My great-grandpa was the richest man in Nanyang. He founded the largest and most advanced education system in Henan Province. My granduncle entered elementary school at 3-years-old, in diapers, as he was the son of the principal. He lived a happy life despite failing most of his classes.

In 1947, the CCP Army attacked my great-grandpa's military base, forcing my great-uncle to flee with his family. After years of running and hiding, he ended up in an elementary school in Beijing. On the day of the proclamation of P.R.C., my granduncle, along with the whole school, wore red  boutonnières and sang together in the auditorium, "the Liberated area cannot be brighter, the liberated people cannot be happier."
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In 1951, my great-grandpa was captured and executed, and his estates in Beijing, including the residence of my granduncle, were confiscated. The family became destitute and homeless. After that time, my granduncle, who underperformed in school, studied diligently and enrolled in one of the most prestigious high schools in Beijing - Beijing No. 2 High School. He consistently ranked first among his peers and met with famous mathematicians, such as Hua Luogeng and Su Buqing.

In 1956, despite his past political background, my granduncle was admitted, as an exception, by Peking University's Department of Physics. Since middle school, he had dreamed of becoming a physicist to solve Einstein's "unified field theory." In college, he submerged himself in the pursuit of physics and was more dedicated than ever. He learned Russian, German, and English to read research and literature in its original language.

Unfortunately, since my granduncle did not actively participate in the anti-rightist campaign, he was labeled a rightist, suspended from school, and sent to labor camps. After years of desperation, without release, he finally had to let go of his pursuit of the "unified field theory."

I am also an alumnus of Beijing No. 2 Middle School. Since kindergarten, I have always relied on my parents' connections for school admissions until I got into my middle school's "Flight" program, which guaranteed entry to its more prestigious high school branch. My parents rented an apartment next to the school for me to save 40 minutes daily commute. During my time there, I scheduled every minute of my day and only allowed myself 10-minute breaks for exercise after completing homework for each course. Interestingly, I also dreamed of becoming a physicist, but I lacked my granduncle's quantitative talent. Though I was a hard-working student, I barely maintained my middle-rank status in the "Flight" program. 

Who would have thought, I left for the States without finishing middle school. Along with physics, I lost my work ethic altogether.