In front of a lake side house, a wedding was taking place. The front yard was decorated with red flowers showing an auspicious day. Guests are coming and finding their seats.
"When did you arrive?" One guest asked.
"Few minutes earlier." The person who is sitting aside him replied.
"It's his second marriage. Right?"
"Yes. I also heard he has a beautiful daughter."
"I hope the new mother loves her." "Yeah".
"It's a pity." Tsk.. tsk..
Their talking was interrupted by a sweet voice calling 'daddy' and running towards a group of people.
The owner of the sweet voice is wearing a red hanfu and tied her toffee brown hair to a bun and wearing flowers in her head.
From the centre of the group, the groom turned towards the kid and smiled.
"Daddy...." The kid jumped into the man's arm.
"Yingying...my baby..." He tossed her in the air and catches her. It followed the girl's squeals and laughs.
"Daddy... Put me down..." She laughed and said to him.
He put her down.
"Daddy... Look at me." She twirled.
Her green eyes twinkled and looked at her father.
"My baby looks so beautiful." He smiled at her.
"Did you look for your mummy?" He asked.
"No". Little yingying replied.
"Then you should look for her." He said.
Saying yes to her father, yingying ran towards the bride's room.
The wood board bore names Zan Tengfei and Bo Ehuang. She stopped in front of it and stared happily.
"Today yingying would get a mommy." She said.
***
The bride's room is also decorated with auspicious flowers. Yingying opened the door. Many people are taking photos with the bride.
"Mommy..." Yingying called the women sitting in the center wearing the traditional wedding dress.
All of the people looked at her and the bride.
Yingying smiled shyly. And called her.
"Mommy... How do l look?"
"Oh my little yingying look soooo beautiful.... Come and give mommy a kiss."
Yingying jumped to her mothers arm and hid in her bosom.
"Oh... My baby is so shy... Let me give you a kiss."
Bo Ehuang kissed her chubby cheeks.
"Ehuang!!" One of her friends called.
"Your makeup would get ruined."
It's true. Ehuang thought.
"It's that kid... Right?". One of the guests began to talk among themselves.
"Her name is Zan Guiying, Right?"
"Yeah. Her mother died. She is his first kid."
"Who knows what would happen to her..."
Hearing their bickering Zan Guiying became sad and bitter water began to fill her eyes.
Bo Ehuang heard it too.
"Stop it." She raised her voice.
Everybody stopped talking and looked at her.
"Don't even talk about Zan Guiying like that. Even if I hadn't given birth to her, she is still my kid. Out of respect I called all you people to our marriage. Trying to hurt a small kid is like tarnishing your reputation. If you don't respect her, you can leave this marriage." She said angrily.
Everybody felt ashamed.
"Now please say sorry to the kid."
She asked.
Everybody said sorry to yingying and began to leave.
Her mother came and asked about the situation and Bo Ehuang said all the truth.
"People are like that Ehuang." Her mother said.
"Nobody will belive your love for her."
"I know." Bo Ehuang replied.
She looked at the kid and kneeled in front of her.
Kissing her temple, she said.
"Yingying... There are different types of people in the world. Nobody is perfect. But mommy promises you... I would never hurt you. Okay?"
"I know mommy." Zan Guiying smiled.
"I love you baby"..... Bo Ehuang hugged her.
"Yingying loves you too...." Zan Guiying giggled.
Looking at both of them Ehuang's mother said to them. "Okay my dear mommy and baby, we should go. It's time."
"Now... Shall we?!!" Bo Ehuang took Zan Guiying's little hands.
"Yes!!" Zan Guiying jumped in happiness. Both of them began to walk from the room.
**
Down the aisle, the groom was waiting for the bride. Suddenly people gasped.
The guests saw Zan Guiying and Bo Ehuang was walking hand in hand in the path. Ehuang's mother gave Guiying a flower basket and leaving her mother's hand, she began to throw flowers in the path.
