I am a master in India

Chapter 9 Not enough, far from enough

Smith is an artist who is proficient in illustration, stage design, photography and other related creations.

One of the main goals of this trip to India is to hand-draw the local customs and culture.

So he certainly wouldn't miss out on ancient buildings like temples and caves. Over the past three days, Ron took him to all the scenic spots in Mumbai.

Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, any style. You can go wherever you want to see it.

Of course, in these tourist attractions, there are inevitably all kinds of deceitful colleagues.

If someone invites you to take a photo with a camera, and you foolishly take the photo, they will definitely ask you for money after the photo is taken.

There are also countless people who hold cash and want to exchange it for foreign currency on the spot, and who use low-quality brass to impersonate gold jewelry.

If Ron and Anand hadn't been there to look after him, Smith might have been cheated out of nothing.

"Ron, traveling in India really requires a qualified guide."

"I'm glad you said that. I'll take it as a compliment."

"Of course, of course. This is my business card. If anyone around me comes to visit India in the future, I'll definitely ask them to find you."

Smith was ready to leave. He had been in Mumbai for five days. According to his previous travel plan, he would take a train to Goa tomorrow.

"I recommend you take a plane. The Indian train is really not suitable for you." Ron advised while leaving his contact information.

"Haha, don't worry. Have you forgotten? The first time we met in Mumbai was at the train station."

"Okay then. I'll book your train tickets and stuff. Oh, and if you need to buy your own tickets later, remember to buy the ones with the AC logo. That's because only those carriages have air conditioning."

“Thank you, that’s very helpful. Finally, before I leave, could you please exchange some more rupees for me? I don’t think you’ll be able to do that in Goa.”

Ron and Anand looked at each other and nodded obligingly, "Of course!"

Smith spent the next half day packing up his things at the hotel while Ron and Anand went their separate ways, one to buy tickets and the other to exchange rupees.

According to the agreement between the two parties, their employment relationship ended at this point.

But the next morning, Ron and his friends still went to Victoria Railway Station to see old gentleman Smith off.

"God bless you!"

"thanks, thanks!"

Smith was deeply moved that he was cared for by two locals like friends while he was in a foreign country.

"I have to go now."

"Goodbye."

We boarded the bus, waved to each other, and as the hum faded away, a journey ended.

"Ron." Anand looked sad as he watched the train gradually become blurred.

"what happened?"

"Will there be another fat sheep like this in the future?"

Ron rolled his eyes and ignored him.

"Wait, what are you holding?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Ron shook the package in his hand. "These are two bottles of whiskey Mr. Smith gave me. They're original British goods."

"Why don't I have one?" Anand's eyes widened.

Ron laughed, but didn't answer him.

"I knew that old man didn't like me. He's biased!"

"Okay, let's go have a drink now to celebrate this deal."

When he heard that there was wine to drink, Anand immediately followed him.

There was no place selling cups at the train station, so I finally got a disposable cup from the dispatcher. I'll just have to make do with it.

Ron unscrewed the bottle and poured a little. He was about to take a sip himself when he saw Anand eagerly watching him. He handed the glass over to him so he could taste it first. "Thank you so much, Ron." Anand was very touched, his eyes wide with joy.

He took the glass and tilted his head back, pouring some wine into his mouth, the rim of the glass not even touching his lips.

This was not because he was hygienic, but because he knew that he was a Dalit and Ron was a Brahmin.

In India, Brahmins will never use anything that Dalits have used. To put it in an extreme way, Brahmins will not even tread on the paths Dalits have walked, or even their shadows.

Brahmins who have the means will hire full-time Brahmin chefs, and they will not eat food cooked by other lower castes.

Although Ron didn't care much about these things, Anand never forgot his identity and always kept a respect for him in his heart.

"Great! The finest Johnnie Walker, so good!" Anand squinted his eyes happily.

"Drink more if you like."

"Just a little more, thank you." Anand tilted his head back and drank again, the wine gurgling into his throat.

He licked his lips and tilted his head back to continue drinking. "Oops! Sorry, I'm so sorry, this whiskey is so delicious, I can't help myself."

"If you like it, I'll give it to you. I have another bottle."

"Oh, thanks," Anand replied, but the smile on his face suddenly fell and turned into a sad expression.

"What's wrong, you don't want it?"

"Yes, yes! Ron, I want it very much. But if I had known that this was my whiskey and not yours, I wouldn't have guzzled it so much."

Ron couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Drink as much as you want. I'll give you the remaining bottle too. I don't drink much."

"Really?" Anand smiled again.

"I'm much more interested in rupees than wine." Ron handed over the remaining bottle.

"That's right, you have to make money so you can buy alcohol." Anand took the unopened bottle and put it in his arms like a treasure.

"Now that the fat sheep is gone, I should think carefully about what to do next."

"Actually, there's no need to rush. I've made more money in the past few days than I did in the entire last year."

Anand used to be a rickshaw puller, earning 500 rupees a month when times were good.

But just for helping Smith exchange foreign currency twice, he took a commission of 3500 rupees.

Including the handicraft scam on the first day, and the bicycle riding, taxi driving, and tips collected in the following days, Anand made more than 7,000 rupees from Smith alone.

It made him feel light-headed, as if in a dream, but he didn't think it was a side effect of the whiskey.

As for Ron, he got the biggest share from the guide service this time and earned more.

The commission on the first day alone was 4600 rupees, including the guide fee and a 20-pound tip, the total was 5520 rupees.

Later, he exchanged foreign currency for 7700 rupees, and he and Anand agreed to split the profit at a ratio of 7:3.

Adding the guide fee and Smith's generous tip, he had an extra income of more than 6800 rupees.

Taking all this into account, Ron's savings have exceeded 2 rupees.

Judging by the standards of ordinary people, he certainly won't have to worry about food and drink in the short term.

But this is not enough, far from it.

“Anand, do you know how to set up a company in India?”

"do not know."

"Then do you know who to contact? I mean someone who can handle a lot of unnecessary trouble."

"Look, there's one right here." Anand raised his chin towards the distance.

Following his gaze, Ron saw a patrolman with a menacing look and a wooden stick.

(End of this chapter)