Z

hengqing had a very deliciousdinner of meat, vegetables and warm soup. It was very much nicer than the usualfast food lunch.

 Yin Ting ate with him, and hehad was a little worried that she didn’t eat on her own and remained hungrywaiting for him. But she laughed and said she ate a snack earlier in theevening to pad her stomach. Zhengqing nodded satisfied,

‘I am usually late leaving work, soplease remember to eat first.’ He said

Yin Ting placed her chopsticks downand regarded him with a serious expression on her face.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked confused.

Yin Ting smiled and said softly,‘Before now, when you came home, when you ate, when you sleep were all decidedby you. There was no one to manage you. But now you have a girlfriend (Zuben:Who will manage you) and later you will be married with children. Do you alwayswant to let your wife and children eat without you. And then you come back andeat the leftovers?’

Zhengqing stared aghast.

 Yin Ting continued, ‘Beinglate on occasion is fine, but if you’re always like this, how can we have agood meal together? I like to be here when you come home, but I would also likethat you come home early. Every company has a clock off time, to make sure thestaff isn’t over working. (Zuben: In China?) If you surpa.s.s this time, whenwill you play or eat and sleep?

Zhengqing was surprised, and hefelt admonished, ‘Right.’ He said in compliance.

Yin Ting nodded satisfied with hiscompliance, ‘This is good. You can’t tell me that you’re going to leave work ata certain time and then still be late. So you will come home to eat on time.’He didn’t say anything,

‘You will get off work at sixthirty. The drive doesn’t take more than twenty minutes. If we add waiting forthe elevator, driving out of the parking lot it would be thirty, so you shouldbe home by seven. That should be the normal time you arrive, unless there is alarge traffic jam, or have to entertain clients, and if you’re busier at work.How about it?’ (Zuben: On one hand, I think it’s good she isn’t going to be thekind of woman that waits around for the dude to turn up, but on the other I chafeat the minute counting she’s doing. Is it supposed to be cute and loving? Imagineif this were Zhengqing saying it to Yin Ting?)

He froze at that, he now had a settime he needed to be home at? (Zuben: You said you wanted to get married.)

‘Can you do it?’ she said a tonethat made her sound like a kindergarten teacher.

‘I’ll try,’ he said hesitantly.

Yin Ting nodded, evidentlysatisfied, ‘Please continue eating.’

Zhengqing did not dare say a word,and returned to his soup and drank it. This food she ordered really tastedgood..

As he drank his soup he heard Yin Tingwhisper to herself, ‘Wow, I only started dating and I’m given my boyfriendrules. So cool!’

Zhengqing almost sprayed out thesoup. He was fine with the rules. He had been ordered for a long time. Hisperformance was better than the boss expected. The shareholders like him, andhis subordinates respected him. He did not have to be at work so long. So hisgirlfriend had rules, he will listen. (Zuben: one word: m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t)

After finishing his soup, he lookedup to find Yin Ting resting her hand on her chin gazing at him.

‘I understand, I will leave work ontime.’

‘Seven o’clock.’

‘Yes, seven o’clock.’

 Yin Ting laughed.

‘Since you come home often and arebuying dinner, I should give you some money for that.’

‘Home?’ she repeated with her eyeslighting up, ‘Sounds good.’

Zhengqing laughed in spite oftrying not to. He did not know that she was short of money.

‘It’s been a long time sincesomeone has given me money,’ she said laughing, ‘This is a fresh feeling. Iwant cash, ah. Giving cash seems to have more sense of trust.’ (Zuben: Every thingis G.o.dd.a.m.ned fresh. I suppose was the 80s’ hip hop scene in wherever thiswriter lived)

He laughed as well as he pulled outhis wallet and handed all the cash to Yin Ting,

‘Entrusted to you,’ he said.

‘Alright,’ she said as received itand began to count the money.

‘In the study, in the bottom drawerin the cabinet on the left there is some money, if you run out take from there.’

