Wang Xiangwu

　　April 30 was the second day of the May Day holiday, when people were either traveling, visiting relatives and friends, having a drink at a restaurant, or resting at home. Yet at the construction sites of the Qiyi Road and Wenfeng Road interchange (tunnel) project in Xuchang, the plaza project in front of Xuchang Station on the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway, and the projects on Weiwu Road, Zhongyuan Road, Yongchang Road, Qingmei Road, Xuzhou Road and Qizi Road, a scene of bustling activity prevailed.

　　That afternoon, the reporter came to the construction site of the northern section of Yan'an Road, a key municipal project, and saw several road rollers, pavers and dump trucks shuttling back and forth to carry out the final construction procedure——laying fine-grained asphalt. When the reporter saw the municipal workers busy at work, drenched in sweat, and was moved by them, the workers all said that if there was to be a story, it should be about their factory director, Wang Xiangwu.

　　After a careful search, the reporter finally found Wang Xiangwu, his clothes covered in oil stains, having just crawled out from under a machine and walking unsteadily.

　　Wang Xiangwu, a member of the Communist Party of China, is in his forties and of medium build. He is currently director of the General Factory of the Municipal Company under Henan Xuchang Tengfei Municipal Engineering Group Co., Ltd. In the 24 years since he started working, he has grown from an apprentice to an expert with comprehensive professional knowledge and skills, from an ordinary employee to a leadership position, and from a robust young man to a middle-aged man suffering from multiple illnesses. Along the way, his deeds have been truly moving.

　　The General Factory of the Municipal Company under Henan Xuchang Tengfei Municipal Engineering Group Co., Ltd. is responsible for the production, transportation and paving of all stabilized crushed stone, asphalt, curbstones and standard concrete bricks used by the group. In recent years, with the continuous expansion of the city and the steady improvement of urban infrastructure, Henan Xuchang Tengfei Municipal Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Tengfei Group) has undertaken the paving of nearly 300,000 cubic meters of stabilized crushed stone and nearly 100,000 tons of asphalt on more than 10 roads each year. Municipal engineering construction is a special industry with complex construction techniques and high technical requirements. It is also affected by climate, season and wind direction. The golden construction seasons are from spring to before the flood season and in autumn. Coupled with tight schedules and some force majeure factors, the construction time available in a year is very limited. Therefore, for the sake of project progress and quality, as long as weather conditions permit, municipal workers generally have no holidays or weekends, and at critical moments they even work around the clock, sometimes producing nearly 500 truckloads of crushed stone a day. As the person in charge, Wang Xiangwu must not only ensure production but also guarantee the engineering technology and quality on the construction front line. Sometimes when machinery has minor problems, he even repairs it himself. Chairman Zeng Xuemin has several times seen Wang Xiangwu crawl out from under a machine, and upon seeing him covered in dust and oil, advised him not to do the repairs himself and to let the repairmen handle it. But he said: "The construction site is far away, and to save time, there is no need to trouble them."

　　Wang Xiangwu is a man who regards work as more important than his life. In 2010, Tengfei Group undertook the Weiwu Avenue road project. In accordance with the requirements of city leaders and the completion deadline, Tengfei Group carried forward the spirit of Tengfei municipal workers, who dare to fight and are good at fighting tough battles and enduring hardship, concentrated its forces, worked to a reverse schedule, and honored its commitment by waging a battle of annihilation. During that period, Wang Xiangwu worked continuously for months, and it was common for him not to rest for two or three days, to the point that his health was severely overdrawn. In 2008, he found that his heart disease had worsened again, but he still stayed at his post. Only after repeated urging by Tengfei Group leaders and colleagues did he go to Zhengzhou for surgery (two stents were implanted). But he stayed in the hospital for only three days before rushing back to the construction site. Now problems have also appeared in his knees, and both working and walking cause him piercing pain, yet he grits his teeth and persists at his post.

　　At work, he is a workaholic, but at home, he is a filial son and a loving father. Wang Xiangwu has two brothers, both of whom work elsewhere, so the burden of caring for his parents falls on his shoulders. Last October, his father, who was over 80, died of heart disease, just when the Tianzhu Road project was carrying out the most critical asphalt overlay construction. Therefore, on the second day after his father's body was cremated, Wang Xiangwu rushed back to the construction site. Misfortunes never come singly: less than a week after his father's death, his 79-year-old mother was hospitalized with intestinal obstruction and underwent ostomy surgery. She is currently unable to care for herself and needs someone to look after her. His daughter is about to take the college entrance examination this year, and he very much wants to tutor her studies, give her some spiritual comfort and take care of her in daily life. But work needs him more, and he can only put the collective first and sacrifice his family.

　　Singing the song of youth for the road. For his work and for the cause he loves, Wang Xiangwu has been quietly dedicating himself in an ordinary post.