Ch. 9
Looking at the more than half remaining vegetables on the cloth Shen Williams was puzzled. "Is this how it is here everytime?" he asked looking down at Liu Jing who was squatting beside him and pouting. "En. It'll be considered a good market if I'm able to sell half." Liu Jing answered as his face showed panick "I will be scolded by grandma all the time even when I'm able to sell half of the vegetables, if I'm unable to then I will have to go to sleep with an empty stomach." Hearing the sadness and helplessness in his tone a rare emotion of warmth and sympathy flashed in his eyes, but left as it came. Putting his hand in his pocket he took out a chocolate bar and unwrapped it, he broke a little from it and threw it in his mouth. "Hm, have it. Eating sweet things makes you feel happy." he shoved him a little with how leg. Liu Jing seeing the chocolate being sent to him had his eyes sparkling, he didn't even say any word of refuse and took it with both hands as if afraid that Shen Williams will take it back and not give to him.
Looking at him behaving like a hamster Shen Williams chuckled lightly amused. "Okay, okay, no one is fighting with you for it." Looking at him moan as he bit the chocolate in his mouth Shen Williams laughed being affected by his joy. The other vegetable sellers watching the odd group from the side kept staring at Liu Jing with envy in their eyes. Everyone knows that those foreigners have good things on them, and seeing Liu Jing who looked to be very close with the foreigner who they listened to speaking their language fluently. A little boy with the vegetable seller beside him walked from the parent and came to stand in front of Liu Jing's vegetables. "Big brother can you give me some?" he asked in a milky tone with his fingers in his mouth. Liu Jing was alarmed grasping tight the chocolate and hugging it to his chest, he had a look of grimace debating whether to give or not, his eyes full of unwillingness. "Bolin, come back here!" after a few minutes his mother pretended to scold and call him back. "Little brother sorry, the child is greedy when he saw you eating." she pretended to explain with a sorry look. Liu Jing sighed and resigned and broke a bit for the child and sent him back to his parents, the rest of the children seeing him give one their eyes turned green and on him, he quickly wrapped the rest back and put it in his breast place refusing to eat or give anyone!
Shen Williams watching the interaction between them laughed heartily looking to be having fun. "Okay, how about play you something while you sell. I have nothing doing now anyway." After seeing that he didn't give Liu Jing time to agree or disagree, he bend down and laid the case on the floor gently and opened it. Everyone turned to him curiously wanting to see what other good thing he was going to take out. He ignores their probing eyes and took out the violin and bow from the case. Seeing that it wasn't something to eat they were regretful but still continued to remain curious. He stood up with the violin and bow which he had already tuned and rosin, he set the violin at its position under the jaw and positioned his hand. The vegetable sellers and buyers as well as people walking around the market the couldn't help but watch him more, some even stopped and had started gathering to see what the foreigner wanted to do.
He wasn't affected by the crowds at all, he was already used to the audience and has always been in front of audiences. He took a deep breath and breath out slowly before starting to play. For the occasion not being occasionally he chose to play a very simple but makes people happy. The piece he chose was a piece titles {Happy People}. When he came to an end a clapping sound erupted and from the sound of it it seemed to come from one person. Shen Williams was stunned because he didn't think the people from this backwards era knew how to clap to such occasions, he slowly opened his eyes to look and sure to his guess it wasn't someone from the dynasty who was clapping. He was really stunned coming face to face to a foreigner, a woman at that. She was wearing a white and blue gown with white silk shoes and holding a lace umbrella of the same colour. Her eyes solely focused on him. She wasn't the only one who's eyes were hot on him, the gathered crowds looked to him with brilliance and in admirations. Seeing so many audiences he gave a slight bow with a smile on his face, his radiance dazzled them even more. Liu Jing looked at him with brightly shinning eyes and smiling brightly.
