Chapter 105 - The Li Family

Like every other morning, Yul went jogging. When he was on his last lap around the track of the local park, he saw a woman entering the gates pushing a walker. She was the neighbour, Susan Li, Feng Li's wife. When she saw Yul, she smiled and gave a nod. Yul bowed.

"You are early today," she said, coming to him. Her husband had introduced them some days ago. She had been meaning to know more about her new neighbours but Yul seemed to not like anybody talking to him. His hostile aura made her keep her distance. But after talking to him a few times, she came to know that he was just a silent person and a polite young man.

"Leaving already?" She asked.

"Yeah," Yul didn't know what more to say. How was he supposed to talk to the neighbour ladies? What was he supposed to say? Zeng surely would have had an easier time. He would have charmed everyone with just a smile.

Yul looked down. The child in the walker looked up curiously at the stranger. Anna, if Yul remembered correctly, that was her name.

Anna was a toddler. The only words she knew were single syllables. Her eyes went wide to take in the face of their neighbour, chubby cheeks puffing in confusion.

Who was this strange man? Why are his eyes like a cat? Why was he so large? She wondered.

Yul too looked at her in awe. She was so small, so tiny, so cute! She was… a baby, like all other babies in the world. Yul felt stupid for thinking that, of course, babies were tiny. He wanted a baby too.

Anna looked at Yul. Yul looked at Anna. They had a short staring contest. Yul blinked and smiled at her. And all of a sudden, Anna screeched a laugh.

"Gaaa!" She said cheerfully, arms up and palms clenching and unclenching alternately.

"She wants you to pick her up," her mother said. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Aaaa," Anna cooed again. Yul was suddenly flustered.

"Oh, I-" His brain hanged. He was good with kids but he hadn't picked up a child this small since years. What if he didn't hold her right? What if she fell?

No!

"It's not a good time now. I am sweating a lot. I better do it sometime else," Yul reasoned, which was partially true.

"Okay," Susan smiled, then looked down at Anna, "Uncle Yul will hold you later, okay, sweetie?"

Anna's round eyes altered between her mother and the neighbour, unable to comprehend a thing they were saying.

"Anna say bye to Uncle Yul," Susan raised her daughter's tiny wrist. "Say bye-bye." Anna understood those words. Whenever her father or mother said them, she would have to move her wrist and she did, quacking out the words, "Baabaa!!"

Yul chucked. Children were so innocent and cute.

"Bye Anna," Yul waved at her, "Uncle will see you later." He turned to her mother, "I will get going, Mrs Li."

Yul bowed and left.

While returning back, he came across the turn that led to the highway out of the locality. Right when he was crossing it, he saw a dog chasing something that seemed to be a food truck.

The animal looked familiar. It was brown in colour and furry with long ears.

Tiffy.

Tiffy was running wild again. When Feng Li had been distracted, the dog smelled sausages from a food truck and had decided to make a run for it.

When Yul saw him going near the road he panicked. This was bad. Tiffy could get hurt. He whistled to gain the dog's attention.

Tiffy stopped. He looked around to see the whistle's owner. After spotting Yul, he ran in his direction and snuggled up his leg when he got closer.

"Woof!" He greeted his favourite neighbour. Yul petted his hair, "You could have gotten hurt, Tiffy. Don't run like that."

A few moments later, the actual owner came huffing. Upon saying that his safe was safe, he went with his hands on his knees drawing in huge breaths of air. He had an extension in his hand. From the looks of it, Tiffy had somehow managed to free himself and run wild… again.

"Thank you," he said to Yul, regaining composure. He knelt down to hug Tiffy who had no clue why his owner was worried. "Why do you always run away like that?"

"Woof!" Tiffy answered incoherently, licking the side of Feng's face, smiling year to year. Feng shook his head. Yul chuckled at that. These two sure had a unique pet-owner relationship

All three of them decided to walk back home together. Feng had hooked Tiffy by the collar.

"You haven't been home lately?" The neighbour asked, "We don't see you in the evenings, during our playtime outside. Tiffy misses you."

"Yeah, I have been working on a new assignment. Other days, I have some late-night shifts," Yul answered.

"Sounds tough. You are a policeman after all," Feng commented, "Is work-life very hard?"

Yul shook his head, "Not that much. I mean, it is at times but I am happy with it."

Feng smiled, "Ah, good for you. Enjoying your work is the most important thing about a job. Look at me, I am a part-time househusband and a part-time freelance writer. These both are quite fun in their own way."

"Really?" Yul asked, a curious look on his face. He had not actually met a man who would proudly call himself househusband. He didn't quite understand the inferiority people attached with being a househusband or a housewife. In Yul's opinion, they were one of the toughest jobs on the planet.

Being a househusband was often looked down upon and seeing someone proudly say that they were one, was quite refreshing.

Feng explained, "After pregnancy, Susan wanted to return to work. But who was going to look after Anna? Suan had already sacrificed so much for me. So I decided to do it this time. I left my job as a reporter and stayed back home, to look after the house and Anna... and Tiffy, of course." He added laughing.

"This way I came to know how stupid I was to think housework was not a job. It's 24×7 work, with no holidays, no pay, no praise, no nothing. It's just that smile on your family's face that keeps you going."

Yul nodded. He perfectly understood that. Since him and Zeng had divided the housework, it was easier for them. However, one person, typically a woman, shouldering the responsibility of taking care of the entire household would definitely be so exhausting. He silently saluted all the homemakers in his heart.

"Your work looks tough too," Yul said, sympathising.

"It sure is. I still leave things unattended and burn the meals," Feng laughed as he shared his embarrassing moments. "But at the end of the day, it is all worth it. I am doing my best to keep my family happy and they are happy."

The look on his face was that of a person who was proud of himself, which he should be. Yul admired that in a person.

"What do you write about?" He asked, remembering Feng had mentioned it before.

"Oh, it's sort of a blog. I write about daily life. It sounds boring but trust me it's a challenge upbringing a child and Tiffy joins Anna in troubling me. But it's nice. Life is fun with a wife, a daughter and a dog. I feel like things can't get any better."

Yul gave a small smile and hopelessly looked at the ground.

He wanted to be happy for the man, who talked so passionately about his work, his family and his life. However, deep within his heart I couldn't help but feel the sting of jealousy.

He didn't have that.