‘Alright,’

Her laughter was so cute, Zhengqingcould not help but pinch her face, ‘But please no cooking, and don’t letMiao-dada cause havoc around the house. As long as I don’t have to repair destroyeddécor daily, I can keep you well.’

‘If there is anything to repairwith the furniture and interior decoration, I will pay for it.’ She saidstraight forwardly. Zhenqing gaped.

‘I mean, we’ll have to changethings in a few years anyway. I will pay for that.’

He looked helplessly at her, thenrose to clear the dishes. In the kitchen, he began to wash them. For a moment,she stood watching him, then she came up to his back and put her arms aroundhim. Zhengqing’s heart warmed.

‘Tomorrow, buy out dinner from thesame place. I was very delicious.’ He said.

‘Okay,’ she said from behind him, ‘Therestaurant is not very far from her, it’s a small family owned restaurant. Itlooked very clean. I will have a look at their menu and pick somethingdifferent for dinner.’ And in the meantime, she would keep practicing hercooking, so one day she could make his meals everyday. (Zuben: You’ll getbored, dear.)

‘I will be home on time tomorrow.’

‘Seven o’clock,’ she reminded him.

‘Yes, seven o’clock.’ He replied ashe washed the dishes. He supposed he could set an alarm for six thirty in theevening.

That evening, Zhengqing did not doany extra work. After cleaning up, he and Yin Ting cuddled on the sofa watchingTV, but not really. They were chatting and kissing. The desire to marry YinTing was very strong. He felt that it felt right, there was someone to open thedoor for him, someone who would wait for him to eat, someone who would worry,there was laughter and the air was sweet.

He leaned down to kiss her whereshe lay with her head on his lap. He knew that it was too fast. A flashmarriage was impulsive and irresponsible. Yin Ting would not agree, even if shehad the same desire. Her family would not approve either. And, he had not properlymet her father yet.

‘When can I visit your dad?’

‘Soon,’ she told him. She dared nottell him that her father had flatly refused. And she feared putting anypressure on him at the moment. (Zuben: Oh a bone of contention? Zhengqingreally – the breaks -  slow down!)

‘Good.’ He said, and he kissed heragain.

❀

The next day, Zhengqing had ameeting with President Qin. After their discussion about work, the older manasked him about Yin Ting.

‘So you’re dating Yin Guohao’sdaughter, Ying Ting?’

‘Yes,’

‘Are you in love?’

‘Yes, I am.’ He replied gravely.

‘This child is very good, but youtwo dating is quite a surprise.’ Wen Yi said with a bit of amus.e.m.e.nt.

A surprise? Zhengqing pursed hislips, he supposed that they were rather different, so it would be surprising topeople.

‘Are you serious about her?’ heasked

‘Very serious,’ Zhengqing replied.

Wen Yi laughed and pattedZhengqing"s shoulder, ‘I will be meeting her father for some tea the day after,if he asks about you I will help out out.’

‘Thank you, President Qin.’

‘Xiaoting looks very much like hermother,’ Wen Yi continued (Zuben: Daddy may not want to let her go…) ‘But appearanceand personality are two different things (Zuben: No s.h.i.t, author). Her motherwas a great business woman, well known in the circles and so was her father,Old Yin. But now that he’s older, he doesn’t want his daughter to go down thatpath.’

‘Xiaoting told me,’

‘After his wife’s death, Old Yin’sspleen changed. He sold all the businesses bar the printing press. But he stillhas great influence in the business world. Some old friends and colleagues, goto see him from time to time for advice. He still has friends amongst the oldguard. But he’s been a bit down of late.’

Zhengqing nodded and wondered ifWen Yi was warning him that his future wife’s father was not going to makethings easy for him?

