On the front line, it's one for all, all for one

Editor's note: The State Council Information Office invited five people who have made contributions on the front line of the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic in Wuhan, Hubei province, to share their stories at a news conference in the city on Sunday.

While most people are staying at home in Wuhan, Wu Hui drives a brand-new electric motorcycle across the city, delivering daily necessities and hope.

Wu, 39, returned to Wuhan to work as a food deliveryman for Meituan-Dianping, an on-demand service platform, after a business venture failed late last year. Since Jan 23, he has delivered over 300 takeout orders in the locked-down city.

"In the beginning, I felt that being a rider was a low-level job. But the situation gives it new meaning, because if we riders work normally, it means that many people are working normally and that the city is operating normally," he said.

Wu posts photos of the streets he rides along every day on his microblog, which has attracted more than 60,000 fans in the past 30 days. He's even become something of a celebrity among the tens of thousands of Wuhan residents who cannot go outside due to epidemic prevention measures.

Many people view his microblog every day and seek comfort. A 26-year-old netizen known as Xiaoqing is one of them.

"I cried when I saw your Weibo posts," she wrote. "Many of the photos you take are of the routes I used every day before the closure of the city. They are so familiar and so far away."

Wu comforted her via the WeChat messaging platform after work.

"It's not terrible at all. Don't be scared by yourself. Let's go to dinner together after the epidemic," Wu said, admitting he was scared, too.

But he said so many people needed him, and the "sense of being needed gives me the power to behave like a hero".

Wu said he plans to start a small business after the epidemic is defeated.

"I want to go home to see my mom," he said. "As ordinary people, our greatest wealth is our own life experience."

Future expectations

Because of my job, I meet all kinds of people working at the grassroots level like myself. For example, a co-worker told me one customer wanted to hug him. Another time, seeing that I was carrying too many things, a woman working at the fruit shop helped me pack goods to be delivered. A young woman from the post office helped me find a bigger carton for repacking. And once, because an elevator had stopped working, I saw a deliveryman carrying two large bags and climbing the stairs slowly. With so many ordinary people sticking to their posts, I believe that the virus will be defeated.

After the epidemic is over, I hope that people will understand ordinary workers more and give them more respect. At that time, I also hope to have more orders and make more money. I can live better in Wuhan. I still have a small wish that if conditions are met, I can start a business again and restart my life. Finally, I hope I can go back to see my mom.