Chapter 17 Wedding Anniversary (1/2)

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.”

...

”SMILE.”

”Another one.”

”Three, two, one… Done!”