On the early morning of May 28, 2026, the gentle morning light dispelled the slight chill of the dawn. At eight o’clock sharp, I set off for Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, together with my Kazakh friend Ye Erken and his wife. Free from the rush and anxiety of a hurried trip, we were filled with nothing but ease and anticipation. Ye Erken is a warm and cheerful person by nature. His company, along with his wife’s, brightened up the ordinary journey entirely. For this cross-city trip, Ye Erken drove his own Lingpai electric vehicle, which ran steadily and comfortably, accompanying us safely throughout the journey.
It was a long ride with ever-changing scenery outside the window. The familiar urban streetscapes gradually gave way to lush green countryside fields. Lush trees lined both sides of the road, and the breeze drifting through the car window carried the fresh scent of early summer. The car was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation. The outgoing Ye Erken chatted with me about daily trivialities and local customs from different places, while his gentle wife joined in the talk occasionally, creating an exceptionally warm and harmonious atmosphere. We stopped to rest briefly whenever we felt tired. Watching the rolling scenery passing by, we were all in high spirits, with all travel fatigue fading away completely.
After a smooth drive, we arrived in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, in the afternoon. This riverside city was clean and tidy, embracing us with the mild and elegant charm of the regions south of the Yangtze River. Ye Erken and his wife had made thorough plans for this trip. Their core purpose was to negotiate and place orders at the well-known China Dieshiqiao International Home Textile Market. As one of the largest home textile distribution centers in China, the market boasts rows of shops and a complete range of products. Various exquisite home textiles are on full display, attracting an endless stream of customers and merchants, presenting a bustling and prosperous business atmosphere everywhere.
Upon arriving at the market, Ye Erken and his wife immediately devoted themselves to business negotiations and order confirmation. Thanks to their years of business experience and reliable reputation, they successfully secured a large bulk order with smooth communication throughout the negotiation process. I was sincerely delighted to watch them sort out business details methodically, check order information carefully, and finally complete the lucrative deal. While they were busy with their work, I wandered around the market freely, experiencing the prosperity of the home textile industry up close. I saw a great variety of novel and exquisite home textile products and truly felt the unique glamour of Nantong as the “Hometown of Home Textiles”.
After Ye Erken and his wife basically finished their order business, we made a temporary new travel plan. I accompanied Ye Erken to leave Nantong for the time being and drove to Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu Province. As night fell, we settled down in Nanjing for an overnight stay, waiting for our schedule the next day. Early on the morning of May 29, we headed to the used car market in Nanjing for a stroll. The market was large in scale with neatly arranged stores and a wide collection of second-hand cars of various brands. It housed a full range of new energy and fuel vehicles, including stylish Teslas, durable Toyotas and classic Hondas, all well-maintained and neatly displayed.
We wandered slowly around the market, observing various car models carefully. We discussed their performance, appearance and cost performance, compared their advantages and disadvantages, and immersed ourselves in the lively vibe of the used car market. Before we knew it, it was around twelve o’clock at noon. We wrapped up our schedule in Nanjing and immediately drove back to Nantong to pick up Ye Erken’s wife, who had stayed behind to finish the follow-up work of the order.
After reuniting with her, the three of us got ready again and started our return trip to Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province. The journey back was just as relaxed and pleasant. We talked and reminisced about what we had seen and experienced in the past two days, from the bustling home textile market in Nantong to the lively used car market in Nanjing, gaining abundant harvests along the way.
This short two-day trip was fulfilling and soothing. I not only witnessed my friend’s fruitful achievements through hard work and dedication, but also enjoyed the unique scenery of cities in southern China. The laughter along the way and the earthly prosperity of different places made this ordinary trip extraordinarily meaningful. Short as the journey was, it left us with countless wonderful memories, allowing us to gain unique joy and warmth amid travel and busyness.