Chapter 70: Too Biased
She never refused or acted shy, always accepting the red envelopes and gift baskets with a beaming smile and a sweet "thank you."
"Thank you, Uncle! Thank you, Grandma! Shanshan will take them!"
Her clear, bright eyes would curve into crescents, her little cheeks flushed. Anyone who saw her couldn’t help but dote on her.
But her frank acceptance actually made the gift-givers feel even more awkward about retracting their offers.
And it turned out their gifts were not in vain.
Within a few months, everyone in the Ling family, from top to bottom, was brimming with energy.
Outsiders couldn’t tell, because the Ling family never gossiped about their private affairs.
The Ling Family had always been low-key, never flaunting their wealth.
When neighbors asked about the old master’s recent condition, they would only give a brief reply.
"He’s alright. His appetite has been good lately."
But the family members themselves knew clearly in their hearts. ’Things are different. They’ve truly changed.’
At night, lying in bed, Ding Qin and Ling Zhenkang would often exchange a glance, their eyes filled with shock and suspicion.
At first, they dismissed it all as a coincidence.
But after several consecutive months, everyone’s condition kept improving. Even their second daughter-in-law, who suffered from chronic insomnia, could now sleep soundly until dawn.
This wasn’t a coincidence; it was a real, tangible change.
Ding Qin and Ling Zhenkang were dumbfounded.
Their original plan was simply to raise her, providing her with good food and clothes, and then figure out a path for her when she was older.
Who would have thought that just a few months after this child arrived, the household would become more prosperous by the day, as if by magic.
She was just a child they’d adopted on a whim to make their youngest son happy. How did she become the whole family’s lucky star?
Initially, they just thought she was sensible and well-behaved, always greeting people politely and offering to massage their backs.
But later, they discovered that the herbs she gathered were effective, and the meal plans she designed were expertly crafted.
Even a simple bowl of ginger soup she casually brewed could break a high fever.
’How is this an ordinary child?’
’She’s like a little goddess who’s walked straight out of the mountains.’
The two of them simply started doting on her like their own granddaughter, their favoritism on full display.
At mealtimes, they would specifically pick out her favorite dishes and place them in her bowl.
Her New Year’s red envelopes were doubled.
Even her clothes were personally selected by Ding Qin on trips to the provincial capital.
If she so much as coughed, the whole family would tense up.
If she laughed, the room would instantly seem to brighten.
This adoration was completely undisguised.
The other grandsons didn’t say anything, but they all felt a pang of jealousy.
Even the usually broad-minded Ling Zhiyu, upon seeing his grandfather personally combing Shanshan’s hair, silently turned and went back to his room.
"Grandpa, Grandma, you’re so biased! Why does Shanshan get it first? I want the biggest one!"
That evening at dinner, a pot of stewed hen soup sat on the table, its aroma filling the air.
Ling Zhiwei sat at the table, staring at the huge drumstick floating in the soup.
He thought he could hold it in.
But watching his grandmother place the drumstick in Shanshan’s bowl, he slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet.
Before, he was the youngest. The drumstick, the choice cuts of meat, the fattiest piece in the soup—it was all his.
Back then, he thought this favoritism would be his forever.
But ever since Shanshan arrived, everyone’s attention had shifted to her.
It wasn’t that anyone was intentionally neglecting him, but Shanshan was just too special.
Without anyone realizing it, she had become the center of the family’s affection.
Ling Zhiwei had actually noticed the change long ago.
He saw it all and kept his feelings bottled up.
He never complained to their faces or threw things in a tantrum; he just smiled less and less.
His sudden outburst stunned the entire family.
Ding Qin’s hand trembled, and the ladle nearly fell into the soup tureen.
Ling Zhenkang frowned at his grandson, his gaze reproachful.
The other children looked at each other, at a loss.
His three older brothers froze, subconsciously glancing at Shanshan, then back at him.
Without a word, they each took the drumsticks from their own bowls and placed them, all at once, into hers.
Finally, every eye in the room was fixed on Ling Zhiwei’s face.
He lowered his head, his face slightly flushed, his fingers gripping his chopsticks tightly.
