Chapter 3 - Trying to Cheat Him

Their house was on the other side of City B.

Where YuShi's grandparents lived was on the outside of the city where houses were large and owners had enough land around to build gardens or ponds or whatever caught their interest. It was a prestigious part of City B.

It was too far away from City B's business centre so Zhao JingShi had not lived in the house since he left to attend university more than ten years ago. After he started working at the company headquarters, he bought a temporary apartment close to his office. He only stayed there for three years until he transferred himself to the company offices abroad.

When he returned to the country he bought an apartment in an exclusive community not far from his office, but also not too close to the congestion and traffic of the city. With YuShi, he had to consider clean air and good environment for children.

This was why their house was on the other side of the city and it took more than an hour to get home from YuShi's grandparents house. With traffic, it took at least fifteen minutes extra.

For their children, parents were usually reduced to designated drivers. Zhao JingShi, employer of thousands of people - among them a few drivers - was no exception.

While driving he would occasionally look in the mirror to check on YuShi. As the car entered the main part of the city, he watched YuShi's head jerk up. Little eyes brightened and a pink tongue peeked out to lick childish lips. If the boy wasn't strapped in securely to his child-seat, his face would be plastered against the car window with how eager he became.

Zhao JingShen laughed: his son's feelings weren't badly bruised after all. He was back to normal.

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Little YuShi was almost drooling.

He clutched his mother safely to his chest with one hand and the other reached for the car window.

If he wasn't so securely strapped in, he could almost touch the glass.

Unfortunately he didn't yet figure out how to unlock his seatbelt so he couldn't escape.

One day, he promised himself. One day I will be free.

Food stalls were set up along the street and he could see food. Such delicious food. He licked his lips almost like he could taste it. It was after work so many people were rushing to the stalls to eat food. YuShi liked to look at them and pretend he was eating the food too.

He risked a glance at his father. Dad never let him eat this kind of food. Dad rarely let him eat any food except what his Nanny Zhu cooked at home.

YuShi didn't know what a roadside stall food could taste like, but he could imagine. Delicious!

Why else would people eat the food with big smiles on their faces?

"Wipe your drool," Dad said suddenly. "Nanny Zhu at home made fried noodles for you."

YuShi couldn't take care of his father right now. On the other side of the window, a man in a white shirt and black pants lifted a skewer loaded with meat. Dark brown sauce fell from the skewer. The man bit into the meat and... YuShi's tummy rumbled. Loudly.

"Don't open your eyes so wide. People will think I don't feed you."

But Dad, you don't feed me delicious food, YuShi cried inside. "If I had a mom, she would buy me delicious food from outside," he decided.

"No she wouldn't. Children can't eat those unhealthy things."

"Just once?" YuShi asked. "Only one time, Dad?"

"It's not delicious."

His Dad was trying to cheat him. "It looks delicious," YuShi mumbled.

He watched a noodles shop pass by, a fancy restaurant, a stall with western style burgers, a shop selling potstickers and steamed buns and another shop selling fried noodles. His eyes wide, he took in all of the delicious foods.

His Dad tossed a handkerchief on his face, blocking his view."Here, wipe your drool."

YuShi grabbed the cloth off his eyes so he could see the next shop - a famous fast food restaurant - and passed it over his mouth by the way.

Their car slowed down in traffic. He was a poor child because through the car window and restaurant window, he could only watch other boys and girls eating chicken and sandwiches and french fries and drinking cola.

Dad never let him have a cola.

He snuck a pitiful glance towards the front, sticking his bottom lip out when he saw his dad wasn't looking. He shook his head. "Mom, YuShi is a poor, poor child."