Chapter 123: The First Family Portrait

When Song Tingshen returned to the Song residence, everyone was just about ready to head over to the Fumanlou Restaurant.

Seeing him arrive, Song Qingfeng asked with a grave expression, "Are you finished with your business? What was it? Is it urgent?"

Song Tingshen did not say much about Sun Xiaoqing, merely replying indifferently, "It’s nothing."

This reaction weighed on Song Qingfeng, leaving him feeling somewhat awkward. It seemed as though his son still refused to grow close to him, even though he no longer remembered the events of the past. Song Qingfeng felt a tightness in his chest, but as a man, he wasn't adept at expressing his feelings. He simply glanced at him and turned back into the room.

It was Zuo Lan who noticed Song Tingshen and hurried over, saying, "I thought you might head straight there, but since you’re back now, hurry up and change into this outfit."

When Jiang Yuan had bought clothes for Zhong Xiao, she had also picked out a dark red Zhongshan suit for Song Tingshen. Paired with Zhong Xiao’s red dress, they looked perfectly matched.

As Zhong Xiao came down the stairs, she caught a glimpse of Song Qingfeng’s somber face. It didn't look like anger, but rather a hint of disappointment and sorrow. His gaze drifted toward Song Tingshen, and sensing the cause, Zhong Xiao walked over to him.

"Father," Zhong Xiao said gently, "let’s go. Today is a joyous day; you should be happy."

Song Qingfeng managed a faint smile for her.

Zhong Xiao walked out with a bright, beaming smile. Song Tingshen had changed into his suit, and standing together, they truly looked like a match made in heaven.

"Oh, beautiful, truly beautiful," Jiang Yuan exclaimed, her eyes fixed on the couple. She had never seen two people look so stunning. It was a wonderful feeling to realize that this brother and sister-in-law belonged to her own family.

"What a pity," Jiang Yuan said, her tone suddenly shifting, "It’s a pity we don’t have a camera at home; we really should have taken a picture of you two."

At the mention of this, it suddenly occurred to Zhong Xiao that while the Song family didn't have a camera, she did. She had several, all imported from Germany, which Du Huacheng had purchased in the past. When she left the Zhong household, she had tucked them all away into her storage space.

"I have a camera!" Zhong Xiao declared. "Let’s take a family portrait before we head out."

With that, she scurried upstairs, ducked into the wardrobe to retrieve the camera from her space, and ran back down. She looked slightly sheepish as she added, "I don’t really know how to use this. Does anyone else?"

Song Tingshen frowned; he didn't know how to operate it either. Finally, Song Yanzhou spoke up, "Let me try."

Back when he was on missions in the Air Force, he had confiscated a few enemy cameras and used them a handful of times. After tinkering with the device for a moment, he successfully figured it out.

"Everyone, go stand in the back and get into position," he directed.

"What about you?" Jiang Yuan asked. "Aren't you going to be in the photo?"

"I’ll join you once I’ve set the timer. This isn’t an instant camera; it has a delay."

The group moved to the back of the living room, standing beneath the portrait of the Great Man. Song Qingfeng and Zuo Lan stood in the center, Zhong Xiao and Song Tingshen stood to the left, and Jiang Yuan stood to the right. Once Song Yanzhou had adjusted the settings, he pushed his wheelchair into place, with Jiang Yuan guiding it forward so she could stand on the far right.

They all looked toward the lens and waited for a few seconds.

The flash went off with a sharp click.

For Zhong Xiao, this was the first family portrait of her life.