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Q: Fruit stand vendors asking 'simple' questions about my country?
By simple I mean rather silly and frankly stupid questions.
For instance, every time I go there and buy certain fruits or vegetables, they almost always have fun pointing at various things and then asking me if 'they have that in my country'. Price, variety, size seem to have no bearing, and just yesterday they were asking me if we have red apples in my country.
Are they just trying to make conversation, or are they really that clueless?
That clueless. But you have to remember it's not their fault, its a combination of a lack of education and contact with the outside world.
But at the same time, they probably do just want to make small talk with you, and the only thing they know how to talk about is fruit and veg 
it is not big deal, they just curious about foreigners. maybe they ask you some boring questions, but they are harmless at all.
I take it as a sign of trying to be friendly, instead of trying hard to steal one or two yuan from me by overpricing or giving my change back short. This is why I always patronize the same vendors, be honest and nice with me and you have my repeat business.
I have even been asked if it rains back home. I do not take it as stupid answers, I take then as an effort to talk for a bit, and they would ask the first thing that comes to their minds within the range of their knowledge and education.
Also, take it as a free way of practicing your Mandarin too.
That's actually pretty cool, great intro to a conversation.
Maybe they are trying to make a funny! They see a pretty girl or they could just be trying to flirt with you!
I think usually they are just trying to be more personable. Maybe sometimes the questions are retarded and seem clueless, but I think its more than they just dont know how to make small talk with a foreigner. So they say something about whatever is at hand, in your case fruit.
Though when they are college graduates and already well into their career and ask something retarded, then I count it as just total ignorance. Like when an "engineer" that is 35 asks "do people in your country eat rice?" or when Im half way through dinner with someone and they ask "can you use chopsticks?"
