Chapter 141: Reality

The Chen family’s hall, which had been filled with festive warmth, turned into a scene of interrogation due to Hong Yu’s words. Chen Shufen, usually known for her sharp tongue, suddenly panicked in the face of the collective condemnation.

At this moment, her older brother, Chen Jianwei, could no longer remain seated. Regardless of whether the accusation was true or not, if such a scandal were to leak, the Chen family would face total disgrace. He was particularly concerned about the network of connections his father had spent a lifetime building; there was no telling how they might react to such news.

"Bang!"

Chen Jianwei, who held his father in high regard, was so incensed that he slammed the wooden box onto the floor.

"Chen Shufen, tell me the truth! What is going on here?"

"Brother... it’s really not what you think," Chen Shufen stammered, panicked.

In truth, it was not what Chen Jianwei thought—it was far worse. A wild ginseng root from Changbai Mountain did exist. Her successful husband had gone to great lengths to acquire it through connections. However, Chen Shufen held a grudge against the Chen family for their past mockery of her, and even her father had become a target of her resentment. The thought of such a valuable item being consumed by an old man nearing death filled her with bitterness.

Consequently, she had secretly pocketed the authentic Changbai Mountain ginseng and replaced it with a large-looking farmed root she had bought online. She had assumed that given her status in the family, no one would dare question her, expecting only flattery. She hadn't anticipated the arrival of Hong Yu, a live-in son-in-law.

"Brother, this is truly a misunderstanding," she pleaded, playing the victim. "I really spent over a million on this ginseng. It’s my fault for being swindled, but to say I’m trying to harm our father? That is just too cruel!"

She squeezed out a few tears, clearly frightened. After all, this involved the attempted murder of her own father. If word got out, not only would her family side be affected, but her husband’s side would likely look down upon her as well. In Yanxia, filial piety is held in the highest regard. Even though her husband had once been humiliated far worse than Hong Yu ever was, he still spent millions on Changbai Mountain ginseng to honor the old man.

Seeing his sister admit the ginseng was fake, Chen Jianwei roared, "You wretch! Do you even know what day it is? You... you..."

"Enough! You are both grown adults, why are you still berating your sister like this?" Suddenly, just as Chen Jianwei was about to strike her, the old man of the Chen family spoke up.

"Dad, she’s done something like this, shouldn't I..." Chen Jianwei began, stunned.

"What do you mean 'something like this'? Are you certain you understand the situation?" the old man interrupted. "Shufen is your own flesh and blood. You don't even trust your own sister, preferring to believe an outsider? Is this how a brother acts?"

The old man cast a look of impatience at Chen Jianwei before continuing, "I have known about this ginseng all along, and in fact, I went with Shufen to purchase it! We did spend over a million on it; I saw her pay the money with my own eyes. Whether it is fake or real now, I cannot say. But even if it is fake, it simply means Shufen and I were both swindled by some unscrupulous merchant. What does that have to do with 'harming' anyone?"

The old man’s words left everyone stunned. No one expected the situation to take such a turn. Cruel and calculating, the old man was willing to protect his daughter at any cost. After weaving his lie, he pointed directly at Hong Yu and cursed, "Shufen acted with good intentions, spending her own money and effort. And you, this live-in son-in-law! Are you even human? Shufen is your elder, yet you spout nonsense and cast such malicious accusations! You are truly depraved! Our Chen family will never acknowledge a vicious son-in-law like you!"

No one had expected the old man to be so protective. The crowd was dumbfounded, including Chen Shufen herself. *A biological father is a biological father, after all,* she thought, her panic instantly vanishing. She sneered, "My father is absolutely right! We picked out and bought that ginseng ourselves. Hong Yu, you live-in son-in-law, you have some nerve! How dare you slander my father? If we follow your logic, are you saying my father is trying to poison himself? Ha! You dare to cause such a scene on my father’s birthday? How can the Chen family tolerate you! Get out! Take your few pounds of rotten tea leaves and get out!"

Chen Jianwei also collected himself. He realized his father was shielding his sister—if the old man claimed he knew about it, then that was the narrative. After a moment of hesitation, he chose to suppress his conscience and side with his sister. After all, he had never liked Hong Yu anyway.

"Get lost!" Chen Jianwei sneered. "I never thought you were such trash. It is a pity for Shuyu to be married to you."

Chen Yingying, who had remained silent while the elders spoke, now leaned toward Lin Shuyu and sneered, "Sister, look at this. I told you not to let someone like Hong Yu come here! Now he’s caused a disaster—a huge one. I advise you to divorce him quickly, or he’ll drag you down with him sooner or later!"

The guests were confused, but since they had come specifically to wish the old man a happy birthday, they didn't hesitate to side with the host once he had spoken.

"Sigh, I thought something was strange earlier, but now the truth is out."

"Shufen is doing very well in Huaizhou; a million is nothing to her. She has no reason to do something like this."

"To be honest, Shufen is a filial daughter. She’s famous for bringing home high-quality gifts every year."

"I think this whole mess was stirred up by the son-in-law. His earlier ramblings sounded so convincing; he must have done his homework specifically to slander Shufen."

"What are you talking about? Shufen’s husband is a man of status; why should she be nice to a good-for-nothing like him? Besides, she is an elder, after all."

"Tsk, tsk, this is the first time I've seen a junior slander his elders. What an eye-opener."

"No wonder Chen Lan didn't dare show her face today. With a son-in-law like that, she’d have no shame left."

In an instant, the tide had turned completely. Moments ago, these guests had been on Hong Yu’s side. Now, like grass swaying in the wind, they immediately turned to criticize him without reservation.

Hong Yu shook his head, feeling he had been too naive. He had already experienced this at the Lin family, yet here he was, repeating the process at the Chen family. This society was, after all, rooted in cold reality. People would always gravitate toward the stronger side, even if it meant burying their own conscience.

Hong Yu clenched his fists. He felt that, in truth, his own fists were quite strong enough.