The Master in the Art of Living: Feng Grain Stall
Hualien Markets - Exclusive Interview with Feng Grain Stall
#ChongqingMarket
Text/ HUNG Tzu-Hsuan
Translation/ LIU Yi-Chun
Photography/ LEE Te-Mao, HUNG Tzu-Hsuan
The joy of life unintentionally grows with the trust and expectations of the customers
It all began when Mrs. Feng learnt from the Internet that grains are good for health, coupled with her love for cereals and porridge. After eating grains for a long time, she naturally gained experience and skills in finding the grains with the best quality. Since she already had a stall in the market, Mrs. Feng had the idea of selling grains by herself. If she was going to find the grains with the quality that she had confidence in anyway, she thought “why not sell it by myself?” Therefore, “Feng Grain Stall” was opened with the idea of sharing good food with others.
Feng Grain Stall didn’t sell many items at first. It mainly sold rice grown by Mrs. Feng’s sister-in-law and a few types of grains that she usually ate. Neighboring vendors were very curious about this grain stall, and they often came to ask, “is anyone really buying it?”
Certainly!
Moreover, there were even a group of regular customers who not only came to buy rice and grains from Mrs. Feng, but also asked her to sell specific types of grains. The customers hoped that she could sell a variety of grains so they didn't have to shop elsewhere. Mrs. Feng asked why?
"Because I trust you!"
As a result, in response to the customers’ pure trust, Mrs. Feng and her husband drove through Hualien and Taitung to look for grains together.
With the customers’ trust and expectations, Feng Grain Stall grows stronger.
“We sell more and more varieties of grains now. The stall seems too small to place all the products!” Speaking of the grains all over the table, Mrs. Feng replied with a satisfied smile.
The colors on the stall have been enriched, and the stories that belong to here are also brilliant.
Only the best product can be sold at my stall
With years of experience in eating grains, Mrs. Feng is like an expert who guards the quality of the grains for the customers. During the purchasing process, she always asks for the first-class products with the best quality, and rarely considers the other products. Sometimes if the product quality doesn’t meet her expectations, she won’t sell them at all. Every decision made is based on Mrs. Feng’s insistence on quality and credibility.
“For example, the chrysanthemums we often use to make tea. Whether there are pesticide residues remaining will reflect on the price.” Mrs. Feng presented the inspection certificate provided by the manufacturer at the stall, letting the evidence speak for itself.
In order to keep the goods fresh, she never stocks the goods for over two days. Instead, she prefers to order in small amounts frequently. She also uses a spacious tin cabinet that has enough space for the grains to breathe. Mrs. Feng said that the secret to freshness is simple, that is, never stock up.
“Only the best product can be sold at my stall.” When preparing the goods, Mrs. Feng will sit for several hours, patiently picking out the defective products among all the grains. This is very time-consuming and exhausting, especially for the eyes. “Sometimes I get tired. When I look up, the sky is full of brown rice!” The grains that are fresh, but poorly presented will be collected and given to the temple, and those grains even became a popular food among homeless people.
The art of living: let the good food speak for itself
The most eye-catching thing about Feng Grain Stall is the orderly and clearly marked display.
“Since you want to sell, you must make the customers feel that the products are really good.” Mrs. Feng, who loves painting, has a keen aesthetic sense. Moreover, she is a detailed person. The “beauty of details” has become the message Mrs. Feng conveys to her customers.
The grains here are not packaged; however, they are neatly packed in vermilion square boxes, with table signs that show the name and origin of each grain handwritten in both English and Chinese. The dry goods on the side have no cover, except for the transparent bag and small label. Mrs. Feng wants the customer to see the products straightforwardly. The products can be seen and smelled, which is the most powerful promotion. Hearing the crisp sound of each scoop of grain and seeing the customers enriching the empty bag bit by bit have also become the most healing scene in Mrs. Feng’s heart.
Mrs. Feng has successfully turned Feng Grain Stall into a work of art with minimalist aesthetics of life. It is exquisite, pure but makes people feel at ease.
Established a relaxed atmosphere for shopping, customers became friends who share life with
Mrs. Feng loves shopping, but she doesn’t like to encounter the passionate salesperson who follows closely. Therefore, she doesn’t want the customers to have the same experience at Feng Grain Stall. She said, “I will not force the customers to buy things. They can take a look first and feel free to ask me questions.” Mrs. Feng thinks it’s important to leave some space for the customers and let them shop peacefully. “Actually, if you talk too much, the customers may not believe in what you said.”
Perhaps the relaxing atmosphere works. The customers who stopped by her stall became friends with her easily. They would share the experience of eating grains and cereals with her, and they would also exchange various unique ways of eating grains. Some regular customers also invited their friends to shop at her stall. While people enriched the Feng Grain Stall, they also enriched each other's lives.
Mrs. Feng talked calmly and firmly without using any fancy sales phrases. Nevertheless, her plain and simple grain stall shines in its own way.