No choice, Edward Harris had to turn to Lily Walker, but this time Lily Walker shook her head like a rattle-drum. She could satisfy any request as long as it involved good food and drink, but when it came to giving books to Edward Harris, it was absolutely out of the question. Not just books—even a single sheet of paper, Lily Walker dared not hand over to Edward Harris, not even if Edward Harris threatened her with the matter of the ginseng soup.

Edward Harris hadn’t expected people of this era to hold such devout respect for books. To desecrate a book was more unbearable to them than death itself. Edward Harris had once read an article online saying that in ancient times, if someone found a piece of paper with writing on it, even an ordinary family would offer incense and candles to it. Back then, he thought it was an exaggeration, but now he was witnessing it firsthand.

It seemed that if he wanted to read, he’d have to seek out someone with real authority in the household. But his so-called cheap father hadn’t even shown his face yet. According to Grace Walker, he worked in the palace and was very busy. When he returned, he had to pay respects to the old madam, and there were two other wives to deal with. Even Grace Walker rarely saw him, let alone this third young master who was never much favored to begin with.

These days, whenever Edward Harris had nothing to do, he would chat with Grace Walker, both to pass the time and to learn about this era. After all, this Edward Harris was not the same as before; his memories were only fragments, so he urgently needed information about all aspects of this time.

Chapter 4: The Eldest Young Master Visits

Qiujü was now assigned by Lily Walker to serve Edward Harris. This third young master was a bit different from before, and seemed unlike anyone else. He needed three meals a day; except for a light breakfast, the other two meals had to include meat or fish. Fortunately, he liked pork—if he had preferred lamb, she wouldn’t have been able to satisfy him.

With Qiujü as a dedicated maid, Grace Walker was much more at ease. Plus, the daily meals had greatly improved, and her face no longer looked sallow as before. Most importantly, she was now in high spirits. With Qiujü serving Edward Harris every day, he truly looked the part of the third young master, and Grace Walker was cheerful almost every moment.

What made her happiest was Edward Harris’s health. After lying in bed for over a month, he had finally woken up, and now, with her support, he could walk around the small courtyard. Seeing him get better day by day, how could Grace Walker not be delighted?

“Mother, I feel like I haven’t met anyone else in the family. Are they all very busy every day?” Every morning and evening, Edward Harris would stroll in the courtyard with Grace Walker’s help.

“Your parents are indeed busy with their duties in the palace, only getting one day off every ten days. Besides, when you were injured and unconscious, they all came to see you. Now that you’re recovering, it’s only right for you to pay your respects to them,” Grace Walker said.

“Pay my respects to them?” Edward Harris had no real concept of family. If they didn’t come, it saved him the trouble of talking to them. “Mother, what year is it now?”

“This is the second year of Shaoxi in the Great Song. In three months, you’ll be twelve, and next year…”

“Third brother really hit his head hard, doesn’t even know what dynasty it is now?” A light laugh came from outside the door. Then someone entered—a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with sharp features and a strong build. He wore a purple silk robe, a gold belt at his waist, and a sachet hanging from it, which swayed rhythmically as he walked.

“Eldest young master!” Grace Walker immediately went up to greet him, standing respectfully at the door.

“Big brother.” Edward Harris was actually quite happy to see someone from the family come visit. When he was unconscious, he had no idea who had come, but after waking, he thought the first to visit would be the old madam. However, he’d heard she was unwell and hadn’t been able to come.

“Wei’er, this is the eldest young master,” Grace Walker said, startled when Edward Harris called out “big brother.” After all, William Harris was the eldest legitimate son and even in her presence was half a master, let alone in front of Edward Harris. In the past, Edward Harris had always respectfully called him “eldest young master,” never daring to say “big brother.” Only now did Grace Walker realize there were things she hadn’t explained to him.

William Harris was also taken aback by Edward Harris calling him “big brother.” He had almost forgotten he had such a younger brother. All along, he’d remembered Edward Harris as a servant, a long-term attendant.

“Eldest young master, Wei’er’s mind isn’t very clear and he often forgets important things,” Grace Walker quickly explained for Edward Harris.

“It’s fine. I am his big brother, after all,” William Harris showed no sign of displeasure.

“Wei’er, quickly call him big brother. Your big brother has come to see you,” Grace Walker said joyfully when she saw William Harris wasn’t offended. To her, this was an extremely good sign.

William Harris was actually a straightforward person. With memories from his past life and his current identity, Edward Harris quickly became familiar with him. The impression William Harris gave Edward Harris could be summed up in two words: genuine and sincere. Perhaps this was a common trait of people in this era—they valued trust and loyalty above all. As a modern person, Edward Harris lied as easily as he blinked; after all, who in 21st-century China had a high level of trustworthiness?