allonlinenovel Chapter 1330: Within Reason, Yet Unexpected
Chapter 1330: Within Reason, Yet Unexpected
Seeing Chu Yiren embrace Chen Nianlin, Shen Cuiping's eyes were filled with relief, and she nodded to herself.
This eldest daughter of the Chu family is indeed extraordinary. She is not only insightful and dignified, but also kind-hearted. It is a blessing for the Lin family to have such a daughter-in-law.
Su Wanxing, Li Meng, and the others behind her had also guessed the general idea: this girl was most likely her father-in-law's illegitimate daughter.
The concubines exchanged glances, their eyes all understanding each other.
None of them said a word, and they stood quietly watching everything unfold before them.
Chu Yiren released Chen Nianlin and gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks.
Chen Nianlin stared at the one-yuan coin in her palm, her fingertips trembling violently, hesitant to throw it.
Looking at Shen Cuiping's dignified features, at Lin Lang's expressionless gaze, and at Chu Yiren's gentle yet distant smile, she suddenly realized that this coin was a gamble on her fate for the rest of her life.
"I..." she choked out, her voice trembling.
“I believe in the goddess and my brother and sister-in-law, and I am willing to accept the coin toss to let the ancestors decide my fate. Even if it lands on the tails, I will accept it.”
After saying that, Chen Nianlin no longer hesitated. She knelt down again with a thud, clasped her hands together, held the one-yuan coin tightly in her palms, and looked up at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling.
Then, she closed her tear-filled eyes and prayed earnestly, her voice trembling with sobs:
"I beg the ancestors of the Lin family to have mercy on me, and to remember that I have the blood of the Lin family flowing in my veins, and to allow me to stay in the Lin family. I will certainly be law-abiding, filial to the Empress, and serve my elder brother and sister-in-law, and will never dare to overstep the bounds in the slightest!"
As the prayer ended, she slowly opened her eyes. The fear in her eyes faded, leaving only a stubbornness etched into her bones.
Seeing this scene, Shen Cuiping felt a mix of emotions.
The tenacity that flowed in the Lin family bloodline in Chen Nianlin was exactly the same as her late husband's indomitable spirit when he was young.
She recalled the first time she met her deceased husband; he had the same stubbornness, like someone who would never turn back even after hitting a wall. Now, she saw this same spirit in his illegitimate daughter, and couldn't help but marvel at the mystery of blood ties.
Chu Yiren stood aside, looking at the determined look in Chen Nianlin's eyes. Although she disdained the charade of an illegitimate daughter returning to her ancestral home, she couldn't help but admire the girl's forbearance and stubbornness.
She secretly pondered that if her ancestors were truly willing to accept Chen Nianlin, she would put more effort into training her in the future. As long as her sister-in-law was well-behaved and knew her place, she could also tolerate a well-behaved sister-in-law.
Lin Lang's feelings were very complicated. The bond brought by blood ties was like an invisible thread, tightly wrapped around his heart, making it difficult for him to calm down.
He knew that his mental power was enough to easily change the course of the coin.
With just a thought, he could keep his unfortunate sister by his side, so she wouldn't have to wander anymore.
But as soon as the thought popped into his head, he forcibly suppressed it.
He thought of Chu Yiren's dignity, his mother's predicament, and even more so of Chen Nianlin's resolute words, "Even if it's the other side, I'll accept it."
If we were to use superpowers to intervene, it would not only be a desecration of our ancestors and an insult to her stubbornness, but also a disrespect for the laws of nature.
So be it. The wealth and honor of being recognized as a member of her ancestors should belong to her, and ultimately it will be hers.
If not, what is forced may not be stable, so it is better to leave it to fate.
Zhou Mengyao, Pan Xiaoting, Huo Siyan, and other concubines stood behind their mother-in-law, silently watching everything.
Because they didn't understand the emotional entanglements of the previous generation, or the real cause of her father-in-law's car accident, they only saw Chen Nianlin's pitiful state and, out of sympathy, secretly worried for her.
Chen Nianlin took a deep breath, clenched the coin tightly, and suddenly raised her hand, throwing the silver coin that carried half a lifetime of hope into the air.
The coin traced a shallow arc in the air, spinning rapidly and reflecting the lights in the hall. Everyone's eyes were fixed on that small coin, and even their breathing became unconsciously quiet.
