Imperial Capital, at the foot of the Western Hills, Lin Residence.
This traditional Chinese courtyard, covering nearly ten acres, was hidden behind layers of pine and cypress trees. If one did not approach closely, it would be hard to imagine that in this inch-of-gold, foot-of-silver Western Hills district, such a complete three-courtyard compound still existed.
The Imperial Capital had always been known as "wealth in the east, nobility in the west." That the Lin family could own such an ancient residence here was enough to show that their ancestors were once a prominent and illustrious clan.
The car pulled into the Lin residence garage and stopped.
Jiang Lu's emotions had mostly calmed by now. Before her husband could unbuckle his seatbelt, she called out to him again.
"Lin Dong, if we really bring Tongtong over, will your brothers and the rest of the family... will they agree?"
Lin Dong had three brothers and one younger sister, and he was the third among them.
Logically, the position of head of the Lin family should never have fallen to Lin Dong, who had chosen the path of business. But misfortune struck unpredictably—many years ago, the old master Lin and his eldest son had met with tragedy one after another.
The eldest brother had been personally groomed by the old master as his successor. Had no accident occurred, he would likely have become a rising star in the political arena. With the old master backing him, his prospects would have been limitless.
But who could have known that this promising young man would rush to the front lines during a flood to rescue victims, only to be tragically killed, leaving behind a daughter. Shortly after, his wife took the girl back to her own family.
The old master himself had been in poor health, suffering from cancer. Struck by the blow of losing his son, he passed away in the hospital not long after.
It was because of the loss of both the eldest brother and the old master that the Lin family's fortunes plummeted.
Although the Lin family still wielded considerable influence, compared to when the old master and the eldest brother were alive, that influence was like heaven and earth apart. The family was in decline.
Among the remaining children, the second brother, Lin Liang, was easygoing by nature and had no ambition for power or wealth. He only loved walking his dogs and playing with his birds—a man without contention, utterly incapable of carrying the family's prestige.
The fourth brother had also taken the path of politics, working his way up the ranks in a certain ministry. After many years, he had only risen to a C-level position. While this rank might be considered someone high in local government, like a county leader, in the Imperial Capital, especially in the Western Hills district, there was a saying: throw a brick, and you could knock out a dozen people at the same level.
He was hardly enough to support the entire Lin family.
As for the youngest sister, the fifth child, there was no need to mention her—she was already married.
On his deathbed, the old master had seen through the Lin family's future. The eldest son had died young, the second son had no interest in the family business, and the youngest son's political career was mediocre. The family's glory could no longer be sustained.
Since the path to nobility was cut off, it was better to settle for second best and let his descendants live comfortably as wealthy commoners.
So he turned his gaze to his third son, Lin Dong, and appointed him the next head of the family.
However, Lin Dong's position as family head was not an easy one to bear.
In his early years, because of his relationship with Jiang Lu, his ties with the family had become very strained.
At that time, the old master and the eldest brother were still alive, and the entire family vehemently opposed him marrying a woman who had already given birth to a child. The Lin family was, after all, a wealthy and noble household. Let alone Jiang Lu, even many wealthy businessmen from the East District who wished to marry their daughters into the Lin family lacked the qualifications—let alone Jiang Lu, a woman without any background and with a previous marriage.
But after the old master passed away, Lin Dong used his authority as family head to forcefully marry Jiang Lu, which caused his relationship with the rest of the family to plunge almost to the freezing point.
They all felt that Lin Dong's actions had disgraced the Lin family and made them lose face in public. After all, Lin Dong was the head of the Lin family, the family's emblem of honor.
Moreover, ever since Jiang Lu married into the Lin family, she hadn't given birth to a single child, and her sisters-in-law and brothers had never treated her with any kindness.
In short, the complex dynamics within the family were also one of the reasons Jiang Lu had never dared to seek out her daughter.
