Couple dedicate themselves to providing rural communities with newspaper delivery service

Every day at 6 a.m., 64-year-old Shi Leyang and his wife Ye Ecai can be seen riding a motorcycle to deliver newspapers to residents in Daixi, a mountainous township in Huzhou city, east China’s Zhejiang province. Over the past 27 years, the couple has delivered a total of 8.64 million newspapers to 300 local subscribers, breaking five bicycles and eight motorcycles while traveling a total distance of 570,000 kilometers.

Shi Leyang and his wife Ye Ecai sort through and organize newspapers before delivering them. (Chinanews.com/He Weiwei)

What the two have done as newspaper delivery persons has been well recognized by the local community. The couple was awarded the title of “people of high integrity in 2021” in Huzhou city, Zhejiang province because of the high level of dedication, responsibility, trustworthiness and honesty that they demonstrated in their work.

In winter, the mountainous areas are much colder than the rest of the province. After working for a whole day, the couple would always find themselves almost frozen stiff. “If it snows, the roads will get wet and slippery, and it’s likely that we will fall onto the ground by accident,” said Ye, while recalling a time when their motorcycle broke down halfway during their trip, leaving them no choice but to push it all the way back home. However, despite all these obstacles, the two never took a single day off during weekdays.

Ye Ecai is on the way to delivering newspapers. (Chinanews.com/He Weiwei)

Some people have suggested that the couple find another job that can be less toilsome and better paid, but Shi said that it gave him a sense of satisfaction when he put the newspapers in the hands of the subscribers on the other end. “Besides, we’ve become friends and it’s good to see them every day,” said Shi. Over the past 27 years, no complaints were lodged against him from any of the newspaper subscribers.

Retired teacher Hong Ruimei has been a client of Shi for more than 10 years. One day when her village was hit by a sudden strong rainstorm, Hong thought she would not be able to receive newspapers that day. However, later that day, Shi appeared in front of her door with the newspapers she had ordered. The old man was soaked from head to toe, but the newspapers were dry.

Photo shows the certificates of honor Shi Leyang and his wife Ye Ecai were awarded. (Chinanews.com/He Weiwei)

The couple was awarded the title of “people of high integrity in 2021” in Huzhou city because of the high level of dedication, responsibility, trustworthiness and honesty that they demonstrated in their work. (Chinanews.com/Shi Lina)