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

The village chief said, "Lin, the son of the Zheng family, is now doing business in the county town and needs to purchase a large amount of melons and vegetables. Out of consideration for the fellow villagers, he plans to buy melons and vegetables from everyone in the village. We farmers toil in the fields all year round and barely earn a penny. I thought that Lin's purchase of melons and vegetables was a big deal, so I called you all here to discuss it."

The village chief's words were like a thunderclap in the dead of night.

The dozens of people in the courtyard erupted in commotion, all looking up at the village chief and asking, "Village chief, is what you're saying true?!"

When it comes to making money, everyone gets excited.

Before the village chief spoke of this matter, he had guessed that the crowd's reaction would be quite intense. When he heard Gu Lin's words, it took him a long time to calm his excited emotions. He raised his hand and pressed the crowd down, saying, "Quiet! I'll have Brother Lin talk to you."

At this moment, everyone realized that besides the men, there was another young man present in the courtyard.

After the village chief stepped down, Gu Lin walked to the front of the group.

The sky was dark, and apart from the moonlight and the torches held by the villagers, there was no other light source in the courtyard. Therefore, no one could see Gu Lin's face clearly. The young man's expression appeared unpredictable in the alternation of light and darkness, and the villagers had a vague feeling that the other party was not a young man but a man.

Gu Lin, unaware of the villagers' thoughts, stood before dozens of people, back straight, and addressed them, "Thank you all for coming so late at night. Tonight, I want to discuss a business deal with you. I've set up a small food stall in the county town and have earned some hard-earned money over the past few days. I'm concerned about the villagers' struggles to make a living, and our own vegetables are almost gone, so I'd like to buy some of your produce. Rest assured about the price; I will buy at the usual rate of three coins per two jin (approximately 1 kg), and I will absolutely not cheat you."

"Huh"

Upon hearing the price Gu Lin offered, everyone gasped in surprise. Their eyes lit up as they looked at the young man in front of them and asked, "Brother Lin, what kinds of melons and vegetables are you planning to buy?"

The gaze fell on the young man who had asked the question. He was Zhang Erniu, the village chief's nephew. He asked the question and got to the point that Gu Lin was about to make. Gu Lin readily replied, "Mainly eggplants, cucumbers, radishes and other vegetables."

After Gu Lin finished speaking, everyone became even more excited. They thought Gu Lin was going to collect some rare vegetables, but they didn't expect that they had more than they could eat in their fields. Zhang Erniu was even more astonished. Every household had more eggplants than they could eat, and countless eggs were rotting in the fields. Gu Lin was actually willing to spend three coins to buy them.

Zhang Erniu wasn't the only one with this thought; others thought the same way. They couldn't help but get nervous and asked Gu Lin, "Brother Lin, if the two catties of vegetables I sell to you are all eggplants, will it still cost three copper coins?"

The one asking the question was an old man. Gu Lin's gaze fell on him; the old man's clothes were patched in countless places.

Gu Lin said, "Yes, all the kinds of melons and vegetables I mentioned are three coins for two catties."

"Good, good," the old man repeated excitedly.

Seeing that everyone was talking enthusiastically below and had no further questions, Gu Lin stepped back, while the village chief stepped forward.

He tapped his pipe against the wall, making a soft sound. The crowd in the courtyard gradually quieted down and looked at him. The village chief's gaze fell on the group of villagers in front of him and warned, "Remember, Brother Lin is willing to buy melons and vegetables in Xiahe Village because he cares about our fellow villagers. Don't take advantage of being Brother Lin's elders to do anything dishonest or shady. If any of you offend Brother Lin and cut off other people's income, humph, don't blame me for being ruthless."

This is the harshest thing the village chief has said since taking office.

The men patted their chests and said, "Brother Lin, village chief, don't worry. If anyone is ungrateful and does something like this, you don't need to lift a finger; we'll take care of him ourselves."

Seeing that his warning had achieved the desired effect, the village chief waved his hand and said, "Alright! I've already said what I really wanted to say, so everyone should think it over. Let's all go home tonight, so as not to delay our work in the fields tomorrow."

After everyone gradually dispersed, Gu Lin said to the village chief, "Village chief, let's go back first."

The village chief gave a gentle "hmm," and then, seeing that it wouldn't be safe for him and Zheng Xiaozi, one big and one small, to go back, he said to Gu Lin, "Don't go yet, I'll have Da Niu take you back."

Da Niu, the village chief's eldest son, was taken aback when he heard his father ask him to take Gu Lin and Zheng Hao back. He quickly realized what was happening and said to Gu Lin, "Let's go."

After leaving the village chief's house, Zhang Daniu kept quiet and hurried ahead to avoid suspicion, while Gu Lin and Zheng Hao walked behind.

As Gu Lin walked, he couldn't help but look up at the sky. Unlike the pitch-black night sky of modern times, the ancient night sky was filled with the faint glow of the moon and the twinkling of the stars.

