Hidden for Seven Years Doing Research, My Daughter’s Perfect Score Gets Her Called a Poor Cheater—One Call Stuns the Whole School

When I walked into the campus, the bell for the end of class happened to ring, and after seven years, this elementary school still looked the same. I had not informed anyone.

Now that the confidentiality period for the national project had ended, my first thought was to come back and see my wife and child.

Seven years, a full seven years, and I could only learn about them through family letters forwarded by the organization. My daughter should be in fifth grade this year.

I followed my memory toward the teaching building, and just as I turned the corner, I heard a woman’s sharp voice. “Chen Nuan!” “Stand properly!” My steps stopped.

Chen Nuan was my daughter’s name. I quickened my pace by two steps and leaned out to look.

At the classroom door, a woman in her forties wore a floral dress, had permed curls, and held a stack of test papers in her hand.

In front of her stood a thin little girl with a ponytail, wearing a washedout school uniform and keeping her head lowered. “Tell me the truth.” “You got another perfect score in math on this monthly exam, so how did you do it?” The girl raised her head. “Teacher, I did it myself.” “You did it yourself?” The woman slapped the test paper until it made sharp smacking sounds. “Chen Nuan, you think I don’t know what kind of family you come from?” “Your mom delivers takeout, your dad ran off for seven years, and you can’t even afford tutoring classes, yet you got a perfect score?” The girl bit her lip and said nothing. “I’ve taught for twentyseven years, so what kind of student haven’t I seen?” The woman leaned closer. “Whose paper did you copy?” “Say it!” “I didn’t copy.” “You still say you didn’t copy?” The woman sneered and turned toward the classroom. “Li Hao, come out!” A chubby boy ran out with an expression that showed he was enjoying the drama. “Li Hao, your mother is a senior teacher transferred from a key elementary school, and you’ve taken Olympiad math classes since you were little, so how much did you score on this math test?” Li Hao scratched his head. “Eightytwo.” The woman turned back and stared at my daughter. “Li Hao got eightytwo, and you got one hundred.” “Tell me how you scored that.” “Are you smarter than Li Hao?” My daughter raised her head, and her eyes were red, but she forced herself not to let the tears fall. “Teacher, I really didn’t copy.” “Still being stubborn!” The woman grabbed my daughter’s arm and dragged her two steps outward. “Stand here!” “Stand in the hallway!” “Let your whole class see what a liar looks like!” “Let them see what shameless means!” My daughter stumbled two steps, then stood still.

The students coming and going in the hallway all stopped to watch, and several teachers also poked their heads out from the office, but no one came over to ask a single question. “I’m telling you, Chen Nuan,” the woman said while pointing at her nose. “Someone like you is still useless even if you copy your way to a perfect score.” “Don’t even dream about No. 1 Middle School, because it would already be good enough if you could get into a vocational school.” “IQ is something fixed from birth, and your mother already lost at the starting line when she gave birth to you, so just accept your fate!” My daughter finally cried.

Her tears fell one by one onto the floor, but she bit her lip and made no sound. “Why are you crying?” “You still have the nerve to cry?” The woman raised her hand.

I rushed over. “What are you doing?” I knocked the woman’s arm aside and shielded my daughter behind me.

The woman was startled by me and backed away two steps, then looked me up and down. “Who are you?” I ignored her and lowered my head to look at my daughter. Seven years.

When I left, she had just learned how to walk, and she clung to my leg, refusing to let go, crying and calling me Dad.

I squatted down and promised her that Daddy would come back very soon, and when I came back, I would take her to the amusement park. That “very soon” became seven years.

She had become far too thin, with almost no flesh on her face, and even her cheekbones protruded.

Her lips were cracked, and there were frostbite scars on the backs of her hands. “Nuan Nuan?” My daughter raised her head and stared at me in a daze. “Dad?” Her voice trembled, and she could not believe it. “It’s me.” “Dad is back.” I reached out, wanting to touch her face, but she shrank back a little, as if she did not recognize me.

