Father's gesture wins his son university offers

When He Yonghui, a high school student from Xinhua county in Central China's Hunan province, exited the exam hall after finishing the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, on June 9, his father was waiting for him with a bag containing eight boiled eggs.

His father, He Xiutang, 60, had traveled from their remote village, walking for over an hour before catching a bus to reach his son's exam site. Seeing his son walk out, He Xiutang handed him one of the eight boiled eggs, the only food he carried with him without eating a single one. He Yonghui peeled it and gave it back to his father.

The scene, captured and reported by the Hunan Broadcasting System, quickly went viral online.

"Eight eggs," one comment read, "that's the purest form of love a father could give."

Behind this touching moment lies a long family struggle. According to local media reports, He Yonghui was born with a congenital foot condition, requiring three surgeries and preventing him from walking properly until middle school. His mother, heartbroken by his condition, gradually lost much of her eyesight.

His father, a farmer who also takes on odd jobs at construction sites for a living, had two wishes through all those years: "First, to cure his illness. Now, to see him get into a good university."

When the gaokao results were released on June 25, He Yonghui scored 526 points. His dream was to attend Xiangtan University, though his score fell short of the usual admission range.

"That was always more of a dream," he said with a smile.

However, his results and story caught the attention of several universities in Hunan, which quickly reached out. On June 26, admission officers and teachers from Hunan Agricultural University and Hunan University of Science and Technology visited his home to assist with his application choices and invite him to their campuses.

"We can offer tuition reductions for all four years of his undergraduate studies," an official from Hunan Agricultural University said.

On June 27, Peng Qingzhong, vice-president of Central South University of Forestry and Technology, extended an invitation to He through video, stating that his gaokao results qualified him to apply.

"I saw the touching story online," Peng said. "We are glad to welcome the young man to consider the university."

According to local media reports, He Yonghui has toured several university campuses in recent days and is weighing his options with professional guidance.