The next morning, after having breakfast with his family and seeing his mother, sisters, and the others leave the main hall, Samuel Howard sat down to talk with Henry Howard.

Samuel Howard said to Henry Howard that he wanted to go outside the fortress to check on the military households and the family’s fields. The harvests had been poor in recent years, and most of the farmland at Wuzhai Fort yielded nothing. However, during his travels in Jiangnan, he had picked up some insights—perhaps some of the farming knowledge from Jiangnan could be useful for Wuzhai Fort. Since he had nothing else to do at the moment, he might as well help out with some family matters.

Henry Howard was quite pleased and said, “My son has grown up. You can take charge of these things. Whatever you need, just give the orders—I’ll have the servants at your disposal.”

All the hopes of the Huang family rested on Samuel Howard. Seeing Samuel Howard so motivated, Henry Howard was naturally overjoyed. He didn’t care what Samuel Howard might come up with; as long as he had the right attitude, that was enough. He’d heard that Jiangnan was a land of fish and rice, perhaps with some advanced farming techniques. In any case, the current state of the farmland couldn’t get any worse—treating a dead horse as if it were alive, so to speak—maybe Samuel Howard could actually make something work.

He immediately ordered the steward of the Qianhu residence, Mr. Young, to come in and take Samuel Howard to inspect the fields outside the fortress. Mr. Young was an old retainer of the Huang family, the same age as Henry Howard, with white hair and beard. He had served the family for over twenty years and had always been loyal. Hearing the master’s instructions, he smiled and agreed, thinking to himself that the young master was probably up to some new scheme again, but he’d just go along with it.

Samuel Howard, used to life in the 21st century, still hadn’t fully adapted to his current circumstances. He just wanted to get busy with something to feel more fulfilled. He called for David James and Little William, and was about to head out with Mr. Young when suddenly a servant came in. The servant glanced at Samuel Howard with a peculiar look, then reported to Henry Howard that Thomas Goodwin from Kelan Prefecture had arrived with his daughter and was waiting outside the Qianhu residence.

Henry Howard was overjoyed when he heard this and said, “So my old sworn brother has come! Quick, go call the madam out—we’ll go out together to greet them!” As he spoke, he glanced at Samuel Howard with a big smile.

Samuel Howard cleared his throat. From the memories of his previous self, he knew that this Thomas Goodwin was to be his future father-in-law, and his daughter Mary Goodwin would be his future wife.

Henry Howard and Thomas Goodwin had been close since childhood, calling each other sworn brothers. After each had Samuel Howard and Mary Goodwin, they arranged a betrothal between the two children from an early age, further strengthening the family bond.

Samuel Howard also knew about Mary Goodwin. She was sixteen this year and quite beautiful. Since Thomas Goodwin had five children—the first four sons and only one daughter, Mary Goodwin—she was naturally a bit spoiled. But she was clever and sweet-tongued, and was well-liked by Samuel Howard’s mother, The Young Family, and his sisters.

The two families had long agreed that once Samuel Howard succeeded to the Qianhu post, the two youngsters would marry, a double celebration. By then, Samuel Howard would be eighteen and Mary Goodwin seventeen—just the right ages.

Thomas Goodwin was sixty-four this year and had retired a few years back. As a trusted officer of the Zhenxi Garrison in Kelan Prefecture, he had always been highly valued by his superiors. After retiring, he couldn’t sit still, and since he was in good health, he often went out to visit friends. As an old family friend, Henry Howard was naturally a key person for him to visit.

Military households didn’t have as many rules as scholarly families. Since Mary Goodwin was close with Samuel Howard’s three sisters and hard to refuse, Thomas Goodwin often brought his daughter along when visiting the Huang family. In Samuel Howard’s memories, although he was quite unruly at Wuzhai Fort, for some reason he was always at a loss when facing Mary Goodwin, constantly being led around by her.

Before long, The Young Family and the sisters arrived, all giving Samuel Howard teasing looks. The eldest sister, Violet Howard, even laughed and said, “Little brother, your bride is here to see you—are you happy?” Everyone burst out laughing, and even the servants nearby snickered.

The Young Family gently pinched the eldest sister and said, “You, as the elder sister, just love to tease your brother.”

Everyone laughed as they headed outside together, with Samuel Howard following along. Several children ran after them, shouting with joy.

At the entrance, they saw a tall elderly man standing with a graceful, lively girl—it was Thomas Goodwin and his daughter Mary Goodwin. There were also a few attendants from his household tending to the horses. Everyone stood there, their breath visible in the cold air. It was a chilly morning in mid-to-late November in Ming-era Shanxi.

Henry Howard went out first to greet them: “Brother Gu, I didn’t expect you to come to Wuzhai Fort in this weather—what a rare treat.”

Thomas Goodwin laughed heartily and said, “Brother Huang, I just can’t sit still. It’s boring to stay in the garrison, so I thought I’d come drink with you. And when I heard your son had some trouble, I brought my daughter along to visit.”

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Samuel Howard. Dressed in a cotton robe and sturdy boots, Thomas Goodwin was tall, with three streaks of graying beard, a rugged face, and, like Henry Howard, the very image of an old frontier soldier.

Seeing Thomas Goodwin’s kindly gaze, Samuel Howard quickly stepped forward and saluted: “Nephew greets Uncle Gu. Thank you for your concern. How was your journey?”