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

Chapter 167 Red Scar

When Gu Lin woke up the next day, Zheng Hao was no longer in the outer room. He had been sleeping soundly and hadn't heard a sound when Zheng Hao left, nor did he know when the other party had left.

Based on the time the other party went to the Hanlin Academy for duty, Gu Lin estimated that the other party had left before dawn.

Gu Lin had promised Zhao's wife and Yu's son that he would go to Haoyunlou Restaurant today, so he went to find them after finishing his breakfast.

The three of them left the mansion by car and headed to the Lucky Tower.

Apart from attending the opening day of Good Fortune Restaurant, Gu Lin was subsequently entangled in numerous affairs and did not visit again after the restaurant was running smoothly.

After crossing the threshold and entering Good Fortune Restaurant, Gu Lin looked up at the lobby, wanting to see what parts of the restaurant Zhao Saozi and Yu Ge'er had renovated, but he couldn't find any changes in the lobby no matter how he looked left or right.

This is exactly the same as when Good Fortune Restaurant first opened.

As soon as the young man entered the restaurant, he began to carefully examine the lobby. Zhao's wife and Yu's son did not disturb him and stood aside, smiling as they watched him.

Unable to see anything wrong with the restaurant lobby, Gu Lin stopped looking and turned to Sister Zhao and Brother Yu. Meeting their smiling eyes, Gu Lin asked with some puzzlement, "Good sister-in-law, good brother Yu, don't hide it from me anymore. Tell me quickly, what has changed at Good Luck Restaurant?"

"He's really impatient."

Sister Zhao laughed and scolded, "We're not renovating the lobby. Even if you look at the tables, chairs, and walls around you with a critical eye, you won't find anything."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin guessed, "Could it be that the private rooms on the second floor have been renovated?"

Sister-in-law Zhao and Brother Yu immediately exchanged a glance.

Seeing their actions, Gu Lin's lips curled up slightly, his gloom vanished, and he smiled, saying, "Could it be that I guessed right?"

Yu Ge'er shook his head slightly and said, "You guessed half right."

Seeing Gu Lin's enthusiastic expression, Sister Zhao smiled helplessly at Brother Yu and said, "Take him to see it. If we let him keep guessing, he'll definitely run up to the second floor to find out."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's eyes flickered, indicating that the renovated area was not the private room on the second floor.

Yu Ge'er took the lead, followed closely by Zhao Saozi, and Gu Lin followed the two of them. They didn't go up the steps to the second floor, but instead turned around and headed to the backyard of Haoyunlou.

As Gu Lin walked through the dimly lit corridor, he looked up and was immediately captivated by the scene before him.

What was once a vast, barren expanse of land near Good Fortune Tower has now been planted with many trees and flowers. But this is not what surprised Gu Lin the most. His gaze shifted and landed on the emerald green pond not far away. Winter had not yet arrived in the capital, so the pond was not frozen. Several small fish swam happily in the water, and ripples spread across the surface with their movements.

A dozen or so steps away from the pond, there is a large pavilion, around which a gently flowing stream has been created.

As Yu Ge'er walked around, he explained to Gu Lin about the backyard they had renovated: "There are many literati, scholars, and high-ranking officials in the capital, and most of the diners at Haoyunlou are also these kinds of people. Unlike the literati and officials in the prefectural city who simply eat at restaurants, people in the capital pay more attention to the atmosphere and style of the meal when they meet with friends outside, which is equivalent to holding a small banquet."

Gu Lin listened attentively without interrupting.

Yu Ge'er: "A few days after Haoyunlou opened, my sister-in-law and I discovered that Haoyunlou was inferior to other restaurants in the capital. The famous restaurants in the capital either had eloquent storytellers, highly skilled pipa players, or opera troupes whose music lingered even after the song ended."

Conversely, Haoyunlou had no other special features besides its food. Yu Ge'er and Zhao Saozi were very anxious, knowing that if they didn't make changes quickly, Haoyunlou would definitely have to close down.

"Before Haoyunlou opened, Zhao's wife and I were busy building connections and securing supplies for restaurants, so we neglected this aspect. Afterwards, we thought of many ways, but they were either copying others' ideas or lacked any creativity. If Haoyunlou wants to establish itself in the capital, it cannot be transformed in these two directions."

As soon as Yu Ge'er finished speaking, Zhao Saozi added, "Fortunately, when Yu Ge'er and I were discussing this matter at the mansion, Gu An happened to pass by, listened to our complaints, and gave us advice."

