In Yunnan, China, a Primary 3 boy showed up in school with frost on his hair and eyebrows, and his face red from the cold. The boy braved freezing conditions during one of the coldest months in China, walking 4.5 km to attend the first day of his final exams. The internet dubbed him the Chinese ice boy.
The eight-year-old’s teacher took a photo of him looking like a tiny Jack Frost, and this was later shared by the school’s principal. The photo blew up on Chinese social media site Weibo, melting the hearts of Chinese netizens over the last few days.
Chinese ice boy
School principal Fu Heng was quoted as saying: "It was -9°C in the morning and it was the first day of the final exam. The temperature had dropped in the last half an hour, and as he lives pretty far from school by the time he got to class his hair was full of frost."
"The child is cute, he made a funny face when he got to class, causing his classmates to burst into laughter," the principal added.
Pear Video identified the student as Wang Fuman. He lives 4.5 km from the school and it takes him one and a half hours to walk the distance. Netizens has since nicknamed Wang, “ice boy”.
In an interview, Wang said he thought it was going to be sunny when he left his house. So, when he left home, he wore just a few layers of clothing.
He had calloused hands from hard labour
Wang also said he lives with his grandmother and older sister in a mud house. His father works as a migrant worker, while his mother has left the family.
Another photo that came with the “ice boy” photo was that of his calloused hands. The boy explained that he helps his grandmother with farming work, which explains the callouses.
It was reported that there is no heating in the school’s classroom at the moment. But the principal said the school has been fighting for it.
New Year's resolution
The boy Wang said he likes playing basketball and reading science fiction stories about aliens. He hopes to become a policeman one day to “catch bad people.”
Wang also said that his New Year’s resolution is to study hard. He hopes that he will be able to get money to help treat his sick grandmother.
It's amazing how a boy like Wang puts so much value in education. It's inspiring how he refuses to be deterred by the forces of nature. While other kids take school for granted, here's Wang, with frost in his hair, showing up to take an exam.
We'd like to encourage parents who are reading this to share this heartwarming story with their kids and show them how determination can take them far. And perhaps they'll be inspired to help other kids who struggle with their education, too.
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