Ye Yu shares her experience as NPC deputy with college students. [Photo/people.com.cn]

As the youngest member in the Shaanxi delegation, Ye Yu showed no trace of shyness at the panel discussion on the Government Working Report, speaking boldly her opinion on behalf of the 2,478 villagers she represented. But it hasn't always been this way.

When she first spoke in the presence of top provincial and city leaders, her voice and legs trembled, the 28-year-old told this China Daily reporter.

"I think being a deputy drove me to improve greatly."

The year after she graduated from a language college, Ye became a village official - the lowest-level civil servant in China's administration - in Shangluo, a city some 100 km away from provincial capital Xi'an.

Life in the village was not easy for a girl who grew up in the city. Ye couldn't sleep well because of wild cats' voices outside at night. And loneliness is another problem because she is far away from home.

But once she adapted to rural life, she has been devoted to improving the lives of the villagers.

One of the problems concerns the elderly residents.

An old couple whose two children are suffering from serious nervous disorders, make a living by collecting garbage. Knowing this, Ye applied for subsistence allowances for their kids and helped them get a subsidy for illness.

A crippled woman in her eighties lived alone as her kids went to cities to seek better-paying jobs. Ye Yu went to visit the old lady's home frequently and send her daily supplies.

The young official also improved the village's infrastructure by renovating a broken bridge and erecting solar street lamps, and helped the villagers get richer by leading them to plant walnut trees and develop the poultry industry.