At that time, Gu An calmly analyzed with Sister Zhao and Brother Yu: "Many literati in the capital do not like to hold banquets at home, but they are troubled by the lack of places with natural charm in the capital. Whenever they want to hold a large banquet, they have to go to the suburbs. However, the location of Haoyunlou is relatively remote and has a large area. If the open space in the backyard can be transformed into a place like a mountain stream in the suburbs, it will definitely attract countless people."

"After the backyard is renovated and opened to the public, Auntie can set a good date for when it will be fully open to the public and when someone will book the backyard."

Sister-in-law Zhao and Brother Yu were overjoyed and immediately gave the backyard of Good Luck Building a thorough makeover.

Sister-in-law Zhao asked the young man, "Brother Lin, what do you think of our renovation of Good Fortune Building?"

While Zhao's wife and Yu's son were explaining things to him, Gu Lin took in all the sights in the backyard.

Although the two of them renovated the backyard of Good Fortune Building in just a few days, the scene before them did not appear crude or shoddy due to the short renovation time.

The existence of each scene and building is very reasonable and beautiful.

Turning his head slightly, Gu Lin saw Zhao's wife and Yu'er looking at him expectantly. He praised, "After this renovation, our Good Fortune Tower will not only be able to gain a firm foothold in the capital, but also provide a reference for the construction of Good Fortune Towers in other prefectures."

In just a quarter of an hour, stimulated by the scene before him, Gu Lin came up with many ideas.

He said to Sister Zhao and Brother Yu, "In the future, we can adapt to local conditions and build different Lucky Towers in other prefectures based on their local characteristics."

Previously, Gu Lin's thinking was still limited. He rigidly believed that the core of opening a restaurant was to make the food delicious. This was not wrong, but he forgot that many restaurants that can grow big and strong in modern times do not rely on delicious food. These shops often have their own characteristics that are eye-catching and unforgettable, such as extremely thoughtful service, extremely luxurious decoration, or ethnic and exotic styles...

Seeing that the young man agreed with their idea, Sister Zhao and Brother Yu were very happy. Then, without hesitation, they asked the waiter to open the door to welcome the guests.

Gu Lin spent the whole morning at Good Luck Restaurant, watching customers come and go.

When they discovered that Good Fortune Pavilion had developed a backyard with a natural charm, many literati were pleasantly surprised, especially by the gently flowing stream in the backyard. For them, this was an unexpected delight, as they would no longer need to go to the suburbs to hold banquets with flowing streams within the city.

The diners in the backyard, though strangers to each other, were all respectable people. They gathered in small groups with their friends, chatting or composing poems. If a poem suited someone else's taste, it would draw applause.

However, although the backyard looks spacious, it is actually quite small. So, guests who want to go in have to pay several dozen copper coins and can only stay inside for one hour. If they want to stay longer, they have to pay several dozen coins again.

As noon approached, Gu Lin asked the kitchen staff to prepare the food and put it in a food box. After the waiter brought out the food box, Gu Lin took it, said goodbye to Sister Zhao and Brother Yu, and then prepared to leave.

Sister-in-law Zhao stopped him: "Why are you leaving? Stay and have dinner!"

Gu Lin, carrying the food box, explained, "Xiao An hasn't been home for a long time, so I'm going to the academy to see him."

After Gu An arrived in the capital, Zheng Hao found him an academy. The academies in the capital required all students to live on campus and only allowed one day off per month. Therefore, Gu Lin had not seen Gu An for a long time.

Upon hearing the other person's words, Sister Zhao loosened her grip and stopped trying to persuade Gu Lin to stay.

After leaving Good Fortune Tower, Gu Lin got into the carriage, told it the name of the academy, and then the carriage started moving.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the carriage stopped, and the coachman outside said, "My lord, we have arrived at the academy."

Stepping out of the carriage, Gu Lin saw the coachman placing a long bench beside the carriage. He stepped onto the bench, got off the carriage, and then turned around to take the food box from the carriage.

"Drive the carriage to the shade of the tree and wait for me," Gu Lin said to the coachman.

The other party agreed, and then pulled the carriage to the shade of a tree not far away.

As he walked toward the academy's gate, he paused briefly before a boy, somewhere between a teenager and a toddler, trotted out and stopped a short distance in front of him.

The young boy said to Gu Lin, "Husband, please wait. Only students of the academy are allowed to enter."

Gu Lin lifted the food box in his hand and said, "I have a nephew studying at your esteemed academy, and I've come to bring him some things."

Upon hearing this, the teenager asked with curiosity, "What's your nephew's name? Which class is he in? I'll pass the message on for you."

Gu Lin thanked him and then said, "His name is Gu An, and he is a scholar who just enrolled recently, but I don't know which class he is in."

