Location: Wuhan, Hubei
February 26, 2020
While driving across the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge on the night of Feb. 26 volunteer Zheng Nengliang and his friend Hu Hengbing came across a middle-aged homeless couple. The couple when asked said they traveled from Xianning, Hubei, before the Chinese Lunar New Year, to see a doctor in Wuhan. Now they are not allowed to leave Wuhan as the city is in lockdown. After spending all their money, they became homeless—unable to afford any food or accommodation.
Due to years of chronic tuberculosis, the wife was unemployed. Her husband worked in Yiwu (a city famous for wholesale commodity markets). They came to Wuhan to get treatment for her disease before Chinese Lunar New Year, but never expected the coronavirus outbreak that swept the whole city. After the sudden lockdown announced by the government, they couldn’t return home and had to stay in Wuhan.
Mr. Zheng asked how they managed to get food. “In the beginning of this month, we paid for ourselves, and we paid for the house. Now we have run out of money.” The husband said, adding, “We resorted to the community but were denied help.”
The couple can neither leave Wuhan nor find a place to stay now. They have no choice but to live on the streets and scavenge for food.
Mr. Zheng smelled a strong sour scent from the couple. Apparently, they had not bathed or changed clothes for a long time. His wife looked weak and shivered with cold.
Mr. Zheng offered to find some quilts for the poor couple, while Hu Hengbing took off his jacket for the wife and gave them the last three biscuits in the car.
Conversation:
Zheng Nengliang: Today is February 26, 2020. How long have you been here?Husband: We came before the Lunar New Year.
Zheng Nengliang: You’ve been here since last year?
The couple: Yes.
Zheng Nengliang: Where did you eat every day?
Husband: In the beginning of this month, we paid for ourselves, and we paid for the house. Now we have run out of money.
Wife: We picked up food from the streets.
Zheng Nengliang: You picked up food to eat?
Husband: There are no other options.
Hu Hengbing: What disease are you seeking treatment for? Do you have a medical record?
Zheng Nengliang: What did you do? What were your jobs?
Husband: My wife has tuberculosis, chronic tuberculosis.
Zheng Nengliang: Oh, that is infectious. Just put on the face mask.
The couple: It’s been years.
Zheng Nengliang: What were your jobs?
Husband: I worked in Yiwu.
Zheng Nengliang: In Yiwu. What about your wife?
Wife: I stayed at home for treatment.
Husband: She didn’t have a job. She had been receiving treatment at home for years.
Zheng Nengliang: That is to say, you have been here before the new year, and you can’t go back now but to live on food found on the streets?
Husband: We resorted to the community but were denied help.
Zheng Nengliang: I give you all the biscuits we have in our car.
Husband: We will keep looking for communities.
Zheng Nengliang: How many homeless people have you seen up to now?
Husband: I don’t know that. I don’t know anything from the community.
Wife: Usually they don’t let us go out.
Zheng Nengliang: We will find some quilts for you.
Hu Hengbing: ……（voice lost）
The couple: Thank you! Thank you!