She went around Liu Jing's vegetables and made her way to him in elegant steps. "That was a lovely song you played." she said with courtesy. Listening to tone and voice something flashed in his eyes as he thought 'British accent!' "Thank you.." he returned back with courtesy. She showed a stunned expression hearing him speak in a light Russian accent, knowing that they were both from different places she didn't seem to think much about it as long as they both could understand themselves.
"Isabella, Isabella Anderson." she extended her hand in lace gloves forward to him as she said. Taking her hand in his he brought it to his face and placed a kiss on it before raising his head to her smiling face. "Williams, Shen Williams." he introduced to her. The onlookers watching their interactions and gestures let out shocked gaps, but they didn't make any rude comments or didn't didn't say what was in their hearts loudly. They were thinking that the those foreigners were vulgar to display such actions in broad daylight when they obviously looked to be strangers. Maybe because they didn't know the customs of the foreigners, no one could say anything to them and they didn't understand the language they were speaking! The one who was most dissatisfied was obviously Liu Jing who felt very threatened by Isabella!
"Shen?" she asked a little stunned and doubtful. "Yes. My mum from overseas and my dad a person from here....but never met him. I took the resemblance of my mum and was raised by here overseas. My first time here actually." he explained lightly letting go of her hand. She didn't think anything about it and with his actions it was really hard to put him together with the people of the dynasty. "When are you returning? If you don't mind, you can join our ship." she invited politely and enthusiastically.
"Thank you, but I don't plan on going back home just yet. Lost my mum not long ago, it feels lonely home without her. I plan on traveling around for a while." his expression sad and he looked heartbroken. "I'm sorry..." she expressed to him with a sympathetic look. "No, it's alright. I'll be stay here for while." he said pretending to look alright. She was more sorry for him seeing his forced smile. "You..." she was cut of as she was about to speak "Isabella! What are you doing here?" a manly voice asked angrily and filled with concerns. "Brother." she turned back and smiling sweetly to him. "Let's go!" he didn't give her a chance to speak and ordered. Theirs eyes met and Williams have a light nod, he also returned back with a nod. "I'll see you soon." Isabella waved and turned walking to her brother in an elegant way. "Who was that?" he questioned after walking a few steps away. "An interesting person." she said smiling and turned back to take a glance before focusing head of her.
The crowds started to disperse one after the other seeing that the excitements has ended. Liu Jing packed up folding back the cloth into the basket, for the first time he had sold all vegetables brought to the market and it was all thanks to Shen Williams pulling the crowds in with his music but for some reasons Liu Jing didn't feel happy at all. He rather looked so down and listless. The vegetable sellers also packed up with smiles preparing to go back home, they got to watch and listen to music played by a foreigner and also sold their vegetables thanks to that. They were all very happy and grateful to the foreigner, some even enthusiastically approached Williams and thanked if. He responded politely and didn't say much. After the enthusiastic people left he turned his attention on Liu Jing with a really sad face beside him. Shen Williams frowned inexplicably. "Ah Jing what happened?"
"Hm?" Liu Jing sounded absent mindedly making him frown even more. "I asked you what happened?" he had to repeat his question. Liu Jing didn't answer but instead looked at him for a long time. Shen Williams was uncomfortable by his stare. "Ah Jing..."
"Brother Williams....will you leave with the foreigners?" he asked the question he was trying hard to burry in heart. "What?" Shen Williams asked shocked. "Why such question? Didn't I already told you that I plan to settle here. I was waiting for you to close and buy some few things and have you take me to the village head of your village." he explained painstakingly and with seriousness. Liu Jing's eyes were like twinkling stars when he said that. "Brother Williams will stay in our village?" he asked go he sure. "En! I like your village. It's quiet and peaceful. The surrounding is good and the hair is fresh, much than the bustling county." he said seriously. "So stop thinking about useless stuffs and take me to shop and go to see your village head. I made a lot of silvers from selling a few things and I have about 2,000 taels of silvers on me now, I'm no more poor!" he said proudly. Liu Jing laughed along with him feeling better and feeling that the stone on his heart fell!