What's so hard about counting five coins? You can see it at a glance, but David Clark kept counting them tirelessly—could it be he has OCD?

OCD can be troublesome. For example, you keep checking if the gas stove is off, or if the front door is locked.

David Clark looked up and said seriously, “Five coins can buy a dou of rice.”

A dou of rice is about ten jin. Judging by Andrew Bennett and David Clark’s appetites, the two of them are not far from starving. In other words, the old Jia family is not far from being wiped out.

How pitiful!

Andrew Bennett figured it was about time, so he went to open the tofu.

He moved the stone, lifted the wooden lid, then the cloth...

White, tender tofu, glistening with moisture...

He roughly grabbed a piece of tofu and put it in his mouth, savoring it carefully.

Maybe the soybeans are better these days—he thought it tasted even more fragrant and tender than the tofu he’d had in his previous life.

“Ping’an, what is this?” David Clark also took a small piece and tried it.

His eyes lit up instantly.

Even without any cooking, the sweet, tender, and silky taste of the fresh tofu immediately conquered this dark cuisine chef.

“This is...” David Clark took another piece, this time tasting it slowly. “Delicious! So fragrant! I’ve eaten food for so many years, but never anything this tasty. Ping’an, where did this come from?”

Uh...

Andrew Bennett had thought about this question already, and replied calmly, “Cousin, there are countless benefits in books—if you comprehend them, you’ll benefit endlessly!”

David Clark was stunned, frowned, and said, “Back then, the teacher said you studied... what was it... studied yourself into a cow’s backside, wasting money and food. I even argued with him, almost got into a fight. But you looked so dazed back then... I was worried you’d read yourself silly.”

Andrew Bennett was speechless. By his calculations, the original him really had read himself silly, and since he’d always been seen as a jinx since childhood, he probably became withdrawn long ago.

He said lightly, “A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Cousin, everyone used to say I was a jinx—if I showed any sign of cleverness, what do you think would have happened?”

He’d thought up this excuse long ago. Otherwise, if a dunce suddenly changed, sooner or later people would think he was possessed and burn him as a monster.

This village is really weird! Thinking about how he was almost buried alive as soon as he arrived, Andrew Bennett couldn’t help but feel a bit of dull pain.

Suddenly, David Clark started crying. “I promised Aunt I’d take good care of you, but I didn’t notice those people bullying you. I’ve let Aunt down!”

Andrew Bennett just wanted an excuse so people wouldn’t notice his change. He didn’t expect David Clark to fill in the blanks so thoroughly all by himself.

After crying for a while, David Clark suddenly froze.

“Ping’an, this stuff... is valuable!”

Only now did he realize the tofu was valuable—this cousin probably isn’t the sharpest.

But that’s a good thing!

Otherwise, if he noticed anything strange and shouted, “My Ping’an is possessed!” old Jia would be washed clean and sent to heaven.

Old Jia was secretly pleased. Then he cut the tofu into pieces, put it on the best plate at home, and got ready. David Clark carried a wobbly-legged table, and the two brothers set off.

“The jinx is coming out.” The village was still in chaos—chickens flying, dogs jumping. Many people had gone home to hide, and the rest kept their distance. A child refused to go home, so his mother gave him a smack on the butt, making him run home bawling.

The remaining people saw the two brothers striding out confidently and someone asked, “David Clark, what are you two up to?”

David Clark was very proud, but Andrew Bennett frowned and said, “Don’t show off.”

David Clark immediately changed his tune: “We’re going to take a dump.”

Who doesn’t have an outhouse? Who takes furniture to go poop?

Andrew Bennett looked at the bamboo basket in his hand, then at David Clark carrying the table, and thought, it’s pure luck the Jia family isn’t wiped out yet.

The two of them headed for the main road. David Clark was strong as an ox and chatted as they walked: “Ping’an, once we make money from the tofu, I’ll find a matchmaker to get you a wife. At the very least... Aunt said you must have three children, so you need a wife with big hips. None of the unmarried girls in the village have big hips.”

Andrew Bennett was speechless, feeling like he was just a stud horse in David Clark’s eyes.

Neigh!

A warhorse neighed in the distance, and a small squad of cavalry appeared ahead. People on the road quickly made way.

The cavalry wore armor and galloped toward Chang’an.

“That’s Mingguang armor!” Andrew Bennett said excitedly. “They must be government troops, right?”

He’d seen replicas of Mingguang armor in modern times and found them dazzling. But seeing real Tang soldiers in person, the visual impact of their man-and-horse-as-one presence left him stunned.

David Clark carried the table, tilting his body to look, and said proudly, “Ping’an, these are Yueqi.”

Yueqi was the name for cavalry among the government troops.

“We have twenty government garrisons in Huazhou. You can see these Yueqi all the time.”

David Clark looked as if it was only natural, and... Andrew Bennett saw pride in his eyes.