Chapter 230: The Decision to Move

Chapter 230: Chapter 230: The Decision to Move

At this point, Lin Kangshun couldn’t be bothered with the old adage about not airing one’s dirty laundry in public. He hurried after the doctor and anxiously explained his family’s situation.

The reason he had spared no expense or effort—pulling strings to first get a blood sample from Gu Jiabao, then hiring a doctor to make a special trip to the prison to draw blood from Lin Dong for the costly DNA test, and finally waiting over half a month to travel to the provincial capital alone to get the results—wasn’t because he actually believed Tao Jianren’s dying words. It stemmed from his own initial lapse in judgment, coupled with a tiny, extravagant hope he harbored in his heart.

But he never expected this. He truly never expected a result that would leave him both overjoyed and apprehensive, terrified that the hospital might have made a mistake and he was getting his hopes up for nothing.

Hearing Lin Kangshun’s explanation, the doctor stopped in his tracks, the anger on his face vanishing. He pondered for a long while. He had never heard of a case of twins having different fathers. Finally, he looked up at Lin Kangshun, who was watching him with an expectant gaze, and made a decision. "I’ve certainly never heard of a situation like this," he said. "If it’s not too much trouble, why don’t you bring both children in? We can also send someone with you to the prison to get another sample. Our hospital will perform the test again for you, free of charge. How does that sound?"

"It’s no trouble, no trouble at all." Lin Kangshun excitedly grabbed the doctor’s hand and shook it vigorously. "Thank you, thank you. I can’t thank you enough."

"Don’t mention it. This is the first time we’ve encountered a case like this, so it’s only right to be cautious. Actually, it would be best if you could persuade the child’s other father to come in for a test as well," the doctor said with a hint of regret. Seeing Lin Kangshun’s expression instantly freeze, he gave an awkward smile, knowing he was asking too much. "But it won’t affect anything if he doesn’t come. Ahem, well then, it’s settled. Let’s schedule it for tomorrow morning."

Only then did Lin Kangshun’s expression soften as he nodded. The journey home from the provincial capital was a whirlwind of complex emotions. When he walked through the door, his wife, Yu Xiuying, was knitting and watching TV. She looked up when he came in and asked casually, "So, you saw the results? How did it go?"

"It seems Jia Bao might really be our family’s child." Lin Kangshun handed her the test report. "How is that possible?" Yu Xiuying put on her reading glasses and stared at the paper, her voice filled with disbelief.

"I didn’t believe it at first either. I explained our situation to the doctor, and he suggested we bring both children in for another free test. We’ve already arranged to go again tomorrow." Lin Kangshun stared at the report he had read countless times on the way home and murmured, ’I didn’t believe it at first, but on the journey back... I started to believe it...’

"So what if it’s true?" Yu Xiuying tossed the report aside after a brief glance. "Kangshun, I’ve been thinking about this constantly these past few days, wondering what we would do if Jia Bao really is our family’s child. But no matter how I look at it, even if he is a Lin, the thought of him looking so much like Tao Jianren makes my skin crawl. Didn’t you also say our Lin Dong is still young? Once he gets out, he can marry again. Will he have any trouble having children? If we bring Jia Bao back, and then Lin Dong gets married later, will there ever be peace in this house?"

She hesitated for a moment, then looked at Lin Kangshun and shared her idea. "How about this? I think it would be better if we just left the child with the Tao family. We can just give them some money every month."

"No. If the second test confirms that Jia Bao is indeed our family’s child, then we must bring him back." Lin Kangshun’s tone was heavy and firm, with an assertiveness that left no room for argument.

"Kangshun?" Yu Xiuying was stunned.

"There’s something I haven’t dared to tell you." Lin Kangshun bent down to pick up the report, carefully folding it and putting it in his pocket before looking up at his wife. "Last month, Lin Dong had a fall in prison. The doctor said... he probably won’t ever be able to have children." As Lin Kangshun spoke, Yu Xiuying staggered, shaking her head in disbelief. "No, that’s not true. How could that be true? Kangshun, tell me you’re joking. None of this is real, right?"

"I wish it weren’t true either." Tears streamed down Lin Kangshun’s face as well.

"It’s all because of that woman! All her fault! If it weren’t for her, how would Lin Dong have ended up in prison? And if he wasn’t in prison, how could he have fallen and become infertile?" Yu Xiuying lost control, SOBBING and grinding her teeth in rage.

"This is fate," Lin Kangshun said, gripping Yu Xiuying’s hand. "But thankfully, Heaven hasn’t completely abandoned the Lin family. Without Jia Bao, what would be the point of earning all the money in the world if there’s no one to inherit it?"

"But... but if we really bring Jia Bao back, how will people look at our family?" Yu Xiuying asked after crying for a while and wiping away her tears.

"What if we move?"

"Move? Kangshun, did I hear you right?"

"That’s right, move." Lin Kangshun’s eyes were shining. "I thought it all through on the way back. With what’s happened to our family, if we bring Jia Bao back, and then our son returns after he’s served his sentence... the way people look at us will definitely be strange. Even if they don’t say anything to our faces, they’ll never stop gossiping behind our backs. Instead of living like that, being pointed at and whispered about, I think we’re better off moving. Moving far away. I’m only two or three years from retirement anyway, so retiring early is no big deal."

Yu Xiuying hesitated. "But... but..."

"Don’t be so reluctant to leave. We have money; starting over somewhere new won’t be difficult." Lin Kangshun was confident he could persuade his wife. "This little county is nice, and I understand it’s hard to leave your home. But for our family to live more peacefully in the future, moving is essential. Besides, if we move, we can keep Jia Bao away from the Tao Family’s influence. We can prevent him from being influenced by Jia Yi and the others over time. Imagine if one day he found out that we once plotted with his grandmother and uncle on how to get revenge on his mother. That his mother’s death is, in fact, inextricably linked to us... then in the future—"

"Say no more! We’ll move. I agree to move." Yu Xiuying cast aside all her other reservations, nodding hastily in agreement with her husband’s suggestion. "And we’ll never bring him back here. We can never let him have the slightest bit of contact with anyone from the Tao family."

"Don’t worry. Once we’re established, if your relatives are willing, we can have them move out as well. There are so many opportunities out there right now. Staying in this small county, they’re unlikely to ever achieve anything great."