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

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao left the inn and went to the brokerage firm in the prefectural city.

The brokerage manager stepped forward and greeted them: "Greetings, sirs. What can we do for you?"

Before coming to the brokerage firm, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao had already discussed what kind of house and shop they wanted to buy. They both agreed that they should buy as big as possible, since a large house could be used for small purposes, but a small house could not be used for large purposes.

Gu Lin said to the steward, "Steward, I want to buy a house and a shop, preferably connected together, and they should be quite large."

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao were not dressed in fancy clothes. When they first came in, the manager thought they wanted to rent a house. Unexpectedly, the husband in front of them asked to buy a house and a shop. Their requirements were not small.

The manager will naturally handle such a big spender well.

However, he smiled and said to Gu Lin, "My husband has the houses and shops he wants, but most of them are not in one place. However, they are not far apart."

After listening, Gu Lin pondered for a moment and said to the steward, "Then take us to see it first."

The steward said, "Alright."

The manager called over a clever young man to take Gu Lin and Zheng Hao to see the house and shop.

The young and clever man stood in front of Gu Lin and Zheng Hao, and said with a smile, "Greetings, young masters. You can just call me Hei Zi."

Gu Lin also mentioned his surname, and Hei Zi quickly changed his address to "Gu Fu Lang".

After leaving with Hei Zi, Gu Lin saw that the other party had brought over a donkey cart from somewhere.

Hei Zi drove the donkey cart in front of the two men, then turned to Gu Lin and Zheng Hao and said, "Gu husband, young master, the houses and shops we are going to look at later are quite far away. It would take half an hour to walk there. I'd better drive you there myself."

"Good work."

Gu Lin thanked him and got into the car with Zheng Hao.

Hei Zi smiled, turned around, and drove off.

This donkey cart isn't for just anyone. People who come to buy houses or shops in the past don't get this treatment. The fact that the manager specially sent him to drive the donkey cart to take these two people today shows that they are big customers.

Along the way, Hei Zi would occasionally turn around and talk to Gu Lin and Zheng Hao, but he was very tactful and wouldn't talk incessantly and annoy them.

After driving the donkey cart for about an incense stick's time, the cart stopped in front of a shop.

Hei Zi turned around and said to Gu Lin, "Gu husband, we've arrived at the shop."

Gu Lin and Zheng Hao got out of the car. Hei Zi first tied the donkey to a pillar and then led the two into the shop.

Stepping into the empty shop, Gu Lin's gaze swept over the interior layout, while Hei Zi chattered incessantly, praising the shop's advantages.

Gu Lin listened and nodded, agreeing, "This shop is indeed quite nice."

Just as Hei Zi's face broke into a happy smile, Gu Lin changed the subject, saying, "But the location is a bit remote. We didn't see anyone when we came here by donkey cart."

Hei Zi's expression stiffened slightly, but he quickly smiled and said, "My husband has sharp eyes; nothing can escape your notice. It's true that this place isn't as bustling as the streets in the city center, but this shop is already quite good. You know, many of the best shops in the city have already been snapped up; they're not something ordinary people like us can buy."

"Oh?"

Hearing Hei Zi's words, Gu Lin became somewhat curious.

Remembering that the steward had told him to secure this deal before he left, Hei Zi thought for a moment and decided there was nothing he couldn't say, so he said, "The good shops in the prefectural city are all owned; it's difficult for anyone who isn't an official or a big merchant to own them. It's said that 40% of the good shops in the prefectural city are in the hands of the prefect, and the remaining 60% are occupied by other officials and wealthy merchants. Others without power or influence simply can't buy them, and even if they are lucky enough to buy one, they can't keep it."

As soon as Hei Zi finished speaking, Gu Lin narrowed his eyes slightly.

Zheng Hao took out more than thirty coins from his purse and gave them to Hei Zi, saying, "Go out and have some tea and rest. We two can just look around."

Hei Zi looked at Gu Lin, who nodded and said, "Thank you for bringing us here. Go have some tea and rest. We'll wait for you at the door after we've finished looking at the exhibits."

"okay."

Hei Zi happily agreed; thirty-odd coins were enough for him to order a bowl of tea and a plate of peanuts.

After the other person left, Gu Lin turned to Zheng Hao and asked, "Xiao Hao, did you ask him to leave because you wanted to tell me something?"

Zheng Hao did not answer, but instead asked Gu Lin a question: "Uncle Gu, do you know what the surname of the current prefect of this prefecture is?"

Zheng Hao's question was too abrupt for Gu Lin. They were originally discussing buying a shop, but somehow the conversation jumped to what the prefect's surname was.

He frowned slightly, looking as if he clearly didn't know.

Zheng Hao did not make things difficult for the other party. He lowered his eyes slightly, his dark and calm eyes looking at the young man in front of him, and said, "This prefect was transferred here from another place ten years ago, and my surname is Zhen."

Gu Lin was puzzled.

