From the original memories of James Thompson, James Thompson immediately recognized the other person as well. He quickly sat up straight and smiled, saying, “Uncle Harris, what brings you here?”

“Uncle Harris!” When Lily Thompson saw this middle-aged man, she also cheered and ran over, only to be scooped up by the man, who spun her around twice before putting her down. Then he pulled a baked flatbread from his chest and stuffed it into Lily Thompson’s hand, making the little girl cheer again as she hugged the flatbread and started munching away.

“I heard you were injured. I had official business a few days ago and just got back today, so I came to check on you and your sister, and brought you some food!” Only then did this imposing middle-aged man raise the bag in his hand and come over to James Thompson.

The middle-aged man’s surname was Lü, given name Edward, and he was one of the squad leaders in Xiangfu County. A squad leader was basically the head of the yamen runners, similar to the “captain” in the Ming and Qing dynasties, though that title didn’t exist yet at this time.

“Thank you, Uncle Harris!” James Thompson politely thanked Edward Harris. He didn’t know why his gambler father had such a good relationship with Edward Harris, but thanks to that, their family often received Edward Harris’s care. For example, the reason they could live at the charity house was all due to Edward Harris’s connections. Even though his gambler father was never home, no one dared to kick the siblings out.

“Huh? Why are you acting so distant all of a sudden?” Edward Harris couldn’t help but look at James Thompson strangely after hearing his words. He wasn’t like Lily Thompson or the other kids—he’d sensed something different about James Thompson the moment he walked in.

James Thompson was startled to hear this. He’d gotten used to being around Lily Thompson and the other kids these past few days and hadn’t bothered to hide his changes, since it was easy to fool children. But just now, when he saw Edward Harris, he’d forgotten all about that.

“To be honest, Uncle Harris, I hit my head before, and when I woke up, I felt a bit different and can’t remember some things. I’m not sure what’s going on.” But James Thompson reacted quickly, not even blinking as he tossed the ball back. How Edward Harris interpreted it was none of his concern.

“So that’s it. Well, it’s nothing to worry about. I once caught a criminal who fell off a roof and hit his head—when he woke up, he didn’t even recognize his own parents. The doctor said he had soul-loss syndrome, but he recovered after a few months. Just focus on getting better; you’ll recover in time.” Edward Harris was well-experienced and didn’t suspect anything. After all, James Thompson looked the same on the outside—who would imagine his soul had been swapped for someone else’s?

“By the way, how’s your injury? Did you see a doctor?” Edward Harris pulled up a stool and sat next to James Thompson, asking again. By now, Lily Thompson had finished her flatbread, poured a bowl of water, and brought it over. Edward Harris didn’t stand on ceremony, picking it up and draining it in one go.

“It’s nothing serious, just that I was unconscious for a while. The injury on my leg is a bit troublesome, though—it’ll take a month or so to heal.” James Thompson added with a smile.

“As long as it’s not serious. I ran into your father a few days ago. You know, even though he likes to gamble, don’t blame him too much. He also asked me to look after you. You’re not a child anymore—once you’re healed, come work as a yamen runner with me in the county. The pay isn’t much, but it’s enough to support you and your sister, and you won’t have to do any petty thieving on the streets anymore!” Edward Harris nodded and continued.

“Thank you, Uncle Harris!” James Thompson felt a bit reluctant when he heard Edward Harris wanted him to be a yamen runner. He knew that yamen runners in ancient times had very low status and, he’d heard, couldn’t even take the imperial exams. Even though he didn’t plan to take the exams, he didn’t want to be a yamen runner either. Still, he didn’t refuse outright, since Edward Harris meant well—he could always find a tactful way to decline later.

“By the way, Uncle Harris, what have you been up to these past few days? I heard everyone’s been talking about the divine bird lately. Have you seen it?” James Thompson suddenly remembered that Edward Harris worked at the yamen and might know things that weren’t common knowledge on the street.

Chapter 7: Sending Money to Edward Harris

Sure enough, as soon as James Thompson finished speaking, Edward Harris slapped his thigh in frustration and said, “Don’t even mention it! The divine bird incident alarmed His Majesty, and all the yamen runners from the surrounding counties were sent to clear the area. But when we got there, we found that the imperial guards had already sealed off the mountain—no one allowed in, only out. We all made the trip for nothing! And since we hadn’t received any orders from above, we didn’t dare leave, so we had to stand guard at the foot of the mountain for a few days. Only today were we allowed to come back!”

“The mountain was sealed off? The divine bird landed on the mountain? Uncle Harris, could you see it from the foot of the mountain?” James Thompson hadn’t expected Edward Harris to be sent to help seal off the divine bird. He hurriedly pressed for more details. He’d wanted to see if the divine bird was actually a plane, but if the imperial guards had sealed off the area, how could he get a look?