chapter 18 Ma Bao

Luna Wang has been smiling from ear to ear; her son had spent several years in prison before, which had subjected her to some criticism. Today, however, she was finally able to hold her head high.
"Everything is fine now, everyone can go!"
With a cheerful smile, Alexander Xu waved everyone off. He had intended to settle things with Barry Ye, but he realized that the scoundrel had slipped away unnoticed.
"Dad, how are your injuries?"
Alexander Xu quickly helped Alan Xu to a chair.
"It's nothing, just some superficial wounds. I'm getting older, so my bones are brittle."
"Son, tell me, what's the real story behind all this?"
Alan Xu looked at his son with confusion, wondering how his son had become involved with Brother Mark and his gang.
"It's not a big deal," Alexander Xu replied calmly, "I once saved his life, so he doesn't dare to lay a hand on me."
"Dad, you rest here for a while. I'll make you some medicine, and it should help you feel better."
After tidying up the mess in the shop and taking care of his parents, Alexander Xu headed to the wholesale herbal market.
Donghai Trading City was the largest herbal market in Donghai City, with not only physical stores but also many small vendors.
Before he went to prison, Alexander Xu had been here a few times, so he knew his way around.
His father had suffered external injuries, combined with years of physical labor, leading to the depletion of his blood and energy. He needed some high-quality herbs to replenish his health.
However, after half an hour of searching, Alexander Xu couldn't find suitable herbs.
Nowadays, most herbs in China were cultivated artificially, resulting in significantly reduced efficacy.
Wild herbs were also available, but either the age or quality was not up to the mark, making it a bleak prospect.
Despite returning empty-handed, Alexander Xu remained undeterred and continued his search with patience.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and turned to the side.
On the ground, there was a layer of felt cloth spread out, with various medicinal herbs arranged on top. The quantity wasn't extensive, but the variety was complete.
Among them, there was just the thirty-year wild ginseng that Alexander Xu needed.
"Boss, how much is this selling for?"
"One thousand dollars per gram," replied the stall owner.
He was an elderly man with deep wrinkles on his face due to years of exposure to the wind and sun.
"What about cordyceps?"
"It depends on the quality; the ones over here are a bit cheaper..."
The stall owner held a large smoking pipe and began to introduce the items one by one.
Alexander Xu listened attentively, nodding slightly. The prices seemed reasonable, and some of the medicinal herbs were even cheaper than what was available in the market.
After selecting a few blood-enriching herbs, Alexander Xu shifted his gaze to a nearby woven basket made of reeds.
Inside the basket were gourd-like fruits, each about the size of a goose egg, displaying a bluish-white hue.
"What is this, boss?"
"This is called 'field muskmelon,' or 'wild melon.' I grow them myself." The stall owner tapped his pipe bowl, revealing his yellowed teeth. "It's good for older folks, and helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. If you want some, I can give you a discount. Forty dollars per kilogram!"
Alexander Xu looked around and found that there were some donkey dung in the basket, it seemed like they were indeed grown by the stall owner.
"Give me..."
Before he could finish speaking, Alexander Xu's eyes suddenly narrowed, and his heart raced. He felt an inexplicable excitement.
"This is!"
He glanced at one of the perfectly round field muskmelons in the basket, his eyes filled with joy.
Without saying a word, he took a deep breath, grabbed a plastic bag, and said to the stall owner, "Give me a kilogram."
"Sure thing. You can pick out the ones you want. You can also pick a few more."
The stall owner was quite generous; Alexander Xu had already purchased a substantial amount of goods, so he was a valuable customer.
Alexander Xu nodded and picked a few of the field muskmelons at random, placing them in the bag. After paying, he headed back home.
Twenty minutes later, he arrived home and locked the bedroom door behind him.
Reaching into the bag, Alexander Xu rummaged for a moment and pulled out a perfectly round field muskmelon.
