Cities come alive because of people. The development of the city is inseparable from the hard work of ordinary workers from all walks of life, who are the epitome of the city's warmth.
In the past few days, the high temperature of 40 °C has "scorched" Shencheng, and the road surface has been hot...... In Yangpu, the old food delivery workers are still running on the road, they shuttle under the scorching sun, just for the elderly to eat a heart-warming meal without leaving home.
On a recent morning, at the back door of the Yunheyuan Central Kitchen, Tang Huizhong, a food delivery worker from the Good Neighbor Kitchen, was busy receiving the lunch boxes shipped out of the packing room while checking the delivery list for the day.
Under the scorching sun, before he could set off, he sweated like rain. "Most of them are package A, and a few elderly people have special circumstances and want sugar-free package B. We determine the number of servings and the address every morning, and we can't make mistakes. Tang Huizhong said.
The "King of Climbers"
Tang Huizhong, 55 years old this year, always wears an "iconic" dress in summer: wearing a yellow vest of a good neighbor kitchen, a pair of sunscreen sleeves on both arms, riding a special food delivery vehicle, and an incubator in the back seat......
The Yunheyuan Central Kitchen, where he works, currently has a total of 14 food delivery staff, serving about 800 elderly people in 7 streets of Yangpu District. According to the route arrangement, Tang Huizhong is mainly responsible for the streets of Dinghai Road, and usually delivers about 50 copies a day. Everyone departs at about 9 o'clock every day, and the latest delivery time is no more than 12 noon according to the regulations, and the surface temperature of the meal is not lower than 70 °C when it is served, so as to ensure the freshness of the meal and the meal time of the elderly.
"In the summer, many elderly people wake up early and eat early, so we have to advance the whole food delivery process. Some elderly people also have diabetes and can't go hungry, so we will also take this into account when designing the route. Tang Huizhong said.
Since most of the elderly people who order food live in old communities, and there is no elevator in the building, it has become Tang Huizhong's daily routine to climb up and down the stairs. As soon as time was tight, he sped up his steps, spanning two stairs and one step, and still kept the food in his hand open. "In our line of work, climbing more than 100 floors a day is a must. If your legs are not fast, how can you deliver food on time? He laughs.
"Aunt Zhou, I'm here!" At around 10 o'clock in the morning, Tang Huizhong knocked on the door of Zhou Lingfeng, the first elderly person who ordered a meal. The meal came in the door, and it was still steaming. "I've been ordering meals from the Good Neighbor Chef for several years. Xiaotang people are very nice and punctual, and they are delivered to my house around 10 o'clock every day. We're already acquainted with each other! ”
Different elderly people often have different food delivery needs. Some old couples are often not at home, Tang Huizhong will knock on the door and put the lunch box on the small bench reserved at the door; Some elderly people have inconvenient legs and feet, so he will deliver the lunch box all the way to the old man's table before leaving. "I live on the first floor, and every time Xiaoyu knocks on my window from the outside to alert me that he's coming, and then goes around to the front door to bring me food to my room. I'm thankful to him. 93-year-old Grandma Wan said.
After running to a few households, Tang Huizhong's clothes were soaked with sweat and then dried in the sun...... After a hurried sip of water, he hurried to the next address.
"It's normal to be a little tired"
Tang Huizhong has been working as a food delivery worker in Yangpu for 16 years. For the food delivery route, he himself is a "navigator" and "living map", and he knows the situation of each household. Every summer and winter, he is exposed to the scorching sun, coming in the wind and going in the rain, which has long become a habit.
"It's normal to be a little tired." Tang Huizhong said, "The old people are actually very good to us. They often call me 'soup' and sometimes they give me water to drink. I was very touched by all of this. ”
Many elderly people's children are not around, and Tang Huizhong greeted the elderly when he came to the door, asking them whether the recent meals were to taste and whether they needed to change the package. "The old people treat us as family, and we treat them as family. You can't serve them without care. ”
Tang Huizhong is just one of many Good Neighbor Chef food delivery people. Like him, the food delivery staff braved the heat wave and the high temperature, rushed to the front line outdoors, and interpreted the spirit of love and dedication with sweat.
Text/Image: Tang Shunjia
Editor: Wu Baixin
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