Xie Yongfu, a PLA soldier, eats a steamed bun during the flood relief work in Hubei province, on July 4, 2016. [Photo/Weibo]

Xie Yongfu, a PLA squad leader, has become an online celebrity after a photo of him eating steamed buns with other soldiers in wet and muddy clothes was posted online by a PLA Daily reporter.

Xie said he was doing nothing special other than being a Party member performing flood relief work, and he never thought so many people would be interested.

Xie was sent with other soldiers to the town of Caishan, by the Taibai Lake, Central China's Hubei province, on Monday morning. He and his fellow soldiers had been carrying sand bags to reinforce the banks for more than five hours when villagers brought them some food.

Around 2:20pm, Xie and other soldiers ate the buns, and a PLA Daily reporter took a photo.

Xie joined the army in September 2010 with his young twin brother Xie Yonggui. His brother was sent to the town of Huangtugang to help relocate residents on July 1.