Better future

Xin Wen's second daughter was born in February, at the peak of the outbreak in China. His first was born in 2013, when air pollution in Shanghai reached its peak.

At that time, the family thought about leaving the city, but the air quality has improved in recent years.

"During this special year, I always believed that once again we would get through the difficult times. The future will be better for sure," said Xin, 36, an information technology engineer in the Shanghai office of a foreign enterprise.

Family gatherings were planned to celebrate the birth of his second child, but they had to be canceled due to the pandemic. Instead, the baby received numerous online greetings.

Xin and his wife decided to move into a bigger apartment after the birth, because their elder child needed to take online classes at home. The couple now has monthly mortgage commitments of more than 10,000 yuan.

In November, Xin was involved in an accident while riding a shared bike on his way home from work. He was thrown from the bike, injuring his jaw and mouth. "The moment I hit the ground, I felt teeth chips in my mouth," he said.

He was confined to bed and was only able to consume porridge through a straw for several weeks. He now faces follow-up treatment on at least seven teeth.

However, Xin said such an incident is a trivial matter when compared with the numerous stories that have emerged this year about life and death at home and abroad.

"I have learned from this accident that we must live each day to the full and be kind to those around us," he said. He described a touching moment when his elder daughter left him a piece of fish to eat and told him it was tender enough for him to swallow.

"That was something that I never expected from her," he said.