By Liu Chen
Entered SINOCHEM NINGBO LTD in 2005, as a senior employee she silently works and selflessly makes dedication in seven years as one day. She is Xu Xiaoyan, a Hakka female with beautiful appearance and strong will and great ambition as well, working in Medicine Business Department of SINOCHEM NINGBO LTD..
“Give the Monkey a Tree, Give the Lion a Mountain”
Now Little Yan still remembers the title of her resume: “Give the Monkey a Tree, Give the Lion a Mountain” in the process to apply for job in SINOCHEM NINGBO LTD. She says that she is alone and far away from her home, took a lot of courage, met many difficulties, used to cry and discouraged. But, the platform of the company and the department soon enabled her have her own sky: Care of leaders, help of colleagues and meeting of friends soon made her entered her own character.
The customers of the department of western medicine and patent medicine for which Little Yan works, mainly concentrated in the middle and western African Region, mostly they communicate in French. In order to overcome the difficulty of language, she worked in daytime and studied in night, soon she could freely communicate with others in French. Because the information resource is not so rich, Little Yan could only come to exhibitions times again and asked the Embassy for help. The workload is always two times or even more than the other departments to obtain a local order. It is just in this environment, and she worked steadily, and reaped the fruit with her carefulness, sweat and courage.
Through seven years’ efforts, Little Yan successfully developed the African blank market of western medicine and patent medicine, such as the French controlled western African regions in the past including Benin, Niger, Togo, and Madagascar and so on. At present, the department of western medicine and patent medicine has entered the purchase center of the local drug administration department. In 2009, the department undertook two years’ national infusion supply of Benin, totally 60 containers. In 2010, she successfully invited the manger of the purchase center of Benin drug administration department and other colleagues to visit our company, so that promoted a new level for our company to develop African business later. As for new business, Little Yan actively looked for new products and new patterns, and she constantly focused on veterinary drug development, registered and sold veterinary drugs in the markets of Kenya, Maryland and so on one after another, established and accumulated a great deal of veterinary drug resources.
Facing the achievements and honors, what she said is very simply: “Thank everyone’s support and encouragement, and hope everyone could cherish and work hard, use this tree and this mountain to create your own treasure.”
“Of Course, I Want to Go to Africa again”
Because Little Yan’s business markets are mainly distributed in African region, due to business needs, she would often go to Africa for business travel.
In the hot July of 2010, she was just going to the inland African western city Guinea and visited markets and customers. Each day she frequently walked between hotels and customers, in daytime she discussed market and business with customers, and in night she returned to hotel to study the information she collected until late at night. The third day because of continuous high temperature, and the climate did not suit her, and she directly fell down onto the ground of the customer’s office when she talked with a customer. Everyone was frightened by the unexpected accident, and they constantly called her name. After a long time, she struggled to open her eyes, watched everyone with her blurred and firm eyes, and comforted everyone not to worry about it in her weak but calm voice. They rushed her to Chinese medical team in Guinea for treatment. While she was under the intravenous drip, she also comforted everyone: Don’t worry about it, I am fine. After she came out from the medical team, though she did not feel well on the way, she finally managed to complete all visit plans.
After came home, someone asked her if she would go to African again since she encountered such a dangerous situation? She replied: “Of course, I would go to Africa again”. In her eyes, the eyes of African people are very pure, they are friendly and warm to Chinese people, they are frank and able, and they are the friends worthy of exchanges; though it is very difficult to open up African market, she is willing to work there to serve the people of Africa.
“Life Is Beautiful, but It Needs Us to Carefully Operate”
From the first small beginnings one can see how things will develop, and we also could see the truth of things from the simple and small things. The outlook on life of Little Yan is to pay attention to every detail, correct attitude towards life, taste the fun of life, and it is just this outlook on life, that affects each of her colleagues. She often said to everyone: “Life is beautiful, but it needs us to carefully operate”.
In 2010, when a colleague firstly came to the company, Little Yan left a deep impression on her. The first call she received was made by Little Yan; the first meal she ate was cooked by Little Yan; the first Chinese zither music she firstly heard was personally played by Little Yan. The colleague said that, though just arrived in Ningbo, it was strange and familiar to her. The strange part is the city, and the familiar part is that she saw Little Yan. Now, though both of them are no longer roommates, and when the colleague recollected the past, she could remember the jumping ten fingers and the lingering music when she played Chinese zither. Now, she also could often read the books given by Little Yan.
As Fujian people she brought the unique Hakka culture tea ceremony here. Little Yan said that, the tension, busy and hard work of the modern city life make many persons forget the original natural, pure and comfortable life. Therefore, she made the clean and graceful, tea taste overflowing tea with her delicate technique, high quality tea, and elegant tea set, and tasted the fragrance on the tip of tongue together with everyone to release the pressure of the whole day, which is just like land of idyllic beauty, enjoying the true meaning of life. Perhaps, as long as you are still full of love for life, you would no doubt fall in love with this aesthetic feeling.
When we come into the life of Little Yan, we would more find out her peace and sincerity in the modern city life. She loves to read books, and joined reading club, widely reading the books at home and abroad, happily swimming in the sea of knowledge; she loves sports, mountain climbing, swimming, and she introduced her own swimming coach to her colleagues; she loves cooking, and she could roast, fry, steam and boil food, and she often invites us to taste her favorite dishes. The seemingly dull life was always arrange by her in good order, and exquisite and elegant.
When talking about the future, Xue Xiaoyan’s eyes became brighter. She said that, her work still has many shortcomings, and she still has many places to be improved, so she hopes she would have the chance to return to school for reading and study.
These simple, perhaps always forgotten things are just existed in her, a simple, brave, and elegant girl. Perhaps, she is just like her name, like a swallow lightly flying in the blue sky, looking for the piece of sky belonging to her only.