The story of a jailed man in China who cried with joy after finding out that his son had achieved a score of 697 out of 750 in the national university entrance exam has trended on mainland social media.
The man, who is imprisoned in Chaohu, Anhui province, southeastern China, realised the boy had performed well by the amount of money he received from relatives.
The family transferred 69.7 yuan (US$10) to the man at the end of June to signify that his son had scored 697 in the exam.
The excited father shared the good news with prison wardens and they gave him a rare extra telephone call allowance to speak to his son, the mainland news outlet The Paper reported.
“Daddy, I achieved a score of 697. I am going to study at Peking University,” the boy proudly told his father, who cried with joy.
“When I receive the official admission letter, I will come to visit you,” the boy said.
China’s tough gaokao exam requires students to complete test papers in five subjects, such as Chinese, mathematics and English, with each subject having a maximum score of 150.
It is not clear what crime the father had committed but he was jailed for two years. His wife divorced him while he was incarcerated.
In a handwritten letter, the father said he was sorry he could not be there with his son while he was preparing for the crucial exam.
“I am relieved about your good scores. Motivated by your excellent study performance, I will behave well in prison,” he wrote.
“I want to be back home and reunited with you as soon as possible.”
The boy told him: “I, along with my younger brother and younger sister, do not blame you. You just stay well inside the prison. We are waiting at home for your return.”
Their conversation soon gained traction online.
“I am moved to tears. What a sensible boy. He does not blame his father. Instead, he studies hard and is filial to him,” one online observer said on Douyin.
“He is extraordinary. He is an example of constantly striving to become strong,” said another person about the boy.
Others took a different view.
“It’s a pity that such a father will affect his son’s future job prospects. The boy will not be entitled to ‘iron bowl’ jobs, like civil servants and employees at state-owned enterprises,” someone else said.
In China, it is highly possible that job candidates whose parents or spouses have a criminal record will not pass the “political background check” for most positions at government departments and state-owned enterprises.
