In September 1983, Wang Suhua, a worker at the People's Hotel in Dalian, in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, tied the knot of wedlock with a technician surnamed Wang, who worked for a local construction company. However, the couple divorced one year later, after the birth of their daughter Wang Wen.

One day when Wang Suhua took her little daughter to a community clinic to get an inoculation, she encountered some children of primary school age taunting a skinny boy. They were pushing the boy back and forth, and one of them said: "See, nobody will come to help you, your parents are divorced.'' The little boy said nothing, but tears filled his eyes.

"My eyes were wet, too,'' Wang recalled. "I was looking at the future of my daughter.''

In the 1980s, divorcees, especially women and their children, were an object of scorn, since divorce was a social stigma.

Simple start

Though Wang tried hard to protect her daughter, the 3-year-old had an inquisitive mind. One day on their way back home from the kindergarten, she suddenly asked: "Mom, my friends all have a papa, why have I never seen mine" ''

"He has been working far away,'' replied the mother.

"When will he come back" '' the daughter asked again.

"He will be back next year,'' said the mother.

"That was the first time I told a lie,'' Wang recalled. "I didn't want my daughter to know the truth so early. I knew it would hurt her.''

Trying to provide a normal family atmosphere for her daughter, Wang sought advice from psychiatrists and teachers for the education of single-parent children.

A primary school teacher warned her that children from single-parent families tend to become introverts, reluctant to communicate with others, and that they lack self-confidence, which can affect their studies.

"I made up my mind after that conversation to hide the truth as long as possible,'' Wang said.

Wang first moved to a new home, leaving their old neighbourhood, for fear that somebody might expose the truth.

At New Year, when the promised father didn't show up, Wang presented her eagerly waiting daughter with a new dress and several plastic toys.

"See. Your papa bought these things for you,'' said Wang, presenting the gifts to her little girl. "He came back late last night but he had to leave early this morning because he was very busy with his work.''

The girl, although she missed her "father'' very much, was very happy with the gifts. Every second month, the daughter would receive something from her "father.'' Whenever she got a new gift, the girl would be excited for several days.

Life went on and the girl went to primary school.

One day after class, her mother handed her a letter. "It's from your father,'' said Wang.

The letter read:

"My dear daughter, how are you" Do you like the things I buy for you" Your mother sends me pictures of you as you grow up. I love them very much. I really miss you and your mother. But I can't tell when I can see you and where I work, because it is a secret job. I think when you grow up I will be able to come home. Do not write to me because I do not have a permanent address. Your mother is very nice to you. We both share the same hope for you " that you will study hard and go to university, and become a good and professional person...''

After reading the letter, the little girl was so excited that she promised her mother: "Mom, I won't let papa down.''

After that, the daughter regularly received letters from her "father.'' But she did not know that all the letters were written by her mother, who had practised writing with her left hand for a long time so that her daughter wouldn't recognized her handwriting.

"I felt the love from my 'father" in the letters,'' Wang Wen recalled. The letters encouraged Wang Wen to do well in primary school.

In July 1997, Wang Wen passed the strict examination and entered the No 7 Middle School, a key school in the city.

Of course, Wang Wen quickly received a congratulatory letter from her "father.''

"It's so great of you to get into such a good school. Your mom said you have lots of confidence. It's the confidence and hard work that bring you good results. You still have a long way to go. I'm sure you'll have many more achievements. Though I'm not with you, my heart always is...''

However, life was getting harder for the mother and daughter as Wang Suhua was laid off. Knowing her dilemma, Wang's colleagues and friends often visited them. Afraid of their revealing the secret, Wang Suhua never allowed her daughter to talk much with her colleagues. This puzzled and finally angered the girl.

At this moment another letter arrived from her "father.''

"Dear daughter, your mother says she treats you a bit too strictly, urging you to spend more time on your studies, not allowing you to meet her friends... She is really too tough on you, she should let you meet more people. But I know what she has done is all for your own good. Don't blame her too much, she loves you... I'm going abroad to work for a while; I'll write you as soon as I am back.''

Encouraging "father"

"Every letter from my 'father" encouraged me with love and understanding,'' Wang Wen recalls.

Once in an essay she wrote entitled "My father,'' Wang Wen said, "I've never seen my father except for a picture he had taken with my mother at their wedding. He is very handsome, like a movie star.

"My mother, however, always keeps it in the wardrobe. Sometimes when I ask for the picture, mother takes it out for me to look at. I noticed that whenever my mother sees the picture she looks a bit sad. I know she must miss my father.

"My mother respects my father, saying that he is an unknown hero. I feel so proud of my father.

"I often read the letters he writes to me, I can feel how much he loves me. I couldn't grow up without his encouragement. Although we cannot be together, we share the same happiness.

"Of course, my father has his shortcomings " his poor handwriting. I'll criticize when he is back.''

Three years later when Wang Wen entered senior high school, her mother brought her another letter from her "father.''

"My dear daughter, you must be very busy with your studies. I have some good news for both of us, I'll be back home permanently three years from now and we can be together. What I am most concerned about now is if you can go to college when I come back.''

"Mom, I'm sure I will get into college,'' Wang Wen promised her mother.

From that moment on the girl tried very hard to fulfill her two goals " to go to college and to be united with her "father.''

Moment of truth

She managed her first goal, but not the second.

In August, 2003, Wang Wen succeeded in her college entrance examination and enrolled in the Liaoning Foreign Business and Economics College, majoring in English.

"I told myself it was time she should know the truth,'' Wang Suhua said.

Wang still remembers the day when she told the girl what she had done for the past 18 years. The girl was shocked and burst into tears.

"I could say nothing but to ask my daughter to forgive me,'' Wang said with tears in her eyes.

"My life-long hope had been destroyed,'' Wang Wen said. "I couldn't believe it was only an illusion.''

But the girl survived the big shock.

When it was publicly revealed, however, the 18-year lie moved a great many people in the city. Wang Suhua and Wang Wen were worried about the 7,000 yuan (US$850) tuition fee for college, but they got donations from the neighbourhood and many other warm-hearted people.

On September 20, last year, Wang Wen started college.

"I feel so grateful to have my mother. Though my father's love was fake, my mother has given me her all,'' she said.

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