Aunt Min continued the story: "At that time, the situation was like this: there was only one spot recommended for medicine, but there were certainly many people who wanted to study, over a hundred had signed up. In the end, only six people could participate in the internal exam. Your mother prepared so diligently, and everyone had great confidence in her, so I still canât understand why, when the results came out, she ranked last."
Her mother was last? Xie Wanying frowned, finding it hard to believe. She often heard from her grandfather that her mother had been a top student since childhood. If it hadnât been for the turbulent times, she could have gone to university like Xie.
"Auntie, what do you think caused my motherâs poor performance in the exam?" Xie Wanying asked Aunt Min carefully, sensing that she had something to reveal and had specially sought her out.
Encountering the daughter of an old friend in the last days of her life, Aunt Min thought it was fate and sighed. Reaching out, she grasped Xie Wanyingâs hand earnestly and said, "Itâs been many years. You becoming a doctor now can be seen as fulfilling the dream your mother couldnât complete back then."
Xie Wanying nodded, acknowledging that part of her dream was influenced by her mother, and it was also her motherâs dream.
"What Iâm about to tell you, you decide whether or not to tell your mother, alright?" Aunt Min placed the decision in the daughterâs hands, trusting her.
"I understand, Auntie, please tell me." Xie Wanying promised to handle the information she learned responsibly.
Seeing her comprehension, Aunt Min felt reassured and revealed the long-buried secret: "Actually, Iâve almost forgotten this matter. But seeing you as a doctor today reminds me of your mother from back then, and if I donât say it, my conscience would be troubled. What I heard might be true or false, as it was just hearsay, unverifiable. At that time, your mother had already left, so I couldnât contact her and discuss it. It happened two or three years afterward when I had a meal with a leader who also knew your mother. During our conversation, he inadvertently revealed an inside story, saying that someone swapped your motherâs exam papers with anotherâs, saying it was a pity for your mother."
A trace of shock crossed Xie Wanyingâs mind; she never imagined such a hidden scandal really happened to her mother.
It could only be said that good people are easily bullied. Her mother, with a kind heart, often believed everyone around her was good and never imagined being manipulated by someone she knew. Xie Wanying, too, before her rebirth, had no idea some people secretly wanted to sabotage her university application.
The swapping of her motherâs exam papers was certainly done by someone familiar or condoned by them. Since it was an internal recommendation exam, for the final results and candidate selection to be acknowledged, all recommending parties had to reach consensus, including those who recommended her mother.
Looking into Xieâs eyes for a long time, Aunt Min had to admit her suspicion was correct, feeling an intense sadness, she said: "Back then, there was no fair and just examination system; it was very murky, allowing manipulations. The dean who recommended your mother reached an agreement with others to recommend another candidate."