Chapter 7 - Ch. 7

At dawn the following day, as promised Williams got ready dressed in loose fit cargo, multi-pocket white pants with loose fit long sleeves shirt, the sleeves folded a little up above the wrist. And white sneakers. Infact he wanted to wear shorts and short sleeves shirt because of the hot weather. But unfortunately, what he learnt from the dressing and action of Liu Jing he could tell that this place was almost similar to the ancient times of his previous world and they took dressing and covering up the whole body seriously. He was hundred percent sure that they'd probably arrest him and put him in prison for indecent dressing!

He went down the mountain with the help of a torchlight, arriving at the promised meeting place he saw Liu Jing with a basket on his shoulder waiting for him patiently. "Sorry, I'm late." he apologized knowing that if it wasn't for him the other would've left by already.

"No, I arrived here just now too. Brother Williams isn't late." Jing smiled brightly as he said. Without saying anything else Williams pulled the basket from his back and sent it to the space. "Okay let's go." he said seeing the startled then surprised reactions of Jing. Liu Jing came back to his senses and nodded, turning his back to Williams an unconscious smile formed on his face as he walked leading them. After walking for long from dawn as the light slowly started appearing, they finally approached the county seat. "Brother Williams please give me the basket, after leaving here we'll soon see the gates of the county seat." Liu Jing informed politely. Williams nodded and took out the basket from the space for him. He himself took out a backpack and wore it on his left shoulder and his violin case in his right hand. Liu Jing looked at him hesitantly but chose to say nothing. Williams had already seen his look and could more or less guess what was on his mind. "If anyone asks, I am a foreigner from overseas who came here to search for my father who's a person of this dynasty. I grew up with my mother in overseas and I came here to search for my dad after her death. I am hiring you as a tour guide being my first time here and I do not know the customs here." he relayed the story he had come up with to him.

Liu Jing was dumbfounded by what he said and he stared confused at him. "... erhm-erhm you see I don't want people to know that I am an immortal. If a lot of people find out that I am an immortal and start worshipping and offering tributes, my caretaker will soon find out that I am here...." Shen Williams paused with emotions "my caretaker will take me away and I can never return here again! Jing wouldn't be able to see brother Williams again and I will soon forget about you and all the time we spent together." Williams sighed. Liu Jing became anxious from his words, he didn't want brother Williams to be taken away and never see him again! No! Brother Williams is the only one to treat him good and feed him delicious foods, if he leaves then... wouldn't he go back to living in gloom again? "I'll listen to brother Williams. If anyone asks, I'll tell them what brother Williams said!" Jing said with an excited look, he looked at Williams with teary eyes and pleadingly. Williams was very happy to get his mind, but he didn't show it on his face still taking on his mysterious immortal look. "That's good! That's good! So if anyone asks, just say that I am a foreigner from overseas who hired you as my tour guide. I'll take care of the rests!" Jing nodded heavily to his words, his eyes showing his determination to follow every instructions of Williams!

True to Liu Jing's words, not long after they walked from where they stood they soon arrived at the county seat. Walking into the county seat, Williams's eyes trailed off as he surveyed his surroundings. He followed behind Liu Jing closely under the curious looks of the crowds. Arriving at where the vegetable sellers where, Liu Jing took off the basket from his back and placed it gently on the floor. "Brother Williams this is where I am going to sell the vegetables I brought. Let me just take them out and arrange them, I will take you where you want to go in a moment." Liu Jing informed taking out a cloth from the basket and spreading it next to a vegetable seller who came before him. He was quick with his hands taking out the vegetables from his basket and arranging them nicely on the cloth. Shen Williams stood aside watching him doing his work, his eyes swept across the other sellers. Seeing so many sellers and some with better looking vegetables than Liu Jing's, Shen Williams could tell that it was a tough competition going on here at the vegetable market, he didn't want Jing to leave his goods to accompany. "Ah Jing, I will be okay by myself. You just focus on selling the vegetables, I will come to you after I'm done with what I want to do." after saying that he turned around and walk away without waiting for a reply from Liu Jing. Liu Jing who wanted to call after him resigned and went mute, he pouted his lips and watched dejectedly as the back of the person who he will never be able to catch up to slowly disappeared from his sights.

After leaving Liu Jing, Williams didn't go to sell the things he wanted to sell first, instead he walked around in the county browsing through things sold in the county and getting informations of other things. This way he was able to know that there was a pier at the north side of the county where big ships and small boats docked, that is also where sea foods where sold. And there the people in this county seat could see one or two foreigners from overseas who bring their cargo to sell foreign goods here, but from the informations gotten it seemed mostly they just packed here for rests and usually take their cargo to the capital city.

After getting enough informations to go by with for now, he walked to the direction of the biggest jewelry shop which was shown to him. Arriving at jewelry shop the clerk who saw him hurried from behind the counter and came to greet him with enthusiasm. The clerk started pulling his neck watching around and even outside in expectations. "It's only me. I can speak the language of the dynasty so I didn't bring a translator." knowing what he was thinking Shen Williams said to him. The clerk widened his eyes in surprise but quickly masked it off. "So what can I do for friend from afar?" the clerk continued to show more enthusiasm. He was very careful with his words and actions not wanting to offend Williams. Who doesn't know that these foreigners are very wealthy and the things on them are very valuable, shops here are very happy whenever these foreigners comes to visit!

"Right, can I talk to your shopkeeper rather? What I have here is a very big business I want to discuss with your shopkeeper." The clerk arched his brows in doubts, but he didn't show it too much. "Okay wait a moment for me here, I will go and call the shopkeeper!" the clerk ran off upstairs after saying that. Shen Williams began to browse through the goods in the shop and checking out the prices. Soon he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He looked up and was met with a middle aged man, he had deer-like head and rat-like eyes, and his eyes were wandering. At first glance, he was not a good person! Shen Williams thought, but who was he? Would he be cheated by a man from a backwards era? Hah! if that was to be the case then he has lived and studied in modern times for nothing! The home he was born in was a place where schemes were the daily activities and greed was the foundation of everything! A beautiful smile bloomed on his face making the shopkeeper stunned.

"Guest from afar, I'm told you have a big business for our shop?" already hearing from the clerk, the shopkeeper directly got to the point, his eyes shinning as if looking at a very fat sheep! He scanned Shen Williams from head to toe, his all white strange clothes of good materials to the shoe and the bag on shoulder and case in hand, Shen Williams stood out a lot. But the shopkeeper didn't see it to be very strange, meeting a lot of foreigners they've been shown to a whole lot of strange things never seen before in their dynasty....

"Won't the shopkeeper invite me up to sit and discuss?" The shopkeeper was very shocked, although he was told by the clerk that the foreigner could speak the language of their Dynasty he wasn't very surprised, because they've seen a few foreigners who also learned the language for business purposes. But they weren't as fluent as this foreigner! If not for the hair colour, the eyes and appearance which looked hundred percent that of a foreigner, they'd believe that he was a person from this dynasty!

"Hahaha, shopkeeper don't be too shock by how well I speak the dynasty's language. Although this is actually my first time being to this dynasty....but actually my father is a person of this dynasty." Shen Williams laughed and said seeing their too shocked expressions.

Both the shopkeeper and clerk were once again left in bewilderment!