Chapter 140: A Beast in Human Clothing

Damn it! How does this bastard know? Isn’t he just a live-in son-in-law? How does he know the difference between wild ginseng and farmed ginseng?

Chen Shufen was stunned. Seeing her reaction, Hong Yu decided to press his advantage. He sneered, "This is actually a minor point. After all, while farmed ginseng is worlds apart from wild ginseng and contains chemical residues and fertilizers, it at least has some medicinal value."

"But Aunt, I don't know if you did this intentionally or accidentally. This farmed ginseng you chose looks fresh enough, but if you look closely here, there’s actually a dark green patch." As he spoke, Hong Yu lifted the ginseng from the wooden box.

Chen Shufen was now too shocked to care about Hong Yu touching the ginseng. She roared, "Damn you, you bastard! Stop spouting nonsense! Do you want me to tear your mouth off?"

However, someone in the crowd who disliked Chen Shufen spoke up quietly, "There really is a dark green patch. It doesn't seem like a big deal, though. When I buy daikon radishes, I see those spots sometimes, and they're still edible."

While the man seemed to be speaking for Chen Shufen, his underlying meaning was clear: the ginseng was as common as a daikon radish—it was artificially farmed.

Hong Yu shook his head and smiled. "It's fine for a daikon radish to have green patches, but not for ginseng."

"What is the function of ginseng? It is to replenish vital energy, strengthen the spleen and lungs, and most importantly for the elderly, to save lives!"

"Ginseng is not a daikon radish meant for cooking. These dark patches are the toxins left behind by chemical fertilizers. It’s poisonous—highly poisonous!"

After explaining, Hong Yu glanced at Chen Shufen and sneered, "The tea I brought may not be expensive, but at least it represents my filial piety. Drinking it won't harm Grandfather's health; it might even be beneficial."

"Unlike you, Aunt. You actually passed off this poisonous farmed ginseng as wild ginseng. To put it bluntly, if Grandfather had actually consumed this, he could have died, and no one would have known why!"

Hong Yu’s words left Chen Shufen dumbfounded. The accusation was heavy—this was akin to killing one's own father. No one could bear such a reputation. The relatives present saw the look on Chen Shufen’s face and knew that Hong Yu was likely telling the truth.

"Damn! What is wrong with Shufen? How could she do something like this?"

"What an unfilial daughter. If it weren't for this son-in-law, we would have thought she was truly being filial."

"Passing off low-quality goods as high-quality? How could she dare? The old man is her own father! If we didn't know better, we'd think the old man had treated her terribly."

"This is no different from attempted murder. At the old man's age, if he had eaten that poisonous ginseng, he wouldn't have survived."

"Heh, she was bragging earlier about how she bought Changbai Mountain wild ginseng worth over a million. She really knows how to blow smoke, doesn't she?"

Hearing the crowd's comments, Chen Shufen realized her expression had betrayed her. She quickly tried to compose herself, but seeing Hong Yu’s smug look, her face twisted and she cursed, "You bastard! Stop your damn yapping!"

"Everyone, Father, don't believe this wimp!"

"He’s just a live-in son-in-law. What does he know about ginseng? Let alone wild ginseng! I’d believe he knows a thing or two about daikon radishes, but that’s it!"

"Don't listen to his nonsense. He’s just retaliating because I scolded him earlier. Don't trust the words of trash like him!"

As she tried to deflect, she pointed her finger at Hong Yu and continued to lash out, "You wimp, you came here today to stir up trouble, didn't you?"

"You brought a few pounds of garbage tea as a birthday gift, and when I exposed your attempt to freeload, you started spreading rumors and slandering me. Are you even human?"

"You’ve been living off Xiaoyu for years, spending her money, and now you dare to slander her aunt? How can such an animal exist in this world!"

Chen Shufen was trembling with rage, her hands and feet cold. But Hong Yu just smiled. "Heh, are you starting to lash out at everyone now, Aunt?"

"Xiaoyu and I are husband and wife. Who spends whose money really has nothing to do with you, does it?"

"And you keep calling yourself her aunt, but does anything you’ve done today look like the behavior of an aunt?"

"I wish Xiaoyu didn't have an aunt like you!"

As he laughed, Hong Yu’s expression suddenly darkened. "You called me an animal? I think you’re the animal here!"

"The old man is your father, the man who raised you for decades, and you dare to give him this poisonous farmed ginseng? And you’re still trying to argue?"

"Fine! If the old man had eaten this and something had happened, would you be the one to take responsibility?"

These two questions rendered Chen Shufen speechless. The main issue was that she had a guilty conscience. If the old man had eaten the ginseng and something had gone wrong, she would never be able to show her face again.

Chen Shufen was only thinking of herself; she felt no remorse or fear. She truly was an unfilial daughter. She had only come to the birthday banquet to show off in front of friends and relatives. Otherwise, she wouldn't have used farmed ginseng to pose as wild Changbai Mountain ginseng.

Hong Yu didn't want to tangle with her any longer. He stepped toward the old man and said respectfully, "Grandfather, if a single word I said was a lie, may I be struck by lightning."

"If you still don't believe me, you can smell this so-called Changbai Mountain wild ginseng. See if it’s pungent and spicy. If not, you can take it to a large traditional medicine shop or hire an expert to verify it!"

Hong Yu was confident. Some of the guests stepped forward and took a close sniff of the ginseng.

"Damn! It really is pungent!"

"It's spicy! It’s just like a cut-open daikon radish. I was too far away before, but I didn't realize it was this pungent!"

"I’ve never seen real wild ginseng, but it certainly shouldn't smell like this. One whiff and you can tell it's fake!"

"Heh, no wonder Chen Shufen wouldn't let anyone touch it and kept it far away. She was afraid of being exposed!"

"This daughter is truly an animal. Giving this kind of thing for her father's birthday—isn't that trying to kill him?"

"The old man is quite old. If he had eaten this problematic farmed ginseng, he definitely wouldn't have held up. This is no different from murder."

"Sigh, I have to say, even if the tea this son-in-law brought isn't much, he really saved the old man's life today. That’s the greatest gift of all."

The guests who had looked down on Hong Yu now looked at him with much more kindness. After all, Chen Shufen’s actions were truly detestable; anyone with a conscience would condemn such a person.

Hong Yu looked back at Lin Shuyu. Seeing the smile on his wife's face, Hong Yu smiled as well.