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

Lunar New Year's eve.

Aunt Zhao and Gu Lin prepared the New Year's Eve dinner together. Aunt Zhao was the head chef, and Gu Lin was the sous chef. Zheng Hao and the Zhao family father and son assisted, some washing vegetables and others serving dishes.

In the afternoon, every household in the village prepared offerings and went up the mountain to worship their ancestors.

After packing up the chicken, duck, fish, and meat, Zhao's wife handed Gu Lin a pot of wine and said, "Go on, have a word with Hunter Zheng."

Gu Lin transmigrated after Zheng the Hunter died, so he had no feelings for Zheng the Hunter.

But when he was in the most difficult time after transmigrating, he lived in the other person's house and spent the other person's money, so Gu Lin felt that it was right for him to pay his respects to the other person.

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao walked out of their house wearing thick winter clothes and cotton boots.

It has been snowing for the past few days, and the snow on the ground in Xiahe Village is already above the top of shoes. Everyone can sweep the snow from their own homes, but in the deserted areas, the snow has piled up into a thick layer.

Leaning on a withered tree branch, Gu Lin followed the footprints left by the villagers who had gone up the mountain to worship their ancestors.

Zheng Hao carried the offerings, while he held the wine jar. The two of them crossed the flat snowfield and arrived at the foot of the mountain.

The mountain path was more difficult to walk on than the flat snow. Gu Lin looked at the icy slope and turned to Zheng Hao, saying, "Be careful when you go up later, don't fall."

Zheng Hao nodded and said, "Uncle Gu, you should also be careful."

Gu Lin walked ahead. He had never climbed a mountain in the freezing cold before. He carefully stepped onto the steep slope, afraid that he might slip and fall.

Looking up at the towering mountain peaks, he couldn't help but feel fortunate that the original owner hadn't chosen a burial site too far away for Zheng the hunter.

After climbing for a while, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao arrived at a place slightly higher than the foot of the mountain. In the vast snowfield, Gu Lin could not find Zheng's father's grave.

Zheng Hao stepped forward and stood in front of Gu Lin. He looked around, placed the offerings on the snow, and then walked towards a certain place.

Zheng Hao had his back to Gu Lin, so Gu Lin had no idea what the other was doing.

When Zheng Hao stopped what he was doing and turned to the side, Gu Lin saw a wooden sign appear on the previously empty snow.

That's Zheng the Hunter's tombstone.

Taking a cloth from the bamboo basket, Zheng Hao tilted his head slightly and wiped the snowflakes and dust off the tombstone. Then, he began to sweep the snow around the grave.

Upon seeing this, Gu Lin stepped forward to offer his help.

Zheng Hao turned around and stopped him, saying, "Uncle Gu is too weak to touch the snow right now. I'll just clear the snow around Father's grave. We'll come back to sweep the grave when the weather warms up."

He said to Gu Lin, "Father won't blame us."

I especially won't blame you.

Gu Lin stood still, watching Zheng Hao use the shovel he had brought to clear the snow around Zheng Hunter's grave.

After the snow was cleared, Zheng Hao turned to Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, bring the wine over. We can now pay our respects to Father."

"Okay." Gu Lin turned around and picked up the wine and other offerings.

He walked behind Zheng Hao and took out a wine cup. Zheng Hao looked at the light snow that was gradually falling from the sky, and then turned to Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, we don't need a cup. Father was not particular about details when he was alive. He always drank from big bowls. Just pour a whole jar of wine down and let Father drink to his heart's content."

Gu Lin then picked up the wine jar and walked closer to the tombstone.

He slightly raised his wrist, and the wine poured out of the jar. In a moment, the entire jar of wine was poured onto a patch of snow in front of Zheng the Hunter's grave.

Gu Lin initially felt nothing towards Zheng the Hunter's grave, but after pouring the wine, he looked up at the tombstone again and his heart was stirred.

Gu Lin sighed inwardly: Rest in peace. Since I have received your kindness, I will take good care of Xiao Hao for you.

