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

Gu Lin felt unwell on the way from the county town to the prefectural city, mainly due to the long and bumpy journey and heatstroke. After taking medicine and sleeping for a while last night, Gu Lin felt much better.

There was a knock on the door, and Zheng Hao's voice came in: "Uncle Gu, are you up?"

Gu Lin had already washed up and replied, "I'm up, come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Hao walked in from outside.

After changing out of his everyday clothes yesterday, Zheng Hao wore a moon-white robe. Moon-white is the color that makes dark skin appear darker and is also the easiest to expose physical flaws.

Normally, people wouldn't choose this color, but the moon-white clothes didn't show any shortcomings on the boy.

Zheng Hao stood tall and straight, his steps slow and deliberate. His moon-white robe flowed gently like a shallow stream in the sun-drenched room, exuding an indescribable elegance.

Gu Lin's eyes lit up as he looked at the headband on the other person's head: "You look great in this outfit, but the black headband doesn't match the moon-white clothes. I'll go buy you a new one after breakfast."

While saying he was buying a headband for Zheng Hao, Gu Lin had his own selfish motives; he wanted to go out for a stroll.

Although he and Sister-in-law Zhao had visited Zhao Dagen in the prefectural city before, they rushed back to the county town after their visit due to time constraints.

Now that he had plenty of time, Gu Lin thought he would go for a walk after finishing his breakfast.

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly and said, "Uncle Gu, you're not feeling well, so you should stay at the inn and rest today."

Gu Lin didn't take it seriously and waved his hand, saying, "It's nothing, I feel much better."

"Uncle Gu."

Zheng Hao frowned slightly. Gu Lin looked at him. Although the other party didn't say anything, his furrowed brows and worried expression and eyes made Gu Lin hesitate.

Seeing that the young man in front of him was wavering, Zheng Hao's expression softened and became more worried. He said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, can I go out with you after I finish the prefectural and academy examinations?"

Gu Lin was in poor health, and the prefectural city was not like the county town; he was unfamiliar with the place and the people there. Zheng Hao was worried about letting Gu Lin, a young man, go out alone.

Although Niu Qiang could go out with Uncle Gu, Zheng Hao was not comfortable entrusting Uncle Gu to anyone else.

Although Gu Lin wanted to go out and have fun, seeing how worried Zheng Hao was about him, and fearing it might affect Zheng Hao's imperial examination, he said, "Alright."

Seeing that Gu Lin had agreed, Zheng Hao's furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

So for the next ten days or so, Gu Lin spent almost all his time at the inn. Why do I say almost?

Because Zheng Hao didn't completely forbid Gu Lin from going out; he would take time out every day to accompany Gu Lin for walks in the surrounding streets.

These days passed quickly, and soon Zheng Hao faced the prefectural examination.

On the day of the prefectural examination, Gu Lin personally escorted Zheng Hao to the examination venue. Zheng Hao took the examination for several days before it finally ended.

Two days later, the results of the prefectural examination were released, and Zheng Hao still entered the academy examination with the first place.

The time between the provincial examination and the prefectural examination was not long. Gu Lin and Zheng Hao stayed at the inn. On the day of the provincial examination, Zheng Hao entered the examination hall.

The academy examination would take several days, and after it was over, Gu Lin personally picked up Zheng Hao and took him back to the inn.

That evening, after the two finished dinner, looking at the slightly tired face of the boy sitting opposite them, Gu Lin urged, "Go back to your room and rest."

After several days of taking the imperial examinations, Zheng Hao was indeed quite tired.

He looked up at Gu Lin and said, "I'll go out with Uncle Gu again tomorrow."

Gu Lin looked slightly guilty, surprised that the other party still remembered this matter.

In fact, Gu Lin had already taken Niu Qiang sightseeing in the prefectural city after Zheng Hao entered the examination hall.

However, he didn't go very far; he just wandered around the area near the inn.

But Gu Lin didn't tell Zheng Hao; he simply replied, "Okay."

Gu Lin didn't want to tell Zheng Hao because he was afraid Zheng Hao would worry about him. But what he didn't expect was that Niu Qiang was Zheng Hao's man, and his whereabouts had already been told to Zheng Hao by Niu Qiang.

Three years ago, during their first transaction, Niu Qiang realized that Zheng Hao was no ordinary child. As they spent more time together, Zheng Hao was able to solve many problems with a simple plan, which made Niu Qiang increasingly wary of underestimating this young man.

When Zheng Hao ranked first in the county examination, Niu Qiang, who was not stupid to begin with, became even more optimistic about him.

Niu Qiang had long wanted to retire from the criminal life, but Zheng Hao showed him extraordinary potential. So he observed Zheng Hao for three years, and only after Zheng Hao's county examination results came out did Niu Qiang finally decide to follow him.

Gu Lin was unaware of these things. After talking with Zheng Hao, he went back to his room to wash up.

A good night's sleep.

The next day, after Gu Lin and Zheng Hao got up and ate breakfast, Niu Qiang was still sleeping in the room.

Zheng Hao stood up and said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, let's go out."

