The photographer and the children all laughed with excitement.
"Xibao’s snot bubbles!"
"Haha, Xibao really is so adorable!"
"How did he time it so perfectly? We have to preserve the photo forever, and show it to him when he grows up."
"Xibao, Xibao, haha! Haha! He really is so cute!"
"Oh, the chubby boy seems very festive. Do you want to retake the photo?" The photographer asked Feng Qingxue.
Feng Qingxue was laughing so hard that she almost cried. She wiped the corners of her eyes and nodded firmly. She responded, "After I wipe his nose, could you please take another photo of father and son?" Just like Lu Tianjun said, the last photo could be considered a family heirloom.
She walked over to wipe Xibao’s nose, and then couldn’t extricate herself from him.
Seeing her walk away, Xibao became so anxious that his entire body began to shake, and he shouted, "Mom..."
Although he could call her mom, he didn’t really know what it meant and hardly ever said it. It was only when he saw Feng Qingxue or when Lu Jiang sometimes tried to teach him to say "dad" would he say "mom" instead.
"Qingxue, let’s take one with the three of us. I’m also not particularly fond of taking pictures with this smelly kid."
After Lu Jiang said this, of course, Qingxue couldn’t refuse.
And so, Feng Qingxue sat in the chair, holding Xibao in her arms, with Lu Jiang standing on her left, with one hand resting on the back of the chair.
Xibao, sitting in his mom’s arms, was being very cooperative, his big eyes fixed on the camera.
"Perfect!" The photographer rarely came across such a commendable family of three, especially the chubby baby, white and plump, with big handsome eyes. Not all families were lucky enough to have such a blessed child.
Next for the family portrait, the photographer placed two stools, about the same height as the chairs, to their sides.
"The elder can sit in the chair, holding the baby, and the couple can sit on either side, with the children standing behind. The two older children stand in the middle, with the slightly shorter child on each end."
Following the photographer’s instructions, everyone took their place.
Lu’s father and Lu Jiang’s married couple were relaxed, but the children behind were nervous, their faces stern.
No matter what the photographer said, it was of no use, so he simply took a picture of them as they were.
Feng Qingxue also asked the photographer to take a solo shot of Song Gang to be sent to his parents.
Cao Hui and Wang Xinru were both stationed at the frontier with the troops. The plateau region was a harsh environment and supplies often ran short. They were stationed at the same location as Lu Jiang, which prevented them from picking up Song Gang. They worried he would not be able to adapt, but they frequently sent money, tickets, and other items.
When it was time to pay, Lu Jiang said, "Please, could we have two extra copies of every photo?"
"No problem, come pick them up in a few days." The photographer had noticed his military attire a while ago. He was clearly stationed long-term with the troops, and rarely got the chance to come home throughout the year, so he liked to keep family photos with him.
After leaving the photo studio, the kids, who seldom got to go into the city, didn’t want to go back.
Feng Qingxue handed money and tickets to Lu’s father, "Dad, please take the kids to the state-run restaurant. Don’t hesitate to order, Xibao’s baby bottle and formula are in the carry bag. Ask the waiter for some hot water to mix the formula. Ajiang and I will take a look at the recycling center."
Lu’s father understood, "You two come and join us later, you need to eat too."
"We brought some dry rations, Dad, don’t worry about us!" Feng Qingxue responded, taking Lu Jiang to fetch the mule cart.