Chapter 24 part 2: Father Lin's attitude

Father Lin looked at her; seeing her speak with such conviction brought him a measure of comfort. After all, what more could parents ask for? Their greatest wish was simply for their children to live well. It wasn't about finding someone of a specific caliber to be "worthy" of his daughter; in truth, he felt that no man in the world was truly good enough for her. 

To a parent, their child is the best, no matter what. As a father, he simply didn't want her to make a wrong decision out of a momentary impulse or spite—a choice that could jeopardize her lifelong happiness. But since she spoke with such certainty, what grounds did he have to object?

After a long moment, Father Lin sighed softly and said, "As long as he treats you well and you have no regrets, then your mother and I have nothing more to say. Your future is yours to live; the path you take is your own choice. If you have no regrets and believe this man is the one you can spend your life with, then go ahead. We won't stand in your way; we can only offer our support."

"Dad..." Lin Li looked at her father, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears. She had always known her parents adored her; their love was palpable, something she had clearly felt throughout her life. She wanted to cry—not out of sadness, but out of guilt and self-reproach. She felt guilty for having failed to show them any filial piety as she grew up, and blamed herself for still causing them to worry about her. It was, she realized, truly wrong of her.

"Mom and Dad just want you to live well and stay safe from harm, because when you get hurt, it pains us even more than it does you." Lin’s father looked at her, a gentle smile spreading across his lips. "We’re getting old now. We don't ask for anything in return; seeing you live a good, smooth, and happy life—that is the best reward you could give us. Do you understand?"

Lin Li nodded, and the tears she had been holding back finally spilled over. Speaking with a thick, tearful voice, she replied, "I’m sorry, Mom, Dad. I’m always making you worry." As she spoke, the tears fell even faster. 

----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/

Mother Lin glanced at her husband with a smile playing on her lips, then rose to sit beside Lin Li. She gathered her daughter into an embrace and gently wiped away the tears Lin Li hadn't even realized were falling. "Silly girl," she teased, "crying at your age—aren't you ashamed?"

Lin Li shook her head and wiped her face; looking from her mother to her father, her tears gave way to a smile.

Watching his daughter, Father Lin’s stern expression gradually softened into a smile. He sighed silently to himself: his daughter was truly about to become a daughter-in-law to another family.

After a long moment, Father Lin spoke again: "When Zhou Han gets back, tell him to arrange a dinner with his parents for tomorrow."

Lin Li was momentarily stunned. She turned to look at him and said softly, "Dad, if you don't want to, we..."

"You and Zhou Han are already husband and wife; even without a wedding ceremony, it’s necessary for our two families to meet." He looked at her and added with a playful tone, "At the very least, I need the Zhou family to know that my daughter isn't without family backing—they’d better not think of bullying my daughter."

"Pfft—!" Lin Li chuckled. Despite the tear tracks still on her face, she didn't want her parents to worry, so she said with a slight blush, "They treat me very well; they wouldn't bully me." 

The Zhou family really was kind to her and never gave her a hard time; Mother Zhou even treated her like her own daughter—even when not physically present, she still made Lin Li feel a mother's warmth.

Hearing this, Lin Li's father smiled and turned to her mother, saying, "Look at that—she's already defending them; she can't bear to hear me say a bad word about them."

At his words, Lin Li blushed even more and said with a playful, bashful tone, "I wasn't..."

Lin Li's mother smiled too; she reached out to stroke Lin Li's hair and said with satisfaction, "That's a good thing. It shows the Zhou family really treats my daughter well!"

Lin Li's father nodded with a smile and said nothing more.

----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/

When Zhou Han returned after seeing his mother off, Lin Li and her parents were still chatting in the living room. However, the solemn expressions they had worn that morning were gone; now, they were laughing and talking happily.

Hearing the sound, Lin Li turned her head and locked eyes with Zhou Han, who was standing in the doorway. They gazed at each other for a moment before Lin Li looked away in embarrassment, her face flushing with an inexplicable heat.

Lin Li's mother also noticed Zhou Han standing at the door and smiled, asking, "You're back, Zhou Han? Have you seen your mother home?"

Zhou Han nodded. His face, usually stern and cool, now wore a completely natural smile as he walked toward Lin Li's mother. "Yes, I've seen my mother home." As he spoke, he naturally moved to stand beside Lin Li and greeted her father: "Uncle."

Lin Li's father still felt a bit awkward; he simply nodded without saying anything.

Suddenly thinking of something, Lin Li's mother asked, "Is the child having trouble adjusting to your mother?" He seemed to be quite quiet—not as lively as most children; perhaps a bit *too* quiet. Zhou Han nodded and said, "No, Xiao Bin is very well-behaved; he won't make a fuss."

Hearing this, Mother Lin felt reassured; she nodded and said nothing more.

Zhou Han glanced at his watch, then turned to Lin Li and said, "It's getting late. Lin Li, let's take your parents out for a meal; we didn't really eat much at the hospital at lunchtime."

Lin Li realized he was right. They had just grabbed a quick, makeshift bite at noon while accompanying her father for his various check-ups—strictly speaking, they hadn't eaten a proper meal at all. Her father, in particular, had been fasting for the tests.

She hurriedly nodded and said to her parents, "That's right—Mom, Dad, you didn't eat much at lunch. Let's go get something to eat now."

Mother Lin nodded. She hadn't noticed the hunger while chatting, but the moment it was mentioned, she realized she was indeed quite hungry. She smiled at Zhou Han and said, "No need to go out; that's too much trouble. We can just whip up something simple here at home." She turned to Lin Li and asked, "What do you have in the house? I'll cook something for you."

Lin Li gave an awkward laugh and rubbed her nose. "I had planned to go shopping this morning, but I got your call just as I was about to leave, so I didn't end up going."

----- please read the translation from https://irisatdusk.blogspot.com/