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

The villagers were all nervous and dared not speak. The village chief looked up and saw Gu Lin and said, "Brother Lin is back."

"Village Chief Uncle".

"Grandpa Village Chief."

Gu Lin responded, and Zheng Hao also sent his greetings.

Seeing the village chief break the deadlock, some of the more talkative older women forced a smile and said to Gu Lin, "Brother Lin, you're back for the New Year."

"Lin-ge'er, it must be hard to travel in the snow, when did you get back?"

Everyone chimed in with their own scattered remarks, thinking that Gu Lin wouldn't pay any attention to them. But to their surprise, Gu Lin replied, "I came back the day before yesterday. Of course, I have to go back to the village for the New Year."

The villagers, who had been quite uneasy, immediately cheered when Gu Lin responded to them. "Yes! Yes! The New Year is only truly celebrated when it's spent in the village!"

Although the village chief had told the villagers of Xiahe Village that Gu Lin would continue to buy their melons and vegetables as long as they reformed, the villagers of Xiahe Village couldn't put their minds at ease as long as they thought about Gu Lin's lingering anger.

An older woman said, "Brother Lin, come here quickly, the good meat hasn't been sold yet, you can choose first."

In the village, the best cuts of pork are always highly sought after when pigs are slaughtered. Since everyone has had little oil and fat throughout the year, everyone wants to get the fattest cuts.

However, the villagers tacitly refrained from interrupting the old woman and willingly let Gu Lin choose the meat first.

There's a proper order to things, and Gu Lin had no intention of burying the hatchet with the villagers.

He smiled and shook his head slightly, saying, "Aunties and aunts, please choose first. I don't want to buy fatty meat."

The villagers were somewhat disappointed when they heard Gu Lin refuse, but seeing that his attitude had softened a little, they did not dare to push their luck, for fear of angering him again.

Seeing the dramatic changes in the villagers, a saying came to Gu Lin's mind: "Kindness is often taken advantage of."

Human nature is truly complex, and this is vividly demonstrated in the villagers of Xiahe Village.

They were kind-hearted and helped the original owner and Zheng Hao right after Zheng the Hunter passed away.

They were also greedy and wicked. When Gu Lin and Zheng Hao appeared in a place that they thought would be profitable, they abandoned their usual simplicity and tried to use violence to force Gu Lin to submit.

But after Gu Lin firmly demonstrated his unyielding nature, they dared not provoke him any further.

Gu Lin could never understand the fickle nature of human beings; perhaps without realizing it, he himself was one of them.

"Uncle Gu?"

Seeing that Gu Lin suddenly seemed lost in thought, Zheng Hao raised his head slightly and called out.

Gu Lin came to his senses and bowed slightly to Zheng Hao, saying, "It's nothing."

Then, he led Zheng Hao to stand behind a group of villagers.

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao looked at the noisy villagers in front of them, because the earlier they lined up, the more fatty meat they could buy, while the later they lined up, the more lean meat others didn't want.

Therefore, many villagers sent people who were free at home to queue up early in the morning. However, some people still cut in line without thinking, which made the other villagers unhappy and cause a commotion.

They all refused to buy lean meat, saying that lean meat wasn't as fragrant as fatty meat.

Gu Lin didn't care about this; he had never liked eating fatty meat.

Zheng Hao and Zhao's wife originally liked to eat fatty meat, but after being introduced to it by him, they came to appreciate the deliciousness of lean meat such as ribs and tenderloin.

Therefore, Gu Lin's task today is to buy meat, regardless of the cut, as long as he can get some.

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao didn't wait long. There weren't many people in Xiahe Village to begin with. Those with better financial conditions would cut seven or eight catties of meat, while those with worse conditions would cut one or two catties.

So soon, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao were at the front of the line.

"Zheng Hao?"

A young man dressed in a scholar's robe, with fair skin and slightly handsome features, walked up to Gu Lin and Zheng Hao.

Gu Lin had never seen the boy in front of him in Xiahe Village before. Looking at the boy's clothes, which were out of place with the people around him, Gu Lin felt something was strange.

