I AM

Chapter 38

"You are so compassionate, Little Guo," Shen Wei said. "So, this is how you came to be, right?"

"No, I will show you my beginning the next time," Guo Changcheng said, and would speak no more.

Shen Wei also noticed that he had not integrated with Chu Shu Zhi, who was also silent.

Integration - Day 5

His stomach growled with hunger, and he felt faint, but Uncle had been in a bad mood lately and told the cook not to give him any food. He had stashed some snacks in his backpack anticipating this, but Zhu Jiu also knew he would come with something, and as soon as the two were left alone, he snatched the backpack away and took all the snacks for himself. He did not dare to tell his father; when he had hinted at how hungry he was whenever he came to Uncle's place, Uncle locked him in that cold, dark room downstairs. At least he was allowed to be hungry outside in the sunny yard. It made him feel less depressed. But Zhu Jiu walking by with a bag of the potato chips he had brought did not help the resentment that quickly built up in his chest, and he could not push it back down. He stood up to grab the bag from Zhu Jiu, but he could not take a step forward.

"What's the matter? Oh, did you want some of this? It's not bad, but next time, bring some better snacks," Zhu Jiu said with a sneer.

"Poor Zhu Jiu. Uncle must only feed you healthy things, so you seem to really enjoy this junk food. I will sneak in more for you the next time.," the hungry boy said in a sad voice.

"Wh-What are you talking about? We have lots of money, and I don't need your peasant snacks," Zhu Jiu said as he threw the bag on the ground and stomped on it, then walked off.

"What a waste. And he should have brought back the rest that he took from you, if he doesn't need your 'peasant snacks' as he said," a boy's voice in back of him startled him.

"Oh, I didn't know anyone else was here. I've never seen you before. Do your parents work here or something?" The words came out in a rush in his excitement of being able to talk to someone else other than Uncle and Zhu Jiu while he was here. But the boy's face was hard to see.

"I saw you out here and snuck away from my father," the boy said mischievously. "It's so boring tagging along with him and the adults, so it'll be fun to hang out with someone my own age. But that other boy - you called him 'Zhu Jiu' - he's a mean one!"

"He...has problems, too, but..." he could not think of anything positive to say about Zhu Jiu.

"What's your name?" the boy asked.

"It's...Shen Wei," his voice wavered a little.

"Shen Wei...good name," the boy looked nodded. "Shen Wei, you look like a kind person, but you shouldn't be so soft around these people. You know they're so mean to you!" the boy crossed his arms over his chest.

"Uncle is under a lot of pressure from Father at work. Zhu Jiu doesn't do very well in school and gets scolded a lot. Uncle can only take out his frustrations on me. Once he hit Zhu Jiu, and didn't go home for a day, and Uncle was so frantic. Uncle knows I won't run away. It can't be helped," he said thoughtfully, then winced with embarrassment as his stomach let out a loud growl.

"Well, Shen Wei with the good name, you must be hungry. I have some custard buns. Want one?" the smell of fresh bread wafted from the bag as the boy opened it, and he handed one to the hungry boy, who promptly stuffed half of it into his mouth.

"Th-Thmph yuuu," his voice was muffled with the bun in his mouth - it tasted so good!

"Hey, slow down or you'll choke," the boy laughed, and handed him another one.