So what does this have to do with them buying shops and houses in the capital?

Gu Lin rarely hides his emotions in front of Zheng Hao, so Zheng Hao immediately sees through his thoughts.

He spoke calmly and unhurriedly: "The Zhen family of the capital is the emperor's wife's family. The current empress is a daughter of the Zhen family, the current crown prince is the empress's son, and the current Grand Tutor is the empress's father."

Gu Lin wasn't a blockhead. He hadn't realized it at first, but after Zheng Hao explained, he caught the important information: "So, you mean Prefect Zhen is from the Zhen family in the capital?"

After Gu Lin finished speaking, Zheng Hao neither nodded nor shook his head: "Yes and no."

Zheng Hao said, "The prefect is indeed a member of the Zhen family, but that doesn't necessarily mean he comes from the main branch of the Zhen family. Our prefecture is remote and backward. If the prefect were truly a member of the Zhen family in the capital, given his age of fifty, he should either be serving as an official in the capital or as a prefect in the prosperous Jiangnan region. It's impossible that he's still here after ten years."

Zheng Hao's words made Gu Lin choke for a moment. A prefecture city is equivalent to a modern province. Isn't the position of the top official in the province enough?

Zheng Hao took in the young man's bewildered and incredulous expression. He explained, "If it were someone else at the age of fifty, being the prefect of this prefecture wouldn't be bad, but Prefect Zhen comes from the Zhen family in the capital. Even a branch family wouldn't have fallen to this level."

Gu Lin thought for a moment, then said, "Is it possible that the other party did something wrong and was demoted?"

Zheng Hao's indifferent face slowly revealed a smile, and he said, "Uncle Gu's guess is possible."

Despite all that has been said, it all seems too distant to Gu Lin. He said to Zheng Hao, "So, just as Hei Zi said, we can't buy a good shop, and we shouldn't buy a good shop, right?"

“Yes,” Zheng Hao said.

Gu Lin frowned: "What if the restaurant's business gets better in the future?"

If even good shops can't find buyers, how can thriving shops be saved?

Zheng Hao pondered for a moment and said, "Let's ask around first, there's no rush to buy a shop."

Gu Lin nodded in agreement: "I think Hei Zi knows a lot of things. I'll ask him about it later."

Before the two of them could even leave after they had finished their tea, Hei Zi returned.

Gu Lin told the other party that they needed to look at several shops before making a decision, and Hei Zi agreed.

So Gu Lin and Zheng Hao got into each other's donkey carts to look at the nearby houses first, and decided to look at the shops tomorrow.

On the way to see the house, Gu Lin didn't ask directly, but instead asked Hei Zi indirectly what good food there was in the city, how many kinds there were, which were established brands, and which were newly opened.

Faced with Gu Lin's barrage of questions, Hei Zi, having lived in the prefectural city for decades, proved himself to be an expert on all the restaurants and eateries in the city.

He was eloquent and could talk a lot about everything from food stalls on the streets to famous restaurants and eateries.

Finally, Hei Zi concluded, "Gu Fu Lang, there are so many delicious foods in our city, you can find them all from the east, west, south, and north. Would you like to open a restaurant?"

The other party asked a lot of questions about food, and since they also wanted to buy a shop, Hei Zi made some guesses about it.

Gu Lin didn't hide anything. He nodded, but a hint of worry appeared on his face as he said, "I do have some thoughts. I used to run a food business in the county town, but after coming to the prefectural city, I found that there are many hidden talents here. I'm afraid that my mediocre skills won't be able to keep the business going in the prefectural city."

After hearing Gu Lin's words, Hei Zi turned his head and asked curiously, "What kind of food business does Mr. Gu want to start?"

"Antique soup or roast meat, please," Gu Lin suggested.

Kuroko was silent for a while, as if he was thinking about something, and then his face scrunched up.

Seeing his behavior, Gu Lin had a vague idea of ​​what was wrong and asked, "What's wrong?"

Hei Zi said to Gu Lin, "Husband, we have both antique soup and roast meat in our city. There are also two new restaurants that just opened this year. One of them, which makes roast meat, is run by a couple who came from the Northwest, and the other, which makes antique soup, is run by a family who fled from the South."

After hearing Hei Zi's words, Gu Lin's first concern wasn't whether his business would be affected, but rather he asked curiously, "Have you tried it? How was it?"

Hei Zi scratched the back of his head, his shrewd face revealing a simple and honest smile, and said, "Mr. Gu is joking. How could I afford to go to such places?"

"However, I've been there a few times with the steward before, and I must say, the Northwest roasted meat and the Southern antique soup really do have a unique flavor, unlike anything we have here. If you two have time, you can try them too; all the wealthy people here are willing to go and eat there."

Gu Lin smiled and agreed.

After showing the house to Hei Zi, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao returned to the inn.

They had just returned from eating out, so Gu Lin simply asked the waiter to bring up a pot of tea.

