Let's go back to 2008, starting with a recreational fishing park.

I've gotten used to navigation in this world; whether I'm buying something or going somewhere, I can find it with just a tap on my phone.

But in this era, smartphones were just emerging, let alone map software.

As for car navigation, let's not even talk about whether it's accurate or not. Even if it were useful, my dad's crappy bread wouldn't have any of that stuff!

Jiang Xia sat in the car for a long time, but couldn't think of where in Mengshan County he could buy what he needed, let alone go to buy it.

"Alright, let's go buy groceries first!" Jiang Xia glanced at the supermarket not far away and decided to finish the task her mother had given her first.

As for the things needed for the fishing spots, I can just buy them from Taobao.

Although delivery was slower during this period, it was still better than not being able to buy anything at all.

Having made up his mind, Jiang Xia pushed open the door of the bread cart and strode towards the supermarket.

Arrived at the supermarket.

Because there was a gathering in the afternoon, Jiang Xia bought a small free-range chicken and weighed out more than 30 yuan worth of pork ribs. She would also add the large bluefish she brought back last night, so that all the meat and vegetables for the gathering would be ready.

Afterwards, Jiang Xia casually bought some vegetables and then pushed the shopping cart to the cashier to pay.

These things didn't cost much, less than a hundred yuan in total.

Just as Jiang Xia was about to leave with his bags, a voice suddenly called out to him.

"elder brother?"

Jiang Xia turned his head and saw a dark-skinned young man waving at him from not far away.

On the other side, seeing that Jiang Xia had noticed him, the young man immediately walked over.

"Xiao Bo? What are you doing here?"

When the young man walked up to her, Jiang Xia asked him in confusion.

The young man's name is Jiang Xiaobo. He is the son of his second uncle and is 20 years old this year.

Because he was four years younger than me, he had been my follower since childhood.

Yesterday, I discussed with my mom about inviting my second uncle's family to our house for a family dinner, which included this kid.

And although he is only 20 years old this year, I have the impression that he has been working for several years.

In this era, many rural children drop out of school after junior high, and there are actually very few like Jiang Xia who go on to university and work in Shanghai.

"I came to help my friend buy some things." Jiang Xiaobo answered honestly in response to his older brother's question.

Upon hearing Jiang Xiaobo mention "friends," Jiang Xia noticed that there was another girl waiting where Jiang Xiaobo had just been standing.

The girl was probably around the same age as Jiang Xiaobo, and she seemed quite honest.

Seeing that it was a girl, Jiang Xia glanced at her briefly before looking away.

In this era where "Shamate" (a subculture characterized by flamboyant and often outlandish fashion) is prevalent, Jiang Xia was somewhat relieved that his younger brother and his friends dressed quite normally.

"girlfriend?"

He asked curiously.

Jiang Xiaobo nodded, making no attempt to hide anything.

"Wow, Xiao Bo, that's impressive. I'm still single, and you've already found a girlfriend before me."

"If your aunt knew this, she'd start nagging me again, haha."

Jiang Xia patted Jiang Xiaobo on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"Bro, stop teasing me. You're a college student; you can find any kind of girlfriend you want."

At that time, there weren't as many college students as there would be in later generations, and Jiang Xiaobo admired Jiang Xia's status as a college student.

"I told you to study hard, but you didn't. If you had studied hard, you would be a college student too."

"Ugh, my brain isn't as smart as yours, bro!"

Seeing that Jiang Xiaobo was still trying to argue, Jiang Xia gently tapped his head:

"I think you're not unintelligent, you just don't want to study."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaobo chuckled and said, "Brother, I told you you were smart; you guessed it right away."

……

After joking around with Jiang Xiaobo for a while, Jiang Xia was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something and hurriedly ran to the bread cart to take out a small note.

Jiang Xiaobo was somewhat puzzled.

"What's this, bro?"

Jiang Xia didn't say much, and directly handed the note to Jiang Xiaobo:

"Do you even know where to buy these things?"

This note was none other than Jiangxia's list of supplies that needed to be purchased for the fishing grounds.

Looking at the note in his hand, Jiang Xiaobo scratched his head, then began to read it carefully.

A moment later, he handed the note back to Jiang Xia and said:

"Brother, I think most of these things can be bought at a hardware store. Why don't you go to a hardware store and ask them if they have them?"

"Huh? A hardware store?"

Jiang Xia was somewhat at a loss upon hearing this. In his mind, hardware stores specialized in selling tools such as pliers and screwdrivers.

No matter how I look at it, it doesn't quite match the sun umbrellas, fishing gear, and other items on my list.

Seeing that Jiang Xia seemed a little skeptical, Jiang Xiaobo patiently explained:

"Brother, don't disbelieve me, I didn't know either when I wasn't working."

"After I started working, I realized that hardware stores don't just sell tools. Many hardware stores sell all kinds of safety equipment and daily necessities. Some are even like small supermarkets!"

Jiang Xia found it rather strange to hear Jiang Xiaobo say that.

Having worked in Shanghai in my previous life, I had no dealings with hardware stores, so these words certainly challenged my understanding.

Jiang Xiaobo, despite his young age, has been working as a renovation contractor for two years with a foreman from the next village because of his hard work and perseverance.

This forced Jiang Xia to admit that, in some aspects, Jiang Xiaobo's understanding was indeed superior to his own.

"Okay, you guys keep playing. Don't forget to come over for dinner tonight. I'm going to look for a hardware store."

Jiang Xiaobo nodded: "There's a pretty good hardware store next to the electric bike shop on Xincheng Road. You can go check it out."

"Okay." Jiang Xia waved to Jiang Xiaobo and got into the car to head to the hardware store the other party had mentioned.

……

Following Jiang Xiaobo's directions, Jiang Xia found the hardware store he had mentioned.

I went inside and asked the owner, and sure enough, they had everything I needed.

Although some less common items are still unavailable, you can buy more common items like parasols here.

Without hesitation, Jiang Xia bought most of the necessary items for the fishing spot right there.

This time, several thousand dollars were spent again.

Jiang Xia looked at the balance displayed on the POS machine and felt a pang of heartache.

My savings from working in Shanghai for two years are almost gone after spending money on things like buying fish.

Even so, the money for paving the fishing spots still came from my father, Jiang Jianguo.

Fortunately, the fishing pond will be open for business soon, and then we should be able to start making money gradually.

Hopefully, it will be a big hit when it opens.

After shopping, Jiang Xia didn't rush home. Instead, he drove around Mengshan County.

This time, I'll be staying home to develop my career, so I can't afford to encounter situations like today where I'm completely clueless about even buying something.

As he actually explored the area, Jiang Xia discovered that he was still somewhat unfamiliar with the small county town where he was born and raised; there were many places he didn't even know where they were.

Jiangxia can only be remembered in distant memories when passing by some landmark buildings.

After touring around, Jiangxia gained a new perspective on this relatively remote 18th-tier county town.

It's just slow.

Here, everything seems to slow down. Whether it's the pedestrians and vehicles on the road or the small shops on the street, everything gives people a more leisurely feeling.

This feeling might be imperceptible to those who have lived here all their lives, but it is especially evident to people like Jiang Xia who have returned from Shanghai or other big cities.