Old Man Liu and His "Camping Car" - Photos by Fast Reporter Liu Jinsong
Yesterday, a post on a Zhenjiang local forum sparked people's curiosity. The photos showed a wooden box-like object with wheels, made of wooden boards, glass, and supports, shaped like a slanted square. There were even couplets stuck on the glass. From afar, it looked like a small cart selling cooked food and cold dishes, but up close, one could see bedding inside. What exactly was this?
"This is a camping car made by a person from Zhenjiang," revealed a netizen. What was this "camping car" used for? Why would someone make such a camping car? Could someone really live in it? Yesterday, the reporter went to Zhenjiang to investigate the secret of this camping car.
â–¡Fast Reporter Liu Jinsong
An old man made a "camping car"
Following the clues provided in the post, the reporter arrived at the intersection of Dengyun Road in Zhenjiang and easily found this "camping car." It was parked alone by the roadside. Upon close inspection, the reporter discovered that its suspension was actually independent.
The camping car was about 2 meters long and high, and about 1.4 meters wide. It consisted of a chassis and a cabin. The front was higher than the back. The three sides of the cabin were made of strip wood panels, with a thin layer of paint on the outside. One side was two sliding glass doors. The three sides of the cabin all had couplets pasted on them. The sliding door read "Qi Jin Mu Shui Huo Tu, Pleasant Healthy Development", while "Old Age Comfort, Pleasant Evening" and "Sea Navigation Depends on the Helmsman, All Things Grow Depend on the Sun" were posted on both sides of the cabin.
The wheels on the chassis seemed to have been taken from an electric scooter, and they were fully inflated. The reporter pressed hard, finding it quite sturdy, and the chassis didn't move at all. Indeed, it had the air of an independent suspension. Since there were curtains on the "glass sliding doors," the reporter couldn't see what was inside the cabin at first.
According to the surrounding residents, the owner of the "camping car" was an old man living in the Dengyun Road alley. As for why he made this camping car, they weren't very clear, only knowing that every night the old man slept inside.
Slept inside every night
After half an hour, an old man walked over. "There he is, the owner of the camping car," a resident introduced to the reporter.
The old man walked briskly. Seeing the reporter's curiosity, he couldn't help but laugh without asking about the reporter's identity. He took out the key and opened the glass sliding door, "You want to take a look? There's not much inside."
The reporter found that the entire cabin was a closed-off "big bed" used for sleeping. There wasn't much decoration inside the cabin. The most noticeable things were two paintings. A New Year painting titled "Young Lovers" was stuck on the "wall," with four slightly yellowed family photos on it. Another painting was even older, a poster titled "Respectfully Wishing Chairman Mao Eternal Life," whose colors had faded.
"The camping car isn't at my doorstep. I'm afraid someone might damage it at night, so I sleep inside every night," said the old man. "All the bedding is complete. With the recent drop in temperature, I've added two more quilts."
At the back of the cabin, there was a plastic hanging curtain that hadn't caught the reporter's attention before. The old man lifted it, revealing a "simple toilet," though it was empty. "Do you think there's a flush toilet inside?" laughed the old man as he pulled out a chamber pot from under the car, "I use this at night, it's just a bit cold."
Budget of more than 2000 yuan
The old man's name was Liu Hanmin, 63 years old, living in a small alley near the "camping car" on Dengyun Road. He used to be a technical worker. The reporter learned that the old man had spent a month making this simple camping car.
"Starting from January 10th, it's already 85% completed," the old man introduced. "This is a simple 'camping car,' where you can sleep and move around." The old man said that the wheels, bed boards, and triangular supports were all old items dismantled from his home, but the wooden boards and doors that formed the cabin were new, with a total budget of more than 2000 yuan.
The remaining 15% of the work mainly involved welding steel handles on the outer sides of the cabin and installing a steering handle on the front wheel, after which it could be pulled.
Regarding the three couplets, the reporter was also curious, "'Old Age Comfort, Pleasant Evening' is a description of my current life, I am very optimistic. 'Sea Navigation Depends on the Helmsman, All Things Grow Depend on the Sun' is a true portrayal of our generation."
What made the old man proud was the couplet stuck on the glass sliding door, which he came up with himself, "Air makes people happy, plants and water keep people healthy, fire enables social development, any development must be grounded. These words correspond one by one." Although the explanation was a bit far-fetched, it seemed to make some sense. The reporter found that Old Man Liu was very open-minded. Some onlookers found his explanations amusing, but the old man didn't mind, instead laughing along with everyone else.
Wants to take his wife for a tour
Why did Old Man Liu make a "camping car"? Was it for "camping"? The old man nodded, indicating that the reporter was correct.
The old man told the reporter that the house he lived in was about to be demolished. His wife was 58 years old and had suffered a serious illness many years ago, which left her with mobility issues. "Although we will receive housing compensation for the demolition, the ground floor has less sunlight, and higher floors are inconvenient. We don't like either. My wife doesn't like staying at home; she always wants to go out, but her legs aren't good. In the past, when I had an electric tricycle, I took her out, but it was very inconvenient. With this 'camping car,' I can take her anywhere anytime."
Old Man Liu said that once this "camping car" was completely finished, he would pull his wife to various scenic spots around Zhenjiang. Since it was a manual "camping car," they wouldn't go too far, but even so, they would be very happy because they would have their own space and freedom. "Even if it rains or winds, being inside won't be scary. Even if we spend the night outside, we won't be afraid."