"Dream Building, Modernization, Jointly Drawing a New Vision, the Song of Laborers"

Xinhua News Agency, Wuhan, April 28, Title: Deng Lanzhou: "Happiness Courier" on the Shenshan Road

Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Siyuan

"Dad Yang, you are going to work again. Get on the bus quickly, and I will give you a ride." "Grandma Tian, I have sent the vegetables I was asked to bring, and I need to speak at any time." In late spring, in Maizhuang Village, Wufeng Town, Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County, Hubei Province, the hinterland of Wuling Mountain, the mountain road is rugged and winding, and a Dongfeng Chaolong bus stops and goes.

There were few passengers in the carriage, but it was full of mountain products, agricultural materials, tea, bacon, and the most popular wild vegetables.

Deng Lanzhou is in the cab. Photographed by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Siyuan

It was Deng Lanzhou, a 39 year old driver of Wufeng Sannong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd. As a rural passenger transport driver who sticks to the mountains all the year round, his biggest characteristic is "doing nothing": he contracted to operate the passenger transport line from Maizhuang Village to the town, but he helped the villagers carry goods and materials all the year round, and the villagers often did not collect money for short trips.

Maizhuang is located at the top of a high mountain, with the highest altitude of more than 1600 meters. It is 39 kilometers away from the market town, and it takes more than an hour to drive. The village is mostly left behind elderly and children, and it has been difficult to travel for a long time. Mao Guoqiang, secretary of the Party branch of Maizhuang Village, said: "The elderly can't play with their mobile phones, can't buy online or use express delivery, and can only buy and sell goods and carry things by the most traditional way, which is to find Lan Zhou."

Deng Lanzhou's obligation began in 2008. At that time, Deng Lanzhou had just engaged in rural passenger transport. As the New Year is coming, Wang Qingling, a villager in Maizhuang, is very worried - he hasn't bought all the New Year's goods yet. In desperation, she stopped Deng Lanzhou's bus at the roadside and asked for help. "It's inconvenient for people in the mountains to go out, so they can help if they can," Deng Lanzhou said. Since then, more and more villagers have come to ask for help. Deng Lanzhou bought a small notepad and carefully wrote down the material information one by one, officially carrying materials for the villagers.

Deng Lanzhou's notepad. Photographed by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Siyuan

The chat records of more than 1700 friends on mobile WeChat and more than 10 "pocket" notebooks witnessed Deng Lanzhou's past: a package of clothes was sent to the town primary school, a package of vegetable seeds was bought at a store, and a package of new tea was sent to children in other places... In order to ensure that everything is safe, Deng Lanzhou will clearly mark them one by one according to the requirements of the villagers, especially drugs, He will take care of the appearance of the bottle, or simply take the empty bottle with him for comparison.

"This is one of the most remote rural passenger transport routes in Wufeng. The altitude difference along the route is large, and the road conditions are complex in four seasons." The general manager of Wufeng Sannong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd. introduced to Qingsong that after Deng Lanzhou took charge of this route in 2008, in order to ensure the villagers' travel needs in the morning, Deng Lanzhou simply lived at the starting station on the top of the mountain and left for the market town of Wufeng Town at 6:00 every morning.

"Usually we start before dawn, less than two hours a way, but Deng Lanzhou often has to drive for nearly three hours in order to bring more things to the villagers." Xiang Qingsong said that in recent years, all villages and groups in Wufeng Town have access to cement roads, and private cars have also increased. On weekdays, there are few people taking the bus. In addition, Deng Lanzhou spent a lot of time with his family.

But within three months, Deng Lanzhou returned to the mountain.

"Villagers talk about me," Deng Lanzhou said, recalling the scenes when villagers took care of themselves, and resolutely chose to return. "I am afraid that I will be hungry, and the villagers will send me warm boiled eggs before dawn; they are afraid of snow and slippery roads, and everyone will voluntarily clean up the snow on the roads; they are afraid that I will be lonely, and the villagers will invite me to be a guest at home......"

Returning to the embrace of the mountain again, Deng Lanzhou bought a motorcycle specially to deliver goods to remote villagers. In order to facilitate the left behind children to go to and from school, he also added special classes for students every Friday and Sunday.

Deng Lanzhou and his "old buddy", a 23 seat bus. Photographed by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Siyuan

One person, one road, go round and round. Deng Lanzhou's charity act became a bridge, connecting the town at one end and nostalgia at the other.

In the past 16 years, Deng Lanzhou has driven buses for more than 5000 days and nights, and the total mileage of mountain roads is more than 900000 kilometers, without any safety accidents. Along the way, from rice, flour, oil, salt, fresh fruit, fish meat to fertilizer, seeds, farm tools, medicines... He volunteered to bring more than 100000 items of goods for villagers along the road, serving more than 8000 villagers in the mountain. In 2022, with the support of the town and the company, he initiated the establishment of the "Deng Lanzhou Volunteer Service Team". More than 10 colleagues of the team joined in, bringing goods and services "more and more popular".

Yu Juan, a staff member of Wufeng Town Government, has been helped by Deng Lanzhou for many times. She said that every time she saw Deng Lanzhou bring vegetables grown by the elderly at home, she was grateful. "He sent happiness".