Outside Chaoyang County Town, Xu Changqing walked at a brisk pace, taking a shortcut. She had a basket strapped to her back and carried a cloth bag in each hand, which Mr. Shi had thoughtfully packed separately for easier carrying.
On the way back to Baizigou, the main road had its advantages, but so did the shortcuts. The most obvious benefit of the shortcuts was that the villages along the way were closer to the mountains.
Families living near the mountains might not have had the convenient transportation of those along the main road, but everything was a double-edged sword. These more remote places were, in turn, much more peaceful.
Take Baizigou, for example. Its location was a bit out of the way, but on any given day, every household used every available nook and cranny in their yards to plant a few things or raise an extra chicken or two.
