Williams took care of Jing's clothes in the washing machine, he left a pair of pants and a short sleeve shirt for a change on the door of the bathroom along with an anti-inflammatory ointment for Jing's bruises.
In the kitchen Shen Williams decided to prepare some two dishes with the yam and teach Jing how to make them, so Jing would have food to eat with his mother and sister. Just from looking at Jing, Williams could see that he isn't been fed at all. He chose to make yam porridge and cold shredded yam.
Shen Williams quickly dealt with the yam using a scrapper and chopped them into pieces. William then boiled water and pour some fine rice from his stock into the pot and the rest of the ingredients then left it cooking on the stove. He then took another yam tubes and dealt with it, with this batch, Williams cut it into shreds, rinse and soak in cold water. Blanch in boiling water and remove, then put into cold water to cool. Shen Williams decided to put in the fungus he happened to pick up, he washed the fungus and cut them into filaments and repeat the process over again.
After he was done, he poured the yam shred, fungus shreds, ginger shreds and the rest of the vegetable shreds onto a large bowl, add salt, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sugar before mixing together thoroughly. By the time he was done with that, the yam porridge was also done, thick and bubbling on the stove. Williams off the fire and took the pot off the stove. Just as he was taking the dishes to the dinning table, Jing also had finished washing up and came down to see him arranging food on the table. The aroma that filled the kitchen waft into his nose not caring to knock. Jing felt his drool sipping out of his mouth as his stomach grumbled in protest too, he quickly cleaned the drool from the corner of his mouth in embarrassment stealing a peek at Williams who was busying himself.
Williams chuckled seeing the embarrassed kid looking at him, trying to hide his embarrassment. "You must be hungry, I'm done let's eat" he said without looking. When he finally raised his head to see the kid slowly approaching the dinning table with caution, Williams frowned. Jing stopped in his tracks seeing the frown on Williams face. He became nervous. How did he think that the immortal will allow him to sit and eat on the same table as the immortal, he thought. But infact Williams frowned because of an entirely different reason.
"Ah Jing! why didn't you dry your hair after washing! Do you want to come down with a cold!" Jing was startled by the loud voice of Williams, but when Williams words finally registered into his mind, he was confused.
"That, the clothes you gave me to wear, i couldn't use that to clean my hair and also you took my clothes away." he clumsily said very nervous.
"When did i say that you should dry your hair with the clothes, there are spare towels in the bathroom. Ah, you just forget and come with me"
Shen Williams said distressed and pulled the kid with him, Jing confused and not knowing what was going on followed quietly not protesting.
Shen Williams sat Liu Jing done on a stool, he plucked the hair dryer, on it and blow on his hand to test the temperature. Jing hearing the sound from it street with curious eyes.
"Brother Williams what's that?" he asked wanting to satisfy his curiosity.
"A hair dryer, it's faster with this. The food will get cold if we take long" Williams simply explained, Jing nodded and asked no more.
He sat quietly and blushing as Williams blew his hair with the dryer while using his hand in Jing's hair. It was really embarrassing for Jing and also he was a ger and Williams, even though he saw Williams as an immortal but all the same Williams was a boy. And to do this intimate things was also between husbands and wives, but Jing couldn't being himself to say what he wanted because he already knew that Williams has no such thoughts for him and was merely helping him.
After Williams blew his hair for him, they both returned back to the dinning hall to eat. Jing sat across Williams at the dining table. "Don't hold back and serve yourself the amount you can eat. This is prepared for only you and I, so if we're not able to finish it, i can only throw it out"
Jing's eyes were glued on the colourful dishes presented and his nose was filled with their fragrance, he was stunned hearing what Williams said. Jing hesitated a bit and asked unsure "then brother Williams, can I- can I take back home for my mother and sister to taste?" Being fed good things, he wanted his sick mother and little sister to have a taste too.
"Sure. There's some porriage still left in the pot, I'll pour into a container for you when you're ready to go, for now eat to your satisfactory" Williams answered without looking, only focusing on eating.
Jing was exuberant getting Williams approval, he eat with relish tasting carefully the dishes not wanting to miss out on any taste. Williams peeked from the corner of his eyes, at the exhilarating kid. He was used to eating alone and each time no matter how tasteful the food was, Williams found it to be unpalatable. But being accompanied by Jing who was eating with relish and was grinning from ear to ear, it suddenly made his unpalatable food palatable and he could taste the it well. He felt this alien feeling which he thought he had long lost, happiness. Eating with the kid brought about happiness which he could no longer feel, it made him remember those times he used to dine with his mum when she was alive and lively.
It was a very incredible feeling for him. He couldn't help but think the kid in front of him was adorable with cuteness, he finally checked Jing who was clothed in his clothes out, thinking if Jing was actually a girl and to his taste, this would've been an incredible thrilling date. But he sighed regretfully, thinking Jing was a boy.
"Brother Williams?..." Jing even tho was focused on eating the delicious dishes, he was still taking notice of Williams expressions fearing on making a mistake and angering Williams, so when he saw Williams sighed, he called out anxiously.
"Oh, Ah Jing said something?" Williams brought out of his thoughts asked.
"It looked like brother Williams was in a deep thought and sighing, did i disturbed brother Williams's thinking?" he asked with caution.
