In 2010, his road was cemented over by the local authorities, greatly improving the villagers' quality of life.

Despite the upgrade to his road, Liu sticks to his maintenance routine.

"Due to the heavy transportation of goods by agricultural vehicles, the road is damaged frequently and drivers are often affected by the bumps," he said. "I feel really sorry for them when I see grain falling from the vehicles because of bumps, so I can't retire yet."

Sometimes, when he comes across serious damage to the road, he sources the repair materials from trucks transporting construction waste. Other times, he finds the repair materials at a construction site and hires a truck to transport it. Liu starts his work in the early morning and returns home late in the evening. During the rainy season, he is busier than usual with maintenance work.

"I have to maintain the smoothness of the road before the rain," he told local media. "And I also use soil to fill some low-lying places in the village."

Liu's four children live in other cities, and for most of the year he refuses to leave his small village house because of his concern for the roads.

In recent years, during the coldest days of winter, he has stayed with his youngest son in Beijing. After a few days rest when he returns home in spring, he begins his road repair work around the village.

"Some of my relatives and neighbors tell me that I can't solve all the problems and advise me to stay home because of my age," he said. "But I just want to do something that can make it easier for everyone to get around."

Liu said the work is good physical exercise, which keeps him healthy and in a good mood. "I will continue doing the work as I believe I am still strong enough," he said.

ZHOU HUIYING in Harbin