Lin Feng’s questions were sharp and resonant, like an interrogation of the soul. Lin Changzheng’s bowed form trembled violently.
“What? Can’t answer, is Lin Zhen more important than me?”
Lin Feng smiled, a smile filled with bitterness and heartache.
Xia Xue had initially sided with Lin Changzheng, thinking Lin Feng was being overly demanding.
But now, looking at Lin Feng, Xia Xue found him to be deeply pitiable.
Indeed, Lin Feng had always relied on his own strength to persevere.
Lin Zhen, not only the Lin family’s constant obstruction to Lin Feng but also constantly seeking to end Lin Feng’s life.
Now, even Lin Changzheng was here to plead for Lin Zhen.
But when Lin Feng was in dire straits, who had ever pleaded for him?
Thinking of this, Xia Xue’s eyes welled up. She silently held Lin Feng’s arm, wanting to give this unfortunate man some warmth.
“Old Sir, you don’t have to answer this question. Let me tell you the truth, at first, I never intended to have any dealings with Lin Zhen.”
“In fact, I never intended to have any dealings with your Lin family!”
“Back then, from the moment I was abandoned by the Lin family, I had no connection with them. I just wanted to live my own life.”
“From the time I could remember, all I knew was that my surname was Lin. Other than that, I knew nothing. Other children had their parents by their side, while I felt like I had sprung from a rock.”
“I thought that was fine too, at least I had no attachments. From then on, I wanted to rely on my own efforts to create a home of my own.”
“When other children enjoyed their childhood, I practiced martial arts day and night.”
“When other children were studying, I was crawling through piles of the dead.”
“Back then, who cared about me, this child who sprang from a crack in a rock? They just saw me as a little beggar, mocked me, and wanted to stay away from me, afraid I would tarnish their sight!”
“I don’t envy Lin Zhen having your protection. I only envy that he knows he didn’t spring from a crack in a rock, that he knows he’s a normal person.”
“But me? I was a mistake from birth!”
“I recognized the reality, I didn’t think about revenge. It was you who insisted on killing me, thinking my existence was a disgrace to your Lin family.”
“I just wanted to live well, is that wrong?”
Lin Feng’s eyes were red. As he spoke these words, his own heart ached.
Lin Changzheng was speechless, looking at Lin Feng before him, unable to utter a word.
Xia Xue, holding Lin Feng’s arm, could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.
At this moment, she felt Lin Feng’s profound helplessness and despair. This man no longer had his usual smile; it was replaced by deep sorrow and desolation.
“After saying that, I feel much better. From now on, I won’t seek out Lin Zhen to settle accounts, and you, the Lin family, should not bother me anymore. Let’s stay out of each other’s way. This is my greatest concession.”
Lin Feng, feeling weary, turned his back and was about to leave.
Suddenly, Lin Changzheng knelt down behind him.
Seeing this, Lin Feng was not only startled but Xia Xue also found it unbelievable.
Lin Changzheng was a figure universally respected. His knees should not bend, whether due to his esteemed status or his age of over eighty. He should not be kneeling.
Yet, Lin Changzheng knelt before Lin Feng.
An eighty-year-old man knelt there, straight as an arrow.
A grandfather kneeling before his grandson was truly a challenge to one’s psychological endurance.
Lin Changzheng looked at the stunned Lin Feng and offered a bitter smile. “You don’t need to be so surprised. I am kneeling before you now, not as a grandfather, but as an elder of the Lin family.”
“My Lin family has wronged you. I, as the head of the family, have failed in my duty. Whether it’s your father Lin Zhongtian or your brother Lin Zhen, anything they’ve done wrong to you is a result of my failure to teach them properly.”
“I sincerely apologize to you now!”
“As for who is more important in my heart, Lin Zhen or you, Lin Feng, there is only one answer: you are both equally important!”
“Because you are both Lin family blood. Even if Lin Zhen is not good, he is still my grandson!”
“You are the same. If I had known you were still alive and living such a difficult life, I would have risked my life to protect you, because you are Lin Changzheng’s grandson!”
Lin Changzheng spoke with conviction.
Then, he rose and brushed the dust from his knees.
“Old Sir, do you think this will make me forgive you, will make me acknowledge you?”
Lin Feng’s expression remained indifferent, unmoved.
Lin Changzheng shook his head. “Lin Feng, I knelt before you purely to offer an apology on behalf of the Lin family. But I do not expect you to forgive us.”
“Similarly, I want to say something rather harsh.”
“In this world, no parent wishes for their child to suffer. Unless they have unspeakable reasons, they would not abandon their flesh and blood.”
“The fact that they gave birth to you is the greatest kindness they could offer. You can hate them, but you cannot disown them, because they gave you life. This debt is owed from the moment you were born.”
“Ten months of pregnancy. From the moment your mother carried you, just like the pregnant girls around you, she endured so much pain, yet still thought of giving birth to you. What great maternal love this is.”
“As for why your father abandoned you, both your grandmother and I bear responsibility.”
“You fell ill with a strange disease shortly after birth, and it couldn’t be cured. Your parents were despondent every day, trying every means to seek medical help.”
“Unfortunately, this coincided with the Lin family facing a crisis. To prioritize the greater good over the smaller, I dedicated myself to work, neglecting you at home.”
“Furthermore, your brother Lin Zhen also contracted this strange illness from you. Medical knowledge was limited back then, and you two brothers could only save one.”
“Your father agonized over it and ultimately chose to keep your brother, believing you owed your brother since you infected him.”
“But in my view, neither of you brothers could be abandoned. It was only later, when I found out, that you had already been discarded by your father in the wilderness.”
Recalling the past, Lin Changzheng couldn’t help but shed tears.
Lin Feng frowned, hearing about the events of that year for the first time.
No wonder Wang Huixin had never told him. It turned out that back then, he and Lin Zhen could only save one, and Lin Zhongtian had ultimately chosen to keep Lin Zhen.
No wonder Wang Huixin always said Lin Zhongtian had unspeakable reasons. So this was his so-called unspeakable reason.
“Grandpa Lin, but the Lin family knew Lin Feng was alive. If they knew, why did they still target Lin Feng? What did he do wrong?”
Xia Xue asked, confused.
“He did nothing wrong. The Lin family was wrong. Your father feared that the scandal of that year would be exposed and affect the Lin family’s reputation, and also worried about my reputation in my twilight years, so he decided to cover up the mistake all the way.”
“I have already confined your father. This scoundrel needs to reflect on his actions. Compared to reputation, a family living happily together is the most important thing.”
“Even I, an old man, don’t care about it, so why should he!”
Lin Changzheng’s teeth itched with anger as he said this.
Lin Feng gradually understood everything, his emotions in a jumble.
“Old Sir, I understand now. Please go back first. I want some quiet time. Once I’ve thought things through, I will go to the Lin family to give you an explanation.”
Lin Feng said calmly.