Recently, a young food delivery guy went viral on the internet, reported successively by Weibo, People’s Daily, and Xinhua News Agency. It turns out that this young man, Yang Dekun, who runs through the streets and delivers hot pancakes, is also a Ph.D. student majoring in Mechanical and Electronic Engineering at the Institute of Technological Sciences of Wuhan University (WHU). Why does a person studying for his doctorate choose to work as a deliveryman at the same time?
Yang Dekun running on the street
Yang’s story began when he decided to return to college for a doctor’s degree at WHU, for which he developed deep feelings during his graduate years at the School of Power and Mechanical Engineering. However, being the only child of a father who has had hip replacement surgery and a mother with mild cerebral infarction, Yang has had to shoulder the responsibility for the home. He moved his parents to live with him in Wuhan and take care of them. He then rented a small shop near the campus to sell and deliver pancakes to support their small home.
Yang’s family
Their shop, ‘Antie’s Pancakes’ is located less than 200 meters from one of the side entrance of WHU. Though the working room is only 15 square meters and packed with kitchenware, it is ample for them and their passion for making delicious pancakes.
Yang’s mother cooking
“Usually, research and study are busy, but helping parents in my spare time with the work is what a son ought to do,” Yang Dekun, looking at his parents’ busy figures, Ssaid. “One day I will be able to shelter them from trials and hardships so that they can enjoy more peaceful lives,” he said.
Entrance of “Antie’s Pancakes”
Learning about Yang’s situation, the Faculty of the Institute of Technological Sciences immediately helped him apply for a hardship allowance. Yang’s mentor also offered to provide academic and financial help when Yang’s father underwent surgery. “The assistance I received from my tutors was all-around, from support with life’s affairs to offering direction on my research,” Yang said gratefully.
Yang doing his research (left)
In the meantime, Yang’s schoolmates and friends gave him a helping hand, too. Support from people around have accompanied this little shop all along, affording love and warmth to the family. Chen Man, a student from the School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, was instantly attracted to the delicious pancakes when he stumbled across the restaurant. He promoted them on his microblog account and shared his experience, thus adding advertising power to ‘Antie’s Pancakes’ business.
Yang (third from left, first row) and his schoolmates
Studying for a Ph.D. under the eave of the pancake stall, Yang Dekun shows unremitting strength, perseverance and determination. This excellent young man from Luojia lights up his own family and is an inspiration to everyone on Luojia.
Rewritten by Jiang Junzhe
Edited by Li Jing, Zhou Yue, Sylvia, Xi Bingqing
