But Mark Bolton didn’t take it to heart. Although he didn’t know why his cousin had changed so much, after careful observation, he understood that the cousin who used to be carefree and only cared about eating, drinking, and playing no longer existed. Now, standing before him was a child with a cold expression, someone with strong opinions of his own. Even though he had only spoken a few words, he was able to get straight to the point. Such shrewdness and insight appearing in a child he was familiar with was both surprising and astonishing, and he could no longer treat him as an ordinary child. But now was not the time to dwell on these things. His mind was filled with thoughts of what to do after returning home. What he wanted most was to finish his own important matters first; everything else could wait.

“Aunt and uncle, please don’t worry. Rest assured, I will do my best to handle cousin’s affairs. If my own matters succeed, I’ll have to thank cousin as well. I’ll be off now. Aunt, uncle, take care. It won’t be long before I come to visit you both again…”

……

Let’s not talk about how Samuel Carter scolded David Carter when he got home. As for Mark Bolton, after returning to Gongyi County, he spent several days at home pondering, carefully considering every possible aspect, both those he could and couldn’t think of. Only then did he first seek out his eldest brother Jack Bolton. The three brothers of the Zhang family were born of the same mother and were very close. Jack Bolton had originally planned to take his third brother with him this time. He understood Mark Bolton’s intentions as well, but as the saying goes, a real man aspires to travel far and wide. The second brother was hopeless, so that was that, but the third brother was at least clever and resourceful. Although he was a bit lacking in talent and learning, he was no worse than others when it came to dealing with people and situations, right? He couldn’t just waste away in this tiny place forever. Leaving one person at home to look after things would be enough. After all, the family had already split up, and nothing major was likely to happen in the near future. As long as the two brothers could earn some official position outside, who would dare bully the family at home?

With this in mind, Mark Bolton’s position in the county was no longer so important. Otherwise, with his experience, even a casual suggestion from Jack Bolton could have landed Mark Bolton a decent post in the county, saving him all this trouble.

But before he could discuss it with his third brother, Mark Bolton came to him first and explained the situation. Jack Bolton thought it over and offered some advice. Although the saltworks was a lucrative post, the current political situation was unstable, and this was a muddy pool to wade into. Who knew what might happen in the future? But Mark Bolton was determined to get this position and really didn’t want to leave his hometown, so he wouldn’t listen to reason.

With David Carter’s guidance and his own embellishments, the story was told in full detail, leaving Jack Bolton with no choice but to agree.

With Jack Bolton stepping in, it only took two days for the matter to be settled. It wasn’t entirely because of Jack Bolton. First, the three county officials had been arguing endlessly and realized it was getting them nowhere. Second, after these days, everyone knew that trying to place their own man in the salt supervisor’s position was more trouble than it was worth. Not only would it offend colleagues, but if anything went wrong, losing their posts would be the least of their worries—the risks were just too high.

For a while, no one in the officialdom could let go of their pride, so the situation remained deadlocked. Now, with Jack Bolton acting as mediator, everyone was more than happy to have him involved. Plus, with Mark Bolton’s private promises, everyone relaxed and readily agreed to the arrangement.

Chapter 0007: The Marriage Proposal

Gongyi County’s county seat wasn’t large, but it was still the most densely populated area in the county. That’s why all the prominent families in Gongyi County had their own residences here.

The The Cooper Estate was located in the southern part of Gongyi County. Though called the The Cooper Estate, it was actually just a few houses arranged courtyard-style, similar to the grand compounds of Shanxi, but still far from the scale of a real mansion.

The patriarch of the The Cooper Family was named Peter Cooper. He was already forty-seven years old, but to use a modern phrase, he had a hearty appetite, robust health, and was full of energy.

“My good son-in-law is here! Didn’t Hong’er come with you? Come in and have a seat! Someone, bring tea quickly…” His booming voice, together with his ruddy, dark face and sturdy build, made him and Mark Bolton look almost like father and son standing together.

Once seated inside, looking at the beaming Mark Bolton, Peter Cooper was very pleased. The The Cooper Family had fled from Liaodong. The ruthless Khitan and later the queue-wearing soldiers had wreaked havoc on the good land of the Northeast. According to Peter Cooper’s grandfather, the The Cooper Family had over twenty members, but only two brothers survived after reaching Western Qin. The land in Western Qin wasn’t as fertile as the black soil of the Northeast, but the politics were clean, and for several generations, wise rulers had been on the throne, strengthening the government internally and defending against enemies externally. As a result, more and more outsiders like the The Cooper Family settled here. But to get back to the point, the The Cooper Family had been in Gongyi County for fifteen generations, yet the family line had never flourished. By his generation, only his elder brother remained as the sole male heir. The family business was established, and everyone lived comfortably, but he always felt something was missing. He had only two sons, but as for daughters, he had as many as eight. Except for two who died young, the rest were all healthy, but daughters were considered a loss—when it came to supporting him in old age, he still had to rely on sons, right?