Truck driver in SW China’s Sichuan lives a better life as roads become better
By Wang Yongzhan,
People’s Daily
When better roads are
paved in his hometown, Lu Qula, a man of Yi ethnic group in Jinyang county of Liangshan
Yi autonomous prefecture in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, is
growing a successful
goods-delivery business and
living a better life.
The man has changed five vehicles in the past decade as his
business kept expanding. He also witnessed how the roads in his hometown were
upgraded from unsurfaced roads, to gravel ones,
and to asphalt roads.
Roads of poor quality used to be the longstanding obstacle on
Jinyang county’s way to poverty alleviation. Today, as the roads linking the
county and the world outside are continuously improved, Lu’s livelihood is
getting better and better.
In 2010, Lu and his wife Shi Yirixia, who were migrant workers in
Guangdong Province in South China, returned to their hometown.
The couple did not save much money although working outside for
years, and had a difficult time when they just returned home. His large family,
including one younger brother, two younger sisters and his parents, shared one
house. The couple did not even have a room of their own. It was at that time that
Lu made up his mind to change his life.
Then the thought of buying a car to start his own business
occurred to him. He spotted an opportunity for a delivery business, because it
took a lot of time to walk to the county, which was actually not far away from
his village located in the mountain.
Lu bought the first minivan the next year. “He must have made a fortune
when working in big cities,” said his neighbors surprisingly.
However, his wife knew better than anyone else that he borrowed
most of the money to buy the vehicle, which cost more than 40,000 yuan ($5,645).
She was confident in her husband, who believed he could make money and pay off
the debts through delivering goods.
Travelling on the bumpy roads, Lu delivered goods every day from
then on.
“There is no need to worry about the debts, because I make some
money every day,” he reassured his family.
Despite his optimism, it was challenging to travel in
the mountains with poor road conditions. Back then, road facilities
were not in place, therefore deadly dangers may occur if the driver hesitated
for a while. In the rainy summertime, the flood, together with a rolling mass
of mud and debris, may happen at any time. In this case, the failure
of the brake could cost the life of the driver.
Two years later, his minivan was scrapped. Without hesitation, Lu
bought a new one and continued his delivery business.
While Lu was sticking at his business, the country launched a
battle against poverty. Many people came to help the county, including officials
from Foshan city, Guangdong Province, and Guanghan city, Sichuan Province, and
construction teams which were about to construct infrastructures, including
roads, bridges and houses for the county.
Lu sensed that changes were about to happen, as asphalt roads and
resettlement sites for local villagers were in construction. He realized that
transporting construction materials was a good choice. After consulting his
wife, he sold the minivan and spent over 50,000 yuan on another second-hand
minivan.
Thanks to the construction boom, Lu’s business prospered.
Being confident about the prospects of his hometown, he sold the
minivan again and spent 260,000 on a truck in 2018. Although he borrowed a
large amount of money to buy the truck, his wife believed that as long as they
worked hard, the debt would not be a problem.
As his business thrived, Lu took out a loan to buy another truck
this March. He sets out in the light dawn, driving his new truck to deliver construction
materials.
With this new truck, he could make 700 to 800 yuan for a single
trip, and could make at least two trips in a day. This means an income of
30,000 to 40,000 yuan per month if he brings out his best.
Over the years, the newly-built asphalt roads have replaced gravel
ones, linking the county and all the villages.
The new roads were built with a high quality, with a
hardened surface, silvery guard rails alongside the road which
protect the vehicles, and protective nets installed in the mountain near the
cliff. Besides, builders frequently maintain the road.
Delivering goods is a laborious task, yet the positive changes in
his life make him more confident. In 2018, Lu bought a property with mortgages
in the county. His wife also got a stable job there.
When he got married 12 years ago, it took him five hours to walk
from his home to the county. The man was always covered in dust when he
arrived.
Today, however, one hour of comfortable driving along the zigzag
mountain roads will bring Lu’s children to their grandparents in the village.
“The best days are
yet to come,” said Lu energetically.
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Photo shows Lu Qula and his new truck. (Photo by Qiu Xingchun/People’s Daily Online) |

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