Zheng Hao also set out the offerings, and then knelt down in front of Zheng the Hunter's tomb.

Seeing the scene before him, Gu Lin hesitated slightly, because according to the original owner's identity, he seemed to have to kneel as well.

Zheng Hao turned his head slightly to look at Gu Lin, his youthful face showing composure and reassurance: "Uncle Gu, there's no need to kneel. As a son, I'm paying respects to my father, and kneeling is a matter of social order and ethics."

Gu Lin thought it would be good if he didn't have to kneel. He was already freezing cold, and if he really knelt in the snow, he was afraid he would fall seriously ill again.

Turning to look at the tombstone, Zheng Hao's dark eyes held a complex mix of emotions.

His mind drifted to his father's face before his death, and he recalled the earth-shattering changes that had taken place in the past few months.

Finally, his thoughts lingered on the scene where Gu's parents forced Uncle Gu to remarry, and Uncle Gu was saddened and shed tears because of it.

Uncle Gu doesn't want to remarry; she doesn't want to suffer in another family. Father, I am still young, and no one cares about me, but I will protect Uncle Gu in your place and prevent others from hurting him.

Gu Lin stood quietly to the side. Although Zheng Hao knelt silently in front of Zheng Hunter's grave, Gu Lin knew that the other party must have a lot to say to Zheng Hunter.

So he waited with great patience.

It was expected to take a long time, but before long, Zheng Hao stood up from the snow.

Zheng Hao turned to Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, let's go back."

Gu Lin carefully observed Zheng Hao's expression and saw that although there was a slight sadness between his brows, he did not seem overly grief-stricken.

Gu Lin was slightly relieved, but then he remembered something and asked Zheng Hao, "Aren't you going to pay respects to your mother?"

Upon hearing Gu Lin's words, Zheng Hao's previously composed face froze, and a look of realization appeared on his calm expression: "She's not here anymore."

"Huh?" Gu Lin was a little confused.

Zheng Hao looked at Gu Lin and said, "My mother contracted the plague and endured it for three whole months, but she still couldn't be saved. My father originally wanted to bury her in the back mountain, but the government wouldn't allow it. In the end, the yamen runners took my mother's body away and burned it, and the government also disposed of her ashes."

"Because all the belongings of people who had contracted the plague had to be burned, my mother didn't even have a cenotaph erected for her."

After speaking, Zheng Hao lowered his head slightly.

Gu Lin felt a pang of heartache, realizing that the male protagonist's mother, who was not mentioned in the original work, had died of an epidemic. He couldn't imagine how Zheng Hao, who could remember things at such a young age, had coped with the pain of suddenly losing his mother.

He raised his hand and gently stroked the head of the boy in front of him.

Feeling the gentle caress from above, Zheng Hao slightly raised his head and looked up at Gu Lin.

Gu Lin said to Zheng Hao with a serious expression, "We can set up a memorial tablet for your mother at home in the future, so that we can worship your mother during festivals."

Zheng Hao had this idea before, but the elders around him advised him that it was against etiquette.

He blinked, and the cold snowflakes seemed to fall into Zheng Hao's eyes, causing a surge of heat to well up in his eyes.

Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, thank you."

Not missing the slight redness in Zheng Hao's eyes, Gu Lin gently rubbed Zheng Hao's head with his palm.

The two remained silent as they descended the mountain.

Gu Lin remained silent, wanting Zheng Hao to process his emotions. At the same time, he thought about how to cheer Zheng Hao up when they got back.

Zheng Hao suddenly spoke up: "Uncle Gu."

"Hmm?" Gu Lin turned to look at him.

Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin with a firm expression, "Uncle Gu, I want to take the imperial examination in three years."

The imperial examination was not a child's game, and Zheng Hao's desire to take it was not a momentary impulse.

From the day he decided to study, Zheng Hao had already vaguely felt this desire.

As Gu Lin, lacking any powerful backing, was forced to sell his recipes for protection, and after his father's death, Gu's parents and villagers came to bully Uncle Gu, Zheng Hao's desire to take the imperial examinations grew stronger and more resolute.

