Selling Mooncakes

(Minghui.org) Before practicing Falun Dafa, I was boastful, sharp-tongued, and fierce. I was a difficult person to mess with. After I started practicing Falun Dafa, I constantly reminded myself to follow Master’s teachings, be a good person, and correct my flaws.

Working as a Mooncake Sales Promoter

I lost my job just before the Mid-Autumn Festival one year. Unable to find a job on short notice, I visited the Walmart store in my city and found a temporary job promoting boxed mooncakes. Costlier due to their packaging, boxed mooncakes are generally bought in China as gifts. Compared to single-piece packaged mooncakes, boxed mooncakes are not as affordable or easy to sell. Moreover, the other promoters were experienced veterans with years of experience selling mooncakes produced by big brands. Their stalls were positioned in good locations within the store.

The manufacturer I represented was not well-known, and my location at the side of the store was blocked by a large pillar. Looking at more than 10 different competitors’ mooncakes piled up like small mountains in the store, I started worrying about whether I could sell my product well. A veteran promoter of 10 years, whose stall was situated across the aisle from me, told me my manufacturer’s mooncakes were the hardest to sell in the entire store because they were Cantonese-style mooncakes, a style unfamiliar to the locals. She estimated that only 50 boxes were sold each year. Additionally, sales were expected to be lower than usual because the economy was bad this year, so it would be an achievement to sell even 50 boxes. However, since there was a guaranteed wage of 1,500 yuan, she told me I could just coast along with minimal effort.

However, a Falun Gong practitioner should not take it easy as an ordinary person might. I wanted to be a good person who earned my salary honestly. So whenever a customer walked by, I would smile and ask, “Would you like to buy a box of mooncakes?” Whereas the other promoters spent their time chatting with each other. From past experience, nobody had been able to sell a single piece of mooncake during the first half of the month. Unexpectedly, I sold a box of mooncakes worth 100 yuan within days, breaking the store’s first sale record. One salesperson laughed at me, saying I just got lucky!

Selling Through Effort and Honesty

One day, a refined-looking gentleman came in. He wandered from stall to stall inspecting mooncakes while the promoters happily chatted among themselves, ignoring him. The store had a rule against soliciting customers from other stalls. Those who flouted the rule could be reported to the store manager and have their product removed from the store.

When the gentleman finally arrived at my stall, I smiled and asked, “Are you looking to buy mooncakes?” He replied, “Yes, I want the most expensive one as a gift.” Every manufacturer has a signature product, all priced at 698 yuan. I provided a simple introduction of our signature mooncake to him by reciting the ingredients listed on the packaging. He listened attentively and expressed interest in buying it.

At this point, other sales promoters swarmed up to him, urging the gentleman to look at their mooncakes. The promoter at the stall opposite mine told him, “Sir, you were serious about buying mooncakes? We all thought you were just browsing casually, since it’s not gift-giving season yet. If you’re buying a gift, it is better to choose a well-known brand. That person’s products are not well known. They barely sell 50 boxes a year. In terms of taste, reputation, sales volume, and craftsmanship, our mooncakes rank among the top three in the province. And look at the packaging—ours is red, representing prosperity and celebration. They are more presentable as gifts compared to her coffee-colored ones!” She praised her own mooncakes while simultaneously disparaging mine, leaving me completely bewildered.

Before I could even recover, the gentleman turned to me, “I have one last question for you. Is your mooncake tasty?” “Huh? Tasty? I don’t know.” “You’ve never tried it before?” he asked. I replied, “No,” inducing laughter from those around me. Even the gentleman covered his mouth with a fist and laughed heartily. The promoter at the opposite stall chimed in, “I’ve been selling boxed mooncakes for over 10 years. I know exactly what each brand’s mooncakes taste like. This woman is a newbie; how could she possibly know what her mooncakes taste like? Her Cantonese-style mooncakes contain thick, sweet fillings, which are unfamiliar to the locals. Ours are ham-flavored, a flavor traditionally loved by those here.”

