Chapter 15.1 (1/2)

Chapter Fifteen (Part 1)

Qin Song and Ting Ting didn’t employ servants at their house. His work commitments meant he’d work overtime many nights. He worried about leaving her home alone whilst she was pregnant. After discussing with each other what they should do, they both agreed they would live at his parents’ house until the birth of their child.

Zhang Yu saw her son and her favourite daughter-in-law arrived in her home and rushed to her daughter-in-law’s side. ‘Ting Bao, finally we can live together again.’

Qin Yun from the living room laughed at his wife’s favouritism of their daughter-in-law over their son. ‘Zhang Yu stop hogging Ting Ting, can’t you see our son’s long face?’

Zhang Yu glanced at her son and saw his reluctance to share Ting Ting with her. She wasn’t pleased with her son’s possessiveness and glared at him then pulled Ting Ting into the living room.

It was a full house at Qin Yun and Zhang Yu’s home. Commander Zhang came to visit his son-in-law Qin Yun. Commander Zhang saw his daughter Zhang Yu competing with his grandson Qin Song over his loveable granddaughter-in-law Ting Ting and wanted to tease his daughter. ‘Zhang Yu, Ting’s mum’s been busy all morning in the kitchen but I haven’t seen you stepped foot in the kitchen. Now that Ting Ting’s here you’re more excited than Ting’s mum. Why do you get to have the best of both worlds?’

‘Dad, why didn’t I see you helping in the kitchen either?’ Zhang Yu asked her dad who liked to pick on her. She gave both her dad and son the cold shoulder. She went to pour a warm cup of tea for Ting Ting. ‘Ting Bao drink a little tea, our little Qin bun in your tummy is probably thirsty.’

Mrs Zhang senior laughed at her daughter Zhang Yu’s one track mind. ‘Hasn’t our little Qin bun been given a name?’

‘Ting’s mum picked a nickname for our little Qin bun already, Shun Shun (obedient),’ Qin Song said and proudly rubbed Ting Ting’s baby b.u.mp.

Han Ting Ting smiled at Song Song’s obvious boasting. ‘Dad, Song Song and I want you to give Shun Shun a proper name.’

Everyone unanimously nodded their heads in agreement.

Qin Yun pulled his wife to sit down to stop her from crowding Ting Ting. ‘I’ve thought of a name for Shun Shun. Let’s call our Shun Shun, Qin Han. It’s both easy on the ear and meaningful. Qin Han is suitable for a boy or a girl.’ He turned to face Ting’s parents. ‘Unless Ting’s parents would like to name Shun Shun, Han Qin I wouldn’t object.’

The living room was filled with laughter, because they knew Qin Song would object based on the stunned look on Qin Song’s face.

Qin Song leaned his head on Ting Ting’s shoulder. He wanted time to stop at that happy moment with everyone in the same room teasing one another and laughing together.

The days gradually became warmer and by June Han Ting Ting’s baby b.u.mp was hard to hide. The doctors informed her and Song Song that their baby was a boy. Whenever she went for check-ups and ultrasounds, the doctors complimented their baby boy. When their baby boy was three months the doctors said that their baby boy was growing faster and healthier than a four month fetus. That meant by the time she gave birth they said he’d be a healthy and energetic boy.

The days Qin Yun was unconscious was becoming longer than the days he was awake. When he woke up from his recent deep sleep, he was overjoyed to hear that his grandson was healthy and active. ‘No one understands me but my grandson. Shun Shun knows how frail my body is so he cheers me up by growing into a healthy baby and that gives me strength when I’m awake.’

Zhang Yu who was beside her husband felt immense sadness but forced herself to smile in front of him. ‘Is that so? Then you keep up your strength. It’s only right that you hand deliver a birthday gift to our healthy and active grandson Shun Shun.’

Qin Yun understood his wife well and knew she was doing her best to stay strong for him. He pinched her cheek that was sore from forcing herself to smile. She lovingly lightly hit his hand. Suddenly they both heard a splash noise.

Han Ting Ting caught a fish but didn’t know how the fish escaped. The escaped fish was swimming comfortably in the fish pond. She was upset her caught fish dared to swim away and threw her fis.h.i.+ng rod on the ground.

Qin Yun and Zhang Yu were resting and holding hands nearby. They laughed loudly when they saw their daughter-in-law’s sudden outburst, it reminded them of their son.

Qin Song arrived at the fish pond and his eyes were treated to a gentle warm setting that moved hearts. The sunset lit streaks of red and orange across the summer sky, the cool breeze fluttered the leaning willow trees and their shadows in the water looked like graceful ripples. Under a willow tree, his dad sat back on a chair and his mum leaned on the back of the chair and hugged his dad. His parents were laughing happily. But his Ting Bao with her big baby b.u.mp stood holding her back and looked like she was in a bad mood.

‘What fish had the guts to upset my Ting Bao?’ Qin Song asked. He walked toward Ting Ting. ‘Tonight we’ll cook its flesh.’

Qin Yun turned to face his son and there was a hint of pink on his pale cheeks. ‘That’s going to be hard. We’ve been here the whole afternoon and only one fish took the bait but escaped.’

The fish pond was a man-made pond in his parents’ garden. There weren’t many fish in the pond to catch.

Qin Song reached Ting Ting and kissed her pouted lips. Then he took off his shoes and socks and rolled up his pants hems. He jumped into the fish pond and a butler pa.s.sed him a landing net handle. He hopped around in the pond like a brave monkey and he used the landing net handle to scoop up a fish for Ting Ting.

‘To your left!’ Zhang Yu cried out.

‘Song Song, quickly look below your feet!’ Han Ting Ting advised.

Qin Song was drenched but he didn’t give up. His persistence paid off and he scooped a fish the size of his hand into the net at the end of the landing net handle. He returned to land like a heroic fisherman that caught the best catch of the day.

Qin Song hooked the fish to the end of Ting Ting’s fis.h.i.+ng rod that was thrown on the ground. ‘Honey, you caught a fish.’

Han Ting Ting’s good mood returned, held up her fis.h.i.+ng rod and pleased to see it was the fish that escaped.

Qin Yun and Zhang Yu applauded their son’s sacrifice to make their daughter-in-law happy and in turn made their Shun Shun happy too.

On the dinner menu that night included the fish that dared to put the pregnant Mrs Qin junior in a bad mood. Zhang Yu picked the fish eye to put into Qin Yun’s bowl but Qin Yun gave it back to Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu didn’t bother to pretend to be polite and swallowed the fish eye.

Han Ting Ting didn’t dare to eat fish eye. Song Song took out all the fish bones and fed the fish meat to her. She felt it was the most delicious fish she tasted.

Qin Song stepped out of the bathroom and saw Ting Ting sat on their bed. She gave him an intense gaze. He looked down at his body for anything unusual. ‘Is there something stuck on me?’

Han Ting Ting was in a trance remembering how Song Song looked when he came out of the fish pond, he looked too handsome that she drooled. ‘Song Song, when you were fis.h.i.+ng you looked handsome!’