He first bowed to Samuel Lewis, then waved to the convoy behind him. Four or five servants in black immediately followed him, heading toward the place where William Thompson was hiding. At the same time, Samuel Lewis also turned and gave an order. The cavalry quickly dispersed, splitting into two groups. Some began to scout the surrounding area, while others dismounted, surrounded the carriage, and kept watch on all sides.

After William Thompson cried out twice, he heard some commotion outside.

He immediately stopped crying, opened his eyes wide, and looked outside. The vines were pushed aside, and a chubby old man appeared in his line of sight. Reaching out, the old man picked up William Thompson, looked at him in surprise, then turned his head and called out, “Master, there’s a baby here... tsk tsk tsk, look at this poor little thing, frozen like this! Who knows what kind of heartless parents left you here... Don’t cry, don’t cry, you must be hungry!”

Finally, he was saved!

Although William Thompson didn’t know who these people were, he felt a joy of surviving a disaster and couldn’t help but giggle.

“Old steward, this child is smiling at you.”

A servant behind David Walker couldn’t help but whisper.

The chubby, clean-shaven old man’s eyes unconsciously showed a trace of warmth.

“Steward Zheng, is this the child?”

Samuel Lewis stepped forward and asked softly. He glanced at William Thompson, then said in a low voice, “This child must be hungry. Why not let Mrs. Cooper feed him some milk first... Father is waiting for you in the carriage, it seems he has something to discuss with you.”

William Thompson felt puzzled.

From the way they addressed each other, he could roughly figure out their relationships.

The chubby old man holding him seemed to be a steward, while the middle-aged man in his thirties appeared to be a young master.

But the young master addressed the steward with great respect.

What kind of family was this?

David Walker nodded, instructed the servants to stop with William Thompson by the last carriage, and called out a woman of about thirty from inside. The woman had delicate features, a bare face, and her hair was coiled in a bun. She wore a short blue jacket, with the skirt gathered at the chest, and a half-shoulder vest over it. At first glance, William Thompson found her outfit very familiar.

Because her clothes looked very much like traditional Korean attire.

“Mrs. Cooper, the old steward wants you to feed this child.”

Mrs. Cooper took William Thompson, looked at him in surprise, and said, “This child is so adorable. How could his parents abandon him?”

The servant curled his lips. “How would I know... Mrs. Cooper, hurry up and feed him, the old steward is waiting.”

Mrs. Cooper nodded, carrying William Thompson into the carriage.

Inside, besides Mrs. Cooper, there was also a little girl, about five or six years old, with her hair tied in two buns.

Next to the little girl, a baby was sleeping soundly.

Seeing Mrs. Cooper get in, the little girl couldn’t help but ask, “Mom, who is he?”

“I don’t know which heartless parents left him by the roadside. The old steward asked me to feed him... Lily, go to sleep now.”

The little girl glanced at William Thompson, looking rather displeased.

But she didn’t say anything, just curled up in the corner of the carriage and fell asleep.

Mrs. Cooper picked up William Thompson, opened her collar, and nursed him. William Thompson felt quite embarrassed, but he was truly hungry and couldn’t care about much else, drinking his fill of milk... Just as he finished, someone called from outside the carriage: “Mrs. CooperMrs. Cooper, is the baby done feeding? The old steward wants you to bring him over, he’s waiting.”

“Coming!”

Mrs. Cooper quickly responded, tidied her clothes, and picked up William Thompson.

“Lily, stay in the carriage and be good, don’t cause trouble... I’ll be right back after taking him over, go to sleep.”

It turned out the little girl hadn’t fallen asleep at all. She stared at William Thompson in Mrs. Cooper’s arms with big, dark eyes. For some reason, William Thompson felt there was a strange look in the little girl’s eyes—was it hatred? Or affection? He couldn’t tell... It was complicated, and also very pitiful, making William Thompson’s heart skip a beat for no reason.

Chapter Two: The Eighteenth Year of Kaihuang (Part 2)

In the luxurious carriage in the middle of the convoy, there was a small stove.

Tapestries hung on the walls, and a white tiger pelt was spread on the floor. Compared to Mrs. Cooper’s carriage, the decorations here were clearly much more lavish. The chubby old man and the man in his thirties were both inside, and in the center sat an old man in a fur robe, with gray hair coiled in a bun, a square scarf tied on his head, a thin face, and a long beard tucked into a beard pouch.

William Thompson had heard that ancient people valued their beards greatly, saying that the body, hair, and skin are all gifts from one’s parents, and having a fine beard was not easy. Didn’t Guan Yu in Romance of the Three Kingdoms have a beard pouch to protect his beard?

“David Walker, is this the child?”

The old man asked, motioning for Mrs. Cooper to put William Thompson down, then signaled that she could leave.

The white tiger pelt was warm and comfortable.

He had been cold and hungry before, but now, with his belly full and lying on the white tiger pelt, William Thompson felt a wave of drowsiness.

But he couldn’t fall asleep, because he knew this was a critical moment.