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

"Zhen Qingqing".

Zhen Qingqing stared wide-eyed, looking terrified, as if he were hallucinating.

Then, he calmed down a little. That person was still at the academy and couldn't possibly be here. Zhen Qingqing comforted herself and continued to stare at the man in front of her.

But soon, Zhen Qingqing's sense of luck completely vanished.

Zhen Yuan walked over from behind and saw Zhen Yun standing not far away. He asked in surprise, "Little brother, what are you doing here?"

Seeing her eldest and second eldest brothers here, Zhen Yun was also surprised: "Eldest brother, second brother."

After greeting her, Zhen Yun glanced sideways and noticed the man who had bumped into Zhen Qingqing earlier. He was wearing the same school uniform as her older brothers, and Zhen Yun had a bad feeling.

Unlike Zhen Cheng, who witnessed the scene just now, Zhen Yuan was unaware of what had happened. He said to Zhen Yun, "We came here with our classmates for lunch. Did you tell your parents that you were coming here?"

Zhen Yun nodded and replied, "We already said that before we left, we'll go back in a bit."

At the same time, Zhen Qingqing, who had just scolded Peng Zhizhi, moved his feet little by little and hid behind Zhen Yun. During this time, he dared not look up, for fear of making eye contact with Zhen Cheng.

At this moment, after receiving a message from the waiter, Gu Lin went up to the second floor but did not hear the noise he had expected. Instead, he saw several people standing together.

Gu Lin frowned slightly, not understanding what had happened.

At this moment, Zheng Hao turned his head and shook his head slightly at Gu Lin.

Gu Lin stood still and did not go up.

“Things have been a bit turbulent outside lately, so it’s good to head back early. Where is your carriage parked? I’ll see you out,” Zhen Yuan said.

Although Zhen Yuan has a bad temper and an arrogant personality, he will restrain his bad temper when facing his own brother.

Zhen Cheng didn't say anything; he just stared at Zhen Yun with a calm gaze.

Feeling her elder brother's gaze piercing through her, Zhen Yun said, "No need to trouble you, Second Brother. The carriage is right at the door; we can go back ourselves."

After saying that, Zhen Yun turned to Peng Zhizhi and apologized: "Qingqing acted rashly just now and offended many people. I hope you will forgive me, young master."

It was originally his own fault for accidentally bumping into the other person, and now his classmate's younger brother had to apologize to him. Peng Zhizhi said embarrassedly, "It's okay, it was my fault."

Zhen Yun said, "Young Master is magnanimous and will not hold a grudge. Then we will take our leave."

After saying that, Zhen Yun turned to leave.

"stop!"

Behind him, Zhen Cheng spoke up.

Zhen Qingqing, who was walking in front of Zhen Yun, trembled. He looked at the stairs not far away and wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, but he dared not take a step.

Zhen Yun turned her head and slightly opened her mouth to say, "Big brother..."

"Little brother, I'll talk to you about your matter when I get back."

After speaking, Zhen Cheng's cold gaze pierced Zhen Qingqing, who was hiding behind Zhen Yun, with her head bowed and eyebrows lowered.

"come out."

Although Zhen Cheng did not name names, everyone present knew who he was referring to.

When Zhen Qingqing was called by Zhen Cheng, his body trembled slightly. He didn't want to go out, but he didn't dare to continue hiding behind Zhen Yun.

Zhen Qingqing knew better than anyone else Zhen Cheng's methods of punishing people.

He carefully moved out from behind Zhen Yun, and although he did not look up, he clearly felt a chilling gaze fall on him.

Zhen Qingqing's heart was pounding. He raised his head slightly and glanced at Zhen Cheng out of the corner of his eye to see how he looked, but he didn't expect to meet the other's eyes.

Zhen Cheng parted his thin lips slightly and said, "I apologize to Brother Peng."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Qingqing's eyes widened in surprise, and her clasped hands began to twist and turn.

A moment later, he stopped what he was doing, turned around and bowed slightly to Peng Zhizhi, saying, "Qingqing offended Young Master Peng just now, please forgive me."

