by Peh Shing Huei, Assistant Foreign Editor

MIANZHU (SICHUAN), CHINA - THEIR houses are destroyed and their shops crushed, but for some quake refugees, it is literally business as usual.

Despite having their worlds turned upside down, they have somehow found the strength and resolve to convert their new tent homes into makeshift shops.

While there are the odd cigarette stalls in the tent cities across the devastated quake zone, it is here - some 70km from provincial capital Chengdu - that the entrepreneurs have really mushroomed.

A road near the quake command headquarters has been transformed into a temporary shopping street - akin to Singapore's pasar malam - with stalls selling drinks, food, cigarettes, shoes and clothes. Barbers also line the street, working with battery-operated shavers because there is no electricity.

Madam Huang Benyu, 57, even manages to set up a rather respectable provision shop, with racks full of goods such as shampoo, socks and cooking oil.

'My family is relying on this little shop now. We need it to survive,' she said with a smile, fanning herself in the smouldering heat inside her tent.

The survival instinct is what prompted these refugees to set up shop.

'I cannot possibly sit around and do nothing. Who is going to feed my family?' said Mr Xu Chaogui, 45, who is running an apparel stall and whose leg was fractured when his home was crushed in the May12 quake.

Actually, the Chinese government is feeding the disaster victims. But possibly not for long.

Refugees get free meals, and each refugee will be given 300yuan (S$60) a month for the next three months.

It is unclear whether the allowance will continue after that.

Said hairdresser Li Xiaoling, 38: 'I need to live, I need to eat. I cannot rely on the government forever.'

Most of the shopkeepers used to have shops in Mianzhu town which were crushed. They have since returned to the ruins a few times to try to salvage whatever stock they can to sell at the refugee camp.

'I have already paid for my goods. So I must try to plough back as much as I can. I am selling mostly at cost price,' said cigarette and drinks seller Li Xiaoming, 40.

Madam Huang said she had to set up her provision shop because she could not afford to wait. Another few weeks and perishables such as milk would have gone bad.

But despite their valiant efforts, business is slow.

'Compared to the past, I have lost at least two-thirds of my customers. I used to be rather well-known in town and had regular clients,' said cigarette seller Li, whose bed is right by his glass counter.

'But now, who knows I am here?'

Madam Huang said: 'No one cooks now, so they are not buying many provisions. They have no homes, so they have no space, and so no need and no use for many things.'

Clothing shopkeeper Li Dingping, 41, said she can count herself lucky if she sells five T-shirts or shorts a day.

Most of her sales are of new white T-shirts commemorating the 8-magnitude quake which she acquired from Chengdu.

They sell for 15yuan each with designs such as 'I Love China' and 'Wenchuan, we are together', in reference to the epicentre of the quake. Ms Li said they are usually bought by volunteers in the quake zone.

Despite these tough times, however, these refugee merchants are still generous, especially towards the People's Liberation Army soldiers.

Said hairdresser Li: 'I charge 5 yuan for adults, three for kids and a free haircut for soldiers.'

Added clothing storekeeper Li: 'Wherever is most dangerous and dirty, they will head there. So if they want a T-shirt, I offer to give it to them. But they always insist on paying. So I sell it at below cost.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on June 14, 2008.