Gu Lin remained seated, then looked up slightly at Zheng Hao and asked, "Should we go and tell Brother Niu?"

Zheng Hao said patiently, "I told him last night that we were going out today. He has been taking care of us these past few days and it has taken a lot of effort on him. Let him get some rest."

Hearing Zheng Hao's words, and thinking about how Niu Qiang had been accompanying him on his outings these past few days, Gu Lin said, "Brother Niu has indeed worked hard. Let's go out ourselves and let Brother Niu rest."

After saying that, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao walked out of the inn.

These days, Gu Lin has been going out quite a bit and knows the streets near the inn very well.

He walked ahead, not forgetting to turn around and say to Zheng Hao behind him, "Xiao Hao, hurry up, there's a candied hawthorn stall ahead, they'll be sold out if we go too late."

Gu Lin walked fast, but Zheng Hao was not slow either.

His long legs meant that one step of his body was equivalent to two steps for others. The reason he walked a step behind Gu Lin was because there were too many people on the street, and standing behind Uncle Gu made it easier for him to protect him.

Hearing Gu Lin's urging, he continued walking steadily, but took a step forward and approached Gu Lin, saying, "Uncle Gu, how come you are so familiar with this place?"

"Go shopping every day..." Gu Lin blurted out without warning, but quickly realized what he had said and stopped himself.

He turned his head, looking at Zheng Hao with a slightly guilty expression, but unexpectedly met the other's dark and calm eyes.

Gu Lin swallowed hard and carefully crafted his words, saying, "I kept hearing people talk about this place when I was strolling around near the inn, so I knew about it."

As if he hadn't heard what Gu Lin had said before, Zheng Hao lowered his eyebrows slightly and said without changing his expression, "It's my fault for letting Uncle Gu only hear about the interesting things in the prefectural city from other people."

Seeing Zheng Hao's expression, Gu Lin instantly felt no longer guilty.

He raised his head slightly and said to Zheng Hao, "It's not your fault, but my body is fine, so you don't need to be so nervous in the future."

Actually, Gu Lin wasn't afraid that Zheng Hao might get angry about him going out for a stroll.

But Zheng Hao's personality is different from others. He is introverted and silent. If others are dissatisfied with his behavior, they will speak out directly, but he will not.

He will look at you with worried eyes and advise you in gentle and calm language, as if you have committed a terrible crime if you do not listen.

Gu Lin couldn't resist the other person's gentle and worried gaze, and sometimes he would feel a lot of guilt.

Over time, Gu Lin began to listen to the other party's actions, even those that seemed to be for their own good.

Whatever he might be doing behind Zheng Hao's back, at least outwardly, Gu Lin wouldn't reveal it.

But what he didn't realize was that Zheng Hao already knew about his little scheme.

Because he was sensible and wouldn't joke around with his own body, Zheng Hao, as a junior, couldn't be too controlling of his elders; otherwise, his behavior would have been stopped by Zheng Hao long ago.

However, Zheng Hao smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying Gu Lin's words that he was in good health and that he should not worry or restrain his actions.

As Gu Lin approached the haystack where they sold candied hawthorns, his attention was drawn to it, so he paid no attention to Zheng Hao's reply.

He went up to the shop owner and bought two skewers of candied hawthorn. He handed one of the skewers to Zheng Hao and said, "The owner of this candied hawthorn shop is from the capital. Although I have never tasted what candied hawthorn tastes like in the capital, the candied hawthorn here is much better than the ones from other shops."

Taking the candied hawthorn from Gu Lin, Zheng Hao looked up and watched as the other person eagerly ate the candied hawthorn in his hand.

At first, the young man in front of me showed enjoyment and pleasure on his face because of the sweetness of the candied hawthorn.

But then the sugar coating on the candied hawthorn skewer peeled off, and when the young man bit into the hawthorn flesh inside, his beautiful, smiling face immediately wrinkled.

Looking at the scene before him, Zheng Hao's expression softened unconsciously.

He lowered his head and took a bite of the candied hawthorn. The sugar coating melted in his mouth, and Zheng Hao then bit into the hawthorn flesh, but his expression did not change at all.

Because apart from sweetness, Zheng Hao couldn't feel any sourness or bitterness in his mouth.

Gu Lin ate as he walked, his mouth never stopping, from candied hawthorns to jelly, from meat pies to drinks, while Zheng Hao followed beside him, helping him carry a whole bunch of things.

After walking around for a long time, Gu Lin was a little tired.

He slowed his pace and walked beside Zheng Hao instead of leading the way.

The two walked slowly when suddenly Gu Lin turned to Zheng Hao and asked, "Xiao Hao, how do you think you did on your college entrance exam?"

Gu Lin hadn't asked Zheng Hao about the county and prefectural examinations before because he didn't want to put too much pressure on him.

I'm asking now because the college entrance exam is the last one, and asking now will give me a better understanding and allow me to plan accordingly.

Where Gu Lin couldn't see, Zheng Hao reached out to shield him from the crowd of men.

The man charged toward them, but was stopped by the boy next to him just before he hit the young man.

