9 Gathering the necessities

After he arrived in front of the clinic he hesitated due to his fear that the old man would reject helping him.

Li Chang decided to first go to the store and get the other basic necessities before he tried his luck with the old man.

As Li Chang entered the store he wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings because he was lost in thought. This lack of concentration caused him to nearly bump into a female store clerk who was standing in his way and eyeing him.

"I'm sorry' excuse me I wasn't paying attention." Li Chang apologized to the young lady.

She was a young girl probably only slightly older than himself. She was short and had her light brown hair pulled into a tight braid that hung almost mid way down her back. She was wearing an apron with the store logo on it so you couldn't tell too much about her body. However, you could tell that she was fit by how she moved and carried herself. She was also quite pretty. Even though she had a little smudge of dirt on her face from whatever she had been cleaning before, it did nothing to diminish her looks. Li Chang also noticed that she had green eyes, a feature that he had never seen anyone have before. Even though those eyes were now slightly squinted and scrutinizing him, he was still entranced.

"Are you alright?"

"..."

"I am asking you if you are alright, you seem out of it. Are you ill, or sick in the head?"

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?" Li Chang shook his head to stop himself from thinking about her eyes and pulled himself back to the moment. He was now wondering what he had done for this young woman to approach him in such a manner. He also began to put up his guard until he knew what was going on.

He didn't consider his caution or fear an overreaction due to the trauma he suffered in his past. He only worried that he had offended her. He was even considering leaving the store right away.

"You were in here earlier right? I saw you then, you came in and out and in and out. And now here you are back once again. I just want to know if you're right in the head. I mean, who behaves like that?" The young woman said while looking at him and placing her hands on her hips.

Li Chang thought about what she had just said and couldn't decide whether she was upset, being rude or if she was concerned. He didn't know how he should respond. Mostly because he did not know her intentions for confronting him.

He had not ruled out running away, but before bolting to the door, he took a breath to compose himself and replied, "I'm sorry if I bothered you earlier, but I was really distracted at that time so I came again to buy a few things that I had forgotten last time."

"Hmmm. Okay, but be careful and don't do anything weird, because I'm responsible for the store right now." She said as she quickly turned around and headed back to the register.

Li Chang was dumbfounded by the entire interaction and was still uncertain why she had approached him the way she did. He couldn't afford to be concerned with that right now so he just proceeded into the store to shop.

He was pleasantly surprised with this little store as he looked around and found the things he was looking for. He was actually able to find everything he needed that he didn't already have at home in this one shop. Everything except the medicinal herbs that is.

Having spent almost all of Alexander's savings to successfully pick up all these items, he managed to check out with no further problems from the young clerk.

Though she was still watching him, she made no more unnecessary comments which put Li Chang more at ease.

He walked out of the store carrying a large copper pot filled with all of his necessities and walked in the direction of the clinic, towards the interaction he was dreading.

Upon entering the clinic, Li Chang walked towards the receptionist desk and placed his large pot on the counter. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

It was at this moment Li Chang realized he had no idea who the old man he met before was.

He felt very awkward not knowing the name old man he had come to talk to. But this was a conversation that needed to take place. So, after steeling his nerves, he again opened his mouth and asked, "Madam, this little one had met an old senior when he was here before and was wondering if he could request to speak with him again?"

Li Chang felt quite pleased with himself because he was sure that his polite demeanor would result in the receptionist haveing a good impression of him. He could only hope that this positive impression would allow him to talk to the old man again.

Of course these were only his thoughts, the middle aged receptionist on the other hand was just staring at him above the rim of her glasses like she had see a crazy person. However, remembering her job as a receptionist she politely smiled, "I'll check." then she headed towards the back.

It was becoming late in the afternoon and the clinic was empty, so Li Chang waited anxiously at the front all alone. After only a matter of minutes, the receptionist returned and told him he could sit and wait, "The doctor would be out shortly."

He sat in the waiting room sorting through his thoughts trying to decide how he would approach the topic of getting seeds from the old man when he came out. Luckily or unluckily, there was not a long wait before he heard the back door open once more and saw the old man walk in. Li Chang stood up and immediately gave a small bow towards the old man.

"Ha ha so it's you! I was told there was a crazy person out here looking to talk to me. I never would have expected it to be you." the old man exclaimed pleasantly.

"This one has seen senior."

The laughter slowly disappeared from the old man's face and he just stared awkwardly at the young man before him. "What can I do for you, young man?"

"This one was wondering if I could ask senior for a favor?"

"Boy, if you don't start talking more plain, you may never be able to ask for a favor!"

Li Chang stared at the old man for just a moment wondering what had gone wrong and how he could salvage this conversation.

"Uhh…"

"Just tell me straight, no need to be worried, unless your after my flowers, ha ha." the old man chuckled.

Li Chang felt his heart skin when he heard him say this. The truth of the matter was that, though indirectly, he was after his flowers.

