Practical, effective and practical

 

 

 

At 8 a.m., I arrived at the Manlongfeng branch of Yexiangquan Drinking Water. Master Dao had already gone out to deliver water, and the morning air was pleasantly cool, leaving me feeling remarkably refreshed.

 

 

 

 

Master Dao has returned, carrying the empty water barrels he swapped out while delivering water to the customer. Since the sun rose early this morning and was still quite blinding, Master Dao was wearing a pair of sunglasses.

 

 

 

 

After unloading the empty buckets, the water delivery driver loaded the truck again, ready to head out and deliver water!

 

 

 

 

After the water is properly filled, Master Dao delivers it to each customer’s home one by one, following the details on the order. During the delivery process, he puts plastic bags over his feet and gloves on his hands before entering the customer’s residence to fill their water containers.

 

 

 

 

While delivering water, the delivery driver receives a call from a customer. For safety, he pulls over to the side of the road to take the call and then records the customer’s address.

 

 

 

 

Throughout the shoot, I kept wanting to capture Master Dao’s full face, but I realized that the most down-to-earth workers always leave people with nothing but their backs.

 

 

 

 

During routine water deliveries, it’s not uncommon for customers to be out on short notice or for their doorbells to be broken, making it impossible for them to hear the knock. In such situations, Master Dao patiently consults his notebook and calls the customer to check in.

 

 

 

 

 

Summer is peak water-season, and Master Dao makes one delivery after another—no matter how far the destination, he always delivers on time. “When it comes to drinking water,” he says, “you can’t afford to delay for even a moment.”

 

 

 

 

The marks of summer are already clearly etched on Master Dao’s face. Because he has long worn a hat and sunglasses to shield himself from the sun, half of his skin is dark while the other half is fair—such is the hardship of being a water delivery worker. While learning how to interact with each customer, he must also ensure top-notch service, which means being punctual, courteous, and cheerful, so that they can deliver Wild Elephant Spring water to thousands upon thousands of homes.