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

Day two.

morning.

Before leaving for Wuliu Academy, Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, can we go look at the house after I get back at noon?"

Gu Lin frowned slightly. The students at Wuliu Academy had an exceptionally short rest time at noon. Zheng Hao didn't even have enough time to close his eyes and rest after lunch, so how could he possibly be out looking for houses with him?

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly and said, "I want to go with Uncle Gu to see where we will be living in the future."

Seeing the unusually dejected look on the young man's face, Gu Lin felt a pang of pity and agreed, "Alright."

Zheng Hao looked up at Gu Lin, his usually stern lips curving slightly upwards: "Thank you, Uncle Gu."

Seeing the rare smile on the other person's face, Gu Lin shook his head slightly and smiled helplessly at him, "Go to the academy quickly."

After Zheng Hao left, Gu Lin returned to the cold dish stall and busied himself with Sister Zhao. Customers were as numerous as ever. Because Sister Zhao was becoming more skilled at making cold dishes, and Xiahe Village provided plenty of vegetables, Gu Lin added another hundred tubes of cold dishes. They didn't sell out of cold dishes and braised food until noon when Zheng Hao finished school.

Zheng Hao put down his book box and went over to help Gu Lin and Aunt Zhao tidy up the stall. Seeing that Gu Lin's wrist was rubbed red and scraped by something, Zheng Hao took the rag from Gu Lin's hand and said, "Uncle Gu, you go and rest for a while. Aunt Zhao and I will tidy up the stall together."

Perhaps it was because he had been bending over to wash pig offal for the past two days, but Gu Lin's back was always sore. Now that Zheng Hao was helping him, he didn't stand on ceremony and said, "There are some empty bamboo tubes left behind the stall. You can clean them up and put them in the bamboo basket."

"it is good."

Zheng Hao responded, and then, with a nimble hand and foot that was completely out of character for his scholarly attire, he tidied up the various messy items on the stall.

Then, he turned to Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, I'm all packed."

"Okay." Gu Lin nodded, then said to Zheng Hao, "Let's go eat first, and then I'll take you to see the house and the shop later."

“Okay,” Zheng Hao said.

Gu Lin didn't take Zheng Hao and Zhao's wife to Fu Man Lou or any other restaurants. Instead, they turned onto a street and came to a small stall selling wontons.

The wonton stall was run by a middle-aged couple. There were only three or four small wooden tables in front of the stall. Although the stall was small, the tables were visibly clean. Gu Lin and Zheng Hao had eaten here several times before.

Gu Lin said to the owner of the wonton stall, "Boss lady, seven bowls of fresh pork wontons, please."

"Alright!" the proprietress replied, then turned to the man behind the iron pot who was wrapping wontons and said, "Boss, seven bowls of fresh pork wontons!"

Faced with Gu Lin's extravagant spending, Zhao's wife's expression went blank for a moment. When she realized that he had ordered seven bowls of wontons in one go, her heart skipped a beat.

"Brother Lin, are you sure you can finish eating all these wontons?"

Gu Lin glanced at Zheng Hao and then smiled at Sister Zhao, saying, "Don't worry, Sister Zhao, we can definitely finish it."

After saying that, he picked up the tea on the table, poured a bowl for each of Zheng Hao and Zhao's wife, and then poured himself a bowl to drink. His brows furrowed slightly before relaxing. The tea tasted sweet and refreshing.

Just then, the owner of the wonton stall came over with a plate of cooked wontons.

The wontons were placed in front of the three people, and the proprietress said, "Please enjoy your meal, guests."

Just as the other party was about to turn and leave, Gu Lin asked, "Madam, what kind of tea is brewing in this teapot?"

Upon hearing Gu Lin's question, the proprietress couldn't help but laugh. Gu Lin found this strange, and the proprietress gradually stopped laughing, saying, "My husband is joking. Tea is such a precious thing; how could we afford it? This tea is brewed by my husband and me using flowers and herbs we picked from the mountain. We usually brew it at home and find it tastes good, so we brew it for our guests to have a sweeter taste."

Gu Lin took another sip of the tea in the bowl. It was sweet and refreshing. Something flashed through his mind, but since he hadn't seen the actual thing, he couldn't be sure. He said to the proprietress, "Proprietress, I think your tea is very delicious. My child doesn't like to drink water, but your tea is sweet, so he should like it. I wonder if you could sell me some flowers and herbs?"

The proprietress looked troubled and said, "We've used up all the flowers and herbs on the stall. If you want some, we'll have more tomorrow."

Seeing the proprietress's hesitant and troubled expression, Gu Lin assumed she was unwilling to refuse. However, realizing that she didn't mean it that way, he said, "It's alright, I'll come again tomorrow. Thank you for your help, proprietress."

The proprietress waved her hand. Gu Lin was good-looking and often patronized her business. Although she didn't say it, she remembered and said, "I have plenty of these at home, so it's no trouble. I'll bring you one tomorrow."

Gu Lin thanked him again.

