“Do you remember Ying?” My husband asked me casually.

The image of a carefree young woman popped in my mind. “Is the girl you used to work with?” asked I tentatively. 

“Yes, now she is unemployed. She is planning to run a net shop at taobao.net, and she’s wondering if you could transfer your diamond shop to her. You could not continue it anyway.”

Slightly irritated, I said: “Running a net shop is no piece of cake. You told me that she had changed her job five times for the last year, and none of them could last longer than three months. Then how could she succeed this time? You know how tough it was. Now the situation is even worsening. Competition here just went crazy. You can find thousands similar products for one item. That means, you have to take triple, fourfold efforts to get your things noticed, not mention to sell them. As for the profits, so slender that can be ignored. You should tell her that it would not be easier than any job she once gave up”

“That will simplify things, right? I bet she would lose her interests in a week if she found it’s not that easy. Then she would return the shop to you.” said my husband hopefully.

I can’t help but smiling. That’s my husband. Never know how to turn down a girl. But still I found this conversation uncomfortable. “It’s a bit iffy. What if she returned with some bad records? My records are always good.”

My husband eyed me suspiciously: “It doesn’t matter, right? You are not considering reopening it, aren’t you? You know you have no energy and time for it…”

“I know, I know. But it is so hard to give up something I once worked so hard on.” A trace of annoyance must have crept into my tone, for husband dropped this subject. But my memories of old days have already evoked.

It started with a joke. Who would have imagined I, always confused with figures and no knack for selling at all, could make a success in e-business? In fact, my first deal turned out to be a failure. The profit I gained could barely cover up the delivery fee. I thought that I had stumbled into the wrong field and considered giving up. But the image of the “I-told-you-so” smug look on my husband’s face had driven me through all frustrations from its inception. I spent all day immerging in the forums, absorbing all kinds of information like a sponge. Gradually, the business in my little net shop had flourished. I won two little diamonds for my good records. But I had to give up when I got pregnant. It’s so all-consuming that I could impossible cope with my job as well as my shop when I was in the family way. After my son was born, I still could find a way to reopen it. I have to stay at home with my boy at weekend, and there is no time to purchase goods.

“So what should I say to Ying?” after a long pause, my husband resumed the subject.

Without plan, without consideration, I said: “Tell her that I am going to open a net translation agency with it.” The words had come out spontaneously. I felt surprise to hear them coming out of my mouth, but at once I knew I mean it. How could it never occur to me before?

“Are you serious?” my husband asked.

“Definitely.” said I.

I have been translating on sideline for ages, and it sounds great to do it at taobao.net. But I know it involves more than just an I-want. It calls for an extraordinary amount of diligence, dedication, and patience. Still, it is worthy trying.

“Does it pay well?” asked my husband hopefully.

“At taobao.net? who are you kidding for?”