Chapter 17
August 28th .
The sun was out, and the sky was clear . It was Chen Jin's parents' 25th wedding anniversary . A very special day . The anniversary for a marriage of 50 years was a "Golden Wedding," so 25 years was half a Golden Wedding .
His Father, Chen Gang, had given a lot of thought to it; he took a day off to spend this extraordinary day with his wife, He Li, to do a wedding photo-shoot . When they got married 25 years ago, the economic development in the country had been pretty average; people were generally not very wealthy . It was this city, Shanghai, that had the best economy . There weren't too many newlyweds that had the extra money to spend on a wedding photo-shoot then . At most, they would take one indoor picture .
But now, it was the new era, and life had gotten much better—all kinds of wedding photo companies were everywhere . But they were not young anymore . To make up for lost opportunity, Chen Gang suggested that they take some wedding photos to remember the good times they shared . He thought He Li would be really happy and agree with his proposal with excitement .
But surprisingly, He Li turned him down cruelly .
He Li sneered at him . "Ha, wedding pictures? If it weren't for our son, do you think I would have stayed with you for 25 years? I'd have divorced you already . Do you actually think I still love you?"
"Honey, it's been 25 years . How is this still on your mind? I've already forgotten about her . Can you just leave that behind?" Chen Gang said, seeming very awkward, with cold sweat on his forehead .
"Oh, please . Just because you're forgetful doesn't mean I am too . I will never forget how unfaithful you were to me!" He Li gnashed her teeth, seeming very resentful .
"Well…" Chen Gang shook his head . He had absolutely no idea He Li was still holding a grudge against him about the affair he had when he was young . They had almost gotten a divorce . Of course he knew he had crossed the line; he acknowledged the mistake, admitted that he was wrong, and had done everything in his power to be a good father and a good husband for the family . However…it'd been 25 years, and He Li still hadn't forgiven him for what he had done . She took away her love for him and gave it all to their son .
Listening to the way she talked to him, and seeing how indifferent she was about the wedding pictures, Chen Gang's heart sank to his stomach . "Honey, so…we're not going to do the photo-shoot then? I've already paid $1,200 for the down payment," Chen Gang said in a quiet voice . At first, he thought He Li would love the surprise, but now, he was more worried if he could get his deposit back .
"Of course we are . But it'll be just me and my son . You'll just stand there and watch . " As a woman, why wouldn't she want to take wedding photos? She was just mad at a certain person and didn't want to be in the pictures with him .
"Ok, sure, sure . " Chen Gang's face started to beam with delight, and he hurried to make some arrangements .
. . .
The morning of the 28th .
At the photo-shoot site at the Bund in Pudong, the site was by the beach; everything was very scenic . There was the ocean, the beach, even a private yacht . The Chen family had come here for the photo-shoot . With the help of the makeup artist, He Li had her makeup done and put on a white wedding dress . Her hands were on the sides of the dress, with the hemline so long that it touched the ground .
"Wow, Mom . You are beautiful . The most beautiful mother in the world . " Chen Jin, who had now changed into his well-pressed suit, gave his mother the compliments she deserved, looking very smart and happy .
In fact, He Li had turned 50 this year . Even with all the efforts she'd put in to take care of her skin, she still looked like she was in her 40s . Her figure had turned saggy and floppy; her skin was dull with wrinkles and crow's feet around her eyes . But what was the most attractive about her was her maturity and intellectuality; they made her extremely approachable, but with a distance, as if she kept a dignified silence . And it was that kind of unique elegance that made He Li - a woman that had average looks - so appealing .
As Chen Jin called it, "a Queen . " This kind of charisma was also the result of having worked at the Tax Bureau for over 10 years .
After being dolled up by the makeup artist, his mother now looked like she was back in her 30s, even 20s; very beautiful, indeed .
"Look at you, cheeky monkey, you know the right words to say to make me happy . " She pointed at his head and couldn't stop smiling . It always made her happy whenever Chen Jin tried to butter her up .
"Mom, I'm telling you the truth . If I ever find a wife, she must be like you . If I can't find anyone like you, then I'll stay single forever," Chen Jin said, looking all innocent . He just buttered her up again .
"Like me? Sure, I'll set you up on a blind date tomorrow . " He Li smiled .
"Let's do it . But only if she's just like you . "
. . .
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