Luo Xiying walks on the mountain mail road in Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province (taken on January 6, 2007). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Chunyuan
In the photo above, the postman Luo Xiying set off from Chenfang Township to Suoziqiao Village (Natural Village) to deliver letters and newspapers, and crossed the river with a bicycle in order to hurry up and take a shortcut. The Xinhua News Agency reporter who followed the interview took this photo by the river. Today, a road bridge has been built over the ditch of the creek where the old photo was taken.
Chenfang Township Postal Agency is located in the remote mountainous area of Leadshan County, in the past, the transportation was inconvenient, and the postman needed to carry the postman on his own shoulder, trekking through mountains and rivers, and the original postman was transferred because the working environment was too difficult. In 1996, Luo Xiying, who was originally a farmer at home, became the agent postman of Chenfang Township. "Xiao Luozi has done a good job, and if he does a good job, he can turn positive." For the words of the old director, Luo Xiying, who was 28 years old at the time, took the mail bag on her back.
Luo Xiying (left) handles business for villagers at the postal agency office in Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province (photo taken on March 29, 2011). Xinhua News Agency
"In the first few years of work, it was really tiring and hard, but the old uncles and aunts in the mountains really couldn't do without me. Reading letters, reading newspapers, receiving remittance slips...... They are waiting for me to come at the door, do you think I can not send it? "Cold and summer, windy and rainy, on the lonely mountain post road, Luo Xiying's thin figure will appear almost every day.
This is the mountain country mail road that Luo Xiying walked (taken on September 28, drone photo).
Luo Xiying, who delivered mail on foot in July 2011, and Luo Xiying, who will return to the township mail road in September 2024. Today's Township Post Road is overgrown with weeds.
Luo Xiying travels on the country mail road for more than 300 days a year, riding four broken bicycles and breaking countless shoes. In the 26 years she has worked, she has never had a backlog, loss or delay of newspapers and letters, and is affectionately known as "the wild goose in the mountain country" by the villagers. With perseverance and dedication year after year, Luo Xiying not only became a regular as she wished, but also won the honorary titles of the National May Day Labor Medal and the 38th Red Flag Bearer.
Luo Xiying braves the heavy rain and sets off to deliver mail (photo taken on July 19, 2011). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Mi
Luo Xiying delivers the letter to a resident (photo taken on January 6, 2007). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Chunyuan
In 2022, Luo Xiying will retire with honor, and now she lives in the county with her daughter's family, usually helping her daughter pick up and drop off her grandson, take care of housework, and enjoy family fun. "In the past, because I was busy with work, I basically didn't take my daughter, and I didn't even care about her confinement, but now I will help her more when I retire." Speaking of this, Luo Xiying looked a little guilty.
In the county seat of Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province, Luo Xiying (right) picks up her grandson from school (taken on September 27).
At her home in the county seat of Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province, Luo Xiying (second from right) poses for a photo with her family (taken on September 27).
Not long ago, the reporter followed Luo Xiying back to the Chenfang Township Postal Agency where she once worked. An electric three-wheeled postal vehicle was parked in front of the renovated agency, and the unmanned automatic delivery equipment was also replaced, which made Luo Xiying feel very novel.
At the postal agency in Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province, Luo Xiying (right) chatted with an old colleague (taken on September 28).
Luo Xiying (left) experiences the newly replaced unmanned automatic delivery equipment at the postal agency in Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province (taken on September 28).
"In the past, I couldn't ride a bicycle on the muddy road, I went to Guxi Village with my feet, the farthest residential area had to walk 20 kilometers, over 6 mountains, now the road leads directly to the door of the house, and the postal car only takes 30 minutes to go." Luo Xiying sighed with emotion.
This is a highway next to Guxi Village, Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province (drone photo, taken on September 28).
At the old photo shoot in Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province, Luo Xiying test-drives an electric three-wheeled postal vehicle now used by postmen (photo taken on September 28).
Going up the winding mountain road, the car drove into Guxi Village. The mountains are surrounded by neat new buildings, flowers dot the neat village roads, and villagers dry their harvested rice in their yards.
"In the past, the remittance slips of my family's part-time jobs were delivered to me by Xiying herself, and seeing her was like seeing a relative." Wen Chunxiang, who was threshing grain in the yard, saw Luo Xiying, and hurriedly pulled her into the house to drink tea and catch up.
In Guxi Village, Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province, Luo Xiying (right) and acquaintance villager Wen Chunxiang catch up (taken on September 28).
In Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province, Luo Xiying returns to Guxi Village to visit the villagers she has served (photo taken on September 28).
In Guxi Village, Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province, Luo Xiying (left) chats with an elderly man she knows (photo taken on September 28).
Today, people living in the mountains have moved to the village, built new buildings, and bought cars. Chenfang Township has developed Lao Cai into a tourist attraction and opened a central kindergarten in 2021.
This is Guxi Village, Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province, surrounded by mountains (taken on September 28, drone photo).
This is Chenfang Old Street in Chenfang Township, Leadshan County, Jiangxi Province (taken on September 28, drone photo).
"Although there were no roads or electricity in the mountainous areas, the postal routes are always ongoing. Now that I am retired, I hope that my family will be safe, my hometown will become more and more beautiful, and the life of my fellow villagers will become more and more prosperous. Luo Xiying said.
Click on the video
Listen to Luo Xiying tell the story of old photos
↓
Loading...
Co-ordinator: Song Weiwei, Han Fang
Reporter: Vientiane
Production: Chen Enqi Liu Qiong
Xinhua News Agency Photography Department
Editor: Shu Mengqing
Source: Xinhua News Agency