It was only then that an insider revealed, "Uncle Shen used to be a university professor."

Some people recalled his spirited and high-spirited appearance back then.

One can't help but feel regret: "Who could have imagined he would end up like this?"

"Fortunately, his daughter is good, which makes things much easier for Grandpa Shen."

"you do not say."

Shen He thought so too, but he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt.

He had neglected his daughter in the past because of his future wife and children, and even drove her away in the end.

But the child is being so good to him now, which makes him feel very guilty.

When Shen Zhinian talked to Lin Shengli about this, she said, "My dad did favor them back then, but he didn't mistreat me."

Compared to those girls who drop out of school at a young age to work at home and then marry off for a dowry when they reach marriageable age, I'm so much better off.

"Later, when he got into university, it wasn't that he was stingy with the tuition fees. Our conflict was about choosing a major."

I was too young and impulsive back then, and I also disliked my stepmother, which is why I ran away from home.

She knew that if she hadn't left and had persisted, her father would have agreed to let her go to school.

But her pride wouldn't allow it at that time.

She needs to leave home to prove herself.

In the days that followed, she did resent him. Why did he remarry as soon as his mother died? Why couldn't she have her own choices?

For a long time, she didn't even acknowledge that she had a father.

Later, when she joined the project team and needed to inform her parents, she thought that her father might be happier without his daughter.

No one will bother the family of four anymore.

But ever since they met, Shen Zhinian could tell from Shen He's genuinely happy expression that he had feelings for her.

When the old man saw the pension again, he never touched the money, no matter how difficult his life was. Does this mean that he still cared about his daughter?

For Shen Zhinian, no matter what, he was her father. He raised her and enabled her to study, learn to read, and go to university.

So no matter what his feelings for his mother were, and no matter whether he favored the other children, she could not ignore him.

But as for her being particularly close to Shen He, that's not the case.

She wasn't good at acting cute or charming in front of Shen He; instead, she was stubborn and spoke sharply.

It was only after she met Lin Shengli that she gradually learned to rely on him under his wholehearted love.

When they returned to the northern part of the city, to the alley where Shen Zhinian grew up, she felt as if she had returned to the same state of mind she had back then.

Therefore, she didn't treat Shen He very well.

To outsiders, Lin Shengli looked more like Shen He's biological daughter than she did.

Shen He could understand. In the past, he had favored his other children, which hurt his eldest daughter's feelings. He didn't expect Shen Zhinian to be more considerate to him.

But when he saw those clothes, he knew that his eldest daughter's heart was still so soft.

Therefore, I felt even more sad.

Regardless of what he was thinking, Shen Zhinian only knew that she had the responsibility of being a good daughter.

As the old man grew older, Chen Zhinian had to wash his clothes, cook for him, and clean his house.

But Lin Shengli never wanted his wife to do heavy work, so he took over all of those tasks.

The neighbors in the compound all said that Shen He had a good son-in-law.

Shen He was naturally happy that his daughter had found a husband who knew how to care for her, and therefore he was even more satisfied with Lin Shengli.

Even Shen Zhinian noticed it and said to him, "I think my dad likes you more and more now."

Lin Shengli smiled proudly: "Of course, your husband is naturally loved by everyone."

That expression was exactly the same as Lin Yu's.

Shen Zhinian shook his head and smiled, then said, "Thank you, Third Brother."

Recently, Lin Shengli has been doing most of these chores. He also takes the old man for walks, to get a bath, and chats with him outside.

You could say she takes better care of him than her own son.

Outsiders who don't know the situation all think he's the old man's son.

The old man seems to have returned to his old self lately. He wears new clothes every day, washes himself thoroughly, shaves his beard, and often goes out for walks, chatting with people.

All of this is thanks to Lin Shengli's meticulous care.

Lin Shengli shook his head: "Your dad is my dad. What's the big deal about doing something for your own father?"

He knew Shen Zhinian's complicated feelings for Shen He, but he also knew that if the old man was not doing well, the person he would miss the most would be her.

So, to make his wife feel more comfortable, Lin Shengli didn't mind spending more time taking care of the elderly.

Shen Zhinian understood his feelings. After being together for so many years, there was no need for her to say anything more.

So the couple soon started talking about visiting their father's old friends.

Shen He immediately objected: "You shouldn't go. They've already helped me a lot. Don't drag them into this."

He now rarely contacts his former friends, for fear that his identity will affect them.

Those friends were always helping him secretly, and he remembered all their kindness.

Shen Zhinian said, "Don't worry, we won't mention you. Anyway, not many people in Beicheng know us."

Since arriving in Beicheng, they've only been going to the military factory and living in the alleyways; nobody else knows them.

Hearing her say that, Shen He felt a little relieved, and he also felt that his friends had taken good care of him, and he really needed to express his gratitude when he had the chance.

He says he has a daughter by his side now, unlike before when he was all alone.

The thought of his daughter thanking his old friends on his behalf gave him a sense of security in his old age.

So he nodded: "Okay, then you can go secretly."

According to the list provided by Shen He, the first person is surnamed Jiang, who is the director of the university's teaching affairs office.

After Shen He was knocked down, he was originally supposed to be sent by the street to clean public toilets, but he was kept behind because the school also needed staff.

He was supposed to be cleaning the school's toilets, but he ended up being assigned to clean the toilets in the teachers' office building.

Many of the teachers were old acquaintances of his, and out of a sense of shared fate, they all took good care of him and no one made things difficult for him.

Shen Zhinian and Lin Shengli arrived at his building according to the address.

He lived in a tenement building with narrow stairwells, where neighbors would sit downstairs to cool off in the summer.

Fortunately, it was winter, and they didn't encounter any of their neighbors from the tenement building along the way.

Director Jiang lived on the third floor. Shen Zhinian knocked on the door and someone came over.

Who are you looking for?

Shen Zhinian said, "We're looking for Director Jiang because it's a school matter."

They both looked like cultured people, and the woman guessed they might be school teachers, so she let them into the house.

Director Jiang was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper when he saw the two of them and stood up: "Who are you?"

The woman, Jiang's wife, frowned: "You don't recognize them?"

Could it be a scam?