"Thank you very much!" Recently, a special gift from Shanghai arrived at the Yinhe Community in the Quantang Neighborhood of Changsha County. It was a handwritten postcard and two jars of exquisite nut butter. The letter was sent by two Tunisian friends, Houda Dawahi and Souad Benbelgacem, on behalf of a team of over 20 people, expressing their heartfelt gratitude to Zhou Quan, a grid-based community worker.

The thank-you postcard and gift sent to the community by the Tunisian friends.

The story behind this gesture is a heartwarming one. "Hello, can you help me?" On the morning of November 25, two foreign women, lightly dressed, walked into the Yinhe Community Party-Public Service Center. Noticing their hesitancy, Zhou Quan, who was busy at work, immediately set aside his tasks and approached them with a warm smile, greeting them in English.

Zhou Quan, 37, a returnee from overseas with foreign company experience, is proficient in spoken English. In 2023, he chose to join grassroots community work.

As Changsha County increasingly engages in international exchanges, more and more foreign friends come here for work, business, tourism, and study. The Yinhe Community, surrounded by bustling commercial areas, frequently welcomes international visitors. Previously, Zhou had assisted foreign guests multiple times during his routine neighborhood patrols, offering directions, tourism advice, and more.

This time, he warmly served the women hot tea, used his phone's translation app, and listened patiently. It turned out that the foreign friends were from Tunisia, with Arabic as their native language, and they were not fluent in English. They were part of a team of over 20 people who had come specifically to Changsha County to learn agricultural technology and were staying at a hotel just a few hundred meters from the community.

It was early winter, and the temperature in Changsha had suddenly dropped. The team had misjudged the weather when packing and hadn't brought enough warm clothing. Even more pressing, they were scheduled to travel to Shanghai the next day to continue their exchange and study. That morning, the two Tunisian ladies decided to scout ahead, hoping to find a large mall to purchase winter clothes and Changsha specialties. However, due to the language barrier, they repeatedly struggled to ask for directions and eventually found themselves at the community service hall.

Zhou Quan (center) poses for a photo with the two foreign friends in the community.

Zhou Quan's patience and smile put them at ease. After understanding their situation, Zhou Quan immediately offered to accompany them, and the community head fully supported the idea. The group visited both the Zhongmaocheng and Wanxiucheng malls. On the second floor of the Zhongmaocheng mall, there were numerous down jacket brands with a wide variety of styles, leaving everyone momentarily overwhelmed. Zhou Quan stepped in as a temporary "shopping guide," using simple English and gestures to explain while conveying their needs to the store staff.

"This one, very nice." One of the foreign friends took a liking to a blue down jacket but was unsure about the size. Zhou Quan carefully compared measurements, helped with try-ons, and even discussed color coordination with the group. Amid these warm interactions, clothes were selected and packed one by one.

Later, Zhou Quan also took them to purchase authentic Changsha specialties such as chili sauce and stinky tofu. Everyone found items they loved, leaving with bright smiles. After the shopping trip, Zhou Quan escorted them back to their hotel. As they parted, several foreign friends tightly held his hand and repeatedly said in rudimentary Chinese, "The people of Changsha County are very kind! Thank you!"

The next day, the team successfully arrived in Shanghai. During this brief yet beautiful visit to Changsha, they were deeply touched by the kindness of the city. And so, representing all team members, Houda Dawahi and Souad Benbelgacem  sent a postcard accompanied by two jars of nut butter with hometown flavors, spanning thousands of miles to convey their gratitude.

"I was truly moved when I received the gift," said Zhou Quan. "Though we are small, our community can serve as a window connecting the world. As an ordinary grassroots worker, beyond fulfilling my duties, being able to serve others with heart in an ordinary role is meaningful in itself."

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn. 

Translator: Kuang Zhenzhen

Chinese source: hunantoday