After the proprietress left, Gu Lin pondered what kind of food he could make if the flowers and plants were indeed what he wanted.

Zheng Hao suddenly spoke up: "Does Uncle Gu know any other children?"

Gu Lin was initially lost in thought and hadn't quite processed what was going on. After going through the other person's words in his mind, Gu Lin belatedly turned to look at Zheng Hao, only to see that the other person's expression was serious and resolute, as if he were seeking an answer from him.

Gu Lin immediately realized that the boy in front of him was jealous.

He felt a bit curious and pointed a finger at Zheng Hao's brow, saying, "Besides you, do I know any other children in the family? And, am I wrong about you? Every time you go into the study, you stay there all night without coming out to drink water or go to the toilet. I've said it several times: studying is important, but you can't neglect your health."

Gu Lin expressed his admiration for Zheng Hao's focused and undistracted attitude when he was reading, but also worried that the other party was too extreme.

Normally, a person should drink water, eat something, and rest after studying for an hour, but Zheng Hao didn't eat anything, and he didn't even go to the toilet many times.

If this continues, it won't be a good thing.

Upon learning that the child Gu Lin was referring to was none other than himself, Zheng Hao couldn't muster any anger, even when being reprimanded by the other party.

He unusually meekly said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, I was wrong. I will change in the future."

"That's pretty much it."

Gu Lin said to Zheng Hao in a serious tone, "To know one's mistakes and correct them is of utmost importance."

"Pfft."

Before Gu Lin could continue lecturing Zheng Hao with the air of an elder, Aunt Zhao couldn't help but burst out laughing, saying, "You and your son are really..."

She shook her head, unsure of what words to use to describe Lin Ge'er and Zheng Xiaozi. Although they were clearly father and son, they didn't act like father and son at all when they were together.

How could a father be so lacking in authority, disciplining his child with a complaining tone? But looking at the young and delicate face of the boy in front of her, Zhao's wife suddenly realized that Lin Ge'er was only eight years older than Zheng Xiaozi. In other families, that would be considered brothers!

Gu Lin was quite pleased to see that Zheng Hao had listened to him, and even his appetite improved. After eating two bowls of wontons, his once flat stomach bulged out.

After putting down his empty bowl, Gu Lin rubbed his stomach. After Zheng Hao and Sister-in-law Zhao finished eating, he paid the bill and first accompanied Sister-in-law Zhao out of the city to get on the bus with Zheng Hao. Then they went back to the city and headed straight for the brokerage firm.

Ye San was dozing off when he opened his eyes and saw Gu Lin walk in: "Husband Gu, you've finally arrived!"

Gu Lin said to Ye San, "Take us to see the first and third houses from yesterday."

"okay."

When Gu Lin came in, Ye San subconsciously looked at him. Only after hearing him say "we" did he notice the teenager next to him.

Following yesterday's route, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao followed Ye San to the first house. As Zheng Hao looked at the house, he listened to Gu Lin explain what he knew about it.

After walking through every corner of the house, Zheng Hao turned to Ye San and said, "Please lead the way to the next place."

"Okay," Ye San replied absentmindedly.

What kind of scene did he witness? It's one thing for an adult to bring a child when looking at houses, but what's even more outrageous is that they're asking the other party to use it as a reference. Surely he won't be unable to rent out a single house today.

With a heavy heart, Ye San led the two children behind him to the third house.

After repeating the actions of inspecting the first house, Zheng Hao looked up at Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, I have something to say to you."

Gu Lin immediately understood and turned to Ye San, saying, "Let me discuss it with my family first, and I'll give you the result later."

Ye San readily agreed: "Okay."

Then he walked a few feet away.

After the person had walked away, Zheng Hao looked at Gu Lin and asked, "Uncle Gu, which house do you want to rent?"

Gu Lin pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, I want to rent the first one."

"The first house is just the right size, perfect for the two of us, and the shop in front is also large, located in the center of the county town, so we don't have to worry about business. But..."

In the end, Gu Lin looked conflicted.

The preface mentioned that a family died in the first house, and everyone who rented the house afterwards met a bad end. Gu Lin didn't believe in ghosts or gods, but he was afraid of people's hearts. He felt that this house must have been targeted by someone with ulterior motives. Moreover, the cause of death of the family that sold sesame cakes was still unclear. Many murderers have the habit of returning to the scene of the crime. Therefore, Gu Lin dared not gamble with his and Zheng Hao's lives.

Looking at Gu Lin's expression, Zheng Hao guessed that the other party was somewhat averse to the fact that someone had died in the first house, so he said, "Actually, the third house is much better than the first house."

Gu Lin nodded and said, "It's good, but its houses and shops are too big. It wouldn't be cost-effective for us to rent them."

Although he sells food, he has no plans to open a restaurant.

