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

"Uncle Gu, don't cry."

The tears that touched his hands were both cool and hot. Zheng Hao gently stroked Gu Lin's cheek and wiped away his tears.

Zheng Hao is usually quiet and reserved, but he is not a timid or tongue-tied person. He is eloquent when facing classmates, teachers and other outsiders, but he can't say a word when Gu Lin is heartbroken and in tears.

Gu Lin raised his hand and pushed the other person away. Zheng Hao's body stiffened, and then he slowly stepped back, taking out a handkerchief from his sleeve and handing it to Gu Lin.

Without taking it, Gu Lin closed her eyes, trying to hold back her tears, then opened them and looked at Zheng Hao: "Besides Gu An, have you disliked Aunt Zhao and the others living with us for a long time?"

Gu Lin wasn't stupid; seeing Zheng Hao's rejection of Gu An, he quickly thought of something else.

He didn't expect that Zheng Hao might have long been tired of the seemingly harmonious family he thought he had, but he had never said anything about it.

Zheng Hao looked at the young man in front of him. Gu Lin had fair skin, and his fair cheeks and eyelids were flushed from crying. He took back the handkerchief that the other man had refused and said, "Yes, but that's all."

Upon hearing what was said, Gu Lin's heart felt as cold as if it had sunk to the bottom of a lake.

Gu Lin asked, "Was it because of my obstruction that you accepted it later?"

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly and said, "That's not the case, Uncle Gu. At first, I rejected Aunt and Uncle Yu because they were outsiders who had intruded into our home. Uncle Gu and I depend on each other for survival. This home should only belong to you and me. After realizing that Aunt and Uncle Yu have their own families and wouldn't disrupt our home, I stopped caring."

“But Gu An is different,” Zheng Hao said calmly.

Zheng Hao didn't say it explicitly, but Gu Lin understood the difference in what he meant.

He hadn't expected Zheng Hao to be so insecure. Gu Lin murmured, "It's my fault, it's all my fault."

He thought he was doing his best to raise Zheng Hao, but he failed to notice the psychological problems that Zheng Hao had long had.

Seeing Uncle Gu bow his head in self-reproach, a shadow crossed Zheng Hao's face.

"It has nothing to do with Uncle Gu."

Zheng Hao's words were tinged with difficulty: "It's because I didn't adjust my mindset properly, I will change in the future."

Zheng Hao did not suddenly realize his mistake. But seeing Uncle Gu's sad expression, he thought that Gu An was just a child, how could he compare to the affection between him and Uncle Gu? Why should he make Uncle Gu sad by sending Gu An away?

Rather than sending the other person away, which might cause a rift between himself and Uncle Gu, Zheng Hao would choose to take a step back: "Let Gu An stay, Uncle Gu, don't cry."

As he grew older, Zheng Hao increasingly revealed his inherent autocratic nature. Under his subtle influence, Gu Lin would consult with him before making decisions on many matters in the family.

And most of the time, when the two disagree on the same matter, Gu Lin will listen to Zheng Hao.

Zheng Hao seemed to have the upper hand, but as soon as Gu Lin showed the slightest sign of trouble, Zheng Hao would be a hundred times more concerned than Gu Lin himself. The other party's sadness and heartbreak made Zheng Hao abandon his principles and take a step back.

Gu Lin took the handkerchief and wiped his face, considering the matter over.

Seeing that the other man looked exhausted, Zheng Hao asked, "Uncle Gu, would you like to take a bath?"

Gu Lin hadn't showered for the past few days due to a fever, and after waking up, he only wiped his body with a damp cloth. Gu Lin nodded and said, "Yes."

The room was filled with steam.

Zheng Hao brought back several buckets of water from the kitchen, and after pouring the water into the bathtub, he said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, you can take a bath now."

Gu Lin walked over, and before Zheng Hao left the bedroom, he said to Gu Lin, "Leave the water from your bath running; I'll come back and pour it out tomorrow."

Provincial school.

After school, before Mr. Zhou had even left the classroom, Peng Zhizhi turned to Zheng Hao beside him and asked, "Brother Zheng, what did you bring for lunch?"

Ever since visiting Haoyunlou and learning that it was owned by Zheng Hao's family, Peng Zhizhi would always be curious about what was in Zheng Hao's lunchbox at lunchtime.

In the past, when they ate together, Peng Zhizhi was mindful of gentlemanly etiquette and would not be impolite enough to approach the other person to see what they were eating. However, after the four of them became familiar with each other after eating out together, in addition to Zheng Hao's lunch, Peng Zhizhi also liked to ask the Zhen brothers what they were eating.

Although Peng Zhizhi's behavior was somewhat impolite, it was no wonder he asked every day. It was because Zheng Hao brought lunch with many dishes that they had never seen before. Moreover, Zheng Hao did not eat alone and would always share some dishes with them before starting to eat, which were very delicious and varied.

But today, before Zheng Hao could answer, Mr. Zhou did not leave the school, but walked right up to them.

Peng Zhizhi immediately shut up.

