Deliveryman chases his poetic dream

Born in 1969 in East China's Jiangsu province, Wang Jibing dropped out of school during junior high. To make a living, he worked as a construction worker, a sand dredger, a street vendor and a scrap collector. Yet, he never lost his appetite for reading, often lingering at secondhand book stalls and sifting through discarded newspapers. Life was hard, yet his love for literature never faded. "Literature is a candy in my life," he said. "I've never found that writing is mentally challenging. Passion is all that drives me."

In 2019, hearing that delivering food could pay well, Wang decided to give it a shot. At 50, he became the oldest courier at his station. On his way to deliver takeout food, while waiting for red lights and for the food to be served, he composed verses. When inspiration struck, he used his mobile phone to jot down moments of his experience on streets and the sentiment.