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

Sister Zhao frowned and said to Gu Lin, "Brother Lin, ever since Da Gen came back from the prefectural city, whenever I ask him about anything related to Miss Mu, he stammers or says nothing at all. How can I let them go with peace of mind?"

Seeing that Zhao's sister-in-law wouldn't budge without telling the truth, Gu Lin said to her, "Sister-in-law, I learned some things from Da Gen. Don't be angry after hearing it. Da Gen must have thought it through before coming back to talk to you about this marriage."

Sister-in-law Zhao said, "Go ahead."

Gu Lin then revealed the misfortune that Miss Mu had suffered, which Zhao Dagen had concealed.

As he spoke, he observed Zhao's expression, noticing that it was growing increasingly somber.

Gu Lin stopped and tentatively asked, "Sister-in-law?"

“I told you so, I told you so,” Zhao’s sister-in-law said through gritted teeth, “Why would a wooden stake suddenly bring up marriage?”

Seeing the constantly changing expression on Zhao's wife's face, Gu Lin said, "Sister-in-law, about this marriage..."

He couldn't say anything good about Zhao Dagen. The marriage was a sensitive and important matter, and his parents and relatives couldn't say much about it, so he couldn't say much either.

However, judging from Zhao's sister-in-law's behavior, Gu Lin felt that Zhao Dagen and Miss Mu's marriage was probably not going to go so smoothly.

Zhao's wife took a breath, trying to calm her anger, and then she looked at Gu Lin and said, "He's just a blockhead. If he had said something earlier, none of this would have happened. A grown man, all he does is fuss and cause trouble."

The more Gu Lin listened, the more something seemed off. It seemed that Zhao's sister-in-law didn't seem to be opposed to the marriage.

He tentatively asked Sister Zhao, "Sister-in-law, you don't dislike Miss Mu anymore?"

Sister-in-law Zhao looked at Gu Lin with a slightly strange expression and asked, "Why would I hate her?"

Gu Lin said, "She was jilted and then rescued by a stranger after falling into the water."

The lines around Zhao's eyes deepened as she said, "It's not her fault."

"Miss Mu was jilted by the man, which was a breach of faith on his part; she herself did nothing wrong. Besides, what's wrong with being rescued from the water? Should she die in the lotus pond for the sake of some so-called reputation?"

“I don’t mind these things. You’re young and don’t know. In the past, there were more men than women in the countryside. Many men were single and couldn’t find wives. Not to mention young girls, even widows were sought after.”

"Just like nowadays, many families are willing to marry good women and men who have been married twice or three times. Because they have given birth, they are more reliable in terms of continuing the family line than young girls and boys who have not had children."

“Wealthy families may value the purity of a woman and a man, but we ordinary families don’t have so many rules. Miss Mu was just rescued and touched. There’s no need for so many taboos,” Zhao’s wife said, waving her hand.

Gu Lin opened his eyes slightly; Zhao's sister-in-law's open-mindedness was quite a shock to him.

He doesn't care about these things because he is a man and has been influenced by modern ideas, so he doesn't care about so-called chastity.

But to his surprise, neither Sister Zhao, who was an ancient native, nor Zhao Dagen cared about any of this.

For the first time, Gu Lin was struck by their forward-thinking ideas. Seeing Gu Lin's stunned expression, Sister Zhao smiled and said, "What's so surprising about that? Do you think all men in the world are like those officials, who don't have to worry about finding a wife?"

Gu Lin snapped out of his daze and asked, "So, sister-in-law, do you agree to this marriage?"

After hearing Gu Lin's words, Zhao's wife shook her head and said, "This is a major event in my life. I haven't even met the Mu family yet, how could I agree so hastily?"

Suddenly, the door was opened.

Gu Lin and Sister-in-law Zhao turned around and saw Zhao Dagen walk in from outside. He looked at Sister-in-law Zhao and asked in a hoarse voice, "Mother, do you mean you're willing to go to the prefectural city to see Master and the others?"

Even though she had just learned the whole story and why Zhao Dagen hadn't told her the truth, Zhao's wife still didn't give her a friendly look and said, "If I don't go, you'll probably be following me around with a long face all day."

"Mother..." After hearing what Zhao's sister-in-law said, Zhao Dagen didn't know what to say for a moment.

Seeing him like this, Sister Zhao got angry and said, "Neither your father nor I are mute, so how did we give birth to such a saw-mouthed gourd like you?"

"You're afraid I'll mind Miss Mu's matter? You brat, don't you even think about who raised you? You don't mind, so why would I?" Zhao's wife couldn't help but scold.

After hearing what Zhao's sister-in-law said, Zhao Dagen was deeply moved and felt a great deal of guilt.

He wanted to say something to his mother, but Zhao's wife didn't want to see him and waved him away, saying, "Get out, get out, I hate seeing you."

Zhao Dagen had no choice but to put the hot water he was carrying on the table, seeing that his own mother really didn't like him. He then said to his sister-in-law and Gu Lin, "Mother, Uncle Gu should rest early tonight. I'll go back first."

After seeing that Sister-in-law Zhao and Zhao Dagen had explained the situation, Gu Lin felt relieved and returned to his bedroom.

