61-70

Chapter 61

Just when Lin Zhen was thinking about whether to let Gu Shuanzi take a look at him, his eyelids finally returned to normal. He blinked and said, "It's suddenly better. Maybe I'm tired from working every night recently."

The business of Zhenyouwei Snack Shop has never been bad since it opened, with a stable income of 700 to 800 taels a day.

As the weather gets hotter, the temperature rises steadily. The hot and spicy malatang has ushered in the worst business, but the cold noodles and sour plum soup are selling more and more. With the wave of stable customers attracted by the taste of milk tea, the shop of Zhenyouwei Snack Shop is never empty.

At the end of last month, the net profit was 217 taels. Lin Zhen waved his hand and gave Lin Xiaoyao, Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou a bonus of one tael of silver.

In addition to himself, Xiaoyao, a half-grown child, is the one who takes Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou to work in the store. He sees how hard they work, and he thinks it's worth it to give this little bonus.

As for Gu Shuanzi, he is naturally indispensable.

Holding the books, Lin Zhen took Gu Shuanzi to the counter to pay. The bookstore owner had a good memory and was deeply impressed by Lin Zhen's handsome boy. Seeing Gu Shuanzi in a long robe beside him, he said, "You bought so many books this time. Has your child entered school?"

Lin Zhen said, "Yes, he just paid respect to Mr. Xu and will start studying tomorrow."

"Master Xu," everyone in the town knew Master Xu. First, he was very strict with his students and set a rule that only those who had finished reading the Thousand Character Classic at the age of eight could go to study with him. Second, because Zhong Yan was a living example, a 12-year-old scholar was worthy of respect everywhere, and Master Xu, who could teach Zhong Yan, naturally rose in reputation. The bookstore owner said, "Congratulations, maybe this child can also pass the exam to become a scholar in the future, which can exempt your family from taxes."

Lin Zhen handed over the silver and smiled.

After leaving the bookstore, Lin Zhen bought sugar, tea, tapioca flour, and some condiments.

These things are very consumable, and there are not many left in the shop. Buying them today will save you from having to go out again.

The two of them went back with a large bag and a small bag. Lin Xiaoyao, who had finally taken a break in the shop, ran out to greet them and took the things from Gu Shuanzi's hand first: "Brother, how is it, is Shuanzi going to school smoothly?"

"Smoothly, our Shuanzi is amazing, he can recite the Thousand Character Classic very well, and he will go to school tomorrow."

"Really?" Lin Xiaoyao was also happy. He was too busy these days, and his brain was not as good as Gu Shuanzi's. He could no longer keep up with Lin Zhen's progress in explaining the Thousand Character Classic to Gu Shuanzi, and could only ask occasionally when

he was free. He felt that knowing how to read was very useful, at least now he could understand the names of some shops on the roadside when he went out. You know, he was blind before, these words were known to him but he didn't know these words.

Suddenly, Lin Xiaoyao slapped his head and said to Lin Zhen, "Third brother, the customer who comes to buy milk tea from time to time is looking for you, saying that he has something to discuss with you."

Not many people can afford a cup of milk tea at 20 cents, and Lin Xiaoyao has become acquainted with him.

Lin Zhen glanced at the shop and saw the old man sitting by the window in the direction of Lin Xiaoyao's finger. He nodded, "Well, go in first and put your things down." After

putting the things he bought in the backyard, Lin Zhen walked up to the old man and said with a fist, "Father-in-law, I heard that you have something to talk to me about?"

The old man who was drinking Hong Kong-style milk tea returned the greeting, "Boss Lin, please sit down."

In his own shop, Lin Zhen naturally had nothing to worry about, so he sat opposite the old man.

The old man said, "I have been here since the first day Boss Lin opened the shop, and I have come here more than a dozen times. I have to say that although Boss Lin is not the smartest person I have ever met, he must be the most open-minded among the smart people."

"Take the method of selling this book with milk tea as an example. I have never seen anyone do this."

"Thank you for your compliment, sir." Lin Zhen did not think that the old man came just to praise himself. He said, "I am just repeating what others have said. What is the matter with you?"

