CHAPTER 405: CHAPTER 307: LIN FAMILY UNCLE

As night fell, three generations of the Lin Family gathered together for this long-awaited reunion dinner.

At the head of the table sat Mr. Lin and Mrs. Lin. At this moment, Mr. Lin was smiling as he looked at his children and grandchildren around the table, listening to the conversations and jokes of the younger generation.

The eldest son of the Lin Family, Lin Aiguo, was always smiling, generous, and straightforward. Though he had not seen his only brother, Lin Aidang, for over a decade, it did not affect his brotherly love for him in the slightest. His return this time was marked by his wife Chen Jingru repeatedly mentioning the incident where Mrs. Lin diverted Zhou Family assets to support Lin Aidang. Despite feeling guilty towards his brother-in-law Zhou Xiaozheng and his daughter, he felt for his brother, whose life was not easy, evident from his premature gray hair.

He gently advised Lin Aidang, "I’m your elder brother. If you face difficulties, remember to discuss them with me. If things aren’t going well over there, I’ll figure out a way to adjust things and get you back."

His earnest words caused Chen Jingru beside him to lower her head, frowning.

Ever since her husband’s salary had been appropriated by Mrs. Lin, Chen Jingru had been feeling uneasy. Especially upon learning before the New Year that her brother and sister-in-law had bought a courtyard, a wave of anger pressed upon her heart.

This time her husband wanted to help them again, but wouldn’t it rely on the little savings she had? She had already planned to arrange her son’s courtyard once their daughter got married. Where would she find the means to solve the second brother’s difficulties?

"Brother, I really don’t have any difficulties right now. I’ll definitely tell you if I do," Lin Aidang shook his head and said. He owed his elder brother a lot, and relocating work matters was truly beyond his elder brother’s help. On coming back this time, their father had already spoken to him about brother-in-law Zhou Xiaozheng and Mrs. Lin’s situation; it was best for him not to return to Beijing for now.

Mrs. Lin glanced at the two daughters-in-law sitting below. Then she turned her head towards her eldest grandson Lin Dingsheng and said, "Are you still planning to leave after meeting relatives and friends this time? Listen to your grandmother; all three brothers should stay at home and not go out."

Lin Dingsheng smiled but said nothing. He understood what Mrs. Lin meant, but he had his own plans. Especially after meeting some people in Beijing and learning some things this time, he was more inclined to stay in the area for a few years before returning.

"Then set your marriage before going back," Mrs. Lin, seeing she couldn’t persuade him, took another step. She was thinking of finding someone from Beijing; let’s see what he does then.

"Grandma, just help me find someone appropriate, and that’s good enough. I’m dead against being treated like a piece of pork to be stubbornly chosen and rejected by others. As long as you like her, that’s fine by me."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jiangyu immediately interjected, "Mom, I think my oldest sister-in-law’s niece is great. Why don’t we invite her over?"

Mr. Lin, quite intrigued, asked, "How old is the girl? Is she suitable for my eldest grandson? What do her parents do? Why haven’t I heard this from your dad beforehand?"

Mrs. Lin shot him a sideways glance and was silent.

"The girl just graduated from high school and is currently looking for a job. She’s beautiful and can sweet-talk. Her parents are workers; with several sons, she’s the only girl, and she’s quite favored at home," Jiang Jiangyu said.

Mr. Lin glanced at his wife, seeing her silent. He laughed, "Such a girl is still not suitable. Our family’s granddaughter-in-law needs someone who can endure hardships, and most importantly, someone smart."

After finishing, he saw his youngest granddaughter Lin Xuezhen roll her eyes and teased, "You girl, say what you’re thinking. What’s with the antics?"

"Grandpa, my mom says the other girl is beautiful. I am not convinced! Sweet-talking? Just good at flattering. I can’t stand that girl; every time she sees us, she wants to play in the big courtyard. How can someone like that be introduced to my elder brother? Is my aunt brainless or sick? How is she even worthy?"

Mrs. Lin chuckled lightly, "Such shallow thoughts. When choosing candidates for your oldest sister-in-law, we still need to find someone with known roots."

Lin Xuezhen ignored her mother’s muttering. She frowned, thought for a while, then clapped her hands and said, "Grandma, no one matches my elder brother."

Lin Aiguo looked at his nephew, then glanced at his own son, and laughed, "Our children in the family won’t fear not finding good families to marry into. There’s no rush with marriage matters. But it’s our family’s daughters who should find matches first."

Mr. Lin nodded, looking at his eldest and second granddaughters—these two indeed needed to find matches.

After dinner, Mr. Lin took his two sons and Lin Dingsheng into the study.

In the study, once Mr. Lin settled into his seat, he got down to business.

He said, "You all know what’s in your hearts from the last discussion, right? A couple of days ago, your brother-in-law took Jiao Jiao to meet with the leaders above. He hasn’t mentioned this matter to you two brothers, has he?"

Lin Aidang frowned and looked towards his elder brother.

Lin Dingsheng thoughtfully regarded Mr. Lin. He wasn’t sure what his grandfather had discussed privately last time, but the past few days, he’d gathered quite a bit of information from Fang Fei and Xiao Zhou. It was nothing more than the feud between elder uncle Zhou Xiaozheng and Mrs. Lin.