To her astonishment, the five wild ginseng roots sold for one million dollars.
Jinston never failed to surprise her. She had expected a few thousand at most.
Back in that small town, wild ginseng might fetch a few thousand at best–just enough for her master to put meat on the table for a week or two before the coins ran dry.
But now she was sitting on a fortune, enough to keep her in meat for life if she wanted.
These were only the smaller roots. Her suitcase still held bigger ones, and more grew untouched in Tareston. Zinnia grinned, imagining future meals always heavy with meat.
With the herbs neatly packed, Zinnia left the mall, eager to get home and properly position her treasured good- luck charm.
The price these gnarled roots fetched was staggering. Had she known their true worth earlier, she would never have swallowed all those ginseng pills her master gave her. Each one could have fetched a small fortune in this city.
Zinnia marveled at the ginseng’s staggering worth in Jinston. Back home, this much money could have fed them properly for months–no more making do with
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just two vegetable meals and a single meat dish each
day.
She didn’t understand much about ginseng’s value. Her master had simply told her one root could buy a meat meal, and she’d taken him at his word.
The one million dollars now sitting in her account sent a warm thrill through her. For now, she was staying with the Lynns, where meat appeared on the table without her spending a coin.
Once she moved out, she figured a few thousand would buy her meat every day.
To her surprise, food in Jinston actually cost less than in her remote town. When she’d quietly asked the Lynns‘ chef, he told her their best beef cost just a few hundred per portion—a tenth of what they’d paid back home.
‘No wonder our town was always so poor,‘ she thought. When meat costs this much, no one eats well.‘
With a million dollars, she could eat meat every day if she wanted–no more strict limitations of her past. But she decided to take breaks sometimes, just to avoid getting sick from eating too much.
Zinnia wasn’t hard to please. A solid meat meal once a day kept her happy. One million would keep her fed for a long time. She tapped her fingers absently, working out the math in her head.
Since arriving in Jinston, Zinnia hadn’t once gone shopping. The Shaws provided meals–nothing fancy,
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but enough to get by–so she never learned what things cost in the city.
Her master’s words still rang in her ears–several thousand for a proper meat meal. She’d dealt in sums like that since she was a girl, so one million meant little beyond more frequent feasting.
As her elevator descended, Zinnia noted the other’s display still showed 18. With a sigh, she accepted she’d never see that breathtaking man again.
Zinnia loved being around good–looking people–their pleasing faces never failed to lift her spirits. Truth be told, the main reason she’d stayed at the Shaw residence so long was because everyone there was so attractive.
*******
The Lynn family’s driver stood waiting by the car when Zinnia emerged from the mall. Spotting her approach, he hurried forward to take her shopping bags. “Find everything you needed, Ms. Shaw?” he asked.
“Thanks.” Zinnia offered him a courteous smile as she
slid into the backseat.
“Your grandma just called, saying that Mr. Jackson Lynn has returned. We should arrive back just in time for lunch if we leave now,” he informed her while stowing the packages in the trunk.
After securing her purchases, the driver circled back to the front, started the engine, and pulled smoothly out of the parking space.
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Zinnia’s efficient shopping meant they’d indeed return right as the meal was being served. “Okay,” she re
