Fated Marriage Chapter 9.2

Chapter Nine (Part 2 of 2)

Inside Han Ting Ting’s old room, it was filled with an aura of a fresh spring day. Outside the window it was raining heavily. Suddenly a crash was heard followed by Ting’s mum’s crying.

Qin Song pulled Ting Ting back onto his lap. ‘Stay here and rest. I’ll go outside and see what happened.’

Qin Song tucked Ting Ting under the bed sheet. Then he went outside and knocked on his in-laws’ bedroom door. ‘Dad? Mum?’

Qin Song didn’t hear anything from their bedroom.

A moment later Ting’s mum opened the door. She wiped her eys and smiled sweetly. ‘Song Song… you’re here.’

‘Um. Mum, what happened?’ Qin Song asked.

Ting’s mum cried silently. ‘Go take Ting Ting away! In the future don’t let Ting Ting come here anymore! Stay far away from this house…’

Ting’s dad stepped out of the room and pulled Ting’s mum back. He looked vulnerable and worn out unlike his usual stern image. ‘Don’t cry anymore. How can you cry in front of the kids?’

‘My daughter was almost killed because of you!’ Ting’s mum yelled and pushed Ting’s dad away.

Qin Song was speechless. His in-laws were usually a stable couple. One was stern and rarely spoke and the other one was gentle and sweet. Qin Song never heard Ting’s mum raised her voice at Ting’s dad.

‘Ting Ting is ok. She’s just frightened at the moment. In the future I promise I’ll take better care of Ting Ting. Mum, don’t worry too much,’ Qin Song consoled.

Ting’s mum shook her head. ‘How can you promise easily? For the past month each time I step outside the house there’s some new incident. Those crooks weren’t stop causing trouble. How can we predict what those crooks are capable of?’

‘I’ll manage it properly. Give me a little more time. I’ll definitely find a safe solution,’ Ting’s dad said.

‘Officer Han, I’ve heard your empty promises for half of my life! You haven’t changed, you always choose the hardest road to take. If you close a hard case you don’t care if someone else takes the credit for your hard work. I can’t believe at your age you chose to transfer to a department that gives you more dangerous duties,’ Ting’s mum said. Those words came from the bottom of her heart. Out of love she’d never thrown her husband’s past choices back at him before. ‘I’ve been with you nearly my whole life. Look at your colleagues’ wives. When I was young could you say that my looks and intelligence wasn’t on par with their wives?’

Ting’s dad was speechless. Ting’s mum took a deep breath. ‘No, you couldn’t. Then why is it that their wives are living a peaceful life and more youthful looking than me by decades when we’re the same age? Officer Han, I chose to marry you and never regretted it. It hurts me to see you injured at work so I encourage you to find a safer role. But you won’t listen to me and I don’t force the matter. Sometimes it feels like you love your work more than you love me. You don’t want to get your hands dirty like your colleagues. You’re the heroic Officer Han and I’m nothing but your servant that’s meant to wors.h.i.+p your heroic deeds. But that’s me. That’s the consequence of my choices. What I can’t forgive is that your love for your work put my daughter’s life at risk! My Ting Bao is gentle and loving. How can you let her take the fall for you? Because of you today those crooks took their vendetta against you out on my daughter! My daughter is in her room scared witless. Are you proud of yourself Officer Han?’

‘You don’t need to say anything else!’ Ting’s dad boomed.

Qin Song was startled and Ting’s mum cried loudly.

Ting’s dad’s outburst caused the veins on his forehead pop out. He pasted back and forth and his eyes were botched red. Then he grabbed his jacket and went outside.

‘Where is dad going? Mum, do you want me to chase after dad?’ Qin Song asked.

‘Forget it,’ Ting’s mum said. ‘He’s not going far. He’s headed to the shops to buy a packet of cigarettes.’

Qin Song wasn’t used to his mum-in-law’s authoritative tone, it gave him a cold sweat. His mum-in-law was more intimidating than his dad-in-law when she wanted to be.

After Ting’s dad left, Ting’s mum’s temper calmed down. Qin Song quietly listen to Ting’s mum talk about the hard case Ting’s dad took on and why it led to Ting Ting being a.s.saulted.

Ting’s mum wasn’t happy about how Ting’s dad’s colleagues demean him and took credit for his work. She admired Ting’s dad’s dedication to keeping the public safe but she didn’t like watching him suffer one injury after the next. Ting’s dad scoffed at promotions and pay rises. It was enough for him to feel fulfilled protecting others each day.

