A table was placed in the middle of the street, with nothing on it. In front of the table sat a man. Merchants and pedestrians would approach him with questions. He would look around, then point in a certain direction. The questioner would then head in that direction.
Jiang Xia guessed that because merchants dared not display their wares openly, pedestrians didn't know who to approach for purchases. The man with the table served a purpose akin to modern-day customer service.
Mischievously, Jiang Xia wondered if this "customer service" would be of any help if one had complaints.
Jiang Chuan and his group, each carrying a basket, stopped at the entrance of the street. They intended to enter, but were stopped by a man, "Sorry, there's an event taking place on this street. It's not convenient to pass now. Please go around."
The man was surprisingly polite, Jiang Xia thought.
