Chapter 30.1: — A Small Decoration - Not From Your Family
Old Master Lin personally welcomed Lin Cheng at the door of Lin’s residence. Not everyone could receive such treatment.
The last time the old man welcomed him personally was a few years ago.
At that time, Old Master Lin’s health had just improved and he started to deal with the affairs of the Lin family again. The first thing the old man did was to drive Lin Zhenhong and Ye Yun—who had done too much—out of the Lin family.
The second thing he did was to let Lin Cheng come home.
That was Lin Cheng’s return to the Lin family after nearly ten years away from this home.
That day, the old man was just like he was now. Before Lin Cheng even arrived, he was already standing at the gate waiting eagerly.
… …
This time however, obviously, the person Old Master Lin was waiting for was not Lin Cheng.
Old Master Lin’s eyes lit up when he saw the car sent to pick up Lin Cheng drive up to the house. Before the car could even stop, he had already gone down the stairs with his cane and walked towards the car.
Seeing his grandson get out of the car, Old Master Lin just glanced at him lightly, then passed him directly and looked behind Lin Cheng.
Seeing that there was nothing and no one behind Lin Cheng, Old Master Lin frowned and asked, “Where is she?”
Lin Cheng did not answer, but his eyes had seen the pink Minnie Mouse plush toy that Old Master hung on his cane.
Seeing this, Lin Cheng quickly thought of an episode during the recording of the program.
He participated in the [Love Smile] activity and got Lin Momo a caterpillar plush toy with a khaki-colored sausage for a mouth. The child didn’t seem to mind that the toy was ugly and kept hugging it with obvious fondness.
It wasn’t until the next day when Lin Cheng took Lin Momo to the market to replenish supplies that Lin Momo saw a charity organization right outside the market entrance that was? holding an activity and giving out plush toys.
Without comparison, there was no gap.
Although Lin Momo tried very hard not to show her dislike for her caterpillar before, at that time, she looked at the ugly caterpillar in her arms and then looked at the cute plush toys on the distribution table—especially that Minnie Mouse doll with a pink bow—there was an undeniable expression of envy and longing in Lin Momo’s eyes.
… …
Now, seeing that Lin Cheng was silent, Old Master Lin walked closer to the car and took another look. After confirming that no one was in the car, the old man’s frown got deeper and he glared at Lin Cheng, “Let me ask you, where is our little Momo?? Why didn’t you come back together?”
After saying that, Old Master Lin looked at Zhou Ming behind Lin Cheng, a questioning look in his eyes.
Zhou Ming was stunned and looked embarrassed—the old man’s task was indeed to bring the eldest young master and Lin Momo back, but when he arrived to pick them up, Lin Momo had already left.
“The recording is over and so I had her go back,” Lin Cheng replied with a normal expression.
This ‘go back’ was naturally to Lin Momo’s own home.
.
“Besides,” Lin Cheng added after a pause, “Lin Momo is not from your family.”
Even if Lin Momo looked like him, she was a child found by his manager for this reality show recording—she was not really his.
Lin Cheng was worried that the old man was getting too eager to meet his ‘great-grandchild’ and was becoming immersed too deeply in the show, so he gave a reminder.
Hearing Lin Cheng’s words, Old Master Lin was unhappy and snorted, “What do you know!”
“If I don’t know, then can you know?” Lin Cheng asked.
After a pause, Lin Cheng asked, his tone deliberate, “What, are you feeling dizzy now?”
“Dizzy? When did I say I was dizzy?” Old Master Lin said with a look of dissatisfaction, then waved his hand and said, “I, this old master, am very well, there is no need for you to come and see me.”
After that, Old Master Lin turned around and walked home with his cane, leaving Lin Cheng behind.
The subtext seems to be saying, ‘You are no longer needed here, just stay somewhere else.’
Not being able to see his beloved great-grandchild, Lin Cheng was completely disliked in the eyes of Old Master Lin.
Zhou Ming, who was on the side, looked to his left at Old Master Lin’s receding back, then to his right at Lin Cheng, with a troubled expression on his face.
“Eldest Young Master, the old master just didn’t see the child and felt a little disappointed. Don’t take it to heart,” Zhou Ming said carefully.
“Yeah,” Lin Cheng nodded carelessly. “Since he’s fine, then I’ll leave.” After saying that, Lin Cheng turned around and prepared to head back to the car.
Just as Lin Cheng was about to leave, Butler Zhou came running out of the house.
“Eldest Young Master, please go in and have a meal before you leave.”
“No.”
Hearing Lin Cheng’s refusal, Butler Zhou advised again, “You are already here at home, so just have a meal with the old man. The old man has been in the kitchen since early in the morning, preparing for the meal.”
It wasn’t prepared for him though?
Lin Cheng complained in his mind, head aching, but he still put down his luggage and went inside.
The second uncle of the Lin family had been driven away by the old man to work on a certain project in country D where the Lin family had to overcome difficulties. At this time, the old man was the only one in the family.
In the dining room, Old Master Lin was sitting at the head of the table, and before him, a large offering of exquisite dishes had been laid out on the dining table.
Seeing Lin Cheng come in and sit down next to him, Old Master Lin frowned in dissatisfaction.
“My blood sugar’s been high recently. Take away these sweet and sour pork ribs, squirrel mandarin fish… and those two desserts and sweet soup,” Mr. Lin ordered the servant on the side.
Old Master Lin didn’t like sweet food.
The person who liked sweets the most in this family was probably Lin Cheng’s mother. Lin Cheng seemed to have inherited this aspect of Chen Shu.
After watching the livestream, Old Master Lin was pleasantly surprised to find that Lin Momo also liked sweets, and her taste was almost exactly the same as Lin Cheng’s.
However, these dishes he had prepared today were not for this unfilial bastard.
Old Master Lin ignored Lin Cheng and started eating by himself.
Lin Cheng didn’t take Old Master Lin’s ‘retaliation’ to heart and quietly had a meal with him.
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T/N: Butler Zhou and Assistant Xiao Zhou both deserve a raise after dealing with this grandpa and grandson Lin.
I first learned of squirrel mandarin fish from another c-novel—a cooking based one. The footnote included a video on how to prepare it and I looped it maybe 3 or 4 times—it was amazing to watch. But I’m not that kind so you just get a teaser info and a picture lol 
Footnotes
Lin Zhenhong and Ye Yun are Lin Cheng’s father and stepmother.
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