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

After clarifying the matter, the invisible barrier between the two disappeared, and Zheng Hao sat down to eat shrimp congee with Gu Lin.

Having just finished dinner, Gu Lin felt somewhat full after consuming only half a bowl of congee, but the shrimp congee was so delicious that Gu Lin was reluctant to put down his chopsticks.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, if you want to eat it again in the future, I will cook it again."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin looked up at Zheng Hao in surprise and asked, "Did you cook this?"

Zheng Hao nodded slightly and said, "I was worried that the shrimp porridge wouldn't suit Uncle Gu's taste, but I'm relieved to see that Uncle Gu can use it."

Gu Lin looked down at the porridge in the white porcelain bowl. The rice grains were distinct, and the shrimp oil from the shrimp meat was soaked in the snow-white rice oil. It was obvious that the porridge was cooked by an experienced cook. Since Zheng Hao hadn't mentioned it, Gu Lin really hadn't thought that the shrimp porridge in front of him was cooked by the other party himself.

Zheng Hao didn't feel much about cooking porridge for Uncle Gu, because to him, it was something he should do. If he hadn't seen Uncle Gu reluctant to put down the porridge after he had finished eating, Zheng Hao wouldn't have brought it up.

Zheng Hao said to the young man in front of him, "After finishing your midnight snack, Uncle Gu should take his medicine."

Gu Lin nodded.

Zheng Hao got up to get the lukewarm medicinal soup from the side, and Gu Lin took it and drank it.

As usual, Zheng Hao would leave Gu Lin's bedroom after Gu Lin drank the medicine, but he was still somewhat bothered by what he had witnessed during the day.

Zheng Hao is very concerned about the people and things around Uncle Gu, or rather, anything that draws Gu Lin's attention, whether it's a person or an object, Zheng Hao will be concerned about.

especially……

Zheng Hao closed his eyes. The sight of the young man and the young man whispering together under the bright sun was really too jarring to look at.

After drinking the medicine, Zheng Hao took the bowl from Gu Lin's hand. Gu Lin took a piece of dried tangerine peel from the candy box in the cabinet and put it in his mouth, only then did he feel that the bitterness in his mouth was suppressed.

A gentle breeze drifted through the wooden window, causing the candlelight under the lampshade to flicker slightly, and the intertwined figures of Gu Lin and Zheng Hao on the wall to shimmer and fade.

Suddenly, Zheng Hao asked, "I saw Yu Ercheng coming out of Youyuan Restaurant with several gift boxes during the day. Uncle Gu, did you buy something at the banquet?"

"How can it be!"

Gu Lin immediately said, "The items auctioned at the banquet are all prohibited. How could I knowingly break the law? Those gift boxes were gifts from Young Master Fang."

"Oh?" Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly, concealing the hidden sharpness in them, and said, "Why is Young Master Fang giving a gift so formally out of the blue?"

Gu Lin said, "One gift box contains the jade jewelry that they gave me last time, and the other gift box contains ginseng and lingzhi."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hao said calmly, "Although Uncle Gu and Young Master Fang are friends, they are also business partners. Would it be inappropriate for him to always accept gifts from them?"

Gu Lin didn't notice anything amiss and nodded in agreement, saying, "I didn't think so before because the gifts they gave were all local specialties, which I could afford to reciprocate. But the last two times, the gifts that Young Master Fang gave were more and more expensive, ranging from jade to tonics like ginseng and lingzhi. If they give me such precious gifts again in the future, I won't accept them. It's my own fault for not checking carefully what they gave me after I accepted the gifts."

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes, concealing all his emotions, and said, "Uncle Gu has his own standards, that's enough. I'm just worried that Uncle Gu might develop a rift with his friend."

Gu Lin didn't want to tell Zheng Hao that Fang Jiyue was interested in him, nor did he know that Zheng Hao had noticed Fang Jiyue's feelings for him. He just nodded vaguely in response.

Seeing that Gu Shu had not developed any romantic feelings for Ji Yue, Zheng Hao felt a little relieved.

Otherwise, Zheng Hao's beast-like eyes deepened, and he didn't know what he might do.

A few days later, Gu Lin became puzzled again. Looking at Gu An, who was different from usual and didn't hang around him much, Gu Lin felt confused.

What's wrong with these two brothers? The older one just recovered a few days ago, and now the younger one is here again.

"Uncle Gu, I'm full."

After Gu An finished his breakfast, he got up, took his bowl and chopsticks into the kitchen, and then went out to sit on the oxcart to wait for Zheng Hao.

Watching Gu An's hurried departure, Gu Lin sensed something was amiss.

For a moment, Gu Lin fell into deep thought and even stopped eating the soup noodles in his bowl.

"Uncle Gu?"

Zheng Hao spoke up.

Gu Lin finally heard him after being called three times.

