Chapter 707: Lin Family Gathering (Two-in-One)

The Imperial Capital, at the foot of the Western Hills, the Lin Family estate.

This Chinese-style compound covering nearly ten acres was hidden behind layers of pine and cypress. Without stepping closer for a careful look, it was hard to imagine that in this prime Western Hills district, where every inch of land was worth a fortune, such an intact three-courtyard estate could still exist.

The Imperial Capital had always had a saying: the East is where the wealthy gather, the West is where the nobles reside. That the Lin Family could own such an old residence here was testament to their ancestors having been a renowned and illustrious house.

The car pulled into the Lin Family garage and stopped.

By now, Jiang Lu’s emotions had mostly settled. Before her husband could unbuckle his seatbelt, she stopped him again.

“Lin Dong, if we really bring Tongtong here, will your brothers and everyone else in the family… will they agree?”

Lin Dong had three brothers and one sister, and he was the third-born.

Based on seniority alone, the position of Lin Family head should never have fallen to Lin Dong, who had gone into business. But fate was unpredictable—both the old patriarch and his eldest brother had met with misfortune many years ago.

The eldest brother had been personally groomed by the patriarch as his successor. Had no accident befallen him, he likely would have become a rising star in the political arena, and with the patriarch’s protection, his future would have been limitless.

But who could have known that such a promising young man would rush to the front lines during a flood rescue effort and tragically sacrifice his life, leaving behind only a daughter, who was then taken back to her mother’s family by his widow.

The patriarch’s health had already been poor—he had cancer—and this blow of losing his son was too much. Not long after, he passed away in the hospital.

It was because of the departure of the eldest brother and the patriarch that the Lin Family fell into decline.

Although the Lin Family still possessed considerable influence today, compared to when the patriarch and eldest brother were alive, its prestige was vastly diminished—truly a case of a noble house fallen on hard times.

Among the remaining children, second brother Lin Liang had a carefree personality with no ambition for power or wealth, only enjoying walking his dogs and playing with his birds—a man without contention, completely unsuited to uphold the family mantle.

Fourth brother also walked the political path, slowly building seniority at a certain ministry. After all these years, he had only risen to C-level—a rank that, in some localities, would at least make one a county-level leader.

But in the Imperial Capital, especially here in the Western Hills district, wasn’t there a saying? Throw a brick and you’ll hit a dozen people of the same rank.

He simply couldn’t support the great Lin household.

As for the youngest fifth sister, there was no need to even mention her—she had already married out of the family.

Before his death, the patriarch had seen through the Lin Family’s future: the eldest son dead prematurely, the second son with no heart for the family business, the youngest son’s political career mediocre—the family glory could not continue.

Since the path of nobility was broken, better to settle for the next best thing: let the descendants be comfortable wealthy men.

Thus, he set his sights on third son Lin Dong and designated him as the next family head.

However, Lin Dong did not receive his position as family head easily.

Years earlier, his relationship with his family had become strained over his romance with Jiang Lu.

At the time, the patriarch and eldest brother were still alive, and the entire family vehemently opposed his marriage to a woman who had already borne a child. The Lin Family was, after all, a wealthy and powerful house. Not to mention Jiang Lu—even many wealthy families in the Eastern District wanted to marry their daughters into the Lin Family but didn’t qualify, much less Jiang Lu, who had no background and was in a second marriage.

But after the patriarch passed away, Lin Dong used his status as family head to forcibly marry Jiang Lu, causing his relationship with the rest of the family to drop to freezing point.

They all felt that Lin Dong’s actions had disgraced the Lin Family, making them unable to hold their heads up outside. After all, Lin Dong was the family head—the face of the family.

Adding to that, since Jiang Lu married into the Lin Family, she hadn’t laid a single egg, so the sisters-in-law had never given her a pleasant expression.

In short, the family’s complicated circumstances were one reason Jiang Lu had never dared to seek out her daughter.

As the saying goes, “Once you enter a noble house, it’s as deep as the sea”—there were too many twists and turns inside. She also worried that her daughter Tongtong wouldn’t be able to handle this large family.

Besides, as family head, Lin Dong had to look after everyone in the family. The pressure was immense, and combined with his business nearly going bankrupt years ago and all sorts of other troubles… Jiang Lu had never brought up searching for her daughter.

Her sudden, intense desire to find her daughter this time had been triggered by the likeable young girl she had serendipitously met on the plane, stirring up the longing she had buried deep in her heart until it could no longer be contained.

Seeing that her husband wasn’t speaking, Jiang Lu hesitantly spoke again: “Lin Dong, if it really won’t work, Tongtong doesn’t have to enter the Lin Family. I… I’ll find a house outside and move out…”

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Dong interrupted her.

“You’re not moving out!”

“I said, your daughter is my daughter. I’m deciding this matter! I’m the Lin Family head now. When the old man entrusted the family business and this whole household to me on his deathbed, it wasn’t so I could watch my wife suffer injustice. In any case, I’ll handle the arrangements. You don’t worry about it!”

Jiang Lu looked at him, deeply moved, but she also understood that this large Lin Family had never been easy to manage.