The old man had come to visit more than a dozen times and had some understanding of Lin Zhen's temperament. He immediately said, "It's like this. I am the owner of the Qianhong Opera Troupe. This time I came from Longnan to Kyoto to perform for a big shot. Due to some reasons, I was delayed here for some time. I am very interested in the storybook "Mei Niang" in Boss Lin's shop. I want to ask Boss Lin if he can sell me the complete storybook of "Mei Niang". "

Lin Zhen thought that the old man came for his milk tea recipe and spicy hot pot recipe. After all, this is the signature of his shop, and many people have come this month.

Unexpectedly, it was for "Mei Niang", a small blind box gift that served as a topper for milk tea.

He asked, "Did the troupe owner buy "Mei Niang" in order to stage it into a play?"

"The story of "Mei Niang" is very interesting. The role in our troupe is just right for "Mei Niang". It should be very good if it is staged. So I came to find Boss Lin to ask if he has this intention." The troupe owner was not as calm as he seemed on the surface. The nobleman in Kyoto liked to listen to operas. Every year on his birthday, he would make a big show and perform a big play for ten days or half a month. The

reason why these troupes gathered in Kyoto was naturally to embrace those wealthy officials who specially selected troupes and wanted to embrace the nobleman. With a backer behind them, they would not be worried.

But good stories and good roles are rare. The troupe owner finally cultivated a role that he could show off, and he wanted to cry but had no tears in front of those scripts that were almost worn out.

He walked into Zhenyouwei Snack Restaurant that day on a whim. As a troupe that was quite famous in Longnan, the troupe owner had no shortage of money. Twenty cents for a cup of milk tea was just commonplace for him.

But the "Plum Lady" placed under the milk tea cup made his eyes light up. It happened that the class leader was a little unwell, so he simply rested here for a while. After buying the latest sixth chapter of "Plum Lady", he couldn't wait to find Lin Zhen.

"Plum Lady" was written by Lin Zhen randomly picking out some ideas from his head. It tells the story of a handsome and gentle scholar with outstanding talent who went to Beijing to take the imperial examination. There was a plum blossom demon in the yard he rented, which led to the fact that the relationship between the plum blossom demon and him was not that simple. In their previous lives, one was a son of a noble family and the other was a talented lady of an official family.

However, the mountains and rivers were broken, the country was drifting, and the couple who used to be in harmony with each other struggled to support each other in the troubled times, but they were still separated by a series of mistakes and never met each other in the end.

The lady of the official family was too obsessed, and before she died, she spit out a mouthful of blood on the plum blossoms, becoming a plum blossom demon, waiting for hundreds of years to reunite with her reincarnated husband.

However, after crossing the Naihe Bridge and drinking Mengpo soup, is the husband she has been waiting for?

The scholar is very talented and has become the top scholar in the imperial examination. He is engaged to the daughter of a court minister. The evil spirit of the plum blossom demon attracts a Taoist priest who wants to exorcise the demon...

Lin Zhen deliberately wrote the previous life of the plum blossom demon and the scholar in a very sweet way, making the separation of the loving couple in troubled times even more tear-jerking. In addition,

the plum blossom demon has been infatuated for hundreds of years, and the reincarnated scholar no longer recognizes his former lover. It is no exaggeration to say that "Mei Niang" is very popular in the town. Most of the people buy milk tea for "Mei Niang", and the remaining half are the real supporters of milk tea.

As for "Xiantu", it is more popular with men, but men are not as crazy as women and men in spending money, so the sales are worse than "Mei Niang".

Lin Zhen looked at the old man and said, "My friend who writes storybooks will be very happy that the storybook can be adapted into a play. But you have also seen that this "Mei Niang" is loved by so many people in this town. I am afraid it will not be inferior if it is put in other places."

"I don't think you are the kind of person who makes random requests. Please give me a price first, and I will estimate whether it can be sold for my friend."

Lin is really a businessman. He has nothing to be reluctant about if "Mei Niang" shines in the milk tea shop and he can make more money.

