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

He turned and gave Zhao's wife a few instructions, then took off his gloves and went to Xu Xiucai and Zheng Hao. He looked at Xu Xiucai and said, "Mr. Xu."

Xu Xiucai nodded, then said to Gu Lin, "I have some things to discuss with you regarding your son."

Looking at Zheng Hao beside Xu Xiucai, and seeing that the other party nodded slightly to him, Gu Lin's heart, which had been half-held in his throat, was slightly relieved. He said, "Mr. Xu, please wait a moment. I'll go and say a few words to my sister-in-law first, and I'll be back in a while."

"Hmm," Xu Xiucai nodded.

Gu Lin quickly walked back to the cold dish stall and said to Sister Zhao, "Sister Zhao, I'll go out for a while. You can just pack up and go back after the braised dishes are sold out."

"Okay, you go ahead and get busy," said Sister Zhao. Business was nearing its end, and there weren't many customers left at her stall. Sister Zhao could manage on her own.

After arranging everything, Gu Lin approached Zheng Hao and Xu Xiucai and said, "Mr. Xu, it's almost lunchtime. Shall we go to the restaurant first and talk while we eat?"

Upon hearing Gu Lin's words, Xu Xiucai's stern face froze slightly. He had come out to see Gu Lin today because of Zheng Hao's matter, and had not intended to eat out.

Moreover, he knew about the Zheng family's situation. The Zheng family relied on the income from their morning cold dish stall to make a living. They worked so hard, how could he let them spend money?

Seeing that Xu Xiucai remained silent, Gu Lin turned his head slightly to look at Zheng Hao.

Just as Xu Xiucai was about to refuse, Zheng Hao spoke up, "Sir, the children's class will begin soon."

Upon hearing Zheng Hao's reminder, Xu Xiucai frowned slightly. The free time at noon was simply too short; even going out to run errands felt rushed.

Gu Lin said, "There are restaurants nearby, and it's very close to Wuliu Academy. After we eat there, it won't delay the teacher from going back to class."

After a moment's thought, Xu Xiucai said, "Then I shall respectfully comply."

On the way to the restaurant, Zheng Hao walked behind Xu Xiucai because Xu Xiucai was with him. Gu Lin couldn't find a chance to speak to him, so he still didn't know why Xu Xiucai had come to see him.

But considering Zheng Hao's calm and composed demeanor, Gu Lin felt that nothing serious should happen.

So he felt relieved and started thinking about which restaurant to go to for dinner.

There were several restaurants in the county town, but he had never been to any of them. After thinking it over, Gu Lin was still afraid of accidentally making a mistake, so he took Xu Xiucai to Fumanlou.

At this moment, the main hall of Fumanlou was full of diners.

Manager Chen, who was behind the counter, had sharp eyes and spotted Gu Lin and his companions as they entered.

The two had just met that morning, but Manager Chen's enthusiasm and smile remained undiminished. He walked around the counter and approached Gu Lin, saying, "Mr. Gu, welcome. What brings you here?"

Gu Lin smiled, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and then introduced Scholar Xu to Manager Chen: "This is Scholar Xu from Wuliu Academy, my son's teacher. Manager Chen, do you have any seats available in the restaurant?"

Manager Chen had long heard that Gu Lin had sent his son to a private school, the most famous one in the county, the Wuliu Private School. Manager Chen had also wanted to send his son there, but was refused by Scholar Xu.

He pointed to the second floor and said, "There's a private room upstairs. Would you like it, Mr. Gu?"

Before Gu Lin could respond, Xu Xiucai, who was behind him, frowned after hearing what Manager Chen said.

Having been in this world for over a month, Gu Lin was already familiar with certain rules. Even though he, a young man, brought his child to meet the teacher, to outsiders, it appeared that he and Xu Xiucai were alone in a private room.

He shook his head slightly and said to Manager Chen, "No need for such trouble, just find us a seat in the main hall."

Manager Chen said, "Alright, there happens to be a quiet table by the window. I'll have the waiter lead you there."

"Then thank you very much, Manager Chen," Gu Lin said.

The waiter who was wiping the table in the distance was called over by Manager Chen, who then led Gu Lin and the other two to an empty table by the window.

The three men sat down one by one, and the waiter bowed slightly and asked, "Sir, what would you like to eat?"

Gu Lin looked at Xu Xiucai and asked, "What would you like to eat, Mr. Xu?"

Whether out of courtesy or because the other party was Zheng Hao's teacher, Gu Lin had to ask Xu Xiucai's opinion first.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Xiucai said, "A light diet is fine."

Gu Lin nodded in agreement, then turned to Zheng Hao and asked, "Where's Xiao Hao?"

Zheng Hao replied as always, "Uncle Gu, please keep an eye on things. I'm fine with anything."

So, following Xu Xiucai's request for light dishes and based on his understanding of Zheng Hao's tastes, Gu Lin finally ordered steamed fish, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, deep-fried river shrimp, Dongpo pork knuckle, crispy roast duck, and mushroom and chicken soup.

