A servant standing behind the man flattered, “Master, this is the third year now. No matter how much of a scholar William Foster is, even a deceased scholar can’t be exempt from land tax.”

The middle-aged man stroked his beard and said with satisfaction, “Exactly! The court is not easy to deal with! We must be understanding. People like him, who occupy a position and do nothing, should have their titles revoked!”

According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, scholars also had to pay taxes, but after the Hongwu era, things changed. When scholars banded together, everyone just turned a blind eye and the taxes were waived.

Of course, this only applied if you didn’t own much land. If you had over a thousand mu, then it was hard to cover it up officially.

As they were speaking, footsteps approached. The man immediately straightened up and put on a dignified air.

After a bout of dry coughing, a somewhat frail young man was ushered in. Upon seeing Edward Clark, he cupped his hands slightly, then frowned as he saw Edward Clark sitting in the main seat.

As the saying goes, “If the master is humiliated, the servant dies.” Jason Foster pointed at Edward Clark and shouted, “How dare you! You actually dare to act so arrogantly in the Foster family’s house!”

Edward Clark was taken aback, then carefully looked at William Foster, who was gazing up at the ceiling. After a long while, Edward Clark stood up and tentatively asked, “Is this Charles Foster himself?”

William Foster didn’t lower his head, only softly reciting, “A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs—how hateful! I should write to my classmates and seek justice!”

“Bang!” Hearing this, Edward Clark’s face turned red. He hurriedly moved aside but knocked over a chair, looking extremely embarrassed.

William Foster lowered his head, looking at Edward Clark with a half-smile, and pointed to the door, saying coolly, “The door is right there. I’ll give you ten breaths. Otherwise, just wait for my letter to reach the magistrate!”

Whoosh! In less than five breaths, the two of them had already disappeared from the main hall.

“Ahem!”

Jason Foster and Little White were both stunned by this turn of events. It wasn’t until William Foster coughed twice at the side that they snapped out of it.

“How about that? Isn’t your young master impressive?” William Foster closed his folding fan with pride, rubbed his belly, and said, “I’m hungry.”

“Young master, what would you like to eat? I’ll tell the kitchen right away.” The now-awake William Foster had forcefully intimidated the grain steward whom Jason Foster couldn’t handle before, and in an instant, Jason Foster resumed the proper demeanor of a housekeeper.

“Mr. Foster, you go take care of your business.” As the housekeeper, not only did Jason Foster manage everyone in the Foster household, but also the affairs of the fields, so William Foster wisely sent the attentive housekeeper away.

William Foster sat in the chair, crossed his legs, tapped the table, and ordered, “Little White.”

“Your servant is here.” Little White became even more respectful, making William Foster feel a bit sad at losing a playmate.

“Ahem, tell the kitchen not to start yet. Wait for me to come over.”

Little White was momentarily stunned, then trotted off to the kitchen.

As soon as Little White left, William Foster immediately slipped into the space. Looking at the massive supplies, he finally picked out a five-jin piece of snowflake-patterned beef, then came out satisfied.

This land is all mine!

As the birds returned to the woods and the farmers headed home, the children chattered excitedly, and wisps of cooking smoke rose into the air. All this made William Foster feel intoxicated.

There were two people in the kitchen: the head chef Rose and the errand boy Benjamin.

Rose had a face full of flesh and looked rather fierce, but when she saw William Foster, her plump, trembling face broke into a sincere smile. “Young master, what would you like to eat?”

“Pfft!” William Foster tossed the beef onto the chopping board and said, “Cut this pork into five portions—two for me, one for Miss Bolton, and two for you and the housekeeper.”

“Oh! This beef… pork is really fatty!” Rose picked up the beef, gazing dreamily at the marbled pattern, then quickly said, “Young master, I’ll add some seasoning and stew it, and prepare some side dishes for you. How does that sound?”

Benjamin glanced at the beef, slurping hungrily.

All the household contracts in the Foster estate were in William Foster’s hands. If he said it was pork, then it had to be pork.

If anyone dared to report it, when the officials arrived and found not a single ox missing from the Foster estate, well, the outcome would be obvious.

Traitors, just wait for Jason Foster’s furious revenge!

“No, I want it pan-fried, medium-well—uh, just mostly cooked, but don’t overdo it.”

Are you kidding! This is wagyu beef. Even if it’s not from Japan, the taste isn’t far off. In his previous life, William Foster didn’t even have the chance to smell it. If Rose stewed it, wouldn’t that be a waste?

“Alright, alright, it’ll be ready soon.” Rose also wanted to try a new flavor, so she shouted, “Benjamin, hurry up and light the fire, make it big! If you ruin the pork, I’ll stew you tonight and serve you to the young master!”

Seeing Benjamin immediately light the fire without any hesitation, William Foster nodded in satisfaction, then said to the ever-obedient Little White, “Little White, help your young master back.”

Little White immediately supported William Foster, the girl’s fresh scent lingering around William Foster’s nose, and her soft touch made William Foster feel delighted.