Don’t underestimate such a simple dinner—for this era, it’s already considered quite sumptuous.

Robert Harris, as a ninth-rank county constable, receives a monthly salary of 1.5 guan, plus fifty shi of fine millet. Strictly speaking, this isn’t much, but compared to the salaries of local officials during the Zhenguan era, it’s already increased quite a bit. Since Wu Zhao came to power, she has been working hard to improve the treatment of local officials. If it were during the Zhenguan years, no one would have wanted to take a position like county constable of Changping.

However, the main income of the The Harris Family still comes from those two hundred mu of official land.

Robert Harris has lived in the county town for a long time and basically doesn’t concern himself with the official land. When David Harris was alive, the income from the land was mostly under David Harris’s control. Now that David Harris has passed away, Robert Harris has taken back most of the income, but he still leaves enough living expenses for William Harris. In this respect, William Harris actually lives more comfortably than Ryan Harris.

William Harris looks very thin, but his appetite is astonishing.

One dinner consumed a whole jin of millet, plus half a jin of cured mutton.

After eating and drinking his fill, William Harris finally put down his bowl and chopsticks, and looked up at Ryan Harris.

Although Ryan Harris had been given a good beating by him, in terms of blood relations, he was still his brother. Beating him was because the guy deserved it, and William Harris felt no guilt. But if he didn’t even give him a meal, that would be his own fault.

Ryan Harris had a hard time eating this meal. The rich, fragrant cured mutton in his mouth had no taste at all.

After a few chews, his cheeks hurt terribly. He wanted to stop eating, but when William Harris glared at him, he immediately lost his temper.

That slap from William Harris had truly scared him.

“Speak. Why did you come here for no reason? What’s the matter?”

William Harris, his stomach full, knelt on the hu bed and asked unhurriedly.

Ryan Harris put down his bowl and chopsticks, held his cheek, and said in a trembling voice, “The fifteenth of August is coming soon. Father is planning to admire the moon at Mile Temple, so he asked me to come over and take a look first, and also said to have Yang... Aunt prepare some things, so there won’t be any mistakes when the time comes.”

“Admire the moon?”

Only then did William Harris realize that in a few days, the Mid-Autumn Festival would arrive.

Admiring the moon with the whole family together during Mid-Autumn was a very normal activity for people of this era.

But from what Ryan Harris said, it seemed that this time Robert Harris’s moon-viewing was not just for family reunion—he might have invited someone.

That was normal too. Robert Harris had been county constable in Changping for more than ten years.

Over these years, the county magistrate of Changping had changed four or five times, but Robert Harris had always remained in the position of county constable, with no sign of movement. By rights, even by seniority, Robert Harris should have been promoted. However, Robert Harris himself didn’t seem to be in a hurry, and was content to stay as county constable of Changping, working steadily for over a decade.

“Is Father inviting guests?”

Ryan Harris hesitated for a moment, then said softly, “Father has an old friend coming, said to be an honored guest, so he’s preparing to entertain him.”

An honored guest?

Changping is a borderland, a harsh and desolate place—what kind of honored guest could there be?

William Harris was stunned for a moment, then put the thought aside. How honored could the guest be? And what did it have to do with him anyway?

Robert Harris was just a low-ranking county constable—William Harris didn’t think his “honored guest” could be all that important.

Rather than worry about that, it was better to think about how to improve life.

In the past, he muddled along and didn’t care much about living standards. But now... William Harris felt it was necessary to make some changes. Even if millet steamed with cured mutton was delicious, eating it every day would get tiresome.

“It’s getting late. You probably won’t make it home tonight.”

As William Harris spoke, he stood up and walked outside, saying as he went, “I’ll have Aunt prepare bedding for you. Stay here tonight and go back in the morning... Oh, right, how are you going to explain the injuries on your face to Father when you get back?”

“Huh?”

Ryan Harris’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, “I’ll just say I fell by myself. I would never sell out big brother.”

“Nonsense. If you don’t tell Father the truth, then you got beaten for nothing, didn’t you?”

“Huh?”

At this moment, Ryan Harris suddenly felt that his usually clever mind wasn’t working. He looked at William Harris, a confused expression on his face: Does he mean I should tell Father on him? Wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble?

William Harris shook his head with a look of “hopeless child” and sighed.

“When you go back, tell Father that I beat you.

If Father asks why, figure out how to answer yourself... All right, that’s it! I’m tired, I’m going to rest.”

With that, William Harris walked out of the room without looking back.

What did he mean by that?

Ryan Harris watched William Harris’s figure disappear through the door, his mind a complete mess.

After all, he was only thirteen years old. Smart as he was, there were limits. He really couldn’t figure out what William Harris meant—he just felt... could it be that his “madness” had relapsed? In any case, Ryan Harris was completely baffled.

...

“Brother Sizi, why did you want Second Young Master to report honestly to Alang?”

Night had deepened.