My Neighbor Treats My Home Like a Daycare

While browsing my neighborhood forum, one post caught my eye: “My husband and the grandparents are away, and looking after the kid alone is such a hassle. How can I get the neighbors to take him in for a few days without making it obvious? Their kid is classmates with my son. Give me a ruthless plan!” The top reply read: “Have your kid show up at his classmate’s house right around mealtimes every day, with his homework. He’ll naturally stay for lunch, and after playing until he’s tired, he can ‘accidentally’ fall asleep in his classmate’s bed. Same thing for dinner.” The poster instantly liked the reply and excitedly commented: “Genius! That’s brilliant. I’ll do it tomorrow.” My heart sank. Zhang Wei’s son, Xiao Tao, had been turning up at my house right on time for meals every day for a whole week. I checked the post’s location. It was our neighborhood. A surge of anger flared in me. I went back to the kitchen and promptly put the extra rice and vegetables I’d prepared back in the fridge. “Knock, knock, knock!” The familiar pounding sounded at the door, and my son called out: “Mom, open up! Xiao Tao and I are back.”