When Zheng Hao was studying in the county town, he wore a long robe every day, but after class he would wear his everyday clothes at home. Moreover, the weather was cold now, and Gu Lin looked at the boy in front of him, whose lips were pale from the cold. Wasn't the boy cold, dressed so lightly?

Zheng Hao didn't even glance at the boy who was talking to him.

Seeing that Zheng Hao ignored him as if no one was there, Chen Zixiang was somewhat annoyed.

Since he went to the private school, no one in the village has dared to treat him like that.

Chen Zixiang felt insulted and said coldly, "Zheng Hao, you are now a scholar, not the country bumpkin you used to be. How can you still be so ill-mannered?"

Hearing the other party scold Zheng Hao for being impolite, Gu Lin also lost his temper. Who is this person who starts lecturing others right away?

Zheng Hao raised his head slightly and glanced at Chen Zixiang: "Brother Chen, how can you talk about etiquette if you don't greet your elders first?"

Chen Zixiang's arrogant expression changed, but he couldn't refute it. However, he absolutely couldn't afford to be associated with such a reputation for disrespecting his elders.

A smile appeared on Chen Zixiang's handsome face: "Brother Zheng is as eloquent as ever. I was just so happy to see you after so long that I forgot to greet Uncle Gu."

Chen Zixiang turned to Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu."

If the other person had greeted him from the start, Gu Lin would never have refused a smiling face. But this person clearly had ill intentions; he only exchanged a few words with Zheng Hao, but every single one was barbed.

Gu Lin didn't like him very much.

When Chen Zixiang saw that the young man in front of him ignored him, his face stiffened slightly, but he quickly regained the composure unique to a scholar.

His gaze shifted slightly, landing on the wooden basin in Zheng Hao's hand. Realizing what the other was doing, his expression immediately improved, as if he had found a way to surpass Zheng Hao.

Chen Zixiang said to Zheng Hao earnestly, "Now that it's holiday time, instead of staying home to review your studies, why are you getting involved in these worldly things?"

He taught Zheng Hao like a loving older brother: "I've been there, so take my advice: there are riches and beautiful women in books. If you want to achieve something, you must concentrate on your studies and not be held back by external affairs."

After Chen Zixiang finished speaking, he sighed as if he hadn't said anything, "If the village chief hadn't asked me to come and write couplets today, I would have been at home studying hard."

"Ah!"

Gu Lin sneered. Chen Zixiang turned around when he saw his reaction, frowning slightly, seemingly unable to understand why he suddenly sneered.

Gu Lin said to Chen Zixiang, "You call yourself a scholar? Even I, who have never been to school, know that filial piety is the most important virtue. You, who are supported by your whole family, take it for granted and don't understand the hardships your family endures. How can someone like you call yourself a scholar!"

"You've wasted all your time reading books," Gu Lin thought to himself, without uttering the last curse.

"you!"

Gu Lin's words might not be very hurtful in modern times, but for ancient scholars with strong self-esteem, they were undoubtedly words that struck at the heart.

Chen Zixiang's expression changed, and he pointed at Gu Lin.

Zheng Hao's expression turned cold upon seeing this, and he stepped in front of Gu Lin, asking, "Brother Chen, where are you pointing?"

Zheng Hao had his back to Gu Lin, so Gu Lin didn't see how terrifying his expression suddenly became.

But when Chen Zixiang faced Zheng Hao directly and saw the other's extremely cold expression, he didn't dare to speak for a moment.

Until his eyes flickered and he saw that the other person was only up to his chest, Chen Zixiang immediately put aside his fear and said, "Only petty men and women are difficult to deal with!"

Gu Lin retorted without holding back, "Then you are the most wicked villain!"

Chen Zixiang had never seen a guy as sharp-tongued as Gu Lin. In the past, whenever Gu Lin said such things, people with a sense of shame would not be able to stand it and would cover their faces and leave.

But Gu Lin's expression didn't change at all. Chen Zixiang realized that he was no match for his opponent. He flicked his sleeves and said, "I won't waste my breath on you!"

