Seeing the delighted expressions on Lin Liqiang and Xue Wanyun's faces, Ye Feng let out a sigh of relief.
He had worried, 'What if they don't care about the Soul-Stabilizing Incense, Beauty Pills, and Vitality Pills?' But now, it seemed his fears were unfounded.
Coincidentally, someone nearby remarked with envy, "The hardest things to buy in Rongcheng City right now are the Soul-Stabilizing Incense, Beauty Pills, and Vitality Pills. People used to sell them on the black market for dozens of times the original price, but since Fang Yi and the authorities cracked down, no one dares to sell these health products at such a markup anymore. They've become something money can't buy. Ye Feng, where did you get these? You must have connections, right?"
Ye Feng mentally gave the speaker a big thumbs-up.
'Those words came at the perfect time. Even better than a professional plant!'
Ye Feng boasted, "Hard to buy? Maybe for ordinary people. Everyone knows that even though these three health products are sold by Hundred Herbs Hall, the real creator is someone else. And as it happens, I know the creator. We're tight. All I had to do was ask, and of course he wouldn't refuse. He didn't even charge me—gave them to me for free!"
Hearing this, Zhao Yuan almost burst out laughing.
'Ye Feng, Ye Feng, you really just say whatever comes to mind, don't you? Do you have any idea that I'm the one who made all three of these things?'
Zhao Yuan was genuinely curious. 'What kind of face would Ye Feng make when he learned the truth?'
'It would be priceless, wouldn't it?'
Ye Feng noticed Zhao Yuan's strange expression as he struggled to suppress a laugh, but he completely misinterpreted it. He assumed Zhao Yuan was simply stunned by the three health products he had presented.
A smug grin spread across Ye Feng's face as he thought, 'You dumbass, Zhao. So what if my gift to Lin Xue wasn't as good as yours? I came prepared with gifts for her parents and family—and they're the hottest, most popular health products in Rongcheng City right now! Hmph. Let's see you top that!'
The others, not knowing the truth, were all stunned by Ye Feng's claim.
"What? The creator of the Soul-Stabilizing Incense, Beauty Pills, and Vitality Pills is close friends with Ye Feng?"
"No wonder he could get his hands on these three health products!"
"Xiaoye, do you think you could help me get a bottle of Vitality Pills? Price is no object. I'd pay twenty, even thirty times the cost!"
"Ye Feng, please help me get a bottle of Beauty Pills, too! Even half a bottle would be fine. I'll make it worth your while!"
At first, the guests were just exclaiming in amazement, but they quickly swarmed him, hoping to get some Soul-Stabilizing Incense, Beauty Pills, or Vitality Pills through his connection.
The smug look on Ye Feng's face instantly froze.
The truth was, he had no idea who made the three health products; otherwise, he wouldn't have boasted about being such close friends with them. His father had actually been the one to get them, pulling all sorts of strings and calling in favors. It had taken a monumental effort, and Ye Feng himself couldn't bear to use them, saving them to give as gifts.
So, there was simply no way for Ye Feng to get any more Soul-Stabilizing Incense, Beauty Pills, or Vitality Pills. No amount of money could make it happen.
He had no choice but to lie again. "To all the uncles and aunts here, it's not that I don't want to help you. It's just that my friend already told me that the supply of these health products is extremely limited. Even he doesn't have any extra stock, so he could only help me out this one time. In the future, if I want to buy more, I'll have to get a number and wait in line just like everyone else."
The guests were disappointed, but they didn't pester Ye Feng any further.
Ye Feng let out a huge sigh of relief. 'That was close,' he thought. 'Almost blew my cover. I'll have to be more careful next time I try to show off. Go too far and you just look like an idiot.'
Next, he took out a scroll and walked up to Lin Xue's grandfather, Lin Liangzhe. "Grandpa Lin," he said respectfully, "I heard you enjoy calligraphy, so I went to the trouble of acquiring a piece from a famous calligrapher for you."
Lin Liangzhe was already seventy years old, but he was still hale and hearty, with a sharp mind. His only real hobby was calligraphy and painting.
It had to be said, Ye Feng and his people had really done their homework on the entire Lin Family.
Lin Liangzhe was sitting off to the side in a traditional armchair, sipping tea. When he heard Ye Feng's words, his eyes lit up, and he asked excitedly, "Oh, a gift for me as well? I wonder which master's work you've brought. He Junwu? Wei Chengyu? Or perhaps Wang Zhe?"
The men he named were the most accomplished calligraphy masters in the country.
"Er..." Ye Feng was suddenly at a loss.
The piece he'd brought was not by any of the masters Lin Liangzhe had mentioned. Their works were simply far too expensive.
But now was not the time to back down. No matter how awkward it was, he had to bite the bullet and see it through.
After a slight cough, Ye Feng said, "This piece is the work of Master Lan Wenbin."
Lin Liangzhe was visibly disappointed. "Lan Wenbin, you say? He's a decent calligrapher, I suppose, but he's still a fair ways from being a true master."
Seeing Ye Feng's embarrassed expression, he added, "Still, it was very thoughtful of you to think of getting me a gift. Thank you."
Although he accepted Ye Feng's gift, Lin Liangzhe showed no interest in even opening it to take a look. He simply handed it to Xue Wanyun and told her to put it in the study.
After that, Ye Feng presented gifts to Lin Xue's other relatives as well—all her aunts, uncles, and cousins.
These gifts couldn't compare to the first few, of course, but they were still quite valuable. After a round of polite refusals, everyone accepted them.
After handing out the last of the gifts, Ye Feng breathed a silent sigh of relief. Despite a few bumps along the way, nothing had gone seriously wrong. And from the looks of it, all of Lin Xue's relatives seemed quite pleased with him.
'This indirect approach might actually work!'
Seeing Ye Feng's smug expression, Wu Yan ground his teeth in frustration. "That bastard is so cunning," he whispered. "He even brought gifts for all of Lin Xue's relatives. What are we going to do? I think Third Brother only brought one gift, right?"
The words were barely out of his mouth when they heard Ye Feng call out to Zhao Yuan. "Zhao Yuan, my friend, I wonder what gifts you've prepared for everyone? Oh dear, you didn't just bring something for Lin Xue, did you?"
Clearly, the guy was trying to start something.
'Who the hell brings gifts for all the birthday girl's relatives?'
Zhao Yuan knew exactly what game he was playing.
'You want to use me to make yourself look good, is that it? Well then, don't blame me for putting you in your place!'
With a soft chuckle, Zhao Yuan said, "What a coincidence. I also brought some Soul-Stabilizing Incense, Beauty Pills, and Vitality Pills to give to everyone today. The difference is, I have one for every single person here, not just for Uncle Lin and Aunt Xue. I also brought a piece of calligraphy for Grandpa Lin."
'Soul-Stabilizing Incense, Beauty Pills, and Vitality Pills, was it?'
'Hard to get, you say?'
'Heh. Believe it or not, I could bury you alive with this stuff.'