"I used to have too many phone calls to pick up, let alone helping workers solve problems," she said. "Many people didn't understand my situation. Some even called to scold me."

Also, local media harshly criticized Hu's not being able to provide proper assistance to those calling.

"It is an arduous task to participate in the annual session and fulfill my duty as a deputy. It's also a process in which I keep studying," Hu said.

Last year she carried out five inspection trips in north China's Shanxi, northwestern Xinjiang and other parts of the country. She also attended many training courses on the country's policies and learned of conditions in local areas.

"She is hard working and treats her duties very seriously. She's always making sincere efforts," said Chen Shu, a lawyer in Guangdong and an NPC deputy.

Living in a 10-square-meter factory dormitory with her husband, she piles her desk with government documents and law books.

"As an NPC deputy, she has become very critical about her words and actions. She feared that any mistake might result in harming her work," said her husband, Liu Jiaming.

Hu's efforts have started to pay off as she has become a more skillful deputy.