2 | Tuesday, July 21, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY PAGE TWO

Teachers encourage students as they enter an exam site at No 1 Middle School in Baokang county, Xiangyang, Hubei province, on July 7. YANG TAO / XINHUA

year. My parents didn’t pressure me to get high scores in the gaokao. Instead, they told me to take it easy. I appreciate this and want to thank Outbreak: Millions of lives affected them,” she said. “My father is a designer and my From page 1 mother runs an online shop selling maternity clothing and accessories. Huang has always wanted to be a They were able to stay home with teacher, as she considers education me during the outbreak and always to be a perfect career for a woman. took good care of me.” However, she said she thought Wu said she will pursue a post­ about becoming a doctor after wit­ graduate degree in Wuhan. nessing medical workers save lives “When I was a little girl, I wanted during the pandemic. to explore the outside world, believ­ “But I’ll have to abandon this ing it would be exciting. But now, dream, because I majored in art in after witnessing how united Hubei high school. I still aim to be a teach­ became during the pandemic, I love er, as it will feel good to help stu­ my hometown more than ever and dents,” she said. want to stay here for college and for Recalling the time she spent in work.” hospital, Huang said she misses it but has no desire to return. Poetry recitals “I have mixed feelings. I liked how Zhang Yunpeng, a student at Fruit people got along with one another. Lake Senior High School in Wuhan, It was easy and fun. I met different stayed home for more than four people, made many friends and months to prepare for the gaokao. He understood how diversified society got up at 7 am, recited ancient Chi­ can be. What I won’t miss is testing nese poetry in the morning, took positive for the virus after being online classes in the afternoon and treated,” she said. did math, physics and chemistry tests After spending about four days at until 11 pm. the hospital, she thought she had “My parents and I were worried fully recovered, but her test result when the city was locked down,” the was positive. 19­year­old said. “We were not “I was about to collapse in a allowed to go outside and had troub­ remote area of the hospital. Howev­ le buying food, but life gradually er, Pan Tong, a police officer working improved. My parents took all the for the Dongxi Lake Public Security pressure and created a safe environ­ Bureau in Wuhan, comforted me. ment for me.” We became good friends, and the Zhang said he wants to major in moment I tested negative, I shared astronomy, biology or chemistry, my result with him.” and become a college teacher. He is Huang said she preferred not to learning to play the drums again for phone her parents while she was in the first time since studying in the hospital. “It was not because I didn’t 10th grade. miss them, but I was worried I “I hope that we can stop having to would burst into tears if I heard wear face masks as soon as possible, their voices,” she said. and that more people will be eating Although most of her friends and Top: Students receive gift bags from teachers at Donghu High School in Yichang, Hubei, on July 6. The Wuhan’s famed hot dry noodles at classmates at Wuhan No 39 High bags contained a face mask, greetings card and bottle of disinfectant. ZHANG GUORONG / FOR CHINA DAILY small streetside restaurants,” he School kept in close touch with her, Left: Students enter an examination site in Wuhan, Hubei. ZHOU GUOQIANG / FOR CHINA DAILY said. she heard that some parents had Right: A boy hugs his mother after completing the gaokao in Wuhan on July 8. CHEN XUEZI / FOR CHINA DAILY told their children to stay away from Family reunited her. Ju Jing, 18, said she was excited to “That saddened me, but I didn’t sometimes forgot to eat as he Parents comforted see people back on the streets of take it seriously. Most people treat­ focused on doing more homework. Ramila Ruztohti, who comes Wuhan after the 76­day lockdown ed me well, and it was fun that “My physics teacher Bai Longhai from Hotan prefecture, Xinjiang, was lifted on April 8. many of my classmates mentioned visited me every day. He bought me I noticed my father said many of her relatives cried and “Before the pandemic, it was hard me in their essays for the exam,” bread and milk, and we played bas­ had a lot more gray were worried about her when they to imagine that just seeing people she said. ketball,” he said. heard about the outbreak in Wuhan walking on the streets