The old man in the sedan chair vaguely heard the murmurs outside. He didn’t know what came over him, but suddenly gave an order: “Edward Clark, bring that child over for me to see.”

Edward Clark responded, pushing and shoving his way through the crowd to the very front. He saw someone holding a reed mat, covering the body of a woman lying stiffly on the ground.

The woman’s face was blackened by smoke and fire, her clothes almost entirely burned away, and the exposed skin was charred and horrifying to behold. He hurriedly averted his gaze, only then noticing a soaking wet cotton-padded jacket lying on the ground, and the baby who had been crying loudly was now lying in the hands of a burly man.

Just as the man had said, the child’s head rested in his palm, feet not even reaching his elbow. The baby looked to weigh only four or five jin, extremely frail, and it was unclear how long ago he had been born.

Remembering his master’s command, Edward Clark immediately stepped forward, cleared his throat, and said, “My master heard there was a fire here, and that someone risked their life to save a child. He wishes to see the child.”

He was a familiar face on this street, so the man wasn’t a stranger to him. The man, troubled by the child’s frailty and worried he wouldn’t survive, quickly handed the baby over.

Having never even held his own son, Edward Clark was all thumbs as he took the child, thanked the man, and hurriedly turned to leave, not noticing that the baby who had been wailing moments before was now gradually falling silent. When he reached the sedan chair, he asked the bearers to open the curtain a crack, supporting the baby’s head with one hand and holding his bottom with the other, carefully bringing him closer.

“Old Master, this is the child. He’s so small, like a monkey, so none of the neighbors are willing to take him in.”

The little child seemed to get angry at being compared to a monkey, and suddenly kicked out, landing a heavy blow on the sedan curtain.

His bright black eyes unexpectedly met the old man’s gaze, then immediately looked at the man standing behind the old man.

As if startled by the stern face of the middle-aged man, the child suddenly reached out and grabbed at the old man’s beard.

Seeing this, Edward Clark hurriedly tried to pull the child back, but the old man in the sedan suddenly reached out, took the child, and held him in his arms.

For a brief moment, a rare trace of warmth appeared on the old man’s face.

“Go give them some silver, and tell them I’m taking the child home to raise. Let them buy a coffin, and later you come back and see to it that the woman is properly buried.”

Is the old master serious?

Edward Clark almost thought he was hearing things, but seeing the old man awkwardly adjust his hold on the child, he swallowed hard and forced a smile, agreeing before hurriedly lowering the sedan curtain and turning to leave.

Sure enough, when he relayed the old man’s instructions, everyone immediately praised the old man in unison. The burly man was the first to snatch the silver from Edward Clark, clutching it tightly and beaming, “Such kindness from the old gentleman! Of course we’ll help with this, and give her a proper burial. That child is lucky to be taken in by such a good family.”

After arranging everything, Edward Clark hurried back. He didn’t dare lift the sedan curtain again, but respectfully reported in a low voice, “Old Master, everything is settled.”

“Then let’s go!”

As the sedan was lifted and swayed into motion, the old man looked at the now-quiet child in his arms and gave a wry smile.

“To save a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I never believed that Buddhist nonsense. If it were any other time, a few taels of silver would be the extent of my kindness. But you happened to meet me today. My unfilial son ran away from home and doesn’t even want his father. I’ll just treat it as losing a son and picking up a grandson to raise, so that brat will have someone to make offerings and sweep his grave in the future. Little Ethan, don’t you agree?”

The middle-aged man behind the old man moved his lips and replied tersely, “Yes.”

Seeing the child in his arms frown as if he understood, the old man couldn’t help but tap the child’s brow with his finger, smiling.

“That woman who saved you, I don’t know if she was your mother. I heard her surname was Ding. Where you and she came from, and your names—I’ll have someone look into it, but there probably won’t be any results. I’ll give you a new name. Today you live, she dies, and you met me—quite a twist of fate. So, you’ll be called Chad.”

The old man gently grasped the child’s finger and shook it, a trace of wistfulness on his face. “Those are the two words my teacher used to say all the time. They have many meanings. To live is Chad, to die is Chad, and to endure is also Chad. But in this world, life and death are common, endurance is rare.”

Chapter One: In the Spring Light

March weather has just left behind the lingering chill of early spring—it’s not too cold, nor too hot.

The Yue household swept away the bleakness of autumn and winter. Everywhere, flowers, grass, and trees sprouted tender green leaves, dotted with vibrant colors, making everything pleasing to the eye.

The young masters and ladies shed the thick winter coats, mid-jackets, and short jackets they’d worn all winter, replacing them with newly tailored, brightly colored spring clothes.

The maids, though not daring to dress too flamboyantly, still found ways to adorn their hairpins and embroidered shoes.