Yang Family and Laixi followed the road by the pond toward the center of the market. The shops lining the street had just seen off a wave of shoppers, but the area remained bustling with people.
Unlike in the big cities and towns—with their clean, tidy streets and magnificent, brightly lit shops—the streets of Xiatang Market were narrow paths of bluestone. They were clean enough, but the shops on either side were low and cramped. They mostly catered to the needs of country folk, with oil presses, tofu workshops, various general stores, and grain shops. Merchandise displayed out front of some stores spilled into the street, making the already narrow road even more constricted.
And yet, a street like this was bursting with the energy of daily life.