Zan Tengfei and Bo Ehuang smiled at each other and stood in the aisle.
"Today, we gather for the auspicious occasion of the bride and groom...." The priest began his part.
Soon the ring ceremony started and Guiying gave both of them rings.
They both thanked
yingying and exchanged it.
Both the bride and groom smiled at each other.
"I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride". The priest said.
Hearing this Zan Tengfei looked at his kid and coughed.
"Kiss daddy..... Kiss mommy..." Yingying clapped her hands and jumped excitedly.
The guests began to smile. And encouraged them.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!.."
"It's okay if you don't want to." Hearing this, Bo Ehuang muttered to him.
"No! It's not like that."
Clasping her hand Zan Tengfei kissed Ehuang's cheeks.
"Yeaa... Yingying is happy too."
Hearing the kids voice, Tengfei took his kid and kissed her cheeks. This kiss was followed by another kiss from Ehuang.
"Happy?" They both asked
"Mm." Guiying hummed.
The family of three began to walk towards their family members and other guests to get their blessings.
**
"Grandpa...." Guiying jumped from her father's hand and ran towards a man. His hair started to show some whiteness, but he is still cheerful.
He took his granddaughter and kissed her.
"Are you happy little yingying?" He asked.
"Yes." She fisted her hands in the air and chirped excitedly.
"Congratulations my son... And welcome to our family, daughter-in-law". He blessed the newlyweds.
"Thank you. Father." They both replied.
"Come... Let me introduce you two to my dear friend." He walked and beckoned them.
They both followed grandpa Zan with yingying in his hand.
"Mr. De." He called someone respectfully.
"Hey, why are you even calling like that?! I am your friend." A wise looking man turned and said to them.
They both laughed.
"It's a special occasion. That's why."
"Oh!"
"This is Mr. De. We worked together in military. And he is my friend." Grandpa Zan introduced.
"Zan Tengfei and Bo Ehuang, I wish both of you a happy life together." Mr. De gave his blessings to the couple.
Both the husband and wife thanked.
"Now who is this cutie in your hand?" Mr. De asked playfully.
Zan Guiying, who was hiding her face in grandpa Zan's chest peeked towards the voice.
"Say hello to grandpa De, Little yingying!" Grandpa Zan urged his granddaughter.
"Hello... Grandpa De... " She smiled shyly.
Wow! She is cute. Grandpa De thought.
"What is your name?" He asked.
"My name is Zan Guiying." She replied.
"Well... I can introduce you to someone who can play with you. Can I?"
Play!!!! Zan Guiying broke into a dreamy smile.
Soo cute. Everyone in that circle thought.
"Longjun... Come here..." He called someone.
One moment later a boy came in to his sight.
"What is it grandpa?" He asked.
"Hello... Mr.Zan." He bowed towards grandpa Zan.
"Oh dear. Call me grandpa."
"Hello... Grandpa."
"Yes... Good." Grandpa Zan smiled at the boy.
"Congratulations." Bowing his head he said to the newlyweds.
"Thank you."
Such a cultured boy... They thought.
"Good boy." Said grandpa De.
"Let me introduce you to someone who could play with you." He continued.
"Say hello to Zan Guiying, grandpa Zan's granddaughter."
"Hello..." Looking at the small bundle in grandpa Zan's hand, he introduced himself.
The bundle turned.
Through the finger gap two green eyes looked at him.
The eyes got enlarged, and the hands were removed from cheeks showing two chubby cheeks and small cute pinkish lips.
"Hello! My name is Zan Guiying, Guiying means beauty. And it also means evegween medtn tvee ( evergreen Mediterranean tree). What is your name?"
"My name is De Longjun, Long as dragon; Jun as ruler." De Longjun said.
"De Longjun." She repeated and smiled shyly.
Smile! Grandpa De nudged his grandson with his eyes.
He smiled, showing dimples in his left cheek.
The green eyes enlarged again.
The elders smiled looking at the two kids.