Nowadays, most people are busy working in the fields. In the village, only the sounds of dogs barking and roosters crowing can be heard, with hardly any voices speaking.

“Ah!”

William Bolton suddenly slapped his forehead. How muddleheaded I am—everyone is farming now, so what am I even looking for here?

He had just turned around, ready to head toward the fields, when suddenly he heard the sound of crying.

And it was a man crying.

William Bolton frowned slightly, looked around, and suddenly his gaze locked onto a small farmhouse. He carefully peeked as he walked over, stood outside the courtyard and looked inside for a while, but couldn’t see what was happening in the house.

He looked around again, and seeing no one nearby, quietly pushed open the wooden fence gate, came to the door of the house, and peeked inside. He saw a burly man lying on the bed, weeping.

It had to be said, this man was truly hideous.

A wide nose and big mouth, a face like the surface of the moon—pitted and uneven—probably able to hold water on a rainy day. As for his receding hairline, that went without saying. On his forehead was a large purple tumor, making him look like a human unicorn.

This person was really... well, just too much. William Bolton suddenly looked at the man’s right hand and saw that his pinky finger was wrapped in white cloth. His face immediately lit up with joy, but just then, a shout came from outside the courtyard: “You thief, how dare you steal in broad daylight!”

William Bolton turned to look and saw that it was the man he had met outside the village earlier. As he spoke, the man had already rushed into the courtyard.

At this moment, the ugly man inside the house was startled awake. He immediately got out of bed, grabbed a hoe, and charged out of the house, glaring at William Bolton with sunken eyes as if he were facing his father’s killer. Coupled with his appearance, it was truly terrifying.

“Brothers, please don’t misunderstand! I’m here to help you.”

William Bolton retreated to the corner, frantically waving his hands.

The ugly man seemed deaf, still glaring at William Bolton. The other man stopped in his tracks and subconsciously asked, “Help us?”

“Yes! Yes!”

William Bolton nodded vigorously. “My name is Michael Bolton, and I was entrusted by John to come help you.”

“John?”

When the ugly man heard this name, his ferocious face twisted with both pain and fear.

The man beside him, however, was furious. “That vicious woman nearly killed my big brother—how could she possibly be so kind-hearted?”

The ugly man was none other than the male lead in John’s case, Henry Walker, and the other man was his younger brother, Thomas Walker.

William Bolton immediately said, “Precisely because of that. She knows her sins are grave, so she asked me to come and make it up to you.”

“How can you make it up? Can you reattach my big brother’s severed finger?” As he spoke, the man’s eyes filled with tears.

William Bolton shook his head and said apologetically, “I’m sorry. That’s something I can’t do.”

He quickly added, “But it’s still better than nothing! In this whole case, only your big brother is the true victim. John deserves her punishment, but even if she dies, it’s hard to make up for the harm she caused your big brother. Now your big brother even has trouble working in the fields—what about his future?”

When Henry Walker heard this, thinking of his bleak future, he was overcome with grief. He threw down the hoe, squatted down, held his head, and wailed.

Seeing his brother in such pain, Thomas Walker couldn’t help but be moved as well. He wiped away the tears that were about to fall with his sleeve and asked William Bolton, “Who are you to her? Why are you helping her?”

William Bolton hesitated for a moment and said, “She’s my savior.”

Thomas Walker snorted, “That wicked woman would save someone?” As he spoke, he glanced at William Bolton’s face and mocked, “She must have saved you because you’re good-looking.”

“You flatter me!” William Bolton smiled slightly and continued, “But I’m here to help you, not to discuss my personal affairs. If you’re unwilling, I won’t force you.”

Thomas Walker scrutinized William Bolton for a moment and asked, “How do you plan to help us?”

William Bolton said, “I’ll do my best to ensure your big brother has no worries for the rest of his life.” At this, he paused slightly and added, “It would be best if he could even find a wife.”

The crying lessened, but Henry Walker still didn’t lift his head.

Thomas Walker glanced at his big brother, then asked William Bolton, “Really?”

William Bolton nodded. “But first, you have to tell me the whole story from beginning to end.”

Thomas Walker questioned, “Didn’t that wicked woman tell you?”

William Bolton said, “There are some things she doesn’t know either. For example, how did you arrange this marriage with her family?”

Chapter Four: The Professional Complainer

Thomas Walker saw that William Bolton was dressed like a scholar, with delicate features and a kind face. He really didn’t seem to have any ill intentions, and besides, there was nothing for the brothers to lose, so he relaxed his guard a little and invited William Bolton inside to sit.

As for Henry Walker, he seemed not to have recovered, or perhaps was a bit shy, so he didn’t come inside but sat in the courtyard, occasionally glancing toward the house.

“Ten mu of land?”

William Bolton asked in confusion, “You’re saying their family only wanted your family’s ten mu of land in exchange for marrying John to your big brother?”

Thomas Walker nodded. “Yes.”