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

Gu Lin took his hand and pushed through the crowd to walk further inside.

Zheng Hao, whose hand was being held by Gu Lin, was stiff all over, felt extremely nauseous, and his stomach was churning as he was about to vomit.

Although Gu Lin sensed the other person's rejection, he dared not loosen his grip, fearing that if he let go, the other person would be pushed away by the crowd and disappear.

As Gu Lin walked, he gradually began to pay attention to the stalls lining both sides of the street. Different stalls displayed different things: some sold vegetables, some dough figurines, some maltose, and others food. Gu Lin noticed that there were quite a few people buying food; several noodle stalls he passed were packed with people. Although it was the early morning market, this also reflected the purchasing power of the county's residents.

Gu Lin's ideas became increasingly mature.

Seeing that most of the time had passed and it was almost noon, he pulled Zheng Hao, who hadn't said a word or wandered off the whole time, to a small stall selling steamed buns and said, "Boss, four meat buns."

The shopkeeper wrapped up four meat buns and handed them over, saying, "Enjoy your meal, sir. It will cost eight coins in total."

Gu Lin paid the money, took the steamed buns, and then gave two to Zheng Hao, saying, "Eat up, you must be hungry after walking all morning."

Zheng Hao didn't immediately take the steamed bun. He looked up at the boy who was much taller than him. All the way here, he had been waiting for the other to find an opportunity to abandon him and run away. He had also prepared a plan to ruin the other's reputation. But he didn't expect that Gu Lin had been holding his hand tightly all the way and had never let go.

Now they're even buying him meat buns; Zheng Hao can't quite understand the person in front of him.

Gu Lin opened his mouth and bit into the bun. He had been eating nothing but bland food for the past two days. Even if the porridge was thick, it was still dry without any oil. Now, as soon as he tasted meat, the rich and juicy aroma of the meat danced wildly on his taste buds.

After swallowing the bun in his mouth, he saw that Zheng Hao hadn't taken it yet and said, "It'll get cold if you don't eat it soon."

Zheng Hao took the bun and bit into it. His stomach, which hadn't tasted meat in a long time, was extremely hungry for it. He watched Gu Lin eat more and more fiercely, like a wild beast tearing apart its prey. In no time, the meat bun was gone.

Gu Lin turned around and bought two more.

Zheng Hao looked away, but Gu Lin placed the steamed buns in front of him and said, "I forgot you're still growing. Two shouldn't be enough for you. Eat them."

Gu Lin only bought two steamed buns for Zheng Hao, not to save money, but because he was really full. The two meat buns were about the size of a human fist, and the meat filling was very oily. Gu Lin felt full and greasy after eating two.

This time, Zheng Hao didn't hesitate and took it directly.

After Zheng Hao finished eating the last two buns, Gu Lin saw that he seemed full, so he took him to the grain and oil shop.

Upon entering the grain and oil shop, Gu Lin did not see any other customers, but the shopkeeper was standing behind the counter.

The shopkeeper looked up and saw a young man and a child. Although the two were dressed plainly, the shopkeeper did not discriminate based on their appearance. He stepped forward and asked, "What would you like to buy, young man?"

Before the shopkeeper came to greet him, Gu Lin glanced at the prices of most of the items sold in the shop and was shocked by the exorbitant prices of rice and flour. No wonder the Zheng family only had millet; ordinary people simply couldn't afford rice and flour.

What Gu Lin didn't know was that millet was already the best food for ordinary families. Most people usually ate food made from millet and the husks of various crops ground together, which had a rough texture, scratched the throat, and was difficult to digest.

Gu Lin pointed to the millet beside him and said, "Give me a bushel of millet."

Anyway, he can't afford rice and flour now. A dou of millet, which weighs 15 jin, costs only 45 wen, but rice and flour cost several times that amount.

"Alright." The shopkeeper picked up the measuring tools to measure the millet.

Gu Lin looked around and then asked, "Shopkeeper, do you sell Sichuan peppercorns here?"

The shopkeeper was clearly taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and said, "Young master, you mean pepper? If so, I have some for sale here. I'll show it to you after I've measured the rice."

