Henry Sullivan exclaimed with joy, “Mr. Carter, as long as you don’t make me join the army, that’s the greatest help you could give me.”

Mr. Carter looked regretful, glanced at Henry Sullivan again, and muttered, “He really looks alike. But aren’t there many people in this world who look similar?”

Henry Sullivan didn’t understand what Mr. Carter meant, but saw Mr. Carter take a piece of broken silver from his pocket and toss it over. Henry Sullivan caught the silver in one hand, thinking it was his payment for selling himself, and began to sweat anxiously, but Mr. Carter said, “I feel a connection with you at first sight, and I think if you honed your skills, you’d do much better in the army than in this countryside. But since you have your difficulties, I won’t force you. Take this bit of silver as my congratulations for you to marry a lovely wife soon.”

Henry Sullivan blinked, and for the first time felt some goodwill toward this Mr. Carter. He bowed deeply and said, “Mr. Carter, I will never forget your great kindness. I still need to go to the blacksmith’s shop, so I’ll take my leave now.” He bowed again and hurried off. Mr. Carter didn’t stop him, but returned to his seat behind the table, grabbed the wine jar and drank heavily, letting out a deep sigh, and said again, “Why does he look so much alike? Could it be…” Before he finished, a county constable hurried over and said, “Mr. Clark knows how hard you’ve been recruiting soldiers, so he’s set up a table of good food and wine at the county office, and invites you to join him.”

Mr. Carter brushed away his doubts, laughed heartily, and said, “Very well, let’s go.”

Henry Sullivan walked quickly, and only when he felt that even if Mr. Carter rode a horse he couldn’t catch up, did he slow his pace, weighed the silver in his hand, and muttered to himself, “This Mr. Carter is really not bad, but mother always said, ‘A man should never be a soldier; being a soldier ruins your life.’ Looks like I’ll have to let him down. What have I, Henry Sullivan, done to deserve such regard from Mr. Carter? Is it like a tortoise fancying a mung bean, just a matter of matching eyes?” At this, he shook his head, thinking to himself that Mr. Carter was a man, and he himself was no mung bean…

As he was pondering, someone called from afar, “Henry Sullivan, why are you only just back? Something… something big has happened!” A young man came running from the distance, panting and sweating all over.

Henry Sullivan recognized him as Brian Miller, a childhood friend. Seeing Brian Miller’s face full of panic, his clothes torn, and a bruise at the corner of his eye as if he’d just been in a fight, Henry Sullivan’s heart sank. “What happened? Where’s my big brother?”

Brian Miller said anxiously, “It’s your big brother who’s in trouble!”

Henry Sullivan grabbed his wrist and demanded, “Tell me, what exactly happened?”

What Henry Sullivan had told Edward Carter was actually half true, half false. Little Henry and Mr. Bolton were real people, and Mr. Bolton had indeed asked for five taels of silver, but the one who wanted to marry Little Henry was Henry Sullivan’s elder brother, William Sullivan. Today, Henry Sullivan had gotten up early to sell sheep, gathered enough money, and hurried home full of joy, just wanting to help his brother marry Little Henry. Who could have expected an accident?

Brian Miller said, “Matthew Clark said he wanted to take Little Henry as his seventh concubine, and threw ten taels of silver to Mr. Bolton. Your big brother and I were talking to Mr. Bolton about the marriage, and of course wouldn’t allow it. I tried to stop them and got beaten up, your big brother tried to stop them, and as a result…” His face already showed misery.

Henry Sullivan quickly asked, “What happened to my big brother?” He knew Matthew Clark was the only son of Mr. Clark, a local tyrant in Xihe. If his brother had crossed him, how could it end well?

“Your big brother… his leg was broken.” Brian Miller said, tears falling.

Henry Sullivan’s veins bulged on his forehead, and he clenched his fists. “Was it Matthew Clark who did it?”

Brian Miller said bitterly, “He didn’t do it himself, but it’s almost the same. You know, Matthew Clark has a gang of thugs, always doing evil in the county. Matthew Clark even shouted that his father is the magistrate, and even if someone is beaten to death, nothing will happen.”

Henry Sullivan said no more, striding home. Brian Miller hurried to catch up, but was soon left behind. When Henry Sullivan got home, he saw his elder brother William Sullivan pale-faced, one leg covered in blood, lying on the bed half-asleep. A doctor had just set William Sullivan’s leg, and when he saw Henry Sullivan arrive, he shook his head and said quietly, “Even if it heals, he’ll be lame from now on.”

Henry Sullivan trembled all over, took out some silver for the doctor, and after seeing him off, slammed his fist onto the table in the courtyard. The table, though sturdy, couldn’t withstand his strength and collapsed with a bang.

Henry Sullivan was filled with hatred. His parents had died early, and his elder brother William Sullivan was an honest country man who had raised Henry Sullivan single-handedly, acting as both father and mother. Henry Sullivan respected his brother deeply. For Matthew Clark to break William Sullivan’s leg was even more infuriating than if his own leg had been broken.

William Sullivan heard the commotion in the courtyard and woke up, weakly saying, “Brother… you’re back?”

Henry Sullivan hurried into the room. “Big brother, I’m sorry I’m late. You rest for a while, I’m going to find Matthew Clark.” He turned to leave, but William Sullivan called out anxiously, “Brother, you can’t go!”

Henry Sullivan stopped, slowly turned around, and forced a smile. “I’m just going to reason with them.”

William Sullivan said, “Brother, I know you’re angry for me, but they have many people, you can’t do anything to them. I’m already like this—if anything happens to you, how could I face our dead parents?” Tears streamed down his cheeks, and William Sullivan said sadly, “Brother, let’s just endure this.”

After a long while, Henry Sullivan finally said, “Alright…”