After Gu Lin finished speaking, the teenager looked surprised and suddenly realized, "So it's Scholar Gu!"

Seeing that the other person seemed to know Gu An, Gu Lin asked with some surprise, "You know Gu An?"

Upon hearing this, the half-dozen boys immediately nodded: "Scholar Gu has only been in the academy for a short time, yet he has already achieved first place in two consecutive examinations. His essays have been praised by the teachers for their brilliance. When other students ask him for help with difficult questions, Scholar Gu is always very patient and does not hold back at all. All the other scholars in our academy regard Scholar Gu as a close friend."

Hearing the other person describe Gu Xiucai as kind, understanding, and helpful, and thinking of Gu An, who was quiet and rarely spoke at home, Gu Lin would have almost thought the other person had mistaken him for someone else if it weren't for the fact that this Gu Xiucai had only recently enrolled in school.

Looking at the teenager in front of him with two buns on his head, only reaching his waist, yet swaying his head and praising Gu An, Gu Lin found it amusing. In an instant, the suppressed mood of the past few days felt much better.

The young man said to Gu Lin, "Please wait a moment, I'll go in now and call Scholar Gu for you."

After saying that, he ran off and disappeared.

Gu Lin stood outside the academy gate waiting. After a while, the young man reappeared at the academy gate, followed closely by another young man as they walked out of the academy.

Looking up, Gu An saw the young man standing not far away and called out to him.

"Uncle Gu."

The young man said to Gu Lin, "You two chat. During the lunch break, students' family members can enter the academy, but they can't stay for too long."

Gu Lin took off the purse from his waist, emptied its contents, and placed it in the hands of the young boy: "Thank you for helping to deliver the message."

Looking at the pile of candies wrapped in oil paper in his palm, the boy swallowed hard, but he held back and said to Gu Lin, "A gentleman loves candy, but he acquires it in a proper way. It is my duty to help you deliver the message to Scholar Gu. I cannot accept your candy."

Gu An, who was standing to the side, said, "Junior Brother, you worked hard running back and forth to deliver the message. This is homemade candy. Please accept it."

Gu Lin then saw that the boy, who had initially looked reluctant but politely declined, immediately changed his attitude, cupped his hands and bowed to him, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Gu."

Taking the food box from Gu Lin, Gu An said, "Uncle Gu, come with me."

Gu Lin lifted his leg and followed the other person into the academy. Remembering that Gu An had just addressed the teenager outside as his junior brother, he asked curiously, "Who is that teenager?"

Gu Lin did not stop walking, but slowed down and came to Gu Lin's side and said, "That is the grandson of the academy's teacher. He was punished by the teacher to work as a doorman for a month because he was naughty in class and threw insects into his classmate's water bottle."

After hearing Gu An's explanation, and thinking of the mischievous teenagers outside, Gu Lin smiled and said, "Your junior brother admires you very much. He told me that you are very selfless and help your classmates with their questions. You are a good friend and confidant to many students."

Gu An said, "It was just something I did to help out."

Seeing that the other person was still walking forward, as if looking for an empty house to stay in, Gu Lin said, "No need to come in. I just came to see you, say a few words and then leave."

Gu An stopped as instructed and turned to look at Gu Lin.

Before meeting Gu An, Gu Lin thought that the other party might not be used to the food and sleep well after living in the academy for nearly a month, and he was prepared for the other party to lose weight. However, when he got closer, he found that the other party had not lost much weight except for being taller and a little thinner.

However, Gu Lin quickly noticed the dark circles under Gu An's eyes, and he felt a pang of heartache. The other person never had dark circles under his eyes when he was at home.

The young man, who always doted on his child, said, "Did you stay up late at the academy, or are you having trouble sleeping because your roommates are making noise and keeping you awake? If you really can't get used to it, you might want to tell the academy's teacher that you're a day student."

Because of his early experiences, Gu An is a light sleeper and very sensitive to his surroundings. When he was seven or eight years old, Gu Lin would put him to sleep, and if his arm moved even slightly, he would immediately open his eyes, his gaze clear as if he had not fallen asleep.

The dormitories in the academy are all shared by two or three or four people. If anyone makes the slightest movement, Gu An will wake up. Over time, his body will not be able to withstand it.

The academy wasn't far from home, just a little over the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, so Gu An could easily walk there.

Gu An shook his head slightly: "It's nothing. I've been studying lately and going to bed a bit late. I'll be fine in a few days."

After speaking, Gu An shifted his gaze slightly, and suddenly, his eyes froze as they fell on the young man's neck, which bore a few red marks beneath his high collar.

He asked calmly, "Is everything alright at home these days?"