Surreal Fish Swimming Over Rice Sacks

Golden afternoon light falls through sheer curtains, illuminating stacks of burlap sacks filled with rice and lentils at a wholesale counter in Hohhot. The rough texture of the woven fabric contrasts with the smooth, pale grains spilling slightly onto the wooden surface. Suspended in the air above the produce, a school of vibrant tropical fish swims through the room as if the atmosphere were water. Their scales shimmer with iridescent blues and oranges, casting faint, liquid shadows on the sacks below. Late autumn stillness permeates the space, where the impossible aquatic life moves with deliberate, fluid grace among the dry goods. One silver fin cuts through the dust motes near the top edge of the frame.