one must look at them with new eyes'—back when I was at home, things weren't prosperous for Little Tiger's family at all, but now..." Before he finished his sentence, a boy of about five or six years old suddenly came running out of the "Li Family Grocery Store" hugging a soy sauce jar in his arms. He crossed paths with Yan Chixia and ran past.
Instantly, Yan Chixia was struck with utter astonishment and blurted out:
"Ah? Isn't that Chen Xiaobao? Why hasn't Xiaobao grown up yet? Could he be 'ageless'? That's not right! Why do I recognize him, yet he doesn't recognize me?"
"Hee hee hee..." Taohua couldn't help laughing. "Brother Chixia, you've mistaken the person! That little boy isn't Chen Xiaobao; he is Chen Xiaobao's son, and his name is 'Gold Bean'."