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In a small residential area near Beijing’s East Second Ring Road， an apartment with a flowery balcony consistently draws attention. Owners Wei Xumin and Ma Liang lust for spring sunlight to shine on the balcony， injecting their greenery with vitality.
With greater importance attached to China’s food safety as of late， many Chinese people have begun planting vegetables at home by themselves. A few years ago， Wei Xumin， a Sichuan native， and her husband， Ma Liang， a Beijing native， opened a shop on Taobao， China’s largest e-commerce platform. Advocating urban farming， the couple sells seeds and seedlings for vegetables and fruits that are suitable to be planted on balconies and roofs， as well as ornamental plants and secondary products. Their store has already earned a sterling reputation and impressive customer rating.
Entrepreneurship requires a heavy investment of time and en- ergy. Although the internet enables the couple to perform most of the work by sitting at a computer， they must stay connected all day to help amateur clients with basic planting techniques and answer their questions. In 2012， with the advice and help of a loyal client， Wei and Ma spent a year writing Organic Vegetables on the Balcony， a handbook for growing food at home. The book hit shelves this January， and has been selling well.
Wei and Ma enjoy their lifestyle. On a typical day， they complete all their online business， tend the flowers and greenery decorating their home， and watch a movie or stroll around a park. They seldom dine out because Wei loves to cook with their home-grown vegetables and fruits.
Compared to their peers who are always shuttling between home and work， Wei and Ma lead a leisurely life. However， they continue working hard to achieve their dream： Rent a yard in the suburbs so they can plant even more and expand their business.
With greater importance attached to China’s food safety as of late， many Chinese people have begun planting vegetables at home by themselves. A few years ago， Wei Xumin， a Sichuan native， and her husband， Ma Liang， a Beijing native， opened a shop on Taobao， China’s largest e-commerce platform. Advocating urban farming， the couple sells seeds and seedlings for vegetables and fruits that are suitable to be planted on balconies and roofs， as well as ornamental plants and secondary products. Their store has already earned a sterling reputation and impressive customer rating.
Entrepreneurship requires a heavy investment of time and en- ergy. Although the internet enables the couple to perform most of the work by sitting at a computer， they must stay connected all day to help amateur clients with basic planting techniques and answer their questions. In 2012， with the advice and help of a loyal client， Wei and Ma spent a year writing Organic Vegetables on the Balcony， a handbook for growing food at home. The book hit shelves this January， and has been selling well.
Wei and Ma enjoy their lifestyle. On a typical day， they complete all their online business， tend the flowers and greenery decorating their home， and watch a movie or stroll around a park. They seldom dine out because Wei loves to cook with their home-grown vegetables and fruits.
Compared to their peers who are always shuttling between home and work， Wei and Ma lead a leisurely life. However， they continue working hard to achieve their dream： Rent a yard in the suburbs so they can plant even more and expand their business.