Residents in Xianfeng County, Hubei province, sold more than 4 metric tons of apples in 19 hours to support a traveling vendor from Shaanxi province who suffered a stroke during the May Day holiday.
On Saturday, 44-year-old Ji Yaozhong from Shaanxi province arrived in Xianfeng County with his wife Liang Lili to sell a truckload of apples. Shortly after entering the county, Ji suffered an acute stroke and drove himself to a local hospital, where doctors saved his life but left him unable to continue selling.
With rising temperatures threatening to rot the 4 metric tons of apples, the family faced a heavy financial loss. On Monday afternoon, hospital staff appealed for support and offered the apples at 5 yuan per 500 grams.
Food delivery riders, livestreamers, and passersby quickly joined the effort. By 9 a.m. on Tuesday, all the apples had sold, generating about 40,000 yuan in revenue. Liang said medical workers saved her husband's life while the generosity of residents offset their losses.
