One day after class, a boy approached his teacher with a cautious question: “Teacher, could you give me five more points on this assignment? I promise to make it up to you next time.” His tone was hopeful, if slightly nervous, as he awaited her response.
When she stopped to listen, he continued, barely able to hide his anxiety: “Can I talk to you in your office instead?” She nodded, and they walked together toward her office. Once inside, he closed the door and unfurled a rolled-up drawing on her desk.
Seeking fairness in grading
“Take a look at this,” he said earnestly. “I think I did a pretty good job on this drawing, so why did I only get 65 points? My classmate’s drawing, which isn’t as good, got 70.”
He laid out his friend’s work beside his own, waiting for her to explain the score difference. The assignment was a reproduction of a classic Chinese painting of sparrows and plum blossoms, a midterm exam in their art class.
The teacher carefully examined both works. “Your plum blossoms look quite lifelike, and the sparrow’s form is well-done,” she said. “But you missed one crucial detail: the eye of the sparrow is off. In art, that’s a major error.” She pointed to his friend’s drawing. “His painting also has room for improvement; the colors lack depth, but his sparrow is more accurately depicted.”
The boy nodded slowly, seeming to understand. Yet he remained, hesitating for a moment before asking again: “Teacher, could you please make an exception this time and add five points? I’ll make it up to you, I swear.”
A surprising request
The teacher couldn’t help but smile. She’d never received such a request in all her years of teaching. “Why should I give you five extra points?” she asked with a bit of amusement.
“You once told me I’m a talented artist,” he replied. “You complimented my shading on a sketch and said my watercolor sky was clean and transparent.”
“Yes, but this is an exam,” she explained. “A fair score is part of maintaining academic integrity, wouldn’t you agree?”
“But I already told my dad I scored well in art,” he admitted, lowering his voice. “Otherwise, he’ll say I lied again… and probably hit me.” He pulled up his pant leg to reveal bruises. She understood then that it wasn’t just about the grade.
After a brief pause, the teacher pulled out fresh paper and handed it to him. “Redo your drawing,” she said, offering him a second chance. Half an hour later, he finished, and she wrote “70” in bright red ink at the top. He gave a deep bow as he left, murmuring: “You won’t tell the others, will you?” She smiled, promising her silence.
An unexpected reunion years later
Years later, on a busy subway platform, she spotted a man watching her with a familiar, warm smile. He approached her and asked: “You were our art teacher, weren’t you?”
The teacher stared, trying to recall his face. “Are you…?”
“I was the student who asked you for five more points,” he replied, grinning at the memory. She remembered that moment from over two decades ago.
They chatted about the past, filling in the details of their lives since. When she asked about his career, he mentioned his company’s name and his current position. With a smile, she teased: “So do you often ask your boss for a raise?”
He laughed and answered: “Well, I’m actually the boss.” Embarrassed, he explained: “I studied computer science and became a software designer.”
Curious, she remarked: “I remember you didn’t do too well in math back then. How did you choose this path?”
“Do you remember what you told me that day in your office?” he asked. “You said: ‘Someone clever enough to ask for extra points can’t let math be their weak point.’ That stuck with me, and it changed everything.”
The teacher couldn’t remember the comment, but the young man did — and it had set him on a new path.
Translated by Elaine
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