Wang Xiaoya lost her mother when she was young and was never liked by her grandmother or father. After her father married her stepmother, she began living on tenterhooks.
Liu Cuifen: What does a girl need so much schooling for? She'd be better off doing more chores at home.
Wang Xiaoya: Our country provides nine years of compulsory education.
Wang Jianguo: Go find a job after you finish middle school. Oh, right, Uncle Li's son is about your age. You can go with him and get a head start.
Wang Xiaoya: My grades are pretty good, and I can go to high school without paying tuition. People with higher degrees earn more these days. Once I start working, I can buy my younger brother a house and pay for his wedding.
He Xiao: Just focus on your studies. I've got your back.
Mom said that escaping these old-fashioned prejudices meant leaving the mountains, and that the college entrance exam was the safest and fairest path out.