Gu Lin was very happy tonight because his and Zheng Hao's safety was finally guaranteed. He no longer had to worry about being kidnapped by his parents one day.

His sleeve was pulled down, and Gu Lin looked down at Zheng Hao.

The young man's eyes held a hope Zheng Hao had never seen before. He was captivated by the light in Gu Lin's eyes, and after a pause, he reminded him, "Uncle Gu, there are rocks ahead, watch your step."

Gu Lin's gaze fell ahead, and he noticed a large rock on the road a few steps away. If he hadn't noticed it and had walked straight over it, he would have definitely fallen.

So Gu Lin stopped admiring the night view and focused on getting on his way.

For a moment, his attention was drawn to both sides of the road. Compared to the beautiful night sky, the countryside at night was somewhat eerie. Lush jungles and verdant forests rustled in the breeze, and the pale shadows on the ground swayed incessantly. Gu Lin felt as if a tangible ghost would appear before him in the blink of an eye.

However, before he could continue to let his imagination run wild, they returned to the Zheng family's house. He said to Zhang Daniu at the door, "Thank you for taking us home. Are you thirsty? I'll go get you a bowl of water."

"No need." Zhang Daniu shook his head and refused, then turned and left the Zheng family before Gu Lin could react.

Gu Lin immediately understood what the other person meant, and then he was both amused and exasperated. He wanted to bring out water for the other person to drink, not invite them into his home.

However, this also shows that Zhang Daniu really didn't have any bad intentions.

He turned to Zheng Hao and said, "Let's go, I'll go cook some late-night snacks, and then we'll go to sleep."

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao were invited to stay for dinner by the village chief. The village chief's wife was worried that they wouldn't have enough to eat, so she specially cooked some thick porridge.

The amount of thick porridge in a farmer's house is self-evident; it's considered a high standard of hospitality. On ordinary days, unless it's the busy season of farming that requires a lot of physical exertion, everyone just drinks rice water.

Zheng Hao used to live a similar life, but since living with Gu Lin, their family has been eating white rice and flour every day, and meat has never been lacking. So, they only had a bowl of thick porridge for dinner, and both of them were hungry.

.

"Lin-ge'er, you're up so early? Are you going to the county town to do business later?"

Seeing Gu Lin and Zheng Hao come out of their house, the aunt who lived next door to Zheng's house poked her head out of her door and asked.

Since Gu Lin bought the melons and vegetables from Xiahe Village, the villagers have become much more polite to him and Zheng Hao. It's not that the villagers were indifferent and hostile to them in the past, but it's obvious that they have become much more friendly and approachable.

After the death of Hunter Zheng, the villagers of Xiahe Village dared not approach Gu Lin, fearing he would pester them for money or grain. Now things are different. Whenever the aunties and sisters-in-law in the village encounter Gu Lin on the road, they will stop to greet him and chat.

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao put the bamboo baskets at the door of their house, then looked up and started talking to the aunt: "Yes, Auntie, you're up so early too. If you don't sleep a little longer, it's not even dawn yet."

The aunt waved her hand and said, "We farmers don't have the good fortune to sleep in. After breakfast, we'll have to go to the fields to tend to the crops."

At this point, the aunt looked at Gu Lin and sighed, "I have to thank you so much, Brother Lin, for buying our melons and vegetables. Thanks to you this year, we don't have to tighten our belts like we used to. After paying the autumn tax, we don't have to sell grain for money. We can finally have a good New Year this year. On New Year's Eve, my family will send you a portion of our delicious food."

Gu Lin smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, Auntie. Your cooking skills are famous in the village."

Gu Lin's words drew Zheng Hao's attention.

When Gu Lin felt the other person's gaze, his face flushed. He had to admit that he had become much more glib and smooth-talking since he started doing business more than a month ago.

The aunt who was praised by Gu Lin was overjoyed: "You have such a sweet tongue, young man. If Zheng could learn even a fraction of what you have, he wouldn't have to worry about finding a wife in the future."

Gu Lin smiled helplessly: "Thank you for your kind words, thank you for your kind words."

After she finished speaking, the aunt's gaze fell on Zheng Hao. The boy, who used to be a mischievous little monkey, was now dressed properly in a blue robe. His skin, which was originally slightly dark, had become fair. He carried a book box on his back, stood upright, and stared straight ahead without flinching. He really looked a bit like a scholar in a traditional opera.

All these changes were because of the young man in front of him.

The aunt said to Gu Lin, "Lin-ge'er, you are truly the best stepfather in the whole area. Zheng lad has been smart since he was a child. You can expect him to be filial to you in the future."

Gu Lin had heard these kinds of words countless times while doing business in the county town, but to him, Zheng Hao was his own younger brother whom he had raised himself. He had watched the other person change little by little, so he never felt tired of hearing these kinds of words.

