Zhuji Tang Dynasty is renowned as the “International Socks Capital”. Every evening, the Tang Dynasty Yongxin Night Market is brightly lit, bustling with people coming and going, and has become a popular check-in spot for internet celebrities.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, a stall selling “Octopus Balls” was very quiet.
There is no shouting or even the sound of customers ordering here. The boss and customers have a special understanding that a single glance or gesture can complete a transaction.
The vendor, Lou Linchao, and his wife are both deaf.
If you come across a silent “little meatball” video on a short video platform, don’t rush to cross it out. It may be made by Lou Linchao – he wants to teach more deaf people but wants to learn some skills. The simple yet sincere teaching videos have made them popular on the internet.
Yesterday, the reporter sat in front of this silent booth, typing on his phone and “chatting” with Lou Linchao face-to-face for over an hour, “listening” to his narration.
Lou Linchao comes from Fengqiao Town, Zhuji. At the age of 3, a serious illness caused him to lose his hearing. After graduating from Zhuji Special Education School, Lou Linchao completed a vocational school and a junior college degree – a seemingly simple degree, but behind it was an unimaginable effort by ordinary people. He also had a job in graphic design, but the company was poorly managed. In the spring of 2017, Lou Linchao decided to go home and start his own business. After self-learning how to make snacks online, he started setting up a stall on the streets of Datang.
I can’t find my master, I can only self-study, “Lou Linchao typed.
The octopus balls made by Xiaolou are clean, hygienic, and delicious, gradually gaining popularity among many diners. Along with his career advancement, he also found love with his classmate Yang Jin. The two, whom they hadn’t seen for many years, reunited in the Tang Dynasty. In 2019, they held a wedding ceremony and worked hand in hand to achieve their goals.
That year, during the market transformation, mobile small stalls were transformed into neat rows of shops, and Lou Linchao went from fighting alone to being a couple. As soon as the customer points to the menu, Lou Linchao understands. His wife Yang Jin is busy preparing ingredients at the control desk, while Lou Linchao is quickly cooking at the front desk… There is no other sound in the store, only the delicious meatballs sizzling.
The small shop has gone from earning one or two hundred yuan per day to now earning over ten thousand yuan per month.
The weather is getting cooler and the night market is gradually entering the off-season, but Lou Linchao’s small shop is even more popular – last month, he hired more than ten new apprentices. The apprentices are all deaf people from all over the country who came here after watching Lou Linchao’s video.
I started from scratch and never took a penny from my family. I have many enthusiastic people who have helped me, thank them, “Lou Linchao told me by typing on his phone.
He held his breath and proved in his own way that deaf people can also find a way out of entrepreneurship. He wants to help more people like him by self-learning video editing. The silent video aims to help more deaf people become self-sufficient.
Nowadays, in the store, Xiao He from Guizhou and Xiao Yang from Sichuan are both apprentices who communicate through sign language, study their skills seriously, and each graduating “student” can also receive a graduation certificate from Lou Linchao Design. As of now, more than 200 deaf people have been trained and driven to start businesses by Lou Linchao. “I hope they can live independently and better integrate into society,” he said
(Original title “Silent Struggle Here, But Love.” Edited by Liang Liang)
