Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 1059 - 1039. Join in the fun

Chapter 1059: 1039. Join in the fun

The neighboring village was said to be close, but it actually took almost 20 minutes by car.

The mountain roads were winding, with only the recently renovated main road paved with asphalt; the remaining paths were bumpy dirt roads. Even though the drivers were skilled, Lao Zhu and the others still ended up jostling around a bit.

Still, everyone seemed excited, starting to chat as they rode in the car—

"Feels like I haven’t had this in years!"

"Right? I used to love it as a kid, kept eating it until I got blisters in my mouth."

"My family was poor back then. We only made it during New Year’s, to serve the guests."

"I used to hook it on my fingers while eating..."

"Back when I was in elementary school, the kids in class used this to fight. Even if it fell on the ground and got dusty, we’d just blow it off and keep eating."

"By the way, what’s the name for that popped rice snack in your area? The kind that turns into individual grains?"

"We called it stir-fried rice!"

"We called it rice pops! On winter mornings, we’d soak a big bowl of it in water, add a spoonful of sugar, but it was disappointing—it didn’t soak well. You’d fill the bowl, but once it softened, there’d only be a thin layer on the surface. Never enough to fill you."

"Nonsense! The stir-fried rice we had was dry roasted till it was crispy! Crunchy with every bite!"

In the driver’s seat, Xiaodu listened to the lively chatter of the old men in the backseat and couldn’t help but smile.

Say what you will, this rice snack seemed to be everyone’s childhood memory. Xiaodu loved it too!

What was worrying, though, was whether the elders could manage to eat so freely here. After the pig-slaughter feast, if they went back and got checked... well...

Sigh! Hard to say.

Meanwhile, in the car up front, Secretary Xiaozu voiced his confusion: "Forty pounds of rice could last them half a day of cooking. Why didn’t you just have them do it at home? Why go through all this hassle, bringing everyone so far away?"

Song Tan laughed: "Not everyone in the village has come back yet. Doing it at home wouldn’t be lively enough. What’s the fun in that?"

"Besides, the elders just arrived. Wouldn’t you want to let them enjoy a bit of fun for a couple of days? In a few days, they’ll be helping us sort vegetables, move chairs and tables. Gotta keep them entertained first."

Secretary Xiaozu: ...

She thought to herself, "You’re really bold, aren’t you?"

Little did she know, Song Tan was well aware—given Secretary Xiaozu’s family background, her household probably wasn’t ordinary either. The grandpas even came with assistants, clearly accustomed to a life of luxury.

For older folk with money, leisure, and free time on their hands, giving them small tasks to help out wasn’t just practical—it gave them a sense of participation and a bit of joy!

And anyway, with their assistants present, anything beyond their physical capability could be handled for them.

This way, they’d easily integrate into the group. No aimlessly wandering the mountain village, bored and restless.

She’d learned plenty of tricks like this from her grandmother.

At this point, Song Tan revealed her own excitement: "This village is pretty close to Songshu Town. With so many people around and the New Year approaching, there’s going to be markets happening almost every other day. You’ve been in the village for so long but haven’t visited one of these big markets, have you?"

"Come on, let me take you to check it out!"

...

Songshu Town got its name from the many dense pine trees in the surrounding mountain forests—not the northeastern type that bore pine nuts, though. Most of the trees here produced empty cones and weren’t very tall.

Connected to this pine forest on the other side was Xiaosong Village, which was more developed than Yunqiao Village.

They called it a "village," but every New Year’s market here attracted more people than Songshu Town itself, which had fewer permanent residents. It was especially bustling.

As Song Tan drove into the area, she could see from a distance the expansive rows of lively red-stall markets ahead. The sight was incredibly lively.

Members of the Tian Group hadn’t experienced such a vibrant rural market in years. As soon as they stepped out of the car, every single one lit up with expressions of wide-eyed fascination.

Meanwhile, the vendor selling Spring Festival couplets at a nearby stall curiously stared at the three Audi cars that had just pulled in, enthusiastically calling out:

"Oh wow, these are some nice cars, huh! Imperial City license plates too... Bro, your kid must be doing pretty well for himself out there! Wouldn’t this be the year to buy a big fancy couplet?"

Ah, rural vendors were so straightforward with their talk. Lao Zhu paused before finally replying, "It’s not even Laba Festival yet, and you’re already selling couplets?"

"Why not?" The vendor replied nonchalantly. "Here we start selling them as soon as the twelfth lunar month begins—take a look! My couplets are dusted with gold powder. Your kid’s doing great, and the old family home should prosper too, huh?"

"Come on, pick some out, gentlemen!"

Lao Zhu: ...

Ah, well, the atmosphere was certainly lively, and so was this pitch! Should we...

Just then, Song Tan came over with the rice and turned to see them hesitating to speak. She couldn’t help but laugh:

"Hey! What’s the rush? Browse around first before deciding—come on, let’s go check out what’s further ahead!"

With a mix of urging and coaxing, she herded them forward like little chicks, while the vendor behind her wasn’t the least bit worried, his voice still brimming with energy:

"Take your time, but don’t forget to come back to me afterward! I’ll give you a fair price here!"

The stalls up front were selling candy sticks and deep-fried glutinous rice rolls, belonging to the category of childhood nostalgia. Lao Zhu and the others couldn’t help but linger, stealing a few extra glances, which made Xiaodu and the rest grow increasingly anxious.

It wasn’t a matter of hygiene, but some of the elders really shouldn’t eat things like this. If they caught a cold or became ill later, it’d be inconvenient to get treated in the countryside...

However, Song Tan didn’t give them the chance: "No hurry, no hurry—there’s plenty more stuff ahead. Compare prices first; bargaining comes later."

The usually reserved Mr. Yang found himself absorbed in the atmosphere, dazzled by the vibrant market scene on all sides. He couldn’t resist sighing:

"The New Year spirit is so strong here!"

Qiaoqiao shook her head: "Not really. This is just the biweekly market. Xiaosong Village holds them like this closer to the end of the year."

"The regular markets are usually in the morning... but I rarely come here. We usually go to the ones in town."

"Morning markets are even livelier; you can barely move through the crowd with so many people."

The "town" she referred to was Qingxi Town, where Yunqiao Village was administratively located. Slightly less prosperous than this area, it was closer; just a thirty-minute bike ride away.

Unlike this place, which took nearly half an hour by car.

Secretary Xiaozu sighed: "Nowadays, rural populations are scarce. People don’t have much holiday time for New Year visits anymore. The New Year spirit isn’t what it used to be, but these markets are still lively."

They’re certainly livelier than anything up in the mountains!

Especially the small vendor stalls—the goods they sold hadn’t changed much in decades. The elders gathered to examine and critique, still able to find familiar items from their memories!

Meanwhile, as Song Tan strolled along, she spotted a stall up ahead selling freshly fried golden-yellow twisted dough sticks. The irresistible aroma of fried snacks lingered in the air, and she abruptly stopped in her tracks:

"Qiaoqiao, go ask about the price."

She turned and addressed the Tian Group members trailing behind her: "Master Jiang sowed a patch of prostrate spinach near the factory’s irrigation ditch. It’s an old variety, and he said he wants to make spinach soup with these crispy dough sticks."

"Do you all want some? If so, I’ll buy more. They’re good as snacks to munch on too."

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