"no, I'm fine."

Seeing the arrogant young man who had just been cursing him into silence apologizing to him, Peng Zhizhi waved his hands repeatedly.

Zhen Qingqing raised her head slightly, her face, as beautiful as a peach blossom, showing a hint of pleading, and whispered, "Please!"

Zhen Qingqing was already beautiful, and with her young age and a touch of innocence on her face, her innocence and beauty were combined with a hint of pleading, making it hard not to soften one's heart.

Peng Zhi was kind-hearted, and since he was the one who bumped into the other first, he said, "It's not Brother Zhen's fault, it's my fault for not looking ahead when I was walking."

Hearing the explanation from the man in front of him, Zhen Qingqing's pitiful eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. He thought Peng Zhizhi would take this opportunity to make things difficult for him, but he didn't expect that not only did the other party not do that, but he also spoke up for him.

After Peng Zhizhi said that everything was alright, Zhen Cheng said to Zhen Yuan, "Second brother, you take my younger brother down first."

"Yes."

Although Zhen Yuan usually seems unreliable, once Zhen Cheng gets serious, Zhen Yuan wouldn't dare to mess with him.

He glanced sideways, signaling Zhen Yun and Zhen Qingqing to follow.

Zhen Yun and Zhen Qingqing followed Zhen Yuan out of Haoyunlou. Although Zhen Yuan did not understand exactly what had happened, he knew from the scene that Zhen Qingqing and Peng Zhizhi had a conflict, and that his elder brother had just witnessed Zhen Qingqing's unreasonable behavior.

Zhen Yuan raised his hand and pointed at Zhen Qingqing, saying with a hint of disappointment, "Look at you, of all people to offend, you had to offend my elder brother. My elder brother hates people from the manor bullying others outside."

Although Peng Zhizhi was Zhen Yuan's classmate, Zhen Qingqing had grown up with Zhen Yuan and the others. In addition, she had saved her younger brother's life when they were young, and she was well-behaved and sweet-talking. Therefore, Zhen Yuan never really treated her as a servant.

Zhen Qingqing was already scared, and after being reprimanded by Zhen Cheng, her originally fair face turned even paler.

It is clear that not only Zhen Yuan was afraid of his elder brother Zhen Cheng, but Zhen Qingqing was also genuinely afraid of the eldest son of the Zhen family.

"I apologized just now, young master... young master, you won't punish me anymore, right?" Zhen Qingqing's beautiful almond-shaped eyes were filled with tears, and her tone was slightly panicked.

Zhen Yuandao said, "You are under Madam's jurisdiction, and your elder brother will not interfere in matters of the inner quarters. When the time comes, your elder brother only needs to send someone to inform Madam, and then..."

Before Zhen Yuan could finish speaking, Zhen Qingqing's mind conjured up the scene of being kicked out of the Zhen family mansion and left homeless.

Tears welled up in her clear, bright eyes, and Zhen Qingqing bit her lip to keep them from falling.

Seeing this, Zhen Yun frowned slightly and said to Zhen Yuan, "Alright, Second Brother, stop talking."

Zhen Yuandao said, "Tsk! You can't even say that? Zhen Qingqing is spoiled by you."

After saying that, Zhen Yuan looked up at the coachman who had brought Zhen Yun out for a stroll and said, "Take good care of the young master and get him back. If anything goes wrong, I'll skin you alive."

The coachman quickly replied, "Yes, sir, I will certainly escort the young master back to his residence properly."

As Zhen Yuan turned to leave, Zhen Yun reminded him, "Second Brother, you pay for me, I haven't paid yet!"

Zhen Yuan didn't turn around, but raised his arm and waved it.

After Zhen Yuan and the other two left Haoyunlou, Zhen Cheng turned to Peng Zhizhi and said, "I have failed to discipline my family properly, and I apologize to Brother Peng and Brother Zheng for making a fool of myself."

Peng Zhizhi said, "No need, Brother Zhencheng. This matter is not your servant's fault. It was because Brother Zheng and I were talking and not looking ahead that we accidentally bumped into him. It's understandable that he, a young man, was knocked to the ground and injured.

