The secret of the silk market秀水市场的秘密

My first experience at the Silk Market in Beijing was both a success and a failure. I bargained hard and got many cheap things, but I didn’t enjoy the process. Vendors would grab my arm so that I couldn’t walk away. If I did walk, they’d scream, “Lady, lady, come back.” I would, and the entire scene would play out all over again. At one particular shop, my lowball offer of 50 RMB (8 USD) for a porcelain teacup made the vendor so angry that she refused to continue to negotiate with me. She even told me that I was sick in the head. I left the Silk Market that day with many bags of clothes and a resolution to never return.

This changed though when Beijing had its first snow of the season. I needed a fashionable, but inexpensive coat, so I grudgingly returned to the place I dreaded so much. I entered the Silk Market and immediately regretted that I didn’t bring some Aspirin to ease the headache that would soon come. Aspirin-less and already exhausted from just the idea of arguing over prices, I decided to use two bargaining tools that I rarely used – honesty and sincerity.

I negotiated with the shopkeepers, not as a foreigner trying to exploit China for its cheap labor and goods, but as a student who was jobless and cold. I wanted a deal that was fair to both the shopkeeper and myself. I told them I didn’t want to play the usual bargaining games. We’d both be better off if we cut out the bluffing, the hand pulls, the walking away, and repeated number crunching on a calculator. Maybe it was because I spoke in Chinese, or maybe it was because being broke and tired resonated with the shopkeepers, but something I said cracked the code to mastering the Silk Market.

Shopkeepers were hugging me, giving me their phone numbers and offering every item in the store for the same low price. There was laughter and smiling, and I left each shop with good sentiments all around. I was amazed at how such simple and genuine bargaining tactics had completely transformed my experience. I left the Silk Market that day with many bags of clothes and a promise to return again soon.

我在北京秀水市场的第一次经验既是成功的也是失败的。我努力的讨价还价并且买到了很多便宜的东西，但是我并没有在享受这一过程。摊主们会抓住我的胳膊让我无法离开，要是我走开了他们就会喊我：“小姐，小姐，回来！”我就会走回去，然后讨价还价我再走开的一幕又会上演。在一家店里，我给店主报了一个非常低的价钱，50人民币（合8美元）来买一个杯子，店主非常生气，并拒绝再和我他谈下去。她甚至说我脑子有病。我那天带着很多袋子离开了秀水市场，但是我再也不会再去。

在北京进入了下雪的冬天的后，事情有所改变。我需要一件时尚但便宜的外套，这使我很不情愿的又回到那个我很害怕的地方。我进入秀水市场就后悔自己没有带一片阿司匹林来，因为我知道我马上就要头痛了。因为没带阿司匹林并且万分厌倦讨价还价，我决定这次用两个很少用的讨价还价的策略－诚实合诚意。我作为一个失业的学生而不是外国人与店主讨论中国的劳动力的廉价和商品的便宜。

我希望我们可以得到一个对我和店主都公平的交易。我跟他们说我不想和他们像平常那样讨价还价。这样对我们双方都比较好，比起那些虚张声势的手势，互相拉着，走掉，不停在计算器上按价格这一系列的讨价还价动作。也许是因为我讲中文，也或许是因为他们也厌倦的讨价还价，我的这个方法确实在秀水市场实行开来。店主们都拥抱我，给我他们的电话号码，并且店里的每一个商品都给我最低的价格。我们在一起笑，并且以好的心情离开每一家店。我很惊讶于这种简单的和真正的谈判策略已经完全改变了我的经验。那天我提了很多袋子离开秀水市场并且下决心会再回来。