“Master, it’s a pity that Mary isn’t in Chang’an, otherwise we could go to her to seek justice. Mary is a righteous person and despises the powerful oppressing the common people. She would definitely help us uphold justice!” At this moment, William Foster Sr. also said regretfully. When Princess Pingyang first raised her army, she established a women’s army with strict discipline and never harmed the people under her rule. This earned her great prestige among the people. Even after being granted the title of princess, the people still preferred to call her “Mary” or “Lady Li.”

Hearing what William Foster Sr. said, Henry Thompson suddenly had a thought and remembered something. He immediately asked William Foster Sr. again, “Uncle Foster, do you know a middle-aged man surnamed Ma by the Huangqu River, who fishes there every day? What is his relationship with the princess?”

“You must be talking about Mr. Harris, Master. That Mr. Harris is quite remarkable. Don’t be fooled by his appearance as the princess’s house servant—he’s actually a great general of the court, and even His Majesty praises him highly. It’s just that he has a rather odd temper, and most people find it hard to talk to him.” As soon as William Foster Sr. heard Henry Thompson’s description, he answered without hesitation.

“A house servant? And also a great general?” Henry Thompson couldn’t help but want to rub his ears, suspecting he’d misheard. Aren’t these two identities contradictory? If he’s a great general, how could he also be a house servant?

“That’s right. I heard that Mr. Harris served as the princess’s house servant since she was very young. Later, when the princess raised her army, Mr. Harris made great contributions and was granted the title of great general by the court. The princess also long ago freed him from servitude, but he still considers himself a house servant of the princess’s residence and usually lives there to take care of her. That’s why I said his temper is a bit odd.” By the end, William Foster Sr.’s voice had dropped very low, as if afraid of being overheard.

“A great general who calls himself a house servant? Interesting!” At this, Henry Thompson stroked his chin thoughtfully. After a moment, he spoke again to William Foster Sr. and the others, “Uncle Foster, you all should stay home and rest these next couple of days. Don’t sell the bean sprouts for now. As for those who beat you, I’ll make sure they pay the price they deserve!”

Chapter 10: Inviting Mr. Harris to Dinner

After settling William Foster Sr. and the others, the first thing Henry Thompson did upon returning home was not to think of ways to avenge them, but instead to plunge into the kitchen to cook. That’s right—cooking. The meat delivered yesterday hadn’t been finished, and the pig’s head and feet hadn’t been dealt with yet. He’d already had William Foster Sr. buy all the necessary seasonings earlier, so all that was left was to make the dishes.

The pig’s head was the trickiest to handle, so Henry Thompson started with that. The whole pig’s head had already been cleaned. He split it in half with a large knife, scalded it in boiling water, then put it in the pot to cook. Once it was about eighty percent done, he took it out and soaked it in cold well water for later use.

Originally, pig’s head is best when made into braised pig’s head, at least in Henry Thompson’s opinion—he loved this dish. But it was too complicated and time-consuming to make. Although he liked eating it, he only knew the general method and wasn’t confident he could get it right in one try. So he switched to another method: garlic pig’s head meat, which is spicy, refreshing, and delicious without being greasy.

The key to garlic pig’s head meat is to soak the cooked meat in cold water, changing the water several times, so the meat turns white and firm. Then, slice it paper-thin and mix it with garlic paste for the best flavor.

While the pig’s head was soaking, Henry Thompson cut the pig’s feet into pieces, blanched them, and then stewed them with various seasonings. This time, he was making braised pig’s feet. After bringing it to a boil over high heat, he simmered it on low for over an hour, until the broth was thick and glossy with a gelatinous texture—then it was done.

There was also a large chunk of meat left from making dumplings yesterday, with just the right balance of fat and lean for red-braised pork. After finishing the three meat dishes, Henry Thompson stir-fried some mung bean sprouts over high heat. At last, the four dishes—three meat and one vegetable—were all ready. He put them into a food box, checked the time, and seeing it was nearly noon, smiled and carried the box out of the courtyard.

Winter had already begun, and today’s weather wasn’t good. A thick layer of dark clouds hung overhead, looking as if it might snow. The water in the Huangqu River was clear, but a thin layer of ice had already formed along the banks. It seemed it wouldn’t be long before the whole river would freeze over. Apparently, winters in the Tang Dynasty came earlier than in later times.

Under the same withered old willow tree, the middle-aged man called Mr. Harris by William Foster Sr. and the others sat upright on a bamboo couch, holding a straight fishing rod, waiting for a fish to bite. At this moment, Henry Thompson suddenly had the illusion that he was like a little fish in the river—seemingly free, but in reality unable to control his own fate.

Thinking of this, Henry Thompson sighed. It seemed he’d been too naive before. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. He walked over to Mr. Harris, didn’t disturb his fishing, and just stood quietly by his side, looking very respectful. After all, he needed a favor, so he had to show the proper attitude. He didn’t believe he had any kingly aura that could make people rush to help him just by his presence.