"I was just hoping that I could have a moment of seniors time?" he said hesitatingly.

"Hmmm" The old man stared at Li Chang then frowned and said, "Fine, why don't you come on back." The old man opened the door and led Li Chang to one of the rooms in the back.

Before Li Chang even had an opportunity to ask his question, the old man had already begun to speak, "Young man I know how kids your age are these days, and I understand everything that's going on with your body, but sex is not something that you should be taking lightly!" the old man said while frowning as he pulled a few small wrapped objects from a drawer behind him.

Startled by this statement, Li Chang sat there stunned trying to understand what the old man was telling him. Li Chang could not understand how the old man had misunderstood his intent.

Li Chang realized that since he was now a 16 year old, the old man had taken his fearful hesitation as him being ashamed to ask a different question. In all honesty since being in this new world he did have hope in his prospects towards the fairer sex. The reality was, however, that he'd only been here a day and had no contact with the girls of this world. At least ones that he wasn't related to.

The only exception was the cute store clerk, but he didn't think that was a very positive interaction.

"Old... senior, you've misunderstood me." Li Chang corrected. "I have no intentions like that at the moment. I was actually wondering if there is any way that senior would be willing and able to let me have some of your medicinal plant seeds?"

The old man stopped all his movements. "Is that really why you've come?" The old man asked slightly unsure if this was the truth.

"Yes senior, I wouldn't lie to you."

"So you came back to ask me for my seeds? Tell me why?"

"Senior I was hoping that I would be able to try my hand at growing different plants, especially medicinal plants."

"My receptionist was right, you are a mad man." The old man looked at Li Chang incredulously then continued. "Growing plants, especially medicinal plants is not something so simple and is not something someone your age could just jump into."

"Senior I know this is not something simple and I am not the kind of person to just jump into things. Believe it or not this has been a desire of mine for many years and I've spent much time reading and researching about it."

The old man looked at Li Chang with surprise, then asked, "Truly?"

"Senior I wouldn't lie to you. I truly have this desire and more than that I truly believe that I have the ability."

The old man continued to stare at Li Chang but didn't reply, so Li Chang continued, "Senior, if you would give me or allow me to cheaply purchase various seeds I will guarantee you a portion of anything I am able to grow."

"Various seeds? Ha ha! My young friend, don't you know that different plants have different requirements for them to grow? So even if I had a mind to sell you various seeds, you would surely fail."

"Senior I am determined and I'm sure that I won't fail. In fact if senior is so sure that I will fail, I would be willing to have a wager with senior."

The old man was slightly taken aback and said, "What wager?"

"I wager that if senior would supply me with a small quantity of various seeds, that by the end of one month I will be able to grow not less than one of every plant that senior gives me."

"Ha ha, and what happens if you fail to grow anything at all?"

"If I fail to hold up my end I will compensate senior with twice the value of all the seeds that senior gives me."

"Fine, fine this is a good deal though losing these seeds will still be my loss, I will take your wager as a way to teach a youngster that growing medicinal plants is not a simple task. Wait here just a minute." The old man said after a moment then walked out of the room.

Li Chang sat there with a slight smile on his face, he truly didn't believe that he would be able to get seeds so easily.

The old man returned to the room with several small bags of seeds and two pieces of paper. He placed the seeds next to Li Chang and then handed him the papers. Li Chang looked at the papers expecting to see a list of what seeds he received, but instead saw a contract.

"Senior what is this?"

"You didn't think I would just give you seeds without a contract or guarantee did you? Are you regretting it now, do you want to call off the wager?"

"No senior of course not, I'd be happy to sign the contract and I'd never go back on my word."

"Good, good. Then once you've signed I'll had over a list of what seeds I gave you and the price of each of the plants."

Li Chang quickly signed the contract, remembering to write out the name Alexander and happily received the list from the old man.

"Thank you very much, senior, I'll be sure to come back before the month is out."

"Good I'll be looking forward to seeing you, I only hope you won't regret today."

Li Chang only gathered his things and smiled as he began to walk out of the clinic. Before he left he turned back to the old man and asked, "Senior, might I ask how I should address senior in the future?"

"Ha ha, I'm Dr. Fennis, but seeing as we have a different relationship than doctor patient, you can just call me Richard. It would certainly be better than saying senior this senior that all the time."

"Thank you Mr. Richard, I'll remember." Li Chang said as he left the clinic.

Having accomplished everything he set out to do, he began to hurry home as quick as possible. He wanted to try and get the array set up and seeds planted before the sun had completely set, which did not give him much time.

Li Chang knew that though he had to do this right, the quicker he started the quicker he would have results. Seeing as his and his family's future would rely on whether on not he could succeed, he would need answers as soon as possible.

As soon as he got home and entered the gate, he quickly got to work setting down his array and lying all the groundwork needed for the seeds and also his family's future.