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

Zhao Dagen said, "When I first arrived in the prefectural city, I was unfamiliar with the place and the people. It was my master's wife and Miss Mu who took care of me, and I have always been very grateful to them. Miss Mu is my master's wife's daughter. I originally had no feelings for her, and Miss Mu already had a fiancé, so I only regarded her as a younger sister."

“I even saved up money to add to her dowry when she got married.”

"But what I didn't expect was that Miss Mu's wedding date was approaching..."

Even the usually good-natured Zhao Dagen gritted his teeth and said, "Miss Mu's fiancé has actually had a lover outside, and that lover is even pregnant."

"Miss Mu's fiancé threatened to kill himself to force his family to marry his lover. Miss Mu's fiancé's father had no choice but to agree and personally went to the Mu family to break off the engagement. This was not Miss Mu's fault, but the neighbors started gossiping about her, and Miss Mu became increasingly depressed."

"My master and mistress also sighed and lamented about this every day."

Sister-in-law Zhao retorted, "So, you went to ask Miss Mu for her hand in marriage? Didn't your master and mistress beat you up?"

It wasn't that Sister Zhao thought her son was inferior to others, but rather that by looking at the kind of husband Master Mu had chosen for Miss Mu, one could understand the Mu family's financial situation.

Being called a wealthy merchant in the prefectural city means that Miss Mu's fiancé's family owns more than just a few shops.

What is Zhao Dagen? He's just an apprentice. He takes advantage of his master's daughter being jilted to propose to her. Isn't that looking down on her?

Zhao's sister-in-law sneered. If it were her, and someone looked down on her daughter like that, she would definitely beat the man out.

Zhao Dagen remained silent for a while before speaking to his wife, Zhao: "Mother, I have no other thoughts. I really want to marry Miss Mu. Before, Miss Mu had a fiancé, so I couldn't and dared not like her. Now that she's not fiancé, if I don't try, I'll have no chance."

With a serious look in his eyes, he said to Sister Zhao, "My master and mistress have expressed their feelings for Miss Mu. They didn't say anything, only that you and my father need to go over and discuss it in detail."

Zhao Dagen was originally a quiet person, but now he has said so much. It would be impossible for Zhao's wife not to be moved.

But she closed her eyes, and her son still didn't tell her the truth.

Opening her closed eyes, Sister Zhao raised her hand and said to Zhao Dagen, "People say that children are debts owed by their parents in their past lives. I didn't think so before, but now I realize that I really did owe you in my past life."

After saying that, Sister Zhao didn't say anything more and got up to leave.

Watching his mother's departing figure, Zhao Dagen opened his mouth, but in the end, he kept it closed.

He turned to look at Gu Lin, who was still standing to the side, and a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes as he said, "Uncle Gu, my mother listens to you the most. Could you please help me persuade her?"

Seeing that Zhao Dagen, who was usually clueless about social interactions, was now saying such things, Gu Lin did not immediately agree.

He said to Zhao Dagen, "Dagen, if you don't tell me the truth, how am I supposed to persuade your sister-in-law? Do you want her to be kept in the dark until she goes to the Mu family to propose marriage and find out what you're trying to hide?"

"You even have to hide the potential problems with your own marriage from your parents. Aren't you hurting your sister-in-law's feelings?"

Zhao Dagen's lips trembled, and he said in a deep voice, "Uncle Gu, I have my reasons. I didn't mean to hide it from my mother."

Gu Lin retorted, "What difficulties? We know nothing if you don't tell us. Since you haven't been honest with yourselves, how can you expect your sister-in-law to understand your difficulties?"

After Gu Lin finished speaking, Zhao Dagen's expression darkened considerably.

He was silent for a moment, then said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, let me tell you something. I hope you can persuade my mother more when the time comes."

Gu Lin straightened his expression. Something that Zhao Dagen, who was stubborn and never hid anything from his family, had to keep from him was not so simple.

As Zhao Dagen spoke, a hint of heartache flashed across his dull eyes. He said, "The matter of Miss Mu being jilted by the wealthy businessman's son is not as simple as I've described."

"That day, the master's wife and Miss Mu went out of the city to the temple to worship Buddha. The master's wife prayed in front of the Buddha, and Miss Mu happened to go to see the lotus flowers in the temple. Unexpectedly, she met the lover of the rich merchant's son by the lotus pond."

"As the two were talking, they somehow got into an argument, and then Miss Mu fell into the lotus pond. The pond was deep, and none of the other female guests around could swim, so no one went down to rescue her. Finally, a man jumped into the pond and pulled Miss Mu out."

"At that time, a lot of people gathered by the lotus pond. Many people saw that Miss Mu had fallen into the water and was rescued by a stranger. When the wealthy merchant's family heard about it, they felt that Miss Mu's reputation had been ruined. Coincidentally, the wealthy merchant's son was making a fuss about marrying his lover, so the wealthy merchant went to the door to break off the engagement for his son."

