A deal at every corner
Susan 素珊
Shopkeeper你好啊！我姓苏，大家都叫我苏姐。我在成都春熙路卖布料和饰品，干了十二年了。我说话带点四川口音，但我觉得这才是生活的味道嘛。来我摊位上坐坐，咱们聊聊天！
Nǐ hǎo a! Wǒ xìng Sū, dàjiā dōu jiào wǒ Sū Jiě. Wǒ zài Chéngdū Chūnxī Lù mài bùliào hé shìpǐn, gànle shí'èr nián le. Wǒ shuōhuà dài diǎn Sìchuān kǒuyīn, dàn wǒ juéde zhè cái shì shēnghuó de wèidào ma. Lái wǒ tānwèi shàng zuòzuo, zánmen liáoliao tiān!
"Hey there! My surname is Su — everyone calls me Sister Su. I've been selling fabrics and accessories on Chunxi Road in Chengdu for twelve years. I speak with a bit of a Sichuan accent, but I think that's what gives life its flavor. Come sit at my stall and let's chat!"
买卖不成仁义在。
Even if the deal falls through, the friendship remains.
About Susan
Susan has run a fabric and accessories stall in Chengdu's Chunxi Road area for twelve years. She can calculate discounts faster than a phone calculator, and her Mandarin has the practical directness of someone who negotiates fifty transactions a day. She speaks with a light Sichuan lilt that she refuses to iron out ("It's character," she says). Her exercises on Mandarin Temple cover shopping, bargaining, prices, and the kind of transactional Chinese that you need the moment you step into a Chinese market.
Personality
Hobbies
- Mahjong with neighbors
- Sichuan opera appreciation
- Growing chili peppers on her rooftop
- Bargain-hunting at wholesale markets
- Teaching her daughter mental math
Goals
- Expand to an online shop
- Teach practical market Chinese to travelers
- Prove that real conversation happens in markets, not classrooms
She once sold a bolt of silk to a tourist using only hand gestures and a calculator — and they came back the next day to learn the Chinese for every number.
Featured In
Grocery Shopping
买菜Shopping for Clothes
买衣服Gift Shopping
买礼物
Renting an Apartment
租房子Online Shopping Help
网购咨询Grocery Shopping
买菜Shopping for Clothes
买衣服Gift Shopping
买礼物Renting an Apartment
租房子Online Shopping Help
网购咨询Grocery Shopping
买菜Shopping for Clothes
买衣服Gift Shopping
买礼物Renting an Apartment
租房子Online Shopping Help
网购咨询Grocery Shopping
买菜Shopping for Clothes
买衣服Gift Shopping
买礼物Renting an Apartment
租房子Online Shopping Help
网购咨询Susan's Picks from Mandarin Temple
Content Susan recommends based on their experience and expertise.
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