Zheng Hao prepared for this step by step. In just a few months of study, he read through the Four Books and Five Classics, which would take others several years to memorize and even gain a rough understanding of.

Xu Xiucai was amazed by his memory and comprehension, but little did he know that Zheng Hao still complained that his speed was too slow.

His father passed away, and he had to observe a three-year mourning period. During this time, he could not take the imperial examinations like other students, but at the same time, this period gave him the opportunity to solidify his foundation.

Zheng Hao didn't want to waste a single second. He wanted to become stronger quickly so that Uncle Gu wouldn't have to greet people with a smile when he was unhappy, or swallow his anger when he was bullied.

Gu Lin, unaware of Zheng Hao's many thoughts, asked him earnestly, "Have you made up your mind?"

Zheng Hao nodded: "Uncle Gu, I've made up my mind."

"Okay, go ahead and take the exam," Gu Lin said supportively.

In his view, the ancient imperial examinations were very difficult, and unlike the modern college entrance examination, there were no large-scale mock exams such as provincial exams or inter-provincial joint exams. There were few opportunities for actual practice, and correspondingly, candidates accumulated less exam experience.

Gu Lin thought it would be good for Zheng Hao to go and train his troops.

He didn't expect Zheng Hao to achieve good results immediately. As far as he knew, the pass rate for the imperial examination for the title of Xiucai in a certain dynasty was less than two percent, which meant that less than two out of all the candidates could pass the examination.

After Gu Lin and Zheng Hao returned home, they accepted the brown sugar ginger soup handed to them by Sister Zhao. After each drinking a bowl and sweating it out, they began to celebrate the New Year.

The five people sat at a large wooden table. Apart from the delicious food, there was no wine on the table. Gu Lin picked up a bowl of wine and curiously lowered his head to taste it.

It wasn't as spicy as he had imagined. Gu Lin had drunk alcohol a few times in modern times, and if he had to describe it, the alcohol content of the drink in front of him wasn't even as high as beer.

But Gu Lin forgot that he was no longer the modern person he was now, and after a few bowls of wine, he became somewhat drunk.

He wouldn't make a scene when he was drunk; he would just sit there quietly. But it was a bit strange that the usually talkative guy suddenly became so quiet.

Looking at the young man who was gradually slumped on the table due to drunkenness, Sister Zhao laughed and scolded, "This drunkard!"

Then, turning to look at the drunk Zhao father and son, Zhao's wife took a deep breath, remembering that she couldn't curse people during the New Year, and said in a low voice, "These people don't even know their own drinking capacity. Now they're all drunk. How are we going to eat dumplings later?"

Because of his young age, Zheng Hao was forbidden from drinking by Gu Lin. So, at the whole table, only he and Sister-in-law Zhao remained sober.

He said to Sister Zhao, "Auntie, I'll stay here and watch over things. Go and make some hangover soup. Let Uncle Gu and the others drink it in a bit, and they should wake up."

After hearing Zheng Hao's words, Zhao's sister-in-law turned around and ran into the kitchen to make a hangover soup.

Gu Lin lay slumped on the table, his eyes closed, as if he had fallen asleep.

Afraid that he would catch a cold, Zheng Hao went back into the house to get a blanket and covered him with it. Just as he was about to get up, he heard Gu Lin mutter, "...Tangyuan..."

"...During Chinese New Year...we eat tangyuan..."

In the past, Zheng Hao may have been unaware of what tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) were due to his limited knowledge.

But since he started studying, he has bought many books from bookstores, not only academic books, but also a lot of travelogues.

Zheng Hao happened to have some recollection of the glutinous rice balls that Gu Lin mentioned.

That travelogue was written by a writer who traveled to the south. The glutinous rice balls mentioned in the travelogue are something that people in some parts of the south eat during the Lunar New Year, just like they eat dumplings while staying up late on New Year's Eve.

However, Uncle Gu was born in Peach Blossom Village. How could a farmer from the north know about glutinous rice balls from the south, let alone be thinking about them on New Year's Eve?