"Although the victim was Miss Mu, she was not only jilted by her fiancé, but also had to endure public opinion from the surrounding area. Neighbors came one by one to persuade her master and mistress to marry their junior sister to the man who saved her."

Zhao Dagen's eyes burned with rage: "But that man is already over thirty years old, not only a widower, but also has two children. How could Master and Mistress bear to marry Miss Mu to such a man? They sigh and lament at home every day. Miss Mu couldn't bear to see Master and Mistress worrying about her like this, so she said she was willing to marry the man who saved her."

At this point, Zhao Dagen's eyes were filled with pity, as if Miss Mu were right in front of him: "If Miss Mu were to marry into a good family, I would naturally act as a good senior brother and send her off on her wedding day. But now she is forced to marry a widower, how could I just stand by and watch? I didn't think about much else at the time, I only knew that I couldn't let Miss Mu marry that man, so I immediately knelt down in front of my master and mistress and begged to marry Miss Mu."

Gu Lin frowned, realizing that Zhao Dagen's story about the wooden girl was far more complicated than he had imagined. He understood why Zhao Dagen didn't dare tell his wife the truth.

In today's world, people impose many harsh restrictions on women and men. Not only was Miss Mu's engagement broken off, but she was also touched by a strange man, something many men would find unacceptable.

Gu Lin looked up and saw Zhao Dagen's expression. He noticed that the other man showed no discomfort when the matter was brought up, only pity and tenderness for the girl he mentioned.

After rubbing his fingers together, Gu Lin asked Zhao Dagen, "Are you now so desperate for her?"

Zhao Dagen raised his head. He always kept his head down and didn't like to make eye contact with others. Now he looked directly at Gu Lin and said in a slightly deep but solemn voice, "I beg Uncle Gu to grant my request. I have been in love with Miss Mu for a long time and I can't live without her."

Zhao Dagen said that's true, but how could a man not understand another man?

Now that he likes Mu, he feels no sympathy or compassion for everything she has gone through. But what if their feelings gradually fade and Zhao Dagen no longer loves Mu? Will he bring up the past again?

Gu Lin, being a man himself, never underestimated the fickleness of men.

He went straight to the point, saying to Zhao Dagen, "Miss Mu has lost all her reputation because she was rescued by a stranger. If you marry her, you will hear a lot of gossip in the future. Can you guarantee that you will never listen to it, will not mind it, and will not develop any estrangement from Miss Mu?"

"Uncle Gu."

Zhao Dagen's expression was no longer as wooden as usual. He thought for a moment and said, "Plain reputation is nothing compared to Miss Mu's life. Since I have decided to marry Miss Mu, I will not care about this matter. If anyone talks about this to me in the future, I will not allow them to tarnish Miss Mu's reputation."

After Zhao Dagen finished speaking, the private room fell silent.

After a long while, Gu Lin spoke to Zhao Dagen: "I will try to persuade your sister-in-law, but don't have too high expectations."

Although Gu Lin felt sorry for Miss Mu, Zhao's wife was the most important person to him.

If Sister-in-law Zhao still disagrees with the marriage, Gu Lin will not try to persuade her otherwise.

He got up to leave, but before he reached the door, Gu Lin paused and turned to Zhao Dagen, saying, "Dagen, have you ever considered that Miss Mu's fall into the water might not have been an accident?"

After Gu Lin finished speaking, he turned and left, leaving Zhao Dagen standing there for a long time, unable to come back to his senses.

After leaving Xingfu Building, Gu Lin did not go directly to Sister Zhao. She was in a bad mood, and even if he went to talk to her, she wouldn't listen.

Daylight passed quickly, and Gu Lin timed it perfectly, waiting for Zheng Hao to come out of the examination hall before the county examination ended.

The candidates walked out of the examination room one after another. Because there were too many people in front of him, Gu Lin did not get very close.

He stood on tiptoe and craned his neck, searching for Zheng Hao's figure in the crowd. When he finally spotted a familiar figure, he waved loudly and called out, "Xiao Hao, over here!"

The figure, upright as a pine or bamboo, paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over without hesitation. When his eyes landed on Gu Lin, Zheng Hao immediately stepped forward.

When Zheng Hao walked up to him, Gu Lin reached out and took the basket from him, asking, "Are you tired?"

Looking away from the slightly lighter bamboo basket compared to the morning, Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, "I'm not tired."

Gu Lin didn't ask how the exam went, but simply said, "My sister-in-law has prepared dinner at home, let's go back and eat."

Because of Gu Lin's instructions, when Zheng Hao returned home, neither Zhao's wife nor Yu's son asked him how the exam went.

Upon seeing Zhao Dagen at home, Zheng Hao was somewhat surprised: "Brother Dagen."

After three years apart, Zheng Hao had undergone a complete transformation in both appearance and temperament.

The boy now bears no trace of his former wildness. His face is as cold and refined as jade, and his figure is as sturdy as a pine or cypress. He is just like the scholars and officials of the prefectural city. Although he does not speak, his aura is indescribable.