As the saying goes, "Entering a wealthy family is as deep as the sea"—there were too many twists and turns inside. She was also worried that her daughter Tongtong wouldn't be able to handle this big, complicated household.
Additionally, as family head, Lin Dong had to take care of every family member, which put him under great pressure. Add to that his previous business setbacks, looming bankruptcy, and various other troubles... Jiang Lu had simply never brought up the matter of finding her daughter.
This sudden, intense urge to find her daughter was sparked by an accidental encounter on the plane with a like-minded young girl, which stirred the long-buried longing in her heart, now impossible to contain.
Seeing that her husband hadn't spoken, Jiang Lu hesitated and said, "Lin Dong, if it's really too difficult, Tongtong doesn't have to join the Lin family. I... I could find a place outside and move out..."
Before she could finish, Lin Dong cut her off.
"Don't even think about moving out!"
"I told you, your daughter is my daughter too. This is my decision! I am the head of the Lin family now. When the old master entrusted the family property and this whole household to me on his deathbed, it wasn't so I could watch my wife suffer. I'll handle this matter—just don't worry about it!"
Jiang Lu looked at him, deeply moved. But she knew all too well that the Lin family was never easy to manage.
Years ago, the old master had set a rule that the family would not be divided. Although it was meant to strengthen family unity, it also tied a heap of entanglements and disputes together.
Especially with the financial power firmly in Lin Dong’s hands, his sister-in-law and brother’s wife had long been discontented. Now, bringing in a granddaughter with no blood relation only made matters worse, and it was easy to imagine the fallout.
But she missed her daughter so much that in the end, she only whispered, “Thank you, husband.”
…
Two days later.
After handling urgent business at the company, Lin Dong called the family back ahead of schedule.
At six thirty in the evening, inside the dining hall adjacent to the main hall of the Lin residence, a redwood round table seating over twenty was already set with a full array of fine tableware.
The Lin family had to hold a family dinner every week—a rule set by the late patriarch. As long as a member of the Lin family was in the capital, they were required to return weekly for a meal to maintain family cohesion.
By the time Lin Dong and Jiang Lu entered the dining room, many were already seated.
The head seat was empty—it was Lin Dong’s seat.
To his immediate left sat the second brother, Lin Liang, in his early fifties, dressed in a loose cotton-linen Tang suit, spinning two walnuts in his hand while quietly chatting with his wife, Zhang Yu, beside him.
Zhang Yu was two years younger than Lin Liang and had kept herself quite well, but there was a pickiness in her eyes and brows.
Further down sat the fourth brother, Lin Zheng, with his wife, Wang Jiangyao.
Lin Zheng worked in a government ministry, just turned forty, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and always put on a stern expression—almost as if he were deliberately imitating the late patriarch.
Wang Jiangyao was the typical official’s wife, with a habit of speaking in a pretentious tone.
Across the table sat several of the younger generation.
Lin Liang’s son, Lin Shen, twenty-six, was coasting through a job at a foreign company; his daughter, Lin Yue, twenty-three, was still in graduate school.
Lin Zheng’s eldest son, Lin Feng, twenty-three, had entered the civil service; his second son, Lin Mian, eighteen, had just started college.
There was also a slightly withdrawn figure—Lin Feng, the son from Lin Dong’s deceased first wife. At twenty-two, he was a senior in college currently interning at the family company.
He sat a little farther from the head seat, looking down at his phone and sending messages. Seeing his father and Jiang Lu enter, he put away his phone and stood up along with the other younger members.
“Third Uncle, Third Aunt.”
“Dad…”
The juniors greeted them in a scattered manner.
Lin Dong nodded, took the head seat, and Jiang Lu sat beside him.
“Everyone’s here. Let’s start the meal,” Lin Dong instructed the servant waiting by the side.
Soon, one home-style dish after another was brought to the table, filling the entire spread.
At first, the dinner was relatively quiet—only the faint clatter of chopsticks and bowls, and soft sounds of chewing.
After a moment.