After exchanging a few more words with his aunt, Uncle Zhang's oxcart arrived, and Sister-in-law Zhao also came out of her house, picked up a few bamboo baskets from the ground, and put them on Uncle Zhang's oxcart.

Then, after saying goodbye to the aunt, Gu Lin left with Zheng Hao and Zhao's sister-in-law in an oxcart.

On the way, Gu Lin thought about Zheng Hao's gaze earlier and felt that he needed to explain to avoid any misunderstanding. He whispered to Zheng Hao, "Xiao Hao, although the villagers all have their own ulterior motives and may not be very sincere towards us, we should treat them kindly as well since they are friendly to us."

“Of course,” Gu Lin continued, “While we value harmony, it doesn’t mean we have to appease them. If they do something wrong, we don’t have to tolerate it. We are kind to others, but we are not weak and easily bullied.”

Faced with the young man's lecture, Zheng Hao nodded earnestly and said, "I know."

Seeing that the other party had not misunderstood his behavior, Gu Lin breathed a slight sigh of relief. Raising a child is too difficult. Sometimes he was afraid that some of the things he did would set a bad example for the other party.

Upon arriving at the county town gate, Gu Lin paid the town entry fee for the oxcart and then asked Uncle Zhang to help deliver the bamboo basket to the cold dish stall.

After that, Uncle Zhang didn't leave the city. He found a shady spot opposite the cold dish stall, tied up the oxcart there, and rested.

After Zheng Hao helped set up the stall, Gu Lin urged him to go to the academy, and then turned around and got busy.

Since Sister Zhao joined the village and with the continuous supply of melons and vegetables from Xiahe Village, Gu Lin added one hundred tubes of cold dishes, twenty servings of hand-shredded chicken, and cold pig's ears.

Even with the addition of over a hundred cold dishes, the quantity was still like sand falling into the ocean in the face of the vast crowd. In just two hours, the bamboo tubes on the stall were sold out.

Gu Lin didn't pack up immediately. He gestured to Sister Zhao to take out a ceramic pot from behind the stall and light a fire on the stall to heat the pot. Soon, a rich aroma of meat wafted through the street.

At this moment, the customers who hadn't left yet immediately stopped and turned to ask Gu Lin, "Boss, what's in this ceramic jar?"

As they talked, the customers who hadn't bought any cold dishes stared intently at the ceramic jar in front of Gu Lin.

Gu Lin didn't explain immediately. Instead, he picked up a pair of long chopsticks and took out a large piece of fatty and lean, red and oily braised pork from the earthenware jar. Then, he used clean scissors to cut the braised pork into small pieces and put them into the arranged earthenware bowl.

He looked up at the customer and introduced the meat in the ceramic bowl: "This is a new dish made by the stall called braised meat. Please try it."

Even knowing the cold dish stall owner was generous, the customers couldn't help but exclaim in admiration when they saw him pick out palm-sized pieces of meat without batting an eye, then cut them into thumb-sized pieces with scissors for everyone to try.

The rich, slightly spicy aroma of meat wafting from the earthenware pot made the guest's stomach rumble even before he had eaten. He swallowed the saliva that had welled up in his mouth, then forked a piece of braised meat and, unable to resist any longer, bent down and stuffed the whole piece into his mouth.

The customer took a small bite of the braised pork. The meat was a perfect balance of lean and fat, neither greasy nor dry. The lean meat was tender and fragrant, while the fat melted in the mouth. The flavor was rich and enticing, with a perfect balance of saltiness and spiciness. The customer soon felt the aroma of the braised pork filling their mouth.

He swallowed the braised meat and said to Gu Lin, "Boss, your braised meat is so delicious! I've never had it before. How much is it?"

Seeing that the other party accepted the braised meat well, Gu Lin breathed a slight sigh of relief, and then smiled and said, "The braised meat at the stall today is just for tasting; it will only be sold tomorrow."

The customer looked regretful, but immediately perked up when he heard that he could buy it tomorrow and said to Gu Lin, "Boss, I will definitely come to buy it tomorrow. You have to save one for me!"

Gu Lin said, "Don't worry, the first ten customers who sample the food can have a portion reserved for them at the stall for the next ten days. Please come again tomorrow, and the stall will definitely reserve a portion of braised meat for you before closing time."

"Okay." The guest left happily.

Actually, Gu Lin's idea to sell braised food didn't come out suddenly. As early as when he felt the weather gradually getting cooler and no longer as hot as it was a month ago, Gu Lin realized that selling cold dishes was not a long-term solution. After inquiring with Sister Zhao about the snowy and very cold winters in their area, Gu Lin made plans ahead of time.

Holding the wooden box in his arms, Gu Lin calculated the sixty-five taels of silver he had earned in the past month. The spices needed for braised dishes were more than those for cold dishes, and they were several times more expensive. Fortunately, Gu Lin had accumulated some capital by selling cold dishes, enough to buy spices for cooking braised dishes.