A song for the road

Donated vegetables are transported by the Jiaxianglaike company to Enshi in Hubei province and then distributed to residents in need. CHINA DAILY

In support of Hubei

"I return to my hometown every year to celebrate Lunar New Year with my family. Usually, I spend a week in Hebei, visiting relatives and meeting some old friends, but this year was different," Li says.

Upon sensing the severity of the situation caused by the epidemic, starting from Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, and the subsequent lockdown of many cities there, Li and others in the company wanted to donate vegetables.

"When we read the news about food demand in Wuhan, we decided to deliver fresh vegetables, which we have large supplies of thanks to Jiaxianglaike," Li says.

With the help of its customers, the company got the permission to travel in Hubei during the lockdown as some essential services did.

On Jan 31, Li set out from Beijing and spent about 16 hours on the road, delivering 10 tons of Chinese cabbage and 5 tons of baby cabbage to Xiantao city in Hubei. Early the next morning, the vegetables were distributed to local hospitals and people in need for free.

Since then, the company has transported vegetables to Qianjiang, Wuhan and other cities in the province.

Li returned to Beijing on Feb 18 and did a 14-day self-quarantine required of all returning to the city.

"We contacted farmers we've worked with for years. Many offered to help instantly, which enabled us to gather large numbers of vegetables in a short period of time," Li says.