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

Zheng Hao was somewhat confused.

It wasn't until Gu Lin spoke that Zheng Hao understood why the other person had changed like this.

Zheng Hao said, "The annual examination is merely a comparison among people of the same stage; it's not a particularly impressive thing."

Gu Lin disagreed, pointing out that the other party had won first place in the county: "No matter what, you won first place, which means that few people in the county at the same level can match your ability."

"You're the best!"

Seeing Gu Lin's proud and appreciative expression, Zheng Hao did not continue to refute.

He looked up, his dark eyes meeting the young man before him who seemed to have complete faith in him, and said softly, "Thank you, Uncle Gu."

Looking at the well-behaved and sensible teenager in front of him, Gu Lin originally did not want to tell the other party about Aunt Li's arranged marriage.

In his eyes, Zheng Hao is just a child, and his primary task now is to study hard and grow up healthily, rather than being affected by these emotional matters.

But Gu Lin couldn't help but recall Zhao's sister-in-law's indifferent attitude towards the matter, and then he thought of the ancient custom that both men and women got married very early.

Gu Lin hesitated for a moment, looking at Zheng Hao, who had grown taller than when they first met.

Judging by Zheng Hao's age, he would indeed be a minor in modern times. But in ancient times, a twelve-year-old boy would be the starting point for many families to look for a marriage partner.

In less particular families, it's not impossible for a boy of this age to get married and have children.

Although Gu Lin did not support Zheng Hao's early marriage and pregnancy, he felt that Zheng Hao was still entitled to know about his marriage.

However, despite his words, Gu Lin still considered that teenagers are in a rather sensitive stage.

He didn't bluntly tell Zheng Hao that someone had taken a liking to him.

Gu Lin carefully chose his words before asking Zheng Hao, "Xiao Hao, do you have someone you like?"

After speaking, Gu Lin lowered his eyes slightly, carefully observing the changes in Zheng Hao's expression.

Don't underestimate a twelve-year-old's age and think that the other person is just a primary school student who has just entered junior high school and is ignorant about relationships.

Gu Lin had seen many elementary school students dating back in modern times. People in ancient times matured earlier than in modern times, so it's not surprising that Zheng Hao had someone he liked.

When Zheng Hao saw that Uncle Gu's relaxed expression had faded and his face had become slightly serious, he thought something had happened.

He went through all the big and small things that had happened at home and in Xingfuju recently, but found nothing amiss.

Zheng Hao raised his head slightly and looked at the young man with a slightly furrowed brow, until the other man opened his mouth slightly and said something that made him feel puzzled.

"Xiao Hao?"

Seeing that Zheng Hao had not answered for a long time, Gu Lin's heart sank, and related books such as "Preventing Early Romantic Relationships in Teenagers" and "How to Deal with Early Romantic Relationships in Teenagers" flashed through his mind.

Although Zheng Hao is usually well-behaved and sensible, he is a stubborn person.

If the other person has someone they like, you shouldn't interfere excessively or forcefully. You should act as an understanding elder, patiently guiding them to understand the meaning and significance of love and responsibility, and helping them grow gradually.

After thinking it through, Gu Lin calmed down a little.

Many ideas flashed through his mind, all trying to figure out how to persuade Zheng Hao.

Zheng Hao was unaware that Uncle Gu had already worried about him a great deal in such a short period of time.

Zheng Hao's face, which had lost some of its baby fat the following year, became slightly serious. He looked at Gu Lin with great seriousness and said, "I don't have anyone I like. Why do you ask this, Uncle Gu?"

After hearing the first half of Zheng Hao's sentence, Gu Lin felt completely relieved, but the breath he was holding was still not completely released.

The fact that Aunt Li had secretly proposed marriage to him was a wake-up call for Gu Lin. Gu Lin looked at Zheng Hao, who was completely oblivious in front of him, and decided not to hide it from him anymore. Gu Lin told him directly what had happened that afternoon.

After listening, Zheng Hao frowned.

They were afraid that the other party would harbor resentment towards Aunt Li because of this incident, leading to poor neighborly relations.

Gu Lin said, "Don't worry, Aunt Li just came to test the waters. I've already refused, so you don't need to take it to heart and let it affect your studies and life. I will definitely respect your opinion on your marriage and will never use the rules of parents and matchmakers to constrain you or arrange a marriage for you in a blind or silent way."

"...Uncle Gu..."

Zheng Hao's mood did not improve because of Gu Lin's words.

He looked at the young man in front of him, whose expression was gentle and comforting.

Does the other person know what they are saying?

Although Zheng Hao was only twelve years old, he had learned a lot about marriage between men and women, both in the village and at school.

