Chapter 77: Everyone turned at the voice and saw an affluent lady standing by a glass display case, her hand over her mouth in astonishment. "Oh my goodness, this is actually a century-old ginseng, a completely natural wild one!" Following her shout, the crowd moved closer to the display case to get a better view. Arabella, intrigued, said to Marissa, "Sweetie, let's go have a look as well." "Of course, Grandma," Marissa responded, helping Arabella as they made their way toward the crowd The staff member at the display case began to enlighten the onlookers. “This ginseng was found on an ancient mountain. It was about 700 grams when dug up and is estimated to be 230 years old. It is considered the largest known wild ginseng root, which is why it's called the Ginseng King. This Ginseng King will be up for auction in two hours, starting at 5 million. If you're interested in bidding, please wait patiently. Meanwhile, feel free to check out the other items on display." With the introduction complete, the crowd buzzed with excitement. Arabella leaned over to Marissa and whispered, "Sweetie, make sure we remember when the auction starts. We cannot afford to miss it. No matter what it costs, we need to win this ginseng. Connor will cover it." gvlnovlsbrings endless adventures "Grandma, are you thinking of making ginseng soup?" Marissa asked with a smile. Arabella gave a secretive chuckle and replied, "Yes, and we'll enjoy it just between us. Let's not share any with Connor; he can simply foot the bill." Marissa found Arabella's schdelightful and grinned, whispering back, "Sounds like a plan." After a pause, Arabella suggested, "Maybe we could share swith your mother too." "Thank you, Grandma!" Marissa exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with appreciation. Though Arabella's real fondness was for Tiffany, and Marissa was just a stand-in, Marissa felt genuinely moved and warmed by the gesture At that moment, Balthasar burst into a mocking laugh. All eyes turned from the Ginseng King to Balthasar, curious about his reaction. A friend asked, "Balthasar, from the look on your face, it seems you're not too impressed with this Ginseng King?" "Indeed," Balthasar responded openly. “I possess a D Pill of MindEase Elixir, crafted by Dr. Riss. Compared to that, this mere wild ginseng doesn't excite me. Don't worry, I won't be bidding on it during the auction, haha!” As he spoke, Balthasar held a jade box that contained the MindEase Elixir, his pride evident. The news of Ayla becoming Dr. Riss's apprentice had spread, stirring both envy and jealousy among the crowd, particularly other medical families in Blebert who longed to have someone as talented as Ayla in their ranks. Surrounded by the envious stares of these families, Ayla carried herself with arrogance, looking above the heads of those around her as if she were above mere mortals "Sansa, you've raised a remarkable daughter. Could you share sparenting tips with us?" a wealthy woman said Sansa replied with a laugh, glowing with pride, "I actually barely had to do anything: Ayla is naturally gifted. Actually, I spent more effort on Tiffany, but unfortunately, she..." Sansa deliberately brought up Tiffany, trailing off suggestively to encourage the crowd to mock Tiffany As expected, the moment she stopped speaking, everyone's gaze shifted to Marissa. "How can a failure dare to appear here?" "And she insists on standing in the shadow of the radiant Ayla, content to simply play second fiddle to her. How disgraceful." While such public scorn would devastate many, Marissa remained composed, giving Sansa a meaningful look but choosing not to respond
Then someone asked, "Mr. Nash, is that the D Pill of Mindase Elixir in your hand? Could we take a look?"
"Of course." With no hesitation, Balthasar was all too pleased tom tog display his treasure and opened the jade box for all to see