Chapter 76: Looking for a New Mom?
The tips of Song Yan’s ears flushed red. She bit her lip, took a deep breath, and clutched her small handbag as she walked forward a few steps.
"Um... you must be Ling Anxun, right? My name is Song Yan. I just got back from overseas."
She came to a stop about a step away from Ling Anxun.
She extended a slender, fair hand, her fingertips trembling slightly.
Her gaze lingered on Ling Anxun’s face for a moment before she quickly looked down.
Ling Anxun’s right hand was shoved in his pocket. He didn’t move.
He turned slightly, his eyes finding Shanshan to make sure his daughter hadn’t been swept away by the crowd.
As for the young woman in front of him who had taken the initiative to be friendly...
He neither extended his hand in return nor said a word.
He glanced at his family. They were all sneaking peeks, each one ducking away faster than the last.
Ling Anxun’s brow furrowed. ’He knew exactly what they were up to.’
"Stop looking, stop looking! Anxun is such a closed book, he needs someone lively. Go on, go on, don’t just stand here blocking the way."
Ling Anyu finally couldn’t take it anymore. He set down his teacup, strode over, and started pushing people away, all while smiling to smooth things over.
He put an arm around Song Yan’s shoulder with one hand and took Ling Zhenkang’s old friend by the arm with the other, saying with a hearty laugh, "Sir, let’s go have tea in the inner room and give the kids some privacy."
His second uncle, Ling Anyu, dragged the entire family away, not even sparing Shanshan.
He herded the gawking relatives toward the living room like a flock of ducks, yelling all the while.
"What are you all looking at? The birthday boy is still waiting for his toast!"
Even Shanshan, who had been standing quietly by her father’s side, was grabbed by the wrist and whisked away without another word.
"Grandma, Daddy’s over there..."
Shanshan struggled a little, looking up at her grandmother beside her.
She didn’t want to leave her father, especially with all these strangers around.
"Shh, my sweet granddaughter. Come, keep Grandma company."
Her grandmother quickly covered her mouth, leaning down to coax her softly.
She pulled Shanshan into her arms and, while guiding her toward the sofa, whispered, "Your daddy has his own plans. Let’s not get in the way, all right?"
Ding Qin led Shanshan past the bustling crowd and into a quiet corner by the staircase at the end of the hall.
She bent down and squatted steadily in front of the little girl, carefully cupping Shanshan’s small, delicate face.
"Shanshan, Grandma wants to ask you something, and you have to answer honestly, okay? No lying."
"Okay, Grandma, you can ask. Shanshan will definitely tell the truth."
Shanshan pressed her lips together and nodded her little head seriously.
Seeing her granddaughter looking so sensible, Ding Qin’s heart suddenly melted.
"Do you... want a pretty new mommy? You know, like the ones on TV who can cook, tell stories, and sing to you while holding you?"
"A mommy?"
Shanshan tilted her head, her little brow furrowing slightly.
"You mean... an auntie who lives with Daddy? Like Auntie Pang, who buys groceries, argues, and cooks with Uncle Dapeng every day?"
She actually understood what marriage was.
She knew that when grown-ups got married, it just meant another person moved into the house.
They ate together and lived together.
"Of course Daddy can find an auntie to live with. It’s really hard for Daddy to cook all by himself. If an auntie helped, he could even make an extra dish."
But as soon as the words left her mouth, a hazy but distinct image surfaced in her mind.
The woman in the long blue dress, squatting in front of her, her eyes rimmed with red.
Before she could even react, tears began to stream down her face without warning.
"Oh dear, why are you crying? Sweetheart, don’t cry, don’t cry!"
Ding Qin was shocked. She quickly pulled her granddaughter into her arms, patting her back with one hand while frantically fumbling for a handkerchief with the other to wipe away her tears.
"That’s not what Grandma meant! Finding a new mommy doesn’t mean we don’t want you, you silly girl!"
She spoke faster, her voice trembling with anxiety.
"It means one more person to love you, you know? One more person to help you with your homework, knit you sweaters in the winter, set an extra pair of chopsticks at the table, and read you fairy tales before bed. It doesn’t mean we’re losing you! How could you think that?"
As she spoke, she waved her hands frantically, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.
But the more her grandmother spoke, the more upset Shanshan became. Her small shoulders hitched with sobs, and tears dripped onto Ding Qin’s collar.
She opened her mouth to speak, but she was so choked with sobs that she couldn’t form a complete sentence.
Just then, a rush of hurried footsteps sounded from the doorway.
Ling Anxun, having just extricated himself from the throng of relatives, was searching all over the house for his daughter.
The moment he pushed the door open, he heard that familiar, heart-wrenching cry.
His heart clenched. He quickened his pace, rushing into the corner in just a few strides.
The first thing he saw was his mother holding his daughter, who was sobbing uncontrollably.
"What’s wrong? Who’s been bullying my little girl?"
"Daddy..."
Hearing his voice, Shanshan immediately looked up, her little face streaked with tears.
She struggled out of Ding Qin’s arms and stumbled into Ling Anxun’s embrace.
Her small hands clutched the front of his shirt.
His heart twisting in pain, Ling Anxun immediately scooped her up and began patting her back gently.
"It’s okay, it’s okay. Daddy’s here. No one is going to bully you, do you hear me?"
He looked up at his mother, his brow furrowing even deeper. "Mom, what did you say to Shanshan? Why is she crying like this? Didn’t you promise you’d keep her happy?"
Ding Qin stood up, looking utterly wronged. She threw her hands up, her tone a mixture of panic and grievance.
"I... I really didn’t say anything! I just casually asked her about you and that young woman... I wanted to see if she’d be okay with it, if she could accept a new mother in the house someday. I was just trying to pave the way for you! Who knew that as soon as I mentioned it, the waterworks would start? I couldn’t stop them..."
"Sweetheart, don’t cry anymore."
Ling Anxun slowly knelt down.
He carefully gathered Shanshan into his arms.
"Daddy won’t find you a new mommy. You’re my only daughter, and no one can ever replace you. As long as you’re happy, Daddy would pluck the stars from the sky for you."
Shanshan was still sobbing, her little face flushed and her nose runny from crying.
She couldn’t say a word, only instinctively bury her face in the warm crook of Ling Anxun’s neck.
Fortunately, the storm of emotions had come on quickly, and it passed relatively quickly as well.
After crying for a little while, Shanshan’s sobs gradually subsided, and her tears slowly stopped.
Ling Anxun stayed by her side, patiently waiting for her to calm down.
Once he was sure she wouldn’t break down again, he took her soft little hand and personally led her to the bathroom.
He turned on the faucet, carefully adjusting the water to a warm temperature.
Then, he soaked a soft towel, wrung it out, and gently wiped her face, bit by bit.
After her face was clean, he carefully combed her slightly messy bangs.
Once all that was done, the father and daughter went back downstairs together to face the guests who had been waiting for some time.
What was supposed to be a lively and festive birthday party had nearly spun out of control because of the sudden incident.
Fortunately, thanks to Ling Anxun’s decisive intervention and comfort, the event concluded without any real disaster.
After the incident, everyone in the Ling family learned their lesson.
No one dared to mention the words "a new mommy" in front of Shanshan ever again.
Unexpectedly, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Ling Anxun.
From that day on, the relatives who were constantly hounding him to get married all fell silent.