"How have you bean, Ming Shihong?" elder Lu asked looking at his friend. It was very difficult for him but he knew he should be the one to start it as his friend was stubborn to do it.
"As you can see, handsome as always." elder Ming replied. Elder Lu didn't expect this kind of reply from his friend and he was shocked as well as relieved to hear it. He was expecting a serious and awkward conversation in the first meeting.
Others were stunned to hear these words from elder Ming as everyone always saw him in a serious mood and talking only a few words since he lost his daughter. This sudden change was a sign that he was willing to move ahead and willing to accept his friend back in his life.
Getting out of the little shock that he got a moment before, elder Lu smiled but didn't know what to say. Just then Lu Jinhai stepped towards them to greet elder Ming. He was hesitant as he always felt guilty about what happened in the past but at the same time he knew, it was time to let go of everything and went to elder Ming gathering every bit of courage he had inside him.
"Glad to see you here, uncle Ming Shihong," Lu Jinhai said.
Eder Ming looked at him and said, "It's my grand- daughter's wedding so it was obvious for me to be present everywhere."
Lu Jinhai felt a loss for words but he knew it was wrong to expect sweet words from elder Ming this soon so he nodded and kept quiet while others from the Lu family came to greet elder Ming, too. Though the elder Ming didn't meet the new generation from the Lu family ever, he was aware of all of them.
Passing his sight across the four grandsons of elder Lu, elder Ming said, "Though you did nothing good in your entire life, you did at least one thing to be proud about, Lu Huan."
Understanding the meaning of elder Ming's words, elder Lu replied, "I am glad that you found at least something good about me but there is one more thing I am proud of."
Elder Ming looked at him with questioning gaze and others did the same so elder Lu said, "I have one handsome old man as my friend."
Shifting his sight from elder Lu to Lu Qiang, elder Ming said, "Have you taught this to your grandpa, young man?"
Elder Ming was referring to when Lu Qiang said the same thing when he was in Ming Mansion - 'My grandpa did one more good thing that he once had a good friend like you and he still treasures that friendship'.
"It's a fact so ultimately we both said the same thing," Lu Qiang said, and everyone smiled.
Just then one of the Monks from the temple came and asked everyone to enter the temple as everything was ready and the master Si Xia was there. All went inside and prayed to the Lord Buddha. The Groom and the bride both prayed together to get a blessing for their new life. Once everything was done, all came out of the temple but Mo Ruolan stayed back.
She went to master Si Xia and kneeled down in front of him. Master Si Xia recognized her and he remembered about the birth card she showed him a few years back. He understood why she stayed back and he also knew that the birth card she was worried about belonged to Jiang Yuyan.
The moment she kneeled down and she could say anything, Master Si Xia said, "Whatever is in one's destiny is inevitable so instead of being worried one should cherish the moments they have."
"I understand Master but looking at them I can't think that they will part away. Everyone can see he loves my daughter more than anything so how come he can leave her? How can love like this end in being apart? I am not ready to believe that one day he will abandon my daughter." 1
Mo Ruolan was still thinking that one day Lu Qiang might leave her daughter but she didn't know in what way he was going to leave her. She was still thinking that he might divorce her daughter.
Master Si Xia smiled and said, "Your daughter has suffering written in her destiny but she is blessed to be loved by a person in her life that one could only dream of. Don't you think this is enough to be happy about?" 3
"But what is the use when that person becomes the reason for her sorrow?" Mo Ruolan asked.
"After crossing the deep sea of sorrow, one can expect to find a shore of happiness," Master Si Xia replied in his usual way, in puzzles and smiling pleasantly. 4
"I understand."
Mo Ruolan had nothing left to say. Feeling worried about her daughter's future, she greeted Master Si Xia and left to go out of the temple where everyone was waiting for them. Jiang Peizhi looked at his wife and signaled her asking what happened and she shook her head, saying nothing. Somewhere, Jiang Peizhi guessed what might have happened as it was rare to see his cheerful wife so tense.
Mo Ruolan looked at Lu Qiang who was talking to Jiang Yuyan, both looked happy together and she was wondering how come it's possible that both of them could live without each other. She wished to doubt what master Si Xia said and consoled herself saying Lu Qiang can never leave her daughter and he will love her always.
Both families were visiting the temple after a long, so they decided to spend more time there. As the temple was situated outside of the city and on the hillside, it had a beautiful view around. A calm atmosphere one could feel the peace of mind.
The younger generation was walking together while the older ones were together, looking around. When others took a stroll around the area, both elders thought to sit somewhere.