Mr. Zhou lowered his head slightly and said to Zheng Hao, "Zheng Hao, come with me."

Immediately, all the other students in the classroom looked in this direction.

"Yes," Zheng Hao replied respectfully, without changing his expression.

After leaving the school, Zheng Hao entered a room with Mr. Zhou. After Mr. Zhou sat down, he said to Zheng Hao, "Do you know why I called you here?"

"This student is unaware; please enlighten me, sir," Zheng Hao said, bowing respectfully.

Mr. Zhou looked up at Zheng Hao in front of him and said, "I have seen that your monthly exam scores in recent months have been among the best. The coursework you have been assigned on a daily basis also shows that you have a solid foundation in learning. If you perform normally in this year's annual exam, it is not impossible for you to go from the Earth Class to the Heaven Class."

With a flicker of his eyes, Zheng Hao realized he wasn't a blockhead.

He said to Mr. Zhou, "I still have many shortcomings, and I would appreciate your guidance."

She is a bright and intelligent person.

Mr. Zhou stroked his beard and said, “Although you have a solid foundation in the Four Books and Five Classics, you have read too few other classics, which limits the scope of your writing. This is not your fault. The academic atmosphere in our prefecture is shallow. It is not easy for you to have reached this point after more than ten years of study.”

Zheng Hao's expression remained unchanged, and he maintained a smile on his face.

Mr. Zhou said, “If you don’t want to take the exams and only want to keep your Xiucai degree, your current knowledge is enough. But if you want to continue taking the imperial examinations, I’m afraid you can’t compare with the accumulated knowledge of the other eunuch’s sons in this mansion.”

"I can tell from your usual behavior that you will definitely continue to take the imperial examinations."

Mr. Zhou pointed to the corner behind Zheng Hao and said, "There is a box of books there. Take it back and read it. Come back to me after you finish reading each one."

Zheng Hao turned his head slightly to look at the half-person-high wooden box in the corner behind him, then turned back, his face full of gratitude, and thanked Mr. Zhou: "Thank you, sir."

Zheng Hao's eyes darkened. The classics that Mr. Zhou lent him were undoubtedly a timely help. Apart from the Four Books and Five Classics and primers, there were very few other books in bookstores. However, although the imperial examination seemed to only test the Four Books and Five Classics, it involved knowledge from many other areas. However, the classics containing this knowledge only existed in the homes of high-ranking officials and nobles and did not circulate in the market.

Mr. Zhou did him a great favor.

"Besides," Mr. Zhou changed the subject, "you seem calm and reserved, but you are actually too sharp. If you don't make changes soon, your future path will be difficult."

Despite Mr. Zhou's sudden comments, Zheng Hao remained unmoved, but he lowered his head slightly to appear respectful and attentive.

Mr. Zhou said, “You usually hide it very well, but your writing and handwriting are as restrained as your personality, yet they conceal your sharpness. You can’t fool people. I know that you are young and impetuous, and it is perfectly normal for you to be impetuous. But you must remember that if you want to move up, you should not show your sharpness too much.”

Mr. Zhou said, “You young scholars of your age deserve to be called outstanding talents, but in this prefecture and even in the capital, there are many young people with exceptional talent. The Great Qian Dynasty has never lacked talent.”

Do you know what academic achievements the current Prime Minister, the Ministers of the Six Ministries, and the Vice Ministers had during the imperial examination?

Zheng Hao looked up at Mr. Zhou.

Mr. Zhou said, "None of the current prime ministers or ministers are from the first rank. Many officials in the capital who are of the fourth rank or above are from the second rank. On the contrary, the top three scholars every three years have never been officials of the fourth rank or above."

"The level of one's academic achievement in the imperial examinations is never the most important thing. Temporary glory is merely superficial. If one wants to go far, what matters most is whether one's character is resilient and steady. The more gifted a person is, the more they must remain calm and composed in order to reach the end rather than perish halfway."

Things that were previously uncertain are now confirmed.

Zheng Hao bowed and said to Mr. Zhou, "I was young and impetuous, thank you for your guidance."

Seeing that Zheng Hao showed no resentment and appeared to be a promising young man, they realized that he was not resentful at all.

Mr. Zhou said with satisfaction: "If a person is not arrogant, even though I teach you to act with composure, you must not lose your edge. The latter can support you to move forward without hesitation. You must hide your edge deep in your heart."

Originally, Zhou Zicheng had resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown, but was invited by a friend to teach at the prefectural school. He did not want to meddle in other people's business. However, Zheng Hao was a rare talent. From the floods in the south to the monthly exams, Zheng Hao's performance impressed Zhou Zicheng. He did not want such a rough gem to become just another ordinary person because he had not been polished.

Seeing that Zheng Hao had accepted the instruction, Zhou Zicheng said, "Alright, you can go now."

Zheng Hao bowed, then carried the half-person-high wooden box away from the house.

Zheng Hao lifted his leg and walked towards the school, his expression indifferent but his eyes unfathomable.

If Zheng Hao had previously harbored doubts about Mr. Zhou's identity, after the conversation just now, he was certain that the other party was that fourth-rank official.