The woman beside us came back to her senses and spoke in a sarcastic tone. “Oh, I see now, so the father who ran away has come back.” “You’re Chen Nuan’s parent, right?” “Perfect timing, because I was just looking for you.” I straightened up and looked at her. “Your daughter has taken four monthly exams this semester, and she got full marks all four times, so do you think that’s normal?” I said nothing. “I won’t waste words with you, because you know it in your own heart.” “Go home and advise your daughter not to dream anymore, and have her honestly attend a vocational school, learn a skill, and be able to support herself in the future.” “No. 1 Middle School isn’t the kind of place she should be thinking about.” She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and slapped it into my hand. “This is the parent meeting notice, and it’s at two tomorrow afternoon, so don’t be late.” “We’ll talk about your daughter at the meeting.” After saying that, she turned and entered the classroom, then closed the door.

The hallway quieted down.

I lowered my head to look at my daughter. “Nuan Nuan.” She looked up at me, and in her eyes was the unfamiliarity of seven years apart, along with grievance and a little expectation. “Dad, did you really come back?” “I really came back.” She finally could not hold back anymore, threw herself into my arms, and burst into loud sobs.

I did not dare delay, so I first sent my daughter home. My wife was not there.

The house was still the old house from seven years ago, and the furniture had become old, but everything was cleaned neatly.

My daughter said her mother had gone to deliver takeout and would not be back until night. I settled my daughter in, then went out to buy groceries and made her dinner.

She ate ravenously while secretly glancing at me, as if she were afraid I would suddenly disappear again. “What time does Mom usually come home?” “Sometimes eleven or twelve, and sometimes even later.” My daughter put down her chopsticks. “Dad, don’t blame Mom for not answering your calls, because Mom’s phone is really broken.” “She originally wanted to repair it, but repairing it costs two hundred yuan, and she couldn’t bear to spend it, saying it was enough for a week of my meals.” My heart felt painfully blocked.

After dinner, I told my daughter to do her homework, while I sat in the living room and waited. When it was almost twelve, the door sounded.

My wife pushed open the door and came in, wearing the fluorescent vest of a delivery rider, with her helmet still on her head.

When she saw me, she froze. “I’m back.” She froze for a few seconds, then took off the helmet, casually hung it by the door, and spoke in a voice so calm it was frightening. “Have you eaten?” “There are noodles in the kitchen.” “I’ve eaten, and Nuan Nuan has eaten too.” She went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, drank it all in one breath, and only then turned around to look at me.

Seven years. She had aged far too much. There were wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, calluses on her hands, and her face had been reddened by the sun.

The only thing that had not changed was those eyes, and when she looked at me, they were still the same as seven years ago. “Is the project finished?” “It’s finished.” “Are you leaving again?” “I’m not leaving.” She nodded, did not cry, did not complain, and only said, “That’s good.” “Sleep, because I have to get up early tomorrow.” After we lay down, in the darkness, her hand quietly reached over and held mine.

At two o’clock the next afternoon, I arrived at the school on time.

The parent meeting was held in my daughter’s class, and the homeroom teacher was still the same woman from yesterday, surnamed Zhou.

The parents filled the room, and I sat in the last row.

Teacher Zhou stood on the podium, first said a string of formal words, and then began calling names to praise students. “Li Hao placed third in the class on this midterm exam, so everyone, please applaud.” Li Hao’s mother stood up, smiling so widely she could hardly close her mouth. “Zhang Mengmeng placed first in Chinese in the whole class.” Another parent stood up.

After finishing a round of praise, Teacher Zhou turned her gaze toward the back. “As for some students, I won’t name them.” “Their grades look very good, but everyone knows in their hearts how they got those grades.” “Parents shouldn’t pretend to be confused either, because you know your own child’s level best.” Someone turned around to look at me.

