Knights of mercy bring hope

"I live near the Xudongyi Road in Hongshan district. The road would ordinarily have been bustling with office workers, shoppers and vendors," he says. "However, after the city was put on lockdown and many stores shut down, there are just a few pedestrians."

Recently, at the request of his customers, he has helped them to purchase surgical masks, respirators and disinfectants that protect them from becoming infected.

He has also delivered fruit, vegetables and other daily necessities, and has taken care of pets left home alone by owners during the holidays who have been unable to return. One day, he even rescued a cat from a rooftop that had escaped from a flat.

Laoji has experienced countless touching moments at work.

On Jan 25, he was asked to deliver a meal for more than a dozen people to a local care center where medical staff were working to combat the epidemic.

"The recipient was very surprised to get the packages of rice and other food," recalls Laoji. "I guess it's a warmhearted stranger who ordered the meal for those hardworking and courageous medical professionals."

And the next morning, when he was about to send a homemade meal to a hospital, he found a note which read: "This is prepared by my mom for my dad who is a doctor fighting at the front line. Thank you for the delivery."

"These words deeply moved me. I really want to express my gratitude to the doctor and his colleagues," Laoji says.