He turned his head slightly to look at Zheng Hao, meeting the other's slightly puzzled gaze, and asked, "Have you noticed that An An has been acting a little strange lately?"

Zheng Hao never paid attention to people he didn't care about, but he couldn't say that in front of Uncle Gu.

Zheng Hao glanced at the oxcart outside, then looked away and said calmly, "People are always different when they get older than when they were young."

Gu Lin felt something was off, but Zheng Hao's words did make sense.

Gu Lin murmured, "Maybe I'm overthinking it."

Zheng Hao finished three bowls of noodle soup, while Gu Lin still had half a bowl of noodle soup left. He always liked to eat slowly and chew carefully, so his family, including Zheng Hao, was used to it.

Zheng Hao stood up and said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, please enjoy your meal. I'll be leaving now."

Gu Lin nodded slightly and reminded him, "Be careful on the road."

Zheng Hao turned and left the hall.

Just as the school ended at noon, someone entered the classroom. His gaze swept over everyone in the classroom, finally settling on one person.

He stepped forward and said to Zheng Hao, "Scholar Zheng, someone is looking for you outside."

Zheng Hao's deep eyes narrowed slightly, and he stood up and said to the messenger, "Thank you for your trouble."

Then, he lifted his leg and left the school.

Arriving outside the academy, Zheng Hao saw unfamiliar faces before him—neither his family nor any of the waiters from Good Fortune Restaurant. His slightly heavy heart gradually calmed down, and his previously rapid steps became unhurried.

The boy, who was only up to Zheng Hao's shoulder and looked to be about eleven or twelve years old, said to Zheng Hao, "Scholar Zheng, Gu An is fighting with the other students at the academy. Scholar Chen invites you to come over."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hao remained calm and said, "Please wait a moment, I'll go ask for leave first."

After saying this, Zheng Hao turned and walked into the prefectural school. The boy did not dare to urge him and waited outside the school gate under the scorching sun.

A moment later, a middle-aged man brought a bowl of tea to the boy and said, "Outsiders are not allowed to enter the school. Scholar Zheng is worried that you will get heatstroke, so he asked me to pour you a bowl of cool tea. Go wait for Scholar Zheng under the shade of the tree over there. Don't stand in the sun."

Xiao Tong was initially annoyed at having to come out to look for someone under the midday sun, but he couldn't afford to offend Zheng Hao, who was a scholar.

However, although Zheng Hao's actions did not cost much money, as a scholar, he thoughtfully took care of the young boy, which made the boy feel much more at ease. He then took the cool tea to the shade of a tree.

It just so happened that Mr. Zhou had classes all in the afternoon, so Zheng Hao asked him for leave. Mr. Zhou frowned slightly, but finally agreed. However, before Zheng Hao left, he said something to him, and Zheng Hao remained silent for a while before nodding in agreement.

The Chen family academy where Gu An enrolled was not far from the prefectural school. Led by a young boy, Zheng Hao went directly into the study of Chen, the successful candidate in the imperial examination.

At this moment, only Chen Juren was in the study; Gu An was not there, nor were any other students fighting with the other party.

Zheng Hao cupped his hands slightly and said, "Chen, the successful candidate in the imperial examination."

Chen Juren looked up at Zheng Hao and nodded slightly, saying, "It was originally a dispute between children, nothing serious. But Gu An hit his classmate hard. I called you here to remind you to teach Gu An properly when you get back, so that he won't go astray."

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Scholar Chen."

Chen, the scholar, stroked his goatee and shook his head slightly, saying, "If it weren't for the fact that Gu An is a promising talent, I wouldn't have called you over."

Changing the subject, Chen Juren said to Zheng Hao, "Next year is the county examination. Given Gu An's level, he can certainly give it a try, but his ranking cannot be guaranteed. In my opinion, we should hold back a bit more."

Zheng Hao understood the meaning behind the other party's words and said, "Mr. Chen's concern for Gu An makes me feel ashamed."

Scholar Chen stroked his beard and smiled, then shook his head and waved his hand. After dealing with Gu An's matter, Scholar Chen pulled Zheng Hao aside to discuss scholarship.

When Zheng Hao bid farewell to Chen, the scholar, after the school ended, Chen was still somewhat reluctant to part.

After Zheng Hao left Chen's Academy and boarded the oxcart, his already indifferent expression became even more unapproachable. If he was a refined and elegant gentleman in front of Chen Juren just now, he was now like a cold and iron sword. Although he did not speak or rage, he was awe-inspiring. If anyone who knew him was present, they would not believe that he was the same bright and handsome young scholar they knew.

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on the boy sitting opposite him, and asked, "What did you do at Chen's Academy? Why did you fight with the other students?"

Faced with Zheng Hao's questioning, Gu An kept his young face tense and his mouth tightly shut without saying a word. If you looked closely, you would find that Gu An's usually dull face showed a hint of unruliness at this moment.

