"Why do you want to know about the snow, Cheng-Yu?" I asked him. "Is it because you can't go out and play when it's snowing?"
He didn't even bother to look at me. "Papa says if it's still snowing tomorrow, we'll have to quit work."
"What does your pa do?"
"He opens up mountains!" the child replied proudly.
"Where?" Cheng Yu pointed with pursed lips at the work site opposite.
I looked. All I could see was a searchlight beam, shining through the drifting snowflakes straight up into the heavens. In its light, I could vaguely discern a few dozen men, who seemed pasted to the side of the towering cliff, drilling holes for dynamite charges. The holes were like the steps of a ladder to the sky.
"How can you tell which one is
your father at this distance?" I asked.
"I can't see him plainly but pa says he can see me. He says all he has to do is turn around. I often sit here so he can see me"
Ah, so that was it!
Question 1: Why does the narrator ask Cheng-Yu about the snow?
Answer: The narrator asks Cheng-Yu about the snow because he wants to understand why Cheng-Yu is interested in knowing about it.
Question 2: What does Cheng-Yu's father do, and how does Cheng-Yu feel about his father's job?
Answer: Cheng-Yu's father opens up mountains, and Cheng-Yu feels proud of his father's work.
Question 3: How does Cheng-Yu identify his father's location at the work site?
Answer: Cheng-Yu points to the work site and mentions that his father says he can see him from there, so Cheng-Yu often sits where his father can see him.
Question 4: Describe the scene at the work site as observed by the narrator?
Answer: The narrator sees a searchlight beam shining through the snowflakes, illuminating men drilling holes for dynamite charges on the towering cliff, resembling steps of a ladder to the sky.
Question 5: What does the narrator realize about Cheng-Yu's reason for sitting where he does?
Answer: The narrator realizes that Cheng-Yu sits there so his father can see him, indicating the close bond between Cheng-Yu and his father.
Question 6: What does this interaction reveal about the relationship between Cheng-Yu and his father?
Answer: It reveals a strong bond and sense of connection between Cheng-Yu and his father, as Cheng-Yu waits where his father can see him despite not being able to see his father clearly.