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

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao spent more than twenty days leisurely in Xiahe Village until Zheng Hao was about to start school, at which point the three of them boarded an oxcart to return to the county town.

After returning to the county town, Gu Lin and the other two rested for a day.

The next day, Zheng Hao went to study at Wuliu Academy, while Gu Lin and Sister-in-law Zhao opened a shop to do business.

I thought that after the New Year, with all the feasting and drinking, not many people would come to Xingfuju to buy food.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Gu Lin opened the door of Xingfuju, many guests began to gather around.

"Boss Gu, you're finally back! We've been waiting for you for so long."

Since Xingfuju closed down, some regular customers have been keeping a close eye on the shop day and night. Now that Xingfuju is open, they all rush up to talk to Gu Lin.

Seeing the diners' enthusiasm, Gu Lin was happy and surprised, but still felt a little confused.

He asked a familiar diner in front of him, "What's going on? I only went home for the New Year, but it feels like I've been gone for ages."

Wang Yue pulled his heavy cotton-padded coat tighter around himself and said to Gu Lin, "It's been quite a while since we left! Boss Gu, you have no idea how much we've suffered these past few days. During the holidays, we ate greasy food at home, with lots of meat and fish every day. At first, it tasted delicious, but from the second day onwards, our stomachs couldn't take it anymore."

“In the past, we could have just toughed it out. But ever since we started drinking milk tea from Xingfuju, we would buy a can of milk tea after meals when we felt greasy and hard to digest. But now that the year is over and Xingfuju has closed down, without milk tea, all those little ailments in our bodies have reappeared.”

A middle-aged man added.

Having figured out why so many people had surrounded Xingfuju, Gu Lin found it somewhat amusing, but also understandable.

It wasn't just the diners who encountered this problem; even Gu Lin was no exception.

During the Spring Festival, Sister Zhao cooked a constant stream of meat dishes, and there wasn't a single vegetable leaf on the table.

Although Gu Lin is a carnivore and loves meat, he can't stand eating meat three times a day. He doesn't exercise much in winter anyway, and eating like this would cause problems even for someone with a healthy stomach.

He then subtly advised Sister Zhao to stir-fry some vegetables to go with the meat.

To everyone's surprise, Zhao's wife, who was always frugal, disagreed. She told Gu Lin that meat had to be eaten during the New Year and other festivals so that there would be plenty for the coming year.

Sister Zhao also said that there are fewer melons and vegetables in winter, so we have to eat them sparingly, otherwise Xingfuju will not have enough to sell.

Although Zhao's words were somewhat exaggerated, it was still quite incredible in the county that Xingfuju could still sell melons and vegetables in the dead of winter.

This doesn't mean that only Xingfuju in the county town sells melons and vegetables; rather, apart from those two large restaurants, other inns and eateries simply don't have that capability.

Actually, this is all because Gu Lin is willing to spend a lot of money. The melons and vegetables sold at Xingfuju in winter are all purchased at high prices from villagers near the county town.

However, due to the limitations of ancient storage conditions, the variety and quantity of melons and vegetables that Xingfuju could sell in winter were still scarce.

However, thanks to these fruits and vegetables, as well as the mushrooms that the villagers picked and dried in the spring, Xingfuju's business in winter was not greatly affected.

Although the milk tea was well received, Gu Lin still told the customers, "Milk tea has a slight effect on bowel movement, but if you feel unwell, it is best to see a doctor at a clinic and not rely on milk tea."

Wang Yue said, "Boss Gu, don't worry, we know what we're doing."

People who can afford to drink milk tea every day are usually from families with some assets, and these are the people who cherish their lives the most.

Just take the problem of intestinal obstruction as an example. In an ordinary family, eating some croton seeds would be enough to clear the intestines and relieve constipation.

However, the well-off families in these county towns, especially the sons and daughters of officials and wealthy merchants, dared not eat whatever they wanted. If they felt unwell, they would consult a doctor to get digestive pills, but they dared not take these pills every day.

After all, medicine is three parts poison.

But when it comes to milk tea, these young masters, ladies, and gentlemen have no sense of caution.

When milk tea first appeared, people were drawn to its rich and sweet taste, and they felt comfortable only after drinking a tub of it every day.

After drinking it for a few days, some people discovered the amazing effects of milk tea. Those rich young men who used to eat a lot of meat and didn't like to move around would no longer suffer from indigestion or constipation, and they all regarded milk tea as a good thing.

Although Wang Yue does not suffer from constipation, his father, mother, and grandparents all have this problem.

He said to Gu Lin, "Boss Gu, please fill six cans of milk tea for me first."

He had to hurry back to his family to give it to his elders.

"Okay." Gu Lin filled the milk tea and handed it to the other person.

After Wang Yue left with the milk tea, the people behind him took over.