His grandparents’ eyes held disappointment, his brothers’ held accusation, but Shanshan wasn’t looking at him.
She was looking down, her small hands clutching the hem of her clothes, looking as if she was about to cry.
He endured the three death stares, gritted his teeth, and gently placed his drumstick in Shanshan’s bowl.
Shanshan blinked, then broke into a fit of laughter, rocking back and forth.
"Thank you, big brothers! Shanshan will eat every last bite!"
So as not to disappoint them, she didn’t even touch her rice, focusing solely on gnawing on the drumsticks.
She took small bite after small bite, her cheeks puffed out.
Grease dripped onto her clothes, but she paid it no mind.
Her only thought was to finish all the drumsticks and not let her brothers’ kindness go to waste.
If Ding Qin hadn’t been watching her like a hawk, she really might have eaten until she threw up.
The old lady saw through her intentions at a glance and quickly placed a helping of vegetables into her bowl.
"Eat slowly. No one’s going to fight you for it."
Her tone was stern, but her eyes were filled with affection.
She knew this child wasn’t being gluttonous; she was just afraid of disappointing others.
Ling Zhiyu sat beside her, coaxing her not to eat so fast, while his own eyes grew moist.
Watching his little sister eat with such effort, his heart ached.
When she wasn’t looking, he quietly used his chopsticks to pluck a small piece of chicken from near her mouth and place it in his own bowl.
He didn’t want her to eat until she was sick.
But he was also afraid of hurting her feelings, so this was the only way he could secretly reduce her portion.
Under the lights, the corners of his eyes were red, and the tip of his nose tingled.
"Be good, Shanshan. Save this drumstick for tomorrow. Don’t make yourself sick."
In that moment, he was no longer the calm and composed big brother, but simply a boy whose heart ached for his little sister.
In the end, it was Ling Zhiwei who managed to coax her to stop.
Seeing Shanshan’s cheeks puffed out like a little squirrel’s, he finally sighed and said softly, "Shanshan, I gave you my chicken because I wanted to see you happy, not to see you stuff yourself sick."
Hearing this, Shanshan paused and looked up at him.
He smiled at her.
"Tomorrow, I’ll have the kitchen stew another one, just for you."
Only then did she nod and obediently put down her chopsticks.
In truth, none of the Ling family’s grandsons were truly jealous of her.
They might have felt a fleeting moment of disappointment, a brief sense of unfairness.
But after spending real time with her, anyone could feel her sincerity.
She remembered everyone’s birthday and knew who was afraid of the cold and who liked spicy food.
They understood in their hearts that this girl was a treasure sent from heaven.
It wasn’t because she had cured someone’s illness, nor because she had brought them good luck.
She had brought warmth back into their home.
Every time she returned to the ancestral home, Shanshan would receive heaps of snacks and toys, enough to fill her entire room.
Even her usually stern second uncle would secretly slip her a box of watercolor paints.
The gifts never stopped coming, piling up in her room like a small hill.
In less than half a year, there was no longer any room to walk in her bedroom.
The maid, A Ying, would shake her head while cleaning. "This isn’t a child’s room, it’s practically a warehouse."
Ling Zhenkang slammed the table. "Fine. Zhiwei’s room is empty anyway. Let Shanshan use it to store her gifts."
The old man sat in the main hall, took a puff from his cigarette, and finally made his decision.
He couldn’t stand the sight of gift boxes strewn all over the house any longer.
Ling Zhiwei had already moved into the school dormitory, so his room had been empty.
Rather than let it sit idle, it was better to use it to house these overflowing tokens of affection.
As soon as he finished speaking, the whole family burst out laughing.
Even Ling Zhiwei himself said with a laugh, "Sure, if my sister likes it, she can have it."
Poor Ling Zhiwei. He had finally made it through the week to the weekend, and could at last come home for two days of good rest.
He dragged his exhausted body, duffel bag in hand, and full of anticipation, took out his key and inserted it into the lock.
With a CLICK, he pushed open the door to his room.
But he froze on the spot right in the doorway, his eyes practically bugging out of his head.