Renewed vigor

While Mao quickly landed a satisfying job that provided a means of support both financially and mentally, it took far longer to heal the wounds Su Qingchun received in a car accident in 2015.

"Su was actually one of the betteroff residents until the accident happened," said Cao Jinxiu, an official in Fukang village, Delingha.

Su's 2-year-old son was killed in the crash, while his wife and daughter were both injured. Medical expenses quickly ate up the family's savings.

After temporarily sending his wife and daughter to their home village in Qinghai to receive treatment and recover, the then-35-year-old Su, devastated by the loss and the mounting debt, locked himself in his home and severed all communication with the outside world.

Toward the end of 2015, his family was added to the profiling system that registers poor people individually, which allowed him to access a series of government-funded insurance programs.

"It was distressing to see a person who was once energetic and skillful plunge into desperation and impoverishment," said Cao, as she recalled the times she banged on the door of Su's house but received no reply.

Su, 40, is a skilled welder, a trade he learned while working for a local alkali manufacturer.

"I incessantly texted and messaged him, encouraging him to collect himself and use his skill to sort of reboot his life," Cao said.

"Very slowly but firmly, he stepped out and began taking odd jobs to make a living."

With the help of village officials, Su applied for an interest-free loan program designated for poverty relief purposes. The 50,000 yuan he received helped Su to jump-start his own welding business.

"The money was like a wave of timely rain falling on cracked, dry land," Su said. "I was able to set up a mobile welding stall and took on more projects to raise my income."

Since then, Su has recruited 15 residents in Fukang and other nearby villages to handle the rise in orders at his micro business.

At the end of 2018, he moved into a new apartment in the city center.

The pain caused by the accident remains, though, and he could not help tearing up when he recounted his experiences.

"I have learned to appreciate what I have now," he said. "I can't imagine where I would be now without the encouragement and assistance I got from the village."