Mary Goodwin also had a little red horse. When she came to Wuzhai Fort with Thomas Goodwin, she, like everyone else, rode a horse. In the Ming Dynasty, when women went out, those who could afford it mostly used carriages and sedan chairs as transportation. In the coldest days, they would often use heated sedan chairs, and even the daughters of military families were no exception.

Mary Goodwin riding a horse together with everyone else was clearly quite unusual among women of her time. In front of the elders in the hall, she still acted like a well-behaved child. But once she left the residence, her true nature emerged.

Her bright eyes looked at Samuel Howard, her expression half-smiling, half-mocking, as she said sweetly to Samuel Howard, “Hey, Samuel Howard, are you really going to inspect the farmland? Or are you just using that as an excuse to go off and have some fun? All I remember is you playing with spears and sticks—when have you ever done anything proper? Tell me, where are you going to play? I happen to be bored too, so let’s go together.”

If it were as usual, at these words, Samuel Howard would have hurried over to her side, trying his best to please her and explain himself, not caring at all about the sarcasm in her tone. In the past, when the two were together, Mary Goodwin always said Samuel Howard was a rough fellow, uncouth and unknown, and she especially disliked how Samuel Howard would bully the families of the soldiers in Wuzhai Fort at the slightest provocation—a result of reading too many idle books.

But this time, Samuel Howard only smiled slightly and said, “Of course I’m going to inspect the farmland. Otherwise, do you think I have nothing better to do than go outside the fort to catch the wind?”

He swung himself onto his horse and said to Mary Goodwin, “In this kind of weather, you’d better stay inside with my mother and sisters, warming yourselves by the fire and chatting. Running around everywhere—what’s the point?” With that, he was about to spur his horse forward.

David James and Little William wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, and quickly mounted their horses as well. Both knew that this The Goodwin Family young lady was not someone easy to deal with. If they angered her, they’d be in real trouble, so they had to stifle their laughter and look away. At the same time, they found it odd—wasn’t the young master always timid and nervous in front of the The Goodwin Family young lady before? They used to feel sorry just watching him. Could it be that he changed after just one trip outside?

Mr. Young also mounted his horse, watching the two youngsters act like children, only smiling silently. He too was surprised at Samuel Howard’s change in front of Mary Goodwin, since he had watched Samuel Howard grow up. As the saying goes, rivers and mountains may change, but a person’s nature is hard to alter.

Mary Goodwin was taken aback, not expecting Samuel Howard to be so different from before, treating her with indifference. She couldn’t help but snort angrily, feeling embarrassed in front of the servants. She called out, “Samuel Howard, you… you’re so heartless! I came all this way to see you, and this is how you treat me. I’m going to tell Auntie that you’re bullying me.” Her eyes reddened instantly, looking as if she was about to cry.

Samuel Howard laughed and said gently, “Isn’t it because you came all this way that I can’t bear to let you catch cold outside? Since you want to come, then come along.” He had seen this kind of girlish behavior many times before and handled it with ease.

Mary Goodwin blushed and muttered, “Who needs your concern?” Seeing that Samuel Howard had agreed to her request, her anger turned to joy. She quickly mounted her horse, not realizing that the control of the situation had already shifted to Samuel Howard.

Samuel Howard took the lead, riding out of the fort, with the others hurrying after him. When people on the street saw Samuel Howard and the others riding by, they quickly made way, calling out to their children, and the street was thrown into a lively commotion.

Mary Goodwin nudged her horse to ride alongside Samuel Howard and said, “Samuel Howard, look at you—whenever you come out, everyone on the street is so afraid of you. I heard your reputation in Wuzhai Fort is enough to stop children from crying at night. Is that true?”

Samuel Howard only smiled without answering. Mary Goodwin snorted in annoyance, pouting and ignoring him. In her heart, she felt frustrated. In the past, Samuel Howard had always been obedient to her—how would he ever dare to treat her so coldly? She couldn’t understand what had happened to him; after just one trip outside, it was as if he had become a different person. She didn’t know what to do.

Mary Goodwin and Samuel Howard had been betrothed since childhood and grew up together. Their families were close, making them childhood sweethearts. But Mary Goodwin had always loved reading romantic tales and dramas, such as “Yu Jiaoli,” “Haoqiu Zhuan,” “Qinxin Ji,” “Luanpi Ji,” “Chenqing Ji,” and so on. These were all the popular fads of the Ming Dynasty. Not just her—even the current Emperor Wanli was a fan of such stories and plays.

With a young girl’s heart, reading so many of these books inevitably led to daydreams. But fantasy was one thing; reality was always disappointing. The old Samuel Howard looked rough and uncouth—not at all like the talented scholars in the books, nor like the loyal and righteous heroes in plays such as “Yunpi Ji,” “Shuanglie Ji,” “Zhongxiao Ji,” or “Dadao Ji.” On the contrary, he was more like the villainous ruffians in those stories, which made her dislike him even more.

But with parental orders and the matchmaker’s words, in the Ming Dynasty, there could be no other outcome. She was destined to be with Samuel Howard in this life. The gap between reality and fantasy, combined with the fact that both families doted on her, and her own strong-willed nature, meant that she never showed Samuel Howard a pleasant face.