XI'AN — Ahead of the recent Spring Festival, Mou Wengui moved agilely through his small store, aided by a crutch and a prosthetic leg. He adorned the space with intricate paper-cuts and Chinese knots, while stocking shelves with drinks, snacks and other goods.

It was a marked improvement on previous years, when the idea of living independently and savoring life's joys seemed out of reach for him.

"The work is not strenuous and the income is decent. Neighbors in my community often drop by to chat in my store," said 42-year-old Mou, who runs the store in the mountainous county of Zhenba, Shaanxi province.

His small business brings in a net annual income of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400), a modest yet meaningful sum that has become a cornerstone of his independence.

About 13 years ago, Mou fell from a ridge while feeding pigs, leaving him reliant on a crutch for mobility. In 2017, he was diagnosed with a femoral tumor and underwent surgery to amputate his right leg.

"After going through so much pain and misfortune, I became depressed," said Mou. "However, with the government's support, I gradually gained courage and tried to make a living optimistically."

In 2016, Zhenba initiated a poverty alleviation initiative to boost medical care and social assistance, organizing a team of nearly 700 family doctors. Since then, people with disabilities like Mou have been eligible for at least one home clinic per month.

Through the project, about 86 percent of the 13,000-yuan cost of Mou's amputation was funded by the government. Without it, the proportion would have been only about 58 percent. Beyond financial aid, a medical team provided Mou with rehabilitation guidance and psychological support.

With the government's assistance, including startup loans, on-site guidance and links with businesses, Mou returned to work. He raised bees and pigs and planted Chinese medicinal herbs from 2017 to 2020, earning an annual income of over 15,000 yuan.

Mou met his wife, Cao Xiaoxia, through a local support group for people with disabilities. Despite living with paraplegia, Cao's upbeat spirit inspired Mou, and the two married in 2018. Through a relocation project, the couple moved from the remote mountain village to a four-bedroom apartment in downtown Zhenba in 2019.

"Never give up. People like my husband and I may face challenges, but we have not been left behind. Life keeps getting better and better," Cao said.

In 2019, the couple started the store in a room in their apartment. Cao has been helping her husband handle payments and looking after their daughter, who was born in 2021. She also works as an online customer service agent for a store on several e-commerce platforms, earning an additional 3,000 yuan a month.

The story of Mou's family offers a glimpse of the Chinese government's people-centered approach to helping people in need achieve a better life, through social and medical insurance, vocational education and other practicalities.

Thanks to the targeted poverty alleviation policy, 99 million people in rural China were lifted out of poverty by the end of 2020, and all 832 impoverished counties were officially recognized as having escaped poverty.

China has been ramping up efforts to consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation and propel rural vitalization.

Between late 2020 and November 2024, China prevented 5.3 million people from returning to poverty. For farmers in counties that have been lifted out of poverty, the per capita disposable income in real terms increased 6.5 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2024 to 12,384 yuan, according to Zhang Xingwang, vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs.

Since 2016, the government has provided over 200,000 yuan in assistance to Mou's family, including subsistence allowances, disability subsidies and employment funding. Cao said she is grateful for what her family has received, and her greatest joy lies in their ability to stand on their own.

"We may be disabled, but we strive for independence," Cao said. "This year I hope we can earn more with our own hands, and read more books to improve our knowledge and skills."

Xinhua