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

When Gu Lin and Zheng Hao returned home, Zhao's wife looked at them with a hint of surprise and asked, "Why did you two come back together?"

Gu Lin was also puzzled by this question, but he couldn't ask it earlier because Fang Jiyue was present. Now, he and Sister-in-law Zhao looked at Zheng Hao together.

Zheng Hao said calmly, "I got out of school early today, and I figured the banquet Uncle Gu was attending was almost over, so I went to pick him up on the way home."

Sister-in-law Zhao nodded as if she had just realized something, and praised Zheng Hao to Gu Lin, saying, "It's all thanks to our young Zheng for being so respectful to his elders, always thinking of you, Uncle Gu."

As Zhao's wife spoke, she glanced at Zheng Hao's expression out of the corner of her eye, only to find that his expression remained unchanged.

Thinking back to what she had witnessed a few nights ago, a hint of doubt flashed in Zhao's eyes. Could it be that she had really misunderstood?

Seeing Zheng Hao's unchanged expression, Sister Zhao breathed a slight sigh of relief. Perhaps she had really overthought things; Zheng Hao was just being filial to Lin Ge'er.

Unaware of Zhao's unease, Gu Lin walked into the lobby with her and Zheng Hao, talking as they went.

Unlike Gu Lin, Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly. When Zhao's wife saw him hugging Uncle Gu that night, she may have also keenly sensed his illicit feelings for Uncle Gu. Zheng Hao was not afraid to admit that he loved Uncle Gu, but not now.

After dinner, Zhao's wife cleaned up the mess on the table, Uncle Zhao went to the yard to feed the cows, and Zheng Hao brought hot water from the kitchen to Gu Lin's bedroom.

Feeling embarrassed to sit idly by, Gu Lin stepped into the kitchen to help Zhao's wife. When Zhao's wife saw him, she immediately brought him a plate of sliced ​​fruit and coaxed him to go back, saying, "What could possibly be wrong with me? You should go out quickly. Zheng boy, you've already poured the hot water."

After being kicked out by Sister-in-law Zhao, Gu Lin held the fruit platter that she had specially prepared with well water and cut into small pieces with both hands. He glanced at Uncle Zhao, who was whispering to the family's blue ox to build a bond, while Zheng Hao was carrying hot water to his bedroom.

Using a bamboo skewer, Gu Lin picked up a melon and fed it to his mouth. He was immediately captivated by its slightly cool and sweet taste. Knowing that he liked to eat chilled fruit, but worried that his stomach might not be able to handle it, Zhao's wife only soaked the fruit in well water for a short while, so the melon only tasted slightly cool.

After swallowing the melon in his mouth, Gu Lin walked up to Zheng Hao. After long-term training, Zheng Hao's natural strength had improved a lot. He carried two buckets that were half a person tall in both hands, filled with water, and walked back and forth four times, but his expression did not change at all.

It should be noted that the buckets at this time were really heavy, weighing several kilograms even when empty. Now, when filled with water, a wooden bucket weighs about fifty kilograms. In other words, Zheng Hao could easily carry a hundred kilograms of things back and forth between the kitchen and his bedroom.

As Zheng Hao walked out of the bedroom carrying an empty bucket, Gu Lin forked a piece of melon and held it in front of him. Zheng Hao was taken aback and looked up at him slightly.

Gu Lin looked at him with clear eyes and a sincere expression and said, "Eat up. You helped me carry the bathwater, thank you for your hard work."

Her dark eyelashes drooped slightly, concealing the emotions in her eyes, yet her expression remained unchanged as she leaned forward and bit into the honeydew melon on the bamboo skewer.

Gu Lin asked, "Is it sweet?"

Swallowing the melon in his mouth, Zheng Hao lowered his eyes and looked at the young man in front of him, saying, "Sweet."

"Right?" Gu Lin said with a smile, his peach blossom eyes slightly narrowed.

Under the faint moonlight, the young man's smile shone brightly. Zheng Hao shifted his gaze slightly to Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, I've prepared the hot water. I've placed two buckets of hot water next to the bathtub. If the water isn't hot enough later, you can just add more."

Gu Lin sighed softly, "Thank goodness for you, otherwise I wouldn't even have a problem taking a bath."

Zheng Hao smiled slightly, his usually cold expression softening as he asked, "Uncle Gu, would you like to take the fruit platter inside?"

Gu Lin was a little conflicted. He didn't like bringing food into his bedroom, always feeling that eating in the house would easily attract cockroaches and rats, but he really wanted to eat fruit while taking a bath later.

Seeing this, Zheng Hao said, "Bathing can easily make your mouth dry, Uncle Gu, please bring the fruit platter in."

Gu Lin's mind had already been swayed, and with Zheng Hao's persuasion, he no longer hesitated.

