The flame from the candle wasn’t too big, and the fire was actually caused by something else. Young Han Qing was bored of waiting, so he probed his way to his room to look for his drawing book.
He was thinking that he could draw a photo of him with his parents and his grandfather as well. Although young Han Qing was only five years old, his drawing skills were excellent. After drawing his family members, young Han Qing hoisted his drawing book in the air, smiling happily.
Soon, young Han Qing was feeling dejected again because it was his birthday today, yet his grandfather did not come to keep him company. When was his grandfather going to accept his father? His father was clearly a good person.
Then, he made up his mind. He wanted to give this drawing to his grandfather, hoping that his grandfather would reduce whatever bias he had toward his own father.
Young Han Qing then stood up and prepared to keep his drawing away at the thought of this. However, the moment he stood up, he was so caught up with the thought that he had accidentally kicked the chair beside him. Thus, he stumbled forward and the drawing in his hands flew away, falling right on top of the candle.
The white sheet immediately caught fire the moment it came into contact with the flame. Meanwhile, young Han Qing held onto his knees as he knocked against them. By the time he had come back to his senses, the flame had already spread to the side.
At that time, Han Qing was staying at a small rental house. The items in the house were crowded together and most of them were flammable materials. Before young Han Qing could react or was even aware of it, the fire had grown fiercely.
He finally realized that things were not right and he was terrified inside. He then recalled what his teacher had said in class—children should never play with fire. If not, they would easily trigger a fire.
Oh right, water can extinguish fire.
Young Han Qing only had this thought in mind. After that, he stood up and ran toward the kitchen, carrying a bucket of water with him. However, he was weak because he was still a young boy. Hence, the water spilled out everywhere while he ran. He wanted to extinguish the fire, but that meagre amount of water was futile.
The fire grew even fiercer, scaring Young Han Qing so much that he wanted to inform his father who was resting after coming home from work. He initially wanted to handle the situation by himself; his father always worked late, but he had come home earlier than usual to celebrate his birthday. So, he went into his room and took a rest before the birthday celebration started.
That was why young Han Qing did not want to disturb him.
Mr. Han was sound asleep when he smelled something burning. The smell was mild in the beginning but it gradually became stronger. Had his wife over cooked their food again today?
She clearly did not know how to cook, but she always wanted to learn cooking for him. She was supposed to be the Han Family’s young mistress with a maid serving her every day; she could have worn elegant clothes and lived in a huge house. However, after marrying him, she had to go through all sorts of hardship every day.
He did not want her to live a tough life with him, so he could only work hard to earn a living. But while he was out earning a living, he had neglected her. Every time he got off from work, he blamed himself whenever he saw his wife’s hands which were scalded from her cooking.
He felt like he was not a real man. If not, why couldn’t he even take good care of his wife and let her endure such hardships? She was supposed to live a carefree life.
After thinking about this, Mr. Han did not continue lying on the bed anymore. He then turned around and got up from bed. However, he did not know if it was because he had been working overtime for such a long period that made him feel so dizzy when he got up; he even had a hard time standing upright. Mr. Han shook his head and extended his arms to massage his temple.
What was going on with him? Why did he feel so light-headed all of a sudden? Was it because he had been working overtime recently and did not have enough rest? He could not stand it at all, but he could not pass out. His wife and son still had to depend on him. Moreover, it was Han Qing’s birthday. He also did not know if his wife had returned home after buying the cake.
Mr. Han then stood up once again and walked out at the thought of this. His head was getting dizzier. With every step he took, it was like floating in the air after stepping on cotton; it was as if he was going to collapse the very next second.
However, Mr. Han did not allow himself to pass out, for he was a man. When he opened the door, he was stunned to see the towering inferno outside while Han Qing was just about to enter his room.
“W-What is going on?”
Young Han Qing stood by his father’s side as he lifted his head to look at his father. Han Qing had a look of worry as he tugged at his father’s pants. “D-Dad, I-I accidentally toppled the candle. Then, this happened. I-I brought some water, but I could not extinguish the fire.”
While he was explaining himself, his expressions seemed like he had committed a grave mistake.
Mr. Han never had the heart to scold Han Qing or raise his voice at him. When he saw his son looking so guilty, he felt so bad at that moment. However, he did not have the time to comfort his son. He only said, “Han Qing, go to the side and wait for me. I will extinguish the fire.”
This was their home. If it was burnt down, where were they going to live after that?
Hence, the first thought that came to Mr. Han’s mind was to quickly extinguish the fire. He was a tall, strong man. So, he was quick at carrying buckets of water. Although he was dizzy and could not stand steadily, his strong will still allowed him to hang in there. He carried many buckets of water while Han Qing helped him from the side as well.
In the end, Mr. Han’s vision became darker and he began to lose his consciousness. However, the fire in the house had yet to be put out; it was likely that their small home could not be saved anymore.
Realizing this possibility, Mr. Han did not waste any more time. He quickly ran toward young Han Qing and held his hands. “Han Qing, the fire is too big. With our capabilities, we won’t be able to extinguish the fire. Let’s get out of here quickly.”
With that, Mr. Han pulled Han Qing as they ran out of the house.
The roof beam that had been burning suddenly collapsed, blocking the father and son’s path. Young Han Qing was startled. The fire then blew directly toward his face. Just when he thought the fire was going to burn his face, Mr. Han’s tall silhouette suddenly enveloped him, blocking all the injuries that were about to befall him.
Mr. Han was already feeling giddy, but he still embraced Han Qing as the fire around them grew bigger.
“Dad, Dad!” Young Han Qing kept shouting at him. Then, Mr. Han regained his consciousness and lowered his head. That was when he saw his son looking at him, full of worry. There was even a great deal of guilt and fear in his eyes.
No way—how could he possibly collapse at this moment? He had to bring Han Qing out of here. He could not die here too; he had already let Han Qing and his mother live a tough life. If he died, then there wouldn’t be any hope for Han Qing and his mother anymore.
Moreover, he had promised that he would take good care of Han Qing and his mother for the rest of his life.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Mr. Han stood back up and carried Han Qing out of the house. But the very next second, the roof beam collapsed in their direction again. Mr. Han was already too dizzy, so he did not avoid it at all.
With a bang, the roof beam collapsed, pinning him down to the floor.
The tremendous force was like the force of several thousand mountains collapsing at the same time. The moment Mr. Han fell down, he felt as if blood had accumulated in his heart. Fortunately, he had managed to protect Han Qing.