The patriarch had established a rule against dividing the family—though intended for family cohesion, it also bound together all manner of complications.

Especially since the financial power was held in Lin Dong’s hands; his sister-in-law and brothers’ wives had always been very dissatisfied about this. Now, to bring in a granddaughter with no blood relation—one could imagine what the outcome would be.

But her longing for her daughter overcame all else. In the end, she merely whispered, “Thank you, husband!”

…………

Two days later.

After handling urgent company matters, Lin Dong gathered the family together ahead of schedule.

At six-thirty in the evening, in the dining hall beside the Lin estate’s main hall, a round mahogany table that could seat more than twenty people was already set with a full circle of exquisite place settings.

The Lin Family was required to hold a family dinner once a week—this was also a rule established by the patriarch during his lifetime. All Lin family members in the Imperial Capital had to return for dinner each week to maintain family cohesion.

When Lin Dong and Jiang Lu entered the dining room, many people were already seated.

The main seat was empty—that was Lin Dong’s position.

On the left-hand side in the first position sat second brother Lin Liang, just over fifty, dressed in loose cotton-linen Tang attire, rotating two walnuts in his hand as he chatted quietly with his wife Zhang Yu beside him.

Zhang Yu was two years younger than Lin Liang and had maintained herself well, though her eyebrows and eyes always gave one a very critical impression.

Further down were fourth brother Lin Zheng and his wife Wang Jiangyao.

Lin Zheng worked at a certain ministry. He had just turned forty, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and always liked to put on a serious air, as if deliberately imitating the deceased patriarch.

Wang Jiangyao was typical of official wives, speaking with an affected tone.

Across from them sat several younger generation members.

Lin Liang’s son Lin Shen, twenty-six, was coasting along 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 also entered the system; his second son Lin Mian, eighteen, had just started university.

Then there was a slightly isolated face—Lin Feng, twenty-two, a senior interning at his own family’s company, the son Lin Dong had with his deceased ex-wife.

He sat in a position slightly farther from the main seat, head down, sending messages on his phone. Seeing his father and Jiang Lu enter, he put away his phone and stood up with the other juniors.

“Third Uncle, Third Aunt.”

“Dad…….”

The younger generation offered scattered greetings.

Lin Dong nodded, took his seat at the head, and Jiang Lu sat beside him.

“Everyone’s here, let’s eat,” Lin Dong instructed the nanny waiting nearby.

Soon, one homestyle dish after another was brought to the table, filling the circle.

Initially, the dining table was relatively quiet, with only the slight clink of bowls and chopsticks and soft chewing sounds.

After a moment.

The more zen second brother Lin Liang slowly picked up a piece of fish and was the first to speak: “Third Brother, I heard you invested in another new energy project last month?”

“Yes, the prospects are good, and national policy is supportive,” Lin Dong nodded, then had a servant bring Jiang Lu a bowl of soup.

“Business is getting bigger and bigger.”

Lin Liang smiled ambiguously: “People like us will be depending on you to support us from now on.”

If these words had come from someone else, it would have been deliberate sarcasm, but those familiar with Lin Liang knew he meant it literally. He had always been satisfied with his current leisurely life, with nothing to worry about.

But his casual remark gave those with ulterior motives an opening.

Fourth brother’s wife Wang Jiangyao heard this and deliberately took the conversation, smiling: “With Third Brother’s abilities, of course we share in the benefits. By the way, Third Brother, your nephew Little Mian is going abroad for academic exchange next month, but the school only reimburses airfare. Accommodation and living expenses have to come out of pocket—at least forty to fifty thousand US dollars a month?”

Her meaning was obvious—she wanted money.

In the past, when Lin Dong heard this figure, he would at least ask about the expenses, then directly cut it in half—who needed that much money for a month of overseas exchange?

The Lin Family was indeed wealthy, but he could not bear to see the younger generation squander money. Forty to fifty thousand US dollars a month converted to over three hundred thousand yuan—far exceeding necessary expenses.

However, this time, Lin Dong, breaking from his usual pattern, nodded in agreement without asking anything.

“It’s good for children to see the world. The expenses will come from the family fund.”

“Then thank you, Third Brother,” Wang Jiangyao smiled satisfactorily and gave her youngest son a meaningful look.

She had already prepared herself to haggle with Lin Dong, but it had gone so smoothly.

Lin Mian saw the situation and immediately thanked him obediently: “Thank you, Third Uncle.”

Lin Shen, who had been quietly observing, also quickly spoke up when he saw how agreeable his third uncle was today: “Third Uncle, my car’s five years old and keeps breaking down. I’ve got my eye on a new Porsche—not expensive, just over a million. Could you…”

He had long wanted to own a sports car. Without one, you couldn’t hold your head up among the young generation in the Imperial Capital. Sure, people in the Western District were much more low-key than those in the Eastern District, but driving a beat-up A4 all the time really hurt his image.

But every time he mentioned changing cars, his third uncle would refuse on the grounds of not being wasteful or extravagant. None of the younger generation’s cars exceeded five hundred thousand, let alone owning a sports car.