Chen Zixiang turned to Zheng Hao and said, "After the New Year, I will be taking the imperial examination. I advise you that since you are starting school later than others, you should be aware of your limitations. Studying is not as easy as you leading a group of boys to hunt in the mountains!"

"Oh, I forgot, you can leave the academy after studying for a few years. How can you understand the difficulty of studying if you don't take the imperial examinations?"

Hearing the other party's sarcasm, Zheng Hao calmly said, "Is that so? Brother Chen has studied for over ten years, it's time to take the imperial examination and get a degree."

Gu Lin almost burst out laughing when he heard Zheng Hao's words. He never expected this kid to be so cunning. Look at what he said, "You've studied for over ten years, it's time to take the imperial examination."

The other person originally wanted to show off that he was different from you and could take the imperial examination. Zheng Hao, on the other hand, directly used the other person's words to mock Chen Zixiang, saying that if he hadn't passed the examination after so many years of studying, he would just be a freeloader.

As expected, Chen Zixiang's face turned ashen upon hearing this.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

"Hey! Zixiang, why are you leaving? I still have couplets to write at my house!"

An elderly woman called out to Chen Zixiang as he left. But Chen Zixiang was in such a hurry that it's unclear whether he genuinely didn't hear her or simply didn't want to stay any longer.

The village chief was weighing meat for the villagers and didn't see the commotion. He asked his wife in confusion, "What happened? Why did Zixiang leave?"

The village chief's wife had witnessed the whole scene, so she naturally knew that Chen Zixiang and Gu Lin, father and son, had a dispute.

She had a headache. Why did the Chen family seem to be at odds with Gu Lin? Tian Dahua had always disliked Lin Ge'er, and now Chen Zixiang was also having a conflict with them.

She patted the village chief and said, "This is none of your business. Go weigh your meat."

When it was Gu Lin and Zheng Hao's turn, there wasn't a single piece of fatty meat left on the meat stall. All that was left were unwanted ribs, tenderloin, pig's trotters, and so on, all of which were Gu Lin's favorites.

The village chief frowned and said to Gu Lin, "This meat isn't good. I have some better meat at home that I can give you."

Gu Lin waved his hand and said, "No need, no need, Uncle Village Chief, I'll take all this meat! Is anyone else in the village who wants to buy meat?"

After glancing at the remaining meat, the village chief shook his head and said, "Everyone has money in their pockets this year, so they don't like eating this bland meat anymore. If you want it, just buy it all."

"Okay!" The remaining meat looks like a lot, but it's actually only about fifty pounds. Everyone in the family, including Zheng Hao and the Zhao family father and son, can eat a lot. This amount of meat is really not enough to last from today until the first month of the lunar calendar.

However, the village chief's family is not the only one raising pigs in Xiahe Village. Another family will be slaughtering a pig in a few days, so they can just buy some meat from another family then.

The village chief weighed the meat for Gu Lin and put it into the two of them in a wooden basin. After Gu Lin paid, he and Zheng Hao left.

As Zheng Hao walked out of the village chief's house, he turned to Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, pour the meat you're holding into my basin."

Looking down at the nearly full wooden basin in Zheng Hao's hand, Gu Lin shook his head: "No need, it's close to home, we'll be home in a bit."

“Uncle Gu,” Zheng Hao said, “I’m strong, this meat is not heavy for me at all, it’s like holding a pen.”

But that's no reason to push all the work onto the other person. Gu Lin frowned, feeling a slight resistance in his heart.

Seeing this, Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, the clouds in the sky are getting thicker. It's going to snow soon. We didn't bring an umbrella. If we go back in the snow, Aunt Zhao will definitely make you drink herbal medicine."

Upon hearing Zheng Hao's words, Gu Lin's eye twitched slightly.

Clearly, he had a deep psychological trauma from that month when Sister Zhao chased after him and forced him to drink herbal medicine.

He poured half of the meat from the wooden basin into Zheng Hao's hands, then strode forward and said, "Let's hurry back!"

With the pork Gu Lin turned over, Zheng Hao was holding about forty pounds of meat. But he seemed not to feel the weight at all, easily lifting his leg to catch up with Gu Lin.