Lin Lang clenched his fist, his fingertips trembling slightly.
Several times he wanted to use his telekinetic powers to intervene in the outcome, but seeing Chen Nianlin's resolute expression, he ultimately gritted his teeth and held back.
Well then, let fate decide.
The coin spun several times in the air, and Chen Nianlin's heart almost stopped. Her eyes were fixed on the falling coin.
She was only a sixteen-year-old girl, and she was extremely nervous at that moment!
Helpless, she knelt on the cold marble tiles, tears streaming down her face. She rubbed her palms together incessantly, silently repeating in her heart:
"May our ancestors have mercy on us!"
"May our ancestors grant us their blessings..."
The coin landed with a "clink" on the polished marble floor, spun around several times, and then slowly came to a stop, landing head up!
Chen Nianlin was stunned at first, then realized what was happening and burst into tears of joy. Her tears flowed freely, carrying with them the greatest happiness.
She stared at the coin face up on the floor, tears instantly streaming down her face. She looked up at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, kowtowed three times, her voice trembling with sobs.
"Thank you, ancestors, for accepting this junior!"
Thank you for the blessings of our ancestors!
"Thank you, ancestors, for providing a place for your descendants to live and for allowing them to remain in the Lin family to fulfill their filial duties!"
Upon seeing this result, Shen Cuiping couldn't help but take a deep breath and sigh to herself: It's truly fate!
She still harbored resentment, grievances, and unwillingness in her heart.
But looking at the thin, pitiful, yet sensible child in front of her, she could only choose to reconcile with herself and formally accept her deceased father's illegitimate daughter.
Maybe, this is life.
It was destined that she and her scumbag, deadbeat husband would continue their entanglement in this way.
Shen Cuiping's expression instantly underwent a complete 180-degree change, her previous solemnity completely disappearing, replaced by a gentle and smiling look.
This is important!
Shen Cuiping's wisdom lies in her ability to assess the situation and act accordingly.
This is called rejecting internal strife and adopting an attitude that everything that happens is in my favor—that's the winning attitude a leader should have.
Despite her deep resentment, Shen Cuiping still displayed the magnanimity of a matriarch in front of her daughters-in-law.
She quickly bent down to help Chen Nianlin up, her tone warm and friendly: "Child, get up quickly, the ground is cold!"
Chen Nianlin looked at Shen Cuiping, whose attitude had suddenly changed, through teary eyes, her voice choked with disbelief:
"Your Majesty, do you...do you accept me?"
Shen Cuiping's tone was firm and unwavering: "It's not just me who accepts you, it's the ancestors of the Lin family who have accepted you!"
Upon hearing this, all the daughters-in-law behind him breathed a sigh of relief, and genuine smiles appeared on their faces.
They were all concubines who had given birth to illegitimate children who couldn't be brought into the light of day. Seeing Chen Nianlin get what she wanted, they felt a deep sense of empathy, as if they were seeing their former selves.
The concubines who witnessed all of this were genuinely happy for their unfortunate yet stubborn sister-in-law.
Chen Nianlin's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally eased, but she choked up and sobbed, too excited to say a word.
Seeing that the coin had landed heads, Chu Yiren smiled faintly, stepped forward, gently took Chen Nianlin's arm, and said softly:
"From now on, we're all one family. Recognizing our ancestors is a joyous occasion, so don't cry."
Chen Nianlin was still sobbing uncontrollably, tears mixed with laughter streaming down her cheeks. Through her teary eyes, she looked at Chu Yiren and nodded vigorously.
Lin Lang's feelings were still very complicated. His brows relaxed, revealing a sense of relief. The entanglement and pain in his heart just now had all turned into tenderness for his half-sister.
He stepped forward, gently patted Chen Nianlin's shoulder, and said, "I'll be here for you from now on," which was more powerful than a thousand words.
Chen Nianlin looked at Lin Lang with a tearful smile, and said in a sob:
“Brother, my mother told me before she died that if the Lin family could accept me without holding a grudge, I should listen to my brother and sister-in-law in everything for the rest of my life.”
"Brother, sister-in-law, for the rest of my life, I will listen to you!"