But Wen Yi did not say anythingmore. He spoked about some other business they had, and dismissed Zhengqing. AsZhengqing returned to his office, his heart was heavy with foreboding and hefelt a bit under pressure. When he got to his office, he logged into Tingting’sblog. She had put the answer to a post that was up yesterday. It had been aquestion: Why is there fish in the river? Answer: Because, if the fish leaves theriver, they die. But if the river does not have fish, it loses it’s spirit, therefore,dead. So they must be in the same place. That way they are not afraid of death,they only know they are meant to be together. So they exist happily together.(Zuben: I would like to know which ocean people go to fish this sort of cheesyjagbajantis)

Zhengqing’s heart eased a bit. YinTing words encouraged him. There was no need to worry about the future, becauseone does not know what will happen. Better to enjoy the present happiness; thatwas most important. The regained his focus, and returned to work in earnest. Hefell so deeply into it, he was not aware of the time until his phone started tobe noisy.

He looked at it. It was his alarm:Six thirty!

He nearly fainted in fear, that YinTing had not called him to remind him about leaving work on time (Zuben: test)

He still has a doc.u.ment in hand, hequickly read through it and dealt with it. At six thirty three, he phoned YinTing.

‘Are you leaving work?’

‘Um,’ he said as he packed up andleft his office. He secretly congratulated himself for the foresight to set thealarm.

‘I’m at your house playing withMiao-dada,’

‘Good. I’ll be there soon.’

Nine minutes past seve, Zhengqingarrived home and rang his doorbell (Zuben: This is getting old). She opened thedoor with a big smile on her face,

‘You’re back,’ she said excitedly.

Those words made him really happy.

Later in the evening, while theywere watching TV, she said, ‘You pa.s.sed the test.’ (Zuben: ¬.¬)

‘Test?’

‘Right. There was prize if youpa.s.sed and a punishment if you failed. This is a management approach; didn’tyou know this Qiu Zong?’

Ah so his future wife has beentesting him. Good thing he had the alarm clock.

‘What was the prize?’ he asked

Yin Ting gave him a lingering kiss.

‘And the punishment?’

‘I would not have come tomorrow.’

‘How ruthless,’ He said in protest.

‘Well I have lots of friends tosee. Some I can see regularly, but some I can only meet once in a while becauseof various things. If you’re too busy with work, I would just hang out withthem. If you can’t adjust your work time, it is fine if we don’t meet daily.Being late means we don’t meet up for two days. If your performance is notgood, you’re not serious, and you will be punished. I don’t want us to be likeone of those couples that never see each other because my boyfriend can’t makemore effort not to be working all the time. That is why I am being ruthless.’

Zhengqing was speechless, but he couldnot refute because she made some sense (Zuben: It makes sense to me, but I stillhave this great urge to put two middle fingers up and say f.u.c.k you b.i.t.c.h!)

‘Fortunately, you did well so itshows that you care,’ (Zuben: She said more stuff, but I am het up so so it didn’tmake sense. I’ll deal with that later.)

Zhengqing was speechless (Zuben: Ashe has come to be of late) he now Yin Ting’s mother was a talented businesswoman (Zuben: f.u.c.k the wha?!), because Yin Ting was also shrewd. But she didnot expend her shrewdness on business; she used it to manage him.

‘If you didn’t care then it’s noproblem. You have only yourself to blame if we break up. You don’t have tocomply with our agreement.’

‘I will comply. I don’t want tobreak up.’ He said, (Zuben: it’s been three days!)

‘Very good,’ she said sweetly.

Zhenqing now realised; his angelhas a devilish side.

 Zuben:  

Personally, I would have preferred that cominghome early was something he naturally began to realise himself, than her layingdown the law. He does seem like he would have the propensity to be carelessabout it, but I’d screech mentally if someone started dictating my day. But Iguess that is just me and it ain’t my story. And if he’s okay with it, who am Ito complain?

I tried to do a quick read through, but I just could not. Maybe when my "anti-romance pimple inducing" hormone c.o.c.ktail is not at play, I will come down and fix any errors. I just can"t read it again right now. 

❀ Chapter 45...