Mao Zedong's Grandson Tries the Back Door and Gets Shut Out

This video introduces the past event of Mao Xinyu, who, with a total score of only 109 points in the 1988 gaokao, attempted to enter Beijing University through privilege, only to be cleverly rejected by the then-president of Beijing University, Ding Shisun, under the pretext of "welcoming normal application," praising Ding Shisun's stance in defending academic fairness and resisting privilege.

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Mao Xinyu's academic situation was even more abstract. History was his best subject, yet he could only score in the fifties or sixties, meaning his other subjects naturally failed, and for some exams, he simply didn't show up at all. In 1988, Mao Xinyu took the gaokao, and his total score was reportedly only 109 points. With a score like that, a normal person couldn't even sneak into a technical secondary night school, but Mao Xinyu specifically wanted to enter Beijing University. His mother, Shaohua, thought to herself, how hard could that be? My son's bloodline is red and deep purple; if I make a personal request, wouldn't the school administration obediently submit? My glorious holy grandson wanting to attend your Beijing University is Beijing University's honor, not my holy grandson's honor.

Unfortunately, Shaohua had rather bad luck at the time, running into one of the rare good presidents in the history of Beijing University. Who was the president of Beijing University at the time? It was Ding Shisun. Ding Shisun was the only democratically elected president of Beijing University chosen through a vote by all school teachers since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and later he was even purged for supporting democracy and allowing students to participate in June Fourth. Such an upright Ding Shisun naturally could not directly open the back door for Mao Xinyu. His response to Shaohua at the time can be called classic! He said that Mao Xinyu is welcome to apply to Beijing University. That sentence sounded very polite, but in reality, it was a rejection. Of course, the crux of the matter lies in the two words "apply." I am not unwelcoming Mao Xinyu; I welcome him, but please apply through normal channels.

However, how could Mao Xinyu, with a gaokao score of only 109 points, possibly pass the normal application channels to get into Beijing University? The implication here was clearly that if you suck, practice more; if you can't afford to lose, don't play. Beijing University welcomes any student who can pass the exams through their own merit, but it does not accommodate anyone shoved in through privilege. Back in that era, Ding Shisun had already used a subtle way to resist privilege and upheld the fairness and freedom of Beijing University rather than the spirit of bloodline inheritance. He can be considered a rare good person within the Chinese bureaucratic system.