Wuhan Mortal Hero ｜ Takeaway Rider Lao Ji： I gave Wuhan people a sense of security, and they also helped me get out of the slump
Name: Wu Hui, also known as "Lao Ji"
Age: 40 years old, born in 1980
Identity: Delivery rider
The takeaway rider "Lao Ji" has a lot of fate with Wuhan. He went to university in Wuhan from 1999 to 2003, and left Wuhan after graduation. In July 2019, when his life was at a low point, he returned to Wuhan to work as a takeaway rider. Since the epidemic was tense and the city was locked down, he has shuttled through the streets and alleys of Wuhan every day, delivering food and shopping for healthcare workers, and running errands for citizens to buy all kinds of scarce items. On Weibo, he recorded every corner he went to, attracting the attention of countless netizens. Everyone regarded him as a window to understand the real Wuhan, comforting many people.
But Lao Ji told the Modern Express reporter that I gave Wuhan people a sense of security, but in fact they also helped me find the value of life. We helped each other, "Thank you Wuhan for helping me get out of the slump."
On the afternoon of February 23, as a delivery rider, Wu Hui attended a press conference held by the State Council Information Office.
The following is Lao Ji’s oral statement
Wuhan citizens gain a sense of security from me
I am an ordinary takeaway rider in Wuhan. During the lockdown, I shuttled through the streets and alleys of Wuhan every day, delivering some necessities to the citizens, so I was concerned and cared for by the whole society.
I am from Shiyan, Hubei, and I decided to stay in Wuhan years ago to earn more money. The takeaway platform launched a bonus plan. As long as the food delivery is not interrupted for 7 days, there will be a part of the bonus. Now I have been running for nearly a month without interruption, and the bonus is not small. If the whole run without interruption, it is equivalent to an extra month’s salary.
But when Academician Zhong Nanshan announced that the novel coronavirus pneumonia was transmitted from person to person, and Wuhan was locked down, I found that my ordinary occupation began to change. The first change was that after I delivered the takeaway to the citizens, they would say thank you many times, and they would tell me to pay attention to safety and so on.
Although everyone would usually say thank you when delivering food, it was all out of politeness and education, but now when I send items, their gratitude is with true feelings. Although I can’t see anyone, the voice on the phone is full of affection.
During this period of time, I received the most orders for errand shopping, and there were very few traditional food deliveries, such as buying pork ribs, fruits and vegetables. Everyone needed these to supplement nutrition and enhance their resistance. In addition, I bought the most medicine for medicine, which was antiviral and cold medicine. It was often not available in one area.
Delivering meals to healthcare workers, I started to "coward"
In addition to taking orders from ordinary citizens, I also deliver meals to healthcare workers and help them run errands and buy things. To be honest, I was "cowardly" at first, and I was a little scared after running for a day, so I didn’t want to work anymore.
On the evening of New Year’s Eve, I didn’t take orders. I had been reading online information and saw a video about front-line medical staff eating instant noodles in the New Year’s Eve. When I forwarded it on Weibo, I said, "As a delivery guy in Wuhan, I feel very guilty! I am sorry!"
On the first day of the new year, I saw an order sent to Zhongnan Hospital, but no one answered. But whether it is doctors, nurses, or patients, they all need to eat, so I took the order and sent it over. The address on the order said 9 beds on the 16th floor. When I arrived, I found that this floor was the Department of Respiratory Medicine, but I still sent it in, and it wasn’t that scary when I went in.
There was also a meal delivery to the Liyuan Community Health Service Center in Hongshan District. It was a large order with a total of four or five hundred yuan. After I delivered it, I handed the meal bag to a healthcare worker. In addition to her own order, there was also a gift from enthusiastic citizens. She was surprised and quickly said "thank you" to me. I still remember the expression on her face at that time, and I was also touched.
Because during the epidemic, I often shared the street view of Wuhan on Weibo to tell everyone how Wuhan is now, so it attracted a lot of followers. Everyone came to my Weibo every day, left me a message, cared about me, and cared about the real situation of the city.
Why do you follow my Weibo? I am not a star, but an ordinary takeaway rider? Because the takeaway rider is not just a person. If I can work normally, it means that the merchants behind me are doing business, and the platform behind me is also working normally. By following me, it means that we are actually paying attention to the city or not. Because eating, drinking, housing and transportation are the most concerned things for ordinary people. If the problem of eating can be smoothly guaranteed, everyone will gain a sense of security psychologically.
Once, when I was running an order in Qingshan, two elderly people saw me and asked me, if we can still order takeout now, we can order takeout when we eat? I replied to her and said, yes, you can order takeout, and you can always order takeout. At that time, I was a little touched. My appearance and my answer may be able to reassure them.
I run outside every day, and the people of Wuhan should be able to calm down slowly through our messages. When encountering problems, they can calm down and think of solutions. I think this is the greatest significance of my daily work as a takeaway rider.
Being a rider in Wuhan has also helped me find value
Many people will ask me, you went to college, why do you still want to be a delivery rider, and my answer is that this job is free and can earn a lot of money.
In fact, there are more reasons. I can also tell you that after graduating from college, I went to the south and also did some white-collar jobs. Later, I started my own business, but I failed. I owed a lot of money and was in debt.
So some time ago, it was a low point in my life. Later, I felt that I had to make some changes and become a normal person. Therefore, I came to Wuhan to communicate and integrate more with the society here.
I came to Wuhan as a takeaway rider, and I am a part-time rider. I am relatively free. I can control whether to accept orders or not, and choose when to accept orders.
But because of the epidemic, I helped you run errands to buy supplies and medicines, and solved some big or small life problems for you. Everyone recognized me. For me, this job and the interaction with Wuhan people helped me find value.
Other riders will also tell me about their sense of gain and their affairs. A brother said that he bought a lot of food for a family in a community in a row, and every time he bought food, the family was very happy. Thank you very much and want to give him an extra red envelope. The sister who bought food said that you saved my life. I really want to give you a big hug after the epidemic is over. This brother shared it with me proudly. I thought of the hero complex we all had when we were young. At that time, he seemed to be a hero. Under the setting sun, I felt his whole person was shining.
There is also Xiaoqing, a teacher whom I often buy things for. She is also very anxious at home and may have psychological problems. I encourage her to go to Weibo to communicate with netizens all over the country. It is this kind of communication, feeling the emotional exchange between people, that will slowly bring you back to a normal psychological state. And this sense of gain and achievement is expanded by geometric multiples through the messages, comments and reposts of Weibo netizens.
After my story was reported by the media, especially after the CCTV news investigation was broadcast, my parents also saw it. My brother sent me a photo that day. My parents sat on the sofa and watched my report with their mobile phones in the same posture. My brother said they took it very seriously.
This is a scene that touched me very much. The two elderly people saw their once failed sons appear on CCTV to buy in-demand goods for all Wuhan people. I think they should be very proud at that moment. Be proud of me.
After watching the video, they gave me a call and instead of telling me not to run out to work, they encouraged me to pay attention to safety outside. When I heard it, my heart felt very warm.
Modern Express +/ZAKER Nanjing Special Reporter, Xiong Pingping/Wen, Gu Wei/Photo (some pictures provided by the respondents)