I glanced at my box of mooncakes and thought, “One box only contains eight tiny mooncakes. At the price of 698 yuan, it will be a waste of money if the recipient doesn’t like them!” I sincerely told the hesitant man, “I think this lady makes a good point. I’d feel bad if your family ended up disliking them. Please buy hers!” The promoter also said, “Yes, yes, buy mine!” If I had encountered this situation before becoming a Falun Dafa practitioner, I would have picked a fight with her, complained to the manager, and disparaged her products. But now, I was able to remain calm, without feeling anger or resentment.

The man glanced at me and said, “Pack it up for me!” When the promoter opposite my stall hurriedly started packing, the man pointed at me and said to her, “I want to buy hers, not yours.” He then turned to me, “Why are you still standing there? Pack it up for me!” I replied, “Ah! You want mine? Do you want to reconsider?” The promoter also chimed in, “Sir, please think about it again. Locals won’t eat such mooncakes.” The man replied, “It’s alright, I want my family to try something different!” The promoters in the store were collectively stunned: “Despite everything, the sale still went through?!”

The next day, my factory supervisor visited the sales floor. As soon as she saw me, she angrily asked, “How could you say my mooncakes aren’t good?” The older promoter from the opposite aisle came over and said, “Yes, selling things requires hype. Whether you’ve tried it or not, whether it’s good or not, you have to say it’s delicious. I think you’re not suited for this job. You should find another job! Don’t make trouble for your boss.”

She then told my supervisor, “Find someone else as soon as possible.” The supervisor turned to me, “You are still on probation. If you can’t sell, I’ll fire you in a heartbeat.”

I replied, “I didn’t tell the customer the mooncakes aren’t good. I said I hadn’t tried them.” The older promoter interjected, “It’s the same thing! You absolutely can’t say that!” I replied, “But the customer still bought the mooncakes!” My supervisor was taken aback. “He bought them?” “Yeah.” The other promoter said, “She just got lucky!”

Clearly, the person who complained to my supervisor did not tell her I sold the mooncakes. My supervisor glared at the woman, rudely dismissed her, and started talking to me in a softer tone. When she asked if something was going on between me and that promoter, I did not complain about the promoter’s efforts to slander me and our product.

Despite this incident, the promoters continued to chat with each other, ignoring potential customers while I diligently promoted my mooncakes to them.

Making a Sale Despite Adversity

A few days later, another potential customer—a business owner who wanted to buy 30 boxes of mooncakes as gifts for his employees—visited the store. I introduced the most affordable mooncake box I had, which cost 58 yuan. Just as we were about to finalize the purchase, a promoter from another manufacturer came over and told him, “Why not take a look at our tin-boxed mooncakes. They only cost 38.80 yuan.” The man apologized to me and said he wanted to take a look. I replied, “It’s okay.” Everyone was struggling during the economic downturn, so I sincerely hoped this alternative could help him save some money.

A while later, the man returned, saying he still wanted to buy from me. However, he started haggling for a discount. My supervisor had repeatedly told me the price of this particular mooncake was non-negotiable. I apologized and explained, but the man became angry, “Don’t be so proud just because I came back to buy from you! Who buys things without haggling? The other store was even willing to give me a discount of 8.80 yuan!”

Unwilling to worsen the situation, I replied, “Sir, their mooncakes seem to be good value for the money. Why don’t you buy from them? Their tin box is really pretty. Your employees can use it to store things after they finish the mooncakes, and you can save several hundred yuan.” However, he insisted on making the purchase, grumbling nasty words at me while I packed the products. I maintained my smile and did not respond to his provocation.

The entire store was in an uproar after this sale went through. One salesperson commented, “Having good looks is an asset.” Another added, “You also have to know how to smile.” I paid little attention to their gossip.

Test of Integrity

Two days later, another man came in. He circled the store before approaching me directly, saying he wanted to buy 300,000 yuan ($4,459) worth of mooncakes from our factory. I was delighted at this big order. However, he told me he wanted to avoid buying through Walmart and obtain the mooncakes directly from our factory. He asked for the factory’s local office address and asked that I take him there after work.

