Because of the waves, Mrs. Brooks could see them, but they couldn’t see Mrs. Brooks. Mrs. Brooks was shocked to see one person suddenly push another’s head into the water. She desperately covered her mouth, terrified she might scream and be discovered by that person. Since that person was able to drown a companion, if he saw her bath tub, he would surely become even more deranged.

The outcome appeared quickly. Mrs. Brooks saw the beam that had broken free from its restraints, but the two people had disappeared.

A cauliflowersnake, a full ten feet long, was tightly coiled around that beam. Nearby, even more snakes were gathering toward the beam. Some field mice, which normally would never be seen near cauliflowersnakes, were also crouched on the beam. Gradually, the beam became completely covered by snakes and mice. This couldn’t last long; surely, before long, more lives would vanish around that cursed beam.

A huge, soaking wet field mouse jumped into the bath tub. Mrs. Brooks wasn’t the least bit afraid; she simply killed the mouse with a club. However, she didn’t throw the mouse’s corpse out. As a farmer’s wife, Mrs. Brooks understood that after a flood, every bit of food was precious. Field mouse meat was considered a delicacy—she had eaten it before, when she was driven out of the Wang family.

The child’s cries snapped Mrs. Brooks out of her numbness. She opened her arms and pressed the child tightly against her full chest. The child suckled vigorously, which greatly comforted her. Just a moment ago, the child hadn’t moved for quite a while.

If she had the leisure to look down at her child right now, she would have seen that the child’s pretty little face was full of frustration...

Ethan Brooks finished one breast and switched to the other, continuing to feed. He didn’t want to do this, but the power of instinct was overwhelming—he had no control. As soon as his belly felt hungry, his mouth would naturally start to cry, and then a full breast would be waiting for him to suckle.

Ethan Brooks had good reason to be frustrated. He had been lying alone on the Gobi Desert, gazing at the stars, thinking he would go to the underworld or some such place. When he woke up, he found himself seemingly in another place, his ears filled with the sounds of torrential rain and rushing water—there would never be so much water in the Gobi.

After a long time confirming his situation, he concluded that he was now on a boat—a very small boat, as small as the wooden tubs used by lotus-picking girls in Jiangnan.

He had long wanted to check on his own safety, but after seeing his chubby little hands, he decisively gave up on that idea. Now, his life depended on this woman called Grace Walker.

He learned the name Ethan Brooks from this woman’s mouth. Whenever she had a moment, she would chatter on about her family, including this rather nice-sounding name.

From Grace Walker’s intermittent words, Ethan Brooks learned about his current situation, and also about a blacksmith named Andrew Brooks who had pushed him and his mother out of the chaotic village, only to be swallowed by the flood.

Grace Walker had sworn to the heavens more than once that she would raise Ethan Brooks to adulthood to continue the family line. Although Ethan Brooks knew she was really just encouraging herself, trying to muster the courage to survive, and struggling to stay awake by finding things to talk about.

It was these words that made Ethan Brooks decide to live with this name from now on. She had already fulfilled a father’s responsibility, and was now striving to fulfill a mother’s responsibility. So he could only do his best to fulfill a son’s responsibility—there was really nothing more to say.

If this was hell, Ethan Brooks thought it wasn’t a bad place!

Now, the responsibility of being a good son was to do his best not to cause trouble for his current mother. Even though he was soaked all over, he decided to go to sleep immediately. Not crying or fussing was the best way to repay Grace Walker.

Grace Walker had many hopes, and was already imagining what her son would look like when he got married. But when she looked down at the reality that she and her son had nothing at all, she became anxious.

A dead cow floated by not far away. After estimating its value, Grace Walker felt a bit disappointed—her family used to have cattle, too.

Another corpse floated past the bath tub. Grace Walker was no longer very afraid of corpses; after a day and night in the water, she had seen many.

This corpse was different. The main thing was that around its waist was a sash embroidered with entwined lotus flowers—something only merchants used. Grace Walker boldly guessed that it must be filled with copper coins.

Glancing at the big hole in the corpse’s neck, Grace Walker decisively used a stick to hook the corpse over. When it was close, her heart involuntarily pounded—those pale eyes stared at her, as if guarding its wealth.

You’ve already fallen into the water and you’re still thinking about money—if you don’t die, who will? Grace Walker spat lightly to bolster her courage.

Fortunately, the corpse had a piece of wood tied to it, so it hadn’t been dragged to the bottom by the weight of the coins.

She struggled for a long time to untie the sash, then tied it tightly around her own waist. She weighed it—there had to be at least two strings of coins inside.