When e-commerce goes rural ...

From my 65-year-old mom's perspective, an unusual shopping deal was clinched in the run-up to the Chinese Lunar New Year festivities in February. She, a farmer, bought me a woolen sweater online.

What made the deal extraordinary was that my mom is, shall we say, a bit tech-challenged. Not for her modern stuff like smartphones, digital payments and online shopping.

Having interviewed some local Xiongan villagers recently, I can say my mom is one among many Chinese rural folk who are gradually embracing tech-enabled modern life.