"Uh..."
Jason Liu felt there was too much to explain and didn't want to go into details. So, he put on a serious face and said, "You don't need to worry about this. It's a secret of our Eastern family."
When the others heard Jason mention his family, they all stopped asking questions. They looked at him with respect, feeling it wasn't their place to pry.
By blaming everything on his made-up "mysterious Eastern family," Jason knew he wouldn't have to keep explaining where his goods came from in the future. Whether people believed him or not didn't matter to him.
"Barlow, Barron, Bud, Dicken, and McCann, you five come with me and help carry the supplies!" Jason led them to bring down the paper and pens from the room.
Outside, Lena, Martha, Venissa, Susan, and a little blonde girl in a patched sackcloth stood curiously around a dozen big cardboard boxes. Jason wasn't worried they could read the modern writing on the boxes. If anyone asked, he'd just say it was the language of his hometown.
Noticing McCann standing nearby, Jason asked, "Is that little girl your sister?"
"Yes, my lord," McCann replied respectfully. "This is my sister, Bella. She's 11 years old and helps Martha and Lena in the shop now."
"Bella, come greet Mr. Jason," McCann said, calling his sister over.
Bella was thin and small, just like her brother, and seemed poorly fed. She walked over cautiously, looking at Jason with her big blue eyes, and shyly said, "Good day, Master Jason."
"You're Bella, right? What a sweet girl!" Jason smiled, gently patting her freshly washed blonde hair, which still smelled of shampoo. Lena must have washed it with the shampoo Jason had brought from the modern world.
After spending a few days together, Lena and Martha realized that Jason liked cleanliness, so they started taking care of their own hygiene too. Even Michal, a boy who was usually dirty, was now kept clean by his mother and aunt.
Bella blushed with happiness from Jason's kind words.
"Oh, I remember I bought some candy," Jason said, suddenly recalling. He went to his room and brought back two bags of toffee. "Come on, everyone, try this toffee I brought from my hometown!"
He handed out the candies, and everyone admired the colorful wrappers. Michal quickly unwrapped one and popped it into his mouth, grinning at the sweet milky flavor. Bella, being more careful, unwrapped hers, licked it, and a big smile spread across her face as she tasted the sweetness.
The other women, as well as the men, enjoyed the candy too.
After everyone had their treat, Jason turned to Dicken. "Dicken, go fetch your father Rhodes and tell him I need to speak with him."
"Yes, my lord," Dick replied and ran off to get his father.
Before long, they heard Old Rhodes grumbling outside, "Come on, Dick... How can I have such a slow son? If it weren't for Lord Jason, I'd worry you wouldn't survive after I'm gone… Move faster!"
Old Rhodes entered with Dicken, changing his expression to a respectful smile as he approached Jason. "It's an honor to be of service, Lord Jason," he said, even though he reeked of alcohol.
Jason smiled. "I plan to tear down the old houses I just bought and build a bigger shop and warehouse. Do you know anyone who can do this kind of construction work?"
Old Rhodes understood immediately and assured Jason, "Don't worry, my lord. As long as the money is enough, I can find the right people to do it and make sure the new building meets your needs."
Seeing Rhodes' confidence, Jason was relieved. He didn't want to waste time on the details of building a house, so he left it to him.
After the discussion, Old Rhodes went to his tavern to inform his wife, then put on his hat and went to find a skilled mason.
Since Jason planned to hire Barlow, Dicken, and McCann as guards, he needed to buy them weapons. He had already ordered lightweight, stab-resistant suits for them. Today, they would get swords, shields, and spears.
Taking his money pouch, Jason led the five men to the blacksmith's shop in Winterfell's market town.
The heat from the blacksmith's shop was intense, and the sound of hammering filled the air. Despite his gray hair, the blacksmith, Master Raymond, was muscular and strong.
Hearing that Jason Liu, a well-known noble from the mysterious "Far East," wanted to buy weapons, Master Raymond quickly brought out the best swords, spears, and shields he had.
Jason curiously picked up an iron sword. It was heavy and had a shiny, sharp blade.
The iron sword cost 20 silver stags, the spear 7 silver stags, and the iron shield was the cheapest at just 4 silver stags.
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