The lives of ordinary people are even more moving. I only talk about what I experienced myself. This is the second floor of our store, which I decorated simply for Christmas. I lived here during the lockdown. Lockdown Day 1: 2020.1.23 In the middle of the night, I got up to use the bathroom and scrolled through the group. I saw a group member repost the announcement, thought it was fake news, and wondered how the subway could stop running, so I went back to sleep. Around 6:30, I got a call from my supervisor (a common management position in the convenience store industry, managing 5-8 stores for the company), saying the city was locked down, the store needed to stay open, and we needed to arrange enough staff to prevent panic buying. Also, a store in the subway station next to me needed to transfer short-shelf-life goods to me, and I should cooperate as much as possible. My first reaction was to check the store surveillance. There were no customers (we operate 24 hours, three shifts), everything was normal, so I read the news and public accounts for a while, then went to the store. Originally, today was the 29th of the lunar month, and my boyfriend had planned to go home (to another part of Wuhan), but the lockdown made everyone deeply worried about the hourly infection numbers. We quickly decided to thoroughly disinfect the dining area upstairs and live in the store to avoid cross-infection. In the morning, I was busy handling the transfer of goods. Customers came in sporadically, but the purchase amounts were not as high as expected; only instant noodles and masks sold well. By late morning, we saw delivery riders on the road, so we decided to turn on delivery orders and try our luck. By the afternoon, the average order value was increasing, and more people seemed to be stocking up. Delivery orders were mainly instant noodles, drinks, and masks. Normally, cigarettes were our bestseller (about 30-40% of daily sales), but on the first day of the lockdown, we only sold 300 yuan worth of cigarettes. It seems smoking is not a necessity, haha. During dinner, I walked around the pedestrian street and posted the following on my Moments. I was emotional; it was the first time in my life I saw McDonald's and KFC closed during the day, especially at Wuhan's landmark, Han Street. At the end of the first day, due to the lockdown, our daily sales were similar to a normal weekend, far exceeding our expectations, mainly thanks to delivery orders. Basically, everyone who came in wore masks, didn't want to stay long, and paid and left quickly. Delivery customers were also much more polite than usual. When items were out of stock, they usually agreed to our suggestions for substitutes and thanked us. But just before I went to bed, something made me very unhappy! An order to a hospital family area, not even inside the hospital, the rider refused to deliver. He didn't even come to the store and directly canceled the delivery, citing "store cancellation." Complaints were useless, and I couldn't sleep for a long time! Lockdown Day 2: 2020.1.24 A very busy day. Yesterday's surprise came suddenly, mixed with transferring goods, panic buying, and delivery orders. Many items were not tidied up, so today we started restocking and preparing thoroughly. This morning we only sold five bowls of hot dry noodles, the fewest since we opened, haha. We also decided not to order scallions; the waste was too high. (Since the lockdown, we moved the self-service condiments back to the prep room to avoid cross-infection between customers.) Yesterday, a competing store next door had already packed up and closed early in the morning (there are 5 convenience stores on our street). But today, two more closed in the afternoon. We were secretly scared, wondering if they knew something we didn't. On the other hand, we comforted ourselves: there's still one other store open, so we just do our best. At 3 PM, all delivery orders were suddenly canceled, so we had to turn off delivery and focus on in-store business. We encountered three people who came in without masks. One left a deep impression. I explained that during this special period, we should be considerate and wear masks when shopping. He wore half a mask and sneezed twice right in front of me! I was so angry, but I still had to check him out normally. By 7 PM, we had finished organizing and stocking. With nothing to do, we tried turning on delivery again. The receipt printer went crazy printing delivery orders (even during Double 11 promotions, we never saw so many delivery orders, haha). Since we had never experienced this, I searched online to find out why, and learned we were the only convenience store within several kilometers still doing delivery. Because it's a special period, a rider told me that recently riders are not fined for late deliveries. So every rider who came to pick up orders, even through masks, had smiling eyes and happy faces. Many orders were only picked after they arrived, but no one complained. I worked the night shift yesterday, and only three people came to buy things. The street was eerie and scary. Today, I applied to the company to close the night shift. We turned off the lights at 10 PM and watched the Spring Festival Gala upstairs. We sent red envelopes and received blessings. Suddenly, I thought of documenting this period; it will be a memory for the future. Lockdown Day 3: 2020.1.25 Happy New Year, everyone! I wish you good health and family safety. I woke up to so many blessings; it's so heartwarming. This morning we only sold 3 bowls of hot dry noodles. Fewer and fewer people eat out, haha. I had menstrual cramps, and my boyfriend was working hard downstairs alone. I was suddenly moved and took a candid photo. The Oden (a convenience store term, short for fast food) in the FF area was open-style, so we stopped making it from the first day of the lockdown. Yesterday, we only sold one grilled sausage and wasted eight; my mom took them home to stir-fry with green peppers. It hurt a bit, so we didn't make them today. A rider waiting for us to pick his order. A partner from the nearby Shuiguohu franchise store borrowed buns from me, saying they needed to deliver buns for 24 people. I didn't expect our freezer to be so well-stocked, haha. Go Shuiguohu! Two consecutive delivery orders