After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

The young man's dark and focused gaze almost burned Gu Lin's cheeks. He slightly turned his head to avoid the young man's gaze, whether he wanted to avoid the young man's gaze or deliberately ignored the slight unease in his heart caused by Zheng Hao's words, and did not meet the other man's eyes.

Knowing that one cannot be too hasty, one must soften Uncle Gu's attitude little by little.

Zheng Hao changed the subject, saying, "I will handle that person and the yamen runner just now, Uncle Gu, there's no need to worry."

Having entrusted the matter to the other party, Gu Lin had no extra worries. However, he thought of the child he had saved and wondered how the child was doing, so he asked about it.

Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, there's no need to worry. I've already asked Da Zhuo to help him find his parents."

Gu Lin was relieved to hear this.

Calming the inexplicable heat that had just risen in his heart, Gu Lin turned to look at the young man again and began to recount his discoveries of the day.

When it comes to business matters, Gu Lin becomes radiant, and his furrowed brows relax.

He said to Zheng Hao, "I've decided what I want to do with your business."

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly, gazing at the young man in front of him, adopting a posture of attentive listening.

Gu Lin said, "When I was in the capital, I wanted to make glass for sale, but the craftsmen under my command couldn't figure out the techniques involved. After coming to Jibei Prefecture, I accidentally discovered Guanyin clay, which is used to make white porcelain."

Zheng Hao was unfamiliar with these firing techniques, but he knew the value of white porcelain.

Zheng Hao's brow twitched: "What's different about this Guanyin soil?"

Gu Lin asked, "Are the white porcelains currently circulating in the market dull or yellowish in appearance?"

Recalling the white porcelain bestowed by Emperor Jian'an, knowing that Uncle Gu liked clean and white things, he did not give him the yellowed and grayish white porcelain, thinking that it would not be too late to give Uncle Gu the best porcelain in the future.

"It's easy to understand," Zheng Hao asked thoughtfully, his brow furrowed. "Is the yellowing and darkening of those white porcelains related to all the clay used in the firing process?"

Gu Lin nodded slightly: "The specifics are rather complicated, and it would take several days to explain them. I have already sent a letter to Yu Ercheng to bring craftsmen to Jibei Prefecture. Once the white porcelain made from Guanyin clay is produced, you will know the difference between it and the porcelain on the market."

Looking down at the confident young man in front of him, Zheng Hao's gaze softened.

He instructed Gu Lin, "These days, I often go out to banquets and cannot accompany Uncle Gu. If Uncle Gu needs to go out, please take a few more guards with you."

The other party had their own things to do, and Gu Lin was also busy. He said, "You go ahead with your work. I'll be leaving the city in the next few days. With Brother Chen and the others here, everything will be fine."

After the two finished their meal, Zheng Hao returned to the front yard.

Not in his own residence, Zheng Hao's lodging in Jibei Prefecture was undoubtedly the target of many eyes and ears. As a junior, it was commendable and understandable that Zheng Hao ate with his elders. However, if he lingered in Gu Lin's courtyard after dark, given that the two were not far apart in age and the young man was handsome, it would be hard not to arouse suspicion.

The following day, Gu Lin led his men out of the city.

Gu Lin returned to Bai Laosan Village. After careful consideration last night, he decided that if he wanted to fire and sell white porcelain in Jibei Prefecture, he would need to establish a white porcelain factory. In order to save on the transportation costs of Guanyin clay, the factory site should be located near the place where Guanyin clay is produced.

Therefore, the best location for the white porcelain factory is near Baijia Village.

Baijia Village is located in a remote area with few households and no other villages nearby, which allows for better secrecy regarding the materials and processes used in firing white porcelain.

Not wanting to trouble two people for the same thing, Gu Lin didn't ask anyone else in Baijia Village. Instead, he asked Bai Laosan for help, asking him to take him around the area around Baijia Village. In one day, Gu Lin looked at three plots of land.

All three plots of land are not far from the Guanyin clay production area. One plot is next to the Guanyin clay, another is on wasteland behind Baijia Village, and the third is near the river.

Logically speaking, Gu Lin should have chosen the first plot of land, as it would have been more convenient to obtain the clay. However, Gu Lin had his eye on the last plot of land.

The second plot of land was too close to Baijia Village, and Gu Lin did not consider buying it in order to avoid future conflicts with the villagers.

The reason Gu Lin chose the third plot of land near the river was that sufficient water is needed when firing white porcelain. Guanyin clay is dry and powdery, which is easier to transport, but water is not. The cost of transporting water is higher than that of Guanyin clay. Therefore, Gu Lin planned to build the white porcelain factory next to the river.

