Letters from Home to Wuhan

Zhao Nianmin， Li Haiyan and Lan Chuanbin

Shandong Publishing House of Literature and Art

August 2020

168.00 （CNY）

At the end of 2019， cases of pneumonia of an unknown cause were identified in Wuhan City， Hubei Province. Then this virus， later named as COVID-19， spread rapidly across the country， posing great threat to people’s lives and social stability. In order to effectively prevent the pandemic from becoming severe， several batches of national medical teams arrived in Wuhan and its neighboring areas. Among them， 1，775 medical workers were from Shandong province in the east of China. Owing to profession and dedication， Shandong medical workers accomplished their task with great success---none of them were infected， none of their patients died， and none of the cured cases turned positive again.

Zhao Nianmin， general editor and deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Dazhong News Group （Dazhong Daily）.

Li Haiyan， deputy general editor and member of the standing Party Committee of Dazhong News Group.

Lan Chuanbin， director of new media operations center at Dazhong Daily.

Letter from a father to his son Guo Haipeng

10： 51 AM， February 7， 2020.

Dear Haipeng，

Upon receiving your message that you will go to Wuhan with a medical team at 10 this morning （January 2）， I feel a gnawing sense of anxiety. The pandemic is raging in Wuhan， striking terror into everyone in this country. By now the virus has killed hundreds of people and infected tens of thousands of others. As the pandemic is still spreading， you’re going to Wuhan impresses me just as a soldier headed for the battlefield. You are my only son， and your mother and I are not in good health. How can I hide my worries when you choose to “go deep into the mountains， fully aware you will be hunted by tigers”？ But you are a doctor with a Ph.D. ， you have done post-doctoral research， and you are a young ICU expert in Qilu Hospital. As every man has a share of responsibility for the fate of his country， you are entirely correct to head for Wuhan， the most dangerous place where people are suffering from the attack of the virus. In the world there is no born hero， and you must stand forward. Your mother and I are glad that you have become a hero in harm’s way.

Upon arriving in Wuhan， you will enter a relentless battle against the virus to save the infected. You should give meticulous care to every patient， for a whole-hearted devotion will enable you to save more people. For your own safety， you should protect yourself carefully. This battle against the pandemic is of utmost concern not only to the Chinese people but also to the whole world. I am looking forward to your message of victory. Your son and your daughter also expect you to come back safe and sound.

Stay strong， Haipeng！ Stay strong， Wuhan！

Yours truly，

Father

Reply from Guo Haipeng to his father

15： 30， February 7， 2020.

Dear father，

We have boarded the plane. I didn’t dare to call mother yet， because I was not sure that mother and I could control our feelings.

As your only son， I had buried myself for so many years in gaining medical skills， and even stayed at Harvard for another three years; only to miss my grandfather’s funeral， only to miss my mother’s operation， only to miss the birth of my son， only to miss the growth of my daughter. To you， to mother， and to Yuqian， I express my hearty thanks for what you have done for this family. Father， I give my deepest thanks to you for your understanding and support.

At this time of national crisis， I must stand forward.

Ours has been a family of doctors for five generations. Father， you have been a dedicated doctor for more than 30 years. I am grateful for your guidance， awe-inspired at your writing style， moved by your loving kindness， and proud of your patriotism. I will take good care of myself. Father， please accept my kowtow.

Yours truly，

Guo Haipeng

（translated by Sun Hongshan）