My elder sister is studying at a famous British university. My family are very proud of her. On this year’s Spring Festival Eve, my cousins were all surprised by her absence. Cousin A asked me, “Where is your sister?” I answered proudly, “She went to England to study at the beginning of last month.”

    “Wow! Has she received the scholarship from our local government?” Cousin A asked again. Cousin B chipped in abruptly, “I don’t think so, she had to earn the opportunity through the back door.”

    At that moment, I got very angry and wanted to refute them in no uncertain terms. But I managed to stay calm and deal with their skepticism appropriately. I explained, “Well, my older sister did receive the scholarship. She was admitted completely above board because of her eligible IELTS score and the bilingual articles she published.” Cousin B was embarrassed and others accepted my explanation.

    It’s common to encounter ridicule in the real world. The best way to deal with it is to answer or explain the truth calmly. Even if we can’t provide an answer immediately, we shouldn’t lose confidence. Of course, nobody should dismiss others groundlessly.