Current location: Chongqing

Hometown: Shaanxi

On January 28, Hu Shijun, a deliveryman at Fresh Hema Jiujie Store, burst into tears after telling his parents in Shaanxi about his stay in Chongqing during the Spring Festival over the phone.

To respond to the call, it is Hu Shijun's first time to spend the Spring Festival outside Shaanxi. Unable to go back, he particularly misses that mouth-watering Diced Chicken with Green Pepper cooked by his father. It is not merely a dish but reminds of him, his father, and his home.

At eight on the morning of January 28, when the sun rose, Hu Shijun headed for the delivery terminal on his lovely motorbike as usual.

He should be making preparations for returning to Shaanxi for the Spring Festival at this time in previous years.

32-year-old Hu Shijun comes from Ankang, Shaanxi Province. The year before last, he married a lady from Chongqing, so the Spring Festival is a rare opportunity for him to reunite with and show filial piety to his parents.

"It is a pity, but I would not think too much as I am overwhelmed by work."

"I am an expectant father, so I must work hard to make money for milk powder." Hu Shijun said with a broad smile. Half a year later, he will be a father. Thinking of that, he feels energetic.

Before noon, he completed 20-plus delivery orders, including two "notorious" water delivery orders.

"It is the most tiring job for us," said Hu Shijun while undressing his coat. He delivered five crates of bottled water with 20 kilos each, totaling 100 kilos for those two orders. He walked upstairs to the seventh floor twice to send two crates because an elevator was not available.

The tired delivery didn't affect his mood. He thought it was much easier than that when the pandemic broke out last year. Last year, when Hu Shijun and his wife just celebrated the Lunar New Year's Eve in Shaanxi, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. They returned to Chongqing, though the Spring Festival Holiday was not over yet.

Seeing as the delivery terminal was short of hands, Hu Shijun returned to work the next day after the expiry of home quarantine.

"Having watched many anti-pandemic stories on TV, I thought if I can complete more orders every day, others would stay at home more. So I returned to work." Hu Shijun recalled that he completed over 60 orders from nine in the morning to nine in the evening on his busiest day amid the pandemic.

At noon on January 29, Hu Shijun told his parents about his stay in Chongqing during the Spring Festival over the phone in a locker room. After he hung up, his meal was almost cold. Seeming not to realize that, Hu Shijun lowered his head and stuffed the food into his mouth. Tears dropped into the meal.

He said it is a pity that he cannot reunite with his parents at this festival, but it is the most rational option for pandemic prevention and control.

"My wife is expecting in July. After her delivery, we will visit my parents in a warm period to make up this regret."

Cleaning up moods, Hu Shijun packed the goods again and ran along the noisy streets on his motorbike.