Ting’s mum told Qin Song about Ting Ting’s grandpa secretly asked Commander Zhang to look out for Ting’s dad. Commander Zhang pulled strings and Ting’s dad was offered a prestigious promotion. When Ting’s dad found out he was furious, he hated going through a back door. Another person took the promotion. The newly promoted person was spiteful and felt threatened by Ting’s dad. That was why Ting’s dad was handed a hard case to crack.

Ting’s dad was stripped of his bonus ent.i.tlements. He was sent to the most dangerous areas to patrol and investigate the illegal dealings of those crooks that attacked Ting Ting. Those crooks didn’t dare to use loaded weapons but every few days they’d come to find Ting’s dad to provoke him. Ting Ting’s been working and looking after Qin Yun at the hospital so it was rare she had free time to visit her parents’ home. It wasn’t until she was attacked that she found out anything about Ting’s dad’s situation.

Qin Song felt worried after understanding the depth of his dad-in-law’s tenacity to face dangerous situations head on. What worried Qin Song more was the thought of his and Ting Ting’s future son taking after his dad-in-law’s personality. That was a deadly thought!

‘Song Song, take Ting Ting home,’ Ting’s mum said. She aged a lot in one day. She was both drained body and soul. ‘Song Song take good care of Ting Ting. She’s a timid kid. She’ll have nightmares about her ordeal for the next few nights and she’ll cry in her sleep.’

‘Mum, don’t worry. I promise I’ll take good care of Ting Ting,’ Qin Song said. He was still worried about his and Ting Ting’s future son’s personality but his mum-in-law mentioning Ting Ting’s name made him snap out of it. ‘About dad’s situation, leave it to me. Mum, don’t scold dad anymore. Dad is hurting on the inside to see Ting Ting hurt too. I’ll make sure to keep Ting Ting from getting hurt again. It’s my fault. I haven’t been a good son. I’ve been caught up with work and haven’t been coming to visit you and dad like before, otherwise I would have found out about dad’s situation earlier.’

‘Song Song, don’t carry everything on your shoulders. If you feel responsible for everyone, you’ll break easily,’ Ting’s mum said.

Ting’s mum was satisfied with her considerate son-in-law. That was why she doted on him. But she could see Song Song carrying the burden of his company and his dad’s frailing health had put too much pressure on him. She didn’t want to add her husband’s situation onto his plate too.

Qin Song returned to Ting Ting’s old room. He opened the door and it b.u.mped into someone who was eavesdropping.

‘Ah!’ Han Ting Ting said.

Han Ting Ting stepped back from the door. Song Song steadied her and laughed at her getting caught eavesdropping. She glared at him for making fun of her.

‘Song Song, what happened?’ Han Ting Ting asked.

‘It’s nothing. Leave it to me. Honey, you don’t have to worry,’ Qin Song said.

Han Ting Ting shook her head. ‘Song Song, don’t do anything. When grandpa secretly called your granddad, my dad was furious and refused to talk to grandpa. My dad doesn’t even want to see my grandpa for New Year. Song Song, promise me you won’t do anything to help my dad behind his back. Dad hates that the most.’

Qin Song let go of Ting Ting. ‘Ok, I won’t interfere. I’ll stand by and watch those crooks torment your parents.’

‘Song Song…’ Han Ting Ting called in a choked voice.

Han Ting Ting started to cry. She felt helpless to do anything for her parents that she loved and respected.

Qin Song was always defeated by Ting Ting’s tears. His heart couldn’t take seeing her sad and he stopped his teasing. ‘I was teasing you. Where has your sense of humour gone?’ He pinched her red nose. ‘Honey, don’t worry. Let me handle it. I’ll find a way to help your dad without ruffling his feathers and also teach those crooks a lesson. Will that make you feel better?’

Han Ting Ting didn’t have an option but to belive in Song Song. ‘That’ll be good.’

‘If I do a good deed for your parents, how will you show me your appreciation?’ Qin Song asked teasingly. ‘Will you let me kiss you? Or will you kiss me?’

Han Ting Ting thought Song Song was serious and she seriously thought about what she would do to show him she appreciated him taking care of her parents. ‘Wait until the deed is done. Then I’ll let you know how I’ll show you my appreciation.’

Qin Song felt like he was given the key to Pandora’s box and couldn’t wait to unlock it. ‘I’ll hold you to your promise. After I perform my good deed, you can’t go back on your promise.’

Han Ting Ting let the meaning of Song Song’s words soak in then she nodded her head to seal their deal.

Qin Song went for a stroll to the nearby shops that sold cigarettes. After a while he found his dad-in-law sitting under a tree.

