PDLP Chapter 113: Going to the Market and Preparing for the New Year
Chapter 113: Going to the Market and Preparing for the New Year
After the Little New Year, it was the Big New Year. Li Xiaoxiao remembered that in the modern era, every few days before the Lunar New Year, after returning home on holiday, she would always go to the market in town with her grandparents, who lived in the countryside, to buy New Year's goods. There, Li Xiaoxiao always found a moment of rural tranquility to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Since traveling here, Li Xiaoxiao remembers only celebrating the Big New Year. This year is her second year here.
The next morning, Li Xiaoxiao slowly awoke from her warm bed. The sky outside was already light, and a few rays of morning light filtered through the window lattice, casting a shadow over the simple yet cozy room. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, a strange excitement welling up in her heart. Today was her second time participating in the preparations for the Lunar New Year since traveling to this era, and going to the market and preparing for the New Year were undoubtedly the most anticipated parts.
After waking up, Li Xiaoxiao quickly washed and dressed before rushing to the kitchen. Inside, her mother, Mrs. Bai, was busy preparing breakfast. Smoke curled upward, carrying a familiar and warm aroma. Li Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, almost inhaling the aroma of the New Year.
"Mom, when are we going to the market today?" Li Xiaoxiao asked while helping to add firewood.
Mrs. Bai smiled and replied, "No rush. Let's go after breakfast. There will be a lot of people at the market, so we should go early, but we can't go hungry. Xiaoxiao, go wake up Fang'er and Lin'er."
Li Xiaoxiao responded after hearing this and turned to walk towards Li Fang's room. She gently pushed open the door, walked to Li Fang's bedside, and shouted, "Fang'er, get up quickly. We have to go to the market to buy New Year's goods today."
Li Fang, who was still sleeping with his eyes closed, jumped out of bed upon hearing Li Xiaoxiao's words and prepared to get dressed and go out. Li Fang had been very self-disciplined since he started school. He usually got up early to get ready for school without being called by his family. Now, he was sleeping late because he was on vacation at home.
Seeing that Li Fang was already getting dressed, Li Xiaoxiao went to Bai's room again. She walked to Li Lin's bed and called softly, "Lin'er, get up. We have to go to the market today."
Li Lin turned over and muttered, "Sister, let me sleep a little longer." Li Xiaoxiao smiled helplessly, "Little lazy cat, hurry up and get up. If you're any later, we won't wait for you!"
Li Xiaoxiao gently shook her sister's shoulders, and Li Lin reluctantly opened her eyes and slowly sat up. After getting dressed, she went to the kitchen to scoop up some hot water and washed up.
After a while, Bai also prepared breakfast, and the family sat around the table, eating the steaming breakfast.
After dinner, Mrs. Bai asked Li Xiaoxiao to call Bai Dong and Bai Jing's family to go together. Li Xiaoxiao responded and went out. She first went to her uncle Bai Dong's house. She pushed the door open and walked in, shouting, "Grandma, Aunt, are you ready? We are ready to go."
My aunt Xiuqin, who was still having breakfast in the main room, heard the noise and poked her head out. "Xiaoxiao, have you eaten yet? We're still eating. Come and have something to eat with us."
"Thank you, aunt. I've already eaten." Li Xiaoxiao waved her hand. "Then you guys eat quickly. I'll go call my second uncle and the others first." After saying that, Li Xiaoxiao turned around and walked out the door.
Arriving at Bai Jing's house, Li Xiaoxiao knocked on the door. It was Bai Jing's wife, Li Jia, who opened the door. "Aunt-in-law, we are ready and waiting for you."
Li Jia smiled and said, "Okay, we'll be there soon." A moment later, Bai Jing and Li Jia came out together. When Bai Dong's family arrived, a group of people drove two ox carts and walked up the village road, heading towards the town market.
Along the way, everyone was talking and laughing, and the atmosphere was harmonious. On the way, Li Xiaoxiao saw many villagers also carrying bamboo baskets or shouldering loads, walking in groups of three or five, and everyone's faces were filled with festive smiles.
Arriving at the market, we were met with a throng of people and the cries of vendors. While the markets of that era weren't as bustling as they are today, the bustle and hustle and bustle held a unique flavor. Stalls lined the streets, one after another, displaying a dazzling array of goods: a wide variety of cakes and candies, hand-woven fabrics, exquisite ceramics... each item exuding a strong sense of the Lunar New Year. Li Xiaoxiao excitedly held her younger siblings' hands and weaved through the crowd, looking and touching, soaking up the lively atmosphere.
Seeing that there were too many people, Li Xiaoxiao suggested that everyone go shopping separately and meet again at the town entrance at noon. So the three families went shopping separately.
Li Xiaoxiao and her family first went to the butcher shop and bought some fresh goat meat, pork, and shanks. Although they also raised pigs, they had already killed them and dried them into bacon. Li Xiaoxiao planned to buy some fresh meat to eat at home. After all, the weather was cold now, so fresh meat could be kept for a long time without having to worry about it going bad.
Afterwards, they went to buy some dried fruits and cakes. Li Xiaoxiao even took them to a clothing store and bought a set of festive clothes for everyone in the family, including the eldest and second uncles' families. Soon, the baskets Li Xiaoxiao and Bai Shi were carrying were full. Then, a jewelry store appeared in front of Li Xiaoxiao. Thinking that she hadn't bought jewelry for her family in a long time, Li Xiaoxiao dragged Li Fang and Li Linlin inside. Seeing this, Bai Shi had no choice but to follow them in.
Walking into the store, Li Xiaoxiao saw all kinds of beautiful jewelry, including gold hairpins, silver bracelets, jade earrings, etc. She carefully selected them, wanting to choose a suitable New Year gift for Bai and her younger brothers and sisters.
Finally, she chose a pair of crystal-clear jade earrings that were very beautiful. She handed them to Bai and said, "Mother, they will look great on you."
The mother took the earrings with a smile, put them on, looked at herself in the dim mirror, and nodded with satisfaction. Then, Li Xiaoxiao chose a jade bracelet for her sister. It was soft and delicate, and it suited her very well.
As for Li Fang, Li Xiaoxiao still chose a jade pendant for him, but this one was much better than the previous one. It cost Li Xiaoxiao more than twenty taels. Seeing this, Bai Shi felt distressed and said that Li Xiaoxiao didn't know how to save money. Li Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "Mom, isn't the money we earn to give ourselves a better life? Don't worry, I know my limits."
Seeing that Li Xiaoxiao had said so, Bai Shi didn't say anything. "Mom, let's choose a gift for Grandma and the others."
Li Xiaoxiao picked and chose, finally settling on a pair of agate bracelets, their vibrant colors a perfect match for her grandmother. She had the shop assistant pack them up, and then chose a pair of silver bracelets for her aunt and uncle, and a silver peach blossom hairpin and a pair of peach blossom earrings for Bai Shao. As for her uncle, uncle, and cousin Bai Qiwen, Li Xiaoxiao chose a jade pendant of medium quality for them, planning to give them to them when she returned home.
When checking out, the shopkeeper saw that Li Xiaoxiao had bought so many things at once and even deducted the change, ultimately spending 120 taels of silver. After paying the bill, the few of them were preparing to leave the jewelry store.