"Big brother, I won't be so pretentious. I really like this bracelet."
Zhang Shuguang knew that only by having a give-and-take relationship could the relationship between the two parties be strengthened more quickly.
"Bear skin, deer skin, wolf skin, bison skin, it seems that you are all masters of hunting.
Just by selling meat and skins, you can make a lot of money. Live by the mountain and the water. You live a very comfortable life."
Zhang Shuguang put the bracelet on his wrist and looked through the furs on the stall, his tone full of envy.
"Little brother, it's not as simple as you say. This is the collective asset of the entire village. We still have a village of men, women, and children to support.
Here we have nothing but rainforests and mountains, and we can't grow crops at all. We have to rely on hunting in the mountains to barely provide food and drink for the whole village.
Look at the furs we brought, both in terms of completeness and quality, they are all excellent, but we arrived in town early this morning and haven’t opened yet.”
Song Zhaohui smiled bitterly, his face full of bitterness.
"Why? Isn't private trading prohibited in our southern border area?"
Zhang Shuguang asked in pretended surprise.
“It was okay before, with many merchants from the north setting up shops in town to buy goods.
As long as the quality is good enough, whether it is animal bones or animal skins, it can be sold at a good price.
In the past decade or so, merchants from the north have not come here again.
There is a government-run purchasing station in town, but the price they offer is very low, and we don’t want to sell to them unless we have no other choice.”
The Song family has lived and multiplied in the rain forest of southern Xinjiang for hundreds of years. The sudden disappearance of the northern merchants has made their lives worse and more difficult.
They also know that no matter how low the price offered by the purchasing station is, they may still have to sell it there in the end.
The reason why I set up a stall here is, firstly, that I still have a sense of luck in my heart, and secondly, it is a habit that I have formed over the years.
"Okay then, I won't delay you from setting up your stall. I wish you good luck."
Zhang Shuguang's main purpose today was to accompany Zheng Yushan shopping and having dinner, but he happened to meet the young chief of the mysterious tribe.
Everything has its priorities, and he will not neglect Zheng Yushan for other utilitarian purposes.
"This set of silver jewelry is nice. It will look good on you."
"This cloth bag is so beautifully embroidered. It's perfect for Panpan to put snacks in."
"And these little embroidered clothes, I want to buy more of them so I can give them as gifts when I return home."
This was Zhang Shuguang's first time visiting a place where many ethnic groups live together. It was like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden, and everything he saw was new and interesting.
In addition, he had no shortage of money and the stall owners did not require tickets, so Zhang Shuguang completely let go and would buy anything he liked without hesitation.
Zheng Yushan, who was originally wearing a dress, was persuaded by Zhang Shuguang to put on another layer of clothing and also wore exquisite silver jewelry on her head and neck.
Two people and four hands could not carry so many things, so Zhang Shuguang asked the stall owner to deliver them directly to the jeep outside the town.
"Comrade Zhang Shuguang, you can't buy any more. Even if you like it, there's no need to buy so much, right?"
Zheng Yushan felt a little helpless. It is said that women love to buy things, but that is because they have not met Zhang Shuguang.
Zhang Shuguang is excellent in all aspects except for one thing: he does not treat money as money.
The trophies from hunting in the mountains are never sold to purchasing stations, and they are not eaten by themselves. Every time, they are shared with friends and close relatives.
When she arrived in town today and saw how Zhang Shuguang bought things, Zheng Yushan finally understood what it meant to spend money like water.
"Yushan, these are gifts I bought for my relatives back home. I plan to mail them to them tomorrow.
You don’t know, I have four uncles and nearly twenty cousins, and there are more than ten little kids who call me uncle.
I also need to prepare gifts for my eldest aunt's family. My father has been in northern Myanmar for three years. If it weren't for the help from my eldest aunt and my grandmother, my family wouldn't have been able to wait until he returned."
While Zhang Shuguang was explaining to Zheng Yushan, he continued to scan the stalls on the street to see if there was anything his relatives could use.
"Okay, I'll help you choose."
This is the man that Zheng Yushan likes. When he talks about his past hardships, he always downplays them and never goes into too much detail.
I always talk about my relatives and friends who have helped me and feel grateful to them.
"Little brother, come and take a look at what I sell and see if there is anything you need."
"Little brother, take a look at my silver jewelry. My family has been silversmiths for eight generations. We never cut corners. I guarantee you will be satisfied with the craftsmanship."
"Young comrade, do you need some mountain products? These morels and chicken mushrooms are all picked one by one from the mountains. They are incredibly delicious."
"Little brother, do you need spring bamboo shoots? Now is the time to eat spring bamboo shoots."
…
Zhang Shuguang's large-scale purchases soon attracted the attention of many vendors.
The nearby vendors gathered around eagerly, hoping that Zhang Shuguang would also come to their stalls to buy something.
Zhang Shuguang did not disappoint them. He bought some of them as long as they were useful.
"Well, if we buy another car, it won't fit."
Zhang Shuguang only stopped this large-scale purchasing operation when the back seat of the jeep was completely filled.
"Okay, let's go eat Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles now!"
I just accompanied Zhang Shuguang for a while and was busy. Now that I have some free time, I feel a little hungry.
"Please put the clothes and headdress in the car first. I'm really sorry. I've never seen such free trade in my hometown. I'm a little overwhelmed."
It was almost noon and the temperature was gradually rising. Zheng Yushan was wearing the clothes she had bought for herself, and her forehead was already slightly sweaty.
"No, you bought this for me. I'm afraid it's not safe to put it in the car."
Zheng Yushan took a step back.
"We were driving a military vehicle, who would be so blind as to steal from us?
Be good and take off your coat first, otherwise it will be even hotter when you eat, and it’s not convenient to eat with your headdress on.”
Zhang Shuguang spoke in a gentle tone. He was surprised that Zheng Yushan treasured the gift he gave her so much.
"Oh well!"
Zheng Yushan took off her ethnic clothes and silver jewelry, put them in the car, and then checked the car door locks.
"Come with me. I know there's an old shop in town that has really delicious rice noodles."
Led by Zheng Yushan, the two walked into a snack bar owned by an Yi couple.
"How about you try it?"
As soon as the rice noodles were served, Zheng Yushan urged Zhang Shuguang to try them quickly.
After trying Zhang Shuguang's cooking skills, Zheng Yushan was a little unsure. Generally speaking, people who are good at eating will also be extremely picky about food.
"Mm, the rice noodles are soft and chewy, the soup is rich and fragrant, and the side dishes are fresh. The food Yushan recommended is indeed delicious. I think I can eat two bowls."
After tasting it carefully, Zhang Shuguang gave it a high evaluation.
"As long as you like it, it's my treat. You can eat as much as you want. It doesn't matter how many bowls you eat."
Zheng Yushan put aside her worries and smiled.
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