Knights of mercy bring hope

In a short video on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, he recorded a moment when, one night after a day's exertions, he stopped at a sidewalk for a well-deserved rest. Suddenly, a female voice echoed from an apartment building: "Wuhan, jiayou (stay strong)!"

Upon hearing that clear, firm shout, the deliveryman's eyes immediately welled up.

Laoji has documented his daily experiences by sharing them on Sina Weibo, attracting nearly 15,000 followers.

One user commented on one of his posts: "I have been overwhelmed by the harrowing news of the increasing confirmed cases of coronavirus across the country.

"Fortunately, I found a feeling of warmth and relief here between the lines of Laoji's posts."

And many other online users who viewed his posts have expressed their thanks to Laoji and his fellow deliverymen.

Laoji says he has also gained a refreshing sense of his own worth over the past few weeks.

"Frankly speaking, the delivery job doesn't require too much skill, and I used to think it was kind of basic," he says. "However, this crisis has changed that view. We are also helping, with our efforts, to guarantee that society can function as usual."

Apart from sharing daily experiences amid the outbreak on the social media, Laoji also notes the reasons why he loves the city.

He recalls how nicely people in Wuhan treated him before. For example, Laoji remembers being late delivering a takeaway, far behind the scheduled time, on a rainy summer night. But, instead of complaining about his failure to deliver the meal on time, the customer received the package with words of thanks. Another day, when his bike had broken down, a taxi driver volunteered to give him a ride and refused to take any fare.

"I have many more similar stories to tell," he says. "I want to talk about these things because it shows the goodwill of this city."

And, in the process of sharing with people what he's seen and experienced, Laoji confesses, "it's also a process of self-healing and rebuilding my confidence in this world".