United front eases COVID-19 stress (3)

A donor sticks medicine on the wall of an elevator in a compound in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Dec 22. DONG XUMING/FOR CHINA DAILY

Good neighbors

Li Kaili, a 29-year-old editor from Zhengzhou, Henan province, said she was grateful that her neighbor shared some fever medicine with her.

Recently, her 1-year-old child developed a fever at about midnight, so she asked for help from a neighbor she knows through mutual interests and babysitting exchanges.

"My neighbor replied to my message at around 3 am. Even though her 10-month-old also needed the medicine, she gave half of it to me," Li Kaili said. "There is a saying that a good close neighbor is better than a relative far away. I definitely agree with that because a neighbor nearby can provide more timely help," she added.

"I was particularly moved, so I recorded the deed on my social media. When my son grows up, he will know what happened and how friendly and helpful the people around him were."

On Dec 10, a 27-year-old woman surnamed Wang who works in the internet industry in Beijing developed a temperature of 39 C.

About an hour after she posted requests for help in several WeChat groups, she received some of the bestselling fever medicines from friends and also from a neighbor she has never even met.

Having studied and worked in the capital for five years, Wang, who hails from Shandong province, said she could feel the "warmth of the capital city".

"My unknown neighbor even offered to give me her last pack of medicine, which gave me a glimpse of light in the darkness," Wang said.

"I will bear their kindness in mind, and when I think about it on an unhappy day, it will make me smile. Though COVID-19 is merciless, we can overcome the disease by uniting and working together."