If they were to meet on the street, Zhao Dagen felt he might not even dare to acknowledge Zheng Hao.

He snapped out of his daze, looked at Zheng Hao, and hesitated before speaking, "Little..."

Zhao Dagen found that he could no longer call the other person by their old names.

Zheng Hao noticed it too, and he said, "Brother Dagen, just call me Zheng Hao."

Zhao Dagen couldn't bring himself to call him Xiao Hao, but since the other party had provided a solution, and he wasn't one to dwell on things, he simply called him Zheng Hao.

After dinner, Zheng Hao was urged by Gu Lin to take a bath and go to bed early.

Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin with some helplessness, "Uncle Gu, there are five sessions in the county examination. The results will be announced two days after the first session ends. Only those who are on the list can enter the second session. I can only take the exam in four or five days at the earliest."

So you don't need to go to bed so early.

Gu Lin straightened up, then raised an eyebrow at Zheng Hao and said, "You're not as cute as you were when you were little. If I say one thing to you now, you'll say several more. The child has grown up and doesn't like to listen to elders nagging anymore."

Gu Lin was just joking when he said that, but Zheng Hao straightened his expression and raised his head slightly.

He is now about the same height as Gu Lin, both over seven feet tall, but Gu Lin is still a bit taller than him, so Zheng Hao has to look up slightly when they make eye contact.

Zheng Hao looked serious and said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, I have absolutely no such intention."

Gu Lin knew, of course, that he was just joking and didn't mean anything by it, but seeing Zheng Hao take it seriously, especially when he saw the boy's solemn expression and the seriousness in his eyes, Gu Lin was a little afraid to meet his gaze.

Gu Lin said, "I misspoke, please don't take it seriously. I know you are the most filial."

As they talked, Gu Lin remembered something that happened three years ago.

At that time, he developed a high fever at night because he played too much during the day. Zheng Hao, who was a child, stayed up all night to take care of him when he was seriously ill.

Feeling guilty for joking with him like that, Gu Lin said to Zheng Hao, "I won't say such things again."

Looking at Uncle Gu apologizing to him, Zheng Hao felt no joy at all.

In his mind, Uncle Gu would never be wrong. Since the other party could point out where he had done wrong, it meant that he had indeed done wrong and that it was he who needed to change, not the other party.

Zheng Hao stepped forward and said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu is right."

As Zheng Hao finished speaking, Gu Lin looked somewhat bewildered. When he looked at Zheng Hao, he happened to see the seriousness hidden in the other's dark eyes.

Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu's actions are all for my own good. What's wrong with that? In the past three years, if Uncle Gu hadn't kept reminding me to stay healthy, I probably would have been shivering with cold like everyone else during the county exam, instead of answering the questions with a steady hand."

Gu Lin, who had initially regretted his thoughtless words, now felt, after hearing Zheng Hao's words, that he had made a mountain out of a molehill.

Hearing Zheng Hao's praise, Gu Lin felt a little embarrassed to stay any longer and said, "It's getting late, I should head back now."

Looking at the wooden window rattling in the wind, Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, "It's cold at night, let me boil some hot water for Uncle Gu to soak his feet."

Gu Lin shook his head slightly and said, "You should concentrate on the county examination now and not focus your energy on these things. I can burn them myself."

Zheng Hao frowned slightly and disagreed, saying, "The kitchen is cold, how can Uncle Gu stay there? I'll go boil some water and bring it to Uncle Gu's room. Uncle Gu just needs to light the charcoal brazier and wait there."

That's right. Because Gu Lin was weak, his bedroom was still burning charcoal even though everyone else had already removed the charcoal braziers in February.

Sister-in-law Zhao and Zheng Hao kept a close eye on him, fearing that he would fall seriously ill at the slightest provocation.

Therefore, even in spring, charcoal would still be burned wherever Gu Lin was.

Faced with this, Gu Lin, who had caught a cold last autumn and was recuperating in bed, complained to Zhao's wife that if he hadn't made money, he would have frozen to death in the winter.

Then, he was scolded mercilessly by Sister Zhao and was confined at home for more than a month to recover from his illness before he could leave.

Gu Lin still disagreed with Zheng Hao's offer to boil water for him, saying, "I'll have my sister-in-law and Brother Yu help me."

Zheng Hao's eyes held a cold indifference that seemed to know everything: "Auntie is currently sulking with Brother Dagen. Uncle Yu runs back and forth between Xingfuju and Xingfulou during the day, working very hard. He's probably asleep by now."

Zheng Hao's words were all reasonable, and Gu Lin could not argue with him. Knowing that Zheng Hao was stubborn, Gu Lin had no choice but to compromise and say, "Fine."

Even the words "thank you for your trouble" and "thank you for your hard work" cannot be used. Gu Lin used to say these things, but at some point, Zheng Hao began to say to him with a serious expression: "As a junior, it is only right for me to serve Uncle Gu. Uncle Gu does not need to thank me."

After this happened several times, Gu Lin stopped talking about it.