If learners in China’s education system were to be examined through the lenses of wealth and geographical location，children in the county high school would be the most disadvantaged group，being at the worse end of the rich-poor gap as well as the urban-rural divide. They are a group of learners who have been ignored by the ongoing education reform in the name of pursuing quality education. This paper takes a qualitative approach and describes county high school students’ self-identity，academic choices，after-school life，family environment，and their expectations for the future，drawing a rough picture of what it is like to be a child in the county. It examines the hidden problems counties face as the basic unit for China’s basic education and discusses obstacles for their future development.