Chapter 246: Family Portrait

Chapter 246 Family Gathering

Shen Qiuyu felt a bit embarrassed.

"Changan giving us a car is already very generous. You really shouldn’t have."

Although her family was well-off, they weren’t at the point where they could casually buy a car.

When her parents learned about the gift from the Ye family, they were a little embarrassed.

Originally, since the Ye parents had already bought a house, Shen’s parents had discussed skipping the dowry.

But then Ye Changning gave them a car, leaving her parents worrying about what she should bring as a dowry.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "It’s fine. My third brother is making good money now. Don’t hold back with him. When he was little and climbed onto roofs, it was always my second brother who bailed him out."

Back then, the Ye family was poor, but the brothers had a very close relationship.

Hard times brought the family closer, so they didn’t keep score.

Shen Qiuyu also smiled. "Then I’ll accept the gift. If you’re not in a hurry to leave this time, I’ll show you around for a few days."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Sure."

Only after returning home did Shen Qiuyu open the gift.

Ye Xiaoxiao had given her and Ye Changan a pair of watches, perfect for formal events.

As soon as she took them out, Shen Qiuyu’s sister-in-law noticed.

"Those are designer watches, aren’t they? They’re not cheap. I still can’t figure out how the Ye family, living in the middle of nowhere, made so much money."

Shen Qiuyu looked up, slightly angry. "Sister-in-law, what’s that supposed to mean? It sounds like you’re implying their money isn’t legit."

Her sister-in-law, Zhang Yuexia, was usually a decent person but occasionally spoke sharply.

Seeing Shen Qiuyu’s expression, Zhang Yuexia quickly apologized, "Qiuyu, that’s not what I meant. I’m just happy for you, ending up with such a great family."

Shen Qiuyu had been in a good mood lately and didn’t want to argue.

Accepting the apology, she silently packed the gifts and took them to her room.

Zhang Yuexia pouted. Her sister-in-law was the family’s treasure, and she didn’t dare provoke her.

...

Meanwhile, Ye Xiaoxiao and Lu Hanchuan went for a walk. The summer night breeze felt nice, and it helped them walk off dinner.

On the way, they came across a vendor selling liangfen (chilled jelly noodles). They bought two servings and ate them outside before heading back.

Though they weren’t hungry at all, they just felt like eating.

Lu Hanchuan: "So much for that walk."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "How so? We even had a bowl of liangfen."

Lu Hanchuan gave her a look that said, "And you have the nerve to say that."

Ye Xiaoxiao sheepishly hugged him.

The two stayed in separate rooms at the guesthouse. Lu Hanchuan accompanied Ye Xiaoxiao to the wash area to wash up before returning to his own room.

Miao Cuifang said they didn’t need any help, so the next day, Ye Xiaoxiao woke up at her usual time, a little past seven.

By then, only she, Lu Hanchuan, Zhang Xue, Ye Mei, Ye Lian, and the two children were left at the guesthouse.

Ye Lian and Ye Mei helped keep an eye on the boys—otherwise, Zhang Xue alone wouldn’t have been able to handle the two mischievous ones.

Ye Xiaoxiao had no clue about wedding customs. Back in her previous life, she hadn’t even been a bridesmaid.

“What time are we going to the restaurant?”

It wasn’t far—only about a ten-minute walk.

Lu Hanchuan: “Let’s get some breakfast first. After eating, we can go see if they need any help.”

Zhang Xue held Ye Baocheng’s hand, telling him to stay close.

She looked up and said to Ye Xiaoxiao, “Xiao Xiao, you and Lu Hanchuan go eat. We’ve already had breakfast.”

Ye Xiaoxiao: “Okay, I’ll go ahead.”

After breakfast, the two of them went to the restaurant with the others.

Ye Xiaoxiao returned to her room to grab the camera she had bought.

Since she was going abroad, she wanted to take lots of pictures, especially wedding photos for Ye Changan and Shen Qiuyu.

The restaurant had reserved a dozen or so tables.

Most of the guests were Ye Changan’s fellow soldiers, along with relatives from both families and friends and colleagues of Shen Qiuyu’s parents.

Out-of-town relatives usually didn’t attend—travel and staying in touch were tough.

The tables were already set with cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and wedding candies. Shen Qiuyu’s parents and Ye Jianguo and his wife were hosting, so Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t needed.

She didn’t go with the bridal party—Ye Changning drove, making it a proper procession.

The local custom was to hold the banquet at noon. Around twelve, the bride arrived.

Shen Qiuyu wore a red wedding dress, her head adorned with vibrant but tasteful flowers.

Ye Changan, dressed in his military uniform, looked sharp and handsome.

Ye Xiaoxiao clicked away with her camera.

Lu Hanchuan: “Most of these will probably come out bad.”

Ye Xiaoxiao looked up, “Why?”

Lu Hanchuan took the camera: “The light’s not good.”

“I’ve never used this kind of camera before.”

Indeed, Ye Xiaoxiao had never handled such an old camera.

And in her past life, she wasn’t into photography either.

Luckily, she had brought plenty of film—she could afford to waste a few.

The wedding ended quite quickly. With others helping Ye Changan shield him from the toasts, he didn’t drink much alcohol.

After the guests had dispersed, Ye Xiaoxiao and the others went to take a look at Ye Changan’s newlywed home.

It was a three-bedroom, two-bathroom layout with ample space, likely because there was no shared/common space, making it feel very spacious.

Since Ye Changan and Shen Qiuyu were usually serving in the military, they probably wouldn’t stay here often before having children.

But having a place of their own mattered—since they were currently living in Shen City, a home was a necessity.

The Ye and Shen families lingered over tea for a while before getting ready to leave, giving the newlyweds some time alone.

Before leaving, Ye Xiaoxiao took the opportunity to gather everyone for a few family photos.

*Who knew when they’d all be together like this again?*

Miao Cuifang said happily, “Xiao Xiao brought a camera! Remember to get extra prints—we should keep some at home.”

Back then, photos were a rare occasion.

Everyone was dressed well today, so it was the perfect chance for photos.

Ye Xiaoxiao replied, “Of course! I brought plenty of film—let’s use it all up.”

Shen Qiuyu’s father picked up the camera and offered, “I’ll snap the photo for everyone. Such a big, happy family.”

Aside from the group photo, there were also individual portraits of Shen Qiuyu and Ye Changan. Whoever wanted separate shots, Ye Xiaoxiao helped them pose as well.

Especially the grandparents—they took several together.

Grandma Zhang Cuiyun smiled like a child. “Xiao Xiao, make sure Grandma looks good in the photo.”

Ye Xiaoxiao replied, “You’re already gorgeous—the camera will just prove it!”

Grandpa Ye Baishun, getting on in years, wasn’t too fond of photos, but since his wife dragged him into it, so he played along.

Ye Xiaoxiao snapped photos until she’d gotten everyone, including a picture with Lu Hanchuan.

Of course, there was film to spare—she had brought way too much.

After the photos, the others said their goodbyes, and Ye Changan and Shen Qiuyu walked them downstairs before returning.

Ye Jianguo said, “Everyone, go back and rest.”

The others were worn out and returned to the guesthouse.

Ye Xiaoxiao didn’t want to go back and instead dragged Lu Hanchuan out with her.

“Let’s find a photo lab now to get the photos developed.”

They’d need a photo lab—Ye Xiaoxiao had no idea how to develop film herself.

Lu Hanchuan said, “Let’s check for a photo lab around here.”

They stopped to ask directions and then hopped on a bus to the closest spot.