An 18-year-old in China knelt to thank his mother for her years of sacrifice and hard work in funding his medical treatments.

An 18-year-old boy in central China knelt and kowtowed to his adoptive mother after completing the gaokao, thanking her for years of devotion that helped fund his medical treatment. From June 7 to 9, more than 12.9 million candidates sat China’s fiercely competitive national college entrance examination, or gaokao. Among them was Lele, from Xiangyang in Hubei province. Outside the exam venue, his adoptive mother, Ye Huanzhi, waited in a red qipao dress, holding sunflowers and his favourite...