Zhen Cheng remained silent, his gaze shifting slightly to Zheng Hao standing to the side.

Zheng Hao nodded slightly: "It was indeed Brother Peng who accidentally bumped into your servant."

Zhen Cheng's expression remained unchanged. When Zhen Yuan returned from outside, the matter seemed to have been put on hold, and no one mentioned it again.

The four of them made a point of saying goodbye to Gu Lin before leaving Good Fortune Restaurant.

"We apologize for disturbing you, Uncle Gu," Peng Zhizhi and the other two said, bowing respectfully.

Gu Lin smiled and said, "It's rare for Xiao Hao to bring his classmates back for dinner. I'm so happy! Classes at the prefectural school are about to start, so you should head back now. Come over for dinner again next time you have time!"

After leaving Haoyunlou, Peng Zhizhi turned to Zheng Hao and asked, "Brother Zheng, Uncle Gu's surname is Gu, but yours is Zheng. What is your relationship with him?"

Perhaps because Zheng Hao and Gu Lin got along so harmoniously and naturally, so close and warm, Peng Zhizhi never thought that they were stepfather and stepson.

Although they have different surnames, it's not impossible for them to be uncle and nephew; perhaps they are relatives on Zheng Hao's mother's side.

Zheng Hao spoke slightly and explained, "Uncle Gu is my stepfather."

Peng Zhizhi and the other two looked surprised.

Zheng Hao never intended to hide his relationship with Uncle Gu. He said, "After my father passed away, Uncle Gu endured hardship to remain a widow for my father for three years and raised me to adulthood. He then sent me to a private school so that I could take the imperial examinations."

Unexpectedly, his unintentional question had brought up a painful memory for the other person. Peng Zhizhi felt apologetic and guilty, saying, "I'm sorry, Brother Zheng, I didn't mean to..."

Not only Peng Zhizhi, but also Zhen Cheng and Zhen Yuan, who were listening to Zheng Hao's experience, showed complicated expressions, especially Zhen Yuan's expression.

They hadn't expected that Zheng Hao wasn't from a poor family. On the contrary, his parents had both died, and his family was impoverished. If it weren't for his stepfather's kindness in raising him, he might not have even had the opportunity to receive an education.

Zheng Hao shook his head slightly and said, "Although I am saddened by my father's passing, as a son, I will not waste time wallowing in grief."

As soon as Zheng Hao finished speaking, a thought flashed through Zhen Yuan's mind. He stared intently at Zheng Hao and asked, "When did you begin your enlightenment?"

Faced with Zhen Yuan's interrogative question, Zheng Hao calmly stated a number, which immediately distorted Zhen Yuan's expression. Then, Peng Zhizhi was dumbfounded, and even Zhen Cheng was taken aback.

winter day.

Good Fortune Restaurant's business is gradually getting back on track. Although several months have passed since Good Fortune Restaurant opened, the business is not slow at all in the cold winter. In fact, it is even more bustling and lively than before.

Gu Lin spends his days greeting customers at Haoyunlou Restaurant, and Zhao Saozi occasionally comes over to switch shifts with him.

But once December arrived, Sister Zhao no longer had time to come to Haoyunlou.

Not only because of the Lunar New Year, when Zhao's wife needs to buy all sorts of New Year's goods and gifts, but also because Zhao Dagen's wedding is scheduled for February of the following year, Zhao's wife and brother Zhao have to frequently visit the Mu family to discuss the wedding arrangements for the two younger generations.

As soon as Aunt Zhao got busy, she even left Gu An, who had been following the other party, to Gu Lin to take care of.

Although he was supposed to take Gu An with him, Gu Lin couldn't stay at home with her all day.

So he took Gu An to Haoyunlou Restaurant. There was a courtyard behind the restaurant, and when he was busy, he would let Gu An stay in the courtyard to play.

Fortunately, Gu An is very well-behaved, unlike other children who make a fuss all the time. He doesn't need Gu Lin to urge him to eat or sleep; he will eat and sleep obediently on his own.

