Chapter Fifteen: A Gift Presented at the Birthday Banquet

When Lin Feng was openly humiliated by Yao Xingye, not only did Yao Qianqian and the others fail to defend him, they even quickened their pace, acting as if they had nothing to do with Lin Feng at all.

They never considered him a member of the family.

After all, for a once-prominent young master who had fallen from grace, marrying into another family was already a source of deep shame.

Moreover, with the ingrained belief of “he who is not of our kin must have a different heart,” the Yaos instinctively rejected Lin Feng, refusing to give him any chance to prove himself—he was never even allowed to step foot in the family business.

The Yao family’s coldness and suppression, together with the lack of support from Yao Qianqian and her parents, left Lin Feng with no way to stretch his arms, no way to display his talents.

Thus, he became known as a useless, spineless man.

Especially with Yao Xingye and others deliberately spreading rumors, nearly all of Binhai City came to know that the Yao family had taken in a worthless son-in-law by the name of Lin Feng.

…

The moment Lin Feng entered the banquet hall at Tianhe Hotel, the scattered members of the Yao family all turned their eyes toward him.

A young master from Jinling who should have led the family to new heights had become nothing but a burden. In such stark contrast, Lin Feng became the laughingstock of the entire Yao family.

“There he is again. Honestly, he’s got no shame. If his grandfather hadn’t knelt and begged, the old man would never have allowed him to marry in. Just looking at this useless weakling ruins my mood.”

“Exactly. Otherwise, would the old man have married off Third Uncle’s daughter Qianqian to him?”

“Don’t you see? The old man’s already given up on the third branch. Only a daughter—and she married a loser…”

…

The whispers at the banquet drifted over, but Lin Feng had long since grown accustomed to them, and simply ignored it all.

Without a word, he quietly made his way to his father-in-law’s side and sat down.

“Oh, isn’t this Qianqian? Come now, let your Auntie give you a toast. Marrying Lin Feng, you’ve sacrificed so much for the family! In the end, you have no brothers to rely on, only yourself. How pitiful!”

“Auntie, you must be joking.”

At that moment, a slightly plump, middle-aged woman approached, dressed in splendor, her gold and silver jewelry sparkling everywhere—a deliberate display of wealth.

Seeing her sister-in-law’s lavish adornment, Lin Feng’s mother-in-law’s eyes reddened with grievance.

With that one remark, the aunt not only mocked Lin Feng for being a useless son-in-law, but implied as well that her sister-in-law had only managed to bear a single daughter.

The old man favored sons and was deeply traditional; since the third branch had only a daughter, they were naturally shunned.

Lin Feng’s mother-in-law knew all too well that, behind her back, the family called her a “hen who couldn’t lay eggs.” She felt both aggrieved and angry, but was powerless to change anything.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t change her fate.

This aunt was a true master of family strife; with just one sentence, she had belittled the entire third branch.

She had, with a single blow, pointed out to everyone—especially the old man—that the third branch was unreliable.

She drank her wine with satisfaction, turning away with the same feigned affection for the younger generation, her heart brimming with smug pleasure.

As soon as she left, Lin Feng’s mother-in-law’s eyes filled with tears as she glared fiercely at Lin Feng, thinking bitterly:

“It’s all because of Lin Feng! If it weren’t for this useless man dragging Qianqian down, she would have long since married one of Binhai’s distinguished young men. I’d finally hold my head high, not suffer such humiliation! All of this is Lin Feng’s fault!”

Never did she consider that even for a marriage alliance, status mattered. With the third branch’s awkward position in the Yao family, how could such a good marriage ever have landed on Yao Qianqian’s head?

Lin Feng’s father-in-law, seeing how affected his wife was by her sister-in-law’s words, could only silently drink alone, his face clouded with worry and sighs of frustration.

Yao Qianqian, meanwhile, dutifully saw her aunt off with a forced smile, then sat down trembling, her heart heavy with sorrow.