Upon seeing the person who had arrived, Gu Lin casually smiled and struck up a conversation, "Aunt Sun, what were you talking about with someone just now? You seemed so serious."

"I'm afraid you'll find it unlucky to say this," Aunt Sun said, glancing at Gu Lin.

Gu Lin had only asked casually at first, but now that the other party had spoken, Gu Lin became curious: "Auntie, please speak freely, I won't mind."

Grandma Sun pointed to the street next door: "See that alleyway? A few days ago, a man owed money to a gambling den and couldn't pay it back. In the end, the gambling den's thugs broke his legs and left him in the snow. There were people there at the time, but they were afraid of getting into trouble for themselves, so they just let the man lie on the snow."

"In the dead of winter, even the strongest man would be half-dead if he fell to the ground and didn't get up for half an hour, let alone that gambler who was as thin as a bamboo pole. When the night watchman found him, his body was frozen solid. People who saw the body said that it was a dark purple all over, and it was terrifying."

Grandma Sun changed the subject: "However, what's strange is that so many days have passed, and none of the man's family members have come to collect his body. I heard from the people at the gambling den that his name was Liu Sanlai. I've lived in the county town for decades and have never heard of this person before. I have no idea where he came from."

At first, Gu Lin thought it was a story about a gambler who owed money, had his hands and feet broken by the gambling den, and froze to death in the snow. But when he heard Granny Sun tell the news of Liu Sanlai's death, Gu Lin almost didn't react.

Gu Lin felt somewhat dazed. This person was alive and well just a few days ago, hiding behind the villagers of Xiahe Village and stirring up trouble. Now he's just dead?

Unaware of Gu Lin's strange expression, Granny Sun shook her head as she spoke, saying, "No wonder he was beaten and frozen to death. How could an ordinary man dare to gamble? Gambling would at most leave him with nothing, but he actually dared to borrow money from gambling dens at exorbitant interest rates. Do you think money from gambling dens is easy to get? One tael of silver can turn into five taels of silver in a month. So many people have been ruined by this."

After listening to Aunt Sun's words, Gu Lin recalled Liu Sanlai from the original owner's memories.

The other party seems to have always been fond of eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, but he has never borrowed money from gambling dens at high interest rates before. How come he did this time...?

Gu Lin couldn't help but recall the gamblers he had met in modern times. They were initially good sons, good fathers, and good husbands, but after getting involved in gambling, they seemed to become completely different people.

They spend all their time in casinos, eating, drinking, and sleeping there. Their eyes are bloodshot as they face the chips on the gambling table, devoid of any reason or clarity, filled only with intense madness.

When they squander the family fortune built by their parents, and end up with broken families and ruined lives, they will regret their actions and weep bitterly. But afterwards, they will continue to repeat the same mistakes.

Gamblers are unpredictable; they gamble from small to large, eventually losing everything and accumulating huge debts.

Although Gu Lin felt some unusual emotions about Liu Sanlai's death, it wasn't out of pity or sympathy for Liu Sanlai, but rather because the sudden death of someone who had once lived beside him gave Gu Lin a sense of the impermanence of life.

Grandma Sun noticed the change in Gu Lin's expression and assumed that he was young and inexperienced, and had been frightened by what she had said.

She quickly changed the subject: "Brother Lin, help me get a few tubes of licorice drink. My family members have been eating too much 'heaty' food lately, and their throats are all dry and sore."

Pulling himself out of his complicated thoughts, Gu Lin handed the prepared licorice drink to Granny Sun.

Back at the dinner table, Gu Lin told Zheng Hao and Sister-in-law Zhao about Liu Sanlai's death.

Zhao's wife was busy attending to guests on the other side that afternoon and hadn't heard what Gu Lin and Aunt Sun were saying. Upon hearing the news of Liu Sanlai's death, her expression was complex, and she sighed softly.

Zheng Hao slightly raised his eyes to look at Gu Lin and asked, "Uncle Gu, do you think it's a pity that Liu Sanlai died?"

Gu Lin spoke frankly: "Although Liu Sanlai is not a good person, his crimes do not warrant death."

Liu Sanlai is a despicable person who has violated the law and morality. Gu Lin also despises him, but Liu Sanlai really doesn't deserve to die.

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly and said, "Uncle Gu is kind."

Gu Lin looked up and saw that the news of Liu Sanlai's death had affected Zheng Hao and Zhao's wife's mood, so he immediately said, "Alright, let's not talk about him anymore. Let's pretend he never existed and eat."

Zheng Hao didn't speak, but he shook his head inwardly.

Uncle Gu is still too soft-hearted.

Liu Sanlai may seem like a rogue and harmless, only engaging in petty theft, but that's only because he has no powerful backing and doesn't dare to touch anything big.

You can guard against petty people, but not virtuous ones. Liu Sanlai is essentially a vicious and treacherous person. How could Zheng Hao possibly allow a petty person who is detrimental to him to have a chance to gain power? Even if the chance of the other party gaining power is only a few percent, Zheng Hao will suppress the other party to death.

