Ye Tian's expression remained unchanged. "If you want to know, I'll tell you."
As he picked up the ginseng, Lin Xueli said, "Be careful, don't break it. You can't afford to replace it!"
Ye Tian ignored her and said to the crowd, "If it were just a fake ginseng, I wouldn't bother to say anything. But the roots of this fake ginseng are made from the roots of 'Yindi Shu'. Yindi Shu generally grows in cemeteries and resembles ginseng. Its root stem is highly poisonous, and accidental consumption can easily be fatal."
As he spoke, he reached out and gently pulled one of the ginseng's roots, snapping it off. He released the broken root, which surprisingly didn't fall but dangled in mid-air.
Lin Ziyi exclaimed, "Is that... hair?"
It turned out that at the break, a fine strand of hair connected the root to the ginseng.
Ye Tian chuckled, "Ziyi, your eyesight is sharp. It is indeed a strand of hair. The counterfeiters attached the roots of Yindi Shu to this artificially cultivated ginseng, making it appear to be a century-old ginseng."
Zhou Jin stepped closer to examine it closely and indeed saw the hair. He then snapped off a second root, and there was also a strand of hair inside!
His face darkened with anger. "That damned药商 (yàoshāng - medicine merchant), to deceive me with fake ginseng!"
Lin Xueli was also furious. "Husband, we absolutely cannot let him get away with this. I'll call the police right away!"
Everyone was surprised that the ginseng turned out to be fake!
Zhou Jin apologized to the old lady. "Grandma, I'm sorry. I didn't expect to be deceived. When I find another century-old ginseng, your grandson-in-law will definitely get it for you."
The old lady smiled. "Zhou Jin, your intentions were good, but you were deceived. Don't take it to heart. I'll still accept this ginseng."
Then she looked at Ye Tian and said indifferently, "Recognizing a ginseng is not much of a skill. We'll let the ginseng matter go, but you are not welcome at my birthday banquet. You should leave immediately."
Ye Tian said calmly, "Elderly lady, I can leave. However, these two gifts were indeed sent by Master Guangji. Please keep them safe."
With that, he was about to pull Lin Ziyi away when a middle-aged man walked in. He was a man in his fifties, dressed in a grey suit. He immediately knelt on the ground to wish the old lady a happy birthday. "Mom, these are the gifts I prepared for you, a pair of jade bangles. Zhenying wishes you a long life like the southern mountains and boundless fortune like the eastern sea!"
This person was the old lady's eldest son, Lin Zhenying, and the main controller of the Lin family's business, holding power over personnel and finances.
The old lady nodded with a smile. "My son Zhenying, get up quickly."
After his elder brother finished his birthday wishes, Lin Jinsheng and Zhu Yuting dared to step forward. They also kowtowed and said, "Mom, I know you like good wine, so I bought two bottles of aged Maotai at the auction."
Ye Tian recognized them. Weren't these the ones he had given to Lin Jinsheng? He hadn't been willing to drink them and had directly used them as birthday gifts.
Zhu Yuting placed a pair of jade bangles on the table and smiled. "Mom, these are a pair of jade bangles. They are quite beautiful. Your daughter-in-law gives them to you, wishing you eternal youth and happiness."
Zhu Yuting harbored resentment towards her mother-in-law and therefore did not prepare very good gifts. Coincidentally, the pair of bangles Ye Tian had given her looked genuine, so she used them to wish her mother-in-law a happy birthday. Su Dan Novel Network.
The old lady didn't even lift her eyelids, only grunting from her nostrils.
Lin Jinsheng and Zhu Yuting quickly retreated, their faces somewhat dejected. They were both sons, yet one was greeted with a smile and called "My son Zhenying." The other received only a grunt!
Lin Zhenying glanced at the jade bangles and chuckled, "Sister-in-law, you also sent jade bangles? They look like they have good quality."
Zhu Yuting felt guilty. Because she "knew" these jade bangles were high-quality fakes from a street stall and couldn't bear scrutiny, she quickly said, "Elder brother, they are just ordinary bangles. They can't compare to the pair you sent."
Lin Zhenying chuckled, "Is that so? Let me see."
Saying that, he picked up the bangles Zhu Yuting had sent, one in each hand, and gently tapped them together. Immediately, a crisp sound rang out.