After the waiter left, Zheng Hao got up, picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea for Xu Xiucai and Gu Lin respectively, and then sat back down in his original seat.

Unlike when doing business, where he had to be patient and not let his opponent see his true thoughts, Gu Lin asked Xu Xiucai in a more "tactful" way: "Mr. Xu, may I ask what brings you here today with my son?"

Hearing the young man before him speak so bluntly and without any tact, Xu Xiucai shook his head inwardly. Luckily, he had discovered Zheng Hao's potential early on; otherwise, the young man would have been wasted.

However, when he thought of how Gu Lin had single-handedly sent Zheng Hao to the academy, Xu Xiucai felt that ignorance was no excuse and asked, "Does Mr. Gu know about his son's performance at the academy?"

Gu Lin was all too familiar with this kind of question. Even though he knew Zheng Hao wouldn't cause trouble at the academy, his heart still skipped a beat.

He carefully chose his words, saying, "Although I don't know Xiao Hao's specific performance at the academy, he has always been sensible and reasonable, and he studies diligently at home without the slightest laziness."

Gu Lin did not shower Zheng Hao with praise, but instead selectively mentioned the other party's reasonable and well-founded points.

Xu Xiucai glanced at the boy beside him, and thinking about the boy's performance at the academy over the past month, a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes: "If you don't work hard when you're young, you'll regret it when you're old. It's good that Zheng Hao has such a diligent and studious heart."

Then, he turned to look at Gu Lin, his expression becoming serious, and said, "Gu husband, your son's studies at the academy are progressing by leaps and bounds. He finished all the primers in just one month. The primer class is no longer suitable for him."

Gu Lin had already found out how many primers there were from the bookstore owner. On the day Zheng Hao successfully enrolled in Wuliu Academy, Gu Lin took Zheng Hao to buy more than a dozen primers according to the list of books provided by the academy. Even the most ordinary person would need several years to finish reading all these books, but Zheng Hao actually finished all the books in just one month.

Gu Lin's expression showed a hint of disbelief. He turned to Zheng Hao and asked, "Xiao Hao, have you really finished learning everything?"

Gu Lin was a child prodigy in school. He could memorize an article in three or four minutes while others took half an hour to do so. However, this was only his memorization ability; his comprehension of the article took about the same amount of time as his classmates.

However, he wouldn't compare Zheng Hao to himself. Judging from the fact that Xu Xiucai personally visited him, it was clear that the other party valued Zheng Hao highly. Why would a scholar suddenly value a student who had only recently enrolled? Unless the student possessed extraordinary talent that attracted him, and this so-called extraordinary talent was not only able to memorize all the books in a month, but also understand the meaning of the texts he memorized.

Therefore, Zheng Hao is the latter.

Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, it is indeed as you said, sir."

Looking at Zheng Hao's young yet sculpted features, and thinking of his innate immense strength, Gu Lin realized he had made another basic mistake.

He quickly recognized Zheng Hao's exceptional abilities and looked into the other's eyes, asking, "Xiao Hao, do you want to continue your studies?"

Upon hearing Gu Lin's question, Xu Xiucai not only frowned, but his entire face showed displeasure.

What did Gu Fulang mean by that? Did he agree to Zheng Hao's statement that he didn't want to continue his studies?

Xu Xiucai thought it was absurd, but before he could speak, Zheng Hao said earnestly to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, I want to continue my studies."

Actually, Zheng Hao wanted to say that he not only wanted to advance in his studies but also to take the imperial examinations. Ever since Gu's parents tried to kidnap Gu Lin by appealing to filial piety, Zheng Hao had felt extremely insecure.

He thought that whether it was people in the county or villagers, they were all afraid of the yamen runners, and the yamen runners were afraid of the county magistrate. If he passed the imperial examination and became an official in the future, would no one dare to take Uncle Gu away from him?

"it is good!"

Gu Lin was unaware of Zheng Hao's thoughts. He believed that if a child loved reading, they should read, and as parents, they should give their full support.

Looking at the composed and well-behaved child in front of him, Gu Lin couldn't help but recall the words he had asked the child a month ago if he wanted to study, and the child had refused on the grounds that he wanted to become a bodyguard.

Now, only a month later, the other party has changed. The fierceness in Zheng Hao's eyes and brows has gradually faded, and his expression has become more and more determined, just like a floating duckweed that has finally found its destination.

Seeing the Zheng father and son make an unusually quick decision in front of him, Xu Xiucai withdrew his long speech that he had prepared beforehand.

So be it. As long as the Zheng family father and son can make the right decision, it doesn't matter if the process is a bit unbelievable.

It has to be said that Fu Man Lou seemed to be able to read people's expressions. After Gu Lin and the other two had finished discussing the matter, the food was immediately served.

Gu Lin knew that ancient scholars had many rules of etiquette, such as not speaking while eating or sleeping, which had to be strictly observed. So, apart from warmly greeting Xu Xiucai when the food was first served, the three of them ate their own food in silence.

After finishing their meal, since they had already discussed Zheng Hao's college entrance exam, the three of them didn't linger. Gu Lin got up and went to the counter to pay the bill.