After measuring the millet with a rice measure and pouring it into a bamboo basket, the shopkeeper went behind the counter and took out a wooden box.

"This is the peppercorn. Take a look and see if it's the Sichuan peppercorn you were talking about," the shopkeeper said, opening the box to show Gu Lin.

Gu Lin looked at them and confirmed they were indeed the Sichuan peppercorns he wanted. He asked, "How much do these Sichuan peppercorns cost?"

The shopkeeper held up one finger and said, "One tael of pepper costs one hundred coins."

Gu Lin took a deep breath. Before buying the peppercorns, he had guessed that seasonings like peppercorns would be very expensive in ancient times, but he did not expect them to be this expensive.

The shopkeeper continued, "These peppers come from the south. Because of the long journey and their use as medicine and spices, they are very precious and therefore a bit pricey. But don't worry, young man, that I'm trying to rip you off by raising the price. These peppers are good stuff and definitely worth the price."

Gu Lin naturally understood the value of Sichuan peppercorns.

Although it is expensive, you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. The success of the business depends heavily on the peppercorns. Gu Lin suppressed his heartache and said, "Give me six ounces."

In just a short time, Gu Lin spent several hundred coins at the grain and oil shop, and now he only had a little over twenty copper coins left in his purse.

His heart was clenching, as if a piece of his flesh was being cut, but when he turned his head and met Zheng Hao's incredulous gaze, he inexplicably felt a little better.

This was the first time Gu Lin had seen Zheng Hao show any emotion other than hatred and mockery in front of him. He said in a low voice, "I'll explain to you when we get home."

Zheng Hao remained silent.

He felt that Gu Lin was hopeless. He used to spend money lavishly, but now he was so arrogant that he spent the equivalent of a family of four's monthly living expenses without batting an eye.

Unsure of Zheng Hao's thoughts, Gu Lin picked up the bamboo basket containing millet and Sichuan peppercorns, then led Zheng Hao out of the city. Just outside the city gate, Gu Lin saw Uncle Zhang Er with his oxcart, hiding in the shade of a tree not far away.

Gu Lin walked over and saw that everyone else had arrived. He said somewhat apologetically, "There were too many people earlier, and I couldn't get out for a while. I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting."

Just as Brother Wang was about to speak, Uncle Zhang waved his hand and said, "It's not noon yet, hurry up and get in the car."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin smiled and thanked him before getting into the car. When Wang Ge'er saw the other man smiling so broadly, he became even angrier, but fearing criticism from others, he ultimately held back and remained silent.

Gu Lin naturally noticed Wang Ge'er's unpleasant expression, but he ignored him and instead chatted with the others in the car.

Upon returning to Xiahe Village, everyone disembarked at the village entrance. Gu Lin took out copper coins from his purse, handed them to Uncle Zhang, and left without waiting for his reaction.

Uncle Zhang looked at the four coins in his hand and wanted to call out to the other party, but the man and woman in the carriage had not left. If he specifically called out to Gu Lin to take back two coins, he was afraid that bad things would happen.

Finally, he put away the copper coins.

After returning home, Gu Lin put his things in the woodshed and went to find Zheng Hao, saying, "We don't have much money left at home, so I'm planning to start a small business to make some money. Although it won't make us a fortune, it will at least be enough to support the two of us. The peppercorns I bought this morning were expensive, but they were key to making money. I really didn't waste any money."

Gu Lin lowered his head slightly and explained earnestly to Zheng Hao.

The money belonged to the Zheng family. It was indeed somewhat unethical for Gu Lin to use it without consulting Zheng Hao beforehand, but given the threat of starvation, Gu Lin couldn't possibly persuade Zheng Hao to accept it gradually.

Zheng Hao looked at him and said, "You've already made your decision, so it doesn't matter whether you tell me or not."

The other person was unusually calm, but Gu Lin felt a warning bell ring in his mind. He immediately said seriously, "I'm sorry I didn't discuss this with you before making the decision, but I absolutely did not intend to hide it from you. Besides, this is your home, and I am your... relative. We are family, and you have the right to know if I do anything that affects this family."

