After a long while, she finally waved her hand.

"Fine, fine, have it your way! We won’t get involved anymore. Do whatever you want!"

After speaking, she turned her back and shooed them away, urging them to leave quickly.

Her movements were crisp and decisive, but her slightly trembling fingers betrayed her inner turmoil.

Ling Anxun didn’t say anything more. He just silently took Shanshan’s hand and turned to leave.

When his brothers and sisters-in-law heard this, they initially wanted to try and persuade him.

But seeing his unwavering resolve, they could only shake their heads and drop the matter.

Gradually, no one in the family brought up the topic of blind dates anymore.

Shanshan could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

A long-lost smile reappeared on her face.

Ling Anxun saw it all, and his heart ached for her.

He suddenly wondered, ’Was I too strict in the past?’

So, he decided to let go, no longer forcing her to read and write every day.

He let her run wild and go crazy.

At first, it was Ling Zhiwei who took her out to play, teaching her to identify medicinal herbs and telling her which ones to pick and which were poisonous.

But before long, the tables had completely turned.

Ling Zhiwei discovered that with a single sniff, the girl was better than a bloodhound.

She could smell out herbs from anywhere, even precisely locating rare species hidden in the cracks of rocks.

So, it eventually became him, panting as he followed behind Shanshan, carrying two enormous cloth bags.

The bags grew more and more swollen, bulging to the point of nearly bursting.

The jumble of things inside piled up like a small mountain.

But Ling Zhiwei never complained, just shaking his head with a smile.

"This kid is like a little pixie sent by the mountain god."

In just half a month, Ling Anxun noticed a change.

The fatigue in his body was disappearing bit by bit.

He stared at his daughter, his eyes filled with shock.

After hesitating for a long while, he swallowed and finally spoke.

"Shanshan... this formula of yours, can you sell it to me? There are many injured men in my unit, with injuries much more severe than Dad’s. Some have broken bones, others have damaged meridians. They’re bedridden year-round, breaking out in cold sweats from the pain at night... I want... to help them."

Shanshan blinked, her eyes clear.

"Of course! Those uncles are heroes. They’ve bled and sweated for our country, guarding the borders and risking their very lives. All I’m doing is brewing some medicine; that’s nothing! To be able to help them recover and stop their families from shedding tears, that would be my honor!"

Ling Anxun’s eyes welled up, and a burning sensation rushed to his nose.

"Thank you, my daughter. On their behalf, Dad thanks you."

A warmth spread through Ling Anxun’s heart.

He silently made a resolution.

’These herbs and formulas must be exchanged for a better life for Shanshan.’

His body had long since recovered, and no one at home was stopping him from returning to the military.

The organization was also eager for his return, but for his daughter’s sake, he couldn’t just hand over the formulas so casually.

No matter who asked, he wouldn’t tell the truth.

When Ling Anxun next came home, he didn’t spend the money, hide it away, or even buy himself a single new piece of clothing.

He went to the bank and withdrew all the money, then carefully wrapped it, along with the property deeds, in a piece of red cloth that had been washed until it was faded.

Then, he crouched down and, holding it with both hands, solemnly placed it in Shanshan’s palm.

"Wow! Is all this for me?"

Shanshan’s eyes went wide.

"Of course it’s yours."

Ling Anxun smiled gently, his gaze soft as it fell upon her.

"You earned this with your own abilities. Who else would I give it to?"

Shanshan hugged the money and giggled foolishly for a long time, her little face flushed red. She chuckled as she fanned the bills out and then stacked them back together, over and over.

After a good while, she reluctantly put the money down and slowly turned her attention to the property deeds.

This was the first house that was truly her own, and it meant the world to her.

"Dad, what does the house look like? Is it like ours?"

"I’m not sure. When we go back, I’ll take you to see it with your own eyes, okay?"

Ling Anxun replied softly, his tone gentle.

"That’s great! Can I decorate it the way I like?"

She jumped up in an instant, her little pigtails swinging, her face beaming with irrepressible excitement.

In that moment, she was finally like a real seven-year-old kid.

"I want pink curtains! And a princess bed! And star stickers on the walls, and the floor has to be soft, like walking on cotton!"

Ling Anxun gently ruffled her hair.

"Of course you can. This house is yours, after all. You can change it however you want. Dad will support you."

「The last two weeks of summer break.」

The father and daughter duo spent their days huddled at the table, spreading out white paper, holding colored pens, drawing, coloring, and writing notes, happily busying themselves.

Shanshan drew the layout of her dream room.

Ling Anxun, meanwhile, was at her side, diligently helping her mark down dimensions and materials.

The small desk was piled high with drafts and sticky notes of various colors.

Ling Anxun wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. On the contrary, he felt that joining in her fun was more worthwhile than anything.

Everyone assumed that Ling Anxun had specially bought the house for his daughter.

After all, how could a seven-year-old child earn a property through her own abilities?

「The first day of school arrived.」

Shanshan wasn’t afraid of school starting at all; in fact, she was quite looking forward to it.

She packed her new schoolbag early, sharpening each of her pencils to a fine point.

But Ling Zhiwei?

The kid had just started college and had been out fooling around for the entire summer break.

The moment he heard he had to go back to campus, he went into full sloth mode, completely giving up. He didn’t even want to touch his schoolbag.

He was sprawled on the sofa, muttering under his breath.

"I’ll go back after three more days of sleep... just three days..."

As a result, he got a harsh scolding from the whole family.

Grandma grabbed a broom and chased him around the house.

"Look at Shanshan! She’s only seven, and she already knows how to be ambitious. She does her homework, reads, and even plans for her future every day. And you? You’re twenty years old, and you can’t even compare to a child!"

That hit a nerve.

Ling Zhiwei shrank back, his ears burning.

Jing Shu Cui was so angry she poked him on the forehead, her expression a mixture of exasperation and helplessness.

"All that height on you is for nothing! Your shoulders have gotten broader, but your heart has shrunk! Now hurry up and pack your things!"

Ling Zhiwei shot to his feet.

"Fine, you all think Shanshan is the best. She’s the most well-behaved child in the world, your precious darling. Her word is law, and you all feel heartbroken if she so much as cries. So I’ll leave, how about that? Once I’m gone, the house will be quiet, and you’ll be left with just your beloved, perfect little girl!"

The moment the words left his mouth, even he was stunned.

He had only meant to vent his frustrations, but he hadn’t expected his words to come out so definitively final.

Without another word, he grabbed a backpack from the corner and haphazardly stuffed a few items of clothing into it.

He walked out the door without looking back.

No one took him seriously; they all thought he was just throwing a tantrum.

He was being childish; he’d be back after a little while.

Jing Shu Cui was still in the kitchen heating up soup. She just assumed he had stormed out to cool off and didn’t even chase after him.

But no one could have imagined that this time, he had truly left.

A full day and night passed without a single word from him.

Jing Shu Cui started to panic, her face turning pale.

She quickly hugged Shanshan, who was standing beside her with her head down, not saying a word.

"This has nothing to do with you, sweetheart. It’s really not your fault, so don’t take it to heart... Your Fourth Brother just has a bad temper. He’ll definitely be back soon..."

Shanshan didn’t cry, nor did she speak.

She slowly took a piece of paper out of her schoolbag.

It was a photocopy of the property deed that Ling Zhiwei had secretly hidden last night. On it were a few words he had written in pencil.