Every morning, Du Huayu drives his motorcycle to his lock maintenance booth, located in a pedestrian street in Dawukou district in Ningxia Hui autonomous region's Shizuishan city.

There, he displays the tools of his trade, including chisels, vernier calipers and a few self-made specialized tools — and more than 100 keys of various shapes and metallic luster — on his workbench. And then he sets about his work.

The 60-year-old locksmith, who looks as fit as a young man, can neither speak nor hear. But that hasn't deterred him from operating his stall for more than 35 years. In fact, he said that he is in love with his work, which is also the mainstay of his life.

"I feel an emptiness in my life if I cannot do my job even for a day," he said in an interview with China Daily through a sign language teacher.

In addition to serving customers who arrive at his stall, he also occasionally browses his WeChat Moments to check requests for help from WeChat friends. Acquaintances make up a large part of his business.

Many customers request him to come and fix their locks and keys through online text communications, said Du. He jots down their names and the type and model of their locks in a small notebook.

"A locksmith needs to have meticulous manual dexterity, and it requires patience and long-term practice," said Du. He earns between 150 and 200 yuan ($20-28) a day.

Du has been deaf since childhood. In 1981, when he was only 16, he was employed by a local welfare factory. There he focused on observing the biting principle of metal parts and used discarded parts to grind practice tools during his rest time.

Through observation and hard work, Du gradually figured out the secrets and principles of how machines and their individual parts operate. However, he was laid off in 1990 when the country carried out market reforms and his factory was restructured.

To make a living, Du picked up discarded door lock cores and began to study locks and keys. Eventually, he opened his own repair stall.

Du's work allows him to see and better understand the development of society. At a time when password-operated locks and safes are all the rage, Du believes in keeping pace with the latest techniques of unlocking electronic locks. He even bought an online course and studied the structure of electronic lock chips, frame by frame, through the video content.

His mobile phone is now filled with technical videos shared by locksmiths around the country.

A vendor next to his stall said Du arrives at his stall around 10 am and works up to 13 hours a day, sometimes even till midnight.

Local customers commend his service attitude. "I often come to his booth to seek his help," said Li Aiguo.

Earlier this year, when a hunched old lady came to Du's stall to get two duplicate keys made, she requested him to give her a discount. The locksmith charged her 25 percent less, and in return, got a thumbs-up from the grateful lady.

Du said he believes life will only get better as long as he keeps working hard. He said he plans to embark on a long journey with his similarly challenged friends when he turns 70. He says he is confident he will fulfill his dream. On his bucket list — a visit to Zhongwei, located in the west-central part of Ningxia, and Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province.

Ding Meihong contributed to this story.

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