Grace's older brother's surname was Wei. Because he was eloquent and often helped people mediate disputes and pull in business, people called him Harvey. Over time, no one even remembered his original name.

This guy could do some writing and arithmetic, but his skills were mediocre. He had once worked as a bookkeeper for a few days, made a pile of mistakes, and got fired. Yet he never reflected on himself at all, always thinking others lacked vision, that he was a talented man who just hadn't met the right opportunity. If only given a chance, he too could become a high official, ride a fine horse, and be someone important.

When he saw his sister come back with a child, he thought it over: his sister wasn't married, so whose child could this be but the Guo family's?

The court wanted to wipe out Guo Wei's entire family; hiding a descendant of the Guo family was a capital offense!

On the other hand, if he reported this to the authorities, not only could he earn merit and a reward, he might even rise to power overnight!

Harvey was going all in. Even when he saw his sister's corpse, he didn't regret it in the slightest; instead, he searched even harder.

By the third day, he had roughly mapped out the route Grace had taken, then started searching house by house. The method was crude, but he was convinced he would find them.

After searching many houses to no avail, he suddenly saw a huge crowd ahead—there must have been over a hundred people!

What was going on?

"Are you all rebelling?"

"We're not rebelling, we're cooking rice!" An old beggar, baring his yellow teeth, grinned. "A kind person is giving out porridge, so we've all come for some!"

"Giving out porridge?"

Harvey almost wanted to laugh out loud.

What a joke! Grain was so precious these days. In the past, besides the Guo family, who else had ever given out porridge? Clearly, this was a lie!

"I don't believe it. Bring out the person giving out the porridge!"

He shouted and made a scene, and Edward Clark hurried over.

"Kid, are you the one giving out porridge?"

Edward Clark replied with a fawning smile, "It's my old madam. A few years ago, she made a vow to Buddha: if she could see four generations under one roof, she would rebuild the temple and help the needy. This year, the old madam really did get a great-grandson, so she's here to fulfill her vow!"

Edward Clark was pretending to be a servant, nodding and bowing, looking very much the part. Mark Brooks gave a secret thumbs-up from behind—he really was quick on his feet, and could lie without blinking.

From now on, he definitely had to keep an eye on this kid; he absolutely had the potential to become a bad guy.

Mark Brooks thought this explanation would be enough to deal with Harvey. But little did he know, Harvey might not have great character, but he was experienced and sharp.

Edward Clark was as thin as a bamboo pole, his clothes were ragged—he didn't look like someone from a wealthy family!

Even if it was a vow fulfillment, there should be an adult present. Weren't they worried about accidents?

The more Harvey thought about it, the more suspicious he became. Something was definitely off. Suddenly, he burst out laughing, "Well, if you're doing good deeds, I want a bowl of porridge too!" He strode into the crowd, with the yamen runners following behind.

He wasn't there for porridge—he was there to cause trouble.

The little one was inside the temple. If they were found and couldn't explain their origins, it would be a disaster.

Edward Clark was sweating with anxiety. Suddenly, he had an idea and shouted, "Old madam, is the porridge ready? Everyone's hungry!"

That shout did the trick. Clark immediately caught on and, flustered, called out, "It's ready, come have some porridge!"

As soon as she spoke, the hungry beggars, eyes red with hunger, all rushed forward with their bowls, pushing Harvey aside. He could only glare helplessly, unable to do anything about this crowd.

Edward Clark grinned and kept shouting, "Everyone come get porridge! There's more after this batch!"

All the beggars rushed over, afraid they'd miss out. Even after getting their porridge, they gulped it down in a few bites, then turned around and lined up again. They formed a solid human wall, blocking Harvey and his men outside.

More and more beggars gathered, and the smell from their bodies made people wrinkle their noses. Not to mention the lice and fleas—if they landed on you, they'd bite and suck your blood.

Anyone who saw them would keep their distance. Franklin pinched his nose and pulled Harvey out. Harvey was still unwilling, "Who would give out porridge in times like these? They must be up to no good!"

"I don't care if they're up to no good!" Franklin was furious and roared, "We're looking for Guo Wei's son. Have you ever seen a wanted criminal dare to come out and give out porridge? Are they tired of living?"

He actually had a point. Harvey was left speechless, and Franklin dragged him away in a flash.

"Finally dodged a bullet!"

Clark sighed in relief and poured even more, thicker porridge into the beggars' bowls.

……

The porridge distribution didn't stop until the afternoon. Not only was one sack of rice finished, Mark Brooks had to buy three more sacks just to barely keep up. The money Carter had given to the The Clark Family family was actually being used in this way, to help the Guo family—how interesting.

Since yesterday, no one had slept well, and everyone was on edge. After another busy half day, Clark, who was over seventy, felt as if her bones were falling apart. She managed to hold little Master Guo, drank a bowl of rice gruel, and both the old and the young fell asleep.

Edward Clark was exhausted, but couldn't sleep. He sat hugging his knees. Mark Brooks, also weighed down with worries, came over and continued the conversation from earlier.

"If the court can kill, so can I! I want to join the army!"

He spoke of his ambitions, but Edward Clark didn't react much—this was all too normal.