"What is this!? It cuts incredibly well!"
"I’m glad you can tell. While we’re at it, would it be possible for you to slice the flesh very thinly, almost like flower petals?"
While the woman was still buzzing with excitent, Roland found himself wondering if the knife was really that impressive.
Then he watched in astonishnt as the woman followed Qiong Xing’s instructions and sliced the fish into paper thin pieces.
Normally, cutting fish this thin would cause the flesh to fall apart, making it impossible to eat properly.
"Thank you very much. Now then, let’s enjoy it together."
"Huh?"
"What?"
The plate Qiong Xing handed over contained a familiar black liquid.
Before anyone could ask what he was planning, he dipped a slice of raw fish into the soy sauce and popped it into his mouth.
Everyone present stared in shock.
"It’s a little warm, but it’s delicious."
"Lian too!"
"Alright, alright. Here, Albe, you should try so too."
At this point, Roland no longer knew where to begin.
There were too many things he wanted to question.
Was that really how it was supposed to be eaten?
Wouldn’t eating it raw upset soone’s stomach?
But before he could voice any of those concerns, Qiong Xing and Lian happily continued eating, insisting it was delicious.
After being urged on by them, he reluctantly took a bite himself.
"Hm!?"
"Eating it raw depends heavily on freshness, but it’s good, isn’t it? So, don’t you want this?"
By the ti he asked that question, there was no way he could refuse.
More importantly, the woman beside him was already shaking her shoulders excitedly while shouting, "I want one too!"
At that point, there was no question of whether it would sell.
The negotiations began imdiately.
"I also had several pots made, so I’d appreciate it if you could take a look at those as well."
As one product after another appeared, Roland could not help asking what had gotten into him.
"In my holand, things like these were common. But since I never saw them here, I had them made."
Qiong Xing answered casually.
For a mont, Roland found himself wondering whether even more amazing items existed in that holand of his.
Yet in the end, he never managed to ask where exactly that holand was.
He silently reflected on his own hesitation.
"I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay everything you’ve done for , Qiong Xing."
"Really? From my perspective, you’re the one who keeps indulging all of my unreasonable requests, Mr. Roland."
What an unbelievable thing to say.
After all, from Roland’s point of view, Qiong Xing was the one continuously bringing opportunities he never could have imagined on his own.
Just thinking about the future of his business made Roland realize how much profit and opportunity this could bring.
No matter how much she thanked Qiong Xing for providing both the knowledge and the opportunity, it would never feel like enough.
"Taking sothing that could have remained a personal hobby and choosing to share it with others is remarkable. And you hardly ever ask for anything in return, do you? How many people like that do you think there are? That’s exactly why I want to listen when you co to with an idea."
People were greedy by nature.
As a rchant, Roland understood that better than most.
He only had to look around him to see it.
There was nothing inherently wrong with that greed, but she had witnessed countless foolish people destroy themselves after becoming consud by selfish desires.
Among them was even his own father.
However, he had no intention of telling Qiong Xing that.
Part of it was because he feared losing his trust.
More than that, he did not want him to start treating him differently out of pity or concern.
Qiong Xing did not see him as soone defined by his past.
He saw him as Roland, a rchant standing before him now.
"I’m a rchant too. If there’s nothing to gain, I usually don’t act. The people working here do so because they receive wages in return. But when it cos to you, Qiong Xing, most of the rewards you seek aren’t for yourself. They’re for soone else. That’s what surprises most about you, and it’s also why I trust you."
Useful items such as the knife and the cooking pots would never have existed here without Qiong Xing’s ideas.
Yet the only thing he had asked for in return was support for the craftsn who made them.
So people might call him a foolishly kind idiot.
But it was precisely because he could make decisions like that without hesitation that Roland wanted to help him.
"If you ever need anything in the future, please contact imdiately."
Even while expressing his gratitude, Roland never forgot to promote himself as a rchant.
...
That day, unlike usual, Qiong Xing was walking around alone near the house.
Several people had offered to accompany him, but there were things he wanted to think about.
When he insisted that he wanted so ti by himself, they finally relented after making him promise not to stray too far from ho.
"I’m really loved, aren’t I..."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he felt the pleasant breeze brush against his skin.
He searched for a place with a good view.
Although he still had a poor sense of direction, he had at least beco familiar with the area.
To be safe, he made sure the house remained within sight as he continued walking in search of the perfect spot.
As he walked, Qiong Xing greeted the people he t along the way and leisurely looked around, almost like an elderly man enjoying a peaceful stroll.
"It should be sowhere bright."
A dark place would never suit him.
He had always been cheerful and energetic.
"But it should be sowhere you can feel the breeze too..."
He to feel this pleasant wind as well.
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