Seeing this, Zheng Hao's eyes grew cold as he said, "I won't hold it against you this time because Chen Juren's page came to see me, but if your page goes to see Uncle Gu again..."

Before Zheng Hao could finish speaking, Gu An, who had been silent all along, suddenly shouted, "No!"

Zheng Hao never lacked patience with people who were beneficial to him or whom he cared about. The former included Mr. Zhou and the Zhen brothers, while the latter was only Uncle Gu. However, Gu An belonged to neither category, yet he happened to be someone Uncle Gu cared about.

Suppressing his impatience, Zheng Hao asked again, "What exactly happened?"

Gu An's expression hardened as he said, "Some people in the school say that the good fortune restaurant's business is so good that Uncle Gu must have used improper means."

Although Gu An didn't elaborate, Zheng Hao could guess what the students in the school had said. His eyes swept over Gu An's defiant gaze, and Zheng Hao said coldly, "No matter who insulted Uncle Gu, you're not wrong to teach them a lesson, but the way you're teaching them is utterly foolish."

Gu An stared intently at Zheng Hao, his eyes unwavering despite the latter's cold and ruthless beastly gaze.

It can only be said that the children who can survive in the brokerage firm are nothing but lambs; it's just that Gu An concealed it so well that Uncle Gu and the others didn't notice.

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes and looked at Gu An, saying, "If your own strength is not strong enough, then find another way. As Sun Tzu's Art of War says, 'Lure the enemy with profit, seize him when he is in disarray, prepare against him when he is strong, avoid him when he is powerful, provoke him when he is angry, humble him when he is arrogant, exhaust him when he is at ease, and alienate him when he is close.' Blindly trying to break a rock with an egg will only make you a laughing stock."

"I don't care if you want to teach a lesson to someone you don't like in school, but you must remember to do these things in a way that is not obvious to others, or at least so that no one can find fault with them on the surface."

As Zheng Hao finished speaking, Gu An lowered his head slightly, his youthful face filled with thought. After a moment, a look of sudden realization gradually appeared on his face.

Gu An raised his head and said to Zheng Hao, "I understand."

After resolving the matter, the oxcart swayed and bumped its way home. The two remained silent the entire way. Zheng Hao closed his eyes to rest, while Gu An pondered the words the other had just spoken.

Seeing Zheng Hao and Gu An return home early, Gu Lin couldn't help but look up at the horizon, where the orange sun had just begun to set.

Gu Lin asked Zheng Hao, "Why are you back so early today?"

In the past, Zheng Hao and his companion would only arrive home when the sun had set halfway down the mountain.

Apart from greeting Gu Lin when he first entered, Gu An remained silent.

Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, "This morning at the Chen Family Academy, Gu An got into a fight with some other students. Chen Juren sent his page to call me over, and we came straight back after the matter was resolved."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's face immediately showed tension and worry. He looked at Gu An and asked, "Are you alright?"

After speaking, Gu Lin wanted to step forward to check if the other person had any wounds, but Gu An, who had been silent, looked at the worry on the young man's face and said, "I'm not injured."

That's right. Although Gu An fought with the other students in the school and it was one against three, he was not injured. On the contrary, he beat the three of them so badly that they cried for their parents.

Gu An had been putting up with them for a long time. He had just taught one of them a lesson yesterday and thought the other party had been taught a lesson. Unexpectedly, today he brought two more people to block his way to the cafeteria.

Compared to yesterday, everything those three said today hit Gu An's sore spots. If the three had only insulted Gu An by saying he had no parents, Gu An might not have hit them. But these three were oblivious to their own mortality and dragged Uncle Gu into it, throwing dirty water on Uncle Gu with their foul mouths.

Gu An's calm expression suddenly turned fierce, and he charged forward.

The three people opposite were caught off guard and were immediately pinned down and beaten by Gu An, who rushed forward quickly. Even when they finally reacted, they missed the best opportunity to fight back, and none of them were able to turn the tables and overpower Gu An. If it weren't for Chen Juren passing by, the three of them might have been beaten to a pulp by Gu An.

Even though he knew Gu An wasn't injured, Gu Lin still felt a little sorry for him and said, "How dare you fight three people on your own? Why didn't you hold back and come back to us to stand up for you? You can't be so impulsive next time. Even when your brother Zheng had conflicts with his classmates when he was a kid, it never escalated to the point of fighting. At most, they would just argue. Why should we bother with them? You can't just rush in like an idiot next time!"

Gu Lin muttered to himself, Zheng Hao's eyes were slightly lowered, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and he seemed to be thinking about something. Gu An, on the other hand, kept agreeing.

[The 4,000-word limit has been reached. The following content has been published: Little Zheng lowered his head slightly, indicating that he dared not say anything, hahahahahaha!]