"Refusing Exclusive Contracts"...The Surprising Choice of a 20-Year-Old Chinese Worker Discovered as a Model at a Recycling Site

Supported by a Self-Made "Rural Supermodel"
Helps Run Her Boyfriend’s Father’s Recycling Business

A 20-year-old woman who had been working at a scrap collection site in China has continued her primary job even after being discovered as a model and appearing on the fashion show stage. She reportedly turned down an exclusive modeling contract, saying she wants to keep both her livelihood and her dream, which has attracted public attention.

Everyday appearance (left) and runway debut stage (right) of Leng Minghui (20), who works at a garbage collection site. SCMP

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on September 27, Leng Minghui, known by her stage name "Chaorenleng," hails from a rural village in Fuyang, Anhui Province in eastern China, and is currently helping out with her boyfriend's father's scrap collection business in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province.

Leng became known to the public in July of last year, when a video showing her sorting scraps in work clothes at the collection site went viral.

Her tall and slender frame—181 cm in height and weighing 50 kg—also set the stage for her modeling activities. The contrast between the dust-covered work clothes and Leng's looks helped the video rapidly spread online.

After seeing the video, Lu Xianren, a well-known "rural supermodel" in China, recognized Leng's innate potential and supported her entry into modeling. Lu Xianren became a star by posting videos of herself walking the runway in homemade outfits along country roads. Following this, Leng officially began her modeling career by appearing on actual fashion show stages.

In May of this year, Leng garnered attention by walking the runway in 30 cm high shoes at a major fashion show, and she has appeared in multiple other events, including the SS26 Shenzhen Original Fashion Week in November last year.

The tall and slender figure with distinct facial features stood out in contrast to the dust-covered work clothes and surrounding waste, capturing the attention of netizens. Baidu

As she gained recognition as a model, Leng received offers for exclusive contracts, but declined them. She stated that her main work at the scrap collection site is her source of livelihood, and that modeling is her dream, so she intends to pursue both simultaneously.

After her parents divorced when she was young, Leng was raised by her grandparents, but lost her grandfather at the age of 15. She dropped out of school and worked various part-time jobs such as factory assembly worker and cashier.

Later, she met her current boyfriend’s family, who provided support. After graduating from high school, instead of attending university, she chose to help at the collection site while nurturing her modeling dream.

Currently, Leng has more than 700,000 followers on her Douyin social media account, where she shares both her modeling activities and daily life working at the waste collection site. In her videos, she states, "A means of making a living and a dream do not have to be in conflict," yet she also adds, "I know that opportunities in modeling are rare for me, which is why I have to work twice as hard."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.