Leng Minghui, a 20-year-old rubbish collector who was scouted to become a model and has appeared at Milan Fashion Week, is refusing to quit her day job in waste management.
Leng was headhunted after videos of her working at a waste management plant went viral on Chinese social media, with users commenting on her striking looks and supermodel-like frame. She was quickly signed by a Chinese agency and, within months, was walking on major catwalks in both China and abroad.
A life of hardship before modelling
Despite her glamorous appearance, Leng's life has been one of serious hardship. In an interview, she explained how her parents separated when she was young, and that she grew up with little money and was forced to drop out of school and work as a waitress, as reported by The South China Morning Post.
During this period, Leng says she met her current partner and began working at his parents' waste management business in Taizhou, China. While sorting different types of rubbish, a video of her was posted on Chinese social media site Douyin, and she was subsequently scouted by fellow model and agent Lu Xianren, becoming a big name in the Chinese high fashion scene.
No shame in honest work
However, Leng has so far refused to leave her day job as a rubbish collector, explaining that she loves working with her boyfriend's family and stresses that there is "no shame in any kind of honest work".
She also says she appreciates the financial security that working in refuse provides her. In a TV interview with Chinese media, she explained: "Collecting rubbish is a means to have a full meal, while modelling is a dream. These two paths do not conflict."
Balancing bins and the runway
Despite loving the day job, Leng does admit she hopes to go far in the world of modelling too, and is actively working on ways she can improve her skills on the runway. She added: "Opportunities in modelling are rare for me. I must double my efforts. I am focusing on perfecting details in my catwalk, head turns, poses, and more. I am fully aware that opportunities in modelling are rare for me. I must double my efforts."
