Da Tian Ting carried the box to Feng Kai Ze’s car. On the way home, she thought about what happened when she was sixteen.
That year, Da Tian Ting remembered on a stormy afternoon, she rushed home to see her father and her mother who she thought loved her.
Da Tian Ting pictured that day clearly. Outside her family home, there was a man holding an umbrella, and opening the door of flashy car for her mother and her father ran to the car.
‘Xin Yu, I’m begging you not to leave me,’ Da Zheng Li said.
Da Tian Ting’s mother sat in the man’s flashy car, and left her father kneeling and crying in the rain. Since that day she never saw her mother again.
Later Da Tian Ting found out her mother betrayed her father with another man. She hated and resented her mother because of her mother’s betrayal and for abandoning her father and her. In her eyes, her mother was dead to her that day.
Feng Kai Ze was willing to wait for Da Tian Ting to confide in him about her past.
‘Stop thinking about the painful past,’ Feng Kai Ze said. ‘You should focus on living a happy life in the future.’
‘I’m tired,’ Da Tian Ting said. ‘I only want to go home and sleep.’
Da Tian Ting had buried her mother in the past. The box in her hands reopened the wound caused by her mother’s abandonment.
When Da Tian Ting and Feng Kai Ze left her uncle’s home, they didn’t notice they drove past Shang Duan Hua’s car. But Da Ming Sheng thought she saw a beautiful version of Da Tian Ting sitting in a Bugatti. Da Ming Sheng shook her head, it was her paranoia about Da Tian Ting stealing Shang Dua Hua from her that made her see things.
Shang Duan Hua and Da Ming Sheng returned to her family home, and they saw her parents fight.
‘Dad, mum, why are you two fighting?’ Da Ming Sheng asked.
Da Qing Feng and Ning Kan heard Da Ming Sheng’s voice, and they stopped fighting.
‘Duan Hua, you’re here,’ Ning Kan said.
‘h.e.l.lo aunty Ning, uncle Da,’ Shang Duan Hua greeted. ‘I wanted to make sure Ming Sheng return home safely.’
Shang Duan Hua was shocked to see Da Ming Sheng’s home turned into a pig sty since his last visit a few days ago.
‘I’ll go get a gla.s.s of water,’ Shang Duan Hua said politely.
Shang Duan Hua walked to the kitchen, and pretended he didn’t care about the messy apartment.
Shang Duan Hua opened the fridge, there were no food or drinks inside the fridge and no water came out of the fridge dispenser.
Shang Duan Hua walked back to the messy living room.
‘Is the fridge broken?’ Shang Duan Hua asked. ‘No water came out of the fridge dispenser. How come there are no food or drinks in the fridge?’
‘Because Tian Ting doesn’t live here anymore,’ Da Qing Feng said. ‘Tian Ting, always buy the groceries including bottled water. Since she moved out, the people living here don’t know how to buy groceries and pay the water bill for themselves.’
Da Qing Feng picked up a newspaper, and ignored the foolish Shang Duan Hua. Shang Duan Hua took Da Tian Ting for granted. He knew Shang Duan Hua would regret marrying Da Ming Sheng who was self-centered like Shang Duan Hua.
Ning Kan and Da Ming Sheng gave Da Qing Feng daggers.
‘Stop saying nonsense,’ Ning Kan said.
‘I’ve only said the truth,’ Da Qing Feng said. ‘In the past Da Tian Ting did everything for this family. Now that she’s gone, this home is falling apart.’
‘Shut up!’ Ning Kan said.
‘Duan Hua, I’m sorry,’ Da Ming Sheng said. ‘I’ve been busy with the wedding, and forgot to buy groceries. Tomorrow I’ll buy groceries.’
‘Dua Hua, stay for dinner,’ Ning Kan said. ‘I’ll go bring the dinner dishes out.’
Ning Kan ran to the kitchen so Shang Duan Hua couldn’t decline her dinner invitation.
‘People who take another person for granted will regret after that person is gone,’ Da Qing Feng said.
‘Dad, don’t say something to make Duan Hua laugh at us,’ Da Ming Sheng said.
‘You and he are the embarra.s.sments,’ Da Qing Feng said.
‘Dad!’ Da Ming Sheng said.
‘Ming Sheng, Tian Ting came here earlier,’ Da Qing Feng said. ‘Do you know what your mum said?’
‘Why did big sister come here?’ Da Ming Sheng asked.
Da Ming Sheng didn’t want to believe the beautiful woman in the Bugatti was Da Tian Ting.
‘Uncle, why did Tian Ting come here?’ Shang Duan Hua asked.
