Facing such a powerful son, Grace Bolton and Henry Faulkner didn’t know what to say. Although they felt a bit uneasy inside, having a capable son was always a good thing. Besides, he was so smart and not the type to cause trouble. Still, the two of them found it a little hard to adjust—could it be that a real immortal had descended into their family?

After some discussion, the two finally decided to accept Edward Faulkner’s suggestion. After all, with such a formidable son, they should be thankful he wasn’t out bullying others. However, they did have some requirements for Edward Faulkner: first, he couldn’t cause trouble; second, he couldn’t run around everywhere; third, he had to eat and drink well. They spent quite a while giving him all sorts of instructions.

After Edward Faulkner swore oaths, gesturing to the sky and earth, he finally ushered in his new era of independence.

“Finally, I have my own independent space! It wasn’t easy!” Edward Faulkner was moved to tears as he looked around, now the only humanoid creature left alone at home.

With the right to independence, he could finally free up his hands to do many things.

Olivia Faulkner and William Faulkner had to go to school, and Henry Faulkner and Grace Bolton each had their own work to do. Every day, after eating his fill at home, Edward Faulkner would wander around. He still hadn’t managed to cultivate inner strength, but his vitality was certainly abundant, and his hard skills were already practical. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to pierce through a blue brick with a single grab. Edward Faulkner had secretly tested himself—his grip strength had improved greatly, and he could easily bend a steel rod as thick as a thumb in half.

“Sigh, there’s still a long way to go if I want to become a great hero!” Edward Faulkner was always a bit frustrated that he hadn’t mastered any more advanced techniques.

But recently, he had made some gains. While wandering around, Edward Faulkner accidentally discovered a set of comic books from the Cultural Revolution era, “Romance of the Western Han,” in a neighbor’s junk pile. They were well preserved, in great condition—a set of sixteen volumes, packed together with other books in a sturdy cardboard box.

“Uncle Brooks, these books are really interesting!” Edward Faulkner said to his neighbor Uncle Brooks, pointing at the comics.

The neighbors had long since become immune to the various strange things about the The Faulkner Family’s third child. Uncle Brooks glanced at the comics and replied, “They’re useless now. I was just about to sell them to a junk collector. If you like them, take them! You’re at home with nothing to do anyway, so read them to pass the time. I think I heard your mom say you can recognize almost all the characters now?”

“Hehe, that’s great!” Edward Faulkner grinned from ear to ear, hugging the comics as he replied, “Actually, I don’t know them all—my mom was exaggerating. I was just planning to learn more characters from these comics! Thank you, Uncle Brooks!”

Upon hearing this, Uncle Brooks immediately sighed, “Look at that! Every one of the The Faulkner Family’s sons is amazing! You’re not even three yet, and you’re smarter than kids seven or eight years old. I have to admit it!” Seeing Edward Faulkner hugging the big pile of books, he quickly said, “Don’t worry, you can have them all! You’re so little, don’t tire yourself out. Uncle will help you carry them home!”

Ever since he accidentally discovered these comics, Edward Faulkner realized something: many things from the Cultural Revolution, things people don’t even notice in daily life, are actually very valuable for collecting—like books, picture albums, badges, and all sorts of daily items printed with leader’s quotations. These things could fetch sky-high prices in the future, but right now, they’re worth next to nothing!

A whole new world suddenly opened up before Edward Faulkner’s eyes, and his previously blocked train of thought became clear and bright.

Chapter 15: The Crazy King of Junk

Although only a little over two years had passed, for various reasons, this crazy period of history—the Cultural Revolution—was rarely mentioned.

In China, people’s behavior often swings from one extreme to another, which has led to many near-blank gaps in five thousand years of history.

Whether it’s because people don’t want to talk about it, look down on it, or are afraid to mention it, this gradually receding period of history has slowly faded from people’s view. The once colorful events have become as pale as lead-printed words, gradually losing their original color.

Since discovering the Cultural Revolution comics, Edward Faulkner also noticed another issue: many items from that era printed with slogans and catchphrases are now shunned by people. They don’t even want to keep them, and even junk collectors aren’t interested. The various materials and tools that once featured images of the vice commander and the Four Heavenly Kings, which were everywhere back then, have now become like stinky dog shit that nobody wants. Not only are they despised by everyone, but some people even draw big red X’s over their photos. All that’s missing is drawing two horns on their heads, four fangs in their mouths, and draping them in a demon’s cloak.

While sighing, Edward Faulkner also felt that his collecting efforts were going swimmingly. The free stuff had already filled up more than half of his family’s storage room. Piles of badges, books, and porcelain were stacked to the brim. It looked like he’d have to open up a new front.

So Edward Faulkner set his sights on the one thousand yuan in his mother Grace Bolton’s hands.

Lately, his mother Grace Bolton had been incredibly busy.