To be precise, it wasn't a field muskmelon; it was a horse bezoar!
Alexander Xu was certain that the stall owner must have raised horses, and this horse bezoar had somehow ended up mixed in with the field muskmelon.
Horse bezoars were incredibly rare and unquestionably priceless treasures of nature.
Horse bezoars, cow bezoars, dog bezoars, and chicken bezoars were all substances generated within animals and were extremely rare.
Among them, horse bezoars were the most precious, as horses were becoming increasingly rare. Even through artificial breeding, the chances of obtaining one were minuscule.
After a careful examination, Alexander Xu let out a deep breath and placed the horse bezoar into a box with great solemnity.
"I owe the stall owner a huge favor for this. I must repay him someday."
"Son, hurry up and change your clothes; we're going out to eat."
At that moment, Luna Wang's voice came from outside the door.
It turned out that a distant relative named Aunt Hazel was visiting. She had said she wanted to treat Luna Wang's family to a meal.
Aunt Hazel, formerly known as Hazel Wang, was also from the same city as the Wang family. The two families had frequent interactions but had become less frequent after Alexander Xu went to prison, probably to avoid causing any issues.
"Mom, why is Aunt Fang being so generous all of a sudden?"
Alexander Xu knew that Aunt Fang had always been motivated by money and frequently came to their shop to enjoy free food and drinks.
"Oh, it's good news!" Luna Wang chuckled. "A few years ago, didn't Aunt Fang plan to introduce her daughter to you? At that time, you were... dating the ungrateful woman, and I declined on your behalf."
"Now, seeing that you're out, she probably wants to revisit that old matter."
"By the way, son, take this opportunity to chat with the girl. I heard she's quite pretty!"
This reminded Alexander Xu that he was being set up for a blind date!
After the previous experience, he had no interest in romantic relationships.
"Mom, it's not necessary. I don't want to go."
"What are you talking about?" Alan Xu changed into a clean outfit and came out. "Aunt Fang is doing this out of kindness. Hurry up, change your clothes. Our son is quite a handsome young man!"
"Fine."
Alexander Xu knew he couldn't resist his parents' insistence and sighed in resignation.
Fortunate Feast House was a well-known upscale restaurant in Donghai City with a high price range.
The fact that Hazel Wang was able to treat them there indicated that she had some financial ability in recent years.
When Alexander Xu and his family arrived, they were led directly to a private dining room by the waiter.
Seated at the table was a middle-aged woman who was dressed in extravagant attire and wore heavy makeup.
Next to her sat a young girl, who was indeed quite lovely, but there was a hint of arrogance in her demeanor.
Seeing Luna Wang and her family arrive, Hazel Wang quickly stood up and greeted them with a forced smile, "Oh, finally you are here!"
"Luna Wang, you've lost weight. It's been so many years; how have you become so haggard?"
"Look at you, Alexander Xu! That prison is really no place for a young man like you; it's turned you into this."
With just a few sentences, Hazel Wang turned Luna Wang's initially smiling face stiff.
They say you shouldn't hit someone in the face or expose their weaknesses when you insult them, but Hazel Wang intentionally brought up Alexander Xu's time in prison to make him uncomfortable.
However, Luna Wang had always been mild-mannered, so she didn't say much in response.
After taking their seats, Hazel Wang took out a bottle of skincare product from her bag and began to show it off.
"Luna Wang, look at your skin; it's gotten so rough. I must remind you to take better care of it; otherwise, you'll become an old hag."
"This bottle of skincare product is from the international brand Eusenia. It costs over 5,000 dollars for this small bottle!"
"You probably can't earn that much in a month, can you?"
Luna Wang's face turned stiff, and she chuckled awkwardly, her complexion alternating between pale and purplish.
Alan Xu's expression also changed slightly. From the looks of it, Hazel Wang didn't seem to be here to discuss match-making.
Alexander Xu, on the other hand, squinted his eyes slightly, lost in thought.
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