"Oh that, it was nothing of importance...." Williams said and paused "i just thought that this would've been a perfect date if Ah Jing was to be a girl of my taste...well there's nothing to do about it now, just eat peacefully i am done" Williams said and got up taking away his used dishes to the sink.
Lu Jing watched his back as he left, Jing didn't understand what date meant so he was unable to understand entirely what William's was talking about. But unconsciously, he felt something sting in his chest and was a bit uncomfortable as if he was suffocating. Jing pat his chest thinking the uncomfortableness would go away if he did that, but it was futile.
Williams walked back to see his strange behavior "drink water if you're choking" he advised thinking Jing choked on the good. Jing nodded and drank water as Williams suggested, but it didn't go away much, so Jing just forget about it and focused on eating.
After he was done, he imitated Williams actions and packed the dishes to the sink, Jing wanted to do something to prove his worth so he intended to wash the dirty dishes. But everything in the kitchen weren't things he could use, and he himself thought he couldn't just touch them lightly. So he could only stand there in distress not knowing what to do.
Williams walked back into the kitchen after taking a shower and changed into new clothes to see Jing stranded and looking as if he was going to cry at any moment. He was baffled not knowing what caused it.
"Ah Jing...what happened?" he asked slowly making his tone sound as low as it could not wanting to scare Jing.
"Brother Williams, woo, i don't know how to wash the bowls" Jing sobbed saying.
Williams had blacklines thinking he really wanted to smack the kid on the head, but he refrained from doing so lest the kid really cried.
"Don't worry I'll do that later, leave them be" he simply said and made his way out.
"But i want to help brother Williams, we agreed on that! Or.. does brother Williams wants to sack me seeing that i am not useful?" Jing started to sob more.
Williams poked his head back to the kitchen hearing what Jing said, only to see tears falling down from Jing's childish looking face. This made Williams annoyed, really he would want to rethink his decision of hiring Jing. But he decided not muttering to himself 'he's just a kid, have patience' a couple of time and took a deep breath.
"Okay, you wash them. I'll teach you how to use the things in the kitchen" Williams compromised.
Jing's tears stopped at once with his eyes sparkling, he looked at Williams happily. Williams sighed and pulled him closer to the sink. He slowly explained the things and explained how to use them. He stood by Jing's side and guided Jing to wash the dishes and dry them, before he himself put them away. When Jing was done, they left the space with the packaged food containers. Outside the space back to the cave where the potatoes where still cooking in the earth, Jing suddenly exclaimed.
"Brother Williams, i forgot to tell you. Actually i - i- tomorrow i wouldn't be able to come see brother Williams" Jing informed cautious watching the face of Williams expression.
"Oh, i see. Well i guess you have things to do too" was Williams reply to Jing's words. Actually it would be an understatement to say Williams didn't feel bad when Jing informed, Jing was the only person he knew in this unfamiliar place where he couldn't tell his left from right. So having Jing's company, he thought it wasn't so bad, but here it is, his only made friend can't always be around.
Jing could hear the melancholy from his voice, so he hurried to explain. "Brother Williams it isn't that i don't want to come see you, it's just i have to go to the county town tomorrow to sell vegetables from our field"
"Yeah, i understand you have to go to the county town to sell vegetables" Williams who decided not to mind him anymore and was just focused in taking out the sweet potatoes which are already done from the earth, answered half heartedly and was in a sour mood. That was until Jing's words finally registered in, he dropped the potatoes in his hands at once and got up abruptly.
"You said you're going to the county town?" he asked in a hurry.
"Yes, i will go to sell the ripen vegetables tomorrow in the county" Jing repeated his words.
"Take me along." Williams said loudly taking hold of Jing's hands.
Jing was startled at first but then blushes seeing how close and intimate they were. "Well okay, if brother Williams wants to follow, i am okay with it" he said.
"I'm okay! I'm okay! I will go along with you tomorrow. Actually i have somethings to do in the county, but i didn't know where it was so i could only stay here for now" Williams blabbered in excitement.
Seeing how excited Williams was, Jing was suddenly embarrassed. "But actually brother Jing, i don't have money and to go with the bull cart it's ten wen a person, grandma wouldn't spare that for me so i can only walk, and it's takes about two hours on foot to the county. And brother Williams will be tired" Jing said apologetically.
"Is that so, sadly i have lots of good things on hand but it's money i also do not have here. Don't worry i can walk, i will exchange some things for silvers in the county when we go. So don't worry about me"
"Okay then that's good, we can rest on the way when brother Williams get's tired. Actually i will be leaving at dawn" Jing thought because Williams was an immortal, Williams couldn't be allowed to suffer any wrong.
"Or brother Williams can stay in your sanctuary and I'll hold the ring, so when i reach the county town, brother Williams will come out." he suggested "don't worry i won't loose the ring and keep it safe" he added, he really wanted to prove that he could be very useful.
"Ah Jing, i really can walk okay, so do not worry" It wasn't that Williams was just saying that to assure Jing, but it was the truth. He was physically fit since he had been working out and two hours walk wasn't going to tire him out.
"I'll meet you at the entrance of the village, is that okay?"
"En! Then I'll meet brother Williams there" Jing nodded as they settled things, both of them happy but for entirely different reasons.