Moreover, Liu Sanlai has repeatedly done things that are detrimental to Uncle Gu.

Gu Lin was filled with countless emotions upon hearing the news of Liu Sanlai's death, but an event that followed made him quickly forget about Liu Sanlai's death.

After lunch break, Gu Lin sat in the lobby when Aunt Li from next door came over for a visit.

Aunt Li and Sister Zhao were good friends, and Aunt Li often visited Sister Zhao to talk, so Gu Lin also knew her.

In the past, Gu Lin would go back to his room in advance when the other party came, but today the other party came to the door and Gu Lin happened to be sitting in the lobby. After bumping into them, Gu Lin couldn't just go back to his room.

Fortunately, the other party mostly chatted with Zhao's wife, so Gu Lin didn't need to say much.

Gu Lin occasionally sipped his milk tea and admired the snow scene outside.

Suddenly, Aunt Li turned to Gu Lin and asked, "Brother Lin, is your son Zheng almost twelve years old?"

Looking at Aunt Li's smiling face, Gu Lin was a little puzzled as to why she was asking these questions, but he cautiously replied, "It's exactly twelve this year after the New Year."

"Twelve! Twelve is wonderful!" Aunt Li laughed, then changed the subject: "Is your young Zheng engaged yet?"

Gu Lin was first stunned, then confused.

Sister-in-law Zhao reacted first, saying to Aunt Li, "Why are you saying all this?"

Aunt Li gave her a reproachful look: "I have a niece who is two years younger than Zheng Langjun, but she has been hardworking and capable since she was a child. No one in the neighborhood has a bad word to say about her. I just thought that the two of them are about the same age, so if both families are interested, it would be good to arrange a marriage!"

Gu Lin was shocked after hearing what Aunt Li said.

How old is Zheng Hao? He's only twelve years old this year, which would be a junior high school student in modern times. He's a teenager who hasn't fully developed yet and is protected under the "Law on the Protection of Minors." But in ancient times, he's already being betrothed.

The girl he was being asked to marry was only ten years old!

Gu Lin felt a chill run down his spine. Although he knew that people in ancient times married very early, he still couldn't accept that a junior high school graduate would get married and have children.

Gu Lin looked slightly apologetic and said to Aunt Li, "I'm sorry, Aunt Li. My husband just passed away, and Xiao Hao is a filial child who insists on observing three years of mourning. Right now, we don't have the heart to talk about anything else."

Aunt Li knew that Gu Lin's husband had died. She originally wanted the two families to privately arrange the marriage between Zheng Hao and her niece, so that once the three-year mourning period was over, the two families could directly discuss the marriage.

But judging from Gu Lin's current appearance, it's clear that this won't work out.

But Aunt Li was not discouraged. A good daughter is sought after by many families, and the same would be true if the genders were reversed.

She thought that Zheng Hao was a scholar, and his family owned a profitable food shop, so her niece wouldn't suffer after marrying into the family. If Zheng Hao could pass the imperial examinations and return with an official title, it would be a sure win.

Given the man's excellent qualities, it's normal that Gu Lin didn't readily agree to the marriage.

Aunt Li wasn't in a hurry. After all, both the man and woman were still young. She figured that after three years, when her niece had grown up and blossomed into a beautiful young woman, the man would change his mind.

Completely unaware that Aunt Li had already planned three years into the future, Gu Lin couldn't help but ask Aunt Zhao after she saw the other party off, "Why is Aunt Li suddenly planning to marry her niece to Xiao Hao?"

Sister Zhao glanced at him, looked at the young man's dumbfounded eyes, and sat down next to him helplessly, saying, "You, you, a father, don't even know that Xiao Hao's reputation has spread throughout the county."

Gu Lin looked embarrassed, but he still didn't quite understand what Zhao's sister-in-law was saying.

Sister Zhao continued, "This year, the county magistrate organized an examination that all students, whether from the county school or private schools, had to participate in. Xiao Hao came in first place, and I could hear some students talking about it when I was selling food in the shop."

“In previous years, the top spot was always awarded to the county school. Now, every family with a scholar knows that Xiao Hao has won first place. Naturally, some shrewd people will see that Xiao Hao is young, good at studying, handsome, and from a good family, and want to make him their son-in-law.”

After Zhao's sister-in-law explained, Gu Lin suddenly understood.

In the evening, when Zheng Hao pushed open the courtyard gate and went in, he looked up and saw Gu Lin smiling as he walked in.

Zheng Hao paused, though Uncle Gu had always smiled and waited for him to return home, but never with such a strange smile.

Well, Zheng Hao glanced at the young man's smile not far away.

Zheng Hao mentally organized his thoughts.

Uncle Gu's smile seemed to contain surprise, curiosity, and a little... pride.