“Hehe, get up now, child, there’s no need for so much formality.” The middle-aged, beautiful woman smiled as she stood up and walked over, helping the girl up and looking her over from head to toe with satisfaction, nodding approvingly. “Hehe, I didn’t expect that after just a few months apart, Wugou has grown taller and prettier, and is still just as sensible. Our family’s Abraham is truly blessed.”

At this point, the woman dressed in a deep blue, subtly patterned Hu-style outfit, looking quite heroic and spirited, Abraham Lincoln’s mother The Harris Family, turned her gaze to me. I have to say, this Abraham Lincoln’s mother, George Washington’s wife The Harris Family, wasn’t the kind of beauty like Lin Daiyu from Jiangnan—delicate and refined. How should I put it? If Lin Daiyu is a tender lotus growing in the misty southern rain, reclining on spring waters, then The Harris Family is like a peony blooming fiercely in the northern spring—graceful and imposing. Her fitted Hu-style attire only accentuated the heroic spirit that radiated from her.

She reminded me of the legendary heroine Hua Mulan. Although I’ve never seen what the real Hua Mulan looked like, the moment I saw The Harris Family, I felt that if she were to play Mulan, she’d be perfect—at least in terms of appearance and bearing.

So, I quickly and properly bowed deeply to this historically renowned and outstanding woman. “William greets Aunt.”

“Hehe, good, get up now. I heard you were quite ill some days ago, but looking at you now, you seem to have recovered, haven’t you?” The Harris Family nodded and smiled at me. Although her tone was kind, the heroic spirit between her brows and her sharp, penetrating eyes gave off an indescribable sense of pressure.

“Many thanks to Aunt and Uncle for the medicine you sent. Without it, how could William have recovered so quickly?” I replied respectfully with a smile. The girl beside me finally shifted her attention to her older brother. Seeing that I responded appropriately, the little girl gave me a big smile.

“Is your mother well?” However, it seemed The Harris Family wasn’t done with me yet, and she continued to ask with a smile.

“My mother is well. In her spare time, she enjoys doing some needlework.” The seemingly gentle yet actually sharp gaze of The Harris Family was always so dazzling, making one want to avoid it. No wonder all of George Washington’s first sons were born to this woman. Hmm, with such a formidable and beautiful woman overseeing things, George Washington, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, must have been quite happy, I couldn’t help but think a bit maliciously.

Fortunately, after The Harris Family exchanged a few words of small talk, a young man of about eighteen or nineteen, whose features resembled Abraham Lincoln by about fifty or sixty percent, strode over and laughed heartily. “So it’s William and his sister! Haha, second brother, we’ve been waiting for you to drink with us for quite a while.”

“Greetings, heir apparent.” Anyone could guess that the only one who could call Abraham Lincoln “second brother” was none other than the unfortunate crown prince John Lincoln. Beside him was another young man, with a rather youthful face, thin build, and a rebellious look in his eyes—a delinquent youth past his prime.

This rebellious youth, upon hearing my greeting to his brother, looked me over curiously, his expression full of confusion.

John Lincoln was also taken aback by my greeting. “We’ll all be family in the future. William, when have you ever called me ‘heir apparent’?”

But Abraham Lincoln immediately leaned in and whispered something in John Lincoln’s ear. Only then did John Lincoln look suddenly enlightened, and with a hint of pity, he looked me over. “So my virtuous brother is still recovering. John was too rash. Just call me ‘elder brother,’ there’s no need for such formality—it’s too distant.”

I hadn’t even exchanged a few words with the eldest of the Li family when the rebellious youth beside him stepped forward and, in a loud voice, said, “Robert greets William elder brother…”

Chapter 10: The TV Drama That Makes One Regret Not Being Diligent…

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but freeze, staring intently at this Robert Lincoln, who in later generations’ novels was hyped up as the world’s greatest general, able to lift a cauldron.

Hmm, he doesn’t really look the part. This Robert Lincoln, despite his rebellious, adolescent demeanor, is only twelve or thirteen years old—just a kid who, in modern times, would have just bid farewell to the Young Pioneers and joined the Communist Youth League. Even if he had the potential to be a young weightlifter, with his skinny, monkey-like frame, could he really swing an eight-hundred-jin hammer with a roar?

Robert Lincoln is a very arrogant character in the novels, but in the official histories, he doesn’t seem to have left much of an impression. As I was savoring the image of this overaged delinquent from the novels, Abraham Lincoln tugged at my sleeve and whispered with a strange look in his eyes, “Hey, brother, why do you keep staring at my third brother? What’s up?”

Hmm, even John Lincoln was looking at me oddly, and as for Robert Lincoln, who was being scrutinized by my sharp gaze, he shifted uncomfortably and looked bewildered.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just noticed your third brother has an extraordinary bone structure, a tiger’s back and a bear’s waist, and is clearly strong and powerful. I imagine he’ll be a great general one day.” I quickly flashed a smile, and the flattery just rolled off my tongue.