After the waiter left the room, Zheng Hao poured Gu Lin a bowl of tea. Gu Lin picked it up and drank it without looking at it, but found that the tea tasted different from before. Looking down, he realized that it was not the black tea he was used to drinking, but chrysanthemum tea.

Gu Lin looked up at Zheng Hao, and although he didn't say anything, his expression and eyes were questioning.

Zheng Hao's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes softened slightly as he patiently explained, "Recently, I noticed that Uncle Gu hadn't been sleeping well after drinking black tea, so I asked the waiter to bring chrysanthemum tea. Chrysanthemum tea clears the liver and brightens the eyes, and removes heat and toxins. Uncle Gu should be able to sleep well after drinking it."

Gu Lin paused for a moment after hearing this: "You're still taking exams, but I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Zheng Hao lowered his head and said, "Uncle Gu has worked hard for me for many days. I only said a few words to Xiao Er. It can't compare to the care Uncle Gu has put into me."

Then, Zheng Hao said seriously, "Just now, Gu Shutong and Hei Zi were gathering information. I listened from the side and found that although the officials in our prefecture are greedy, they have a sense of proportion. Even refugees from other places can settle down in the prefectural city. We don't need to worry too much about opening a restaurant in the prefectural city."

On the way back, Gu Lin sorted out his thoughts and agreed with Zheng Hao's statement.

"Indeed, as long as we don't neglect our tributes to the higher-ups, there shouldn't be any problems."

Once he was certain there would be no future problems, Gu Lin immediately made the decision: "Let's visit a few more places in the next few days."

Although the daytime shop was nice, Gu Lin still wanted to buy a shop and a house that were connected together, so that it would be more convenient to live there and he wouldn't have to run around.

Zheng Hao nodded in agreement.

However, a few days later, before they had even bought the shops and houses, Zheng Hao's examination results came out.

At this moment, the lobby of the inn was filled with scholars. Upon learning that the results of the prefectural examination had been released, they quickly got up and ran out of the inn.

Gu Lin was not one to back down from this task. He pulled Zheng Hao away from the inn and ran towards the place where the notice was posted.

Niu Qiang also came out with them today. The road to the notice board was very crowded. Niu Qiang and Zheng Hao stood on either side of Gu Lin to prevent the thin young man from being separated by the crowd.

"Spread out! Spread out!"

"The notice has been posted!"

A group of yamen runners came over and pushed through the crowded people.

As soon as one of the yamen runners finished posting the list, another yamen runner suddenly struck a gong, the bell-like sound carrying out in all directions: "The results of the prefectural examination are out! All those on the list are eligible to proceed to the academy examination!"

After he finished speaking, the yamen runners dispersed, and the scholars in the front row, dressed in long robes, disregarded their usual refined manners and desperately pushed their way to the front of the list.

Where is my name? Where is my name?

"I passed! I passed! I'm on the list, I've become a student!"

"Why am I being stopped at the prefectural examination again?"

Compared to the day the county exam results were announced, the scholars gathered around the prefectural exam list looked even more fanatical and terrifying.

Gu Lin was somewhat sullen and dared not take a step forward.

Niu Qiang, however, was not afraid. He said to Gu Lin and Zheng Hao, "You two wait here, I'll go check the list."

After saying that, Niu Qiang pushed his way into the crowd. Some of the men who were pushed around turned around and were about to start cursing, but when they saw the tall and strong Niu Qiang, they immediately shut up and dared not say a word.

Finally arriving at the list, Niu Qiang originally intended to look from bottom to top, but thinking of Zheng Hao's county examination results, he started looking from front to back.

Suddenly, his gaze paused, fixing on the top of the list.

At the top of the list was Zheng Hao's name and place of origin.

"You won! Zheng Hao, you've won first place!"

Niu Qiang shouted, his voice deep and resonant. Gu Lin could hear him without even concentrating, and the ears of those around him were nearly deafened. But after hearing what he said, they all looked over with piercing eyes, finally following Niu Qiang's gaze to a certain spot outside the crowd.

Unexpectedly, Niu Qiang shouted out, and Gu Lin was caught off guard, standing still and receiving the scrutiny of the crowd's gazes.

A fair-skinned, handsome young man looked indignant upon seeing this scene.

He turned to the handsome young man beside him and complained, "Where did this wild brat come from? This top spot in the prefectural examination should have been yours, brother. How did he take it?"

The handsome young man's tone was full of dissatisfaction.

The handsome young man looked at the extraordinary figure and appearance of the boy not far away, then looked away and said to the pretty boy in a calm tone, "If you are not as skilled as others, you should study harder. Don't say such things in the future."

Originally, he was standing up for his older brother, but he didn't expect the other party to be so ungrateful and even lecture him. The handsome young man felt a little wronged.

But when he met his elder brother's cold, indifferent yet stern eyes, the handsome young man dared not be presumptuous and lowered his head, saying, "Brother is right."