Tian Mantong’s voice startled everyone in the room; he himself was also taken aback by how many people were there. The Old Man stood up to introduce his youngest son and asked Tian Mantong to wash his hands and join them at the table. He Xuewen shifted aside, making room for Tian Mantong. He genuinely appreciated Tian Mantong, a man who truly loved his daughter without any ulterior motives.
Tian Mantong and He Xuewen had t several tis before and got along quite well. Although Mantong didn’t know the Jin Family, he still greeted them with a smile. Sisi busied herself fetching bowls and chopsticks for her uncle, and poured him so wine. Mantong looked at his niece with a smile, hiding sothing behind his back, waiting for Sisi to ask for it.
"Uncle, what good things have you brought ?" Sisi had actually noticed what was in Tian Mantong’s hand—a square, black plastic case that was obviously a cara. However, being a child, she had to pretend she didn’t know.
"Of course, sothing you’ve wanted the most." Tian Mantong raised the cara for Sisi to see.
"Is it a cara? Uncle, you’re so kind, I love you so much." Sisi was genuinely excited. She had been longing for one for a month, and now she could finally capture those beautiful landscapes.
Tian Mantong handed the cara to Sisi, cautioning, "Be careful, don’t bump it. This thing cost over a hundred. Uncle also bought you lots of film and batteries. These items aren’t sold in our town and can only be bought in Sui City, so you must use them sparingly."
"Got it, Uncle. I’ll take your photo first, promise to make you look even better than Yu Yang," Sisi replied as she opened the cara casing, revealing an old-fashioned Seagull brand SLR cara, which was quite advanced for its ti.
Aside from the Old Man, everyone present was seeing such a rare gadget for the first ti. Many farrs never had their photos taken in their lives, let alone know what a cara was. The Jins would go to a photo studio in town once a year, which was rare enough for the village. Now, seeing the Tian Family buy a cara worth over a hundred for a young girl was astonishing. It was too much pampering, wasn’t it? Over a hundred yuan was equivalent to a year’s earnings, not enough to buy a cara!
The others crowded around to view the novelty, not even daring to touch it. Tian Bajin slightly disapproved, "Mantong, why did you buy such an expensive item for Ah Nan? Isn’t this a waste of money? What’s the use of this thing?"
"Second Grandpa, this isn’t just so thing; it’s a cara that can take photos, capturing your whole person on a single piece of paper. When the ti cos, I’ll take a few photos for Second Grandpa, and you definitely won’t think it’s a waste of money," Sisi loudly argued back.
"What Second Grandpa said isn’t wrong; you are wasting money, it’s all because your father spoils you," Zhu Aiqing was heartbroken, a hundred yuan gone just like that, such a little spendthrift.
Sisi pouted her lips, no longer arguing with Zhu Aiqing. When it ca ti to take photos, Mama would definitely be unable to resist the allure. Sisi, having played with caras in her past life, knew that her uncle had bought the most popular Seagull SLR of the ti. This type of cara was easy to get the hang of and didn’t require much technical skill, perfect for Sisi who had no ambitions to beco a photographer.
Tian Mantong had bought two types of film, one being leftover scraps from film production and the other a new film from the Soviet Union. As of that period, China was not yet able to produce its own film and had to import it all from the Soviet Union. The scraps were only one yuan and fifty cents each, while the new ones were five yuan each. Mantong had bought five rolls of the scraps and one of the new, noting to Sisi, "You can buy three rolls of the old one at the price of one new one, and according to my friend, they should work pretty much the sa."
Sisi nodded, skillfully loading the cara with batteries and film. He Xuewen initially wanted to teach his daughter how to use it, but upon seeing how adept her movents were, as if she had played with caras many tis before, he didn’t give it much thought. He just assud his beloved daughter was profoundly lucky, just like an ancestor of the He Family who was adept in whatever he undertook.
"Ah Nan, do you know how to use this thing?" Tian Xinhua asked with a grin.
"Of course, I know how to use it. I’m so smart, the mont I touched this cara I knew how to operate it," Tian Sisi replied proudly.
