In 2016, Chen met a villager who had been paralyzed in a car accident. The man had a wife and two children to support on 200 yuan ($30) a month, the basic living allowance from the local government. Chen advised the wife to open a vending shop and provided a 3,000 yuan sponsorship. 

"The happiest thing for me is to see improvement in living standards," Chen said. 

His family was concerned about his health and wanted him to take a rest after retirement. But Chen has continued to visit villagers on his bicycle since 2006. He kept detailed records of the places he visited over the years. In 2006, he was out visiting for 352 days. In 2007 it was 341 days, and subsequent years were similar.