Sister-in-law Zhao brought over some hangover soup and went to give it to Zhao's father and son.

Zheng Hao picked up the hangover soup and said to Gu Lin in a low voice, "Uncle Gu, get up and drink the hangover soup."

There was no response from the other party, so Zheng Hao patiently called several more times. Gu Lin seemed to hear him at first and slowly sat up.

Zheng Hao brought the hangover soup to Gu Lin. Seeing that the other man's eyes were glazed over from being drunk, Zheng Hao knew that he couldn't hold the bowl. Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, open your mouth."

Gu Lin was dazed and opened his mouth, then the hangover soup slid into his mouth.

Gu Lin frowned, clearly disgusted by the taste of the hangover soup.

He tilted his head slightly, unwilling to drink anymore, but Zheng Hao was right beside him and whispered, "Uncle Gu, drink it all."

Hearing the familiar voice, Gu Lin suppressed his urge to vomit and drank all the hangover soup.

Once the hangover soup took effect and Gu Lin gradually regained consciousness, Aunt Zhao had already been keeping track of the time and cooked the dumplings. She then brought them out and said, "Time to eat dumplings!"

Gu Lin was still somewhat dazed. When Zheng Hao placed the dumplings in front of him, Gu Lin picked up a spoon and slowly began to eat them.

After finishing the dumplings, Gu Lin was a little more lucid than before.

He stood up, insisting that he didn't need Zheng Hao's help, and after wishing Zhao's wife and Zheng Hao a Happy New Year, he staggered back to his bedroom.

Lying down on the bed, Gu Lin lost consciousness and drifted into a deep sleep.

The first day of the first lunar month.

Although he drank hangover soup last night, Gu Lin still felt a headache when he woke up.

He went out of the house and found it quiet. Zheng Hao, who was in the study, heard the noise and came out to say, "Uncle Gu, Aunt Zhao and the others have gone to pay their respects for the New Year. Breakfast is being kept warm in the kitchen."

Gu Lin then realized that it was Chinese New Year, and Zhao's family still had to visit relatives and friends. He guessed that Zhao's family would not have much free time during this period.

After finishing breakfast, Gu Lin went into the study and saw Zheng Hao reading a book. He said, "It's still the New Year. You can rest for a few days before reading."

Having long seen through Gu Lin's true nature, Zheng Hao put down his book, looked up at the young man in front of him, and asked, "What does Uncle Gu want to do?"

Inside the warm lobby, there were two charcoal braziers. Gu Lin placed a wire mesh on one of them, then sprinkled some peanuts and red dates on it, and set up a stove to brew milk tea.

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao are currently observing mourning for their parents, so they cannot visit other people's homes to offer New Year's greetings, and other people will not come to offer New Year's greetings to them either.

Since they had nothing else to do, Gu Lin took Zheng Hao inside to grill something and eat.

Gu Lin grabbed a small handful of roasted peanuts from the wire mesh, shared some with Zheng Hao, then broke open a peanut in his hand, crushed the red skin, ate one, and turned to Zheng Hao, saying, "Although studying is important, you can't just stay indoors all the time. I remember that the imperial examination requires a strong physique, so you should go out for walks and exercise more often when you have free time."

After hearing Gu Lin's words of concern, Zheng Hao's expression became somewhat subtle. He looked up at Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, don't worry, I practice boxing and archery every morning."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin exclaimed in surprise, "How come I didn't know?!"

Zheng Hao paused for a moment, then said, "When Uncle Gu gets up every day, I've already finished my workout and gone back to my room to shower."

Gu Lin now understood that Zheng Hao had always been focused on both studying and training.

I'm the one who always stays indoors and doesn't like to exercise.

Gu Lin silently shut his mouth and lowered his head to eat peanuts and red dates as if nothing had happened.

But he didn't realize that he had already eaten all the peanuts and dates he had peeled, and now he was eating the ones that Zheng Hao had peeled and put into his bowl.