Chongqing - At noon on February 8, a light drizzle hung over Chongqing's Daping Longfor Paradise Walk shopping mall, where lunchtime crowds filled the restaurants and delivery riders hurried between storefronts. Among them was Liao Zemeng, who parked her motorbike, stepped into a spicy hotpot takeaway shop, and called out clearly, "Order 32, pickup."

Within seconds, she checked the order, secured the packaging, and placed it neatly into her insulated box — a routine she has perfected over the years on the road.

Four years ago, Liao never imagined that a job she once felt embarrassed to mention would later earn her recognition as a national model worker and one of Chongqing’s most inspiring figures.

Liao Zemeng is honored as a National Model Worker. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

A Turn at Life's Crossroads

Liao once dreamed of opening a flower shop. After completing floral design training in 2019, she stayed on as an assistant, spending her days arranging bouquets. But with a monthly salary of just over 4,000 yuan (about 583 USD), covering rent and daily expenses left little room for savings.

"I wondered why I couldn’t do something interesting that also brought in more income," she recalled.

That November, encouraged by a friend, she rented an electric scooter and began delivering food part-time. Her first delivery remains vivid: too shy to knock on the customer's door, she hesitated in the stairwell, rehearsing every possible scenario. When the door finally opened and the customer simply said "thank you," Liao hurried away — then celebrated alone in the hallway.

She earned 50 yuan that day. The amount was modest, but the sense of achievement was powerful.

When the pandemic forced the flower school to close in 2020, Liao lost her job. She bought a second-hand motorbike with her savings and became a full-time rider.

On January 30, 2026, outside Daping Longfor Paradise Walk in Yuzhong District, Liao Zemeng chats with colleagues during a break. (Photo/Zhang Chunxiao)

At first, she rarely told friends about her work. That changed during a rainstorm in 2022, when a delayed delivery left her expecting complaints. Instead, a mother asked her child to thank Liao for braving the rain.

"That moment changed everything," she said. "There's nothing to be ashamed of when you earn a living through hard work."

Turning Challenges into Strength

As a woman in a physically demanding industry, Liao often hears the same question: "Can you keep up?" The challenges are real — from physical strain to practical difficulties during long shifts.

In recent years, however, Chongqing has expanded its network of rider service stations across the city, offering charging points, rest areas, clean restrooms, and basic supplies. For riders constantly on the move, these small facilities have made a meaningful difference.

Liao also discovered that female riders bring advantages to the job: patience, attention to detail, and strong communication skills. She prides herself on never mixing up orders and often finds that a sincere smile helps smooth interactions with security staff or customers during delays.

Today, she delivers more than 40 orders daily, travels over 60 kilometers, and logs nearly 20,000 steps. Small gestures — a bottle of water from a customer or an extra snack from a restaurant — have become reminders that her effort is seen.

From Running Alone to Leading Others

After the lunch rush on February 8, several female riders gathered around Liao outside a convenience store. She opened a worn notebook filled with hand-drawn maps and pointed to a shortcut through a residential compound that could save minutes on a delivery.

The notebook grew out of her own early struggles to navigate unfamiliar neighborhoods. Over time, she began documenting efficient routes, elevator wait times in office towers, and safer back-alley shortcuts.

Other riders soon noticed her efficiency and asked for advice. Liao shared freely, eventually creating a WeChat group for female riders to exchange tips, route maps, and merchant information.

The group now includes nearly 100 women. Through route optimization and order-taking strategies, members report increasing their monthly income by more than 3,000 yuan on average.

Liao Zemeng and her rider sisterhood. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

For Li Juan, a single mother in the group, the support was transformative. "I was lost at first and kept missing deadlines," she said. "She showed me how to use navigation better and communicate with restaurants. Now my income is stable, and I can afford childcare."

The group has also become a support network: riders share restroom locations, help repair each other’s bikes, and respond quickly when someone needs assistance. What was once a solitary job now feels collective.

For Liao, delivering food is about more than speed. She double-checks the packaging, adds waterproof covers on rainy days, and takes extra steps to ensure orders reach elderly residents.

This year, she plans to compile her experience — order patterns in commercial districts, neighborhood shortcuts and emergency solutions — into a practical guide for newcomers.

"Running alone can take you far," she said. "But running together can take you further."

At 8 p.m., after her final delivery, Liao removed her helmet and smoothed wind-tousled hair, still smiling. She sent a message to the group chat: Anyone near the mall for milk tea?

Replies appeared within seconds, like lights turning on across the city — small signals of connection, resilience and shared hope.