One-armed courier reaches for self-reliance

A one-armed courier delivering express mail at Sichuan University in Chengdu has impressed the students on campus with his self-reliance.

But Zhong Guiping, who lost his right arm at age 5 after receiving an electrical shock from a high-voltage electric line, just wants to break another personal-best record for deliveries. He's eyeing the so-called Singles' Day shopping bonanza for an opportunity to outdo his previous efforts.

Each morning around 7:30, Zhong rides an electric bicycle to a university gate and picks up the mail unloaded by an express mail company truck. His missing limb doesn't slowed him down.

Toting the mail to a student dormitory, he gets off the bike and bends down to move a box to his right shoulder with his left hand. Unloading the box and other pieces of mail, he calls one recipient after another with his cell phone.

The 41-year-old has worked as a courier for 11 years. On the busiest day around the last Nov 11 Singles' Day, he delivered about 400 pieces of mail that weighed about 3 tons in total, the West China Metropolis Daily reported.

He told the Chengdu-based newspaper in Sichuan province that it's entirely possible he will break his record this year.

While he waits for recipients to collect their mail, some students pass him and nod a greeting. Many students on campus know Zhong and are moved by his story.

On a normal day, Zhong delivers some 100 pieces of mail. That can quadruple around Singles' Day. There's one additional benefit of the huge increase in his workload: more money. Zhong said he earns much more each November thanks to the buying spree.