Zheng Hao looked into Gu Lin's eyes and said, "Although the third house is large, Aunt Zhao and her family will inevitably travel to and from the county town, so having more rooms will make it easier for them to stay. As for the shop, although it looks big, if we set aside a section as a kitchen, there isn't much spare space. So, of the three houses, only the third house and the shop are the most cost-effective for us."

"Moreover, if Uncle Gu feels that renting is a bad deal, why not buy a house instead? We wanted to rent houses and shops before because we didn't have enough money. Now that we have the money, we can just buy them directly."

Zheng Hao's words were a revelation to Gu Lin. Although he was more mature and composed than most of his peers, he still had the mindset of an ordinary student. So even though he had just received a share of the cold dish profits, he had not thought of using the money to buy a house or a shop.

Gu Lin gave Zheng Hao a thumbs up with sparkling eyes: "Xiao Hao, you're so smart."

Looking at Gu Lin, who was sincerely praising him, Zheng Hao said earnestly, "Uncle Gu just hasn't thought of it yet. He will make the right choice in a few days."

Gu Lin did not refute Zheng Hao's words. He knew that he was just being stubborn for a moment, and that he would gradually understand in a few days.

Gu Lin patted Zheng Hao on the shoulder and said, "It's a good thing I brought you here."

After deciding to buy the house and the shop, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao headed towards Ye San.

Gu Lin said to Ye San, "We've made up our minds. We want to buy the third house and shop."

"Buy a house and a shop?!"

Ye San was surprised and looked puzzled. Wasn't the other party renting a house? How did it suddenly become buying a house?

And when they buy, they always buy the most expensive one.

Gu Lin continued to Ye San, "Could you please act as a middleman for me and let me have a proper talk with the owner of this house? The price is negotiable."

Although the owner of this house did not say he wanted to sell the house and shop, since he wanted to leave his hometown with his son, he could probably buy them after some negotiation.

"Is the price really negotiable?"

Upon hearing the other party's words, Ye San, who had been shocked, immediately came to his senses. Looking at the young man in front of him, he still couldn't believe that the other party was a person who had been hiding his true abilities.

Gu Lin's ears twitched upon hearing Ye San's question.

He asked Ye San calmly, "Is the owner of the house willing to sell? Do you know how much it will cost?"

Ye San smiled, the black mole at the corner of his mouth twitching a few times, and said, "The homeowner originally asked me to sell the house and shop, but because the price was too high, many people couldn't afford it, so I had to turn it into a rental. Now that I've found a buyer, it's all the better."

“I’m not lying to you. You’ve seen the materials used in this house, and the shop in front is spacious and bright. It should cost at least this much,” Ye San said, gesturing with his hand.

"One hundred and fifty taels?" Gu Lin asked, looking at the number the other party had shown. After the other party nodded, he pondered for a moment.

Ye San remained calm, but couldn't help licking his dry lips. One hundred and fifty taels was a bit high; one hundred and forty taels would have been enough. However, the homeowner insisted on one hundred and fifty taels, refusing to sell otherwise, leaving Ye San with no choice but to accept the price.

Based on the approximate prices of houses in the county town that he had learned from Manager Chen, Gu Lin estimated that the house and shop together would cost about 140 taels. However, although 150 taels was a bit high, he couldn't keep all the good things for himself. The extra 10 taels wouldn't make him rich, but it would help the deal proceed smoothly with fewer problems, so Gu Lin felt it was worth it.

He nodded and said, "Okay, one hundred and fifty taels it is."

Ye San's mouth opened slightly. He had thought he would have to haggle with the man in front of him for several days, but he didn't expect the other party to make the decision without even trying.

Ye San had been a prominent figure in the county's brokerage business for many years, and he knew every household in the county by name. But strangely, he had no recollection of the young man before him. Could he be the newlywed husband of some wealthy merchant's son?

He spoke with more respect, "Gu Fulang, please come with me. I will take you to meet with the homeowner."

Following the other party, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao met with the homeowner. After a brief conversation, seeing that there were no problems, they immediately signed the papers and paid the money.

After seeing that the young man in front of him had indeed handed over 150 taels to the seller, Ye San was completely convinced.

He was someone who could afford to buy a house, why didn't he say so sooner!

After paying the commission to Ye San, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao left the brokerage.

They returned to the house they had just bought, and Gu Lin could no longer hide his excitement. He said to Zheng Hao, "Xiao Hao, we finally have a house in the county town!"

"Ah."

Zheng Hao was also very happy and said to Gu Lin, "It's all thanks to Uncle Gu."

Looking at the property deed in his hand, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao's names stood out prominently. Gu Lin smiled happily and said, "After we've finished tidying up the house, we'll immediately host a banquet and invite Sister Zhao's family over for dinner."

Watching Gu Lin mutter to himself as he meticulously planned, Zheng Hao chimed in, "Okay."

The two had spent a lot of time buying the house, and now it was not long before class at Wuliu Academy. Zheng Hao picked up his book box and left the house.

Gu Lin also went to the shop in front, roughly measured its length, width and height, and then thought about how to renovate and modify it according to its original structure.