When all cleaned themselves from cream, everyone gifted Lu Lijun something but Jiang Yuyan was yet to give him his gift. Saying thank you to everyone, Lu Lijun looked at her and asked, “Where is my gift?”
Smiling Jiang Yuyan replied, “It’s on the way.”
Lu Qiang and Lu Feng were happy to see how well Lu Lijun was treating Jiang Yuyan. He was not hesitant in front of her and he behaved the same way with her as he did with his elder brothers.
“Just in a minute, the servants brought huge frame looking structure that was covered in a white satin cloth and arranged it on the stand. All were looking at it to know what was it.
Looking at Lu Lijun, Jiang Yuyan said while pointing towards the frame, “Here is your gift.”
Staring at the gift being curious about what was behind that satin cloth, Lu Lijun stepped forward and pulled the satin cover down. What everyone saw next was the bliss to their eyes and all couldn’t move their sights from the gift. No one thought that a gift can be something like this too.
It was the painting made by Jiang Yuyang by spending her days and nights in her art room. It was a huge canvas of a size that was even taller than her own size. On that huge canvas, Jiang Yuyan tried to cover all the important and special moments in Lu Lijun’s life. She painted all those as small different portraits in one painting in proper order so that one could see past passing by again in front of them
There were a pictures of newborn baby Lu Lijun with his mother holding him in hands looking at him with love, sleeping in a cradle, the first time he started to walk, playing with toys while sitting on the carpet on the floor while wearing just a diaper, having fun with his elder brother by sitting on his shoulder and pulling his hair, Lu Qiang holding him in his arms while Lu Lijun sleeping soundly with his head placed on his brother’s shoulder and drooling, learning to ride a bicycle with Lu Qiang, going to school and so on.
Whatever pictures Jiang Yuyan saw in Lu Qiang’s laptop, she selected few from them and painted Lu Lijun’s life till now on a huge canvas, in her style.
Lu Lijun was standing in front of the painting not saying anything and observing it carefully. Others were doing the same. All were done going through the painting but Lu Lijun was still standing in front of it silently while going through every portrait in it and touching them with his fingers as if he was feeling those moments again. One could see how touched he was.
No one disturbed Lu Lijun and stayed silent letting him take his time. Lu Qiang looked at Jiang Yuyan and gave her a smile as saying she did the good thing. Lu Feng was happy too while Jiang Yang patted his sister’s back as saying well done.
Coming back out of the trans, Lu Lijun looked at Jiang Yuyan who was standing on one side between Lu Qiang and Jiang Yang and asked, “You prepared it as my birthday gift?”
“Stepping towards him, Jiang Yuyan said, “For whom can it be?”
“Thank you so much for the gift. This is the best gift I have ever got,” Lu Lijun said and Jiang Yuyan was glad to hear it.
Moving towards the painting, Jiang Yuyan asked, “Which one you liked the most?”
“I liked them all,” Lu Lijun replied and asked, “Which one did you like.”
“This one,” Jiang Yuyan replied while touching the painting with her fingers.
In one picture, she painted Lu Lijun around the age of four and he was laughing. That was the most attractive thing in the whole painting as Lu Lijun never laughed like this since he was five years old.
Caressing the painting with her fingers, Jiang Yuyan said, “I want to see you like this.”
Lu Lijun didn’t reply to her and instead kept silent so Jiang Yuyan said again, “You know you should give a return gift to a person who gives you a gift.”
Understanding the meaning behind Jiang Yuyan’s words, Lu Lijun said, “I will try.”
Jiang Yuyan was happy with his reply and said, “Thank you so much.”
When Jiang Yuyan went back to Lu Qiang, he said in a low voice, “My spending time alone in a bedroom was not for nothing. You did a great job.”
“In future, you will get such lonely nights often,” Jiang Yuyan replied.
Just then elder Lu called Jiang Yuyan. Before she could step away from Lu Qiang to go towards elder Lu, she said in a very low voice, “If you want your birthday gift, then be ready to go to our home once we are done here” and without waiting for Lu Qiang’s reaction, Jiang Yuyan went to elder Lu.
Lu Qiang didn’t know what to say as he didn’t expect her to say it. Going to their home that means she had definitely planned something special.
Seeing him stunned, Jiang Yang asked, “What did my sister say that you are so silent?”
“Ask her,” Lu Qiang said.
“Let me guess. She must have planned something special for you as you are a birthday boy too. Imagine, if she can put so many efforts for Lu Lijun’s gift then I wonder what she might have planned for you.” Jiang Yang said.
“Instead of being curious about us, be with your darling and show some love to him.”
“No need as he is already flooded with love from me,” Jiang Yang said and both looked at Lu Feng who was with Lu Lijun and Lu Qiang said, “I wonder when he will be ready to accept someone else in his life.”
“Don’t worry, he will be fine,” Jiang Yang assured.
When Jiang Yuyan reached elder Lu, who was there with his wife, sons, his daughters-in-law and Jiang couple, she said, “Yes, Grandpa?”
