On NetEase:

Student exiting university entrance exam learns mother died 12 days earlier

June 8th, [gaokao university entrance exam] test-takers exiting the examination sites. Shen Fei’s relatives were waiting outside the exits, but the only people not amongst the crowd were his parents. 12 days ago, after Shen Fei’s parents had gone to the school for a meeting/conference for parents of this year’s test-takers, they suffered an unfortunate traffic accident on their way home. His mother died after unsuccessful efforts to save her life at the hospital, while his father to this day is still lying in the intensive care unit. In order to let Shen Fei take the gaokao without distractions, family members, traffic police, and the school collectively organized a lie/deception.

Photo is of a school teacher comforting Shen Fei.

Upon learning of his mother having passed away, Shen Fei in grief.

Shen Fei holding his father’s hand, saying he had done well [on the test].

Afternoon of the 8th, Shen Fei’s maternal aunt waiting outside of the examination site for him to come out.

Shen Fei did not learn about his mother’s death until after first seeing his father.

Comments from NetEase (1 & 2):

xpliang [网易广东省佛山市网友]：

What use is “winning” the gaokao when you’ve “lost” your mother?!

ID不够闪 [网易河北省廊坊市网友]： (responding to above)

Even if he didn’t take the gaokao he still would’ve lost his mother. To learn the truth later is always more difficult than learning the truth at the beginning, that’s just how reality is, but any family would have done it this way, putting the child’s future first. Poor parents.

网易江苏省苏州市网友：

White-lies are already passe, doesn’t the editor know? All of society is a false facade!

夏小阿碗 [网易江苏省网友]： (responding to above)

I trust this child can understand his family’s white-lie! May he get a good score [on his gaokao college entrance exam]!

夏小阿碗 [网易江苏省网友]：

Sigh, the evil gaokao system! Reading this made me sick!

peixinfushi [网易广东省东莞市网友]：

Even if you do well on the gaokao, you still can’t compete successfully with second generation rich [children of wealthy families], so why bother?

gggsss2010 [网易江苏省南京市网友]：

Is the gaokao really this important? A merciless gaokao, what’s the point?!

起阳 [网易河北省廊坊市网友]：

An inhuman society.

憨豆123 [网易云南省临沧市网友]：

Child, your mother’s spirit in heaven will be happy for you, pull yourself together.

网易河北省廊坊市网友：

China’s characteristic gaokao~

凡人逍遥子 [网易福建省泉州市网友]：

To lose a father in one’s youth, a wife in one’s middle age, a child in one’s old age, there is nothing more painful than the departing of a loved one, a pain that rends one’s chest!

网易河南省郑州市网友：

Is the gaokao more important than everything, more important than the parents who gave you your own life? What have people lost these days?!!!

拆迁队陆政委 [网易福建省泉州市网友]：

What a dysfunctional education system, one that will only produce deformed people!

看领导喝茅台洗桑拿 [网易海南省海口市网友]：

The past few days of the gaokao, I’ve been outside the exam sites taking photos. Why must a single university entrance exam mobilize this many people? Why? Why? If the gaokao were treated as any ordinary test, then there wouldn’t have had to been a parents’ conference, right? Why do schools hold a parents’ conference rather than just a student’s conference? Motherfucking gaokao, go to hell! You bunch of 2B!

拆迁队陆政委 [网易福建省泉州市网友]：

There are many paths in life, the gaokao is but just one of them. To do well [and get into a good university] does not necessarily mean everything will go smoothly in the future. If you don’t do well, there are still other options!! Why make it so morbid/dysfunctional!!!

realgeorge13 [网易陕西省西安市网友]：

A mad system, a mad people.

网易重庆市网友：

Sigh, people’s humanity has all been twisted.

夏小阿碗 [网易江苏省网友]：

In the face of anything, we must all make way for and serve the “gaokao“! As if the gaokao is more important than all and everything!

What do you think? Given a similar situation involving something you feel is critical to a child’s future, would you temporarily deceive the child about something as important as a parent’s death?