Xu Xiucai's hand also reached for the edge of the purse, but he wasn't as fast as Gu Lin.

As early as when the other party brought him to Fumanlou, Xu Xiucai was prepared to pay the bill himself. Fumanlou was the number one restaurant in the county, and its high prices were daunting to ordinary people. Even though the manager of Fumanlou seemed friendly to Gu Lin, Xu Xiucai was standing a few steps away at the time, so he did not hear the conversation between Gu Lin and Manager Chen.

Therefore, he felt that the manager of Fumanlou was just being friendly in business, and that if Gu Lin were to buy on credit, he would likely turn on him. Xu Xiucai was prepared to make up the difference in the amount owed.

Unexpectedly, when Manager Chen saw Gu Lin and his group arrive, he saw the young man in front of him reach for his money to pay the bill and refused, saying, "The young master instructed me long ago that you don't need to pay for meals at the restaurant. Last time, when he found out that I had taken your money, he scolded me severely."

Manager Chen is a veteran of Fumanlou Restaurant. When Gu Lin discussed the sale of the cold dish recipe with Fang Jiyue last time, he could tell that Fang Jiyue valued Manager Chen highly. How could he possibly let an outsider's words upset the old man?

Gu Lin didn't like owing people money, so he said to Manager Chen, "One thing at a time. If you don't take the money, I won't dare to come back."

Manager Chen's face, which had been smiling like a Maitreya Buddha, suddenly crumpled up as he said, "Boss Gu, please don't make things difficult for me."

Seeing that the young man in front of him was still unwilling to accept, Manager Chen had no choice but to say, "How about this, our young master just arrived in the county town yesterday, and he happens to be free this afternoon. You two can talk it over then."

Gu Lin raised an eyebrow. The other party had said Fang Jiyue was in the prefectural city this morning, how come he's in the county town in the blink of an eye?

Manager Chen explained helplessly, "I only just found out that the young master is coming."

Gu Lin remained noncommittal, but seeing that the other party was genuinely troubled and didn't seem to be putting on an act, he said, "Alright then."

Watching Gu Lin and the other two turn and leave Fumanlou, Manager Chen couldn't help but shake his head.

This guy is really stubborn; let the young master handle it himself.

After leaving Fumanlou, Wuliu Academy was nearby. Mr. Xu and Zheng Hao went straight back to the academy, while Gu Lin said goodbye to them and returned to the cold dish stall.

The cold dish stall had just been cleaned up when Gu Lin handed the food he had packed from Fumanlou to Sister Zhao: "Sister Zhao, Xiao Hao has to go to class this afternoon, so I have to wait for him in the county town. You should go back first."

"Okay," said Sister Zhao.

Zhao Dagen's injuries have not yet fully healed, and Zhao's wife is worried about leaving home for an extended period. So Gu Lin first helped Zhao's wife carry the bamboo baskets out of the county town, then put all the baskets on Uncle Zhang's oxcart, and gave Uncle Zhang two coins, saying, "Uncle Zhang, when you return to Xiahe Village, please drive the oxcart to Zhao's wife's house."

Uncle Zhang accepted the copper coins and said, "Okay."

After seeing Zhao's wife off, Gu Lin returned to the county town.

Normally, after he finished selling his cold dishes and braised pork, Zheng Hao would be off school, and they could go back to Xiahe Village. But now Zheng Hao also has to go to school in the afternoon, so Gu Lin can't leave.

Instead of resting at a teahouse or inn, he turned around and went to a real estate agency to look at houses.

Gu Lin had been considering moving from Xiahe Village to the county town for some time.

Every day before dawn, he would take an oxcart from Xiahe Village to the county town to sell cold dishes. It was very hard and tiring. He could make a quick buck in the short term, but his body would definitely not be able to keep up in the long run. If he had a shop in the county town, the situation would be different. In addition, Zheng Hao now spends all day studying at the academy, so Gu Lin felt that moving to the county town was an urgent matter.

Moreover, he has recently made a lot of money, and although he still can't afford to buy a house in the county, he can rent one!

As Gu Lin entered the brokerage, a man with a black mole near his mouth greeted him and introduced himself, saying, "Greetings, sir. My surname is Ye, but you can call me Ye San. May I ask how you should address me, sir? What brings you here?"

Gu Lin said, "My surname is Gu, and I would like to rent a house with a shop in the county town."

Ye San's eyes darted around as he smiled and said, "Then I'll call you Mr. Gu." He continued, "I have several houses with shops here. I wonder what specific requirements Mr. Gu has, such as the size of the houses or which street the shops should be located on?"

After hearing the question, Gu Lin pondered for a moment and said, "The house doesn't need to be too big, and neither does the shop. It's best if it's located in a place with a lot of foot traffic."

"Alright." Although the man in front of him wasn't here to buy a house, how many people could afford to buy a house in the county town? If the other party could rent a good house, it would be a good deal for Ye San.

Ye San smiled and said, "I have three houses here that you want, all not far from the brokerage firm. Let me show you."

"it is good."

Gu Lin followed Ye San out of the brokerage.