138 The Long Ancestral Residence (1/2)
Iris and Jin Liwei cuddled until the car stopped. They finally reached the majestic gate of the Long ancestral compound.
The partition wall lowered. Xu Tian announced that they arrived.
Jin Liwei kissed Iris' forehead. ”Go. Spend time with your father. Call me later when you're ready to leave. I'll pick you up.”
”Would you like to go with me inside?”
”Hmm…next time. We'll visit and have dinner with your father as a couple. But for now, I think that it's better for you to go alone. I'm sure your father also wants to spend more time with you.”
”Okay.”
”Go, baby. Have fun. See you later.” He handed her the presents they prepared for Long Tengfei and his wife.
”See you later.” Then she turned to Xu Tian. ”Drive safely.”
”Understood, Miss Long.”
The two kissed each other one more time before Iris climbed off the car.
She stood in front of the massive main gate. The stones and the tall wooden doors emanated an ancient aura. Two big, ferocious-looking stone lions guarded each side of the gate. On the archway above the wooden doors hung the Long family crest. It showed a mighty yet benevolent dragon looking up at the heavens.
Iris walked forward and pressed the intercom. Yes, there was an intercom despite the ancient place. This was the modern times of technological advancements after all.
After just a few seconds of wait, a guard opened the door to let her in. Iris turned back to look at Jin Liwei before heading inside. His window was down and he waved at her, urging her to go. The car only left when the gate closed behind her.
Once inside the compound, she followed the guard. She sifted through the original Iris' memories and found that nothing really changed in the place. Long Tengfei was really committed to preserving the compound's ancient dignity.
They walked through the outer courtyard where there was a simple yet elegant green garden. It was very clean and well-maintained. Then the guard opened the second gate leading to the inner courtyard which was many times larger than the outer courtyard.
Iris gasped when she saw the inner courtyard. She already knew what it looked like from the original Iris' memories, but seeing and experiencing the place herself was still different. The view was breathtaking. Calm, serene, and elegant. It was like looking at a real, live, breathing painting. So beautiful.
There was a pond with colourful koi fishes swimming underneath the clear water. Pink and white lotus blooms floated on its surface. At the middle of the pond was a natural-looking waterfall fountain made up of irregular moss-covered rocks stacked on top of one another.
Iris followed the guard and crossed the stone bridge over the pond. The lush leaves from the big, old willow tree was like a green curtain hanging over the bridge. Everywhere she looked were green trees and shrubs accentuated by the colourful blossoms of magnolias, chrysanthemums, azaleas and spireas. There were also some carefully cultivated potted bonsai trees. The traditional garden was vibrant yet calm and organized.