Gouzi would often whisper about his family affairs to Zheng Hao. When Gouzi's older brother got married, Gouzi's mother held onto the woman he was going to marry very tightly.

Originally, Brother Gouzi wanted to marry a lively young man, but Brother Gouzi's mother took a fancy to another girl who spoke softly and gently.

Gouzi said his mother knew his older brother wasn't satisfied with that girl, so she directly explained to him that after marriage, the two of them would be living together through the mundane realities of daily life. She said if one of them was too assertive, they would argue over every little thing, and then their life together would be impossible.

Dog's older brother couldn't refuse his mother's request and agreed to the marriage. Dog originally thought that his older brother would not get along with his new sister-in-law, but to his surprise, the next day, he saw his older brother talking to his sister-in-law with a low smile.

The dog thought his mother had chosen a good marriage for his older brother, but at night when he was sleeping, he heard his mother and father whispering to each other.

Dog's mother: "Look, isn't the wife I picked for my eldest son wonderful? She's gentle and mild-mannered. If we had married that other boy, he would have been stubborn and that other boy would have been strong-willed. We would have had to worry about them for the rest of our lives."

Dog's dad chimed in, "You picked a good one!"

Dog's mother said, "That's right! According to the village rules, we're supposed to live with the eldest son when we get old. If he really marries a strong woman, it'll be fine if she's good-natured, but if she shows any bad signs, neither you nor I will have a good life afterward."

Not only did Gouzi's mother think this way, but Zheng Hao also discovered that in his school, the marriages of his classmates who were already married at the age of fifteen or sixteen were all decided by their parents and elders.

They had no freedom when it came to their own marriage; they could only choose the woman they were most satisfied with from among those selected by their parents.

An older classmate told them, "You must listen to your elders when it comes to marriage. Your parents may not choose your favorite wife, but she may be the most suitable one to live with. A virtuous wife will bring fewer troubles."

Uncle Gu, however, bluntly stated that he had no say in his marriage.

A slight panic arose in Zheng Hao's calm heart. Was it because Uncle Gu didn't want him to take care of him in his old age?

Since they were destined not to live together, it didn't matter what kind of woman he married.

Originally, Zheng Hao had no feelings about getting married, but now that he knew that Uncle Gu would likely distance himself from him after he got married, or even stop living with him, Zheng Hao found it hard to bear.

An idea gradually took root in Zheng Hao's mind as he looked at Gu Lin in front of him.

He doesn't like interacting with outsiders, let alone living under the same roof, eating, and talking with a stranger.

Moreover, with another person present, Uncle Gu's attention will definitely be diverted to the other party.

No, Zheng Hao's eyes were deep and somber.

It's possible that after I get married, Uncle Gu will immediately move out and live with me.

It can only be said that Zheng Hao's intuition is very accurate in certain aspects.

Although Gu Lin is a man, he has seen many mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts in modern times. He believes that a large part of the reason why there are so many mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts is that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law live together.

Gu Lin is now a young man. If Zheng Hao gets married, Gu Lin will become the mother-in-law in front of his wife.

Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts, Gu Lin felt that it would be better for him to live separately from Zheng Hao after they got married.

However, Zheng Hao would not allow this to happen.

However, his precocious nature from a young age prevented him from saying in a childish manner, "I will not get married in the future." Not only would Gu Lin not believe it, but he himself would find such words laughable and ridiculous.

However, this did not prevent Zheng Hao from making up his mind not to marry.

He looked at the young man in front of him, his dark eyes shining brightly, and all his words finally turned into one sentence: "Uncle Gu, I will not let you down."

He will grow up well, get what he wants, and stay with Uncle Gu forever, not letting anyone interfere or disturb his and Uncle Gu's life.

Hearing Zheng Hao's words, Gu Lin was very pleased, feeling that his communication with the other party had been effective.

Zheng Hao was indeed extremely intelligent. He only gave a few pointers and hadn't even started acting as a caring older brother yet. Before the other party could communicate further in detail, they understood his meaning.

Gu Lin, who had been worried about not being able to raise the child well, felt a surge of pride, a satisfaction he had never felt before, even when he earned hundreds of taels of silver.

His eyes darted slightly upwards; it seemed that educating children couldn't be done head-on, but rather with a more tactful and gentle approach.

The thick-skinned Gu Lin ignored Zheng Hao's slightly somber expression, assuming that the other was reflecting on and processing his words.

Who said no?

The young man's words completely disturbed the mind of the teenager. Zheng Hao was afraid that he would hurt Uncle Gu, who raised and loved him, because of his own selfishness in the future, so he made a vow in his heart.

How can this not be considered a form of reflection?

