He didn’t dare to take too big a step at once, for fear of pulling his balls.

Chapter 9: A Strange Combination

Samuel Webb and the other noble youths left.

Even if the old Lü family didn’t need to return gifts to the Webb, they should at least prepare some small presents for these noble youths.

Ethan Clark prepared some new-style pottery as gifts.

This was his way of being prepared for any eventuality.

To put it plainly, if a family uses something new exclusively, it stands out too much.

If two major families’ children are using it, when others discover something novel, those of too low status won’t dare to ask, while elders of high status won’t bother with such trivial matters. If the younger generation asks, the old Lü family can use the opportunity to expand their network.

Before leaving, Samuel Webb commented on Ethan Clark to the youths who came with him, saying that with someone like Ethan Clark as the head of the family, the old Lü family would have no worries about prosperity.

The Webb youths knew Samuel Webb was smarter than themselves, so they naturally believed his words.

As for Charles Harris, who didn’t handle affairs and only cared about eating, drinking, and having fun, he only cared about whether he could send his own cooks to the old Lü family to learn cooking, and he swore to Samuel Webb that it wouldn’t be used for commercial purposes.

The rising Webb needed to make as many good connections as possible.

Samuel Webb of course agreed readily.

As for not asking the person involved about such matters at all, they simply chose to ignore it.

Ethan Clark devoted his limited time to more urgent matters.

The families and slaves of the warriors had all arrived—they couldn’t be expected to eat in the open and sleep under the sky, could they?

The old Lü family didn’t want the warriors to bear grudges, so naturally they had to speed up the construction of houses. The sooner the grain and other supplies were distributed, the better.

If they had all been filled with pessimism about changing masters before, after a few days, those with ambition and intelligence, based on what they had seen and heard, had already undergone a change in mindset.

For example, a warrior named Cuo personally saw how Ethan Clark directed them, organized the division of labor and teams, and then led collective work.

His conclusion was that, while he didn’t know about other aspects, his new master’s ability to command troops was the best he’d ever seen, and there would be no shortage of opportunities to make achievements.

Take another example, a craftsman named Fang saw how much Ethan Clark valued craftsmen, could listen to Ethan Clark talk about many new theories, and could actually make things himself. He was convinced that even if the old Lü family was just a minor noble, they would be a very wealthy one.

To most people, the fact that Ethan Clark personally directed the work so that the warriors and craftsmen could have their own houses sooner made them feel that Ethan Clark was at least a lord who cared about the feelings of his subordinates.

The older generation of dependents saw the possibility of the family’s revival, perhaps even more prosperous than ever before, and felt nothing but joy.

As for how the slaves would see it? They could think whatever they liked.

It’s during construction that a group’s vitality is most evident. Dependents who could help came of their own accord, and the warriors and craftsmen, infected by the atmosphere, threw themselves into the work with even more enthusiasm.

After Ethan Clark finished what he needed to do and was about to take a break, Elder Scott came to report that a worthy scholar had come to seek refuge.

Since he was called a worthy scholar, Elder Scott must have already tested him and considered himself inferior.

Ethan Clark was delighted. What had troubled him most these days was that the old Lü family had no talent at all, so he had to do everything himself.

But this scholar was a bit odd.

He was a middle-aged man, and from his clothes, you couldn’t tell he had the “elegance” a scholar should have—in fact, he looked quite disheveled, and was carrying a basket on his back.

As for what was in the basket, Ethan Clark couldn’t tell for the moment.

The man’s face was sallow, as if he had suffered great hardship. Not only did he look weathered by life, but he also gave the impression that he might die at any moment.

Nowadays, people generally wore shenyi, which is a robe that wraps the body by joining the upper and lower garments together, cut separately but sewn together.

Commoners’ shenyi would be made tighter to save fabric.

Of course, they could also wear informal clothes, such as a shirt-like top and just shorts below.

Nobles wore shenyi too, but compared to commoners, the fabric was better and the colors more varied.

In this era, the brighter and more colorful the clothes, the more they represented wealth and status.

This scholar wore a very old but spotlessly clean light red shenyi, and though he was well-groomed, the clothes were covered in patches.

In every era, there’s the saying: the poor are scholars, the rich are warriors.

Without enough money, dreaming of becoming a learned scholar is just a fantasy.

Ethan Clark had guessed that the old Lü family’s big construction would attract some talent, and after waiting so many days, finally one had come.

Before meeting him, he had all sorts of expectations—not hoping for a great talent, but still…

When the two met, before they could even exchange greetings, a baby’s cry came from the basket.

Ethan Clark and the scholar (who had not yet introduced himself) exchanged a glance.

“Wait a moment.”

“I…”

Ethan Clark thought, for now he couldn’t see what talents the middle-aged man had, but winning people’s hearts—well, you could start from infancy.

The scholar was busy checking on the baby and didn’t notice Ethan Clark leaving.

Ethan Clark went to order the servants to get some goat’s milk and cow’s milk, then personally handed a bowl of warm milk and a small wooden spoon to the man who hadn’t given his name yet, and said gently, “It’s warm.”