Chapter 44: Kinship Recognition Ceremony
"Shanshan, are you saying... I’m going to have a baby?"
Shanshan nodded, speaking with the confidence of someone stating a simple fact.
"Yep, you two have to take good care of the little baby. From now on, I’ll be a big sister. I’ll teach him how to talk and walk, and I’ll tell him stories. When he’s a little older, I’ll take him to pick wildflowers and chase butterflies."
"Really? I can have a baby? We... we can really be parents?"
Zhang Yunhua’s eyes widened, and her voice was so choked with emotion she could barely form a sentence.
Shanshan was dumbfounded. She blinked, her face a picture of confusion.
"Auntie, shouldn’t you be laughing? Why are you crying so much? Are you not feeling well? Should I go get a doctor?"
"I am happy. I’m crying because I’m so happy."
Zhang Yunhua answered between sobs.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, a wide grin spreading across her face.
Shanshan was even more confused.
’If she’s this happy, why is she still crying?’
’The way adults think is so hard to understand.’
But she didn’t have time to dwell on it, as Zhang Yunhua had already pulled her into a tight hug.
"Shanshan, this will always be your home. If you want to come back, the door will always be open for you. Don’t forget to come back and visit often in the future, okay?"
Since the decision was made for Shanshan to leave, Zhang Yunhua didn’t drag it out, no matter how reluctant she was to let her go.
She knew this was the path Shanshan was meant to take, a path to a better life.
So, she made sure everything was ready, leaving nothing out.
New clothes, small toys, and a handkerchief she had embroidered with the character ’Shan’—she stuffed them all into a large bag.
When she arrived, Shanshan only had the single old outfit she was wearing.
Now, after just two months, her luggage had piled up so high it could almost swallow her whole.
Shanshan stared at the bundle, which was taller than she was, unsure of what to do with her hands.
She wanted to protest.
"Auntie, you should keep these for my little sister or brother..."
The moment Zhang Yunhua heard that, she pushed Shanshan’s hands away, her tone firm.
"Don’t worry about them. These are all yours. Not a single thing is to be left behind. When they get older, I’ll buy them new things. You are Shanshan, you are special. These were prepared for you, and you must take them."
She personally walked Shanshan to the car.
Standing at the car door on her tiptoes, she adjusted Shanshan’s collar over and over again.
She was still waving frantically through the window as the car started to move.
The car drove farther and farther away, until the figure was long out of sight.
But Shanshan kept her face pressed against the glass, refusing to look away.
"If you can’t bear to leave, I’ll bring you back to visit often."
Ling Anxun’s voice softened when he saw her sullen little face.
"Thank you, Uncle."
Shanshan nodded.
It was the first time she had ever given such a forced smile.
But Ling Anxun gently stroked her head.
The warmth of his palm seeped through her hair to her scalp.
The emptiness in her heart seemed to be filled a little.
Shanshan leaned into his arms, her little mouth chattering nonstop.
"Uncle, how big is the new house? Is it bigger than Auntie’s house? Does it have a yard?"
"Is there a balcony? I want to plant a small flower, a sunflower. They bloom all yellow, like little suns."
"Will we have a cat? I saw a little white cat at the village entrance once. It was always sunbathing. I wanted to pet it, but it ran away. If the new house has a cat, can I feed it every day?"
"Is the bed as soft as the one at my old home? Auntie made my mattress with extra thick padding, and even my dreams were warm at night... Will the new bed help me sleep well?"
The questions came one after another, bubbling up endlessly.
Her voice, though pleasant to the ear, was somehow making Ling Zhiyu feel uneasy.
"HISS!"
He finally couldn’t take it anymore and sucked in a sharp breath.
Hearing the sound, Ling Anxun slowly turned his head and shot him a cold glance.
"Heh heh, Uncle, don’t glare at me like that."
Ling Zhiyu quickly forced a couple of laughs.
"I know you always do things with a sense of measure... but this is a huge deal. Are you really planning to just casually bring a child home like this? When the family finds out, they’re probably going to explode."
"I know what I’m doing."
Ling Anxun replied faintly.
Ling Zhiyu opened his mouth as if he wanted to say more.
But in the end, he just let out a soft sigh.
He could already imagine the scene.
Growing up, his uncle had never been in a relationship, let alone gotten married and had children.
The family would raise hell over getting a dog.
’For such an aloof person to suddenly show up at the door one day, holding a little girl’s hand...’
’Grandma would surely be so shocked she’d faint on the sofa on the spot.’
What he didn’t expect, however, was that Ling Anxun had already taken care of everything, arranging for all the news to be delivered beforehand.
The car came to a steady stop in front of the Ling family’s home.
The moment the engine was cut, a large crowd was already standing at the entrance.
At the very front stood Grandpa Ling Zhenkang, leaning on his cane, while Grandma Ding Qin was on her tiptoes, peering in their direction.
Parents stood shoulder-to-shoulder, while a third uncle and aunt held their child and craned their necks to see.
Even the cousins who rarely ever came home were all crowded at the door.
Aside from two relatives who were overseas, practically the entire Ling family was present.
"Shanshan, this is Grandpa."
Ling Anxun said, slowly lowering himself into his wheelchair.
Then, he gently took Shanshan’s small hand.
"This is Grandma. From now on, you will call them ’Grandpa’ and ’Grandma’."
He then began to introduce everyone one by one.
From uncles and aunts to her various older cousins.
He pointed out every single person for her, even the more distantly related relatives.
"Hello, Grandpa!"
"Hello, Grandma!"
"Hello, Uncle!"
"Hello, Auntie!"
Shanshan tilted her little face up, her voice clear and bright.
Every greeting was met with a chorus of happy replies.
The Ling family had been blessed with many descendants for several generations, but they were all boys, born one after another.
The house was always lively, but they had never welcomed a daughter or granddaughter.
Now, that void was finally filled by Shanshan.
Shanshan had barely been standing there for a moment before the entire family’s gaze was locked firmly on her.
"Oh, my little treasure!"
Ding Qin swept Shanshan into her arms.
She cupped the child’s face and looked at her again and again, her heart aching with both pity and joy.
"Look at this little face, it’s all red from the cold. The wind must sting, right? Come inside, don’t just stand out here. Hurry in and get warm!"
Ling Zhenkang stood to the side, his eyes filled with adoration.
He desperately wanted to step forward and hug this little granddaughter who had suddenly appeared.
But he was a proud man, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it in front of so many people.
So he could only pretend to look down and adjust his collar, using the gesture to steal a couple more glances at her.
A moment later, he cleared his throat loudly and shouted.
"Stop crowding the doorway! It’s freezing out here, everyone get inside!"
The living room had already been completely redecorated.
Red lanterns were hung up high, and the walls were covered with large, red ’Fu’ characters for good fortune.
A fruit platter and a small pile of candy were arranged neatly on the coffee table.
"Anxun."
Grandpa spoke slowly.
"Since she is a child of our Ling family now, she needs to be formally recognized. Let’s hold a kinship ceremony. We can do it right here at home, nothing too grand. The whole family can get together for a lively celebration, and it will let the neighbors know that Shanshan has been officially entered into our family’s records. What do you think?"
A flicker of emotion crossed Ling Anxun’s eyes.
He looked up, his gaze sweeping over his grandfather and grandmother’s smiling eyes, and finally nodded.
"Yes, that’s a great idea."
"Good!"
Hearing this, Grandma’s face immediately broke into a wide, happy smile.
"Shanshan, come, come over here and sit down."
She pointed to the spot next to her.