The Old Man called everyone to enjoy the food and drink, and now that it was evening and the lighting was too dim, Tian Sisi initially wanted to take photos for the family but had to give up. She sat back down next to the Old Man, acting coquettishly to get him to serve her food. The Old Man was naturally happy to oblige, intermittently sipping his drink and eating, while also serving his granddaughter so dishes.
The Tian Family was not surprised by this, but the Jins were incredibly astonished. They had a higher realization of how much Tian Sisi was favored, and felt even more convinced that their trip was worthwhile.
The next morning, Tian Sisi got up early, neatly dressed herself in the sa outfit as yesterday’s, and since the sun was already up and the weather was perfect for photography, Man Tong had just gotten up as well. After Tian Sisi asked Man Tong to wash up, she gave him a Zhongshan suit belonging to Man Jin to change into, which imdiately made him look more spirited.
Man Tong stood in the courtyard, hands on his hips, smiling at Tian Sisi who, after focusing carefully, shouted "one, two, three," and pressed the shutter. Her first-ever photograph was finally taken. Man Tong ca over with a smile: "Ah Nan, make sure to make your little uncle look good."
"Little uncle is already handso. My photo will definitely make him look even better," Tian Sisi didn’t lie. Man Tong was tall and strong, with a popular square face and a striking appearance.
Next, Tian Sisi took photographs of the Old Man, Granny Zhao, and Man Jin along with Zhu Aiqing. At noon, she also took photographs for Bajin’s house. Soon, a roll of film was used up. Washing the photos required going to the town’s photo studio where printing each photo cost ten cents. Including the cost of film, it was quite an expensive hobby, which was why only the wealthy could afford such activities. Tian Sisi decided that next ti she would ask her little uncle to bring back so chemicals and photo paper so she could do it herself, which would save so money.
When the washed photos were picked up from the studio, the Tian Family all rushed over in the evening to see the exciting result. Everyone was amazed as they held the photographs, and even Zhu Aiqing, who usually opposed it the most, was chuckling and looking at her own portrait for a long ti without letting go.
"Mama, look how beautiful you look in the photos. I’ll take more in the future and fill our walls with them."
Zhu Aiqing rolled her eyes at Tian Sisi, but didn’t scold her as usual. Clearly, she was in a good mood, and Tian Sisi exchanged a triumphant look with Man Jin.
Tian Sisi’s photography skills were impressive; she captured the essence of family mbers well. He Xuewen felt extrely pleased after seeing them. He believed that his daughter had inherited his talent in photography. In his youth, He Xuewen was sowhat of a photographer among other artistic endeavors like painting and playing the piano, and he considered photography his best skill. He was convinced that his daughter could take such good photos the first ti because she had inherited it from him.
He Xuewen then confidently declared that he would cover all the future expenses for Tian Sisi’s photography, but Man Jin disagreed. How could he let a stranger pay for his daughter’s photos? This was deaning! So, he firmly refused, stating that his family had money and couldn’t let an outsider pay for his daughter. When He Xuewen heard the term "outsider," he was disheartened. Ah, without an official relation, things are not smooth! He thought they should get Zhong Fugao to hasten the process of establishing formal ties.
Seeing He Xuewen distressed gave Man Jin a lot of satisfaction. During this ti, because of He Xuewen’s gloom, Man Jin’s mood lifted considerably; he happily sipped his wine and chewed on peanuts, feeling triumphant.
However, Man Jin’s triumph did not last for days. The next evening, Zhong Fugao ca over to discuss He Xuewen’s intent to establish a familial relationship, and also shared the tragic story of how He Xuewen lost his biological daughter, which moved Granny Zhao and Zhu Aiqing to tears. Won are sympathetic towards the underprivileged, and coupled with the fact that He Xuewen was such an appealing gentleman, their hearts leaned towards He Xuewen’s side.(To be continued. If you like this work, we welco you to visit Qidian (qidian) to vote for recomndation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian to read.)
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