Baby Chicks

Today in Xilamalun Park, right by my house, a grime covered farmer sold baby chicks for 1 yuan each (15 cents). The baby chicks were dyed bright pink, blue, orange and green. I was riding my bicycle home from the bank and I saw a hoard of teenage girls crowded around something that chirped. To my surprise it was a box of baby chicks! Girls were carrying them away in plastic bags or carried them pressed to their napes.

I stayed and watched the chicken farmer for a while--and saw how many parents with children and teenage girls he attracted with his brood of dyed chicks. To my dismay, I discovered that he had two other closed boxes, underneath the open box filled with 2nd and 3rd supply of chicks! Once he had sold enough of the colored ones, he opened the 2nd box and scooped out more of the blue and pink ones for the open box. The chicken farmer was the epicenter of spring enthusiasm in the park today. I watched as mothers pulled their crying children away on motorbikes, and the occasional lucky little boy getting to take home 2 or 3 to play with until they expired.

Ned told me that they used to dye and sell baby chicks in America around Easter time. There's no Easter in China, but the festive Spring spirit is alive and chirping in Tongliao!