“Be careful!”

Jason Brooks reacted quickly, stepping forward to steady her.

“Brother Sanlang, why are you here?”

Eve Foster grabbed his hand and jumped up and down, so excited that tears almost welled up in her eyes. Seeing her genuine emotion, Jason Brooks felt a warm current rise in his heart. Although she was the daughter of an official family, she was innocent and lively, without a trace of the arrogance often seen in such girls. Whether toward him or the other crew members, she never looked down on anyone because of her status. Even though she was still young, one could tell from her childhood what she would become. Jason Brooks believed that when she grew up, she would be a kind girl who often helped the poor.

He scratched the back of his head and smiled, “Hong the Big Beard and the others have left. I came to the dock to see them off.”

“Uncle Big Beard has left? I still have gifts to give them!”

Disappointment flashed in Eve Foster’s eyes. She had bought a bunch of little clay figurines, local specialties of Weiyang, in the morning, planning to give them to the crew, but they had already left.

Jason Brooks comforted her with a smile, “It’s alright. They’ll be back in a few months, and you’ll see them again then. So, why are you here?”

Eve Foster pouted helplessly, “You never come to find me, so I had to go out and play with my new friend. Oh, and my cousin has come to Weiyang County too.”

She blinked mischievously and said with a grin, “Brother Sanlang, my cousin is really beautiful. Do you want to meet her?”

On the boat, Jason Brooks had often heard the little girl boast about her cousin, who was three or four years older than her. Supposedly, she was well-educated, gentle, and extremely beautiful—all according to the little girl’s own bragging, since he had never met her.

The Su family was quite a famous clan in the Great Ning Dynasty. The little girl’s grandfather, Susan Foster, was the Director of the Imperial Academy, overseeing the highest institution of learning in the dynasty, with countless students under his tutelage. His eldest son, Hannah Foster, followed in his footsteps as a professor at the Imperial Academy, while his second son, Helen Foster, was also successful in his official career and was now a fourth-rank official.

Helen Foster had another younger brother named Helen Foster, who was also very learned, but due to poor health, had not entered officialdom.

The little girl’s cousin was the daughter of the eldest son, Hannah Foster. Her exact name was unknown, but apparently, she had also come to Donghai Commandery.

“Brother Sanlang, come to my house for a visit! My cousin likes the stories you tell too.”

Actually, Jason Brooks was also curious to see what the eldest Miss Su looked like. Along the way, Eve Foster had described her cousin as a fairy, which made Jason Brooks a bit curious as well. But he had things to do now, so he’d leave it for another time.

He smiled and asked, “How is your father?”

“Father is so busy! He went to the countryside as soon as we arrived in Weiyang, and I haven’t seen him for two days.”

“Eve Foster, aren’t you leaving yet?”

Someone rode up from behind on horseback and stopped beside them. The voice was crisp and clearly that of a young woman. When Jason Brooks saw her face, he was stunned—it was actually a tomboy.

‘He’ was tall, wearing a golden crown like a young lord, a tight-fitting leather vest on top, with curves visible on her chest, and a thin green gauze shirt underneath, faintly revealing her slender waist. Unlike other girls who wore long skirts, she wore tight-fitting trousers of the Luo Han people and a pair of red high boots, making her legs look straight and long.

Looking at her face, she had a round, peach-shaped face, eyes as bright as black jade, and a mouth that seemed a bit large, but in a cute way. The distinct lines of her lips and her white teeth made her smile seem wild, pure, and fresh. She was young, at most fifteen or sixteen.

But her smile was for Eve Foster. When her gaze fell on Jason Brooks, the smile disappeared, and the cuteness at the corners of her mouth turned into contempt. Jason Brooks’s gray short shirt and tanned skin marked him as a member of the lower working class. She pointed her riding whip at Jason Brooks, “Eve Foster, who is this guy?”

Eve Foster held Jason Brooks’s hand and introduced him with a smile, “He’s Brother Sanlang. He’s told me lots of stories on the road.”

“Oh! So he’s the storyteller boatman!”

“That’s right! Didn’t I tell you about him?”

Eve Foster smiled and introduced the girl on horseback to Jason Brooks, “Brother Sanlang, this is my new friend. Her name is Victoria Bennett.”

“Eve Foster——”

The tomboy’s face darkened, and she dragged out her words unhappily, “How can you just tell a strange man my name?”

“He’s not a stranger, he’s my Brother Sanlang!” Eve Foster was a bit unhappy to see her being rude to Jason Brooks.

Victoria Bennett’s attitude didn’t really surprise Jason Brooks. He was just a crewman, and their social status wasn’t much higher than that of migrant workers in later times. How could the daughter of a high official treat him kindly?

There was no real difference between ancient and modern times. The little girl didn’t look down on him only because she was still young—this was a matter of upbringing, and it was clear that the Su family’s upbringing was much better.

Jason Brooks found this tomboy quite annoying and didn’t want to pay her any attention. He smiled at Eve Foster, “Brother Sanlang is a bit busy these days. When I have time, I’ll definitely come see you and tell you more stories.”

Eve Foster clapped her hands with joy, “That’s great! I thought Brother Sanlang had forgotten me!”

“How could I forget?”

Jason Brooks winked at her and hooked his index finger. Eve Foster’s eyes immediately sparkled, and she playfully winked back and hooked her finger as well.