Zheng Hao's body stiffened slightly.

Gu Lin looked at him and continued, "I hope that in the future you can speak your mind directly. We are family and should communicate more."

After saying so much, seeing the stunned expression on Zheng Hao's face, Gu Lin left the house, giving the other party space to think.

Zheng Hao stared at the closed door, his gaze lingering long after Gu Lin had left, the words Gu Lin had just spoken echoing in his mind.

Relatives...family?

As Zheng Hao recalled the events of the day, he felt for the first time that he was at a disadvantage when facing Gu Lin.

There were just too many unexpected things today. The other party's behavior always surprised him, and he seemed unable to predict Gu Lin's next move anymore.

After leaving Zheng Hao's room, Gu Lin hadn't even returned to his own room when there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

Gu Lin went to open the door and saw a woman who looked somewhat familiar standing there, but he couldn't remember who she was until she spoke.

The woman was the one who had comforted Liu Sanlai after he was forced to kneel on the ground that day.

Sister Zhao said to the boy in front of her, "We just picked some fresh vegetables at home. I brought them over for you and Zheng to try."

Gu Lin was caught off guard when the other person stuffed his arms full of food into his hands.

Sister-in-law Zhao, being a straightforward and generous person, said, "If you think it's delicious, just tell me. There are plenty more in the field."

Seeing that Gu Lin seemed about to refuse, Aunt Zhao immediately said, "We're neighbors, it's just a few vegetables, you can't say no."

The words of polite refusal stuck in Gu Lin's throat, but he felt too embarrassed to accept the other person's food for free.

A thought suddenly struck him, and he looked at Sister Zhao and asked, "Sister Zhao, I remember your son is a carpenter. Can he make bamboo tubes?"

Zhao's wife waved her hand and said, "He's hardly a carpenter. He didn't even have a proper apprenticeship. He's just messing around on his own."

Although she didn't know why Gu Lin was asking this, she still said, "He does know how to make bamboo tubes. What's wrong, Brother Lin?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin beamed and said, "It's good that you can make them, Sister Zhao. I'd like to buy fifty bamboo tubes from your family, two for one coin. What do you think?"

Sister Zhao was taken aback for a moment after hearing this, then waved her hands repeatedly: "What money do you need? Bamboo is everywhere and it's not worth much at all. Just tell me if you want it. Da Gen made a lot of bamboo tubes and kept them at home. I'll go get them for you."

After saying that, without waiting for Gu Lin's reaction, Sister Zhao turned around and hurriedly went home.

After a while, a young man carrying a large bamboo basket came out behind Zhao's wife. Zhao's wife patted him and said, "Dagen, quickly put the bamboo tube in your aunt's yard."

Facing a boy who was about the same age as him, Zhao Dagen called out "Auntie" to Gu Lin in a low voice, and then walked into the Zheng family's house with a bamboo basket on his back.

Gu Lin was also a little embarrassed to be called "auntie" by a man, but he was mentally strong and quickly calmed down.

After the other party unloaded the bamboo basket, Gu Lin looked at the bamboo tubes inside, then opened his purse, took out twenty-five coins, and handed them to Da Gen: "Two bamboo tubes for one coin. Check if there's any mistake."

Zhao Dagen was stunned for a moment, standing there blankly. His mother hadn't told him that Gu Lin would give him money. He stammered, "It's not worth much. You can use it."

Gu Lin frowned upon hearing this. He did not agree with the Zhao mother and son belittling their labor and was determined to give out the money today. However, before he could reason with them, Zhao's sister-in-law said, "Why are you being so polite with your sister-in-law? It's just a few bamboo tubes. If you keep talking about money, your sister-in-law will get angry."

Then she shouted at Zhao Dagen, "Dagen, hurry up and leave, don't delay your sister-in-law from cooking."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Dagen rushed over as if he had found a lifeline.

For a moment, Gu Lin couldn't stop the mother and son from leaving quickly, but watching Zhao's sister-in-law's departing figure, Gu Lin felt a long-lost warmth.

He decided to keep the money in mind and repay it later when he found an opportunity.