When doing business, Gu Lin is always decisive and efficient. After comparing the three plots of land, he felt that the third plot was more suitable, so he did not hesitate any longer.

Gu Lin asked Bai Laosan to take him to the village chief of Baijia Village. Under the village chief's dazed and shocked expression, Gu Lin once again proposed to buy the land.

If it weren't for the certainty that the two plots of land Gu Lin bought weren't in good locations, Village Chief Bai would have thought that these two plots of land, passed down from his ancestors, were buried with gold.

Although Village Chief Bai was somewhat shocked by the young man's decision to buy the land, he didn't press for details. He rubbed his cane a few times, a little embarrassed, and asked, "Boss Gu, I wonder if this land could also be used to exchange for grain?"

When Gu Lin said goodbye to Bai Laosan and Village Chief Bai yesterday, he asked them to change their way of addressing him, saying that they could call him Brother Gu or Brother Lin. However, Bai Laosan and Village Chief Bai tacitly called him "Boss Gu".

As long as the other party doesn't call him Gu Fulang, Gu Lin has no objection to any other form of address.

Knowing that Baijia Village was short of food, he had long been prepared to pay with grain.

Gu Lin said to Village Chief Bai, "That's fine, but Baijia Village needs to provide manpower for grain transportation."

Although he had guards like Chen by his side, these people were there to protect his safety, and it was impossible for them all to be sent to transport grain to Baijia Village.

Village Chief Bai replied, "Of course, of course!"

The fact that the other party could buy land with grain was already a huge surprise and delight for them. How could Village Chief Bai possibly push his luck and ask the other party to help transport the grain?

Having been in Jibei Prefecture for a few days, I have a general understanding of the local grain prices. Because of the fact that we are facing the Red Army, the grain prices in Jibei Prefecture are high. If the people of Baijia Village were to transport the grain back to the village on their own, it would inevitably attract envy. Since the other party is giving me a way out, Gu Lin said, "At that time, I will send a few guards to help you transport the grain."

"Thank you, Mr. Gu!"

Village Chief Bai and Bai Laosan expressed their sincere gratitude.

As dusk approached, Gu Lin signed a contract with Village Chief Bai, transferring the land near the river to his name, and then led his men back to the city.

Back at the mansion, Gu Lin sat down to rest for a while before Da Yan entered.

Da Yan approached Gu Lin with an invitation in her hand: "Husband, this is an invitation sent by the wife of Prefect Ren and the wife of General Yu."

Upon hearing the names of the two, Gu Lin's expression shifted, and he reached out to Da Yan: "Bring the invitation over."

After receiving the invitation, Gu Lin looked at it and found that it was from the wife of Prefect Ren and the wife of General Yu, who were hosting an autumn banquet and wanted to invite him to attend.

But······

Gu Lin lowered his head slightly, looking at the names of Prefect Ren's wife and General Yu's wife side by side on the invitation, and felt something was strange.

Generally, when inviting others to a banquet, the invitation will only have the name of the host. It is not uncommon for people to jointly invite others to a banquet, but this is very rare and usually occurs between spouses or close friends.

Seeing that Gu Lin remained silent, Da Yan asked, "Husband, should we reply to the letter?"

Gu Lin shook his head slightly: "Let's talk about it when Lord Zheng returns."

Da Yan understood his meaning and withdrew after seeing that her husband had not given any further instructions.

Setting the invitation aside, Gu Lin shifted his focus and continued working on the white porcelain factory. As dusk settled, footsteps approached from outside.

Thinking it was Da Yan coming in to urge him to have dinner, Gu Lin didn't even look up and said, "You guys eat first, I'll eat after I finish my work."

Zheng Hao said, "Although business is busy, health is the most important thing. Uncle Gu has always advised me not to work so hard that I forget to eat and sleep. How come I forget when it comes to myself?"

Hearing the young man's voice, Gu Lin raised his head and looked around. He then realized that it had gotten dark outside and the candles inside were already lit. He wondered when the servants had come in to add more candles.

After using his eyes for a long time, Gu Lin felt his eyes were sore and tired. He raised his hand to rub them, but the more he rubbed, the more uncomfortable he felt, and hot tears kept flowing out.

The footsteps grew closer, and a refreshing minty scent wafted into Gu Lin's nostrils, invigorating him and clearing his mind from the daytime. Two large, warm hands gently moved away the young man's hands that were rubbing his eyes and covered his eyes with them.

The gentle, soothing pressure massaged the acupoints around the eyes, gradually relaxing the young man's mind and body.

After a moment, Gu Lin came to his senses and realized whose hands were on his eyes. He raised his hand to push them away.

As Zheng Hao shifted the acupoints, he said in a low voice, "This is a massage technique I learned from Doctor Li of Prefect Yue. How does it feel, Uncle Gu?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's heart stirred.