Teacher Zhou cleared her throat. “There is also one more thing, and our school has a recommendation quota for No. 1 Middle School, with one spot for our class this year.” “In principle, we recommend based on grades, but grades are only one aspect, and overall quality is also very important.” “We cannot only look at scores, because we also have to look at a child’s character, family background, and future development potential.” She paused and looked toward me. “A school like No. 1 Middle School is not something an ordinary family can aspire to.” “Letting a child honestly attend a good vocational school, learn a trade, and make a living in the future is also fine.” “If you insist on climbing too high, then when you fall in the end, the ones who suffer will be you and your child.” The classroom quieted down.

A parent beside me asked quietly, “What rank did your child get?” I said, “First.” He froze for a moment and did not say anything else.

When the parent meeting ended, the parents walked out one after another.

Just as I stood up, Teacher Zhou called out to me. “Chen Nuan’s parent, stay for a moment.” After almost everyone had left, she walked over and sat in the seat in front of me. “I won’t beat around the bush with you, and regarding your daughter’s situation, I suggest you make plans early.” “What plans?” “Transferring schools,” she said. “She is not suited for our school.” “She gets perfect scores every time and compares all the other children down, so what are the other parents supposed to think?” “Li Hao’s mother has already come to me three times, saying she suspects your child of cheating and demanding that the school investigate strictly.” “Other parents have also complained, saying this is unfair and puts too much pressure on their children.” “So?” “So transfer schools as soon as possible.” “Go to a more ordinary school, or simply attend a vocational school preparatory class, because that would be good for everyone.” I looked into her eyes. “What if my daughter didn’t cheat?” “What if she really earned those scores?” Teacher Zhou laughed, and her smile carried a bit of impatience. “Chen Nuan’s parent, I understand how you feel as a father.” “But you also need to recognize reality.” “What kind of family conditions does your daughter have?” “Your wife delivers takeout, you disappeared for seven years, and she has never even taken tutoring classes.” “How could she get perfect scores?” She stood up and patted my shoulder. “Stop dreaming.” “For your child’s good, recognize reality early.” After saying that, she left.

I sat alone in the empty classroom and stared at the blackboard for a long time.

After leaving the school, I did not go home and instead went straight to the delivery station where my wife worked to find her.

The people at the station said she had not come in today, and her phone could not be reached either.

I panicked a little and rode her electric scooter along the route she usually took.

After searching for two hours, I finally found her in the emergency department of the district hospital.

She was sitting on a long bench in the hallway, with her left hand wrapped in bandages and a scraped wound on her face that had scabbed over with blood. “What happened?” She looked up and saw me, then froze for a moment. “Why are you here?” “You tell me what happened first.” “It’s nothing, I was just grazed while riding the electric scooter.” She lowered her head and looked at her own hand. “It’s a small injury, and it’ll be fine after a couple of days of rest.” “Then why didn’t you come to the hospital?” She said nothing.

I took the phone out of her pocket, and the screen was shattered like a spiderweb, and no matter how long I pressed it, there was no response. “Your phone broke when you fell?” “Why didn’t you get it fixed?” She still said nothing.

A nurse happened to pass by and glanced at me. “Are you her family?” “When your wife was brought in, I asked her if she wanted to call someone, and she said no.” “I asked her if she had medical insurance, and she said no.” “When she paid, she searched for a long time before taking out two hundred yuan, and it wasn’t even enough for the examination fee.” “In the end, our director paid the rest for her first.” I froze.

My wife tugged at my sleeve. “Don’t listen to her nonsense, it’s fine, it’s really fine.” I took out my wallet. “How much is it altogether?” The nurse looked at the bill in her hand. “The examination fee plus bandaging comes to four hundred and twenty yuan, and you still owe two hundred and twenty.” I paid the money and helped my wife walk out.

When we reached the hospital entrance, she suddenly stopped, pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, and handed it to me. “What is this?” She did not speak.

I opened it and saw that it was a fee notice for a tutoring class. “Student Chen Nuan, after review by our school, you may be exceptionally admitted into our weekend Olympiad math enrichment class, and the tuition is 3,800 yuan, so please pay within three days...” I looked up at her.

