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Single China mum carries steel tubes to fund education, weeps, hugs daughter who aces gaokao

A Chinese single mother who quit school after Primary One carried steel tubes to support her daughter, who excelled in this year’s college entrance exams.
When…

By Samantha Johnson / July 2, 2026

A Chinese single mother who quit school after Primary One carried steel tubes to support her daughter, who excelled in this year’s college entrance exams.

When Zou Pinzhi and her daughter Liu Fang saw the freshly published results of her gaokao, or national college entrance exam, they embraced and wept with joy.

The results indicate that Liu’s score was blocked – a sign that she is a top scorer in her province, Sichuan.

Several provinces, as well as Beijing, which is a provincial-level city, have introduced the score-blocking measure to prevent media hype around top scorers. Students with blocked scores will receive offers directly from the top universities.

Zou once expressed her deep wish for her daughters to “go further and never return to the mountains.” Photo: Handout
Zou once expressed her deep wish for her daughters to “go further and never return to the mountains.” Photo: Handout

Zou took a leave of absence to check her daughter’s score. The next day, at 6am, she returned to a construction site, starting her day by carrying steel tubes.

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