He hadn’t held out much hope bringing it up again this time—he was just taking advantage of his third uncle’s good mood to mention it, as he had thick skin anyway.

Who knew that this time, Lin Dong would readily agree: “If you like it, buy it. Come find my secretary later to handle the paperwork.”

Lin Shen was stunned, thinking he had misheard: “Third Uncle, are you serious?”

“Yes,” Lin Dong nodded, then looked at the other juniors: “Little Yue, Little Feng, if you want anything, let’s hear it all today.”

Everyone at the table froze.

Had the sun risen in the west today?

Even the silent Lin Feng raised his head and looked deeply at his father.

Abnormal—very abnormal!

The first to speak was the only girl among the juniors present, Lin Yue: “Third Uncle, I’ve got my eye on a Hermès bag, but it’s a bit expensive—over a hundred thousand…”

“Buy it.”

After Lin Yue’s successful test, the others grew bolder.

“I want to upgrade to a top-tier gaming laptop, over fifty thousand…”

“Buy it.”

“I want the latest model phone…”

“Buy it.”

“……”

“Today, whatever you want, I have only one word—Buy!”

The younger generation erupted in excited cheers.

“Long live Third Uncle!”

“I love you, Third Uncle!”

“Thank you, Third Uncle… Third Uncle!”

“……”

Watching the younger generation dancing with joy across the table, second brother’s wife Zhang Yu couldn’t help muttering quietly: “Third Brother’s being so generous today? The sun’s rising in the west?”

Lin Liang also set down his walnuts and narrowed his eyes, carefully sizing up his brother: “I’m guessing Third Brother has something going on.”

Today’s Lin Dong was indeed too abnormal.

Lin Dong also noticed his second brother’s gaze. Using his chopsticks, he placed a large shrimp in Jiang Lu’s bowl, then calmly told them: “We’re all family. If the children have needs, I’ll naturally fulfill what I can. Last year’s financial crisis made funds tight in the business, but now that cash flow has loosened up, we must spend where spending is due.”

These were high-sounding words, but everyone at the table was a seasoned player—few believed him.

Fourth brother’s wife Wang Jiangyao’s eyes turned as she smiled at Lin Dong: “Third Brother is right, we’re all family. But I think the children are all grown up, and some matters should be settled. For instance, the distribution of family company shares. When the old man passed, he only said you should be family head, but he didn’t say all the shares belong to you alone, did he?”

Finally reaching the main 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 feigned innocence: “I just think that now the company has grown so large, with annual profits in the hundreds of millions, yet we who are aunts and uncles get nothing more than monthly allowances. The children have to apply again and again for every little thing. Outsiders might think our Lin Family is destitute.”

Second sister-in-law Zhang Yu also couldn’t help chiming in: “That’s right, Third Brother. It’s not that we’re greedy, but think about it—if not for the old man, if not for the family’s help back then, could you have grown the company this big? I’m not being harsh, but the company itself is our Lin Family’s common property. Now that you’re family head, you can’t hoard it all for yourself, can you?”

Watching them raise increasingly pointed topics, fourth brother Lin Zheng lightly coughed, pretending to mediate: “Everyone say less. Third Brother managing such a large company isn’t easy.”

At that moment, Lin Feng, who had remained silent, suddenly gave a cold laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” The nearby Lin Shen heard it and shot his cousin a displeased glare.

Lin Feng: “Nothing, just finding your conversation really interesting. Back when my father’s company was about to collapse, nobody said a word. Now that it’s profitable, everyone wants a piece of the pie. Have some shame!”

“Lin Feng!”

Fourth Uncle Lin Zheng immediately rebuked: “How dare you speak like that? Are you saying we’re all taking advantage of your family?”

“Am I wrong?”

Lin Feng raised his head, his face cold and detached: “About ten years ago during the financial crisis, my father’s company had a broken capital chain and banks were collecting debts at our door. Who mentioned shares then? Who said they wanted to share the risk? After the company recovered, every one of you suddenly remembered you were part of the Lin Family.”

“If not for Aunt Jiang taking the risk back then, using her investment bank connections to secure emergency investment for my father, helping the company land several major clients, and later securing a bank loan, the company would have collapsed long ago! You can live your current life of luxury in secret—be satisfied with that!”

His words left no face whatsoever, essentially calling them a pack of ungrateful wretches, parasites.

Second sister-in-law Zhang Yu’s face flushed red: “How can you speak like that, child? Didn’t we also help think of solutions back then?”

“What solutions? Second Aunt, if you had just opened your mouth to borrow money from the Zhang Family back then, my father wouldn’t have had it so hard! ‘Thinking of solutions’—what a joke!”

“You!”

“Enough!” Lin Dong slapped the table, cutting off the argument.

He looked at Lin Feng, a flash of gratification in his eyes. This child had never liked his stepmother, but he never expected him to speak up for her at the critical moment—this surprised him.

“The past is the past, no need to bring it up.”

“I called everyone here for dinner today because I确实有 something to say.”

“I want to bring Lulu’s daughter into our Lin family, into our family genealogy.”

The moment these words left his mouth, the entire hall was shocked!