The week of the gaokao, the College Entrance Exam that determines the future of high-school students is time of unbearable pressure for numerous households. The following dramatic story comes from Jiangxi province, where a mother managed to keep her daughter from knowing about the death of her father throughout two months, only so she could focus on the crucial exam.
高考[1]结束后，付春利终于把丈夫去世[2]的事告诉了女儿。她的丈夫，也像最美司机吴斌[3]一样，在生命的最后一刻，救了一乘客[4]。他叫刘海信。4月1日，正在驾驶521路公交车[5]的他突发脑溢血[6]，但他还是将车稳稳停在路边，让乘客全部下车，随后就倒在驾驶座上......
前天，女儿刘庆在考场[7]考试，付春利不时抹[8]一下眼泪。"终于到这一天了。"付春利说，从丈夫刘海信去世，她没睡过一个安稳觉[9]，"不许孩子出门，不让孩子多打电话，考试时陪伴，都是为了让她能心无旁骛[10]，考个好成绩[11]。"
眼看刘庆就要考完高考了，说还是不说?付春利打电话和大哥刘雷及其他亲戚商量，大家一致决定：告诉孩子吧，迟早[12]都得让她面对，不如早点告诉她，让她心里也别再猜疑[13]。
After the gaokao (College Entrance Exam) ended, Fu Chunli finally told her daughter about the death of her husband (and the daughter's father). Fu's husband, who's story resembles the one of 'most virtuous driver' Wu Bin (a bus driver in Hangzhou who was recently hit in an accident while he was driving, but still managed to stop the car and save the passengers, before passing away), also saved his passengers in his last breath of life. His name was Liu Haixin. On April 1, when he was driving bus number 521, he suddenly had a cerebral hemorrhage. Yet he still managed to stop the vehicle safely and allow all passengers to get off. Afterwards he fell in the driver's seat.
Two days ago, while the daughter Liu Qing was taking her test in the examination hall, Fu Chunli wiped her tears continuously. "Finally this day arrived." Fu Chunli said that since her husband died, she didn't have a peaceful sleep; "I didn't allow my daughter to leave home, I didn't allow her to talk often on the phone and I even accompanied her to the exam. I did all this so she would have no distractions and get a high grade."
When she saw that Liu Qing is about to finish her exam, Fu didn't know whether to tell her or not. She called her big brother Liu Lei and consulted with her relatives. They all unanimously decided to tell the child. Sooner or later she has to face this. It is better to tell her now than to let her heart have doubts.
[1] 高考 gāokǎo - The College Entrance Exam for high-school (gaozhong) students
[2] 去世 qùshì - Pass away
[3] 最美司机吴斌 zuì měi sījī Wú Bīn - 'The most virtuous driver' Wu Bin; referring to a recent story of a bus driver in Hangzhou who was hit in an accident while he was driving, but still managed to stop the car and save the passengers, before passing away.
[4] 乘客 chéngkè - Passengers
[5] 公交车 gōngjiāo chē - Autobus
[6] 脑溢血 nǎoyìxuè - Cerebral hemorrhage
[7] 考场 kǎo chǎng - Examination hall
[8] 抹 mā - Wipe
[9] 安稳觉 ānwěn jiào - Comfortable sleep
[10] 心无旁骛 xīn wú páng wù - Without any distraction
[11] 成绩 chéngjì - Grade
[12] 迟早 chízǎo - Sooner or later
[13] 猜疑 cāiyí - Suspicious
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