A regular ride-sharing trip, a simple word of comfort, brought tears to the eyes of two strangers.
In Chengdu, Sichuan Province, a ride-sharing driver learned that his passenger had been blind for nearly 50 years and made a living through massage therapy. When the passenger took off his sunglasses and said he felt ugly, the driver reassured him, “Brother, you are not ugly!” This conversation has recently gone viral online.
The incident took place during the Mid-Autumn Festival this year. The 29-year-old driver, Wang, received an order for an accessibility service, and the system indicated that the passenger was blind. Upon arriving at the pickup location, Wang got out of the car to assist Mr. Ou, his passenger, into the vehicle.
They began chatting. Mr. Ou shared that he lost his sight due to a high fever when he was around one year old and had been making a living through massage therapy all these years. He started learning massage at the age of 18 and had worked in cities such as Xuzhou, Hangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, and Chongqing.
During their conversation, Mr. Ou took off his sunglasses and expressed feeling ugly. Wang immediately comforted him by saying, “You are not ugly!” As Wang spoke, he couldn’t help but choke up, lamenting how Mr. Ou had lost his sight at such a young age and how difficult the past 48 years must have been for him.
Mr. Ou offered to tip Wang 20 yuan, saying, “Just based on your words, I know you are a good person.” Later, Mr. Ou even wanted to give Wang 100 yuan and top up his mobile phone, but Wang politely refused. They exchanged contact information and even had a meal together.
Wang also promised that if Mr. Ou ever needed transportation between Chengdu and his hometown over 200 kilometers away, he would be willing to provide free rides.