19th December 2025 – (Shanghai) A 25-year-old food-delivery rider in mainland China has attracted widespread attention after revealing he has managed to save 1.12 million yuan (US$160,000) in just five years through relentless work and a highly frugal lifestyle.
The rider, Zhang Xueqiang, moved to Shanghai in 2020 to work for a major food-delivery platform after a small breakfast shop he co-ran with a friend in his hometown of Zhangzhou, in Fujian province, failed. The closure left him about 50,000 yuan (US$7,000) in debt.
In late November, Zhang posted a video on social media disclosing that he had earned a total of 1.4 million yuan from delivery work over the past five years. He said that after repaying his debts and covering basic living costs, he had accumulated savings of 1.12 million yuan. Zhang’s workday typically starts at around 10.40am and ends at about 1am the following morning. He allows himself 8.5 hours of sleep each day to maintain the stamina needed for his schedule, and he takes only a few days off each year, usually around the Lunar New Year.
His income is driven by high productivity. Zhang said he completes more than 300 orders each month, with each delivery taking roughly 25 minutes on average. Over five years, his work has added up to an astonishing total distance of about 324,000 kilometres. Colleagues note that he is almost always running rather than walking between orders..
Zhang said he decided to share his story online because he is proud of how far he has come. Looking ahead, he plans to invest around 800,000 yuan to open two breakfast shops in Shanghai in the first half of next year, effectively returning to the catering trade that once left him in the red.
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