had funny customer names, hehe. My boyfriend chatted with a regular rider, asking why he didn't rest. The rider said, "If you rest, we have no work, then we can rest." My boyfriend said, "If you're still on duty, we have to keep delivery on." Haha, chicken-and-egg, passing the buck. At 2 PM, we received an order from a little angel from a fan support group. The rider saw the message and was moved, deciding to make the trip. We packed all the oatmeal porridge in the store and sent it. This afternoon, we received a notice that private cars would be restricted starting tomorrow. Since the lockdown, my mom has been bringing us meals every day. Tonight she brought chestnut chicken. She said she might not be able to come tomorrow if it rains, but if the weather is good, she'll ride her bike. She told us to eat well, three meals a day, to build resistance against the unknown. From 4 PM, when the news of car restrictions came out, our store and other nearby open stores were swarmed. We had stocked up on instant noodles, but everyone bought 3 or 4 boxes, not 5 or 10 buckets. On the delivery platform, even the most unpopular and expensive snacks were ordered. The store was full of riders waiting for orders. Today, riders finally urged us because there were too many people and long waits, haha. But after we apologized, we still got a "Happy New Year" blessing. At 6 PM, the delivery platform canceled all deliveries due to severe shortage of riders. The panic buyers gradually decreased (we are on a commercial street, with only a residential compound behind the store, but its gate is on another street, so people rarely come this way). We started cleaning up. It rained lightly in Wuhan today, and with many people coming in and being in a hurry, the floor was filthy. We closed at 22:10. My mom brought me a thick quilt. Lockdown Day 4: 2020.1.26 It was supposed to be an ordinary day. It rained in Wuhan, and only 64 customers came, the worst day since we opened, hehe. When I was about to sleep, my supervisor contacted me, saying that someone from a government office wanted to pre-order breakfast at our store, and they would come tomorrow noon to check before ordering. Haha, I was a bit excited. I felt that by keeping the store open, I was contributing to the city, ⊙∀⊙! Lockdown Day 5: 2020.1.27 Two big things today. First, we suddenly realized we are only 1 km from Zhongnan Hospital, one of the hardest-hit hospitals in Wuhan. I don't know why we were so slow to realize, but since discovering this, I've been in a state of lingering fear. Second, two cases appeared at Shuiguohu Plaza, 1 km away. A rider told us he no longer dared to pick up or deliver there. The delivery platform added an 18:00-20:00 delivery window, so we had to keep delivery on for two more hours. Today was busier than before. Lockdown Day 6: 2020.1.28 Today, the two competing stores next to us reopened. Although our sales dropped by a third (so annoying, but I have to keep smiling, haha), I'm still happy. We finally have someone to chat with during our daily breaks. Not having someone to complain with is worse than no subway. Lockdown Day 7: 2020.1.29 Today's pride comes from joining Alibaba's delivery team to provide truly convenient services to more people. I'm a bit excited, ⊙∀⊙! Originally, Ele.me accidentally didn't include our store in the first batch of self-pickup points. When I saw the news today, I quickly applied to join the glorious team. 2020.2.3, Lockdown Day 12 Hello everyone, it's been a few days. Haha, there have been too many bad news lately, and I've been feeling gloomy, not knowing what to post. Today, with the sun shining, I decided to go out for a stroll. Me riding a bike looking for a toilet brush. The deserted Han Show Theatre. Zhongbei Road also has a stylish banner, haha, but it doesn't rhyme. One of the busiest subway stations in Wuhan. Only the fruit store was open along the way. I have a friend who runs a fruit store. She once told me that fruit has high gross margins but also high waste. To make a profit, you have to control waste. I guess that's why only fruit stores are still open—they can't afford to close. The deserted street. Us, lonely. Haha, today two group members (editor's note: "组茶" is the nickname for members of the Douban group "自由吃瓜基地") came to buy things. One male group member said our store could become an internet-famous store! Red hot, haha, I'm overjoyed. Thank you for your support. 2020.2.4, Lockdown Day 13 A day of emotional ups and downs. Hmph, I wish those who spread rumors never get to eat hot dry noodles again @_@. A store manager I'm close to sent me a caring message, and my emotions exploded. The roller coaster finally ended. Look how scared the kid is. Daily summary, hahaha. 2020.2.8, Lockdown Day 17 Oh my, today's delivery took two and a half days. I feel like my back might break. Mom cooked the fruit tangyuan I bought. I wish everyone can be reunited. Happy Lantern Festival, everyone. 2020.2.12, Lockdown Day 21 Ahhh, the brother store just one block away had to close because a colleague's residential compound is under closed management. A few days ago, the Jingtianlou store closed because a colleague's family elders strongly opposed it. We are the only ones left in the entire area. So lonely. Scared, I quickly applied to the street office for a pass. 2020.2.13, Lockdown Day 22 Today's little blessing is that my mom is safe. Thank God. My mom coughed but didn't tell me. 555, luckily she's fine. I hope all suffering passes soon. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, haha. I guess our chocolates won't sell tomorrow. We'll try again on 520. 2020.2.14, Lockdown Day 23 As expected, not a single box of chocolate sold. What surprised me most is that Durex didn't sell either. It seems everyone is strictly following the policy. Today, there's a sad story: we might have to close. The picture is what another store manager received; we probably will too. 2020.2.17, Lockdown Day 26 As expected, the Market Supervision Bureau came early in the morning and ordered us to stop business, saying that during the special period, any contact should be reduced. Then we went to check the competing store next door and found they had closed, only doing delivery. After weighing, we also chose to close. Source: Douban, author: Amico