The courtyard of Edward Clark's family was left over from when Mr. Clark Sr. divided the family estate, splitting the entire residence into three sections for his three sons. Although it couldn't be called spacious, the grass hall had a complete set of stone tables and stools, and everything inside and out was kept neat and tidy—there was nothing cold or gloomy about it. Under the moonlight at this moment, Emily was sitting across from an elderly man, her face full of worry.

“Emily, I'm not speaking ill of my son-in-law behind his back, but look at the time! Who knows where he's off to, indulging in pleasure again! Sigh, and you still tell me he wants to change his ways. Now it seems that was just empty talk. How could I have been so blind back then, letting you marry such a scoundrel!”

Hiding in the shadows, Edward Clark saw the old man slam his palm on the stone table in anger, sending a few stone chips flying. He couldn't help but feel alarmed—was his father-in-law actually a martial arts master, or was the stone table just shoddy work? He wanted to step out and explain himself, but curiosity about Emily's reaction made him hold back and stay silent.

“Father, you can't say that about my husband!” Emily bit her lip, a trace of sorrow flickering in her eyes, but she still retorted, “He never cared about me before, but now he's changed a lot, and... and...” She hesitated for a long time, still too shy to mention Edward Clark's gentle gesture that day. “Today he went out without any money; it must have been because he was delayed by something important...”

“Something important? What important business could he possibly have?” The old man, Emily's father Matthew Scott, saw his daughter still defending her husband and grew even more furious. “In three years of marriage, has he brought home even a single large coin? Isn't it all thanks to your embroidery and sewing that this family gets by? Hmph! If it weren't for the fact that he had some education and seemed better than those rough men in the marketplace, I never would have agreed to this marriage! If it really can't go on, I'll just go ask him for a divorce letter and let you remarry and be done with it!”

“Father! How can you say such things!” Emily couldn't hold back her tears any longer, but she quickly wiped her eyes and shook her head resolutely. “My husband will definitely come back!”

“You silly girl!” Matthew Scott was both anxious and angry, but before he could finish, a man's voice came from the doorway.

“Who says my Emily is silly?” Edward Clark had heard everything he needed to hear and knew he couldn't keep hiding in the corner. He walked out openly, gave a slight bow to Matthew Scott, and said, “Greetings, Father-in-law!”

“Hmph!” Matthew Scott realized from Edward Clark's words that his son-in-law had overheard everything, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He put on a stern face and ignored him.

Edward Clark had no intention of wasting time with his stingy father-in-law. He set the food box he was carrying on the table, lifted the lid, and said to Emily, “Emily, guess who I ran into today?”

Emily was still upset about her husband's late return, but when she saw the assortment of exquisite pastries in the food box, her expression changed. She didn't answer Edward Clark's question but pointed at the treats and demanded, “You—you only took ten coins with you when you left. Where did you buy all this? Did you go off stealing again?”

It seemed the reputation of the previous Edward Clark was so bad that even bringing home some treats for his wife would arouse suspicion. What a world! Edward Clark sighed inwardly at his bad luck, but still forced a smile and explained, “Emily, you've misunderstood. Today I happened to run into Mr. Adams at a calligraphy and painting stall. He invited me to drink at the Yuxian Tavern, and then took me to the Adams residence for a literary gathering, which is why I was delayed. These pastries were specially made by the chef at Adams's house, and the scholar asked me to bring some home. Why don't you try them and see if you like them?”

The name Mr. Adams clearly had a powerful effect. In an instant, both Matthew Scott and Emily stared in disbelief, mouths agape. Before his daughter could ask, Matthew Scott hurriedly spoke up: “Are you—are you serious? The Mr. Adams you mentioned, is it that Dongpo Jushi?”

“Father-in-law, I may be mischievous in daily life, but I wouldn't dare joke about something this important,” Edward Clark said, personally fetching bowls and plates from the house and handing a piece of cloud cake to his wife. “Otherwise, how would I have the spare money to buy these things? Isn't it just a case of offering flowers borrowed from someone else? Emily, I told you I wouldn't hang around with those good-for-nothing friends anymore, and I won't lie to you.”

“I believe you!”

Emily blurted out, instinctively taking the plate of pastries with both hands. Her eyes were already brimming with tears, but she quickly turned away and wiped them hard before picking up a piece and nibbling at it. Edward Clark saw her trying hard to hide her hunger and immediately realized she hadn't eaten dinner yet. A wave of tenderness welled up in his heart, and he naturally pulled his wife into his arms. Back then, he had wanted to hold Little Grace like this but never got the chance—now, at last, he had it. Emily struggled weakly for a moment, but in the end, she gave in to her husband's embrace.

Suddenly, in the midst of this tender moment, Matthew Scott coughed loudly and followed up with a remark that ruined the mood: “Son-in-law, did you really go to the scholar's residence today and not go fooling around elsewhere?”