Zheng Hao had deliberately planned for Mr. Zhou to contact him this time.

After learning that a fourth-rank official would be teaching at the prefectural school, Zheng Hao began to observe the teachers there. After some observation and comparison, and considering Zhen Yuan's reaction that day, Zheng Hao guessed that Mr. Zhou was likely that fourth-rank official.

Zheng Hao decided to pursue an official career, but unlike the Zhen brothers and Peng Zhizhi, who had families to rely on, the latter three, even if they did not become Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), would at least become county magistrates if they passed the provincial examinations.

Zheng Hao was different. He was at a disadvantage in both the imperial examinations and officialdom. He could only rely on himself to feel his way forward step by step.

Therefore, he needs to find connections and resources, and Mr. Zhou is the most abundant connection he can currently access.

Although he did not know why the other party resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown, whatever the reason, the resources that the other party represented were unimaginable to those from poor families.

Zheng Hao originally intended to attract the other party's attention gradually, but he did not expect that on the first day of school, Peng Zhizhi would ask about the floods in the south.

With his keen hearing, he immediately noticed someone approaching the school and answered Peng Zhizhi's question calmly.

Sure enough, the headmaster and Mr. Zhou came over. They heard their discussion but did not interrupt, and stood quietly at the school gate.

Zheng Hao achieved his goal; he successfully left a superficial impression on Mr. Zhou.

However, this method can only be used once. Mr. Zhou has been a seasoned official for many years. If Zheng Hao uses a similar method again, the other party will definitely notice something is wrong.

Fumanlou.

"Boss Gu."

"Young Master Fang."

A few days ago, Gu Lin received a letter from Fang Jiyue when he was recovering from a serious illness.

Today, Aunt Zhao happened to be free, so Gu Lin asked her to keep an eye on Good Fortune Restaurant and came over to keep the appointment.

The two sat down. The charcoal brazier in the private room had just been lit, so the room was still cool.

Fang Jiyue, wearing a cloak, said to Gu Lin, "When I heard Boss Gu say that he was going to open a restaurant in the prefectural city, I thought it would be a few years later. I didn't expect Boss Gu to open a restaurant in the prefectural city in the blink of an eye. I really admire him."

"I dare not accept such praise from Young Master Fang. My son is studying at the prefectural school, which makes it inconvenient for him to travel back and forth to home. After consideration, I decided to move to the prefectural city. However, I can't stay idle, so I opened a restaurant to pass the time."

Fang Jiyue smiled upon hearing this. It was fine to kill time, and it was also fine to expand his business empire.

Fang Jiyue cut to the chase: "We've known each other for many years, so I won't beat around the bush with you, Mr. Gu. Tell me straight, can Fumanlou continue to cooperate with you in the future?"

Gu Lin stated frankly, "Eating is probably not an option."

Although he had already guessed it, Fang Jiyue still tapped his fingers on the table.

"but"

Gu Lin changed the subject: "Although I can't sell recipes, there is one item with extremely high profit margins. I wonder if Young Master Fang can afford it."

Although he didn't know what the other party was talking about, Fang Jiyue raised an eyebrow and said, "Besides making food, my Fang family is involved in many different businesses. No one in the city dares to disrespect my Fang family."

"What about the capital?"

Undeterred by Fang Jiyue's words, Gu Lin asked.

Upon hearing this, Fang Jiyue suppressed his smile.

Gu Lin said without changing his expression, "The goods I have can be sold as far as the capital; the prefectural city alone cannot handle them all."

Gu Lin spoke cryptically, but Fang Jiyue laughed. What the other party was saying wasn't that the prefectural city couldn't handle it, but rather that he was worried that the Fang family couldn't handle it.

But he wasn't one to be led around. Fang Jiyue said, "Seeing is believing. If Boss Gu can't show me what's in your hand, I can't make any guarantees."

Gu Lin wasn't angry when people suspected him.

He said to Fang Jiyue, "When I came over just now, I had already given that item to the young master Fang's servant as a gift."

"Oh?" Fang Jiyue turned his head and instructed the servant, "Go and get the gifts that Boss Gu sent over."

The servant left the private room and returned shortly afterward with a gift box.

After receiving the gift box, Fang Jiyue untied the ribbon and opened the box, where he saw several yellow cubes and snow-white petals inside.

Fang Jiyue was startled, then reached out and picked up the latter to smell it.

Fang Jiyue had never seen soap or scented soap before. He only felt that the snow-white object in his hand had a faint floral fragrance, which smelled very refreshing.

Looking at the scene before him, Gu Lin remained silent.

Fang Jiyue was holding soap. Although pig pancreas had existed for a long time, Gu Lin was not used to using it. He had wanted to make soap for a long time, but he had not been able to find the time. It was not until he came to the prefectural city that Gu Lin had time to research these things.

The soap and bar soap were developed a month ago, and Gu Lin and others have been using them for many days.

Fang Jiyue looked up and asked Gu Lin, "Boss Gu, what are these two things?"