Chapter 111: The Father Who Exploits the Child Star 4

After kissing his father, the little one curled up under the covers and hid himself away.

Xie Hui gently patted his back, said goodnight, and then closed his eyes to sleep.

The next day, Xie Hui got up very early, just as dawn was breaking. After washing up and changing clothes, he saw Xie Chu still sleeping soundly in bed and asked Old Xie (Lao Xie) to look after him for a bit.

He then went out, heading toward the construction site he had seen the day before.

Although it was quite early, there were already quite a few people on the way. Xie Hui was stopped at the entrance of the construction site. The old man guarding the gate saw that he looked unfamiliar and questioned him.

“Who are you? Who are you looking for? What are you here for?”

“Sir, I saw the job posting at your gate and wanted to ask if you’re still hiring?”

Old Li, who came in early that morning, heard this and hurried over, sizing Xie Hui up.

“You want to work here? Are you strong enough to handle the work?”

“Don’t worry, I’m very strong.”

Xie Hui knew very well that at a construction site, nothing else mattered as much as strength. After speaking, he pulled out a cigarette from his clothes, handed it to Old Li, and smiled.

“Wages are paid daily, two hundred yuan a day. You can try it out for a day first.”

The site was indeed short-staffed. Although Old Li thought this young man looked a bit thin, he figured he could make do.

Hearing this, Xie Hui finally breathed a sigh of relief, but thinking of the child at home, he smiled at Old Li, feeling he couldn’t hide this matter.

“Boss, I have a child at home, just over three years old. Can I bring him with me? I promise he’s well-behaved, won’t cause trouble, and won’t cry.”

Old Li frowned tightly at this. Bringing a three-year-old child to the construction site? Was this a joke? If the child got hurt, a year’s wages wouldn’t be enough to pay for it.

“No, that’s not possible. You’d better look elsewhere. How can you bring such a young child to a construction site? Can’t you leave him at home with your wife?”

What the boss said was within Xie Hui’s expectations. Construction sites were indeed dangerous, and bringing a three-year-old wasn’t really appropriate.

“I divorced his mother, and now I’m the one taking care of him. I just started working and have no other choice. Sorry to bother you, boss.”

After hearing Xie Hui’s words, Old Li thought about how tough it must be for a man to raise a child alone. If he had a bit more education, he wouldn’t have to look for work at a construction site.

“Hey, don’t go. Let’s make this clear: if your child can stay quietly in my office, you can work. But if he runs around even once, both of you are out!”

Xie Hui, who had been thinking about looking for another job, suddenly heard the boss’s words, turned around sharply, and said:

“Thank you! I promise my son is very well-behaved. What you’re worried about won’t happen.”

“When can you start?”

“What time do you start here, boss? I can start today.”

Old Li checked his watch.

“It’s six o’clock now. Try to be here before seven thirty.”

After agreeing on the time, Xie Hui turned and left. Old Li watched his back and, after a while, hit his own head in frustration.

The gatekeeper came out with a thermos cup and reminded him:

“Old Li, this isn’t really by the rules.”

Old Li was already feeling regretful after what he said. Now, hearing the old man’s words, he sighed deeply.

“What can you do about the rules? That guy looks like he’s from the countryside, just trying to earn some money while his kid is still young. If he can work without being distracted by the child, it’s fine to let the kid stay in my office.”

The old man took a sip of water, shook his head helplessly, and went back to his seat, inviting Old Li to have a steamed bun he just bought.

There really were quite a few people breaking the rules at this site. The other day, Old Li hired a guy with only one arm, and today he hired someone with a child.

On his way back to the small inn, Xie Hui bought a few steamed buns and tea eggs from a breakfast shop. Seeing a bookstore by the road, he bought two picture books, spending nearly half of his already meager savings.

“Chu Chu, wake up. Hurry up and go out with Daddy.”

As soon as he walked in, Xie Hui saw his son still sleeping in bed and called out, handing a portion of the breakfast he bought to Old Xie, who lived next door.

Hearing his father calling him, Xie Chu opened his eyes groggily, sat up, and rubbed them hard. When Xie Hui came in, he reached out his hands.

“Daddy, hug me…”

Xie Hui put the breakfast on the table, walked over, and picked up the sleepy boy. Having raised so many children, he skillfully helped this little one get dressed.

After getting dressed, Xie Chu was almost fully awake and went to get a stool to stand on and brush his teeth.

After washing up, he held a steamed bun, took a big bite, and started chewing with effort.

Xie Hui saw his cheeks bulging and reached out to poke them gently, saying softly:

“Eat a little faster. The place we saw yesterday—Daddy has already arranged to work there for a while.”

“Okay.”

Xie Chu replied unclearly with his mouth full, then tried to stuff more bun into his mouth. After finishing, he took a sip of water, grabbed his things, and left with his father.

As they left the small inn, the landlady greeted them, saying that Old Xie had paid for another week of rent.

At the construction site, Xie Hui first took his son to see Old Li. Old Li handed him a safety helmet and a pair of gloves. Seeing the cute child behind him holding two books, he waved at Xie Chu.

“Come here.”

On the way, Xie Hui had already told his son that while he was working, he needed to stay in this place, be good, and not disturb others. He could read his books.

“Hello, uncle. My name is Xie Chu.”

Xie Chu was quite brave and stepped forward to tell Old Li his name.

“Alright, just sit on that chair, okay? If you get sleepy, find a place to lie down and nap for a bit, that’s fine too. The restroom is over there, but in any case, you’re not allowed to leave this room.”

While Xie Hui was putting on his safety helmet and gloves, Old Li squatted down in front of the child to greet him. Things weren’t to be taken lightly on their construction site.

“Okay, Uncle, I got it.”

Xie Chu replied in a grown-up manner. Seeing how he agreed in his childish voice, Old Li ruffled his hair, then turned to greet Xie Hui.

“Come on, let me tell you what you’ll be working on today.”