Chapter 120

“Julie! Don’t be mad, calm down!” Florence quickly stopped Julie and smiled. “Isn’t it just a few million dollars? I’ll lend it to you! We’re all family, after all. There’s no need to fight.”

“Mom! Why are you playing along with her?” James frowned.

“Julie is my only niece. Now that she’s in a pinch, who would help her if not me?” Florence stated.

“Are you sure this is someone who needs help?” James was displeased.

“Shut it!” Florence glared at her son. “I’m not using your money. Can’t I use my own money?”

“You—!” James was shocked. He wondered, “Is she still my mother?” She treated a niece better than her own son.

“Aunt Florence treats me the best!” Julie chirped, smiling. This wasn’t her first time acting like this; it was effective every time.

“Of course, who’d treat you well other than me? Let’s go, we’ll buy you the Lumianth Root.” Florence grabbed Julie’s hand and entered the Emporium.

“Sis! You’re not going to stop Mom?” James was worried.

“What’s the use of stopping her? This isn’t her first time doing such a thing.” Dahlia had given up. Her mother had been treating her sister’s family like this for a long time. The only problem was their despicable attitude, exploiting her mother’s kindness.

“Hey, boss!” Julie confidently called out upon entering the shop.

“Welcome! What can I get for my distinguished guests?” A middle-aged man with a large belly walked forward to greet them.

“A little bird told me that you sell Lumianth Root here. Is that true?” Julie sat down.

“Miss, this bird of yours must be very efficient! We do sell them here. In fact, it just arrived yesterday.” The shop owner replied truthfully.

“Really? How do you plan to sell them?” Julie asked.

“This Lumianth Root is not cheap. We’re planning to hold an auction for it.”

“Auctions are too much of a hassle. Why don’t you just sell it to me? It saves you the money of holding an auction.” Julie tried to convince him.

The shop owner was troubled.

“What? Do you think I can’t afford it? Say it. How much are you planning to sell this for?” Julie asked.

“If Miss truly wants to buy it, I wouldn’t try to stop you. I just need this much.” The plump shop owner held up five fingers.

“Five million? That’s expensive?!” Florence froze. Although she expected it, she was still shocked by the price.

“Five million already includes a discount for our friendship. If I were to auction this, I’d probably earn five to six times that price. This is also an early price; otherwise, it wouldn’t be so low.” The shop owner shook his head.

“Can’t you lower the price a bit? This amount is too high.” Florence tried to negotiate.

“I can’t. This precious gem cost me a lot. To be honest, if I encountered someone who needed this, I wouldn’t have a problem selling it for a hundred million dollars.” The shop owner said seriously.

“But—” Before Florence could finish, Julie interrupted. “Alright, alright! Aunt Florence, we shouldn’t be too sensitive! Isn’t it just five million dollars? We’re buying it!”

“Miss, I love your attitude! I will get someone to bring over the Lumianth Root right away!” The shop owner grinned, signaling the man behind him. The man immediately ran upstairs. After a while, he returned with a large wooden box.

“Inside is the Lumianth Root. Miss, will you be paying by card or cash?” The shop owner grinned, pleased.

“Card.” Julie said without remorse. “Go ahead, Aunt Florence.”

Florence’s lips twitched as she painfully reached into her bag for a card.

As they finished the transaction, a woman’s voice yelled from outside, “Wait! That Lumianth Root is ours!”

Everyone looked towards the voice. Dustin and Ruth walked into the shop.

Changes Made:

• Corrected spelling errors (e.g., "Juile" to "Julie," "Lumianth" to "Lumianth," "Luminianth" to "Lumianth," "Julle" to "Julie," "Luminiath" to "Lumianth").
• Improved punctuation and sentence structure for clarity and flow.
• Removed unnecessary word repetition.
• Replaced informal contractions ("can't," "won't," etc.) in some instances for a slightly more formal tone (depending on the desired style).
• Added a few words for better clarity (e.g., specifying large belly).
• Corrected inconsistencies in capitalization (e.g., "Emporium").
• Removed the unnecessary "1/2" and "CS CamScanner" notations.
• Improved the phrasing of some sentences to make them more concise and impactful.

The revised passage is more polished and easier to read. Consider the overall tone and style you are aiming for when making final adjustments.