Because getting mooncakes directly from the factory would save him a lot of money, he promised me a substantial commission after the deal was done. Low wages, high living expenses, and a young child to support have made my life tough, but according to Master Li, Dafa disciples must contribute to society and “Put a stop to its downward slide.” (“Illuminating All,” Hong Yin II).

I sincerely said to the man, “You can buy the mooncakes. But since you saw the product at Walmart, you have to place the order here. An alternative method of purchase is not possible. I won’t take you to our factory’s local office. Walmart has leased such a large space. If everyone in the store did this, how would Walmart survive? How would all our employees survive?”

The man became angry and scolded me for being stubborn and inflexible. He retorted that people do not live for others and each person should care for their own survival. Why was I being such a busybody? He then stormed off.

The next day, a colleague who had come to take over my shift asked if anyone had tried to place a large order, but not through Walmart. When I said yes, she nervously asked me how I had responded. After I told her, my kind colleague happily replied, “Luckily you responded wisely.” She told me that person had been sent to test me. If I had agreed, all of our factory’s products—not just mooncakes, but even our prominently sold regular products—would have been banished from Walmart stores nationwide. I was taken aback! Practicing Falun Dafa had helped me avoid temptation and escape calamity.

An Act of Kindness to a Fellow Promoter

One day, nearer the Mid-Autumn Festival, I saw a young woman pushing a pushcart full of single packaged mooncakes past me. I greeted her with my usual spiel, “Excuse me, would you like to buy some boxed mooncakes?” The young woman told me she wanted to purchase mooncakes for her family and asked me to recommend a box. I recommended the most affordable mooncakes in my stall to her. After hearing my sales pitch, the young woman told me she had changed her mind and did not want the single mooncakes anymore. She wanted to exchange them for my boxed mooncakes. I was stunned.

Usually, customers would buy both single and boxed mooncakes, giving out either version based on their relationship with the recipient. Seeing her pushcart filled with single mooncakes, I realized the promoter had put in a lot of effort to sell them! I quickly said, “I understand the mooncakes are for your family. It’s better not to change your 200-yuan worth of single mooncakes. The boxed ones look nice, but 200 yuan can only buy 30 mooncakes. In contrast, you managed to buy a large quantity of single mooncakes for the same price, which is more economical for your family!” “That makes sense.” The young woman happily thanked me and left.

Suddenly, I was enveloped in a tight hug. That person lifted me up from the ground before setting me down. Turning around, I saw a young fellow promoter. She said, “Elder sister, you’re too kind! I was anxiously standing behind you. I sold those single mooncakes to that customer after spending much effort and time persuading her. If you had allowed her to return them, I would have been furious with you!”

I smiled and said, “How could I possibly allow her to return them!” From then on, whenever she was free, that girl would drop by to chat with me several times a day. She said, “I tell everyone who buys my mooncakes that yours are the best boxed mooncakes in the whole mall, and that they should buy from you.”

I thanked her. She later found my phone after I lost it at the mooncake stall and returned it to me, and she even introduced me to a job after our mooncake selling stint was over. This was a big reward for my small act of kindness.

Selfless Consideration Toward Others

One day, I saw a young couple browsing through the boxed mooncake sales area on their own, ignored by other promoters. When they came to my stall, I patiently introduced them to all my mooncakes. After I finished, they smiled and said they wanted to look around some more. I smiled back and said, “No problem, come back anytime if nothing else catches your eye.”

They had barely walked a few steps away when another promoter in the store shouted at me, “You’re really something, entertaining even those who aren’t keen on buying at all!” Afraid the couple would be embarrassed, I shouted back, “How can you say that? Don’t people usually look around and compare prices before buying anything?”

The wife then whispered something to her husband and walked back to my mooncake stall. Pointing to a delicate jelly mooncake, she asked, “How many boxes do you have on hand?” When I said 30, she asked me to pack them all for her. I said, “It’s not worth getting angry over a comment. There’s no need to buy so many in retaliation. I won’t pack them for you.”