After resolving Zheng Hao's matter, Gu Lin focused wholeheartedly on the business of Xingfuju. Meanwhile, Aunt Li acted as if she hadn't privately proposed marriage, greeting Gu Lin and Zhao's wife as usual when they met.

The next few days were peaceful. One evening, as the shop was closing, Sister Zhao asked Gu Lin, "Brother Lin, didn't you say the other day that you were going to hire another helper?"

Gu Lin was thinking about what to eat for dinner when he heard Zhao's words and casually replied, "Yes."

Afterwards, he realized what was happening and turned to ask Sister Zhao, "Sister-in-law, do you have any good candidates to recommend?"

In fact, not long after Xingfuju opened, Gu Lin had the idea of ​​hiring.

Now is not the time when he was short of money to start his business. Gu Lin didn't want to spend all day working in the shop, and he also didn't want Zhao Saozi to work too hard. However, he couldn't find a suitable replacement, so he delayed the process.

Sister Zhao nodded and said, "I have someone here who is straightforward, generous, hardworking and capable, but I don't know if you mind?"

After hearing what the other person said, Gu Lin thought for a moment and asked, "Did my sister-in-law introduce me to someone from Xiahe Village?"

Sister Zhao nodded and said, "Yes, that person is the daughter-in-law of Master Chen, named Yu Ge'er. She has been married for three or four years. Her family is poor, and her husband's family has been destitute because of the deaths of several elders and the holding of several funerals. When I heard you say you were looking for workers, I thought of her."

If Zhao's wife were to mention someone else, Gu Lin would definitely not have any recollection of them, but it just so happens that she was referring to Brother Yu.

Gu Lin said, "What a coincidence. I ran into him when I went to the village chief's house to buy pork. Although we didn't talk much, I could tell that he was a person who acted with discretion."

"How about this, sister-in-law, have Brother Zhao tell their family to let Brother Yu come for an interview."

Seeing that Gu Lin didn't mind at all that she had recommended someone from Xiahe Village, Sister Zhao breathed a slight sigh of relief.

If it weren't for Yu Ge'er's kind nature and frequent help to the villagers, she wouldn't have brought this up.

Sister-in-law Zhao said, "Okay, I'll have him come over tomorrow afternoon."

True to her word, Sister Zhao arrived the next afternoon in Brother Zhao's oxcart.

At this time, there weren't many customers in the shop yet. When Gu Lin saw Yu Ge'er, he led him to the house behind Xingfuju.

"Brother Yu, please sit down."

Upon entering the room, Gu Lin asked the uneasy Yu Ge'er to sit down.

Yu Ge'er was filled with anxiety the entire way from Xiahe Village to the county town. Yesterday, when he learned from Brother Zhao that Gu Lin was willing to give him a chance, Yu Ge'er was thrilled.

But then, thinking about whether he could pass Gu Lin's test, Yu Ge'er couldn't help but get nervous.

Gu Lin noticed the other person's nervousness and said, "Let me tell you about what Zhao's wife and I do in the shop."

Seeing that Gu Lin didn't ask him any questions directly, Yu Ge'er was a little confused, but his tense nerves gradually relaxed.

Gu Lin poured Yu Ge'er a bowl of drink and said, "I don't know if your sister-in-law has told you that working at Xingfuju will be very tiring."

“Every day before dawn, we have to process all kinds of vegetables and meats. Spring and summer are okay, but in autumn and winter, my sister-in-law and I can still feel the bone-chilling cold when we wash the ingredients, even though we wear gloves. The subsequent blanching, mixing, frying and cooking are not easy tasks either. My sister-in-law and I work from the moment we open our eyes until night before we can catch our breath.”

“Repeating this process every day is tiring and exhausting, and it can cause illness in the long run. If you can’t accept it, then you shouldn’t come.”

Half of what Gu Lin said was true, but washing ingredients with hands soaked in cold water in autumn and winter was an exaggeration.

How could Gu Lin let himself and Sister-in-law Zhao suffer? As soon as the weather turned cold, he hired two young women from the neighborhood to help clean the ingredients.

Originally, these two were the candidates Gu Lin had his eye on for hiring, but because they both had young children at home who needed to be fed, they could only work as laborers, so Gu Lin had to hire someone else.

Although Sister Zhao had given her a guarantee beforehand, the villagers of Xiahe Village had taught Gu Lin a lesson earlier. Therefore, Gu Lin deliberately exaggerated how hard the work at Xingfuju was.

Most people would hesitate and back down after hearing such words, but Gu Lin was able to accept this behavior.

But he couldn't accept people who were unwilling to do things yet were full of greed.

Gu Lin looked at Yu Ge'er in front of him, wanting to see what kind of person he was.