Samuel Grant was so startled that he sat up from the edge of the bed, still holding "War and Peace" in his hand. He was exhausted and had slept until dusk before waking up. He loved reading, so he opened the book to read another chapter, and then another, losing track of time.

Henry Bennett walked to the foot of the bed. "You didn’t knock my bookmark out, did you?"

Samuel Grant looked down and searched, flipping through the pages—there was no sign of a bookmark. He hurriedly checked the bed and the floor, flustered. "I didn’t see a bookmark. What does it look like?"

"Gold filigree, shaped like a cloud," Henry Bennett emphasized. "Gold."

Samuel Grant bent down and lifted the bedsheet, but couldn’t find it under the bed either. The book suddenly felt burning hot in his hands, but he didn’t panic for long. He set the book down and ran out. He took out a key to open a trunk, and from inside he pulled out a bundle, unwrapping layers of old clothes and newspapers to reveal fragments of jade.

Henry Bennett was a bit surprised. Even standing at a distance, he couldn’t see clearly and asked, "What are you doing?"

Samuel Grant’s eyes were blazing. "I’ll compensate you."

He lowered his head and rummaged through the pile of uncarved jade, then took a small wooden box from the trunk. The lid was closed, and his hand went in and out, clenching into a fist as if not wanting anyone to see.

Henry Bennett now understood Samuel Grant’s earlier attitude. So the trunk was full of treasures—no wonder he cherished it so much.

Samuel Grant walked up to him, turned his fist over, and opened his palm. Lying in his hand was an earring: platinum set with jadeite, both the material and the craftsmanship impeccable. Henry Bennett picked it up and looked at it, asking knowingly, "For me?"

"Yeah, my master gave it to me for when I get married." Samuel Grant had never thought that far ahead about starting a family. Edward Bennett had told him that in the future, he would be both a disciple and like a son. If he was to treat this place as home, he couldn’t start off by owing Henry Bennett something and sowing discord with family.

He had never seen the gold bookmark, but judging by the furnishings in the room, it must be very valuable. He could only offer his most precious treasure as compensation. Henry Bennett held the earring, feeling a bit awkward. He thought the book was boring, and the bookmark was safely kept in the study—he’d only teased him in passing, never expecting the other to take it seriously.

"What would a grown man like me do with an earring?"

"You’ll need it when you get married."

"Only one for a wedding? Why not give me the other one too?"

Samuel Grant clenched his fist again. "One gold bookmark for two platinum jadeite earrings—people from the north really know how to get a good deal."

Henry Bennett thought he’d misheard. "What do you mean, people from the north know how to get a good deal?"

Samuel Grant shot back, "Then what do you mean by ‘little southern barbarian’?"

"……"

That night, Henry Bennett couldn’t sleep, blaming himself for being too soft-spoken. Normally, he would have retorted so sharply the other would be left speechless, but Samuel Grant was different. Samuel Grant wasn’t at all aggressive; even when arguing, he sounded like he was reasoning.

Most importantly, it’s hard to be harsh when you’ve accepted someone’s gift. He turned over and stared at the bedside lamp. The earring was hooked onto the tassel at the edge of the lampshade, the green jadeite wrapped in pale yellow light, magnifying its exquisite craftsmanship.

Vera Grant truly cherished this disciple. As a master, if the "master" part weighed more, he’d be stricter; if the "father" part weighed more, he’d be more affectionate. But Vera Grant had just died, and Samuel Grant had already taken a new master and left for distant places, unable to bear the weight of Vera Grant’s love and high expectations.

Henry Bennett had seen Vera Grant’s works before. Reminiscing about him across time and years, he pulled up the covers to muffle a sigh. "Master Ji, your disciple is really unfilial. I’ll help you set him straight."

Before he could come up with a way to do so, Edward Bennett had already set some ground rules for the brothers, the first of which was "No bullying newcomers." Grace Carter was also present. Seeing the tense atmosphere, she said, "Brother-in-law, they’re all about the same age. They’ll be playing together in no time."

Edward Bennett, wearing thick glasses, didn’t need to look around—his gaze locked directly onto Henry Bennett. "I’m always busy in the shop and can’t keep an eye on you all. Your aunt is my informant—I know everything."

Grace Carter exclaimed in frustration, "Who reveals their informant right from the start?!"

Samuel Grant stood perfectly still. He knew Edward Bennett was holding this meeting to establish protection for him, but the more it was like this, the more uneasy he felt. The others already had their reservations about his arrival, and now they probably liked him even less.

Henry Bennett was the most displeased. After holding it in for a while, he finally said, "Dad, don’t talk about bullying newcomers or the younger ones. In this trade, we only bully one kind of person—those with lousy skills."

Eugene Bennett chimed in, "Uncle, you observed us for years before taking us in. Why does he get to become a disciple after just one trip to Yangzhou?"

Henry Bennett was both amused and annoyed. "What do you mean, ‘one trip to Yangzhou’? My dad went there for a funeral!"

Samuel Grant looked calmly at the four senior brothers. After Eugene Bennett was scolded by Henry Bennett, Earl Howard Bennett simply nodded in silent agreement, while Ethan Carter, being young and straightforward, immediately nodded in support.

He more or less understood now. Everyone was jealous that he had so easily become Edward Bennett’s disciple. With several branches of the Jade Workshop, everyone had a share, and now an outsider was coming in to take a piece, which naturally caused resentment.

Only Henry Bennett was different. What mattered to Henry Bennett seemed to be his skills. If he was useless, this guy would probably roll his eyes at him every day.

Henry Bennett sat next to Edward Bennett, raising his arm to put it around Edward Bennett’s shoulders. "Dad, how about this—let our fifth junior show us what he’s got. I’d like to see what level Master Ji’s top disciple is at."