Chapter 10: Kindness and Courage
Ah…
The people on the streets outside of the alchemist’s store heard loud screams and stopped to see what was happening.
They saw a young boy being thrown onto the ground by guards.
“Must be another thief,” one passerby thought. “Young people these days are so brazen.”
“The boy is making such a ruckus,” opined another person. “It is very late now. He should keep quiet so that others can rest for the night.”
Ironically, the passersby thought Jon was the cause of the trouble. Nobody cared about what Jon was actually saying.
“Help me!” Jon screamed at the top of his lungs. “Is there still such a thing as justice?”
Everyone on the streets near Jon continued minding their own business. He realized no one would come to his aid, much less stand by his side.
Left on the streets outside of the alchemist’s store, Jon slowly picked himself up. While feeling resentful and sorry, he dusted himself and checked for wounds.
Just then, a bent old man wearing a large hat and tattered coat steadily limped toward Jon.
“Young man,” the elderly man croaked. “Could you spare me some coins?”
Jon could not see the man’s face clearly under the shadow of his hat and the dim night light.
He sighed and shook his head, “Sorry, I am in need of money myself.”
The old man frowned and appeared to be thinking hard, “What if I give you an item in return for some money?”
Seeing Jon looking confused, the elderly man took out a crystal from his coat’s pocket and creaked, “I have a precious crystal here. I will give it to you for a token sum.”
Jon was hesitant about the deal, “Is this man a fraud?”
“This crystal has special properties. I have no choice but to sell this to you because I really need the money to survive,” the old man briefly explained.
Jon profoundly understood the man’s situation as it was what he had experienced just now.
“Please help me! I am starving. I have not had food for two days,” the elderly urged as he brought the diamond-shaped clear crystal closer to Jon.
Almost being in the same plight and feeling sympathetic for the beggar, Jon nodded in agreement.
“Is 500 coins enough?” Jon did not have much money to spare but did not want to underpay the old man.
“Yes, yes, it is enough,” the elderly man gleefully replied and eagerly nodded. “Thank you, young man. Your kindness will be repaid. You definitely will not regret your decision.”
After the transaction, the old man slowly limped off.
Jon closely inspected the crystal under the dim night light, “This looks like an ordinary crystal. What special properties could it have?”
Despite his doubts about the elderly man’s claim, Jon did not wish to ruminate over a decision he had made out of good intentions.
He kept the crystal in his bag and began his journey to the pharmacy.
The pharmacy was open throughout the day so that citizens could have access to medicine whenever they needed it.
As Jon stood and stared at the bright green plus sign on the pharmacy’s roof, he could not help but sigh.
Before he walked into the brightly lit store filled with racks of medicine, he had already known that he could only afford the cheapest one with the money he had left.
“I guess the only choice I have now is to spend more time after school collecting herbs in the forest,” Jon despondently thought to himself. “I hope I will find all of them soon.”
Despite his parent’s dire situation, Jon could not purchase the category of medicine they needed.
“They are the only kin I have. I have no one else if they leave me,” Jon’s eyes brimmed with tears.
In his current predicament, he felt angry and useless. He blamed himself for his failure to care for his parents, “Why can I not do anything right?”
As he placed the coins on the counter, the cashier looked at them and asked if he had a membership.
Jon could only dejectedly shake his head because that needed money.
Seeing Jon’s listless expression, the cashier in a sterile white uniform did not ask him further questions.
After bitterly paying the money, Jon kept the medicine in his backpack, next to the crystal he bought from the old man.
The crystal immediately shone brightly but Jon had zipped his backpack without looking inside it.
As a result, he could not witness what was happening to the low-quality and basic medicine he bought.
“Thank you for your payment. Have a nice day,” the cashier brightly smiled.
To her extra effort in providing wonderful customer service, Jon did not have the energy to respond.
Without saying a word, he trudged to the bakery next door to grab a simple meal.
The smell of his favorite pork floss bun made him salivate and heightened his hunger pangs. He could not remember the last time he ate that.
However, Jon could only afford a loaf of plain bread with the remaining money. He quickly footed the bill and stepped out of the shop to thwart his desire for more nutritious food.
He ravenously gobbled the bread while walking home. Under the dim night light, the empty concrete streets looked barren and unwelcoming.
Jon could not help but feel alone and helpless in his current situation.
“This is the way my life is,” he told himself. “I need to be strong and accept it.”
However, for every valley, there was a peak. Little did Jon know that this was the start of his promising journey to overcome the mountain of immortality.