The Howard Family’s ancestral home was actually in the south, but they were later transferred to Wuzhai Fort in Shanxi. The Ming military system, in order to prevent soldiers from deserting or mutinying, generally adopted the method of large-scale transfers, not stationing soldiers near their home regions. For example, soldiers from military households in Jiangnan would be sent to Jiangbei, and vice versa. Although The Howard Family were southerners, after living in Shanxi for a hundred years, their customs and habits had long become indistinguishable from the locals.

Lucy Howard had been eyeing that big, fat chicken for a while. When she saw Samuel Howard coming over, she called out crisply, “Big brother, come on, we’ve been waiting for you!”

Samuel Howard laughed and said, “Alright, alright, big brother is here, you little glutton.”

He came from a future era of great material abundance, and he had also been a successful businessman in that future, constantly attending banquets and long since tired of rich food and drink. Naturally, he wasn’t very interested in these lavish dishes. But seeing everyone in the room so eager, not to mention the children drooling with anticipation, he knew that even in a thousand-household’s residence, such dishes weren’t common.

Henry Howard and The Young Family naturally sat in the seats of honor. When they saw Samuel Howard come over, The Young Family called out, “Fu’er, come, sit by mother’s side.” Samuel Howard smiled and sat down beside her.

The Young Family said to the children, “Alright, you little gluttons can start eating now.”

The children cheered and scrambled for food. Lucy Howard, quick of hand and eye, had already grabbed a chicken leg, while the other was snatched by Annie Kent.

Samuel Howard watched and smiled slightly. This family atmosphere gave him a warm feeling inside; the anxiety of the past few days had long since vanished. He told himself that from now on, this would be his home, and these people, his family.

He picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for Henry Howard and The Young Family, then raised his cup and said, “Father, mother, you’ve worked hard raising your child all these years. I toast you both.”

“Good, my son has truly grown up.”

Henry Howard and The Young Family exchanged a glance, both with gratified expressions in their eyes. The elderly couple raised their cups and drank in one go. After putting down her cup, The Young Family’s eyes grew even redder.

She smiled and sighed, repeatedly picking out food for Samuel Howard: “Come, Fu’er, you’ve just recovered, eat more.” The three older sisters looked on enviously. But their younger brother had always been the favorite at home, so they were used to it, and now felt that their once arrogant brother had truly become more mature.

Henry Howard also nodded inwardly. He wasn’t a man of many words, but his love and care for his son was no less than The Young Family’s. His son had given him many headaches in the past, but after traveling and experiencing some trouble, he had unexpectedly become more sensible. Perhaps this was what people meant by “blessings come from misfortune, and misfortune lurks within blessings.”

After that, everyone chatted idly. Ming people did not advocate heavy drinking, but rather sipped slowly, a custom that also influenced these border soldiers and Henry Howard.

Samuel Howard also disliked heavy drinking in his previous life. He and Henry Howard sipped their wine slowly, listening to the others talk. Samuel Howard was very satisfied with this meal, eating many dishes and several bowls of noodle soup. The only shortcoming was that the food was a bit bland, probably because there were no chili peppers. In Shanxi, it would probably be decades before chili peppers became available—he would have to get used to it.

As the meal drew to a close, the children had already scattered. Henry Howard had drunk enough, his wrinkled face glowing red with wine, clearly tipsy. He said to Samuel Howard, “My son, next year you will take over my post. You must settle down and practice your archery and horsemanship well. No more fooling around, understand?”

Samuel Howard looked at his father’s white-haired face and thought how old he had become. He replied, “Yes, father, I understand.”

He knew that all of The Howard Family’s hopes rested on him. Next year, he would inherit his father’s position and become the next thousand-household of Wuzhai Fort. According to the Ming military’s hereditary system, his younger brother Brian Howard would stay home to manage the household.

But with his brother’s frail appearance, could he really manage the family? In the end, the responsibility would still fall on his own shoulders.

He stood up and said to Henry Howard and The Young Family, “Father, mother, I’ve been cooped up in the residence for a few days and would like to go out for a walk. Please grant me your permission!”

After several days in the thousand-household’s residence, Samuel Howard really did want to go out and learn more about the outside environment to decide on his future. Although his previous memories gave him a thorough understanding of the area around Wuzhai Fort, nothing compared to seeing it with his own eyes. Besides, there was something else Samuel Howard needed to check on. That’s just how people are—once survival is secured, they start to care about their future.

The eldest sister laughed and said, “That’s just how little brother is—he can’t sit still for even a few days at home.”

Henry Howard and The Young Family both knew that Samuel Howard was not one to sit still. In the past, he would leave without a word, so today’s behavior already made them very pleased. As long as Samuel Howard didn’t go far like before, they were at ease. After all, The Howard Family had nearly a hundred years of history in Wuzhai Fort, and within the fort, there would never be any problems.

Henry Howard nodded, and The Young Family said, “My son, you’ve just recovered, so be careful when you go out.”

Samuel Howard agreed. The Young Family called out, “David, Little One!”