"Very well." Brian Clark was not a shy person. In one corner of the courtyard stood a stone table and stools, so he followed Old Man over and sat down. Seeing Ryan Clark coming along, he casually instructed, "Ryan Clark, go get some wine and some snacks to go with it!"

"Young master, your injury has only just healed, you really shouldn't drink..." Ryan Clark tried to persuade him, but when Brian Clark glared at him, he could only sneak a glance at Old Man. Yet the old man just kept smiling and didn't respond, so Ryan Clark had no choice but to turn and leave, muttering under his breath, "If you won't care for your own health, at least think of your wallet. Wine costs forty wen a jug these days..."

Although Ryan Clark's muttering was not quiet, after spending the past few days together, Brian Clark already knew this was just his nature, so he simply pretended not to hear. Once the courtyard gate was closed, he stood up, straightened his clothes, and gave Old Man a deep bow. He had just started to say "thank you" when he suddenly felt a pair of iron-like hands firmly grip his arms. The next moment, his body was lifted up and, without any chance to protest, he was pressed down onto the stone stool.

"Seventh young master, you'll be the death of Old Man with this! It was just a small favor, not worth you coming all this way to thank me!" Old Man pressed Brian Clark down to sit, then took a seat himself on the stone stool beside him. "Besides, you can't write the character 徐 twice with one stroke. Though we're not from the same clan or family, we share the same surname. Since Old Man saw what happened, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."

Brian Clark had just asked Ryan Clark about Old Man, but all Ryan Clark knew was that most of the neighborhood boys called Old Man "Grandpa Grant", and little else. So now, hearing that Old Man shared his surname, he was naturally intrigued.

"So your surname is also Xu?"

"Old Man's surname is Xu, with the given name Liang. But there are plenty of people named Xu in Nanjing!"

Seeing Brian Clark's face full of curiosity, Grant Clark chuckled and began, "There are at least a hundred or so Xu families in Nanjing. Just from the descendants of the King of Zhongshan, there are the Duke of Wei and the Duke of Ding, both extremely prominent families. The Duke of Ding's line has always been in the capital, but some branches stayed in Nanjing. The Duke of Wei's line has almost always remained in Nanjing, with countless collateral branches.

Besides that, there are many other officials and nobles with the surname Xu, so there are plenty of fellow townsmen and clansmen. With so many Xu families, it's become fashionable to seek out kinship for mutual support. For example, your uncle who works at the Judicial Office in Yingtian Prefecture is said to have married into a noble family, and it took a lot of effort to get where he is today. But for a nobody like me, no one cares if I try to claim kinship!"

Though he said this, Brian Clark found this straightforward Old Man quite amusing and immediately laughed, "Uncle, you're being too modest. Though things are tough now, who knows if you won't rise to great heights one day? Besides, those who are always trying to curry favor with the powerful—do you think they really get any respect? At best, they're called relatives; at worst, people just see them as freeloaders."

"Seventh young master, that's a bit harsh, but it's true. The more powerful the family, the less they care for poor relatives. Thanks for your kind words—twenty years east of the river, twenty years west, Old Man hopes to prosper one day too!" Grant Clark laughed so hard his eyes nearly disappeared, and even his wrinkles seemed to smooth out. "But, seventh young master, your little one calls me Grandpa Grant out of courtesy. For you to call me uncle, how could I accept that? Your family may not hire me to fetch water, but I've helped out with work before. Seventh young master, just call me Grant Clark. I may call myself Old Man, but I'm still a few years shy of fifty."

The graying hair, the chiseled wrinkles, the callused hands, and that raspy voice all showed that Grant Clark had weathered many storms. Brian Clark thought of how elders in modern cities liked to be seen as younger, so he had casually called him uncle—who would have thought the man wasn't even fifty yet!

"You're so much older than me and even saved my life. Isn't it only right for me to call you uncle?" Brian Clark responded quickly, suppressing his brief surprise. Before Grant Clark could reply, he smiled and said, "Didn't you just say no one cares if you try to claim kinship? Well, today let me claim kinship with you. I'll call you uncle, and you can stop calling me seventh young master all the time!"

"Hahaha, then I won't stand on ceremony. But, Brother Xun, you don't need to keep saying 'you' so formally—it sounds awkward!"

Grant Clark was so amused by Brian Clark's words that he burst out laughing, and readily accepted being called uncle. The old and the young sat there chatting idly. Brian Clark, being new here and with his memories still a jumble, took the opportunity to ask about all the ins and outs of Nanjing, while Grant Clark, being very talkative, could chat about anything from street gossip to the various government offices in Nanjing.

By the time Ryan Clark returned with wine and food, the two had already become fast friends despite the age gap. Once the food and wine were set out, Ryan Clark served the cups at the side. After a few cups, Brian Clark gradually slowed down to just sipping occasionally, while Grant Clark, as if he hadn't had wine in ages, became a bit greedy and started to slur his words, his face flushing bright red. Seeing this, Brian Clark, though wanting to get more information, didn't dare let him drink too much and had to reach out and cover the little wine jar with his hand.