CHAPTER 855: CHAPTER 831: SKY-HIGH PRICES

Jiang Xiaoxiao studied the recipe thoroughly, even able to recite it backwards.

For lunch, Jiang Xiaoxiao cooked herself; the old lady was alone, quite advanced in years, and Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn’t bear to let her work.

Just a simple meal.

Boiled fish, Mapo tofu, cold spinach salad, stir-fried potato shreds.

When Hao Zhigang returned home and saw the spread of dishes, he was a bit taken aback.

Yet, he felt more comfortable inside.

The little girl was quite considerate.

After finishing the meal, Hao Zhigang gave a thumbs-up.

Lately, his great-grandmother’s health was deteriorating day by day.

Cooking was a big burden for her, yet he was often busy outside.

He simply had no time to care for his great-grandmother. It’s been ages since he had such delicious home-cooked food, which naturally couldn’t be compared to what was sold on the street.

He felt like he could eat more, noticing the old lady ate two bowls today, which was quite gracious compared to usual.

He became kinder towards Jiang Xiaoxiao.

"Fan... Auntie!"

It’s really frustrating, being made to feel a generation lower just like that.

All because of grandma.

Jiang Xiaoxiao chuckled, "You should just call me Xiao Xiao."

Hao Zhigang found Jiang Xiaoxiao increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"Since we’re full and satisfied, I’ll take you to the market around five this afternoon. Though the medicine market is open all day, most vendors don’t come out in the morning.

It’s only after four or five in the afternoon that the serious businessmen come out. The market is bustling with everything you might want to buy, only limited by how much money you can bring—but there’s nothing you can’t find."

Many people come for this very reason!

At five in the afternoon, the two set off.

Jiang Xiaoxiao specifically asked Hao Zhigang and brought a bank card.

She wasn’t particularly wealthy, but the card really had money in it. Don’t ask if the money can be used.

Just ask Nine and you’ll hear it can.

Nine also hoped that Jiang Xiaoxiao could buy the perfect medicine.

They didn’t care about the money.

The card held five hundred thousand.

Jiang Xiaoxiao really didn’t know where such a large sum came from.

Obviously, Nine was up to some mischief.

Some Crystal Stones were missing anyway.

That afternoon she pestered the old lady with many questions, naturally about alchemy.

The old lady, hearing her tone, understood the girl had plans, but she didn’t hide anything, smiling faintly and answering every question without reservation.

Knowing internally, if any layperson could simply rely on oral transmission to concoct the medicine, it wouldn’t be called a secret recipe.

A secret recipe naturally has its unique secrets.

But the old lady wouldn’t reveal those secrets even under dire circumstances.

This trip was clearly for Jiang Xiaoxiao to buy the ingredients on the recipe and return to try her hand at making them. Of course, it was for practice.

It was also to see if her medical skills would have another effect when applied here.

Jiang Xiaoxiao had her own plans internally.

She certainly knew alchemy.

She could make some Western medicine formulas herself. She had never ventured into Chinese medicine, which was why she had to start as a novice this time.

Riding on a small motorbike with Hao Zhigang, the two arrived at the medicine market.

By the time they arrived, dusk had already settled.

The two nearly wound their way through several turns before finally getting there; if Jiang Xiaoxiao had come on her own, she surely wouldn’t find it.

Ancient-looking architecture, and indeed half the city was the medicine market.

If she were to pass by outside alone, she’d likely think it was some sort of garden architecture.

An ancient park left over from old times.

But there were strictly guarded security officers at the entrance.

Indeed!

There were security guards, armed with weapons, and Jiang Xiaoxiao carefully looked and confirmed they were real.

There clearly wasn’t a restriction against using weapons here.

But to enter, you must present a special magnetic card, and it was then that Jiang Xiaoxiao realized, without Hao Zhigang guiding, she couldn’t get in.

At the entrance, they were also scanned with machines like airport security.

Imagine the level of strictness.

The people queuing at the entrance maintained excellent order, regardless of age or gender, whether dressed brightly or casually, everyone kept strict distances between each other.

Everyone seemed to carry a sense of reverence towards entering.

But once inside, it was different.

The world inside was no different from the market Jiang Xiaoxiao had seen.

Indeed!

Just like a produce market!

It was bustling with voices, various cries selling goods, negotiations over prices, and all manner of down-to-earth little stalls.

A plastic sheet could serve as a stall, with just a few nameless herbs making up a booth.

Jiang Xiaoxiao felt like she’d entered another world.

Hao Zhigang watched Jiang Xiaoxiao’s wide-eyed look with slight satisfaction.

Little girl, open your eyes.

Jiang Xiaoxiao at once saw the stalls selling jars and bottles of medicine.

Each bottle labeled with its name.

Heart Cleansing Pill, Guiyuan Pill, Six Flavor Rehmannia Pill—they were all there.

Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at them without knowing what their uses were.

A Western doctor truly wouldn’t know, especially things like Guiyuan Pill, sounding so much like some kind of elixir for cultivation—it’s for patients?

Could it be there really are paths of cultivation in this world?

"Young lady, this Guiyuan Pill is something good, ensuring after consumption that you expel impurities, clean all your internal organs, and feel full of vitality. Although you can’t cultivate immortality, it’s hugely beneficial, especially for those wanting to practice martial arts—it enhances the effort with half the result.

The price is absolutely fair—ten pills per bottle, just five thousand bucks. Five thousand bucks won’t buy you fraud, won’t buy deception, you’re buying a healthy body. Want a bottle?"

The vendor, with a face full of beard, eagerly looked at the young girl glowing with excitement across the stall.

At twenty-something, surely with interest in physical training and martial arts, otherwise she wouldn’t care for the Guiyuan Pill.

Coincidentally encountering such people, though asking for five thousand is greed, some desires can’t be bought with money.

Hoping to meet a fool.

Jiang Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, five thousand bucks?

Hao Zhigang was even more disdainful.

"Xiao Xiao, don’t believe him—five thousand bucks, why don’t you go rob it! A first-level Guiyuan Pill at most makes you fart twice, feel a bit refreshed, what’s the use? Five thousand bucks, who are you fooling!"

The bearded vendor, hearing this, knew he met an expert, his expression changed into that of a rascal.

"Damn you, since you know your stuff, why come sabotaging my business? Shoo shoo shoo, don’t come pulling tricks here, I’m doing business."

This was directly driving them away.

Jiang Xiaoxiao stood up as Hao Zhigang introduced the place to her.

"The elixirs you need aren’t visible on these street stalls—the true cures for saving lives and reviving the dead, those kinds of miraculous medicines, should be seen in the shopfronts over there! The shops there sell pills above level five, truly worth their weight in gold. Street stalls aren’t for treasure hunting, though they have some value.

For herbs, street stalls are much cheaper.

But still, keep your eyes peeled—this place operates like your antique markets outside, rule being: buy as is, no refunds, you take your chances. Buy fake drugs, that’s your own lack of skill. You have to accept it."

Hao Zhigang’s words made Jiang Xiaoxiao increasingly curious.

The world’s rules really make one incredulous.

Completely different from their principles outside.

Really feels a bit like survival of the fittest.

Looking at modern smartphones, Jiang Xiaoxiao almost thought she was in their alternate dimension.

It’s truly amazing that there’s such an existence in such a nondescript place.