When he looked up and saw the boy's cold expression and dark, desolate eyes, he trembled and immediately turned and ran away.

Turning his gaze away from the fleeing man, Zheng Hao turned his attention back to Gu Lin beside him and said, "The questions for this academy exam are quite different from those for the prefectural exam. Although I have finished writing them and am confident that I will be on the list, my specific score will depend on how the examiners evaluate me."

After Zheng Hao finished answering, Gu Lin continued, "If you pass the academy exam, do you want to stay in the county town to study, or come to the prefectural city to study?"

Zheng Hao didn't answer, but instead asked, "Where does Uncle Gu like?"

Gu Lin pursed his lips slightly and said, "If we're talking about teaching, the prefectural city is naturally the best, but Xingfulou, Xingfuju, and Sister Zhao are still in the county town."

As he spoke, Gu Lin's expression became increasingly conflicted.

He was an orphan, but also a very sentimental person. He had been with Sister Zhao and the others for more than three years and had long regarded them as his family. How could he just leave them?

Forget it, if all else fails, let Zheng Hao come to the prefectural school to study, and I'll visit him once every two weeks or once a month.

Zheng Hao said, "Then I will go to the county school to study."

"what?!"

After hearing Zheng Hao's words, Gu Lin frowned.

He looked at Zheng Hao and saw that the other man looked serious, not at all like he was joking.

Gu Lin said with a headache, "Xiao Hao, I know it's very difficult for you to leave home all of a sudden, but people always have to grow up. We will see each other less and less in the future. The conditions at the prefectural school are better than those at the county school. Don't joke around with your future."

Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, I'm not joking about my future..."

But this time, Gu Lin didn't let the other person continue.

Zheng Hao always had many seemingly reasonable but actually unreasonable things to say, and he could use these words to leave himself speechless.

Even if you are in the right, the other party can eventually make you sound completely unreasonable.

Gu Lin's expression turned serious for the first time, and his previous playful demeanor was no longer visible.

He said to Zheng Hao, "Xiao Hao, if you pass the county-level examination this time, you will become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination). The next step after Xiucai is to become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination). Most of the teachers in the county school are Xiucai, so how can they teach you? The prefectural school is different; it has many Juren. This is related to your future, so don't be willful."

A gloomy look settled between Zheng Hao's brows and in his eyes; he kept his lips closed and remained silent.

Seeing Zheng Hao's state, Gu Lin felt somewhat helpless, but he would never let the other party continue to act willfully and jeopardize his future.

Gu Lin thought for a while, but his mind was a bit confused, and he couldn't think of a solution that would satisfy both sides.

Seeing Gu Lin so worried and troubled, Zheng Hao said, "The results of the academy exam haven't come out yet, Uncle Gu, don't worry so much. Let's wait and see."

Unable to persuade Zheng Hao now, this was the only option. Gu Lin and Zheng Hao returned to the inn. Although they had just had a disagreement over the matter of the prefectural and county schools, they ate together as usual.

However, Gu Lin was not as carefree as before and did not put the problem out of his mind.

He returned to his room and lay on his bed, thinking for a long time.

The next day, after Gu Lin finished breakfast, he got up and said to Zheng Hao, "Let's go, before the results of the college entrance examination come out, let's go buy a house and a shop."

Zheng Hao paused, holding his chopsticks. Then, he looked up at Gu Lin, a flicker of emotion in his dark eyes, and softly called out, "Uncle Gu."

Gu Lin said, "Yesterday, Uncle Gu was too presumptuous. People your age have almost never left home. Da Gen came to the prefectural city to learn a trade when he was in his twenties. How could I be so heartless as to let you go to the prefectural city to study alone?"

"So, I've decided to buy a house in the city. After you've tried your house, I'll move here with you."

Looking at the smiling young man in front of him, Zheng Hao knew that Uncle Gu had always been very accommodating to him, but he never expected that the other party would go to such lengths for him.

Zheng Hao lowered his head slightly, his eyelashes and shadows obscuring all the emotions on his face. Even if Gu Lin stood opposite him, he couldn't see the expression on his face.

Zheng Hao asked in a low voice, "What about Aunt and the others? What will happen to them after we arrive in the prefectural city? Will Uncle Gu be willing to let them go?"

Zheng Hao's hands clenched tighter and tighter inside his sleeves, afraid that he would hear something he didn't want to hear the next second.

Gu Lin remained silent for a long time. Zheng Hao couldn't help but look up at him, only to see Gu Lin's complicated expression. Zheng Hao's heart sank.

Gu Lin spoke, and Zheng Hao's palms clenched so tightly they turned white, but he felt nothing.

Gu Lin said slowly, "Although I am reluctant to part with Sister-in-law Zhao and the others, you need my company even more. Sister-in-law Zhao and Brother Yu have Brother Zhao and Brother Liu, but you only have me."

"On the other hand, I only have you."

"Therefore, I cannot let you come to the prefectural city to study all alone."

That day, Zheng Hao watched the young man in front of him move his lips, and the words the man said kept echoing in his mind.

They have other family members.

But you only have me.

You're all I have.