The markets in the northwest are somewhat different from those in Jingshan County.
However, they are roughly the same.
Early in the morning, a large open space outside the town, adjacent to the military area, was packed with people.
They set up their stalls early in the morning, selling mutton soup, homemade cloth, grain, eggs, cotton, and homemade baskets and the like.
These vendors didn't shout out their wares; they just squatted behind their stalls, chatting with the vendors next door or puffing on their pipes.
He would only greet people when they came to his stall.
Adults wandered among the stalls, looking for what they wanted to buy.
Many children were running around happily, looking here and there.
I can't resist buying food.
The more honest ones just kept biting their fingers and wouldn't leave, drooling as they did so.
The more mischievous ones throw tantrums and roll around on the ground demanding food.
Parents with a little extra money might jokingly buy their children a treat to satisfy their cravings.
Some parents, feeling embarrassed by the commotion, would ruthlessly pull their children up, give them a few slaps on the bottom, and yell at them.
Tears streamed down the child's dark face as he sobbed and followed behind his parents, afraid they would abandon him.
Once Xu Ningyan entered this place, it was like a fish entering water; everything looked dazzling to her. She wanted to buy this and that.
If it weren't for Gu Zhiyuan's exceptional skills and close following, they probably would have been left behind long ago.
Even so, Gu Zhiyuan was still covered in sweat.
Finally seeing Xu Ningyan stop in front of the mutton soup stall, Gu Zhiyuan wiped the sweat from his brow, squeezed next to Xu Ningyan, and asked very helpfully, "Would you like a bowl?"
This mutton soup is made with local Tan sheep, so it's neither gamey nor muttony. The snow-white mutton soup boils in a big iron pot, and the aroma is so enticing, it scratches at your heart and makes you restless.
Xu Ningyan nodded readily in agreement.
Just then, someone finished eating and left, leaving a small table empty.
Xu Ningyan and Gu Zhiyuan walked over and sat down. Gu Zhiyuan placed the things Xu Ningyan had bought at her feet and told her to keep an eye on them.
Go find the stall owner yourself.
Not long after, Gu Zhiyuan returned with two large lunchboxes full of snow-white mutton soup, containing mutton, offal, and sprinkled with scallions and cilantro.
After placing it on the table, I went to get a plate of sliced flatbread.
This is the local standard: a bowl of mutton soup with flatbread. After eating it, you feel warm and full of energy.
Xu Ningyan took a sip of the mutton soup. It was indeed fragrant and mellow, and the soup was rich but not greasy. After finishing one sip, she wanted another.
After a couple of sips of mutton soup, I started sweating all over. Then I had a small piece of sesame flatbread, baked until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an irresistible aroma.
This mutton soup is made with real ingredients, without any fancy technology. Xu Ningyan drank it with a big smile, but also felt a great sense of regret. If Gu Zhiyuan hadn't been by her side, she would have bought a lot more and stored it in her space so she could scoop out a bowl whenever she wanted to drink it. How wonderful that would have been!
What a pity!
After finishing the mutton soup and the flatbread, Xu Ningyan was still somewhat reluctant to leave.
Gu Zhiyuan put away the lunchbox, scooped some out from the stall owner, rinsed it slightly, and then put it away.
Seeing Xu Ningyan staring longingly at the big pot and drooling, he felt an itch to grab her. His future wife was just too cute. If it weren't for the crowd and the inconvenient location, he would have loved to hold her in his arms and give her a good squeeze.
Gu Zhiyuan swallowed involuntarily, cursing the national pastime in his heart, but couldn't help ruffling Xu Ningyan's hair: "Still not full?"
Xu Ningyan shook her head: "This mutton soup is delicious, but it's a pity we're leaving tomorrow and won't be able to drink it again!"
Gu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, when we get back to the capital, I'll take you to Peking duck and mutton hot pot, which are just as good as this mutton soup. If you really want to eat it in the future, we can still have it when we come to pay respects to your uncle every year."
While comforting Xu Ningyan, he secretly remembered that Xu Ningyan loved mutton soup. He was thinking that after returning to the capital, he would ask his childhood friends who knew how to eat to find out all the delicious food in the nooks and crannies so that Xu Ningyan could try it.
He only has one wife in his life, and she likes to eat good food. How could he not be satisfied?
Xu Ningyan was unaware that Gu Zhiyuan had arranged a great deal of delicious food for her trip to the capital. She smacked her lips and finally got up.
This place produces dates, goji berries, and some Chinese medicinal herbs.
In addition, there were dried cured meats, sesame oil, walnuts, Sichuan peppercorns, dried apricots, and other similar products from various households. I bought some of everything I saw.
In particular, I noticed that in an inconspicuous corner, there was a small stall selling grapes and melons.
The melons were not very big, and the grapes were not as plump and translucent as they are in later generations, but they smelled sweet.
Xu Ningyan's eyes immediately lit up with a green light.
You have to understand that in those days, fruit was scarce, and nobody had the leisure or inclination to grow fruit.
In the countryside of Jingshan County, it's considered good if there are a few peach trees, orange trees, and wild mulberry trees around the houses.
Grapes and melons are things Xu Ningyan only has in her spatial storage; she usually doesn't dare to take them out.
Ordinary people wouldn't spend money to buy grapes and melons, and given the remote location, there were only two or three bunches of grapes and three melons left.
Seeing Xu Ningyan's expression, Gu Zhiyuan knew she was smitten.
Without even asking, I went up and asked the price, and they bought it all.
Xu Ningyan plucked a grape, wiped it with a handkerchief, and popped it into her mouth. With a gentle bite, the grape burst with juice, seven parts sweet and three parts sour—a rich grape flavor that was hard to find in later generations. It was so delicious.
After eating two, Xu Ningyan remembered Gu Zhiyuan, wiped her mouth, and casually fed it to Gu Zhiyuan.
Gu Zhiyuan was stunned for a moment, but quickly came to his senses, and hurriedly put the grape into his mouth, his ears turning red again.
Although some people saw it, the local customs are not so conservative. Judging from the two people's posture, they guessed they were a couple, so they just laughed it off.
They had been shopping all the way back to the guesthouse, both of them carrying large bags and small packages, and they were exhausted.
Gu Zhiyuan, in particular, realized that accompanying women shopping was more tiring than tracking spies.
The back of my clothes was soaked. After returning, I put my things in Xu Ningyan's room and took a cold shower to recover.
After he changed his clothes, he went to call Xu Ningyan for dinner. Xu Ningyan had already packed everything up and sorted it into categories.
If the cured meat is sent back to Jingshan County, it will probably spoil on the way. It's better to take it to the capital.
Xu Ningyan kept a small portion of the other red dates, goji berries, and codonopsis to take to the capital, and packed the rest to send back to Jingshan County.
These things can stay a little longer; we can divide them up when she gets back.
At this moment, Xu Ningyan felt a little disgusted with Gu Zhiyuan. If he weren't there, she could leave some of these things outside as a mere formality, and the rest could be thrown into her spatial storage.
After packing two large bags and finishing their meal, the two went to the post office, filled out forms, and mailed the items.
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