At her insistence, Wang's father finally agreed to take her on as his student.

Wang spent three years mastering the skills. She then traveled to various provinces, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan and Fujian, to earn money by making sugar figures.

In 2015, she decided to return to Harbin, where her parents live.

"I like the city, and my boyfriend at that time, one of my father's students, also hoped to begin a stable life here," she said. "Then we started our business."

They married in 2018 and have now opened three stalls near famous tourist attractions. Their sugar figures have been welcomed by both local residents and tourists.