‘Dad!’ Qin Song called and sat next to his dad-in-law. ‘Dad, let’s go home. Mum’s not angry anymore.’

Ting’s dad closed his eyes and shook his head.

‘Dad the moment you left, mum said you have nowhere to go but to buy cigarettes,’ Qin Song joked to ease the tensed atmosphere.

Ting’s dad opened his eyes and looked as if the joke increased his worries. ‘I don’t have money on me.’

Qin Song awkwardly stood. ‘Dad, I’ll go buy your cigarettes.’

‘Don’t go,’ Ting’s dad said.

Ting’s dad stood but because of his leg injury he couldn’t stand straight.

Qin Song quickly steadied his dad-in-law. ‘Dad, let’s go for a father and son drinking session. Besides, you don’t have a late s.h.i.+ft tonight.’

Ting’s dad hesitated for a while. But his heart was frustrated and bruised. A drinking session with his good son-in-law would get rid of some of his frustrations. ‘What about our wives?’

‘Before I left I ordered for dinner to be delivered. Mum and Ting Ting won’t need to leave the house,’ Qin Song said.

‘Ok, let’s go,’ Ting’s dad said.

That night Qin Song and Ting’s dad were a two drunken father and son-in-law duo.

Qin Song and Ting’s dad drank the strongest alcohol. At the start of their drinking session they drank with shot gla.s.ses. Later Ting’s dad hit the table and requested for two bowls. The moment the bowls arrived, Ting’s dad poured alcohol into the bowls and gulped down his bowl in one go. Alcohol settled in Ting’s dad’s stomach gave him an excuse to let go of his image and confided to Qin Song all the grievances he bottled.

Qin Song sat stunned beside his dad-in-law, he was amazed at his dad-in-law’s alcohol tolerance.

Ting’s dad drank happily and burped comfortably. He refilled the bowls and gestured for his son-in-law to continue drinking.

Qin Song didn’t dare not to drink. His shaky hands held the bowl to his mouth. His heart cried and telepathically sent a final love note to his wife – ‘Honey, I love you. I’m willing to risk my life to make you happy.’

Qin Song gulped down his bowl, his calm expression didn’t change and he refilled the bowls for them.

Ting’s dad loved to drink but his job didn’t give him many opportunities to drink. He wanted to make up for those loss opportunities with his son-in-law. In his heart he could see his son-in-law’s sincere att.i.tude toward him and was overjoyed to have such a good son-in-law.

Ting’s dad was tipsy and hit his son-in-law’s left arm. ‘Kiddo, you’re ok in my book!’

The pitiful son-in-law who recently recovered from his left arm injury cringed in pain from Ting’s dad’s. .h.i.t of approval. Half of the son-in-law’s bowl of alcohol fell out too.

‘The moment I saw you, I knew you were the one for my Ting Bao! You’re like your granddad. Strong and reliable. That’s how a man should be. Not scared of heaven or earth. A real life hero,’ Ting’s dad blabbered.

Ting’s dad usually didn’t talk much. But with a little alcohol in his system, he felt he could talk to his heart’s content. His drunken words weren’t eloquent but his son-in-law understood the honesty behind the blabbering.

Qin Song put his empty bowl down and tried to sit up with a clear head. ‘Dad, the way I see it… you and my granddad are the ones that are alike! When my granddad was younger, he hated to stand by and watch the people around him get hurt. He took matters into his own hands, played by the rules… Ting Ting’s grandpa who shadowed my granddad was the same too. They would oppose their superiors if they felt their superiors abused their power. I was little back then but I remembered many things about my granddad. If I had to hand in reports about who inspired me and who I looked up to, I would shamelessly write about how my granddad is my hero.’

Ting’s dad heard his son-in-law embarra.s.sed by the confession and couldn’t help but laugh.

Qin Song on the other hand changed his embarra.s.sed tone to a serious tone. ‘My mum’s little brother was granddad and grandmother’s only son. When my youngest uncle was deployed to a dangerous place… my grandmother knelt in front of my granddad crying and begging him to save their only son from going on a one way mission. But my granddad silently let my youngest uncle go… my youngest uncle lived a glorious life. I saw with my own eyes my granddad in his study room holding my uncle’s portrait and silently crying.’

Ting’s dad’s face was bleached white. Ting’s dad understood his son-in-law’s innuendo.

Ting’s dad felt it was rare for a parent not to love their own child. For more than twenty years he’d meticulously raised his precious daughter. If he heard Ting Ting cried out in pain, his heart would cry out in pain too.

