Peking University, October 18, 2022: While the first chirps of the birds break the dawn, Mr Zhang Shuqing has already started preparing for another busy day. With the morning fog yet to dissipate, Zhang walks into every school building, stopping by every water dispenser, ensuring their indicator lights are functioning. As he turns on the tap, he would check for the usual steaming hot water, before checking on the next water dispenser. As the fog clears up in the morning, students start to make their way to their classes. These early risers can help themselves to a cup of warm water before entering for class, which carries the love from Zhang.

Zhang, who lives in the Yanqing district in Beijing, first joined PKU in 1988 and started working as a stoker. Not only did he oversee the operation of the furnace room, but also tended to the boiler, ensuring the smooth flow of the boiling water operation. Back then, the entire school’s hot water supply depended on this procedure.

As early as 5 a.m., the furnace room will start its daily operation, using either firewood or coal to generate heat, thereby heating hot water.  In the 1980s, when PKU did not have access to natural gas and heater, all hot water is supplied by the furnace room. Every day without fail, Zhang would wake up in the wee hours of the morning to transport the coal to the furnace room. Then, he would spend 2 hours on preparation before boiling the water. At around 7 a.m., as the water starts boiling, the furnace room will be open to the school. He would collect a commodity ration coupon  from the staff and students, for a specific amount of water they have taken for that day. While decades have passed, and generations of PKU students have come and gone, Zhang stood firm in his post and continues to work tirelessly in the furnace room with no grievances. His decades of unfaltering labor are a testament to his dedication and meticulousness at work.

 
Subsequently, from using coal and firewood to provide a hot water supply, PKU switched to utilizing natural gas before every building built an independent water heater in every building. The daily work routine for Zhang has become less tedious over the years. Currently, he is in charge of the repair and management of the water heaters. Every morning, he checks if the water dispensers are functioning and if the sewer is clogged. Despite the decrease in strenuous labor, Zhang continues to uphold a high standard for his work, proclaiming that “my colleagues and I will continue to serve the school better”. Zhang is a blithesome man who is always generous with his smiles, as he travels from building to building for his work.

From manually heating the water to now inspecting the heaters, Zhang has witnessed the rapid development of technology and the nation’s enhancement of the standard of living.


Wang Fengqing, Zhang’s wife, also used to work in the school’s furnace room. Unlike her husband's reserved disposition, Wang is more outgoing. The students know her fondly as the “Affectionate Auntie Wang.” Students could always hear Wang’s gentle reminders to be careful when they are queueing for hot water. Yet, it is still unavoidable that some students might accidentally scald themselves despite constant reminders and warnings. Hence, the couple had ointments and cream prepared in case of emergency. Once, a student had a severe burn on his leg, and everyone around him started panicking. Experienced Wang reacted swiftly to the situation, and ran his burn under the tap water immediately to soothe the pain. Wang then brought the student to PKU Hospital to seek immediate medical attention.

"Before the student graduated from the school, he even came to see us and bid us farewell." Wang said sentimentally. Throughout the years working in the furnace room, the couple has met countless faces of students. Be it a simple yet warm greeting, or aiding students who are scalded, these simple acts of kindness have warmed the hearts of many.
 

Wang is now in charge of the cleanliness of PKU’s Teaching Building 2. Her work includes maintaining the cleanliness of the building, staff training, and inspection work. Wang is always seen on duty from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. She would greet the students and remind them to wear masks. Moreover, she is in charge of the lost and found corner in school as well as repairing school items. Since the pandemic, the school has imposed stringent requirements on disinfecting the school building. Though Wang repeats the tedious process of disinfecting the building every day, this did not burn her out. She always treats her work seriously and finds joy in her work.

 
This spring, many PKUers volunteered in both the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Wang, after undergoing training, led a cleaning service team for PKU Changping Campus in disinfection work. Over the 70 days of “closed-loop” management, Wang had a wonderful time with the student volunteers. Their working hours were very flexible. Apart from daily work such as disinfecting public areas and rooms in the five-story hostel, they remain on standby for the remaining day. Wang felt that everything she did was meaningful, especially when she saw the “thank you” notes stuck on the room doors of many students, she knew her hard work paid off.

It is also intuitive for the affable Wang to volunteer to help others in any way possible. Besides completing her job, she tried her best to help the other logistics teams. She volunteered to carry food supplies and arrange schedules while ensuring disinfection is completed. When encountering emergencies at work, she would rush to the frontline without hesitation and resolve the issues calmly.  Under her leadership, the cleaning service team completed their work systematically and successfully.


The couple served the school for a total of 34 years, and PKU grew and flourished over the years with their unsung contributions. Both of the couple are members of the Chinese Communist Party and have always exemplified excellence, spreading love and warmth to the entire school population. Every year during the start or end of the school year, Zhang is always spotted helping students to carry their luggage. Regardless of the time of the day, as long as the students need help, he would always be there for them earnestly. Whenever the couple mentions their work at PKU, they are always filled with pride.

When asked about what is their greatest motivation for this job, they will surely reply that the students are the ones that bring them the most joy and motivate them to steadfast in their duty. 


The 34 years of service was long, long enough for their younger days to fade into memories of the distant past; yet it is short, short enough for the countless days and nights to whiz past before they realize it. At PKU, every hot, mellow cup of water attests to their years of dedication to the school. As simple as a gentle greeting or a cup of hot water, it brimmed with their love and warmth, heart-warming enough to get us through the chilling winter.

Written by: Guo Yanan
Edited by: Shi Xinyao
Source: PKU News (Chinese)