Chapter 156

"Let's have a look," Lily said, intrigued. Stepping inside, they saw several red sandalwood containers. At first glance, they appeared standard, though many fake sandalwood plants are on the market. These, however, seemed high-quality, although not particularly rare.

"What's so special about them?" Jenny leaned in, examining the leaves and sniffing them.

"You're the experts; why don't you take a look?" Ben, a seemingly simple and honest man, said with a smile.

Lily examined the plants closely, plucking a leaf. Sap dripped from the broken stem, releasing a unique scent. She smelled the leaf and touched the branch, noticing a cleft. "You performed grafting?"

"Miss, you have a keen eye! You're the first to notice," Ben exclaimed, giving her a thumbs-up. "Grafting? What plant did you use?" Jenny, now equally interested, pinched and sniffed the leaves.

"I can't tell you," Ben replied, a smug smile playing on his lips. His pride in this minor achievement was understandable; to a gardener, successfully cultivating a plant is akin to raising a fine child—a source of considerable pride.

"It's mint, right?" Lily said.

"How did you know?!" Ben stared in amazement. This was his own experimental attempt, a secret he hadn't shared, unsure of its success. Lily's quick identification made his efforts at secrecy seem foolish.

"I can smell it," Lily explained. "The unique scent of red sandalwood is there, but with a cool undertone—the distinct scent of mint. The blend is surprising yet harmonious."

Upon hearing this, Jenny knelt to sniff the plant deeply. "Yes, that's right! It's mint!" She had sensed a difference earlier but couldn't pinpoint it, primarily because she hadn't considered grafting. She looked at Lily with surprise and admiration.

"You're amazing! You identified it just by smell. We've had many trials, and mint is our only success so far. What do you think of the scent? Do you find it appealing?" Because the plants were experimental, and their market viability uncertain, they hadn't been widely planted.

"These plants are perfect! I want them!" Lily declared, pointing at the sandalwood.

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