David Carter knew who this visitor was. In fact, the two families were indeed related—genuine relatives at that—and Samuel Carter’s father-in-law’s surname was Wang. The Wang family originally came from a nearby village as well, also hunters by trade. But the Wang family had a remarkable daughter—not referring to David Carter’s mother, but rather her younger sister. It was said that back then, everyone for miles around knew the Wang family had produced a golden phoenix, as lovely as a flower. In her teens, she married the young master of the wealthy Zhang family in the county town, becoming the principal wife of the eldest legitimate son. She truly soared to new heights, and she was blessed as well, giving birth to three healthy sons in just a few years. This Mark Bolton was the youngest of the Zhang sons.

The Zhang family could be considered half a scholarly family; their ancestors had once passed the imperial exams, and the family was well-off. By the time it reached Mark Bolton’s father’s generation, although no one had become an official again, Gongyi County was a small place to begin with, and in the eyes of the villagers, a family like this was already extremely distinguished.

David Carter’s father was a bit simple and honest. From birth until now, he had barely visited the county town a handful of times. In modern terms, he was a straightforward country man, with no thoughts of currying favor. Even with such a good relative, they didn’t visit often. Instead, it was Mark Bolton, who worked as a tax collector in Gongyi County, who, at his mother’s urging, would often stop by when collecting taxes in the area. The other tax collectors had also been asked by him to look after Samuel Carter’s family as much as they could during tax collection. Naturally, Samuel Carter was deeply grateful for this.

“Mark, you really do show up when we talk about you! We were just mentioning you. Have you eaten? Come have a bite at your uncle’s place, let’s have a drink and a good chat!” Samuel Carter warmly invited Mark Bolton into the house.

Once inside, Mark Bolton didn’t stand on ceremony. He came here every so often and wasn’t considered an outsider. He didn’t have the arrogance of a wealthy family’s son looking down on poor relatives. He first set down the things he’d brought, greeted Samuel Carter and his aunt, then sat down at the table.

He reached out and ruffled David Carter’s head, joking, “Haven’t seen you in a year, Shitou, and you’ve grown so much! You’re becoming a real man now.”

David Carter fought the urge to twist the other’s hand off, tilting his head to dodge the chubby hand reaching for him. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand social norms—he actually knew perfectly well what normal life should be like—but the mark of a soldier was etched too deeply into him, so deep that he instinctively rejected anyone getting too close. It gave him a sense of danger.

“Hey?” Mark Bolton was taken aback. “It’s only been a year—Shitou, you don’t recognize your third brother anymore?”

Samuel Carter glared at David Carter from the side, about to speak, but his wife took over, setting out bowls and chopsticks for Mark Bolton as she explained, “Sanwazi, it’s your aunt’s fault. A year ago, I didn’t watch the child closely enough and he fell into a well. When we pulled him out, he was barely breathing. Thank heavens, the Zhao family line wasn’t cut off, and we managed to save him. But…” At this point, the woman wiped her tears, her voice choked with emotion.

Hearing this, Samuel Carter also felt a heavy weight in his heart and let out a long sigh.

“Is that so?” Mark Bolton’s surprise and concern were completely genuine. He valued the Zhao family as relatives. The Zhang family was a well-known wealthy household in Gongyi County, with no shortage of relatives—after all, as the saying goes, “the rich have distant kin even in the deep mountains.” But relatives like the Zhao family were rare: they never asked for anything, never tried to curry favor, yet every New Year or festival, they would always send the best things from their home to the county town. The Zhang family might not care much for those gifts, but the sentiment was truly precious. Naturally, in Mark Bolton’s heart, he held this branch of the family in high regard.

He looked David Carter over carefully. He hadn’t paid much attention when he first entered, but now, seeing him, he felt a bit unsettled. How had the lively cousin who used to run wild in front of him become like this? He quickly said, “It’s been a whole year? Why didn’t you send word to the county? We could have found a better doctor. It’s my fault—I was away on a trip recently, really…”

“Mark, the child’s fine, even stronger than before. The doctor’s seen him, nothing serious—just his temperament’s changed a bit… Enough about that. I’m happy you’re here today. Let’s have a few more drinks together. I actually have something I’d like your help with.” Samuel Carter clearly didn’t want to dwell on the matter and changed the subject.

After glancing uneasily at David Carter a couple more times, Mark Bolton finally said, “Uncle, if you need anything, just say it. No need to stand on ceremony with your nephew.”

“It’s about Shitou, actually… I want to find him a wife…”