Edward Clark broke the bread into small pieces and fed them bit by bit to the little wild boar, who ate with great delight.

“I actually don’t even know who I really am. Somehow, muddle-headed, I became someone else’s son...

I always feel like there’s something wrong with this world, or maybe there’s something wrong with me. In any case, one side has made a huge mistake.

Xiao Liu, tell me, is it me who’s wrong, or is it the world?

For the past half year, I’ve been pretending to be a fool, afraid to speak, terrified that one wrong word would get me drowned as a monster.

But not speaking doesn’t work either. The reputation of me, the fool son of the landlord’s family, is already well known. If I keep pretending, I think my so-called mother might go mad before I do.

A widow with a naturally foolish son—if they want to survive, the only way left is to become fierce.

She’s not like your mothers, who are truly tough. Even without a father, your mother can still take good care of you.

That woman can’t do it. All her fierceness is just an act. Only in the dead of night, when she holds me and cries, can I see the confusion and misery in her eyes.

You might not know, but I am that widow’s only hope. She’s had a hard life these past years. There are always people wanting to have their sons adopted by her, under the pretense of taking care of this fool. Tell me, should I become clever?”

The little wild boar didn’t seem to have time for Edward Clark’s rambling. Having just finished the millet bread, the aroma of the grain left him wanting more, so at this moment, he was licking Edward Clark’s hand.

The sun slowly rose higher, making the bluestone slabs warmer and warmer. More piglets, their bellies full, began to stand at the edge of the bluestone to bask in the sun, while the huge wild boar seemed to have fallen asleep.

The little wild boars were well-behaved and pleasant to look at, each squatting beside Edward Clark, pondering the meaning of life together as they faced the rising red sun.

The red sun peeked out from halfway up Jade Mountain, lazily hanging there, weak and listless. There had been a faint cold mist in the valley, but as the sun came out, it slowly dissipated.

Once the world becomes bright, everything is illuminated, and when the dark thoughts are steamed away by the sunlight, the world seems incredibly dull.

Beyond the mountain, there is still more mountain, with only a single gap leading off into the distance, winding a few times before being blocked by hills.

Smoke curled up from the village at the foot of the mountain, but in truth, this smoke didn’t mean there was anything delicious to eat—just some thin porridge, barely enough to cast a shadow.

In winter, there isn’t much work to do. The people of Guanzhong, who follow the rule of eating dry food when busy and thin porridge when idle, would never waste a single grain.

So, such a breakfast held no appeal for Edward Clark...

The big wild boar was actually quite warm, so Edward Clark leaned against its belly. In winter, wild boars rarely have fleas or the like. At the foot of Jade Mountain, there are many hot springs with a sulfur smell, and wild boars, who bathe more often than people, are naturally cleaner than people.

Even after half a year together, the wild boars still couldn’t answer Edward Clark’s words. Perhaps they thought talking to this black-bodied, red-headed, two-legged creature—who posed no threat to them—was beneath them.

“Her son was a fool to begin with. When I came, his head was empty, nothing inside.

Except for some basic instincts for eating and drinking, he was as clean as a blank sheet of paper, as if this body had been prepared just for me.

This makes me feel a bit guilty. I don’t know if I’ve deprived someone of their life, or if he, in the dark, has used me.

Tell me, should I justifiably use this body?

Tell me, do I look like a thief this way?”

The big wild boar grunted in displeasure, scratched its itchy belly with its hind legs a few times, then rolled over to let the sun warm its other side.

Chattering while sunbathing would only bring more annoyance. Edward Clark was a polite person, so even though he really wanted to talk, he shut his mouth once again.

In a hazy daze, the big wild boar behind Edward Clark suddenly stood up and let out a piercing scream. Edward Clark’s small body was knocked over by the boar, tumbling head over heels, and he heard an even more shrill woman’s voice cry out—“My son...!”

Edward Clark had just gotten up when he saw a woman in a blue, front-fastened padded jacket leap out from behind a big rock at lightning speed, holding a wooden pitchfork, charging bravely at the huge wild boar.

Behind her followed a dozen or so strong men, but they seemed unable to outrun the small-footed woman—or perhaps they simply didn’t want to.

The wild boar let out a long squeal, and the eight little wild boars quickly darted under their mother’s belly, kicking up dust as they dashed down the other side of the slope, soon disappearing into the low shrubs.

To the wild boars, this was just a daily game—they’d been through it many times. Edward Clark wasn’t interested in watching this scene either.

However, Edward Clark could see clearly that the woman in blue had a ferocious look on her face. As she ran, she shouted at the wild boar, spittle flying everywhere... It looked like she was truly terrified!