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Little goes on in the village. The Thepong boys now walk around to the houses of their friends. They are served something everywhere and receive presents of pig meat. In return they offer gifts of salt, (244) tea and other trade goods, rare in Chingtang. Shankok is very unhappy that he could not come up with more tea. Now it is embarrassing for him to receive presents as he has no appropriate to return. Salt, he said, was not for him to give and the less well off boys offer that too and therefore it would be beneath his dignity. |
