Chapter 75: No Pushover
He paused, then continued, "Even if they don’t say anything or do anything about it, being exposed in front of so many people is a loss of face for the child, and the parents lose face too. When word of something like this gets out, they’ll be more cautious in the future. You didn’t lay a hand on anyone, but you achieved a better result than if you had. That’s the smart way to handle things."
He broke it down into simple, easy-to-understand terms.
Shanshan, who only half-understood, blinked her eyes and, after a moment, slowly nodded.
"...Okay, I’ll try that next time."
Everyone thought the matter was over.
But Ling Anxun hadn’t forgotten.
A few days later, he ran into the chubby kid’s father at a meeting.
A project approval had reached a critical stage. What should have been a straightforward process was suddenly stalled.
The procedure was inexplicably delayed, and the documents were sent back repeatedly. The reasons given sounded official but were actually complete nonsense.
Ling Anxun sat in his office, looking at the report his subordinate handed him. He didn’t say a word, only writing a single word in the approval column: "Re-evaluate."
No one knew this was just him getting a little revenge for his daughter.
No blades were drawn, no blood was shed, but it was enough to make that man tear his hair out for half a month.
To this day, the chubby kid’s father was still baffled.
’Where did I ever offend this guy?’
’We don’t normally cross paths, and we have no grievances at work, so why am I being targeted at every turn lately?’
He couldn’t figure it out for the life of him and could only chalk it up to bad luck.
After Shanshan moved into the Ling family compound, sunshine splashed across the gray brick ground, and birds chirped on the branches.
Unexpectedly, for several days in a row, the only person who came looking for her was Qin Haoyu.
The other children either watched her from a distance, not daring to come closer...
...or they would whisper a few words among themselves before turning and running away.
Ding Qin noticed something was wrong and grew quietly worried.
During lunch that day, she couldn’t help but secretly ask her husband.
"Could the other kids be bullying her? I see her practicing her forms in the courtyard all by herself... Maybe I should step in? Find a chance to talk to the other parents?"
"Have you forgotten what happened last time? If anyone’s going to get the short end of the stick, it’ll be the other kids."
As soon as he said that, Ding Qin suddenly remembered.
That day at the school gate, when Shanshan was surrounded and mocked, she didn’t say a word. She lunged forward, and with a single leg sweep, she took down the chubby kid who was leading the provocation.
She immediately burst out laughing. Her hand, holding a piece of food with her chopsticks, trembled so much she almost dropped them into her soup bowl.
"Right, right, let’s not get involved! Let the kids solve their own problems! Besides... she’s not one to be messed with."
「More than half a year passed in a flash.」
Shanshan ate well and slept soundly. She shot up in height, and her face filled out quite a bit.
She had three regular meals a day, with the Ling family’s kitchen always coming up with new and nutritious dishes for her.
As soon as it was nine o’clock at night, her grandmother would urge her to go to bed, not allowing her to stay up late.
The ample food and sleep made her body develop quickly. Her once thin and small frame was now tall and graceful.
Her face no longer had its old sourpuss expression; it had become rosy and plump.
But before her own birthday arrived, Ling Zhenkang’s birthday came first.
A glance at the calendar revealed that the old master, Ling Zhenkang, would be celebrating his seventieth birthday at the beginning of next month.
According to the customs of their hometown, a birthday ending in a zero had to be celebrated grandly.
The younger generation had long since begun discussing how many tables of relatives and friends to invite.
The original plan was to have a lively banquet with several tables.
But things were sensitive recently, so they could only celebrate quietly, not even setting off firecrackers.
At the beginning of the year, there had been a few cases of cadres’ families being publicly criticized for holding extravagant events.
Although the Ling family had already taken a step back from the front lines, the rules still applied, and they couldn’t give anyone a reason to talk.
So, the original plan to host a thirty-table banquet at a restaurant was canceled and changed to a simple dinner gathering at home.
The red lanterns that had been hung in the courtyard were also temporarily taken down.
The only string of small decorative lights had been secretly put up by Ling Anyu.
Even the second aunt, who always loved a lively atmosphere, was scolded by the old master.
"No firecrackers! Keep it down!"
Despite all this, Ling Zhenkang’s old comrades still came to the door one by one, gifts in hand, to wish him a happy birthday.
Most of these old comrades-in-arms and former colleagues lived in the same compound.
They had known each other for decades.
They didn’t care about pomp and circumstance, only about their bond.
Ling Anxun and Shanshan changed into new clothes and stood at the door to greet the guests.
The father and daughter stood side by side, causing the elders who came to offer birthday wishes to stop and take pictures.
"Well, if it isn’t Shanshan! It’s been a while since we went fishing together. How about you have your grandpa bring you along someday, and we can head down to the river?"
The speaker was Grandpa Yang, a retired regimental commander. His face was covered in wrinkles, but he was full of vigor.
He bent down, beaming at Shanshan, the corners of his eyes crinkling into a pile of wrinkles.
When he was younger, his favorite thing was to take the children fishing by the lake.
He used to take Shanshan often, teaching her how to bait a hook and how to watch the float.
"Hello, Grandpa Yang. I’ve been busy with tutoring recently, so I probably won’t have time to go."
Shanshan bowed politely.
She had indeed been scheduled for intensive academic and calligraphy lessons, with piano practice on the weekends, making her schedule completely packed.
But she didn’t voice any of these complaints, merely responding with a smile.
No one had to teach Shanshan about the ways of the world; she had figured them out on her own.
Although she was young, her difficult and transient childhood had taught her to read people and situations from an early age.
She knew who genuinely liked her and who was just making polite small talk.
When an acquaintance arrived, she would greet them with a smile and chat for a bit.
When a stranger arrived, she would stick obediently to Ling Anxun’s side, listening as her father made the introductions.
When she saw familiar faces like Grandpa Yang or Aunt Zhang, who visited often, she would proactively go up to offer them tea, chat about school, and make them laugh heartily.
Everyone said the father and daughter looked so much alike.
Ling Anxun had deep-set eyes and was a man of few words, and Shanshan was the same.
When they stood together, one was stern and upright, the other quiet and well-behaved.
The guests couldn’t help but marvel, "This girl is a carbon copy of a young Staff Officer Ling!"
Hearing this, they both felt a sweetness in their hearts.
Ling Anxun remained expressionless, but the slight upturn at the corners of his eyes showed he was clearly in a good mood.
She knew that although her father rarely said he loved her, he would feel a quiet sense of pride every time she was praised.
...
One of Ling Zhenkang’s old friends arrived, bringing his granddaughter with him.
This old friend, surnamed Song, had been Ling Zhenkang’s deputy. After retiring, he had been living out of town.
He had made a special trip back from the south for the birthday celebration, and he brought along his granddaughter, who had just returned from studying in the UK.
The young woman wore an off-white trench coat, her long hair draped over her shoulders. Her skin was fair, and she had delicate features.
The moment she walked in, she captured everyone’s attention.
The girl was fresh and lovely, young, and still single.
The moment she entered, her eyes were glued to Ling Anxun.
Song Yan was twenty-five years old and had just earned her master’s degree in Art History from the University of London.
She was naturally lively and poised, but the moment she saw Ling Anxun, her heart inexplicably began to race.
She had heard stories about this junior member of the Ling family.
While making small talk with Ling Zhenkang, she couldn’t help but sneak glances out of the corner of her eye at the tall figure standing by the door.
Her grandfather gave her a gentle push from behind. She blushed, mustered her courage, and approached him.
Grandpa Song smiled and patted his granddaughter’s back, whispering, "Don’t just stand there like a fool. Go say hello."