.

Two days later, the results of the county examination were released, and Zheng Hao once again came in first place. In five consecutive examinations, Zheng Hao's name was at the top of the list.

As a result, Zheng Hao's name appeared more and more frequently in conversations among students from various academies.

For a time, Zheng Hao gained some fame among the scholars in the county.

But Zheng Hao remained calm and composed. He first informed Xu Xiucai, and then went home to study under the pretext of preparing for the prefectural and provincial examinations.

So when the students from Wuliu Academy and other academies, who were curious about Zheng Hao, arrived at Wuliu Academy, they couldn't find Zheng Hao anywhere.

After learning about Miss Mu's story, Sister Zhao's originally unwavering heart was moved.

Immediately afterwards, she and Brother Zhao followed Zhao Dagen to the prefectural city to see the Mu family.

More than ten days later, the two returned from the prefectural city.

Gu Lin went to the county town gate to pick them up. Seeing the two of them getting out of the car with big smiles on their faces, Gu Lin asked, "Is this a happy ending?"

Sister Zhao nodded, her lips curving upwards in a smile that never faded. She said to Gu Lin, "I met that Miss Mu. She's incredibly beautiful and kind. Da Gen is really lucky this time."

Seeing Zhao's sister-in-law's evaluation, Gu Lin felt relieved.

Immediately afterwards, Sister Zhao said, "The wedding is set for next year, but we still need to look into the specific date. However, the Mu family and I both intend to hold it in the prefectural city."

A hint of doubt flashed in Gu Lin's eyes as he asked, "Is Da Gen going to live in the prefectural city?"

Sister Zhao nodded and said, "He and Miss Mu both want to go back to the county town. They said they want to take care of me and your Brother Zhao. But your Brother Zhao and I are strong and healthy. We don't need them to take care of us."

"Besides, since they can stay in the prefectural city, why come back? Da Gen's skills can only be appreciated in big cities, so I told them to stay in the prefectural city after they get married."

After listening to what Sister Zhao said, Gu Lin agreed: "Indeed, just like when we moved from Xiahe Village to the county town, the prefectural city is definitely more convenient and prosperous than the county town. If we can stay here, it's better not to come back."

The two talked until they got home. Seeing that Sister-in-law Zhao and Brother Zhao looked a little tired, Gu Lin told them to go and rest.

Then, Gu Lin turned and went to Zheng Hao's study.

He went inside and saw Zheng Hao standing behind the table writing something. Gu Lin didn't go up to disturb him, but instead took a travelogue from the bookshelf next to him, walked to the stool, sat down, and started reading.

The books in the study were all bought by Zheng Hao. In addition to Confucian classics, Zheng Hao also bought a lot of miscellaneous books.

Among them, Gu Lin's favorite books are travelogues from various places.

The travelogue wasn't thick, and Gu Lin finished reading it quickly.

Gu Lin slightly raised his head, wanting to relax his slightly sore eyes, but he saw Zheng Hao sitting down next to him at some point.

In fact, Zheng Hao had noticed Gu Lin as soon as he entered the study, but he was so familiar with Gu Lin's footsteps that he continued writing when he realized it was him.

Gu Lin put down his travelogue and asked Zheng Hao, "The prefectural examination is in April. When should we set off for the prefectural city?"

Now that it's the end of March, Zheng Hao has already calculated the time and said, "Mid-April, the exam will start at the end of April."

Gu Lin said, "That's about right. I'll talk to Sister Zhao and Brother Yu and they'll go with you then."

Zheng Hao nodded, and then Gu Lin said, "The two of us alone aren't enough. Should we bring Brother Liu along?"

Brother Zhao had just returned from the prefectural city, and Gu Lin didn't want to trouble him. Seeing Gu Lin pondering with difficulty, Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, don't worry, I've already found someone."

Gu Lin was slightly surprised: "Is the other party reliable?"

Zheng Hao said, "Reliable."

So Gu Lin didn't ask any further questions.

Mid April.

Nowadays, Xingfuju and Xingfulou are mostly managed by Sister Zhao and Brother Yu, so before leaving the county town, Gu Lin gave a few instructions and then set off for the prefectural city with Zheng Hao.

As Gu Lin left the county town, he saw the person Zheng Hao was looking for.

The man was around twenty or thirty years old, tall and strong, with a stern face. Upon seeing him, he said, "Boss Gu."

Gu Lin nodded and greeted him, "May I ask how I should address this gentleman?"

"My name is Niu Qiang. Mr. Gu, you can just call me by my name."

Niu Qiang chuckled, exuding an honest and simple air, but in his heart he was thinking, "If you call me 'Big Brother,' do you think that kid next to you will let me off the hook?"

Gu Lin, unaware of the other's thoughts, said, "Since you're older than me, I'll just call you Brother Niu."

As soon as Gu Lin finished speaking, Zheng Hao's cool gaze fell on Niu Qiang.

Niu Qiang felt a chill run down his spine. Just as he was about to speak, Zheng Hao said, "Since Uncle Gu has said so, let's call him that."

