The Chinese New Year is around the corner, and many people have returned home for family reunion with well-prepared special purchases for the Spring Festival.

In Huangpu Town, a place with a history of nearly 140 years of cured meat making and an annual output of over 200,000 tons, however,  there are people still busy working from dawn till dusk.

The fruits of their labor, Huangpu preserved meat, will be delivered to huge numbers of families in the form of New Year's packages, adding a festive touch to their tables.

The brothers Gao Weijie and Gao Weiye, post-90s successors of the Guangzhonghuang company, grew up watching their father's hard work before the Spring Festival, and learned about and mastered the making skills of cured meat.

Unlike other industries, the preserved meat industry typically starts working at night, which requires a lot of physical and mental energy for the employees. Orders usually increase before the Spring Festival, and employees have to work hours longer than usual.

In recent days, Gao Weijie and Gao Weiye need to complete about 1,000 kg of cured meat products every day, packaging and shipping them to all parts of the country.

When most people had fallen asleep, the two brothers came to their factory, put on their work clothes, and joined the other staff in the intense production of cured meat.

On the same morning, Deng Chaoping, 43, allowed a truck carrying 3,750 kilograms of cured meat to drive out from Yuexingsheng Food Co after careful check.

As a native of Huangpu Town, Deng Chaoping has been associated with cured meat making since childhood. "My grandfather and uncles are also engaged in the cured food business."

Since joining the industry in 2018, Deng Chaoping has worked in various positions in the production of cured meat products. He is now responsible for product delivery, logistics follow-up, and other tasks.

"The period before the Spring Festival is the busiest but happiest time for me," said Deng Chaoping.