The wife told me she was not angry and explained she owned a chain of beauty salons. Her customers were all women, and she thought her customers would like these delicate mooncakes. She told me she needed 20 more boxes and asked me to help her get more. My supervisor transferred another 20 boxes from other stores to fulfill her order.

Reaping Rewards By Selling with Compassion

On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the sales area was filled with customers. However, most ended up browsing instead of buying. Suddenly, the store’s loudspeaker announced a 20-yuan cash rebate on every 200 yuan spent on boxed mooncakes. I shared this good news with my customers and instantly found my stall packed with eager buyers.

As orders poured in one after another, I called my supervisor, who sent four men to help me move mooncakes from Walmart’s storage area to my stall. Within an hour, the storage section housing our stock of mooncakes was completely emptied, with only 30 boxes scattered around my stall. In contrast, the other manufacturers’ mooncakes remained untouched.

In the midst of this selling frenzy, a customer had asked me, “How come only your mooncakes are on sale, while others aren’t?” Other customers around her also asked, “Yes, yes, why only yours?” I replied, “No, it’s not true. The offer applies to all the boxed mooncakes in the store.” However, my customers assured me they had asked, and no other seller was having this promotion. I said in disbelief, “That’s impossible. Everyone in the store should be doing it. You can ask them again.” My supervisor glared at me.

I was queuing at the cashier on behalf of a customer when a fellow promoter came up to me and asked, “Why were your mooncakes selling so well earlier? We saw the exciting scene!” I replied, “Because the store announced a promotion today—spend 200 yuan and get 20 yuan back!”

The promoter was surprised, “That’s how you sold them?” “Yes.” She then asked, “The promotion applies even for large orders?” I replied, “Yes. Didn’t you sell your stock like that too?” She told me she had continued to sell her mooncakes at their original prices. Surprised, I asked her, “Didn’t you hear the announcement? They announced it three times.”

The promoter told me she heard it but did not agree as the manufacturer would lose a lot of money if they gave the discount. I said, “Haven’t you thought about it? Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. After tomorrow, people won’t buy mooncakes anymore. If the manufacturer fails to sell their mooncakes today, won’t they lose even more money?”

The promoter instantly ran back to her stall and started promoting the discount to her customers. I also advised other promoters to offer the discount to their customers, so they could sell more. With the sudden realization, the promoters all started hawking their wares.

A while later, a mother and daughter approached me, requesting to return their box of mooncakes. Worried that their family would not like Cantonese-style mooncakes, they had decided to buy some ham mooncakes that were offered instead. I smiled, took back the mooncakes, and said, “It’s alright.” When they repeatedly apologized, I reassured them, “Really, it’s alright. Tomorrow is the festival. I sincerely hope you can buy mooncakes you like and have a happy holiday.” The daughter gratefully smiled and gave me a slight bow.

The next day, my colleague called me at 12.30 p.m. and told me not to come to my shift, as there was only one box of mooncakes and one box of freebies left. A while later, she called me again and excitedly told me both boxes had been sold. Our supervisor had removed the label from the freebie box and sold it like a regular box.

Concluding Remarks

Despite frequent slander and ridicule, my heart remained calm as I worked, unaffected by anyone’s words or actions. Because my compassion for others was in line with the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, I was able to achieve an overwhelmingly positive outcome from my stint as a mooncake salesperson.

Master said,

“Our Falun Dafa is the only piece of absolutely pure land.” (Teachings at the Conference in Canada)

Truly, Falun Dafa practitioners do not seek fame or profit. We live with a clear conscience while facing the injustice and harm perpetuated against us by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Falun Dafa cured my illness and transformed me into a morally upright person. I live each day filled with joy and contentment!

I am grateful to Master Li for introducing Falun Dafa to the world. I hope that more people will open their hearts to the truth, let go of the hatred and prejudice against Falun Dafa brought about by the CCP’s propaganda, and secure a bright future for themselves!