"Okay!" Seeing that the other party had spoken, Niu Qiang did not hesitate.

Gu Lin sensed that something was off between Zheng Hao and Niu Qiang, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

However, Gu Lin was soon drawn to the ever-changing scenery along the way, and had no time to think about anything else.

The county town was not far from the prefectural city, about a three- or four-day journey, which is why Zheng Hao dared to set off in mid-April.

Sitting on the donkey cart, Gu Lin, who was not usually carsick, began to feel unwell as the journey lengthened and the sun grew stronger.

He leaned uncomfortably against the donkey cart.

Seeing that the young man beside him was slightly pale and his usually pink lips were bloodless, Zheng Hao moved closer, helped him up and leaned him against him, and asked, "Uncle Gu, are you feeling unwell?"

Compared to the cold, hard wooden cart, the donkey cart felt much more comfortable and softer to lean against, and Gu Lin felt that the bumps were much less.

Zheng Hao opened the water pouch and held it to Gu Lin's lips. Gu Lin lowered his head slightly, opened his mouth slightly, and drank.

After finishing the drink, he was still pale and lay uncomfortably in Zheng Hao's arms, saying, "It's nothing, I probably just have a bit of heatstroke."

After hearing Gu Lin's words, Zheng Hao turned to Niu Qiang and said, "Bring me the medicine box."

Niu Qiang stopped the donkey cart, walked to the back of the cart, and brought over a medicine box.

Zheng Hao took the medicine box and opened it, only to find it filled with various bottles and jars.

He took out a small bottle, poured out a pill, and fed it to Gu Lin: "Uncle Gu, take your medicine, and you'll feel better."

Gu Lin's lips parted slightly, but he was too tired to lower his head and put the pill in his mouth. So he stuck out his tongue and took the pill from Zheng Hao's hand.

Feeling the slight dampness and warmth emanating from his palm, Zheng Hao paused for a moment, then quickly reacted, handing over the water pouch so Gu Lin could drink water and take his medicine.

Watching Zheng Hao feed Gu Lin medicine, Niu Qiang, who was usually thick-skinned, felt a strange feeling, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

After swallowing the pill, Gu Lin asked Zheng Hao, "How much longer until we reach the prefectural city?"

Zheng Hao said, "We'll arrive in about half an hour."

Gu Lin nodded slightly. He felt a little tired due to his physical discomfort and said to Zheng Hao, "Okay, I'll close my eyes for a while. Call me when we get to the prefectural city."

After saying that, Gu Lin closed his eyes and fell asleep in Zheng Hao's arms amidst the swaying of the car.

Looking at Uncle Gu's defenseless sleeping face in his arms, Zheng Hao raised his hand to adjust his position so that he could lie more comfortably in his arms.

"Uncle Gu, we've arrived."

When Gu Lin woke up, he opened his eyes and saw Zheng Hao's face in front of him.

He pulled away from the other person's embrace, stood up, and said, "Come on, let's go inside."

After paying the taxes and entering the prefectural city, Gu Lin was about to find an inn when Zheng Hao got there first and took care of everything.

The three arrived at an inn. Because of the prefectural examination, the inn's prices had increased: a superior room cost five taels of silver, a middle room cost three taels of silver, and a lower room cost one tael of silver.

The waiter said to Gu Lin and his group, "Sirs, we still have some rooms available at our inn, but other inns are full."

Gu Lin turned to Zheng Hao and asked for his opinion.

Zheng Hao said, "Let's stay here. Even if other inns have rooms available, the prices won't be much lower."

Gu Lin thought the same way. The prefectural examination was in a few days, and all the inns in the prefectural city would definitely be full. The inns with empty rooms now would probably be just as expensive as this one. Instead of running around, it would be better to stay here.

Gu Lin said to the waiter, "Three superior rooms, please."

When traveling, Gu Lin had no means of support before, but now that he had money, he wouldn't mistreat himself.

Seeing that the waiter was a big customer, the waiter said, "Alright, please go upstairs and put your luggage down. Hot water is included in your room, but you'll have to take care of your own meals."

Gu Lin and the other two went up to the second floor. Their rooms were arranged together, with Gu Lin in the middle and Niu Qiang and Zheng Hao on either side.

Gu Lin asked the waiter to bring up three meals. One meal was sent to Niu Qiang's room, and the other two were sent to Gu Lin's room, where he and Zheng Hao ate together.

Because he wasn't feeling well, Gu Lin didn't eat much, and Zheng Hao ate almost all of the two meals.

After dinner, it was getting late, so Zheng Hao decided not to stay in Gu Lin's room any longer.

Before he got up to leave, he said to Gu Lin, "I've put the pills in my bundle. Uncle Gu, take one before you go to sleep. I'll stay next door, so just call me if you need anything."

That's what he said, but a hint of gloom crossed Zheng Hao's eyes.

Staying at the inn was too inconvenient. If he were at home, he could sleep in the outer room of Uncle Gu's bedroom and keep an eye on whether Uncle Gu was feeling unwell.

Gu Lin was unaware of Zheng Hao's thoughts, but being earnestly instructed by the other party, he responded earnestly, "Okay."