Gu Lin was very easy to take care of. After a few days, he got used to life with the child.

Logically speaking, Gu Lin should have experience taking care of children, since he started taking care of ten-year-old Zheng Hao as soon as he transmigrated.

However, Zheng Hao was no ordinary child. He was precocious and steady, and Gu Lin didn't have to worry about him in terms of daily life, studies, or entertainment.

Therefore, Gu Lin was somewhat at a loss when he first took care of Gu An.

Fortunately, although Gu An cannot speak, he is not completely unresponsive to the outside world. He will obediently do whatever Gu Lin says to him.

Seeing how obedient and compliant the other party was, Gu Lin couldn't help but have an idea.

He led Gu An behind the counter and taught Gu An to read when no other customers came to pay.

But Gu An gave him a big surprise.

Gu An, who was uninterested in anything else, suddenly became engrossed in reading the words on the book after Gu Lin opened it.

Seeing that Gu An was interested, Gu Lin tried to teach him to read, but Gu An just stared at the book without reacting.

Pointing to a certain character, Gu Lin tentatively asked, "How is this character pronounced?"

Gu An blinked but didn't say anything.

Realizing the other person couldn't speak, Gu Lin changed his approach, pointing to the character "于" on the book: "Is this character pronounced '于'?"

Gu An immediately nodded.

Seeing this, Gu Lin was pleasantly surprised and continued to teach according to the previous method. When Gu An encountered some difficult words, he would think for a while, but most of the time, he could recognize them immediately and nod.

Gu Lin patted Gu An's soft head and praised, "I didn't expect our An'an to be such a smart little rascal."

Hearing the young man in front of him praising him, Gu An noticed the little ponytail that Zhao's wife had specially tied for him swaying back and forth on his head.

Having lived with Gu An for several months, Gu Lin could tell that the other was in a good mood, but Gu Lin's heart sank slightly.

Gu An was unwilling to speak. At first, Gu Lin and the others did not know whether it was a congenital or acquired reason. They invited many doctors to diagnose Gu An, but none of them could find anything wrong.

It wasn't until a doctor who had returned from the capital and settled down examined Gu An that he said, "Your son has a perfectly normal speech. His current silence is not natural; it seems as if he has been stimulated to refuse to speak."

Although he had suspected this for a while, Gu Lin didn't dare to be sure until the doctor confirmed it.

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Lin realized that mental illness requires mental medicine, and Gu An's treatment could not be rushed.

In the evening, after Good Luck Restaurant closed, Gu Lin took Gu An home. Sister-in-law Zhao and Brother Zhao had not yet returned, so Gu Lin went into the kitchen to cook.

When Zheng Hao returned, he didn't see Uncle Gu, who usually stayed in the yard. He looked up slightly and saw wisps of smoke rising from the kitchen roof. He then walked over.

"Uncle Gu."

Gu Lin turned around and said, "You're back. Are you hungry? Wait a little longer, we'll be able to eat soon."

Seeing Uncle Gu standing in the smoke, even though it was the dead of winter, his fair cheeks were flushed red from the cooking fumes.

Zheng Hao stepped forward, took the spatula from the other man, and said, "Uncle Gu, go out and set the table. I'll cook the dishes."

This wasn't the first time this had happened. Sometimes when Aunt Zhao was too busy to cook, Gu Lin would go into the kitchen, but often, just as Gu Lin was halfway through cooking, Zheng Hao would return.

So, the spatula in Gu Lin's hand would be taken away by the other party. At first, Gu Lin would refuse, but Zheng Hao would use his usual method of reasoning with her and appealing to her emotions. In the end, Gu Lin could only agree with a headache.

As a result, Gu Lin has now gotten used to Zheng Hao cooking.

He walked to the corner of the wall, took down a homemade apron from the wall, and had Zheng Hao tie it on to prevent the oil stains from getting on his school uniform.

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly, his long eyelashes concealing the emotions in them.

He was turning the food in the wok, seemingly too busy to look at Gu Lin: "Uncle Gu, please help me tie it up."