A young pingpu girl on a bicycle.

We visited a village known for its pingpu population. The "pingpu" are the indigenous cultures of the flatlands who have lost their cultural distinctiveness over the many generations of cultural mixing. We spent some time with a family who were roasting peanuts in a fire in their front courtyard. They were of pingpu descent, and we shared some peanuts and introduced ourselves.

Their young daughter was very shy and kept her distance. She seemed fascinated by our presence and kept staring. When we left, she followed us on her bicycle. We finally approached her in a marketplace and gave her an American coin (quarter) as a token of our friendship, and she was thrilled. She dashed home, and returned with some friends and her brother who waited to see if we had any more gifts to offer. I have never seen 25 cents provide so much happiness for anyone.