Several days had passed since the father and daughter's last conversation.
The items Lin's father had requested had all been transported. With the help of Mr. Du and foreign connections, the goods were moved smoothly.
However, Lin's father's greatest worry now was his only daughter. It was a good thing that his daughter was dedicated to the country and its people, but he was still very concerned about her.
In such a chaotic era, Lin Yan's abilities were too astonishingly powerful; he couldn't protect her.
He desperately wanted to persuade his daughter, to urge her to be careful for her own safety and to do less. But he knew it was impossible. Just as Lin Yan had said that day, he didn't want to leave Shanghai either.
Lin Yan had said that if he was willing to leave Shanghai, she would leave with him. If he stayed, she would not leave.
But how could he leave? He still had his own responsibilities. Behind him were all the underground workers of the Party in Shanghai.
If he left, what would happen to them? How could he abandon righteousness for personal gain?
Therefore, neither father nor daughter could convince the other, and they continued to mind their own affairs.
But now that Lin's father knew of Lin Yan's capabilities, he decided to tell Lin Yan more about his own work, so as to save her the trouble of guessing. Though he suspected Lin Yan had probably already figured it out.
Lin Yan had been spending her time in the laboratory lately, and Ye Xiuyuan had also been invited to her lab. There were very few people in this laboratory, and only assistants personally trained by Lin Yan were allowed entry.
So when Ye Xiuyuan entered, they were all very surprised.
"Mr. Lin, what kind of research are you working on?" Ye Xiuyuan was also very curious. He had previously seen Lin Yan's business grow so large and assumed she had devoted her energy to her business.
He hadn't expected Lin Yan to have her own laboratory. He had taken a brief look just now, and the equipment here was truly comprehensive.
"Does Mr. Ye really want to know? Once you know, you won't be able to leave."
Lin Yan raised her eyebrows and said meaningfully.
Ye Xiuyuan was taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled and said, "It's not bad if I can't leave. I just don't know if Mr. Lin will provide meals?"
"If Mr. Ye is willing to stay, let alone meals, I'll cover all your living expenses."
"Then thank you, Mr. Lin!"
After a period of joking, Ye Xiuyuan was introduced to the experimental content of Lin Yan's laboratory.
Although it wasn't the subject he was most interested in, this experiment was very fascinating, especially since it was an item that would benefit the country and its people.
Lin Yan and Ye Xiuyuan continued to spend time in the laboratory. Once Ye Xiuyuan had caught up with the experimental progress, Lin Yan handed the work over to him.
Afterward, Lin Yan returned home. Lin's father was now helpless regarding his daughter, who would disappear for days at a time in her laboratory.
He could only instruct Zhang Ma to prepare more nourishing soups for Lin Yan to prevent her from overexerting herself.
His daughter's capabilities were too immense; he didn't know how she had managed to learn so much in just four or five years abroad.
Of course, he knew of his daughter's photographic memory, which was why he had sent her abroad against considerable opposition.
"Tong Ge'er wrote to say they are on their way." Lin's father gestured with the letter in his hand. Knowing that Lin Yan would return that evening, he had been waiting in the living room downstairs.
Coincidentally, Lin Tong's letter had also arrived, so he opened it directly in the living room.
Lin Yan had persuaded her second aunt to have Lin Tong and his wife come to Shanghai. She had already told Lin's father this, and he understood her reasoning.
Not to mention anything else, it would be very beneficial for Lin Tong to experience more of the world.
Like Lin Yan, among his many sons, he was closest only to this nephew. He had also received a letter from his second sister-in-law.
He was curious what kind of matter could prompt his second sister-in-law, who was always bound by old-fashioned thinking, to write to him. Upon opening the letter, he saw that she proposed to have Lin Tong adopted by him.
He was aware of his second brother's favoritism. After all, Lin Tong had grown up under his father's tutelage and wasn't close to his second brother. Furthermore, with so many beautiful concubines, he had long since cast aside his first wife.
He preferred the sons born later, and he didn't look favorably upon Lin Tong.
His second sister-in-law felt that her health wouldn't last many more years. She feared that after her passing, his second brother and his concubines wouldn't be able to tolerate Lin Tong, so she wanted to have Lin Tong adopted by him.
It would also be a way to find a protector for Lin Tong. Since his second brother had many sons, he wouldn't be missing this one.
After reading the letter, Lin's father sighed deeply. His second sister-in-law had always been strong-willed, and he hadn't expected her to proactively arrange for her son to be adopted by someone else.
"Tong Ge'er will arrive in a few days. I'll send someone to pick him up. They'll likely have a lot of luggage; I wonder if we'll have enough people to help and if they'll be tired."
"According to the letter, they should arrive the day after tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll arrange for someone to pick them up." Lin's father paused. "Your second aunt wrote to say she wants to have Tong Ge'er adopted by me. What do you think?"
"Is Second Aunt willing?" Lin Yan exclaimed in surprise.
"Your second aunt's health isn't very good, so she wants to find a guardian for Tong Ge'er in advance."
"Second Aunt's health isn't that bad, is it? When I visited last time, Second Aunt seemed quite energetic." Lin Yan frowned. She had checked her second aunt's pulse and left her medication; her health should have been improving.
"Your second aunt's wish has been fulfilled, so her spirit has waned. She's kept Tong Ge'er by her side for so many years, and now she's come to terms with it.
Her desire to have Tong Ge'er adopted stems from her distrust of your second uncle. Yan Yan, what are your thoughts?"
Lin's father sought his daughter's opinion. He had long since accepted the fact that he had only one daughter; otherwise, he would have arranged for an adoption long ago.
He asked Lin Yan because he truly felt sorry for this nephew and wanted to officially take him in. This way, he would be detached from the second branch of the family, and his second brother's concubines wouldn't be able to interfere with Lin Tong anymore.
"If Tong Ge'er doesn't object, I think it's fine. After all, when I'm married, you'll still have someone to keep you company."
Lin Yan wouldn't be able to stay by Lin's father's side forever; she had more important things to do. Therefore, having Lin Tong accompany Lin's father would give her some peace of mind.
"Then when Tong Ge'er arrives, I'll ask for his opinion." Lin's father knew his daughter wouldn't mind. They had grown up together, attended classes together.
They were like siblings already; this would just make it more official. If Tong Ge'er agreed, he would write to his second brother to amend the family genealogy, and his second sister-in-law could then be at ease.
If he were officially adopted, Lin Tong would also have more freedom in Shanghai. Especially if Yan Yan asked him to help manage her businesses, having the title of biological brother would be much more legitimate than that of a cousin!