Wang Lin let out a smile. He rubbed the boy’s head as he took out a pill the size of his finger nail. He threw the pill at the boy and took a drink from the jug.
The boy quickly swallowed the candy and displayed a satisfied look. Then, he leaned his head on his two small hands and asked, “Grandpa Wang, does this wine taste good? I see you drinking it every day.”
Wang Lin faintly smiled. At that moment, a sturdy young man came out from the ironworks shop. One could see a resemblance between this young man and the little boy from back then. When the young man saw Wang Lin, his eyes flooded with emotion and he said, “Uncle Wang, you can’t drink anymore today!”
Wang Lin laughed and said, “Okay, just one more drink and I won’t drink anymore. Da Niu, how is your father?”
Da Niu’s face darkened as he replied, “Same old illness. It’s not a big deal.”
Wang Lin secretly sighed. He couldn’t interfere with a mortal’s life. Growing old and getting sick was a natural part of life. Da Niu married shopkeeper Zhao’s daughter and this little boy was his son.
The little boy pulled Wang Lin’s sleeves and asked, “Grandpa Wang, you still haven’t told me if this wine tastes good or not.”
Da Niu looked at Wang Lin. He secretly sighed and said, “What your Grandpa Wang is drinking is not wine, but ginseng…”
Wang Lin looked at Da Niu. His eyes were filled with praise and then he said, “Da Niu, take the kid home. I’m going to go walk around the block.”
Da Niu took the wine from Wang Lin’s hand. He placed it inside the shop and closed the door. Then he said, “You promised me earlier that you won’t drink anymore today.”
Wang Lin smiled as he got up and walked down the street. His slightly staggering figure was filled with age.
Da Niu let out a sigh and held the boy’s hand on the way back to the ironworks shop. The boy smiled and happily said, “Dad, the candy Grandpa Wang gives me sure is tasty. Every time I eat it, my body feels warm.”
Wang Lin walked down the street he had lived on for all these years. All of the shopkeepers seemed to have heard of this. They all came out with a panicked faces and begged before Wang Lin.
“Shopkeeper Wang, you have to understand that this business is not easy to run. Next month, I promise, next month, I’ll pay the rent!” This was a new grocery shopkeeper that had moved in three years ago.
“It is true, Lord Wang. Business really isn’t good right now. How about you wait for a few days?” This was the fat inn owner.
Similar voices came from everywhere. He couldn’t help but to wryly smile. He didn’t know how it came to be, but in the past ten years, almost every house on this street owed him money.
Even most of the shops now belonged to him. Every time there was a shop owner who needed money, they would pledge their shop to borrow money from him.
As for Wang Lin’s own shop, the owner came and sold it to him 2 years ago. Of course, the price was sky high.