“I swear to my ancestors that I will never do anything to dishonor my brother and sister-in-law or bring shame to the Lin family.”
Chu Yiren gently wiped away Chen Nianlin's tears with the handkerchief she held in her hand, and said with heartache:
"Okay, okay, your sister-in-law knows you're sensible. Be good, don't cry!"
Lin Lang reached out and gently ruffled Chen Nianlin's hair, saying softly:
"There's no need for the family to be so formal, and there's no need to keep talking about repaying kindness."
"As the saying goes, the eldest brother is like a father. You have lacked fatherly love for so many years. I will make up for it for you in the future. This is not only my love for you, but also to make up for the lack of support and responsibility that our father has failed to fulfill."
Lin Lang's words, full of magnanimity and compassion, deeply moved the concubines present.
Brother Lang's tough-guy tenderness always shines with the brilliance of humanity at crucial moments, which is the main reason why so many beautiful wives love Lin Lang wholeheartedly and never leave him.
To put it simply, it's about personal charisma!
That's just how Lang Ge is. He may be a womanizer, but he's never been ambiguous when it comes to matters of principle.
"Brother! Waaah..."
Chen Nianlin threw herself into Lin Lang's arms, hugging her brother tightly, and cried like a little girl who had suffered a lot of grievances.
Lin Lang's warm embrace gave Chen Nianlin a great sense of security.
She hugged Lin Lang and cried for a long time, feeling wronged.
Those mothers who remarried, and the cold treatment they received from their stepfathers.
After her mother remarried and had another son, she felt like she was superfluous.
After learning that she was not their biological granddaughter, the Chen family's grandparents' attitudes changed completely.
He went from doting on Chen Nianlin like a precious granddaughter to angrily calling her a bastard.
Especially after Chen Bin, feeling wronged and resentful, deliberately took revenge by running over and killing Liu Xiaomei's lovers, Lin's father and mother, and dying together, Chen Nianlin's former grandparents hated her and Liu Xiaomei even more.
Even their grandparents, aunts, and uncles cursed them to their faces, asking why they didn't just die.
She was forbidden from attending her adoptive father's funeral.
The two families fought so badly that their heads ended up in a fight.
This made it so that everyone in the neighborhood and among relatives and friends knew that Chen Nianlin was an illegitimate child.
Overnight, she lost all the love from her adoptive father's family, surnamed Chen, which turned into disgust and hatred towards her.
As for the mother's family, although the maternal grandmother also felt that it was shameful for her daughter Liu Xiaomei to have a child with her lover while married, she felt sorry for her innocent granddaughter and fulfilled her duty of raising her. Unfortunately, good people don't live long.
The uncle and aunt felt that the older sister, Liu Xiaomei, had disgraced the Liu family and immediately distanced themselves from her.
From then on, he ignored his sister's "illegitimate" daughter, Chen Nianlin, and no longer invested any emotion in her.
A five-year-old girl almost lost the love of both families overnight, becoming a "bastard" condemned by everyone. Who can understand the cold stares and malice she carried from childhood to adulthood?
All the humiliation, innocence, and grievances were released through her tears at that moment.
Blood ties are a truly wondrous thing; they are a sense of identity derived from one's lineage.
At this moment, in Lin Lang's arms, in the Lin family, Chen Nianlin found a sense of bloodline identity. She firmly believed that this was her original home.
There is no love for no reason, and no hate for no reason.
Once you understand the circumstances and everything Chen has experienced since childhood, you can understand why she so desperately wants to be recognized as a member of her family and why she so humbly and fervently hopes to receive protection and love from the Lin family.
Because Lin Lang is truly the most trustworthy and only family member Chen Nianlin can rely on in this world.
Lin Lang hugged his younger sister, who was crying her eyes out, and patted her thin back tenderly, comforting her with heartache:
"Don't cry, Nianlin. From now on, your brother will protect you. No one will dare to bully you again."
"The Lin family prioritizes its descendants. Since our ancestors have taken pity on you and accepted you, from now on the Lin family will be your support."
"Brother, sob sob..." Chen Nianlin felt the long-lost warmth and cried even harder while hugging Lin Lang.
Several of Lin Lang's concubines, who were easily moved, also had reddened eyes and secretly wiped away tears, deeply touched by this scene of blood ties and warmth.