After the three-month training period for new soldiers, the fake Zhao Dali, due to his outstanding archery skills, was assigned to the archer team. However, after that, he never showed any unusual movements.
Jiang Chenghan often went hunting. He knew that to obtain a sufficient amount of game, one must have a sufficient amount of patience, so he was not anxious and continued to covertly monitor the situation, waiting for the fake Zhao Dali to reveal his flaws.
During this period, on a certain day, Kou Shijun suddenly sought out Jiang Chenghan and asked him about the charity home. Kou Shijun was aware of Jiang Chenghan's cooperation with Xi Muyuan and knew about the existence of the charity home—he had even contributed some silver funds to it.
Jiang Chenghan then informed Kou Shijun about the current state of the charity home. After listening, Kou Shijun also told Jiang Chenghan the reason for his inquiry about the charity home.
It turned out that Kou Shijun had an old family friend who, due to an unexpected disaster, suffered a calamity where the entire family perished, leaving only a five-year-old child. A servant desperately protected the child and helped the child escape. The child was later brought to Kou Shijun seeking protection.
However, Kou Shijun, being a grown man, feared he could not care for the child properly. Moreover, it was too conspicuous—the enemies of his friend's family were still out there, and he worried they might be drawn to him. He wanted to find a stable place for this child, but since this was the only remaining bloodline of his friend's family, adoption by another family was not suitable. Then he remembered the charity home that Jiang Chenghan operated.
At the charity home, there was food, shelter, and care. Now, the children could even learn to read and write, and there were many children of the same age to play with. It was an ideal place.
Naturally, Jiang Chenghan felt duty-bound to help with Kou Shijun's matter. Although there were already many children at the charity home, one more would not be a problem. At most, they could move to a larger house.
Although Jiang Chenghan agreed readily, Kou Shijun would not let him care for the child for free. He immediately took out three hundred taels of silver to donate to the charity home. Jiang Chenghan did not refuse. He accepted the silver, noted down the address where the child was currently staying as told by Kou Shijun, and then left the Governor's residence.
Fearing to attract attention, Jiang Chenghan deliberately waited until nightfall before going to the address Kou Shijun had given him. Sure enough, in that simple, remote little house, he found a five-year-old boy who was very thin, small, and listless, along with a mute woman around fifty years old who had been taking care of the child.
The mute woman had apparently already received instructions from Kou Shijun. After Jiang Chenghan arrived and identified himself, she opened the door for him. She did not stop him when he went to take the child, only bundled up the child's two sets of clothes and gave them to Jiang Chenghan. Jiang Chenghan said little more, took the bundle, and left.
From the moment Jiang Chenghan appeared until he carried the child away, the child showed no resistance or struggle, did not speak, and did not cry. However, Jiang Chenghan could feel the child's body trembling slightly, so he softly comforted him with a few words.
It was late at night, and everyone at the charity home had already retired for the day, so it was not a good time to disturb them. Jiang Chenghan first brought the child back to his own home.
By now, the night was deep. Xie Huan and the Dowager Lady Yan had already gone to sleep. Only Yan Jingshu was still waiting for Jiang Chenghan to return.
Before going out, Jiang Chenghan had told Yan Jingshu about Kou Shijun's request, so Yan Jingshu was not surprised to see Jiang Chenghan bring a child home.
Having a child of his own had made Yan Jingshu's heart grow even softer. Seeing the small, timid, trembling boy who resembled a little quail, he felt great pity. He not only personally gave the child a bath but also patiently soothed the child to sleep before returning to his own bedroom.
Early the next morning, when the Dowager Lady Yan and Xie Huan got up and discovered a new child in the house, they naturally asked about it. Regarding these two, Yan Jingshu had nothing to hide, so he relayed to the Dowager Lady Yan and Xie Huan what Jiang Chenghan had told him.
Xie Huan was by nature aloof. Towards matters or people other than Yan Jingshu, he paid little mind. After listening, he nodded and asked no further questions.
The Dowager Lady Yan, however, looked at the child's face and frowned almost imperceptibly, but she said nothing. After breakfast, after Yan Jingshu had taken the child to the charity home, she wrote a letter. She then gave it to An Momo and instructed her to have someone deliver it quickly to the capital on horseback.
After Yan Jingshu returned, the Dowager Lady Yan dismissed the servants and asked him, "Regarding this child, did you know anything about it before?" This was asking if Yan Jingshu had known about this child in his previous life.
Yan Jingshu understood but shook his head, saying, "At that time, Chenghan and I were not yet getting along well, so he did not tell me about this matter. Later, he did take me to the charity home, and by then this child was already there. However, Chenghan didn't say much about it at the time, so I thought he was just an ordinary orphan and didn't ask further."
The Dowager Lady Yan nodded but seemed thoughtful.
Seeing this, Yan Jingshu asked curiously, "Does Grandmother know something?"
The Dowager Lady Yan nodded, then shook her head, saying, "I just find the child's face somewhat familiar, but I don't dare be certain yet. However, I have already sent someone to inquire. I will tell you when I have news."
The Dowager Lady Yan already had some suspicions in her heart but, fearing to alarm Yan Jingshu, did not tell him for the time being.
Yan Jingshu knew that if the Dowager Lady Yan said this, she had her reasons, so he did not press further. However, afterwards, when he went to the charity home, he inevitably paid a bit more attention to this child.
But aside from being introverted, not talkative, not fitting in with the group, and being very intelligent—learning to read and write very quickly—the child didn't show any other unusual characteristics.
Nevertheless, because this child was very clever, Xie Huan developed a fondness for talent and paid more attention to him. He taught this child much more strictly compared to the other children.
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