She lowered her head, and her voice was very small. “Nuan Nuan wanted to go, but I didn’t let her.” “Three thousand eight hundred is more than I can earn in a month even if I run myself into the ground.” “She cried at home for several days, and later, she stopped crying and said she would study by herself.” “I don’t know how she studied either, but anyway, she did pretty well on every exam.” I pinched that piece of paper and did not speak for a long time.

My wife raised her head. “You came back at the right time, so talk to her.” “Don’t let her do problems all day, because she stays up past midnight holding a book and reading.” “She’s going to ruin her eyes.” “I told her we should accept our fate.” “She wouldn’t listen and said the teacher told her that as long as she got into No. 1 Middle School, she wouldn’t have to pay tuition and there would be a scholarship.” “She said she wanted to attend No. 1 Middle School.” I looked into her eyes.

There was no resentment in those eyes and no grievance, only deep exhaustion and a tiny bit of light that was almost invisible. “Do you believe in her?” I asked. “Believe what?” “Believe she can get into No. 1 Middle School.” She was silent for a long time, and finally said, “What use is it whether I believe or not?” “This world doesn’t let things happen just because you believe.” Someone beside us shouted, “Lin Aihua!” “Is Lin Aihua here?” “A delivery order was sent to the wrong place, and the customer complained!” She stood up by conditioned reflex, pulled at her wound, and grimaced in pain. “Don’t move.” I held her down. “I’ll go.” I rode her broken electric scooter and delivered the takeout according to the address.

It was an office building on the twentythird floor, and I waited five minutes for the elevator, and by the time I finished the delivery and came down, it was already dark.

When I returned to the hospital entrance, she was still sitting there waiting for me. “Let’s go home.” I parked the electric scooter. “Starting tomorrow, don’t do deliveries anymore.” “How can that be?” “The mortgage hasn’t been paid off yet, and Nuan Nuan still needs money for school...” “I said don’t do deliveries anymore.” She looked at me and finally said nothing else.

On the way home, I rode the electric scooter with her sitting behind me.

It was cold, so she put her hands in my pockets and pressed her face against my back. “What have you been doing out there these seven years?” I thought about it. “Doing experiments.” “Did you make any money?” “Some.” “Enough to pay the mortgage?” “Enough.” She did not ask any further.

When we returned home, my daughter had already fallen asleep. Her homework book was on the table, and when I opened it, I saw Olympiad math problems.

The pages were densely filled with writing, and beside every problem were notes, with each solution written in a different color. I carefully looked over several problems.

They were at a secondyear high school level.

The next day, I did not let my wife go deliver takeout, and I did not let my daughter go to school either. I made several phone calls.

The first call was to the professor who used to mentor me, who was now an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was over eighty, and still supervised students. “Little Chen?” “Is your project finished?” “It’s finished, and I just came back.” “Good, good, good.” “When you have time, come to the academy, because that paper of yours has caused a huge international response, and has there been any news from the Nobel side?” “No official notice yet.” “Teacher, I want to ask you about something.” “When does the National Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition begin?” “Early next month, so what, do you have an idea?” “I want to register my daughter.” The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. “Your daughter?” “How old is she?” “Ten years old, fifth grade.” “Fifth grade?” “Are you sure?” “That competition is attended by high school students.” “I’m sure.” My teacher did not ask any more and only said, “Fine, send me the materials, and I’ll ask around for you.” The second call was to an acquaintance at the provincial education department, who had once cooperated with me on a project and later transferred there to become a deputy director. “Professor Chen?” “It’s been a long time since I heard from you!” “I just came back.” “I want to ask you for a favor.” “Tell me.” “My daughter has some materials, and I want to submit them through proper channels, but I’m afraid there won’t be enough time.” “What materials?” “Some problems she usually does, as well as records of some small experiments.” “How old is your daughter?” “Ten.” The silence on the other end of the phone lasted a little longer. “Professor Chen, may I ask what kind of problems your daughter is doing?” “High school Olympiad math, plus some physics experiments.” “...Fine, send them to me, and I’ll take a look.” The third call was to a department director at the Ministry of Education, who was also an old contact. “Old Chen?” “You’re back in the country?” “I just came back.” “I read that paper of yours, and it’s amazing!” “The Nobel Prize is basically secured, right?” “It hasn’t been decided yet.” “Old Zhang, I want to ask you something.” “Does our country currently have any special cultivation channels for gifted children?” “Yes, there are youth classes, special science and innovation programs, recommendation policies, and so on.” “What, do you have a candidate?” “My daughter.” “...How old is your daughter?” “Ten.” The person on the other end of the phone laughed. “All right, send me the materials first and let me take a look.” “If she really has the ability, I’ll personally make the trip if I have to.” After making those three phone calls, I sat on the balcony and lit a cigarette.

