Let's not dwell on the past.
The reason I called everyone here for dinner today is that there's something I need to discuss.
As soon as Lin Dong said this, everyone put down their chopsticks and fixed their eyes on him.
Jiang Lu nervously clasped Lin Dong's hand under the table, knowing exactly what her husband was about to say.
Lin Dong squeezed her hand back, signaling her to stay calm, and then spoke: "Before I get to the main point, I want to ask you all: Is there anything unsatisfied with your current lives? Any requests? Bring them up today, and if I can resolve them, I will."
This left everyone exchanging glances.
Lin Liang was the first to react: "Third brother, are you... planning to split the family?"
"It's not about splitting the family."
Lin Dong shook his head. "Before he passed, Father instructed that the Lin family must not fall apart. I just want everyone to live better, with less resentment and more harmony."
Wang Jiangyao immediately cut in: "What about the shares?"
She still couldn't let go of that topic.
"The company shares can't be touched for now."
Lin Dong left her no room for negotiation. Changing the shareholding structure would bring too much trouble and complexity.
But he hadn't come unprepared.
"While the shares can't be moved, I can allocate more dividends to you from the annual profits. The exact proportion will be calculated by the finance department. Also, if the younger generation wants to join the company after college, I can arrange positions for them. If they want to start their own businesses instead, I'll support them with startup funds."
These terms were quite generous, essentially providing them with a safety net.
Though Zhang Yu, Wang Jiangyao, and the others still felt dissatisfied, they could grudgingly accept it—it was far better than before.
Second brother Lin Liang toyed with his walnuts, speaking slowly: "Third brother, you're being so generous today. Is there something you want to say?"
Finally, someone hit the key point.
Lin Dong didn't beat around the bush either. He stated his purpose directly: "I want to bring Lu Lu's daughter back home."
The moment he said this, the dining room fell into dead silence.
A few seconds later.
Wang Jiangyao broke the silence first, voicing her opposition: "What? Third brother, you want to bring Jiang Lu's daughter—that illegitimate child from outside—into the Lin family?"
Lin Dong's temper flared at her words: "Watch your mouth!"
Wang Jiangyao was startled but still unconvinced: "Did I say something wrong? That child Jiang Lu gave birth to before she married into our family has nothing to do with the Lin family! Why should we bring her back?"
Second sister-in-law Zhang Yu also frowned: "Third brother, this is inappropriate. What kind of standing does our Lin family have? Suddenly bringing in an outsider's surname—what will others think?"
Fourth brother Lin Zheng pushed up his glasses and added: "Third brother, it's not that we're being unreasonable, but you need to consider the Lin family. That child would be in an awkward position to begin with. And how old is she now? An adult, right? Having a sudden sister appear—don't you think Xiao Feng will have something to say?"
Everyone's gaze shifted to Lin Feng. Though they didn't want to admit it, the fact was that Lin Feng was the most likely heir to Lin Dong's estate.
Lin Feng remained expressionless, continuing to fiddle with his phone and send text messages, adopting a detached attitude. His demeanor was much like his second uncle's—laid-back, but also shrewd. By not taking sides, he avoided being used as a pawn.
Jiang Lu wanted to say something, but she knew she wasn't well-liked among the Lin family. Speaking up might only add fuel to the fire.
Lin Dong was tired of wasting words. He took a firm stance: "You all seem to have misunderstood something. I'm not here to ask for your consent today. I'm here to inform you!"
"Third brother!"
Lin Liang slammed the table: "Have you lost your mind? Are you willing to turn against the entire family for the sake of another person's daughter?"
Though he was the most easygoing among them, that didn't mean he'd turn a blind eye to everything. Even he found it hard to agree to letting someone with no blood relation to the Lin family be brought into the fold.
Lin Dong didn't back down an inch: "Second brother, she's not an outsider. She's Lu Lu's daughter, which means she's my daughter!"
"Your daughter?"
Zhang Yu questioned skeptically: "Have you raised her for even a single day? Changed her diaper? Taught her to talk? Now, out of nowhere, you want to claim her as your daughter. Do you even know if she'll accept you?"
This struck a nerve with Jiang Lu. Indeed, it might be too soon to talk about all this.
Whether Tongtong would be willing to recognize her or accept Lin Dong as a stepfather was still uncertain.
It was very possible that this was just wishful thinking on their part.
Lin Dong: "Precisely because I haven't raised her for a single day, I need to make it up to her even more. Do you all know what Lu Lu has endured all these years? She endured ten years of suffering for me, for this so-called dignity of the Lin family! I can't watch her continue to endure the pain of separation from her mother and daughter just because of your ridiculous notions of social standing!"
"And another thing—haven't you all been whispering behind her back, wondering why Lu Lu couldn't have children? Fine, today I'll tell you. It's because she felt guilty about Tongtong and was afraid it would upset Xiao Feng! Before we even got married, she voluntarily signed an agreement with me, in black and white, renouncing any right to inherit any of my assets. She married me never for the Lin family's money!"