Turning to look at Lin Feng—who remained calm and unruffled, as if he hadn’t understood the aunt’s hidden barbs—she felt all the more despairing at the thought that her life had been entrusted to the wrong person.

She didn’t know that Lin Feng had understood everything perfectly; he simply couldn’t be bothered to stoop to the level of such petty people.

…

At the old master Yao’s command, the banquet began. The whole family raised their glasses in a show of unity.

Only Lin Feng’s family of four was placed at the very edge of the hall, as far from the old man as possible, seated together with the household staff.

“Grandfather! Today is your seventieth birthday. I wish you longevity as boundless as the Eastern Sea, and a life as enduring as the Southern Mountains!”

After several rounds of drinks, Yao Xingye was the first to stand. He straightened his back, approached the old man, and proclaimed his blessings in a loud, clear voice.

“For you, Grandfather, I spent three million yuan to acquire an original painting by Bada Shanren! Please, have a look!”

With the air of a monkey presenting treasure, Yao Xingye produced a rosewood box, carefully unrolled a scroll, and displayed it before the old master.

The old man was an avid collector of paintings and calligraphy, with a particular fondness for Bada Shanren. Delighted, he eagerly took the scroll and examined it closely.

But soon, his expression faltered.

Yao Xingye’s own heart leaped into his throat—had the old master spotted it was a forgery?

Fortunately, after a pause, the old man set down the scroll and laughed heartily, “Xingye, you always know my tastes best. I love this painting—you have my thanks!”

“As long as you like it, Grandfather! It was worth every penny and all the connections I called in to obtain it for you!”

Yao Xingye quickly picked up the conversation, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

But then, with a sudden shift in tone, he directed the attention toward Lin Feng.

“Grandfather, as your grandson, it’s only right to honor you. But when it comes to filial piety, no one can surpass Third Uncle’s Lin Feng! He’s gifted you a Laughing Buddha jade pendant—such an auspicious symbol. It’s just a pity it’s so tiny, and the quality is so poor—not worth much at all. Still, it’s the thought that counts, right, everyone?”

“Hahaha, that’s right…”

“Well said! Hahaha, Xingye has a point.”

Yao Xingye’s words dripped with sarcasm, belittling Lin Feng’s gift for being cheap and lacking sincerity.

The Yao family, all shrewd as foxes, easily caught the underlying mockery and stifled their laughter, eagerly echoing him.

Such subtle barbs cut the deepest. At this, the old master’s brow furrowed, and his gaze fell on Lin Feng.

“Lin Feng, aren’t you going to present your gift? What are you waiting for?”

With a wave of his hand and a sneer, Yao Xingye beckoned Lin Feng forward.

“Hurry up!”

“What are you waiting for?”

The rest of the family joined in, their voices pressuring Lin Feng until the entire hall seemed to turn against him.

Seeing the situation, Lin Feng slowly rose to his feet, ready to face what was coming.

His mother-in-law hissed, “Lin Feng, don’t go! Haven’t you embarrassed us enough?”

Yao Qianqian clutched Lin Feng’s arm, trying to hold him back.

But in the end, neither could stop him.

Lin Feng’s gaze turned icy as he swept his eyes over the gloating faces of his relatives. He took up the Laughing Buddha pendant and walked forward.

“Grandfather! This is the birthday gift Lin Feng presents to you—a small jade pendant. Who knows if it’s even real? Looks like nothing more than a piece of glass to me.”

“Look at the color, the texture—it’s just a chunk of frosted glass!”

Snatching the pendant from Lin Feng, Yao Xingye tore open the wrapping, yanked out the Buddha, and tossed it before the old man, exclaiming loudly,

“Lin Feng, is this your birthday gift? Do you even care about Grandfather? You clearly don’t see yourself as part of the Yao family, nor do you have a filial heart!”

Every word struck home. In that moment, not only the old master, but nearly all the Yao family believed Lin Feng’s birthday gift was a fake—a worthless piece of glass.