‘Tian Ting’s father prepared a wedding gift for her before he died,’ Da Qing Fang said. ‘Since you and Ming Sheng betrayed Tian Ting, I gave Tian Ting’s wedding gift to her. I’m happy Tian Ting brought her boyfriend here. Tian Ting has turned into a beautiful woman, and her boyfriend loves her. Her boyfriend is caring, handsome and a better man than you. Ming Sheng’s mum shamelessly scold Tian Ting. Lucky Tian Ting has a good boyfriend, and protected her. Good men are rare these days.’
‘Dad, stop talking!’ Da Ming Sheng said.
‘Duan Hua, thank you for leaving Tian Ting,’ Da Qing Feng said. ‘Tian Ting is living a happy life with her loving boyfriend.’
Shang Duan Hua was angry a vicious woman like Da Tian Ting found a boyfriend.
‘Duan Hua, my dad is only saying nonsense because he’s angry that we wronged big sister,’ Da Ming Sheng said.
‘Ming Sheng, I understand,’ Shang Duan Hua said. ‘Uncle, you shouldn’t trust a two faced person like Tian Ting. Tian Ting a.s.saulted Ming Sheng. First Tian Ting poured hot water onto Ming Sheng’s arm at my parents’ home. Then she threw hot coffee onto Ming Sheng’s body at a restaurant.’
‘I’ll never believe Tian Ting would do something to hurt another person,’ Da Qing Feng said.
‘Uncle, how can you believe another person’s daughter over your own daughter?’ Shang Duan Hua asked. ‘Uncle, don’t you care about Ming Sheng?’
Da Qing Feng didn’t say anything, because he knew one day the truth would come out.
Da Ming Sheng was happy Shang Duan Hua believed her lies. It meant their wedding day would happen as scheduled.
‘Duan Hua, my dad will accept our marriage soon,’ Da Ming Sheng a.s.sured.
Da Qing Feng was ashamed he had a two faced daughter. But he couldn’t change the truth, Da Ming Sheng was his daughter.
‘Uncle, it’s late,’ Shang Duan Hua said. ‘I’m going home. Bye uncle.’
Shang Duan Hua stood, and left the apartment because he didn’t want to listen to Da Qing Feng’s insults.
‘Dad, I know big sister is a good person,’ Da Ming Sheng said. ‘But I’m your daughter. I’m asking you not to destroy my happiness.’
‘Ming Sheng, listen to me,’ Da Qing Feng said. ‘Don’t marry Shang Duan Hua. If you marry him then you’ll be making a mistake, and live an unhappy life.’
‘Dad!’ Da Ming Sheng said. ‘I know you don’t want me to marry Duan Hua so big sister can marry Duan Hua. Dad, I’m telling you now, I’m marrying Duan Hua!’
‘You’re going to regret marrying him,’ Da Qing Feng said.
‘I’ll regret if I don’t marry Duan Hua!’ Da Ming Sheng said.
Da Ming Sheng stood, stomped to her bedroom and tripped over a garbage bag.
‘Don’t people know how to throw out the garbage in this home?’ Da Ming Sheng asked. ‘Look how messy this home is. Why didn’t anyone clean this home?’
‘Your big sister used to do the housework here,’ Da Qing Feng said. ‘Now that she’s gone, if you don’t want to live in a messy home then move your arms and legs to clean! And your monthly allowance is used to pay bills. If you’re hungry, go beg for food on the streets.’
‘Dad, why did you use my monthly allowance to pay bills?’ Da Ming Sheng asked. ‘Dad, am I your daughter or is big sister your daughter?’
‘You’ve graduated for three years and still living off me,’ Da Qing Feng said. ‘Aren’t you embarra.s.sed? I only make enough money each month to support the family. Now that your big sister is gone, there is no one to share the financial burden with me. So you can forget about getting a monthly allowance from me to pamper yourself.’
‘Dad, how can you mistreat me like this?’ Da Ming Sheng asked.
‘Tian Ting, sacrificed half of her monthly pay each month for this family,’ Da Qing Feng said. ‘Tian Ting worked to help support this family, and did the housework. How did you and your mum repay Tian Ting? You stole Tian Ting’s fiance. Then you and your mum ganged up on Tian Ting.’
Da Ming Sheng thought she owed Da Tian Ting nothing. After she married Shang Duan Hua, she didn’t need to live off her dad or worry about money.
‘Dad, I don’t want to listen to you nag,’ Da Ming Sheng said. ‘I’m going to my room.’
Da Qing Feng felt that he had a bad daughter like Da Ming Sheng, because he broke his promise to Da Zheng Li and didn’t take good care of Da Tian Ting.