An hour later, the oxcart arrived in town. Gan Li thought she had a lot of things to buy, so she simply asked Gan Qishan to drive the oxcart along with her.
Fortunately, the streets in the town are quite wide, and it is easy to move around in an oxcart, which is convenient for Ganli.
She had just moved into her new house, which was completely empty. If the Gan family hadn't brought her some food yesterday to help her out, she wouldn't even have been able to eat.
Having come to town today, she was determined to buy all the necessities for her daily life. Remembering that the general store she had visited last time had a fairly complete selection, she headed straight for that store this time.
Pots, pans, and all sorts of other miscellaneous items—Ganli picked out a lot of everything that could be used, piling it up to a huge heap. The shopkeeper couldn't stop smiling when he was doing the accounting.
After buying her necessities, she went to the grain store next door to buy food, purchasing two large bags each of rice and flour. Seeing this, the grain store owner kindly asked her if she needed any whole grains.
After all, although people's lives are much better now, there are still not many families that can afford to eat only white rice and white flour.
Gan Li originally didn't want to buy it—not because she was being fussy, but because she genuinely couldn't stomach it. Few people raised in modern times can stomach such coarse grains. Besides, she wasn't short of money; why subject herself to unnecessary hardship?
However, considering the current state of affairs, she still bought a small bag to avoid attracting attention.
She then went to the butcher shop and bought five pounds of fatty pork to render oil. Before leaving, she glanced at the thin face of the little girl beside her and asked for two more pounds of pork belly. Afterward, she went to the cotton shop and bought two sets of quilts, getting everything from pillows to blankets to mattresses.
She went on a shopping spree, leaving Gan Qishan speechless. Although he knew she had just moved and needed to buy a lot of things, he still felt a little sorry for her as he watched the money flow out like water.
Therefore, when Gan Li came to ask him where he could find a craftsman who could repair the roof, Gan Qishan looked at her as if she were a spendthrift son:
"Why bother hiring someone? That would be a waste of money. Buy some tools, and if you get home early today, I'll fix that roof for you while I'm at it."
Upon hearing this, Gan Li happily exclaimed, "That's wonderful! Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Qishan!"
That's the truth. First, she wasn't sure if anyone would take on such a small job if she asked someone for help. Second, relationships are based on give and take. Since she had decided to live in Yuxi Village from now on, she naturally had to take care of these relationships.
After she thanked him generously, she asked what she needed to repair the roof. Gan Qishan told her, and the group went back to the general store to buy everything before loading it onto the car.
After wandering around for a while, it was already noon. Ganli had a bowl of porridge when she left home in the morning, and she was starving by now. Considering that it would take another hour to get back and there would be no ready-made food at the back, Ganli decided to eat in town before heading back.
Moreover, Gan Qishan had helped them so much today, and Gan Li wanted to express her gratitude, so she offered to treat him to a meal. He initially declined, but couldn't resist Gan Li's enthusiastic invitation, and finally agreed.
Ganli then suggested going to the dock: "I heard there's a small restaurant there that serves really good food at reasonable prices."
Gan Qishan knew this; at the dock, besides tourists, there were only porters carrying goods. He didn't know if the food was good or not, but it was definitely affordable. Although he had agreed to go eat there, he didn't want Gan Li to spend too much money, so when he heard her mention it, he readily nodded in agreement.
So the three of them quickly got into the cart. Once the mother and daughter in the back were settled, Gan Qishan drove the oxcart toward the dock.
When it was time to eat, the dock was bustling with people, a lively scene indeed.
On both sides of the pier, there was a row of thatched sheds selling all kinds of food. The aroma attracted the attention of passers-by. Every thatched shed was full of people, and even many small stalls were crowded with customers.
Ganli was enjoying the lively scene before her when she felt someone tug at her sleeve. Looking down, she saw Gantian cautiously say, "Mother, I'm thirsty."
"Thirsty? Let's buy a bowl of tea."
The weather is gradually getting warmer. Although it rained last night, it still feels stuffy and hot at midday. They walked all morning, and Ganli's throat was already parched.
However, after searching around, she couldn't find any tea vendors there.
Seeing this, Gan Qishan quickly said, "Every household has tea. You can bring your own pot when you come to work every day. Besides, many stalls offer tea with meals, so why bother buying it? If you're thirsty, just ask the shopkeeper for two bowls when you eat."
Ganli understood that since the demand was not high, naturally no one would want to do this tea business.
But is there really no demand?
She carefully observed along the way and saw that whether it was travelers temporarily staying or workers carrying goods, everyone was drenched in sweat under the scorching heat. The workers, in particular, frequently gulped down water from their water bags, and even after drinking half a bag, the sweat continued to pour out like a spring.
The three of them chose a small restaurant and sat down. Gan Qishan ordered three bowls of water, and Gan Tian picked them up and drank them. In the blink of an eye, she had finished one bowl, but she still felt thirsty, so she asked for another bowl out of embarrassment.
Ganli took the tea and saw that it was a light brown color with a few tea leaves floating on top. She took a sip and found it a little astringent, but not unpleasant. However, after finishing the bowl, her stomach was bloated, but her throat still felt like it was on fire, and she felt a strange sense of irritability and thirst.
"This weather is unbearably hot. If only we had a slice of ice-cold watermelon right now!" someone nearby said.
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