Over the next few days, Sister Zhao began slaughtering chickens and ducks and processing all sorts of ingredients.

Every morning after finishing his breakfast, Gu Lin would follow Zhao's wife into the kitchen to enjoy a delicious meal.

Following Professor Gu Lin's fried food recipe, Sister Zhao evenly sprinkled the prepared spice powder on the chicken to marinate it. After the chicken was marinated, Sister Zhao cut it into large pieces about the length of an index finger and the width of two fingers, and finally put it into the oil to fry.

With a series of crackling sounds, after the fried chicken was taken out of the fryer, Gu Lin couldn't wait to pick up a piece and put it in his mouth.

"……Well……"

Gu Lin squinted. The fried chicken had a crispy skin and tender, juicy meat inside. With a bite of fried chicken in his mouth, Gu Lin mumbled, "Fried chicken is so delicious. When will the store add fried chicken to its menu?"

Hearing Gu Lin's somewhat naive words, Sister Zhao smiled and said to him, "How could it not taste good! Don't you think about how much oil is used to fry this chicken? If you really put it in Xingfuju to sell, I don't know if you could sell two chickens a day."

Gu Lin was speechless for a moment, because what Sister Zhao said made a lot of sense.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Xingfuju is doing well these days; they operate on a low-profit, high-volume model. After deducting the cost of spices, each serving of their braised dishes, cold dishes, and spicy hot pot only earns them a few coins from their hard work.

The spices and oil used for fried chicken are even more potent than the previous three. If a serving of fried chicken is not to lose money, it is impossible to sell it for more than ten coins. At that time, how many families in the county would buy fried chicken for more than ten coins?

Gu Lin shook his head, dismissing the unrealistic ideas from his mind.

Gu Lin took a piece of fried chicken and stuffed it into Zhao's mouth. Then, he picked up a bowl of fried chicken and said to Zhao, "Sister-in-law, I'll give some fried chicken for Xiao Hao to try."

Before Zhao's wife could react, Gu Lin had already run off, leaving Zhao's wife standing there laughing and scolding him. This young man said he was sending it to Zheng Hao, but did he really think she didn't know who ended up eating that plate of fried chicken?

She shook her head helplessly. Oh well, she had indeed been too strict with him the other day. Let Lin-ge'er relax a bit.

However, she turned around and looked for some herbs to reduce internal heat, so she could make a soup for Lin Ge'er later, so he wouldn't have a sore throat again tomorrow.

Gu Lin had no idea that a bowl of herbal soup was waiting for him that evening. He carried a plate of fried chicken into Zheng Hao's study and said to Zheng Hao, who had been studying at his desk for almost two hours, "Xiao Hao, take a break and come eat some fried chicken. Your sister-in-law just fried it, it smells delicious!"

Zheng Hao has keen senses; when Gu Lin brought in the fried chicken, he smelled the aroma of oil.

When he saw Gu Lin walk up to him, he put down his brush, loosened his fingers which were stiff from the cold, wiped his hands with a damp cloth, and got up to sit down next to Gu Lin.

Seeing that there was only half a bowl of fried chicken left in front of him, Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly and said, "Auntie only fried half a bowl?"

Gu Lin came out of the kitchen, intending to bring the fried chicken over to eat with Zheng Hao, but the aroma of the fried chicken wafted into Gu Lin's nose with the cold wind, and Gu Lin couldn't resist, so he took a small piece and ate it. After finishing it, he couldn't help but take another piece.

So he ate as he walked, and when he arrived at the study, Gu Lin found that only half of the fried chicken was left in his bowl.

Gu Lin touched his nose somewhat embarrassedly and mumbled, "Sister-in-law is frying them right now, hurry up and eat, there will be more later."

Zheng Hao pursed his lips slightly, suppressing a smile: "Uncle Gu, have you eaten? There's only half a bowl. Why don't you eat first, Uncle Gu?"

"No need, no need, I'll eat it later."

Glancing at the half-eaten bowl of fried chicken, Gu Lin had no choice but to finish the rest.