Seven years. I had won three national science and technology progress awards and one international physics prize.

One of my papers had been reprinted by top journals around the world and nominated for the Nobel Prize.

The technology developed by my team had been used in the country’s most classified project.

But my wife did not know any of this, my daughter did not know any of this, and the people back home knew even less.

In their eyes, I was just an irresponsible man who had run off for seven years, whose wife delivered takeout and whose daughter was bullied at school. I had never explained.

I also could not explain. But today, I did not want to endure it anymore. At two in the afternoon, I arrived at the school on time to attend the socalled communication meeting.

It was not a parent meeting, but a communication meeting specifically about my daughter.

There were seven or eight people sitting in the conference room: Teacher Zhou, the grade director, the academic affairs director, and the principal.

The principal’s surname was Ma, and he was in his fifties, with his hair combed meticulously and a slow, methodical way of speaking. “Chen Nuan’s parent, sit.” I sat down.

Principal Ma glanced at me, then looked at the materials on the table, and sighed. “We called you here today because we want to discuss something with you.” “We have learned about your daughter’s situation, and her grades are indeed quite good, but...” He paused, as if choosing his words. “But as for how she got those grades, we all understand in our hearts.” “As for the school, we don’t necessarily have to pursue the matter.” “After all, the child is still young, and taking a wrong turn is normal.” “The key is the future.” He leaned forward. “We have preliminarily decided to give the No. 1 Middle School recommendation quota to Li Hao.” “His family conditions are good, his mother is a teacher, he has been trained since childhood, and his overall quality is high.” “As for your daughter, the school’s opinion is that she should transfer as soon as possible or attend a vocational school preparatory class.” “There is a vocational school in the district that cooperates with our school and can admit her without an entrance exam.” He smiled. “This is good for your daughter too, because she can learn a skill early and get employed early.” “Don’t delay her.” I looked at him and said nothing.

Teacher Zhou chimed in from the side. “Chen Nuan’s parent, stop being stubborn.” “We are doing all of this for the child’s good.” “With your daughter’s situation, even if she attends No. 1 Middle School, can she keep up?” “When the time comes and she cannot keep up, she will feel even more inferior and suffer more.” “It would be better to find a path that suits her now.” The academic affairs director also spoke. “That’s right, our school has been around for so many years, so what kind of student haven’t we seen?” “Some children are just not suited for studying, and forcing them is useless.” “Recognizing reality early is good for everyone.” Principal Ma nodded, leaned back, and waited for my response.

I lowered my head and looked at my phone. On the screen, a message had just popped up.

Teacher: Little Chen, I have reviewed your daughter’s materials, and I have recommended her as an exception, so the competition organizing committee will send her an invitation letter directly tomorrow.

The second message came.

Director Zhang: Professor Chen, I have forwarded your daughter’s materials to the department’s expert group, and they would like to visit your home tomorrow to have a look, so would that be convenient?

The third message came.

Old Zhang: Old Chen, I reported your daughter’s situation to the higherups, and they attach great importance to it, so someone from the ministry will come tomorrow, and you should prepare.

I raised my head and looked at Principal Ma. “Principal Ma, just now, you said my daughter should recognize reality early?” Principal Ma nodded. “Yes, we are all doing this for her good.” I stood up. “Tomorrow morning, you will look again and see who reality belongs to.”