(Photo: VCG)
CHANGCHUN, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- If it were not for the coronavirus outbreak, Zhang Le, 27, would be enjoying her honeymoon on sunny beaches in Sanya, known as China's Hawaii, but now she has changed her white gown into a white protective suit.
Zhang is a passenger service agent working in Huichun train station in northeast China's Jilin Province, and her eight-year lover is a railcar driver in Chengde, north China's Hebei Province about 1,200 km away.
Over the eight years, the couple has only spent around 1,000 days together. They got their marriage certificate in January last year and planned to hold the wedding on Feb. 2 this year.
The wedding preparation started over three months ago, and Zhang had already applied for wedding leave from her company. However, the novel coronavirus outbreak derailed the plan.
"Though I can't go to the frontline saving people like doctors, I hope I can still contribute at the train station serving the passengers," she said.
As of Friday, over 40,000 medical personnel, including military medics, have joined the fight against the coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, from across the country.
The Chinese government has been mobilizing people from all walks of life, especially Party members, to participate in the prevention and control of the epidemic.
On Jan. 25, the first day of the Chinese New Year, Zhang signed up to work during the epidemic with the support of her family. The wedding leave was canceled, protective suits were put on and work started.
Zhang undertook many tasks: security checks at the entrance of the station, taking body temperatures of passengers, disinfecting the area, and selling tickets.
Thick protective gear allows little air in, and heat accumulates in the clothes. Zhang moves clumsily in the suit to complete even simple tasks.
She needs to serve anywhere from 100 to over 1,000 people each day. As she takes off the suit at the end of the day, the goggles and face masks leave deep marks on her face.
"I have fears at work, as you never know who might have contracted the virus," Zhang said.
The courage of her superiors, however, helped her overcome her fear. "Whenever we find someone with a suspected fever in the carriage, they would send the passenger to the hospital themselves, and require young people like us to avoid contact," she said.
After postponing her wedding for over three weeks and devoting herself to work, Zhang has no regrets and is still longing for a dreamy wedding.
"The day when the epidemic is over, I will be dressed in white, and hold a wedding that marks this victory," she said.