Chapter 17: The Benefactor of the Lin Family
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The distinguished guests throughout the hall had all heard something about Lin Guodong’s grave illness a few days earlier, even if they had not witnessed it themselves.
Some families that did business with the Lin family had already made plans and preparations in case Lin Guodong passed away.
That alone showed how serious his condition had been.
Yet now, looking at the middle-aged man onstage—dressed in a fine suit and brimming with vitality—there was not the slightest sign that he had ever been at death’s door.
And all of it was because of that legendary miracle doctor.
In an instant, everyone in the hall—whether they themselves were ill, had a sick family member, or were perfectly healthy with no ailing relatives—quietly made up their minds.
They had to find a way to befriend that miracle doctor.
Knowing such a doctor was tantamount to possessing a golden amulet against death.
Lin Guodong raised a hand and pressed down lightly, quieting the voices below. Then he slowly began, “Dear friends and family, thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my daughter’s engagement banquet. Welcome!”
“I know some of my old friends have been very concerned about my illness. Thank you all.”
“I’m sure everyone can see that I have completely recovered. Just as you’ve heard, the reason I was able to return from the gates of death was entirely because of a benefactor.”
“I imagine you’re all eager to know who this benefactor is, aren’t you?”
“Oh, that’s right. You also seem very eager to know who is getting engaged to my daughter today.”
“So I’ll tell you both at once…”
At that point, Lin Guodong deliberately paused. Facing the countless expectant eyes below, he announced each word clearly:
“The man getting engaged to my daughter today is none other than the benefactor who brought me back from the gates of death.”
His words instantly caused an uproar.
“The man who cured the head of the Lin family is the same person who is getting engaged to Miss Lin?”
“Wait, something doesn’t seem right.”
“Throughout history, anyone who achieved enough mastery in medicine to be called a miracle doctor was either an old man with a head of white hair or, at the very least, in his forties or fifties. Second Miss Lin is in the prime of her youth. How could she possibly be engaged to someone like that?”
Everyone present was utterly baffled.
No matter how hard they tried, they could not reconcile the words “miracle doctor” with “young man of promise.”
In other words—
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A young man of an age suitable for Second Miss Lin could never be a miracle doctor.
Could it be that the man Second Miss Lin was getting engaged to today really was an old man?
The whispers below grew increasingly outrageous. Some even claimed that Lin Guodong, in order to repay a debt of gratitude, was willing to marry his daughter off to an old man.
Lin Guodong was rendered speechless.
He had originally planned for Xiao Nan to accompany his daughter outside to greet the guests and make an appearance. But his daughter had thrown a tantrum and refused to go out. Not long ago, he had given her another harsh scolding.
Now, after suppressing the rising din once more, he continued:
“All right, it’s about time. I hereby announce that the engagement banquet has officially begun. Please take your seats. We have prepared fine wine and delicious food for everyone, so please enjoy yourselves. And while you partake of the feast…”
“My daughter and my future son-in-law will come up here to begin the engagement ceremony and receive everyone’s blessings.”
As he spoke, Lin Guodong smiled warmly and looked toward one side of the stage.
“Son-in-law, hurry and bring your fiancée up to meet everyone.”
“Go on up!”
“Get up there!”
Countless cheers and shouts rose from below.
At that moment, no one had any interest in eating or drinking.
They were all desperate to see what kind of extraordinary person today’s bridegroom really was.
Joyful music rang out once more.
Amid the eager anticipation of the crowd, two figures slowly made their way onto the stage.
The man wore a coffee-colored suit, elegant and handsome.
The woman wore a long sapphire-blue gown, breathtakingly beautiful.
They were Xiao Nan and Lin Ziqing.
The moment they saw this scene, everyone from the Xie and Li families who had encountered Xiao Nan before froze in shock.
“That country bumpkin! What is he doing on the stage? Has he lost his mind?” Xie Meina cried out instinctively upon seeing Xiao Nan.
Xie Wenqiang hurriedly covered her mouth with one hand.
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There were staff members responsible for maintaining order at the banquet. If Xiao Nan had gone up there on his own, how could he have remained onstage for so long without being thrown out?
“Could it be…”
A terrible premonition began to rise in Xie Wenqiang’s heart.
At that moment, Lin Guodong smiled broadly and pointed toward Xiao Nan, who had already come to stand beside him.
“Allow me to formally introduce him. This is my future son-in-law, Xiao Nan—and he is also the benefactor who cured my illness.”
“The head of the Lin family’s benefactor is this young? And so handsome?”
“Is that really true?”
“Of course it is! Do you think the head of the Lin family is someone who makes wild claims?”
Everyone found it unbelievable that the benefactor who had cured Lin Guodong could be so young.
And at that very moment—
Xie Wenqiang, Xie Meina, Li Yadong, and every other member of the Xie and Li families were left utterly dumbfounded.
Xiao Nan—that country bumpkin—was not only the man who had cured Lin Guodong’s illness, but also the mysterious person who had become engaged to Second Miss Lin, the identity everyone had been trying in vain to guess?
How was that possible?
“It’s him. It really is him.”
Xie Wenqiang stared blankly at Xiao Nan. The chopsticks in his hand had already fallen to the floor.
As though struck by lightning, he suddenly lost his balance and collapsed back into his chair.
He hated this!
A young miracle doctor so extraordinary that even a man like Lin Guodong was willing to offer up one of his daughters in order to recruit him—
That man had originally been destined to become his Xie family’s son-in-law, but…
Since Xiao Nan truly was a miracle doctor, then what he had said that day—that Xie Wenqiang had only five days left to live—was true as well, wasn’t it?
Despair seized Xie Wenqiang.
Today was already the fourth day.
As he was thinking this, he noticed that after introducing Xiao Nan, Lin Guodong had cast a meaningful glance in their direction.
Xie Wenqiang’s heart gave another violent lurch.
…
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