It’s always good to have a quick-thinking person around at a time of crisis.
39-year-old Jiang Fengchen, who hails from from Dongqian Village, Changli County, Qinhuangdao City, is exactly this sort of resourceful person.
Known affectionately as ‘pea brother,’ steely nerved Jiang works as a truck driver transporting peas.
However, he also has a range of hidden talents beyond an extensive knowledge of peas, including saving people from a burning building.
At around midday on a hot summer’s day, diners at the Jinmantang Restaurant in Jianggezhuang Town, Laoting County found themselves in a perilous situation.
The restaurant had erupted in flames. Over twenty people were left trapped by dense smoke on the third floor, unable to get out of the burning building.
It was market day, and so the road leading to the restaurant was blocked. This meant the fire engine was struggling to reach the scene before it was too late. Time was of the essence and lives hung in the balance.
According to China News Service, many onlookers threw up ropes to help the diners escape.
However, this was no good for the many elderly people who were unable to get out in this manner. Something needed to be done, and the flames were spreading rapidly.
You can watch the incredible rescue for yourself below:
Now, many of us simply would not know which way to turn if we came across such a chaotic and frightening scene. Indeed, it would be all too easy to wait for emergency services to arrive and take control of the situation.
Luckily, heroic Jiang was in the vicinity, delivering his peas as usual. And when he spotted the blaze, he knew exactly what to do.
Positioning his truck directly by the building, just underneath the window. The back of the truck was filled with a huge pile of soft peas, the perfect landing for those trying to leap to safety.
Jiang told China News Service how he had viewed the pile of peas as a ‘life-saving air cushion,’ putting aside any fears for his own safety:
I was thinking about saving people at that time, thinking about getting the car closer and closer.
He added:
The peas in my truck was about a floor high, and the soft peas are perfect to act as a cushion for people to jump on,
There is nothing more important than saving people.
If only more people thought like Jiang, the world would surely be in a far better state right now.
According to the Peoples Daily China, all the people inside the restaurant were rescued successfully, all thanks to Jiang and his peas.
He has since been hailed as the pride of the town, and ‘an outstanding representative of the Chinese spirit.’
Surely now Jiang is deserving of a more badass name than the modest ‘pea brother.’ Perhaps Fire Titan or Flame Warrior would be a better fit for this absolute hero?
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.