Hand-pulled noodles, tasty broth with fresh ingredients, fast service offered by Muslim waitresses.
You must have been to one of those Lanzhou beef Noodles Restaurants (兰州牛肉拉面) around the corner. But having a bowl of noodles for free? This can only happen if you wear an orange uniform.
Beginning 31st March, an owner of one such restaurant in Jianye district gave out free beef noodles t street cleaners for a week. Starting from 31st March, anyone dressed in Nanjing street cleaner’s orange uniform was able to enjoy the eatery’s specialty for free when they walk in the door. The restaurant served over 80 bowls of free noodles every day until 5th April.
Inside their small shop of only 50 sqm, approximately 20 street cleaners were having lunch and chatting amongst each other. “Their noodles are the best”, they echo. 58-year old Liu Cuilan, who heard the news from her colleagues, gave this restaurant two thumbs up. “I couldn’t believe my ears at first. Who would do such things?” Liu said.
The restaurant owner Ma Yonghai was busy in the kitchen to meet the increasing demands over the week. “It’s a big turnout. I’m very glad!” Ma smiled while bringing a full bowl of steaming beef noodles to the table of four rubbish collectors. “They deserved this for keeping our streets clean. It is just my way of giving back to the community.”
The value of these free meals exceeded￥5,000 everyday, with Liu Cuilan becoming concerned for this kind-hearted restaurant owner. “I would only have one free meal. Doing business is not easy nowadays,” says the humble, working class lady who has been cleaning the street outside Ma’s eatery for 8 years.
Mr. Wu is not the only one who has been offering free lunch for street cleaners. On 31st March, a man in Liyang, Jiangsu, who preferred to remain anonymous bought breakfast for a thousand street cleaners.
On 14th March, a Baozi (steamed buns) shop owner let street cleaners have free Baozi and porridge for free for a week.
On 23rd February, a hotpot restaurant in Chengdu treated street cleaners to a free meal and stressed it was “not just for show”.
Street cleaners in China have gained increasing attention over the years, be it for their genuine care or just as puppets used by politicians or brands to make themselves look good, but certainly in a patronising fashion. Living and working conditions for the people who take care of our city are still far from satisfying. Often they need take a nap on the bustling streets, are unable to find a place for hot water or to heat up their lunch, and cannot return home during Spring Festival as they need clean up the remains of firecrackers, etc.
Much more needed to be done than free noodles for a week. Maybe a good start would be for us to stop littering and spitting on the street.
