<span>STORY: Customers fill a small store in Yiwu International Trade City, China’s largest wholesale market.</span><span>They are looking for a soft toy, popularly known as a “crying horse”. </span><span>Store owner Zhang Huoqing said the plush was originally designed as a Lunar New Year decoration with a happy face.</span><span>But a production error turned his smile into a frown and created a viral hit. </span><span>“The ‘crying horse’ came about when a worker accidentally sewed its muzzle upside down. Then my client’s customer said he wanted to return it because his muzzle was upside down. I didn’t say anything at the time, I didn’t think much of it. I just said, ‘Then send it back to me.’ But then they said, ‘No, there is no need to return it.'”</span><span>Before long, Zhang discovered photos of the toy circulating on the Internet.</span><span>It went viral ahead of the Spring Festival holiday, which this year celebrates the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac.</span><span>Some young white-collar workers in China say the stuffed pony’s sullen expression reflects long working hours and workplace stress.</span><span>Zhang said people joke that the crying horse shows what you look like at work, while the laughing horse shows what you look like after work.</span><span>By the afternoon, the sad piles of steeds had run out and staff were trying to restock. </span><span>As demand grew, Zhang decided to continue making and selling his surprise hit: </span><span>“A lot of customers liked it, and they said it made sense: in the spirit of today’s corporate minions. A lot of customers liked it, and then it started selling very well. So we kept making them. It’s pretty good now, sales are pretty good.”</span>
