William Thompson nodded silently after hearing this. Although his transmigration had temporarily saved this family, in just half a year, another catastrophic disaster would befall them, and by then, he feared...

After breakfast, William Thompson chatted with Mrs. Thompson for a while about family matters. Finally, using the excuse that he felt stuffy, he went alone to the garden to clear his mind. In truth, he mainly wanted some time alone to think.

The garden was not large, and since it was winter, it looked rather desolate. Only a few hardy plants still stood strong. However, the sunlight was lovely today, warm and comforting on the skin. In the end, William Thompson simply found a clean stone to sit on, basking in the sun while lost in thought.

Just then, he suddenly heard a “dong dong~ dong dong~” sound. When William Thompson turned his head, he saw a little girl hiding behind a tree, holding a small rattle-drum in her hand, peeking out with a mischievous smile.

Finding the little girl adorable, William Thompson waved at her. To his surprise, she actually hopped over and sat down beside him, sweetly calling out, “Big brother!”

William Thompson was taken aback and asked in disbelief, “You are... my little sister?”

It was no wonder William Thompson was surprised. Yesterday, Edward Clark had introduced the family situation to him but hadn’t mentioned a younger sister. And at dinner last night, he hadn’t seen this little girl either.

“Big brother, do you really not remember Daisy?” the little girl asked, tilting her head, her big eyes full of confusion.

“I was ill and forgot some things. Your name is Daisy?” William Thompson replied with an apologetic smile. The little girl looked about six or seven years old, with delicate, lovely features. If he really had such a beautiful and adorable little sister, it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Mm!” Daisy nodded. “Last time, you promised to bring me my favorite candied hawthorn, but then you got sick. I wanted to visit you, but mother was worried it would upset the madam and father, so she wouldn’t let me go.”

Hearing this, William Thompson finally understood. This Daisy must be the daughter of Li Zhu’s concubine, his half-sister. In this era, even sons born to concubines were not valued, let alone daughters, so it was normal he hadn’t seen her yesterday.

“Are you better now, big brother?” Daisy grabbed William Thompson’s arm, her big eyes full of concern. It was clear that she and William Thompson had a good relationship before.

“I’m all better now. If you like candied hawthorn, I’ll buy you some next time I go out!” William Thompson said with a smile, reaching out to ruffle the little girl’s hair. He had to admit, children at this age were truly adorable.

“That’s great, thank you, big brother!” Daisy replied sweetly and obediently.

But just then, Daisy seemed to remember something. She immediately jumped up and said, “Wait a moment, big brother, I have something to give you!”

With that, the little girl turned and ran off, disappearing in the blink of an eye. A moment later, she came running back, sweating, holding a small yellow paper packet, which she excitedly handed to William Thompson: “Big brother, this is for you!”

“This is... a safety amulet?” William Thompson examined the triangular yellow paper packet in his hand, one corner tied with a red string. He finally recognized it—such things were rare in modern times.

“That’s right! Not long ago, mother took me to the temple to fulfill a vow, so I asked for this safety amulet for you, to help you recover quickly!” Daisy answered, tilting her little face up, her bright eyes full of affection.

Moved by his sister’s kindness, William Thompson immediately put the amulet around his neck, then pinched Daisy’s cheek with a smile and said, “With Daisy’s safety amulet, I’ll never be afraid of getting sick again!”

Hearing this, Daisy beamed with a radiant smile. But just then, a familiar voice called from afar, “Jie’er! Where are you?”

“Madam is coming, I have to go!” Daisy seemed a bit afraid of Mrs. Thompson. Hearing her voice, she turned and ran off before William Thompson could even call her back.

Chapter Four: Learning from the Experience of Being Cut Down

Watching Daisy’s small figure disappear, William Thompson could only give a wry smile. When he first transmigrated yesterday, he still saw himself as an outsider, just like playing a game in modern times—everyone else was just like NPCs to him. But now he realized that they were real, flesh-and-blood people.

“Jie’er, what are you doing?” Before William Thompson could think further, Mrs. Thompson finally walked over and asked. Only then did William Thompson notice that Edward Clark was also behind his mother.

“Nothing much. Cousin, you’re here too!” William Thompson forced a smile.

“You’ve just recovered and forgotten many things, so of course I should spend more time with you. If there’s anything you can’t remember, I can help explain!” Edward Clark said with a hearty laugh. He truly treated William Thompson like his own brother. Ever since William Thompson fell ill, he had visited almost every day. Now that William Thompson was getting better, he was happier than anyone.

“With Edward keeping you company, I’m relieved. You two brothers have a good chat. I’ll make a few of my best dishes for lunch,” Mrs. Thompson said happily, then turned to leave.