Harold Wei's Concerns
"Who were those two just now? Chefs from Savory House?" Harold Wei asked Leonard Li.
"Ah, yes. That young lady is the head chef at Savory House. The couple are the ones from the jade gambling at the market. Tsk, her silly husband really is proof that fortune favors fools," Leonard Li remarked.
"What? That fool who gambles on jade by touching the stones?" Harold Wei's heart skipped a beat, though his face remained calm.
"Yes, that's him. Otherwise, why would I say fortune favors fools?" Leonard Li sighed, unsure whether he was amazed by Lucky's luck in finding treasure or by his ability to marry someone as wonderful as Lily Evans.
But beneath Harold Wei's calm exterior, his heart was in turmoil.
If it was just that foolish Lucky looked like General Alexander Hayes, that could be chalked up to coincidence—after all, there are plenty of people in the world who look alike.
But his ability to gamble on jade by feeling the stones—could that really be just a coincidence too?
The more Harold Wei thought about it, the more unsettled he felt. General Alexander Hayes was supposed to be recuperating in the palace by imperial decree. If Lucky really was the general, then things were far more complicated than they seemed...
"Your Lordship, a message arrived from the capital yesterday about an urgent matter. I’ll be departing for the capital tomorrow," Harold Wei said, instinctively sensing that things were anything but simple. He decided to return to get to the bottom of it all.
Alexander Hayes is the only general capable of resisting the enemy nation; his safety is tied to the fate of the entire country. If his absence for months isn’t due to illness, but because he’s not even in the palace...
Harold Wei suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, resolving to investigate the matter in secret.
Lily Evans and Lucky enjoyed lunch at Savory House, strolled happily through the market, and by afternoon caught Mr. Qian's ox cart at the city gate to return to Clearwater Village.
By now, the story of Lily Evans and Lucky striking it rich through jade gambling was all over the village—some folks were jealous, others envious, and everyone had something to say.
Soon after, Cynthia Wu and Mark Hunter arrived as well.
Cynthia Wu's expression was bright and a little bashful, while Mark Hunter looked rather glum.
"Cynthia, what's got you so happy?" Lily Evans asked, taking Cynthia Wu's hand.
"It's nothing," Cynthia Wu replied, her cheeks flushed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I just ran into an old acquaintance who asked me to bring something to my father."
"What acquaintance?" Lily Evans asked suspiciously, glancing at Cynthia Wu and then at Mark Hunter, whose face grew even gloomier.
"Once, when my father and I were gathering herbs in the mountains, we came across Howard Liu from Greenfield Academy—he'd been bitten by a snake, and I saved his life. We ran into him in town at noon; he insisted on treating Mark Hunter and me to lunch, and sent a gift for my father to thank us for saving him," Cynthia Wu explained.
Lily Evans took one look at Cynthia Wu's face and instantly knew—this girl had a crush.
A life-saving debt—just like in the storybooks. Lily Evans glanced at Mark Hunter and thought to herself, what a shame. Mark was honest, dependable, and clearly had feelings for Cynthia Wu. If she married him, she’d surely have a comfortable life.
But when it comes to matters of the heart, outsiders can't interfere. Seeing Cynthia Wu so lively, Lily Evans knew it wasn’t her place to say more.
However, the existence of people like Harold Wei and Benjamin Zhang made Lily Evans more cautious toward those so-called gentlemen from Greenfield Academy. She secretly resolved that next time she went to town, she would ask Mr. Baker to help inquire about Howard Liu’s character and whether he had a wife and children.
When Lily Evans and her group returned to Clearwater Village, the news of her family’s sudden fortune had already spread throughout the village.
As soon as the ox cart entered Clearwater Village, Mrs. Thompson was already waiting at the village entrance. When she saw Lily Evans and her husband return, she immediately rushed over, her face full of wrinkled smiles. “Lily, I heard you and your husband have struck it rich? Now that you’ve got some silver, you should share a bit with everyone so we can all get a taste of good fortune!”