?Mobile reading For two consecutive days, Lin Fenglei had not received any guests. Eighty Electronic Books even barred his family members from approaching his study, imposing severe penalties on anyone who violated this rule. Yet Lin Fenglei had not vanished from public sight—he was constantly moving between his study and the herb store, always in a hurried rush. Thanks to the use of his nā jì, the contents of the herb store he retrieved were completely unknown to others, as he had always managed the store himself. Many speculated that the master had mastered a new method of preparing elixirs and was now diligently crafting them, so that soon everyone would receive a substantial supply. Others, however, expressed concern: given Lin Fenglei’s usual communicative nature, one would expect him to announce such a development publicly. Yet he remained silent to this day, which seemed quite remarkable. Only Qin Feng and Lin Caiwei were aware of the true situation. Lin Meiren estimated that the herbs and medicinal materials in the warehouse had been nearly exhausted by the old man. Although the Lin family was a prominent one, their inventory of such items wasn't particularly large. Even if the warehouse were overflowing, it wouldn't have held up against the old man's relentless efforts. According to Qin's younger brother, the old man wasted one furnace of medicine every two minutes, averaging seven hundred per day—accumulating 1,400 over two days. In reality, he had slightly overestimated Lin Fenglei. This nearly obsessive old man had already rendered nearly two thousand batches of herbs useless, leaving only one-tenth of the original stock remaining. After all, every spring, family members collect their tonic pills. If the old man couldn't resolve this issue within three months, his position as family head would be in serious jeopardy. The crucial point was that he had still not regained his composure—because he firmly believed he could succeed, and he had personally witnessed Qin Feng's entire process of making pills, paying meticulous attention to every detail, with only one final step remaining. Yet just at this final step, he had nearly emptied the entire warehouse. He had once considered going to ask Qin Feng for clarification, but ultimately felt that face mattered more—since Qin Feng had demonstrated such ease while practicing alchemy, why shouldn't he himself? He slammed the door shut firmly; had it not been for the high cost of the three furnaces, he would have shattered them all. When he last stood in the warehouse, he was utterly stunned—what had once piled up like small mountains of herbs now remained only a meager heap. Lin Fenglei slapped his forehead: "What have I been doing these past days? Oh no—now that I've mastered the alchemy method, I've lost the herbs. How will I explain this to everyone when the New Year comes?" Only then did he fully grasp the gravity of the situation and start to feel anxious. The remaining herbs, even when used to their fullest, could produce just one hundred batches. Even with a lucky 30% success rate, that would yield only thirty vials—far short of enough for each of the two of them to have one. To be clear, core members receive 15 vials of medicine annually, mid-level members 10, and junior members between three and five. "How is this possible?" He simply couldn't understand. Throughout the entire process, he never thought Qin Feng particularly intelligent—he had always seen him as a mere lamb to be slaughtered. Methods that he himself could easily master were completely beyond the grasp of this seemingly brilliant man. If there were still ample herbs remaining, he would have continued experimenting without hesitation. But now, he felt embarrassed to ask questions, even going so far as to seek advice immediately. If he could manage to transform all the remaining herbs into medicine, even if it meant only a modest success, he could at least make do in front of the family members. Now, he had no choice but to find Qin Feng—this situation had become urgent. He no longer cared about his dignity, closing the warehouse door and stepping off toward Zhang Jie's small courtyard. As he approached, for the first time, he realized how cold and somewhat unreasonable his treatment had been—having allowed his daughter-in-law and granddaughter to live in such a humble and outdated setting. Previously, he had never had such a thought. Of course, he wouldn't come over even once a year—since Zhang Jie had moved in, the number of times he had visited was truly few and far between. At the same time, he realized a serious issue: it was most inappropriate to have such esteemed guests reside in such a dilapidated house. Lin Fenglei found himself unconsciously speeding up his pace, and by the time he reached the door, he could already hear the lively chatter inside—three people were preparing meals in the kitchen. He felt no need to knock, as the cracks in both courtyard doors were so extensive that simply speaking aloud would surely be heard within. Clearing his throat, he spoke in his usual tone, "Is Xiao Feng here?" Since the kitchen was adjacent to the courtyard door, the three heard it clearly. Lin Caivai's delicate features immediately fell into a look of disappointment, while Zhang Jie's first reaction was to furrow her brow. Regarding this relative and household head, the mother and daughter had absolutely no good impressions of him. If it weren't for her daughter's better future, how could Zhang Jie have willingly lived under someone else's roof? Qin the Younger lowered his voice and said, "If I'm not mistaken, the old man must be completely out of options, coming to us for help!" "Deserved!" Lin the Beauty exclaimed, deeply satisfied. The old man called out once more from outside, "Xiao Feng, are you there? I'm the head of the household, I have something to discuss with you!" "Old man," Qin the Younger replied with a cheerful smile, "our whole family is preparing lunch right now. How about we talk after we've finished?" Then he added, "The courtyard is so dirty and disorganized—we really can't ask you to come in. We're serving only simple home-cooked dishes that haven't even made it to the table. So, please take your time and walk on your way!" Lin Fenglei blushed deeply. While it was understandable that he treated his own family members with slight coldness—after all, this was a matter within the family—Qin Feng was a guest of honor, and the success of the elixir depended entirely on him. Yet, he had been treated as if he were merely an ordinary visitor. Indeed, no one sells regret pills. With a firm resolve, he said, "How about this: let's have lunch at my place today—shall I host you?" Usually, as the head of the household, whenever he invited any family member to lunch, they would gladly accept and feel proud of the honor. So he assumed Qin Feng and Zhang Jie's daughters would do the same. In his view, Zhang Jie and her daughters were eager to gain recognition from others, and sharing a formal meal with the head of the household would surely elevate their status within the Lin family—at the very least, in the eyes of the family. "Senior, we can prepare and serve the meal right away—perhaps we should reschedule for another day." Qin Dashi declined without even thinking. Zhang Jie stepped out of the kitchen and said to the main gate, "Master, truly sorry, but our meal is truly poor—we must be leaving now!" Qin Feng's refusal was understandable, as capable people generally have strong personalities; yet, what could Zhang Jie possibly have to offer?