Truck-Pulling Brother Was Preparing to Depart on Baofeng First Road
Purchasing a Truck and Setting Off—Journalists and Family Tried to Dissuade Him
Truck-Pulling Brother’s Plan to Hike Ten Thousand Miles for Donations Was Stopped
"Look, Truck-Pulling Brother is going to hike ten thousand miles to raise tuition donations for others!" Yesterday morning, dozens of similar posts appeared online. In addition to text, there were also photos showing Truck-Pulling Brother in dark blue jeans, with the brim of his hat turned up, pulling a wooden cart, walking calmly down the street. A red flag fluttered on the cart, which bore not only a photo of him but also the words: "Truck-Pulling Brother Yan Jiaman: Delivering Love, Hiking Ten Thousand Miles to Raise Tuition Funds for Children of Working-Class Families."
Repeatedly Asked "Not to Notify the Media"
At 9 a.m. yesterday, driven by curiosity, reporters found Truck-Pulling Brother Yan Jiaman near the Baofeng First Road bus stop on Jianshe Avenue. He was all geared up for departure, dressed exactly as shown in the online photos. Seeing the reporters, he said anxiously, "I repeatedly asked them to keep it confidential and not to notify any journalists."
"I can pull a cart and endure hardship. I’ll walk all the way to Beijing, raising funds along the way and donating the money to children in impoverished mountainous areas who can’t afford to go to school," said Truck-Pulling Brother. The reporter noticed that the cart was empty except for a large bag of shoes and a guestbook. He explained that he had bought the shoes specially at Han Zheng Street—25 yuan per pair, 20 pairs in total. He had also prepared a donation box. Before setting off, a neighbor who owned a business donated 4,000 yuan to cover basic living expenses, and he had also prepared an empty bank card. However, he didn’t have any of the basic necessities for hiking, such as maps, food, water, or medicine.
Truck-Pulling Brother said that the cart was custom-made for 1,300 yuan. He planned to deposit every donation he received into the bank promptly and keep detailed records. At around 9:30 a.m., Truck-Pulling Brother officially set off. The reporters followed him for about an hour, and at every stop, passersby stopped to take photos and post on Weibo.
Reporters and Family Convinced Him to Turn Back
"My family was strongly against it. I sneaked out," said Truck-Pulling Brother. He had the idea half a month ago, but his wife and two daughters strongly opposed it. Several sisters came to persuade him and even made him promise on the spot. Even neighbors and friends advised him, "Don’t act impulsively." As the reporters walked with him, they urged him to reconsider, but he insisted, "I must go." His phone rang dozens of times—it was his family calling—but he didn’t answer, fearing they would try to talk him out of it.
Before departing, he went to his company to complete resignation procedures. The reporters accompanied him to a logistics base on Gutian Second Road. During lunch, the reporters privately informed his family. Twenty minutes later, his three sisters, a neighbor, and a close friend arrived one after another.
"Your eldest daughter is about to take her graduate school entrance exams, and your second daughter is about to start her internship and look for a job. At this critical moment, you can’t just leave as a father!" His elder sister, who rushed over upon hearing the news, was in tears. "I’m not doing this for myself, I’m doing it to help others!" Truck-Pulling Brother argued with his sister... In the end, after collective persuasion from the reporters and family, he finally relented.
"Jiaman is a good man, but he tends to act impulsively and without much thought," said his third brother, sounding somewhat helpless.
Yesterday noon, he returned home with his family. His third brother gave him the 1,300 yuan used to make the cart and planned to return the 4,000 yuan donated by the neighbor on a later date. Truck-Pulling Brother himself also said, "I didn’t think things through. Now I realize there are many other ways to do good."