"It's our Lin family that owes her!"
Hearing his father's words, Lin Feng paused in his phone scrolling. This was the first time he'd learned the real reason behind it. He had always assumed that his stepmother Jiang Lu simply couldn't have children, or else she would have given birth to many sons to compete with him for favor and inheritance.
He never expected the truth to be like this.
Seeing the silence, Lin Dong continued: "You keep going on about the Lin family's standing, the Lin family's face. Do you still think we're in the same position as when Father was alive? You all know damn well what state our family is in now! And when Father was alive, what did he teach us? 'If the household is not at peace, how can one settle the world?' And now? For the sake of your petty vanity, you've abandoned even the most basic familial bonds!"
"That's different!"
Wang Jiangyao retorted: "That was something that happened before Jiang Lu married in! It has nothing to do with the Lin family!"
Lin Dong stared at her: "How is it not related?"
"Lu Lu is my wife. Her matters are my matters, and they are the Lin family's matters! I'm laying it out clearly today: I've accepted this daughter. I will bring her back, and I'll even change her surname to Lin. She'll have her name entered into the family genealogy!"
"Don't you dare!"
Fourth brother Lin Zheng slammed the table and stood up: "Lin Dong, don't think that just because you're the head of the household, you can do whatever you want. We don't agree, and let's see if she can even step through this door!"
"Fourth brother, sister-in-law, and second brother, second sister-in-law."
Lin Dong recited each of their names and then let out a cold laugh: "Do you have some kind of amnesia? Do I really need to repeat who's in charge of this household now?"
Everyone's expressions froze.
"The company's shares—though they haven't been divided—the controlling stake is in my hands. The family fund's management rights are mine. The deed to this ancestral house is also under my name."
"From the very beginning, I wasn't negotiating with you. I was telling you my decision. If you agree, good. If not, you are free to move out."
"Third Brother, what kind of talk is that? Are you threatening your own family?" Lin Liang also put on a stern face.
"You’re the ones forcing me. I’ve asked myself over the years—I’ve done right by every member of the Lin family. Most of the money the company made went to family expenses. The house you live in, the nice cars you drive, the elite schools your kids attend—none of that would have been possible without me. But now, Lu Lu and I just want to bring back a daughter we lost years ago, and you all put up obstacle after obstacle. On what ground?"
"Let me make this clear—none of you have the right to stop me!"
The fourth brother, Lin Zheng, softened his tone, perhaps genuinely afraid that Lin Dong might impulsively kick them all out. "Third Brother, don’t get so worked up. Everyone’s just having a hard time accepting it. After all, that child has no blood ties to the Lin family. Suddenly bringing her in really doesn’t seem right."
"Fourth Brother, don’t talk to me about blood ties. Xiao Feng is blood-related to you—have any of you ever truly cared about him? After his mother passed away unexpectedly, who among you showed him genuine concern? Now you want to lecture me about blood relations?"
Just then, Lin Feng suddenly stood up without warning.
The others all turned to look at him again. At this moment, his words carried the most weight. Lin Dong could be ruthless with other Lin family members, but he would never be heartless toward his only son, whom he had neglected for years.
Even Jiang Lu grew tense. She too feared that her stepson might suddenly blurt out, "I oppose!"
But Lin Feng’s answer caught everyone off guard.
"I agree!"
"Xiao Feng, you—" Lin Feng’s second uncle and aunt stared at him in disbelief.
Lin Feng couldn’t be bothered to look at them. He fixed his gaze on his father, Lin Dong. "I agree to bring her back."
"Why?"
The eldest cousin, Lin Shen, couldn’t help but say, "If she really joins the Lin family, that means she’ll get a share of your inheritance. Are you being stupid or what?"
Lin Feng turned to him, his expression as if he were the one looking at a fool. "You think everyone’s like you—only seeing money?"
Then he walked over to Jiang Lu, the woman he had once hated, rejected, and never once called "Mom." He pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.
The gesture made Jiang Lu tremble. She raised her tear-filled eyes to look at him.
"Auntie," he said, still unable to bring himself to use the word that felt so awkward. "Don’t cry. Bring her back. This home is too cold. Maybe with one more person, it’ll warm up a little."
Jiang Lu couldn’t hold back anymore. She threw her arms around him and sobbed loudly.
Lin Dong watched the scene with deep relief. To be honest, he had been afraid his son would oppose, and that would have made things truly difficult.
Since his son had no objection, everything became straightforward.
"It’s settled. I’ll go to Pearl City tomorrow to bring my daughter back. Before she arrives, I want you all to think clearly—do you still want to be a family, or do we go our separate ways? Those who want to leave, I won’t stop you, and I’ll give you every penny you’re due. But those who stay—no more useless talk!"
The dining room fell into dead silence.