He took the fruit plate and turned to walk into the bedroom. The once dry room was now filled with warm steam. Gu Lin walked around the screen to the bathtub and glanced at it. Sure enough, just as Zheng Hao had said, there were two tubs of boiling water next to the bathtub.

Gu Lin sighed slightly. Initially, he didn't have the habit of putting hot water next to him when he took a bath. The reason he developed this habit was because last autumn and winter, when he was enjoying the comfort of the bath, he forgot about the time and only realized it after the water in the tub had cooled down.

At that time, Gu Lin's clothes were left to dry by the charcoal brazier and were forgotten to be brought over, so Gu Lin could only soak them in cold water and call for Sister Zhao.

It just so happened that Zhao's wife was not home at the time. Zheng Hao heard Gu Lin calling and went over, but due to the strict separation of men and women, he could not go in. Before Gu Lin had bathed, it would be considered a filial act for Zheng Hao to carry water into her bedroom, but since Gu Lin was bathing, Zheng Hao had to avoid suspicion.

It was freezing cold at the time, and even though there was a charcoal brazier burning in the bedroom, Zheng Hao was worried that Uncle Gu might catch a cold because of his health.

He suppressed his anxiety and calmly said to Uncle Gu inside, "Uncle Gu, dry yourself with a towel first, then put on your clothes. I'll have Gu An bring in hot water later so you can take another shower."

Gu Lin glanced at the clothes he had taken off hanging on the rack next to him, then stepped out of the cool water. He shivered slightly, quickly grabbed a dry towel to dry himself, and put on the dirty clothes without even bothering to check them. Then, worried that Zheng Hao outside might be concerned, Gu Lin said, "I'm fine, take your time."

Aside from the rustling sounds inside, there seemed to be no other problem. Zheng Hao turned and went to Gu An's room to call him out.

Arriving outside Gu Lin's room, Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin in a deep voice through the door, "Uncle Gu, can I bring the hot water inside first, and then have Gu An bring it to you afterward, around the screen?"

Although Gu Lin was wearing clothes, he felt a little cold because he had just been soaking in cold water. He said to Zheng Hao in a slightly trembling voice, "Okay, you can come in."

Hearing the tremor in the other person's voice, Zheng Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. He reached out and opened the door, carrying two large buckets of hot water inside. Then he called Gu An to bring two small wooden buckets to him.

Zheng Hao glanced down at Gu An, who then placed the small wooden bucket in front of him. Zheng Hao picked up the bucket in his hand and poured the hot water into the other person's bucket.

Once the bucket was full of hot water, without Zheng Hao's prompting, Gu An picked up the hot water and turned to walk behind the screen. Through the screen, Zheng Hao listened intently to the sounds inside.

Seeing that Gu An, such a young child, was bringing him hot water, Gu Lin was worried that the child might accidentally burn himself, so he wanted to go forward to help. Zheng Hao, who was outside, heard the commotion and said in a deep voice, "Uncle Gu, you stay by the charcoal brazier to warm yourself. Gu An can carry the hot water; you don't need to help."

Gu An nodded in agreement.

Gu Lin had no choice but to stay by the charcoal brazier, and then looked at Gu An and said, "Don't rush, An'an, let's take it slowly and not burn ourselves."

Then came the sound of water being poured. Zheng Hao asked, "Uncle Gu, is the water hot?"

Gu Lin reached out and touched the water in the bathtub, replying, "The water in the bathtub is still a bit cold."

"I understand. There's hot water outside, Uncle Gu, don't worry," Zheng Hao said.

Gu An came out from inside, and Zheng Hao raised his hand to continue pouring hot water into Gu An's small wooden tub. Gu An carried the tub back and forth several times until Zheng Hao heard Uncle Gu inside say excitedly, "That's enough, that's enough, you don't need to carry any more water, the water in the tub is hot enough."

After hearing this, Zheng Hao calmly said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, please continue washing. I'll be outside. If you need anything, just call me."

Hearing what the other person said, Gu Lin said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm fine now. You should go back quickly so you don't fall behind in your studies."

Zheng Hao spoke gently and patiently, "It's alright. The charcoal fire inside is warm and plentiful. Staying there for too long will inevitably make you feel drowsy. I'll read a book outside to refresh myself."

"Uncle Gu, hurry up and wash, or the water will get cold again."

Without giving Gu Lin a chance to refuse, Zheng Hao made his decision.

Bathing is difficult in autumn and winter, not only because it requires a huge amount of firewood, but also because of the freezing weather. If you catch a cold while bathing, you can easily get a fever.

So even though Gu Lin was clean, when it came to his own life, and with the constant reminders from Aunt Zhao and Zheng Hao, Gu Lin gave up the idea of ​​bathing every day.

However, things are different in late spring and early summer. Although the nights in early summer are a bit cool, it's not a problem indoors, as the steam from hot water alone can enhance the warmth of the room.

Stepping into the bathtub and shower, Gu Lin washed his hair as well, then wrapped it in a towel before immersing his body from the neck down in the water.