The more easygoing second brother, Lin Liang, slowly picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and was the first to speak: “Third Brother, I heard you invested in another new energy project last month?”
“Yeah, the prospects are good, and the government’s policies support it,” Lin Dong nodded, then had a servant serve Jiang Lu some soup.
“Business is getting bigger and bigger,” Lin Liang said with an ambiguous smile. “People like us, I guess we’ll just rely on you to keep us fed from now on.”
If someone else had said that, it would have sounded like deliberate sarcasm, but those who knew Lin Liang well understood he meant it literally—because he was content with his laid-back life and never wanted to worry about anything.
But his casual remark gave a few sharp-minded people an opening.
The fourth brother’s wife, Wang Jiangyao, seeing her chance, took over with a smile: “Third brother is capable, so of course we get to bask in the glory. By the way, Third Brother, your nephew Mian is going abroad for an exchange program next month, but the school only covers airfare. He has to pay for accommodation and living expenses himself—around forty to fifty thousand US dollars a month, right?”
Her meaning was obvious: she was asking for money.
In the past, Lin Dong would have at least asked about the expenses and immediately cut it in half—who needed that much every month just for an exchange program abroad?
The Lin family was indeed wealthy, but he didn’t approve of the younger generation squandering money. Forty to fifty thousand US dollars a month, converted, was over three hundred thousand yuan—far beyond necessary expenses.
But this time, Lin Dong broke his usual pattern. Without asking a single question, he agreed.
“It’s good for a child to go abroad and broaden his horizons. The expenses will come from the family fund.”
“Then thanks, Third Brother.” Wang Jiangyao smiled in satisfaction and shot a quick glance at her younger son.
She had been prepared to haggle with Lin Dong, but hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.
Lin Mian promptly and obediently thanked him: “Thank you, Third Uncle.”
Lin Shen, seeing that their third uncle was in such an accommodating mood today, quickly chimed in: “Third Uncle, my car’s been running for five years and keeps breaking down. I’ve got my eye on a new Porsche—nothing too pricey, just a bit over a million. Do you think…”
He had long wanted a sports car. Without one, he couldn’t hold his head up among the younger circles in the capital. While those in the west side of the city were more low-key than the east side, constantly driving a beaten-up Audi A4 was really dragging him down.
However, every time he mentioned changing cars, Third Uncle would always refuse on the grounds of not being wasteful or indulgent, and none of the younger generation’s cars had ever cost more than five hundred thousand yuan, let alone owning a sports car. This time when he brought up the old topic, he didn’t really have much hope—he was just testing the waters since Third Uncle seemed in a good mood today. After all, he had thick skin.
To his surprise, Lin Dong agreed readily this time: “If you like it, buy it. Go find my secretary later to handle the paperwork.”
Lin Shen was stunned, thinking he had misheard: “Third Uncle, are you serious?”
“Mm.”
Lin Dong nodded and then looked at the other younger ones: “Xiao Yue, Xiao Feng, is there anything you want? Let’s settle it all today.”
At these words, everyone at the table froze.
Had the sun risen from the west today?
Even Lin Feng, who had been silent all along, looked up and gave his father a deep, searching glance.
Something was off—very off.
The first to speak was the only girl among the younger generation at the table, Lin Yue: “Third Uncle, I’ve had my eye on a Hermès bag, but it’s a bit pricey—over a hundred thousand…”
“Buy it.”
After Lin Yue’s successful test, the others grew bolder.
“I want to upgrade to a top-of-the-line gaming laptop, over fifty thousand…”
“Buy it.”
“I want the latest model phone…”
“Buy it.”
“…”
“Whatever you want today, my answer is just one word—buy!”
The younger ones cheered with excitement.
“Long live Third Uncle!”
“I love you, Third Uncle!”
“Thank you, Third Uncle… Third Uncle!”
“…”
Watching the giddy younger generation across the table, the second brother’s wife, Zhang Yu, couldn’t help muttering under her breath: “Third Brother is this generous today? Did the sun rise from the west?”
