Ten days after we came back, we had almost consumed all the things we bought before the holiday.

After Christmas, the markets in Russia have also opened, and Xiaoshi is going to the market to buy, and I am curious to see what the market is like.

In Russia, like China, traditional farmers' markets are the most down-to-earth and responsive to people's needs compared to the big supermarkets.

We drove to the central market of Irkutsk. This is the largest market in Irkutsk, which is divided into two parts: indoor and outdoor.

The outdoor part is dominated by fruits and vegetables, similar to the farmers' market, where you can buy all kinds of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

This is also where Xiaoshi comes most often.

The indoor part has bread, meat, cheese, spices, daily necessities, household appliances and other daily necessities, all of which are very cheap, and they are the most popular goods among ordinary citizens.

Xiao Shi smiled and asked me if I was only used to going to the supermarket, not the market, right?

I smiled and told Xiaoshi that I had worked in the market in Moscow for almost three years! So, I have a very special affection for the market.

Of course, the wholesale market in Moscow and the market here are not exactly the same concept, but I feel that the temperament of the market is the same, especially the people here, it seems to be a copy of the Moscow market.

However, how can I not see the Chinese here? Isn't it said that there are also many Chinese who have shops here in Irkutsk?

Xiao Shi smiled and told me that the Chinese market was not here, and one day he took me there to have a look. A lot of people in that market are regular customers of our office!

Xiaoshi and I bought a lot of ingredients and daily necessities for the office.

To be honest, I rarely go shopping, and I don't like to go to the shops very much.

Unlike some women, I was far more interested in a local library and museum than in a shop, so I found it interesting to be shopping for a place full of life.

A few days later, Xiaoshi was going to the Chinese market to buy socks, and he asked me if I was going. Naturally, I would like to go along.

We came to this famous market in Chinese circles, and Xiaoshi told me that the Chinese have given this market a rather modern name - "Shanghai Market".

Although "Shanghai Market" has nothing to do with Shanghai, it is really the world of Chinese, and like the Chinese market in other parts of Russia, Chinese merchants here also mainly deal in clothing, shoes and hats.

The Chinese New Year is approaching, and I see that some stalls seem to be temporarily closed. However, there are still many compatriots who are very dedicated and stick to it here.

Xiao Shi was very familiar with this place, and he could meet acquaintances after walking a few steps.

We came to a stall selling socks, and the owner was a middle-aged man from Zhejiang, with a typical thin appearance of people from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and his accent was also so emphasized.

Looking at him reminds me of the seafood owner who liked to go to casinos in the first place.

He was very familiar with Xiao Shi and asked Xiao Shi if he would go home for the Spring Festival. Xiao Shi told him that Director Zhu and Deputy Director Cheng both went back during the Spring Festival, but the bigger leaders came, so he couldn't return to China for the New Year this year.

The boss told Xiao Shi that their fellow villagers had dinner at the Chinese restaurant on Chinese New Year's Eve, and everyone watched the Spring Festival Gala together, and if Xiao Shi wanted to participate, he would inform him one day in advance, so that he could reserve a seat for Xiao Shi.

Xiao Shi told him that he could not make the decision on how to spend Chinese New Year's Eve, and he had to discuss with the leader before deciding.

The owner of the sock seller said that if someone from your company comes, he is welcome. They have already chartered a hall, and the cost of meals is evenly shared, and the more people, the less the cost.

Leaving the sock stall, we continued to wander around the market.

I am reminded of the once-famous Izmailo market in Moscow. I remembered the office we set up in that market, I remembered my former colleagues, Sister Yuan, Sergey, Li Bailing and Liu Yang...... I even remembered Daniel, that Azerbaijani and Andrey......

From before New Year's Day to today, I have barely been able to contact Andrei.

My domestic mailbox doesn't seem to be strong, and it was banned again at the end of the year, and I didn't bother to apply for the ban to be lifted these days.

I can't install the Chinese version of QQ for Andre, it is said that QQ is out of the international version, I didn't confirm it and couldn't notify him...... Besides, I doubt that Andre has time to surf the Internet now, and I really can't keep up with his pace of flying all over the world.

After returning to the office, although my mobile phone has a signal, I don't know when my domestic mobile phone is in arrears.

At that time, it wasn't as easy to pay the phone bill as it is now, and I was abroad, so I couldn't solve this problem for a while.

I asked Xiao Shi how he usually contacted his family. Xiao Shi told me that he didn't dare to roam internationally, and he didn't always contact his family, and if he needed them, he would buy a phone card to make a landline.

Looking at the familiar market in front of me, I was even in a trance, as if I was still working in the market, and after work, I could go back to the dormitory and see Andre......

- "Stone! It's been a long time, why are you free today? ”

I followed the sound and saw a young man waving to Xiaoshi at a stall selling crafts not far from us.