The Heaviest Schoolbag

It was nearly noon, and the scorching sun hung high directly over this prime-location elementary school in downtown Taipei. With just fifteen minutes left until 12:00 PM, a crowd had already gathered at the school gate—parents and after-school care teachers waiting to pick up their children. Among the expectant faces was Rita, the foreign domestic helper for Yu-Xiang’s family.

"Hi, Rita, you’re here already!" Another helper, Nadia, called out from a distance, waving as she walked over to greet her.

"Yes, you too!" Rita waved back.

Both Rita and Nadia are from Indonesia. They met here, picking up their young masters and mistresses every day, and over time, they’ve become close friends. They even spend their days off together with mutual friends.

"Are you heading straight home today?" Nadia asked.

"No, today is Wednesday, so it’s a half-day," Rita sighed, a hint of weariness in her voice. "I have to take my young master to lunch first. After he eats, we rush off to his Go class. Then, after that, it’s off to the after-school cram school. He eats so slowly, always playing games while he eats. We’re often late for Go class. If we're late, the madam blames me for not managing the time. But my young master never listens to me! I have to constantly beg, coax, and trick him just to eat quickly."

"Your little prince and my little princess are pretty much the same," Nadia commiserated. "Whenever it’s time for ballet, my little princess drags her feet and says she doesn't want to go. But the madam always forces her, saying that learning ballet will give her a graceful physique later on."

The Midday Chaos

Every weekday during drop-off and pickup times, the school's perimeter is lined with illegally parked cars, causing constant traffic jams. People park for their own convenience, creating inconvenience for everyone else on the road.

Right in front of the school gate, the school-crossing volunteers, the "Guardian Moms," were ready at both ends of the crosswalk. The moment the students streamed out, they would step up to direct traffic and ensure the little ones crossed the road safely.

As the clock struck twelve, the bell rang. Students started exiting the gate in orderly lines. The moment Rita spotted Yu-Xiang, she hurried toward him.

Yu-Xiang, only a fifth grader, was already 160 cm tall—a tall, sturdy boy. He immediately handed over his entire load to Rita: his heavy school bag, a large model/art project from class, a duffel bag with his wet swimsuit and gear from swimming class, and a bubble tea he'd won as a reward for scoring first in the class on a test. Rita skillfully took everything.

"Yu-Xiang, you're still here?" a voice called from behind him. It was Xiao-Mi, his classmate, walking up with her mother. Xiao-Mi sits next to Yu-Xiang; they often tease each other, discuss homework, and have a good friendship.

"Nope, what about you?" Yu-Xiang asked.

"We finished exams today! My mom is taking me to afternoon tea with my auntie. I hear they have delicious strawberry cake," Xiao-Mi chirped happily.

"I envy you," Yu-Xiang sighed again. "I have to go to a boring Go class, and then to cram school."

"Yu-Xiang, what extracurricular class do you like?" Xiao-Mi's mother asked him gently.

"I like swimming the best," he replied. "But my mom says Go is better because it trains logical thinking. She says it will help me more if I want to be a doctor or a lawyer later."

"Do you want to be a doctor or a lawyer?" Xiao-Mi's mother continued.

"No, I want to be a competitive swimmer and go to the Olympics, like 'The Flying Fish'," Yu-Xiang answered, a spark suddenly igniting in his eyes as he mentioned the nickname.

"The Flying Fish?" Xiao-Mi's mother asked, puzzled.

"It’s a famous American swimmer, Michael Phelps," Xiao-Mi interjected, explaining for him. "He swims super fast, so his nickname is 'The Flying Fish.' In swimming class, Yu-Xiang is the fastest swimmer, so the teacher praised him and said he’s as fast as 'The Flying Fish'!"

"Wow, Yu-Xiang, you’re that good at swimming," Xiao-Mi's mother praised him.

"What good is being fast?" Yu-Xiang said, deflated. "I want to join the school swim team, but my mom won't let me."

The Burden of Expectation

After Yu-Xiang and Xiao-Mi said goodbye, Rita prepared to take him to lunch and his classes.

"Aren't you carrying too many things? You could ask Yu-Xiang to carry his art project and his drink," Xiao-Mi’s mother noted, watching Rita juggle the heavy bags.

"It’s okay, it’s not too heavy," Rita replied with a shy smile.

"She won't get tired," Yu-Xiang jumped in. "Mom says she's very strong."

Xiao-Mi’s mother couldn't help but shake her head. Rita, who looked small and thin, standing barely 150 cm tall, was "draped" in the young master's possessions. She looked like she was struggling, yet she still had to free up one hand to lead the young master, who was walking along, completely engrossed in playing a game on his phone.

Watching Yu-Xiang and Rita walk away, Xiao-Mi’s mother mused to herself:

These children don't even have to carry their own school bags. They don't have to carry anything at all; they are like little masters. The parents can't bear to see their child suffer any hardship, so they arrange everything perfectly, leaving the child no right to choose. But this kind of upbringing might stifle the child's opportunities for learning and teach them an utterly selfish mindset: to only consider whether or not they are tired, without ever considering if others are. A child like this doesn't just become functionally 'disabled' in daily life—unable to solve or handle things on their own—they also lack empathy. They can't understand the pain or difficulty of others.

Following this thought to the future: If a lawyer can't feel the pain of their client, how can they make the most objective judgment and devise the most effective strategy for the case?

The thought that Yu-Xiang might not achieve his inner dream of becoming "The Flying Fish," and might also fail to become the doctor or lawyer his parents wished for him, leaving him with nothing, suddenly filled Xiao-Mi’s mother with a wave of sadness.