A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

At the same time, Abudu found Teacher Guzalinur.

The studio is small, but it is decorated with a strong ethnic flavor.

Handmade embroidery hung on the wall, and wood carvings and pottery were displayed on the shelves. Several women were making handmade bags.

"Abudu, what brings you here?"

Guzalinur was still holding a needle and thread in her hand.

"You've come to discuss cooperation; I heard you're looking to sell your products overseas?"

Guzalinur sighed: "I want to, but I don't know how to do it."

I tried selling online before, but my customers were all in China, and the orders weren't large.

Abudu took out his notebook and said, "I studied foreign trade practice at school, so I can help you design English promotional copy."

Reheman teaches e-commerce operations in Dalian and can help you build overseas sales channels.

"Really? What do you need me to do?"

Abudu pointed to an embroidery piece and said, "First, tell the story of the product well. For example, what is the pattern on this piece?"

What is the meaning behind it?

What traditional techniques were used to make it?

These foreign customers are very interested.

Guzalinur thought for a moment: "This is a pomegranate flower pattern, symbolizing unity and harvest."

It uses the traditional Uyghur Khosak embroidery technique, which has a history of three hundred years.

Abudu noted, "Great! Let's write these into the product description."

Secondly, we need high-quality product images, and ideally, videos of the production process.

"I can film this, but the English script..."

"I'll write the first draft; you can find a friend who understands English to help polish it."

Abudu thought for a moment, "Rehman said that their school's international student center has foreign teachers who are willing to help. I can contact them and see."

A week later, Abdu sent the carefully crafted English copy to Guzalinur.

Meanwhile, Reheman began building a mini-program page targeting overseas markets in the village committee's e-commerce office.

Rehman instructed Abdu, "We need to add a multi-language switching function here. Although it only has English now, we can add Russian, Arabic, etc. later..."

"Senior, we have an order!"

The customer service representative suddenly exclaimed, "A cultural and creative company from Zhejiang wants to order 500 kilograms of premium cotton!"

Everyone crowded around.

Reheman checked the order details and saw a message from the other party: "I see that your cotton grading is detailed and the pictures are realistic. I'd like to order a batch to try it out first."

"Reply to them, thank them for their order, and we will pack them according to their requirements, along with a quality inspection report," Reheman instructed.

"Okay!" the girl typed excitedly.

Before the Spring Festival, Rehman and Abudu met again. This time it was at Guzalinur's studio, where the three held a small strategic meeting.

Rehman summarized: "Currently, we have our first customer for online cotton sales; the English copywriting for Guzalinur's products has been completed, and we are working on the page design; but the biggest problems are logistics and payment."

Abudu nodded: "Especially in foreign trade, logistics costs are high and payment procedures are complicated."

Guzalinur took out the information she had collected: "I asked around, and if we go through the formal foreign trade channels, we need to go through a lot of procedures and find a foreign trade agency, which is quite expensive."

The three remained silent for a while.

They all had professional knowledge and saw the opportunity, but when it came to actually implementing it, they discovered so many practical difficulties.

"How about... we start with the domestic market?"

Guzalinur tentatively said, "There are also many consumers in China who like ethnic handicrafts."

Rehman agreed, "Yes, but we need to prepare foreign trade channels at the same time."

After I return to Dalian, I can consult with the international trade professors at the university, and I can also contact some senior students who are involved in cross-border e-commerce.

Abudu thought for a moment and said, "I have a course called International Trade Practice of Agricultural Products next semester, and I will focus on learning the export process of cotton."

"Guzalinur, this semester you should focus on stabilizing the domestic market, accumulating experience and capital."

"Okay, then let's split up and stay in touch."

It was already late when I left the studio.

Reheman and Abudu walked side by side on a country road.

"Sometimes I feel that what we've learned is still not enough," Reheman lamented.

Abudu said, "But at least we are using it, and we are using it for our hometown."

This is far more meaningful than those who study only for their own future.

Reheman nodded: "By the way, Chen Hao said their school's marine biology lab is looking for natural materials for experiments, and they might need high-quality cotton. Shall I ask around for you?"

"Of course! If university laboratories can use our cotton, that would be the best proof of its quality," Abudu said excitedly.

Amidst the sounds of firecrackers during the Spring Festival, Reheman was at home working on his computer, compiling a summary report of his winter break internship.

He wrote down the difficulties he encountered, as well as his small achievements; he also wrote down the doubts of his fellow villagers.

The mother brought over milk tea: "Don't overwork yourself, take a rest."

"Mom, I'm doing something meaningful."

Reheman looked up and said, "Maybe we can only sell 500 kilograms of cotton now, but this is a start."

"In the future, there will be 5000 kilograms, 50000 kilograms..."

His mother patted his head: "My son has grown up."