After Earning My PhD, I Chose to Move Abroad and Cut Off Contact!

Zhang Dashan, living in the United States, gets a call from an old classmate. His mother is critically ill, the classmate tells him, and hopes he'll come home to see her one last time. Zhang Dashan silently hangs up and chooses to refuse.

Then, as abuse and accusations rain down on him from all over the internet and the media, Zhang Dashan slowly recalls the memories from back home that once made him feel utterly miserable.

Zhang Dashan was born in a village in northern Jiangsu. He had a disabled older brother and an older sister who dropped out of school at an early age.

As far back as he can remember, his parents forced him to do housework. Even after he started school, they still made him do grueling farm labor.

After graduating from elementary school, he got into junior high as the top student in the township. But despite his excellent grades, his parents forced him to quit school and work to support the family.

For the high school entrance exam, Zhang Dashan ranked first in his school and got into a provincial key high school. His parents still pressured him to quit and find a job to support the family.

For the college entrance exam, Zhang Dashan got into a prestigious university. His parents' first thought was: If he goes to the city to enjoy himself at school, what will happen to the rest of us?

After he got into graduate school, his parents brought his disabled brother to the campus and threatened him, demanding that he send more money home for living expenses.

When he got married, his parents complained that the travel costs were too high and refused to attend the wedding.

After he earned his doctorate, his parents showed up with his disabled brother, demanding that he help his brother buy a home in Beijing, find a job, and get a wife!

His wife couldn't take his parents' endless harassment and chose to divorce him. Their antics also made him notorious at work.

When their relentless harassment cost him opportunities for further study and promotion, he finally woke up. He left for the United States alone, said a final goodbye to his past, and began a new life!