The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 438

Leilani woke up early the next morning. She wasn't in a rush to treat Payton immediately because she had already checked his pulse once and had a general understanding of his condition.

After thinking it over the previous night, Leilani decided to ask Abel to accompany her to a nearby herbal market. She wanted to scout the local supply and purchase ingredients she might need for Payton's future treatment.

When she mentioned the plan, Abel agreed readily. He drove Leilani to a large wholesale market located near the old district on the city outskirts. It was a short drive from their rental, and they arrived just thirty minutes later.

It was still early, and the morning mist hadn't yet dissipated from the air. However, despite the hour, the market was already bustling with activity.

Looking out, Leilani saw the wet cobblestone paths glistening with morning dew. Tufts of plantain weeds sprouted stubbornly from the cracks in the bricks. The narrow lanes were packed with stalls. The trays were piled high with drying angelica and astragalus roots, while burlap sacks overflowed with bundles of eucommia bark, the brownish-yellow roots still clinging to mountain soil.

An old man in a blue tunic squatted by the roadside. In front of him sat a chipped clay pot containing centipede wine, the dark, murky liquid swirling around the suspended insects.

At the next stall, a vendor was using a hay cutter to slice poria mushrooms. The sawdust-like shavings fell onto an oilcloth, mixing with the spicy scent of dried tangerine peel and licorice to create a bitter yet warm aroma in the humid air.

As Leilani led Abel into the narrow alleyways, they heard a woman with a headscarf shouting enthusiastically, "Fresh dendrobium for sale!"

Behind her hung strings of wind-dried scorpions, their stingers glinting with a dark, greenish light in the dawn, while fresh purple-stemmed herbs in the basket at her feet still held droplets of water.

Leilani scanned the market. The air was filled with the bitter fragrance of herbs, and the hawkers' cries rose and fell in a rhythmic wave. It was chaotic, yes, but it possessed a vibrant, authentic energy. The corners of her lips curved up. "It's fine. I actually think this place is quite good."

Abel’s eyes lit up. "Really? You're not just humoring me?"

Leilani shook her head. "No. It might be a bit disorganized and noisy, but the variety of herbs here is far richer than what we have back home."

She stepped forward into the crowd. Abel quickly followed, chattering away as he introduced the area.