They chatted for about half an hour, and had more or less exchanged all kinds of "intelligence" about the village.
Whose son was getting married, whose daughter was being wed off, whose fields had yielded well, whose sow had given birth to twelve piglets...
Qian Xunji listened with great interest, sighing inwardly: No matter the world or country, the information station at the village entrance was always this plain and unadorned, yet packed with an enormous amount of information.
Seeing that the sun was sinking westward, Liu Xiulan stood up. "That should be about enough. Let's go to the market and buy a few things."
"Qian Xun is leaving tomorrow. We need to get him something to take back."
The village market was not large, consisting of only one street lined with all kinds of stalls.
Fresh vegetables, poultry and eggs, handwoven bamboo wares, homemade rice wine... It was not bustling, but it was full of life.
Liu Xiulan stopped at a stall selling mountain goods and picked out two packets of wild mushrooms. "These make a delicious soup. Take them back with you, Qian Xun."
She then selected several pairs of cloth shoes with layered soles from an old woman's stall. "These are comfortable to wear. No matter how nice the shoes you buy in Spirit City are, they can't compare to these when it comes to caring for your feet."
Whenever it came time to pay, things became interesting.
Liu Xiulan took out her purse. "I'll pay, I'll pay! I'm the elder here!"
Qian Xunji pressed down her hand. "Auntie, how could I let you? I'll pay myself."
Bibi Dong also held out money from the other side. "Mom, I'll pay! I have money!"
The old woman running the stall watched the three fight to pay and smiled