Second Brother, Lin Liang, looked at his younger brother’s resolute expression, then at his sister-in-law Jiang Lu and nephew Lin Feng. Finally, he let out a long sigh and sat back down.
"Whatever you say. After all, this household has long been run by you."
Seeing that the outcome was inevitable, the others swallowed their complaints for the time being, even if resentment lingered.
Lin Dong knew all too well that they were only temporarily compromising. The real conflict was yet to come.
But he didn’t care.
He helped Jiang Lu sit back down and said to the servant, "The food’s cold. Heat it up."
Then he poured Jiang Lu a bowl of soup. "Eat more. Rest well tonight and regain your strength. Tomorrow, we’ll head to Pearl City and bring our daughter home."
At that moment, Lin Feng spoke up: "I’ll go too. It’ll be a nice break."
Jiang Lu looked at the father and son, tears turning into a smile, and nodded vigorously.
...........
The next afternoon.
A black Bentley entered the territory of Pearl City.
Jiang Lu sat in the car, staring at the rapidly passing scenery outside the window, her heartbeat quickening.
This city, which she had left nearly twenty years ago, had changed enormously. Although it was far from being as grand as the imperial capital, it was now filled with high-rises and thoroughly modernized.
And here, she saw many familiar red figures—the delivery riders for Wanhui Preferred. There were plenty of them in the imperial capital too.
The uniform of Wanhui Preferred riders was predominantly red, and so were the work clothes of employees in other Wanglong Group businesses, such as supermarkets, internet cafés, restaurants, and tea shops—mostly red in color, just with different styles and accents.
Aside from red, the other dominant color was naturally black.
Lin Dong, sitting beside Jiang Lu, also noticed these red figures and couldn’t help commenting, "These Wanhui Preferred delivery guys are everywhere in Pearl City. They’re common in the imperial capital too, but not this dense."
Jiang Lu nodded. "Yeah, it does feel like there are more here."
Lin Dong seemed to sense that his wife’s mind was elsewhere, so he didn’t press the topic. "Lu Lu, take it easy. We’ll go slow."
Jiang Lu forced a smile. "I’m not anxious."
But the slight sweat on her palms gave her away—how could she not be anxious?
The car finally stopped in front of a five-star hotel.
Lin Dong had already asked his secretary to arrange accommodations—a top-floor suite with an excellent view overlooking most of Pearl City.
Not long after they checked in.
The people Lin Dong had sent ahead to investigate in the countryside called with a rough report.
As soon as he hung up, Jiang Lu couldn’t wait to ask, "Did you get news about Tongtong?"
Lin Dong’s initially serious expression broke into a smile.
"We did. This trip wasn’t in vain."
"What do you mean?"
"Tongtong isn’t in the countryside. She’s in Pearl City."
"That girl has really made something of herself—very much so. She got into the Finance University in Pearl City, a key provincial school. That proves she’s smart and hardworking, and she’s managed to take care of herself well. You don’t need to worry too much."
"And also, that gambler is behind bars. What goes around comes around!"
He then relayed to his wife all the information his men had gathered.
After hearing it, Jiang Lu felt a huge weight lift off her heart. "That’s good, that’s good... She grew up safe and sound and even got into such a good university. I... I really..."
For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
Lin Dong: "Not worried anymore, are you?"
Jiang Lu nodded. She had been terrified that the news would be about her daughter suffering miserably, being mistreated by that gambler.
Thankfully, all the reports were good.
The previously tense atmosphere lightened noticeably, and a smile appeared on Jiang Lu’s face.
Of course, this only strengthened her resolve to make up for her daughter in the future.
After all, for her daughter to get into university under those circumstances, she must have put in an unimaginable amount of effort.
"But..."
"But what?"
"The person I arranged said that when they went to inquire about Tongtong's whereabouts, they always found that village very strange."
"Strange?" Jiang Lu was taken aback, her heart clenching again, afraid to hear any bad news.
"It's not a bad kind of strange."
Lin Dong explained, "My assistant, the one I sent to investigate, said that whenever the villagers mentioned Tongtong's name, they kept nodding and giving thumbs up, and they were constantly saying good things, emphasizing it heavily—almost like they were afraid my assistant wouldn't believe them. It was really eerie."
"Ask one person, and it's the same. Ask ten people, and it's the same."
Just then, Lin Feng, who had been silent so far, couldn't help but say, "Dad, you're overthinking it. Maybe she's the only university student from that village? Doesn't everyone say that in those rural areas, a college student is a rare gem? It's normal for a village that finally produces a university student to boast about her. And since she's only twenty years old, as Aunt Jiang said, she's just a young girl. It's not like she can eat people, right?"
Lin Dong thought it over and found it reasonable. "That's true—maybe I'm overthinking."
He then turned to Jiang Lu. "Don't worry. Tomorrow, we'll go to the school to find her. We'll talk about everything when we see her."
...