would be so Huang said she plans to get a driv­ Miradil said his parents are not hairs when I finally in January. thrilling. After all, I hadn’t seen any­ er’s license, take a part­time job and unduly worried about him staying met him after more “I’m the youngest child in my fam­ one other than my parents for more lose weight during the summer in Wuhan. The journey to his home­ ily. I often got in touch with my elder than two months.” break. town takes more than 40 hours by than two months.” sister and brother when I felt During the lockdown, in addi­ train and bus. Ju Jing, 18­year­old student in stressed. I comforted my parents tion to preparing for the gaokao, Online classes “They were anxious about the Wuhan, Hubei province and other relatives while chatting Ju bought groceries on the inter­ Miradil, a 19­year­old studying at virus at first, but they know I can online, telling them that my middle net and phoned her father every Donghu Middle School in Wuhan, take care of myself. I phoned about school was taking very good care of day. said he wants to stay in the city after twice a week to reassure them and parents around me and was not used me,” she said. On the day Wuhan was locked graduating from college. tell them funny stories about my to living with classmates, but the Born in 2000, the young woman down, her father went to decorate He comes from Kashgar, Xinjiang life. I also encouraged my young school protected us well during the said she wants to become an English­ an apartment in a different area of Uygur autonomous region, and has brother to attend college in a big outbreak and helped us lead a nor­ language teacher when she gradu­ the city. However, he was unable to lived in Wuhan since September city.” mal life,” she said. ates. In summer last year, she taught return home after public transpor­ 2016. Miradil said he wants to major in Munira got up at 5:50 am to Mandarin to farmers in her home­ tation services were suspended. “There are 38 students in my class computer sciences and software study Chinese, English and biology town, describing this as a “meaning­ The three­member family was and I am the only non­local,” he said. engineering at college and hopes to before doing her homework and ful achievement” in her life. finally reunited in April. “I took online classes by myself be admitted to Wuhan University of taking tests. She went to bed at “I’m an outgoing girl who loves to “I noticed my father had a lot more when all the schools in the city were Technology. about midnight. Sometimes, when communicate. Teaching English can gray hairs when I finally met him aft­ closed during the outbreak. “What doesn’t kill you makes you she felt stressed, she watched help others converse with more peo­ er more than two months. My best “The playground was off­limits stronger. Wuhan and Hubei online videos, listened to music ple in the world. I’ll return home childhood memory is of him taking because teachers were afraid that province will become stronger,” he and phoned her parents. when I graduate. Although life in me to his factory and buying me some students might need hospi­ said. “I miss them a lot and want to go other provinces and regions is good, bread in the canteen. His colleagues tal treatment if they injured them­ home. They always cheer me up and I prefer to go home to help make it a took turns to hold me,” Ju said. selves while exercising. I checked Reduced to tears encourage me. I became interested better place,” she said. “I will stay in Wuhan to be with my temperature three times a day Unlike Miradil, who is inde­ in psychology when I watched a my parents,” she added. and maintained social distancing pendent and used to studying Hong Kong television series in the Parental advice From top: Wu Caiwei, Ju Jing, while having lunch at a cafeteria.” alone, Munira, 19, who also comes 10th grade and want to take the sub­ Wu Caiwei, a student from Zhou Lihua in Wuhan Ramila Ruztohti, Munira, Miradil said he was occasionally from Kashgar, said she cried a lot ject at college,” she said. Wuhan, said she is learning cookery contributed to this story. Miradil, Huang Yuting and unable to concentrate on his when she first arrived in Wuhan to “I want to work for a university in as she wants to make meals for her Zhang Yunpeng. books, as too much time was allo­ study. Wuhan or Urumqi when I gradu­ parents. Contact the writers at PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY cated for self­study. In March, he “As an only child, I always had my ate.” “I got up at 6:20 am every day for a [email protected]