The slightly hot water stimulated his skin, causing Gu Lin to furrow his brows slightly before gradually relaxing. After feeling the scalding heat, his tender skin felt a unique comfort, and his entire body gradually relaxed and eased.

Gu Lin leaned against the edge of the bathtub with his eyes slightly narrowed. After a while, when he felt the water temperature gradually warming up, he opened his eyes, got up, dried himself, and put on his clothes.

Gu Lin strolled over to the bed and sat down. He took a cloth and dried his hair. When his hair was half dry, there was a knock on the door.

Gu Lin turned to look at the door, and Zheng Hao's voice came in: "Uncle Gu, are you done taking a bath? May I come in?"

Placing the soaked towel on the cabinet beside the bed, Gu Lin replied, "Come in."

With a creak, the door opened, and Zheng Hao walked in carrying a tray.

Gu Lin glanced up and saw a casserole dish and two small bowls on the tray.

As his gaze moved downwards, Gu Lin's eyes involuntarily fell on Zheng Hao.

Even with heavy loads in his hands, the other person remained calm and unhurried, strolling leisurely as if he were carrying a ceremonial vessel for a ritual, rather than carrying a tray and a casserole.

Arriving in front of Gu Lin, Zheng Hao placed the casserole and bowls on the tray one by one on the cabinet, and then put the tray on the open ground next to him.

After finishing these tasks, Zheng Hao turned to Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, you'll be taking your medicine soon, so have some shrimp congee to tide you over."

After saying that, Zheng Hao turned his head, lowered his head, lifted the lid of the casserole, and picked up a spoon and an empty bowl to scoop out the porridge.

Looking at the porridge the other person scooped up, with snow-white rice grains mixed with a few rosy shrimp and some fine ginger shreds, Gu Lin seemed to smell the aroma of shrimp porridge. His mouth watered as he asked, "Didn't you say you got up late today and couldn't buy any shrimp? How come you still have shrimp to cook porridge?"

Zheng Hao ladled out a bowl of porridge and handed it to the young man in front of him. After the man eagerly took it, Zheng Hao explained, "I bought this when I saw someone selling shrimp on my way to school."

Upon hearing the explanation, Gu Lin nodded with a look of sudden understanding.

The room was dimly lit by candlelight. Zheng Hao lowered his eyes and saw that the young man in front of him had red fingers holding the porridge.

He spoke softly, "Uncle Gu, give me the bowl first."

Taking the bowl from the young man's hand, Zheng Hao, under the man's stunned gaze, picked up a cloth to shield the hot bowl from the heat.

After a moment, Zheng Hao handed the bowl back to Gu Lin and said, "Uncle Gu, you can eat now."

Gu Lin then realized what was happening. Feeling the soft cloth on his fingertips, which was no longer as hot as before, he smiled slightly and said, "You are so thoughtful."

Under the warm glow of the orange candlelight, the young man slightly raised his head, smiling as he looked at the boy standing in front of him. The boy's usually aloof expression softened considerably in the dim light, and their shadows overlapped and were projected onto the wall.

At this moment, the two of them didn't say a word, but it felt very warm and comfortable.

Gu Lin lowered his head slightly as he ate the shrimp porridge. The rice grains were fragrant and sticky, the shrimp were sweet and refreshing, and a little ginger removed any fishy smell. The whole bowl of porridge had no fishy taste at all, only a fresh, fragrant and sweet flavor.

Zheng Hao spoke softly to Gu Lin in front of him, "Uncle Gu, it was wrong of me to be cold and indifferent to you the other day. I won't do that again."

Gu Lin paused, then looked up at Zheng Hao without any change in expression and asked, "No matter how I asked you before, you wouldn't say anything. Why are you willing to admit it now?"

Although Zheng Hao admitted that he had been cold and aloof a few days ago, there were some things he needed to explain clearly.

Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, my cold words before weren't directed at you, but rather stemmed from my own dissatisfaction, which caused you to suffer as a result."

Gu Lin was puzzled by this, so he asked without beating around the bush, "If I'm not mistaken, you should be upset because of my illness, but shouldn't you be angry with me? Why are you angry with yourself?"

Zheng Hao explained, "Whether Uncle Gu is sick or not is not something he can control. As Uncle Gu's family member, I cannot share his worries, nor did I notice his discomfort in time. While Uncle Gu was sick, he had to worry about me and suffer my coldness because of me. Shouldn't Uncle Gu be angry with me?"

Hearing the other person's words, Gu Lin said helplessly, "You are so smart and sensible. Whenever I have any trouble, you react faster than I do, and you take care of me all night long. How could I be angry with you?"

Zheng Hao's eyes flickered slightly, and Gu Lin continued, "Don't keep anything to yourself in the future. You can tell me. Although I may not be able to help, having more people means having more options."

"It's Uncle Gu," Zheng Hao replied softly, unsure whether to confirm or deny it.