“I don’t know where he got the nerve to say Bruno’s wild ginseng is fake.”
“Desperate dogs bark the loudest. Ugh, having such a son-in-law in the Henley family is really bad luck for eight generations.”
Every attack from the group was directed at Leo without exception, making the Martin, Jessica and Sophia wish they could disappear.
This was truly embarrassing.
Jessica even regretted showing Leo the agreement that day. Wasn’t he going to leave the Henley family? She might have permitted it to avoid this mess.
Determined, Jessica decided that she would make Leo kneel in front of durian all night when they got back.
“Leo, get back!” Jessica shouted in frustration.
To dare to claim in front of Grandma Teresa that her favorite grandson had given her a fake gift, it was incredibly foolish.
Feeling the anger of everyone, Leo realized he had made a mistake. He understood that it might not be easy to embarrass Bruno, and he certainly didn’t want to embarrass Teresa.
Forget it, he had no standing whatsoever in the Henley family, so it was better not to get involved.
Leo handed the wooden box back to Bruno. “Alright, if you say it’s real, then it’s real.”
“What do you mean it’s real because I say so? Leo, if you don’t explain yourself today, we’re not done! Where’s the fakeness in my wild ginseng?” Bruno yelled.
Leo had wanted to step back and let it go, but it seemed Bruno wouldn’t let it slide. It seemed like a face-off was inevitable.
“Genuine wild ginseng refers to ginseng that naturally grows in the deep mountains for over 15 years. As early as 2, 000 years ago, ‘Shen Nong’s Classic of Materia Medica’ detailed the medicinal value of wild ginseng, promoting vital organs, calming the spirit, stabilizing the soul, and improving cognitive function, among others.”
“The growth of wild ginseng is highly demanding on its environment, requiring specific conditions of natural conditions, vegetation, forest characteristics, soil, temperature, light, humidity, and more; otherwise, wild ginseng is unlikely to survive.”
“The primary method of differentiation for wild ginseng involves the ‘Five Forms and Six Bodies.’ The ‘Five Forms’ encompass rootstem of the main root, roots on the stem, main root, ring-shaped marks on the main root and smaller roots growing from the supporting roots. The ‘Six Bodies’ include small, rounded, and distinct ginseng roots, tall and straight ginseng roots, older ginseng with denser rings, young and tender ginseng with white skin and roots, thicker, horizontally growing ginseng roots, and long and straight ginseng roots.”
“From the ‘Five Forms and Six Bodies,’ your ginseng is undoubtedly not wild ginseng, at most, it’s artificially cultivated for around three years old!”
Leo rattled off the information, then came to his conclusion.
He looks like a professional!
Bruno and the Henley family were stunned by Leo’s professional knowledge.
“By the way, I’ll add one more thing. Your ginseng was likely forced to mature by artificial hormones. Consuming it won’t benefit the body, but instead could harm health.”
“You… you’re making baseless accusations!” Bruno’s words left him trembling.
When did this freeloader, this useless man, become so knowledgeable about ginseng identification? Could he have secretly studied before Grandma’s birthday?
The chubby ginseng in the box, Bruno couldn’t tell whether it was genuine wild ginseng or not. He had taken the word of the shopkeeper and believed it, but he had only spent $3000, not $3 million.
Bruno had intended to flaunt this ginseng on Grandma’s birthday, showcasing his wealth to the Henley family. He never expected to be slapped in the face by a waste like Leo.
Sophia and Jessica were equally stunned by Leo’s expertise. To articulate such professional terminology, Leo couldn’t have been bluffing.
“While he made a strong argument, there are always exceptions. How could Bruno give Grandma fake wild ginseng for her birthday?”
“Yeah, that freeloader probably just Googled how to identify ginseng before coming. He recited the identification method.”
“But I have to admit, what he said makes some sense. If that ginseng was indeed artificially ripened with hormones, it could be harmful to Grandma…”
“Whether it’s true or not, we shouldn’t just take his word for it. We should get an expert to confirm.”
Sophia walked up to Leo and softly asked, “Leo, what you just said, is it true? Is the ginseng in Bruno’s box not wild ginseng?”
Leo nodded. “Trust me.”
Hearing those three words, Sophia seemed to make up her mind. She walked up to Bruno and angrily said, “Bruno, you dared to give Grandma artificially ripened ginseng? What were you thinking!?”
Bruno felt a pang of guilt. Cold sweat seemed to break out on his back. If he were exposed, his position in the family could be jeopardized.
“Sophia, what nonsense are you talking? How could I give Grandma artificially ripened ginseng? Leo, that waste, has zero credibility,” Bruno retorted with defiance.
He absolutely couldn’t admit that this was artificially grown ginseng.
“Grandma has eaten a lot of wild ginseng before. Whether it’s true or not, we’ll let Grandma decide after she sees the ginseng.” Sophia wasn’t about to let Bruno off the hook.
Grandma Teresa’s face was now overcast with clouds. Those who knew her well understood that she might explode in anger.
Bruno’s father, Sean, naturally had to stand by his son. He turned to Teresa and said, “Mom, just take a look at these two ginseng and determine which one is real wild ginseng. Don’t let others accuse us of framing a worthless man!”
Upon hearing Sean’s words, especially the part about “worthless”, Jessica had a bad feeling.
“Put both ginseng roots on the table,” Teresa ordered.
Bruno quickly placed the two ginseng roots on the table.