Lin Liang also set down his walnuts, squinting as he carefully studied his younger brother: “I reckon Third Brother has something on his mind.”
Lin Dong’s behavior today was indeed too unusual.
Lin Dong noticed his second brother and the others’ stares. Using his chopsticks, he placed a large shrimp on Jiang Lu’s plate, then calmly said to them: “We’re all family. If the kids have needs and I can meet them, of course I will. Last year during the financial crisis, business was tight on funds. Now that cash flow has eased up, money that needs to be spent should be spent.”
His words sounded noble enough, but everyone at the table was sharp; hardly anyone believed him.
The fourth brother’s wife, Wang Jiangyao, rolled her eyes thoughtfully and said with a smile: “Third Brother is right—we’re all family. But I think the kids are grown up now, and some things should be settled. For instance, the distribution of family shares. When the old man passed away, he only said you’d be in charge—he didn’t say all the shares belong to you alone, did he?”
Finally, they were getting to the real topic.
Lin Dong set down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin: “What do you mean by that, Sister-in-law?”
“What could I mean?”
Wang Jiangyao said with feigned innocence: “I just think that now that the company has grown so big, with annual profits in the hundreds of millions, we uncles and aunts only get a monthly allowance and nothing else. The kids have to submit requests every time they want something—you’d think the Lin family is scraping by.”
Second sister-in-law Zhang Yu couldn’t help chiming in: “That’s right, Third Brother. It’s not that we’re greedy, but think about it—without the old man back then, without the family’s support, could you have built the company this big? Don’t take this the wrong way, but the company itself is the Lin family’s shared property. Now that you’re the head of the family, you can’t just hog it all, can you?”
The conversation was growing sharper.
The fourth brother, Lin Zheng, gave a soft cough, pretending to mediate: “Everyone, say less. Third Brother’s job running such a big company isn’t easy either.”
Just then, the silent Lin Feng let out a cold laugh.
“What are you laughing at?” Lin Shen, not far away, heard it and shot a dissatisfied glare at his cousin.
Lin Feng: “Nothing. I just find your words amusing. When my father’s company was on the verge of bankruptcy, no one said a word. Now that it’s making money, everyone wants a piece of the pie. Have some shame!”
“Lin Feng!”
Fourth Uncle Lin Zheng immediately scolded: “How dare you speak like that? Are you saying we’re all taking advantage of your family?”
“Did I say anything wrong?”
Lin Feng looked up, his face cold: “About ten years ago during the financial crisis, my father’s company had a cash flow break, and the banks were hounding us at home. Back then, why didn’t anyone mention shares? Why didn’t anyone say we should share the risk? After the company turned around, suddenly everyone remembers they’re part of the Lin family.
“If it weren’t for Aunt Jiang using her connections at the investment bank to broker an emergency loan for my father, landing a few big clients, and later securing a bank loan, the company would have collapsed long ago! You should count yourselves lucky you’re living this life of luxury and fine clothes!”
His words left no room for face, effectively calling them a bunch of ungrateful parasites and bloodsuckers.
Second Aunt Zhang Yu’s face turned crimson. "What kind of talk is that, child? We tried to come up with ideas back then, didn’t we?"
"Ideas? What ideas? Second Aunt, if you had just opened your mouth back then to borrow some money from the Zhang family, my father wouldn’t have struggled so much! Ideas, my foot!"
"You!"
"Enough!" Lin Dong slammed the table, cutting off the argument.
He looked at Lin Feng, a flicker of relief in his eyes. This kid had never liked his stepmother, but he never expected him to stand up for her at such a critical moment—this caught him off guard.
"Let’s not dwell on the past."
"The reason I called everyone here for dinner today is that I have something to say."
"I want to bring Lu Lu’s daughter to the Lin family and have her formally entered into the Lin family lineage."
The moment those words were spoken, the entire room was stunned!
