?Mobile reading Lin Fenglei could only sigh and leave, returning home. Eight Zero E-book (txt02.com) The grandson brought the meals, but Lin Fenglei pushed him away, sending the dishes tumbling to the ground. The grandson didn't dare to ask any further questions. He knew his grandfather had been in a bad mood lately. Originally, he had wanted to inquire when his father’s illness would be cured, but now he hesitated and simply retreated, tail between his legs. He idly waited for another hour, then went back to Zhang Jie’s courtyard. Standing at the door, he clearly heard the three inside still having their meal. How could it take so long? Didn’t they say there wasn’t much to eat—just ordinary home-cooked food? It should have taken no more than an hour. He decided to turn and leave once again, coming back an hour later. This time, there was no sound at all—definitely finished. He then knocked gently on the door, saying, “Xiao Feng, have you had dinner yet?” "Chapter Jie's voice immediately rose: "Master, Xiao Feng and Xiao Wei have gone out to hunt in the valley outside!" "What? Hunting?" the old man blinked, wide-eyed—how could they hunt in the dead of winter? Chapter Jie opened the door, a little embarrassed, saying: "The children love playing. During dinner, they just naturally mentioned hunting. But they promised they'd be back before dinner was served!" For the first time in a long while, the old man had faced his daughter-in-law directly. Just as surprised as before, he couldn't help but notice how much younger and more refined she had become. Even fifteen years ago, she hadn't looked this good. Clearing his throat, he said: "Understood. Tell Xiao Feng to come over to my place for dinner!" This time, he completely dropped the idea of inviting Chapter Jie and her daughter to the banquet—he thought it unnecessary; all that mattered was making Qin Feng happy. "Understood, Master!" Lin Fenglei returned to his study, still unconvinced, and tried one more time—without success. Waiting is particularly trying, especially for someone of his temperament. By four in the afternoon, he had already ordered his family to prepare a lavish dinner: the dishes had to be exquisite, featuring all the finest mountain and sea delicacies, and the premium wines stored in the cellars, which he had never before poured, were to be served generously. His family couldn’t understand—wasn’t it just about a grandson-in-law? Why such an extravagant outlay? Could it be that the patriarch had mastered alchemy, making this a formal thank-you banquet? Most didn’t believe it, because they knew Lin Fenglei well—he was always exceptionally respectful and warm when he truly needed someone, and once he no longer required them, he simply pushed them aside. If he truly had mastered alchemy, he would never have arranged such a dinner. Everyone's hearts instantly grew tense—what if he hadn't learned it after all? What had he been doing these past few days? Everyone knew that the family head had been making repeated trips to the herb store, fetching supplies. If he truly hadn't mastered it, how many fine resources would have been wasted? This growing sense of anticipation spread throughout the Lin family from the moment they began preparing the evening banquet until the sun set. Lin Jia Hao, delighted, found his younger brother who had just been deeply reflecting in his study and said, "The opportunity has come! The family head must have failed. This time, his standing within the family will surely suffer a major setback!" "That would be wonderful," Lin Jia Wei replied with enthusiasm. "If you succeed in taking over, I won't have to keep hiding at home anymore!" "Of course," Lin Jia Hao said, patting his brother on the shoulder. "For all the sacrifices you've made for our future, I won't let you down. Just wait a moment—I'll gather a few key family members and formally challenge Lin Fenglei. Let's see how he handles it!" According to Lin Fenglei's usual habits, dinner should have already been underway. But now, since the guests haven't arrived, he has to wait. With all his family members strictly prohibited from showing up, the spacious dining room and grand table are left with only one solitary person. Half an hour later, Qin Feng arrives a little late, smiling and saying, "Grandfather, I'm truly sorry for coming so late. This season isn't exactly ideal for hunting—after a full afternoon out, I only managed a few rabbits, and they're quite lean and dry!" The old man thinks to himself: "You're only just here now—what if there were more game, and you'd decided not to come back tonight?" Yet he maintains a smile, as artificial as it can be, saying, "Hunting is truly best in autumn. Please sit down—our meal is about to grow cold. Don't hesitate; try everything!" "Rest assured, I won't be shy at all." "Qin, sitting down immediately to eat, had never been picky about food, and in order to please him, Lin Fenglei had put in considerable effort to present the dishes—each one looked quite impressive. The wine was also excellent, though not quite as fine as the hundred-year-old elixir from last time, it was still a well-aged sixty-year-old vintage. After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes, the elder felt the moment had come to speak. Being accustomed to being diplomatic, even when making requests, he would always approach them indirectly rather than state them outright. With a smile, he said, "Little Feng, your alchemical method truly shines..." Qin immediately interrupted him: "Of course! Since the elder has said so, it must mean you've already mastered it, right? Then, why not share with me the details—how many elixirs have you successfully produced?" Lin Fenglei blushed slightly, acting modestly: "Nothing special, nothing special at all. Little Feng, I have one more request—I'd like you to demonstrate once again. Would that be acceptable?" "Qin Dashi hadn't quite had time to respond when a somewhat abrupt voice rang out: "Master, the herb store is now empty. We'd like to know—how many pills have you prepared?" The speaker was Lin Jiahou, accompanied by several core family members. Lin Fenglei's face turned pale. He thought: I'm currently hosting guests, and yet you appear without invitation, launching straight into a questioning tone. What do you intend to do? "Regarding the pills, you needn't worry—when the time comes, we'll distribute exactly what's promised, not a single one less," he said, his face dark. Though his words sounded confident, he actually felt no confidence at all. Fortunately, there was still time before the pills were distributed, giving him room to negotiate. Lin Jiahou had come specifically to challenge him—his intention had never been to be polite. If this had happened earlier, Lin Jiahou would have immediately retreated. Yet now, with a look of doubt fixed upon Lin Fenglei's eyes, he said, "Is that so? But the herb storehouse is empty—true enough. As core members of the clan, shouldn't we have the right to know where the herbs have gone?" Lin Fenglei frowned, "I said the herbs won't be missing a single one—why do you keep asking so many questions?" Lin Jiahou was now fully convinced that the clan head had indeed failed. Otherwise, he would have simply brought out the pills right away, rather than going on about this endless dispute. With a cold smile, he added, "Master, earlier we heard outside the gate that you requested Qin Feng to demonstrate once again. Therefore, we have every reason to believe that you've used up all the herbs yet failed to produce a single pill. You now need to explain this to us."