Chapter 61: Having Her Is Enough
Only now did it belatedly dawn on her what had just happened.
An immense wave of joy washed over her, and tears began to fall, one after another.
Ling Anxun raised a hand and carefully wiped the tears from the corners of his mother’s eyes.
"Mom, don’t get too excited. It’s not good for your heart. I’m almost completely better. Please don’t cry. I’m really okay now."
"I... I’m just so happy! You silly boy! Why didn’t you tell us sooner about something so important? For three whole years, we’ve watched you in that wheelchair every single day, our hearts breaking. How could you bear to hide this from us for so long?"
Ding Qin was both angry and heartbroken. She gave his shoulder a gentle pat.
"Alright, now that your legs are better, you shouldn’t live here anymore. Come home. It’s more comfortable at home. Mom will make you braised pork belly and stew some old hen soup to help you recuperate."
"Where’s Shanshan? Where is she? Come, let Grandma hold you. Shanshan, you’re our little lucky star! If it weren’t for you, who knows how many years it would have taken for Anxun’s legs to heal!"
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere in the room warmed up considerably.
All the credit was being piled onto Shanshan.
Although...
...it was true.
But such direct praise made Shanshan’s little face flush bright red.
After that, Shanshan’s life there was as sweet as honey.
Every day, her grandma would hold and kiss her, and her aunts would make her laugh.
Ling Anxun, who was still recovering, spent nearly all his free time doting on Shanshan.
He bought her new clothes, coaxed her to eat, and taught her how to read and draw.
The family saw all this, their hearts blooming with joy.
"That child, Shanshan, is truly our family’s little lucky star."
His second sister-in-law took a gentle sip of her tea and shook her head with a smile.
"Look, ever since she arrived, Anxun has even lowered his voice and speaks with a smile. Where’s that unapproachable air he used to have? Who dared to get close to him before? Even the dogs wouldn’t dare bark at him."
"Isn’t that the truth!"
His eldest sister-in-law chimed in, her eyes filled with relief.
"I used to think he’d never smile again in this lifetime. And now? He’s doting on his daughter every day, so gentle he’s like a completely different person. Did you see him yesterday? Shanshan said she wanted strawberries, and he personally drove out to buy them in the middle of the night."
"Sigh, if you ask me, that child came at just the right time."
His third sister-in-law took a sip of tea, her tone wistful.
"She didn’t just save Anxun’s legs; she saved this family. Look at how much more the matriarch smiles. Even the old master has been eating an extra half-bowl of rice."
Ling Anxun’s sisters-in-law were gathered in the backyard, chatting idly over tea.
Through the window, they quietly watched the scene unfolding in the courtyard.
The father and daughter were sitting side-by-side on a long bench.
The little girl tilted her face up, chattering away about something.
Ling Anxun had his head lowered, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, listening patiently.
It was a scene that would soften anyone’s heart.
But as they continued to watch, the expressions on the three women’s faces slowly changed.
"Tell me, with Anxun being unmarried and raising a child like this, do you think it will affect his chances of finding a partner in the future?"
The eldest sister-in-law, Jiao Qin, spoke in a low voice.
"Sigh... That really hits a sore spot."
The second sister-in-law, Yin Yaling, leaned back in her chair, her voice full of helplessness.
"What woman would be willing to suddenly gain a five or six-year-old child right after starting a relationship? If it were me, I wouldn’t be happy about it either."
"That may be true, but it’s not like Shanshan is a difficult child."
The third sister-in-law, Zhou Yu, added softly.
"Shanshan is very well-behaved, but..."
Jiao Qin murmured.
"But what?"
Yin Yaling pressed.
The three of them were engrossed in their conversation.
They didn’t notice at all that the door behind them had been pushed open a crack at some point.
"I know what you’re worried about."
Ling Anxun’s voice was ice-cold.
"But don’t talk about this at home anymore. Shanshan would be upset if she heard."
The three of them startled, whipping their heads around in unison.
They saw Ling Anxun standing by the door, arms crossed, the same cold expression on his face.
Jiao Qin gave a dry laugh.
"Anxun, don’t get the wrong idea. We really weren’t saying anything bad about Shanshan. She’s such an adorable child; who wouldn’t dote on her? It’s just, you’re in your twenties. You can’t really plan on being alone forever, can you? The whole family is worried about you."
Ling Anxun looked up, his tone calm.
"I have a daughter."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the corner of his lips tilted up slightly.
Jiao Qin was instantly speechless.
She wanted to say more, but Ling Anxun had already turned to leave.
After taking just two steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the three of them.
"Before, I never considered marriage. That was my choice. After I was injured, I gave it even less thought. Now that I have Shanshan, I haven’t even thought about marrying again. I don’t need to. She is enough for me. You’d do well to remember that."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Hey, hey, hey, we know, we know! Don’t worry! We understand!"
Yin Yaling quickly waved her hands.
At the same time, she secretly nudged Jiao Qin and Zhou Yu beside her with her elbow.
Her two sisters-in-law immediately snapped back to their senses and started nodding along.
"Right, right, right, Anxun, don’t misunderstand. We were just chatting casually..."
Ling Anxun glanced at them one last time, then turned and strode out.
Once he was gone, the air in the room instantly grew heavy.
After a long moment, Jiao Qin shook her head with a wry smile.
"How are we supposed to explain this to Mom? The old lady has been nagging about it these past few days."
"What else can we do? Just tell her the truth."
Zhou Yu spread her hands, her tone somewhat helpless.
"It’s not like we can lie to her, can we?"
"That’s true, but..."
Jiao Qin sighed, her gaze drifting out the window.
"But no matter how sensible and obedient Shanshan is, she’ll grow up one day. She can’t stay with our family forever, can she? When she gets married in the future, she can’t just take Anxun with her, can she? What would that even look like..."
As the saying goes, the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother.
Although her mother-in-law was still alive, Jiao Qin, as the family’s eldest sister-in-law, always felt a special sense of concern for her young brother-in-law.
Afterward, the three of them told the whole family what had happened.
Everyone talked it over at once, and in the end, they reached a consensus.
They would wait until his injuries were fully healed before discussing anything else.
Bringing it up now would not only be useless but might also hurt everyone’s feelings.
And so, the matter was quietly set aside.
But when people fail to plan ahead, disaster is sure to strike swiftly.
This time, it was a bloody lesson.
Ling Anxun had been recovering well under the meticulous care of his family.
Just when the entire family was breathing a sigh of relief, Ling Zhenkang, who had always been robust and healthy, suddenly collapsed in his study.
By the time a servant found him, his consciousness was fading, and the situation was critical.
With no time to pack anything, everyone rushed to the hospital.
Outside the emergency room, the air was unbearably heavy.
Everyone stood, their gazes locked on the tightly closed door.
Shanshan stood beside Ling Anxun’s wheelchair, staring blankly at everything.
She was still young and didn’t fully understand what "critically ill" truly meant.
But she could feel the somber atmosphere.
Shanshan, who was always laughing and playing, was tasting this indescribable feeling for the first time.
Her gaze swept over everyone’s faces.
Grandma was sobbing softly, her uncles were frowning in thought, her aunts had their hands clasped in silent prayer...
Finally, her gaze fell upon Ling Anxun.
His head was bowed, his expression grim, and he didn’t say a word.
Shanshan bit her lip, mustering the courage to walk over to him.
She wanted to say something comforting, even if it was just to give him a gentle hug.
Just so he would know that he wasn’t bearing this alone.
But from the end of the hallway, a stifled sob suddenly broke the silence.