A Love For Keeps

Confident

(FENG MILEN)

"Your son is scaring me," My father in law said as we gather in the study room. "It looks like he is willing to kneel in front of my enemy just to defy me,"

"Then let's keep Yu from doing that," my husband says.

"How?" I asked ZhuTuan. "Yu is becoming more and more determined to defy us. I am also scared to think what he will say if that Wang Qing will ask our Yu to runaway,"

"I won't lose my son to that boy!" My husband scowled at me. "I won't lose Yu this way. If I have to talk to the Wangs to do settle this..."

"I said no talking to the Wangs!" My father in law shouted.

"Why?!" ZhuTuan faced his father's anger. "Why are you so scared of facing them? Why?"

"Because I don't want you to know things!" My father in law sighed. "ZhuTuan, I...our family...it's..."

"Baba..." ZhuTuan and I grew curious and worried about my father in law's demeanor.

Baba sighed, "Maybe it's time you learn the things our family tried to bury. What I tried to bury..." Baba gave ZhuTuan a sad smile. "My grandfather and father are not good men, ZhuTuan. They are...bad men. Really bad..."

"What do you mean, Baba?" ZhuTuan turned to look at me. We are sitting at the long couch while my father in law sat on a solo armchair. ZhuTuan took my hand.

Baba gave me a pleading look, "MiLen, what you're about to hear is something I also told my wife. It's about our family's past. We do...kept slaves and servants before. But my grandfather and father, they don't always treat our slaves and servants...kindly."

"You mean...?" I felt my heart thudding. "They were cruel?"

"Yes," Baba nodded. ZhuTuan moaned. "You mean, they used to hurt servants before?"

Baba stared at my husband, "Your grandfather once ordered a slave to be killed in front of him." He said.

ZhuTuan and I gasped in shock. My husband growing rigid on his seat beside me. "Baba..." my husband paled considerably at what we are hearing.

My father in law nodded, "Yes. We have a history of murdering slaves. Of atrocious cruelty. Our family. But I buried it when my father died. Wang Guan, knows though. About our family's past. A past I don't want you both to know. And certainly not Yu. Our reputation. Our name. Wang Guan, can ruin us."

"Baba..." I cannot believe our reputation is on the hand of a man who hates my father in law.

This is...a disaster.

"But Guan has a weakness of his own. And I know that weakness." My father in law continued. "We made a deal. He and I. We will stay away from each other's path and all will be forgotten. We hold each other's weaknesses that is why we sort of blackmailed each other to silence. But this relationship between Yu and Guan's grandson is threatening the deal I have with that blasted man. Our Yu might get hurt or worse, we might lose him. And I, for one, cannot take that. I don't want to lose my grandson too," my father in law gave us a sad look. "I am an old man already. My happiness is to see our name clear of any blemish and seeing Yu happy. Those are my only happiness. Don't make me lose my name and my grandson. Both of them are my pride and joy."