Chapter 281 - 282: Reunion Of The Past-I
In the afternoon, Li Lian got ready to go out for the reunion. Before she left, she thought it was a good idea to tell Madam Li she would be leaving the house. After asking a single maid, the same maid who had been told to lead her the way to her room until Jin Nu Yuan interfere.
While they made they way to Madam Li, Li Lian’s eyes and legs stopped at one particular large painting, realizing it was a family portrait that was not painted but taken by a camera. Her eyes stopped at the two little boy. One old enough to stand and another one still young held by a woman’s hand. There was Madam Li and Master Li standing beside the couple who was holding the baby and behind, she saw Li Jun Wei’s relatives. Mrs. Jin, her husband, and the rest she had seen before in the party with some who weren’t present as in the timeline they were born yet like Jin Nu Yuan but she took note of how there was an older boy who was holding Mrs. Jin’s hand.
The maid as if noticing Li Lian had stopped walking turned her back and stood behind Li Lian, waiting for Li Lian to watch the portrait. From what Li Lian could see, everyone was smiling, a wide smile on their lips but there was a gut feeling that told her only a few had smiled from the bottom of their heart.
"When was this painting taken?" asked Li Lian to the maid behind her.
The maid was younger compared to the painting and with a slight frown to remember, the maid spoke, "I believe it is about twenty years ago."
Twenty years, repeated Li Lian in her mind. She quietly see the portrait and heard the maid spoke, "The portrait should have been taken down but due to Madam and Master’s order we haven’t brought the portrait down."
"Why should it be taken down?" asked Li Lian, finding the information surprising. Wasn’t this the only picture left with Jun Wei’s father and mother together? There should be no reason to take this down then, she added in her thoughts.
"The relatives, mistress. Each decades the painting should be renewed but as it is the picture that had the late father of master Jun Wei, Madam dismissed the idea of getting a new portrait." Then the maid felt surprise and she bowed her head, "My apologies if I talk too much." Usually, she would keep silent but something about Li Lian made the maid to speak her thought out.
"No instead, I like to hear more. What’s your name?" Li Lian asked with a smile, for the maid to reply,
"I am often called as Wen, mistress." There was unchanging politeness in the maid’s words even as she had notice how Li Lian was different than most members of the family. It was because Li Lian didn’t come from the inner family but that was what make her by far the most comfortable person to talk to in the very house.
"Wen. How long have you’ve been here?" she asked and her eyes went to see Li Jun Wei’s late parents. A few minutes ago, she wondered how they were look and now she was able to see them.
As Li Lian had expected when she wondered and imagine how they would look, Li Jun Wei’s parents was a gorgeous couple. From the way Li Jun Wei’s father held his wife’s shoulder, it was clear that their relationship was great. There was Li Jun Wei, thought Li Lian.