Before Ting Ting married Song Song the Han household lived on the poor side. But Ting’s dad didn’t mind being poor as long as his family walked in a straight line. He didn’t care for materialistic trappings. But the sight of blood dripping down his Ting Bao’s cheek, her crouching and crying in a corner tore his heart apart. It made him regret holding his pride above the safety and comfort of his family.

Ting’s dad felt what Ting’s mum said out of anger was the blunt truth, he wasn’t a good person. He wasn’t a good husband or a good dad.

Qin Song was tipsy and kept shaking his head to wake himself up.

‘Dad! These days it’s rare to find someone like dad that lives with a clean conscience. I admire that about you. But I don’t understand why someone with your experience, compa.s.sion and solid work ethics won’t sacrifice your ideals to take on a position of power. Dad, I believe if you were in charge you’ll do everything in your power to find ways to keep the streets safer and that will help to keep many more people safe than you wasting your potential under the thumb of spiteful people,’ Qin Song said.

Qin Song paused to gauge his dad-in-law’s reaction. ‘It hurts me to see mum and Ting Ting scared as they were today. Dad, you said I’m like my granddad. But I know I’m not as clean cut as my granddad who would sacrifice his own son to follow protocol. Anything involving my family or the woman I love, I don’t care about what’s right or wrong, I’d do whatever it takes to guarantee their safety.’

After Qin Song’s emotional outpour he gulped down another bowl of alcohol.

Ting’s dad processed his son-in-law’s words for a long time then nodded his head. Ting’s dad understood what needed to be done.

Back at home, a drunk Qin Song hugged the shoe rack and kept calling out ‘honey, my wife.’

Zhang Yu saw her son refusing to let go of the shoe rack and her daughter-in-law had disinfectant on the left cheek. It horrified Zhang Yu and left her speechless.

Han Ting Ting was worried Zhang Yu was imagining the worst so she quickly asked the driver to help Song Song to their room. But Song Song wouldn’t move. Han Ting Ting and Zhang Yu stepped in to help lift Song Song but he was too strong. Finally Han Ting Ting had to ask Xiao Tao’s dad from next door to drag Song Song upstairs. It took four people to put a drunk Song Song to bed. Han Ting Ting realised she wasn’t married to a human because a human couldn’t be that strong.

During the night Han Ting Ting tried to stay awake to look after Song Song. She thought he was an obedient drunk, who slept and dreamt. Her exhaustion took over and she fell asleep whilst watching over him.

Han Ting Ting in her dream relived the beer bottle incident, her parents fighting and she kept crying out for Song Song but couldn’t find him anywhere. ‘Song Song…’

Ting Ting calling out Qin Song’s name woke him up. He quickly sat up and hugged her. ‘Honey, I’m right here.’

Ting Ting crying and calling out Qin Song’s name in her dream made his heart jump for joy. He felt like a mountain and wanted her to lean onto him for the rest of their lives.

Qin Song gently patted Ting Ting’s back. ‘Ting Bao, wake up. You’re only dreaming.’

Han Ting Ting in her dream state heard Song Song calling her to wake up. She opened her eyes and saw that she was leaning against his chest. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

Outside the window the sky was lighting up, it was nearly morning.

Han Ting Ting felt thirsty and stepped over Song Song’s body to get out of bed. But she accidently stepped on something stiff and heard him cry out. ‘Song Song, what’s wrong?’

Qin Song pulled the bed sheet up to his waist to cover up the unintentional injury his wife gave him. He gritted his teeth. ‘It’s nothing.’

Han Ting Ting rubbed Song Song’s face to check if he was feverish. His face was hot and it worried her. ‘Song Song, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Do you want a gla.s.s of water?’

Qin Song closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Ting Ting’s soft hands rubbing his face. He didn’t hear what she said to him. In a daze he simply nodded his head.

After Han Ting Ting came back with a gla.s.s of water her husband was missing. Only a wrinkled bed sheet and pillows were left behind on the bed. She walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door. ‘Song Song…’

Han Ting Ting heard moans from the bathroom followed by a grunt then silence. Song Song opened the door and looked at her like she was guilty of something.

Han Ting Ting didn’t think too deeply about it and gave him the gla.s.s of milk. ‘Song Song, drink it while it’s hot.’

Qin Song was in no mood for hot milk. He quickly went to the bed and put the bed sheet over his body from head to toe to hide. He was embarra.s.sed his wife overheard him whilst he was taking care of his morning glory in the bathroom.

End of Chapter Nine (Part 2 of 2)