A 7-year-old boy named Li Changjiang who works as a delivery boy in Qingdao, Shandong province, went viral on Chinese social media.
According to a video made by Chinese media outlet Pear Video, Li’s father passed away due to illness, while his mother remarried and has been out of touch with her son ever since. Li has been under the custody of Yan Shifang, a former colleague and a good friend of the boy’s father, since then. Yan said he feels taking care of the little boy is a favor that he must do for his late friend.
Yan told Pear Video that he used to take Changjiang with him when he delivered packages, but the little boy initiated to help and got enough experience to deliver packages on his own. He delivers around 30 packages every day in Qingdao’s Shibei district.
Changjiang told reporters that he was happy doing his job and still wants to be a delivery man when he grows up.
Changjiang delivers packages on his own.
The video has gained wide attention on Chinese social media, prompting authorities to arrange his temporary shelter at the local government-run Children’s Charity Organization. A local school has offered to take in Changjiang, but only temporarily. It is not yet known if Yan would allow the said arrangements for the young boy, given that social media people noticed that Li seemed to be healthy and well taken of.
Although a nine-year education is compulsory in China, it is unfortunately still the case that children with a rural hukou (household registration) have restricted access to public schools and social services in urban areas. It is also seen as one of the reasons why many parents leave their children behind in their hometowns to work in urban areas.
Earlier this month, another boy made the rounds on Weibo because of his “frost hair” after walking 4.5km to a school in Yunnan, bearing freezing cold while his parents were out working in the city.
“First the ice boy, now the kuaidi boy,” one comment on Weibo said. “How many of these children are out there?”
Photos: Pear Video, Pixabay
