Meat was still sold at the market, but illegally. The meat vendors were nervous and kept an eye out for the police who might confiscate their wares at any time. And an old lady sold something you won't see in an American supermarket. She had a basket full of small grasshoppers wrapped in plastic baggies. The morning market has a domestic feel to it.
Neighbors greet neighbors and gossip about current events and each other.
The market is crowded, there's food for all in this corner of China's capital city. It's hard to believe that 30 million people starved to death in this country between 1958 and 1962 when the still-beloved Mao was tinkering with the rural economy. At least now, socialism with Chinese characteristics is putting food on the table. Located in the southeast corner of the city, this free open-air market, commonly called the Jinsong Market, does business on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It's not for the faint-hearted.