A Story From Back Home
Mr. Chien buys a gift for his wife.
Author's Notes
((NOTE: What follows is unedited manuscript from back when I wrote this in high school. Please don’t make too much fun of it.))
[Everyone is speaking Chinese]
“Hey. I’m home!” Mr. Chien walked over to the living room with his things and a box.
Yin Ai greeted him “Welcome home.”
Mr. Chien placed his things down and opened up the box. It was a box of chocolates from a brand notorious for being extremely decadent and expensive. “I bought some chocolates for you.” he said sheepishly.
Yin Ai shot him an angry look. “Why would you buy something so expen—”
She was cut off by Mr. Chien pretty much shoving a chocolate in her face. “Eat it.”
She glared angrily back at him and reluctantly allowed him to feed her.
Mr. Chien gave a mischievous grin. “Is it good?”
“Yes. But that’s beside the point—”
“Baba! Welcome home! What’s that?” Gao Zhong had come in.
“Oh! Gao Zhong! I bought your Mama some chocolates but she’s angry at me. Here.” He hands the box to Gao Zhong. “Try to make your Mama accept it while I go to the bathroom. I’ll be back really quick.”
Yin Ai gave him a derisive look before he disappeared to some other part of the house. She sat down on the couch and sighed. Gao Zhong placed the box on the table and sat down next to his mother.
“Mama, why are you angry at Baba?”
“I’m not angry. It’s just your Baba is buying expensive things again.”
“But… I thought girls like expensive things.”
“Wha?”
“When Baba used to buy you expensive jewelry and candy and stuff you were always really happy. What makes now so different?”
“Well, it’s because…”
“When I give girls candy, they get really happy and act really nice to me. But you’re acting mean to Baba even though he gave you candy.”
“W-well! He shouldn’t just buy things like that for no reason.”
Gao Zhong have a look of mild annoyance. “Hmph. I guess Mama’s a weird girl.” He gave a mischievous smile that mirrored his father’s.
Yin Ai glanced down at the box of chocolates and sighed. Gao Zhong was growing up to be like his father more and more every day, for better or worse. She picked up a heart shaped chocolate and held it up. It was a mocha biscuit covered in chocolate with white and dark chocolate drizzled on it.
“Hey. I’m back.” Mr. Chien came back and sat down next to Yin Ai. He placed his arm around her and kissed her gently on the forehead.
“Don’t think that I’ll forgive you that easily.”
“I didn’t expect you to.”
“How much did you buy these for?”
“They were on sale.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re not expensive.”
“They were $2.”
Yin Ai sat in silence for a bit. These chocolates usually ranged from the $25-$30 range. She ate the heart shaped chocolate quickly and grabbed her husband, shaking him.
“Then why didn’t you buy more?!”
“You were just angry that I even bought them!”
“But if they were so cheap, you should have bought more of them!”
“When I buy things, you yell at me, when I don’t buy things you still yell at me…!”
While his parents were bickering, Gao Zhong grabbed the box of chocolates and sneaked off to room where he ate the chocolates by himself.