Back when Gu Lin was in Yueming Prefecture, his eyes were always sore from constantly checking account books or reading novels at night. Doctor Li, who often treated him, noticed this and taught him a set of eye massage techniques. Gu Lin found them somewhat similar to eye exercises. He did them for a month at first, but then, due to various reasons, he didn't continue.

Unexpectedly, Zheng Hao learned it from Doctor Li.

Although the other party did not say it explicitly, Gu Lin knew why they were learning the eye massage technique.

His eyelashes trembled slightly, but he pretended not to notice. The two of them were close together in the room, the tall young man behind and the young man in front. They had done things that were even more intimate than this, but one of them was unwilling to break the ice, while the other wanted to but dared not.

After the soreness in his eyes gradually subsided, the young man's warm hands left the young man's face, and Gu Lin's eyes regained their sight.

People outside also brought in food when the opportunity arose. After washing his hands, Zheng Hao and Gu Lin went to the table to eat.

The two tacitly avoided mentioning what had just happened, but perhaps because of yesterday's events, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao, though not speaking, had a more harmonious atmosphere than before.

This harmony was not the close, family-like harmony they had in Yueming Prefecture. Instead, it was more like a couple who had a falling out and finally made up, with their interactions now tinged with a hint of coy reluctance and ambiguity.

A budding romance is brewing between the two. The younger one, though cunning and calculating, is aware of the situation but pretends not to hear. The other, though a few years older, is thick-skinned and appears to firmly reject the advances. However, when the younger man imprisoned him for those few days and he decided to back down, it was destined that the soft-hearted one would inevitably walk into the hunter's cage.

Gu Lin sensed something strange in the room, so he brought up the matter of the post from Bai Ri.

"Are Prefect Ren and General Yu on relatively good terms?"

Prefect Ren was the top official in Jibei Prefecture, and General Yu was the top official in Zhenhong Army. Gu Lin had never dealt with either of them.

Zheng Hao looked up and asked, "What's wrong? Uncle Gu, why are you suddenly asking about this?"

In official matters, unless brought up by oneself, Uncle Gu would usually not inquire, because the other party knew that some things in the court were not to be revealed.

Gu Lin handed the invitation to the other party and said, "This is an invitation from Madam Ren, the wife of Prefect Ren, and Madam Yu, the wife of General Yu. I don't know them. I suppose they sent me the invitation because of you."

"Logically speaking, even if they wanted to invite me, they should have held separate banquets to invite me. Look at the names on the invitations, they are together. That's why I asked you about the relationship between Prefect Ren and General Yu."

Without hiding anything, Zheng Hao said, "Based on what I've learned from my time in the military camp these past few days, unless it's an essential occasion, the generals of the Zhenhong Army and the officials of Jibei Prefecture don't have much contact."

After all, Emperor Jian'an and the powerful families in the capital were worried that high-ranking officials and military generals would collude with each other.

Gu Lin frowned: "Should I go to this autumn banquet?"

Zheng Hao pondered for a moment and said, "I should trouble Uncle Gu to make a trip."

Although, according to his understanding, Prefect Ren and General Yu had no private dealings, it was impossible for their wives to become so close that they would send each other invitations without any reason.

Gu Lin replied without hesitation, "Okay, I'll go check it out."

Zheng Hao shook his head slightly: "Uncle Gu's primary purpose is to attend the banquet and have fun. His secondary purpose is to come back and tell me about the relationship between Prefect Ren's wife and General Yu's wife."

The nature of relationships between men doesn't necessarily depend on whether they interact personally, especially in official circles. Civil officials and generals tacitly avoid private interactions, but their wives and husbands often represent their desire to be on good terms with each other. Therefore, one can often roughly guess the nature of their relationship by observing how their wives and husbands interact.

When attending the autumn banquet, Uncle Gu must not appear too ulterior motive, otherwise it will arouse suspicion. Zheng Hao does not want Uncle Gu to be in danger.

Actually, the best solution would be for Uncle Gu to decline the invitations from Prefect Ren's wife and General Yu's wife under the pretext of illness. However, while this method would be useful in the short term, they would be staying in Jibei Prefecture for a long time and it was uncertain when they would return to the capital. They couldn't keep declining the invitations indefinitely.

Zheng Hao's gaze was dark. The fact that the wives of Prefect Ren and General Yu had invited Uncle Gu was likely because of him.

Because General Yu was unable to ascertain his background during his stay in the military camp these past few days, he sent his wife to investigate. However, since he was unmarried, he could only start with Uncle Gu.

As for what role Prefect Ren played in all of this...

Zheng Hao's eyes grew cold.