Finding My Way Home

Chapter 20: Lunch Is On Me!

Xiao Zhao stared at Li Qing who sat directly across from him and was leaning against the opposite wall. Ever since Xiao Zhao mentioned Han Jun's gift, Li Qing had a brooding look on his face. Although he had tried to start conversations, Li Qing just gave him his usual short answers. He sure is less exciting to talk to than Han Jun. No. I need to start calling him Third Prince. Xiao Zhao reminded himself.

"Do you know when we will get out?" Xiao Zhao tried again.

"Bù zhī," Li Qing replied. I don't know.

They heard banging of metal against metal as a man yelled, "Time to eat! Time to eat!"

Xiao Zhao rushed to the bars and grabbed the cold metal as he peered down the long hallway of prisons. From the distance, he saw two men striding down the dimly lit hallway.One was holding a big kettle in his hands while the other held a big scooper and was serving the meal to the prisoners.

When they arrived at Xiao Zhao's cell, the man with the scooper asked, "Where's your bowl?"

"I wasn't issued one," Xiao Zhao replied.

The man nodded to the second man. "Oh," the other man replied as he put down the big kettle and unslung a bag he was carrying on his back. He took out a bowl from the bag and handed it to the first man. The first man grunted and scooped some porridge from the metal kettle, and after he was done, he slid the bowl in between the bars. "Enjoy your meal," the first man smirked. They started to walk away.

"Wait," Xiao Zhao called. They turned back to him. The first man scowled. "What do you want?"

"He didn't get some food," Xiao Zhao pointed to Li Qing.

The first man gave the second man a mere nod. The second man took out another bowl and the first man filled it and then they slid the bowl on the ground to Xiao Zhao who received it and carried it over to Li Qing. Xiao Zhao held the bowl out to him.

Li Qing took one look at the food and turned his nose upward, waving for Xiao Zhao to take it away. "No thanks," he said.

"You sure?"

Li Qing ignored Xiao Zhao.

Xiao Zhao shrugged and started to drink the porridge greedily.

After a minute, Xiao Zhao glanced up and saw Li Qing staring at him. Xiao Zhao momentarily paused his slurping and put the bowl down. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Li Qing's eyes glanced down and Xiao Zhao followed his gaze. It landed on the half eaten bowl of porridge. "Oh, this! I'm hungry. I'm just glad I have food to eat."

"The smell doesn't bother you?"

Xiao Zhao shrugged. "So what if it does? It's food nonetheless, certainly better than some of the things he gave me."

Li Qing gave Xiao Zhao a questioning look and Xiao Zhao continued to explain. "My parents died when I was young and I was brought up by my Grandfather but he did many things..." Xiao Zhao shuttered as his face turned grim, but it was only for a moment. Xiao Zhao's face brightened a second later. "But here, I have food to eat," he said as he picked up his bowl and slurped the porridge.

When Xiao Zhao was done with the first bowl, he reached for Li Qing's bowl. "Are you sure you don't want any?"

Li Qing grunted.

"Alright. I'll take that as a no," Xiao Zhao put the bowl to his lips and was about to start drinking it when there was yet another commotion down the hallway.

"Where are they?" A frantic voice cried. "How could you put them in prison?"

"Now Di Di, you don't need to worry. Like I said, they are well taken care of," another voice replied smoothly. The voices and footsteps neared the cell and finally, Xiao Zhao saw the culprit who had the frantic voice: It was Third Prince, dressed in his usual red robes, but these were fancier with golden laces on the borders of the sleeves, collar, and bottom of the robe.