Chapter 1284 Look Like Her
Soon, the car entered the Xiang family's ancestral mansion. Both Shui Xian and Raelle alighted from the car and looked at the mansion in front of them with the same curiosity. It was the first time they both came here so it wasn't a surprise that they were both curious about this place.
Xiang family's ancestral mansion was like a majestic building hidden in this mountain with lush trees covering it up and making it a secluded place. The housekeeper of this place came to welcome them all.
"Patriarch!" called out the old housekeeper as he saw Grandfather Xiang. "Welcome home!"
Grandfather Xiang had an obscure look in his eyes when he looked at this place. He had very complicated feelings for this place. It was a place he really liked and it was also the place he really hated too. It couldn't be helped. It was here when he heard the news of the death of his father and his grandfather on the battlefield and saw his grandmother collapsing from the shock.
Later, it was here that his mother died too. Then his grandmother also left him alone.
The good thing was that it was here that he married his wife and they had their son. But later, he really couldn't live in this place and took the chance of the transfer order to move away from there with his wife and son after the death of his grandmother.
He felt like it had been so long ago but at the same time, he felt like it was just yesterday when all that happened. He could still see a shadow of his younger self kneeling inside the ancestral hall looking at the tablets with tears dripping down his face.
But there was a sense of reality in all that too. Because now, he was here with his grandchildren. He wasn't that helpless younger self. He was old now and quite near his end too. It was good that he could hold his breath until now so that he could come back to his roots.
However, whether he was old or not, didn't change the fact that his heart was still grieving for too many people. So many people left him behind in life. Whether it was his grandfather, father, mother, grandmother, or even his own wife who was supposed to walk this long journey of life with him. Everyone left him behind. He had to see them all off. He had to see off so many of his comrades in arms. He even had to say goodbye to his proudest profession of being a soldier because of the injury. For so long he always wondered, what was the reason that he held on until now. And then he'd look at the people around him and realize that he really couldn't leave too.
No matter how eager he was reunite with all those people, he could let go of these people around him too. He suddenly shook his head to shake off these negative thoughts. Who knows why he was thinking about these things today out of nowhere. It was so not like him.
"Jiangou, how are you doing?" Grandfather Xiang addressed to the housekeeper. "You are getting old now."
The housekeeper laughed at his remark, "Patriarch, the world belongs to the young. It's about time we get old, no?"
Grandfather Xiang smiled at him but didn't comment on that.
The housekeeper didn't wait for his response either and said, "Come inside. I cleaned up your room." He looked behind and asked, "Where is Miss Mu? Didn't she come with you? I even asked the kitchen to prepare her favorite dumpling soup for her."
"She will come tomorrow," informed Grandfather Xiang. "She was originally gonna come today but some thing came up so she postponed her trip. She'll be really upset if she heard that she couldn't eat the dumpling soup."
"This is a surprise," said the housekeeper. "Miss Mu never lets you come alone."
"I'm not alone," replied Grandfather Xiang as he pointed at his grandchildren. "Look, I brought all three of my grandchildren to meet their grandma this time."
Lao Jiangou looked at the three tall and outstanding people and his smiled widened, "They look like your grandchildren, Patriarch."
"You don't have to compliment me."
"But I'm speaking the truth," said Lai Jiangou. "You see, you had the same arrogance in your bones when you were young. Just like your grandson, you also kept a serious face. Don't you remember how Matriarch used to tease you for your solemn look."
Recalling the memories, they walked inside leaving the three siblings standing there. Oh, along with Shui Xian who never left Raelle's side. "The housekeeper recognized us," said Xiang Wai. "But we never came here."
"We did," replied Xiang Weimin. "You're a baby so you can't recall."
"But Raelle didn't come."
"No one can mistake her," said Xiang Weimin.
"Why?" asked Xiang Wai.
They had entered the main hall and Xiang Weimin didn't respond. Instead, he held his sister's shoulders and turned her to towards the south wall where a huge black and white picture was hanging. The picture was the wedding photo of grandfather Xiang and Grandmother Xiang.
"Look at Grandma and then look at Raelle. You think someone like Uncle Jiangou who grew up with Grandpa and watched him fall in love with Grandma and marry her, won't be able to tell who Raelle is at first sight?"
Xiang Wai looked at the photo thoughtfully before turning to look at Raelle. "Tsk. I didn't have Grandma's photos from her youth so I never realized that she and Raelle looked so much alike."
"Do we?" asked Raelle finally. She turned to her husband, "Do I look like her?"
Shui Xian didn't answer immediately but also looked at the woman in the photo and then at Raelle. He seemed to be thinking very deeply right now. He even made Raelle stand beside the photo to compare before he could come to a conclusion of any kind.
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