Chapter 63 Broke
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Aiden nodded repeatedly, clearly proud of himself, even as he reached up to shield his head. Freya, smiling sweetly, countered, “Whether or not a kid is spoiled is up to the kid. Whether or not an adult wants to spoil them is up to the adult. What, Aiden? You can’t handle this tiny bit of pampering? You think just a cute meal will make you soft?”
Sure enough, the little guy took the bait and shot back with great conviction, “Of course not! Like I’d get spoiled just because of a little food!”
“Then I’ll trouble you to bravely accept my sugary kindness,” Freya said seriously. “I can’t resist adorable kids, and now that we have one in the house, I finally have a chance to try making children’s meals.” She even looked at Aiden and added sincerely, “Thanks for the help.”
Aiden puffed up his chest. “You’re welcome.”
Louis took in their entire exchange but didn’t repeat his earlier objection about making separate meals. So the three of them sat down to cat.
Aiden
Aiden was noticeably faster than what Freya remembered from before. It was clear he really liked the food. And despite eating faster, he still showed off the Graham family’s impeccable manners. Every detail of his table behavior could practically score full marks. So elegant at his age–Freya couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed by comparison.
After the meal, Freya went to wash the dishes as usual. Aiden looked at her in amazement. “You even do housework now? Guess you really are broke.”
Freya shrugged. “What can I say? Life’s full of ups and downs. You never know when they’re coming. That’s why you’ve got to study hard. Otherwise, you’ll go hungry just like the rest of us.”
“I’m top of my grade,” Aiden declared proudly. “And our school is one of the best in the country. This semester I’m entering a competition. The teacher said I might win first place.”
His eyes lit up. “Oh right, first prize comes with a ton of money–like fifty thousand! Then we’ll have money to eat!”
Rich kids really lived in another world. A private school, with a prize that big for an elementary school competition? Meanwhile, college scholarships barely covered anything.
Aiden seemed to have found a new path to riches. “I could join more competitions. Before, Uncle didn’t let me because he didn’t want it to affect my studies. But now I probably can. If I join four, maybe I could win two hundred thousand! Then we’ll really have money for food!”
But then his face fell. “Wait… no, I don’t have that much time. If I want to keep my grades up, I could maybe only do three. That’s just one hundred fifty thousand… not enough for food. Ugh, this sucks.“.
One hundred fifty thousand… and not enough for food?
Freya felt a headache coming on.
“Do you know how many people don’t even make ten thousand a month? A hundred fifty thousand is a lot.”
Aiden looked up at her with his big, clear eyes and a puzzled expression. “A hundred fifty thousand is only enough to buy, like, two of your bags. That’s a lot? You used to eat shark fin–how much was a pair of those dishes? What does someone else’s monthly income have to do with us? Are we supposed to live like them?”
He pouted and sighed deeply. “Sigh… I didn’t realize being poor was so scary. It can actually turn a woman who loves spending money into someone who thinks a hundred fifty thousand is a lot. Uncle’s only been broke for a little while…”
Tm just adjusting to the situation. When you’ve got money, spend it however you want. But if you’re broke, you’ve got to be frugal And even if you really did earn a hundred fifty thousand, it wouldn’t all go to food. If we lower our living standards. obviously our meals will be simpler too. But don’t worry–so long as you’re eating my home–cooked food every day, you won’t end up malnourished.”
