Welcome to Auntie Cui herbal tea stall. With her small wooden table and a heat preservation barrel filled with traditional Chinese herbal tea, 70-year-old Cui Chuanmian has been giving free tea in Nanjing City, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, every summer for 22 years, helping passers-by cool off in the hot temperatures. 

A small bowl of herbal tea contains Cui's sweetness and kind intentions. At 4 a.m., she is up and about boiling water, because electricity is cheaper at this time. She normally boils two large jugs of water each morning to fill up seven thermos bottles. Before moving the thermos and all the materials she needs to the stall on the roadside, she opens the lids of the bottles and uses an electric fan to lower the temperature of the water to 50°C.

"When people come to drink herbal tea, the temperature of the water will be appropriate, and they don't need to wait for the water to cool down," Cui said.

In 2017, Cui got injured in one hand by a car. During that period, she moved all the bottles with the other hand, requiring more than 10 trips to the house. But not even that stopped her, and 22 years later the stall continues to present passers-by with a refreshing drink.

"Everyone who lives and works in the surrounding area is used to drinking my herbal tea. I can't let them down," she added. 

What motivates her to continue after so many years? 

In 1993, Cui was laid off, so to support her family, she set up a bike repair booth. With the experience of working in the summer heat, Cui understands what a bowl of herbal tea means for outdoor workers. Then in 1997, she started giving the free tea in the stall in front of her house. Over the years, the alley in front of the door has become a wide road, but this little herbal tea stall by the road has never changed.

"In the past, most of the drinkers were vendors who sold fruits and vegetables nearby. Now, there are more deliverymen and sanitation workers. After I move the tea out, I would go back home, never stay by the stall. But some people would voluntarily place unopened and packaged tea on the table, some people placed several cents there. Over the years, I have found many heartwarming gestures," Cui recalled.

When asked how long the free tea stall will last, Cui replied that as long as she stays healthy, she will keep the stall.

"Now, my life is better than before. I have a pension of 3,000 yuan every month, and operating the stall doesn't affect my life. As long as I am in good health, I am willing to keep it. Because I am happy, I feel that I have realized my value. Since my stall is close to the bus station, sometimes some outsiders come to drink, I hope my tea stall would give them the impression that Nanjing is a friendly city," Cui said.