The old man stroked his beard and stretched out two fingers: "Eighty taels, what do you think, Boss Lin?"

"Eighty taels is too low. To be honest, Boss, my friend is using "Mei Niang" to partner with my shop. I will give him a portion of the money for every cup of milk tea he sells. Although eighty taels may not seem like a lot, it will not be difficult to earn this eighty taels as long as the milk tea sells for a long time."

"Boss Lin, after I take this script back, I will have to find a master to rehearse it into a play, and I will have to make custom costumes. I will have to rehearse for a long time before I can perform on stage. The cost is not small. If it's more, I will..." "

Boss," Lin really didn't believe him, "Since you like this "Mei Niang", it means that you have some ingenuity in your mind for "Mei Niang". As long as your troupe rehearses it, it will be the first to perform this play. There is no need to worry that there will be no customers to watch it."

"Even if other troupes want to copy you, they will have to wait for some time. By then, your name will have been known for a long time."

Lin Zhen's words hit the troupe owner's sore spot. In their line of work, reputation is more important than anything else. As long as the reputation is loud, even a bowl of plain water can be priced like honey water.

He ran all the way to Kyoto, just for this.

The old man drank a sip of gentleman's tea: "Then Boss Lin..."

Lin Zhen didn't play it safe and said directly: "Two hundred taels, Lin will immediately offer the first six chapters of "Mei Niang" and the last four chapters with both hands, and will not sell it to anyone else."

The troupe owner shook his head repeatedly: "Too expensive, too expensive."

The two of them went back and forth, and finally a deal was made for one hundred and eighty taels. Lin Zhen immediately went to the house in the backyard and gave the first six chapters that had been sold with the milk tea, including the last four chapters that had not yet been sold, to the troupe owner.

The troupe owner took the complete version of Mei Niang and could not wait to turn to the last four chapters. He read the plot development that he had been thinking about for a few times, and his eyes became brighter and brighter: "Good! Very good!"

His face was flushed with excitement, and he said to Lin Zhen: "Whatever books Mr. Lin's friends write in the future, I will buy them all!"

"My father-in-law has been traveling all over the country, and I don't know when we will see each other again." Lin Zhen said with a smile.

The troupe owner, who planned to stay in Kyoto in the future, smiled and said: "Yes, then I wish Mr. Lin a prosperous business and a lot of money."

Lin Zhen also smiled and replied: "I also wish you to become a hit and make a lot of money."

The troupe owner felt that Mr. Lin was really a wonderful person. It would be great to become a hit!

Chapter 62

Lin Zhen, standing opposite the owner of Qianhong Opera Troupe, smiled brightly, his eyes were slightly round and the tails of his eyes extended into a curled arc, his nose was straight, his lips were slightly plump, and his face was not a gorgeous oval face, but a small round face that was more pure and innocent, which blended with his beautiful eyebrows and eyes to create a contradictory but attractive unique temperament.

It really can't be seen that his son is as old as Gu Shuanzi.

The owner of Qianhong Opera Troupe sighed in his heart, if the seedling he had cultivated for many years had such a good appearance, plus the script of "Mei Niang", he would be sure to go to Kyoto.

But unfortunately, although Boss Lin is a brother, he is not lacking in character and means. He can make a good living in this small town, but he will never become a star.

After getting what he wanted, the old man left quickly.

Lin Zhen, who had received this unexpected fortune, took the silver to the house in the backyard and put it away.

He patted the box that could hardly be closed and said, "Thank you, my good friend~" With the help of that imaginary friend, he could have a prosperous new year this year.

The next morning, Lin Zhen, who had long been accustomed to getting up early, did not even need to look at the sky outside. He got up from his bed and threw off the quilt. Lin Xiaoyao, who lived in the same room with him but slept in the outer room, was also folding the quilt. When he saw him, he said, "Brother, please buy me two vegetarian buns on the way back from sending Shuanzi to school. I don't want to eat noodles today."

His family was in the noodle business. They cooked noodles almost every day for the past month, or fried rice with eggs. Lin Xiaoyao was a little scared.

If this idea had been put before, he would not even dare to think about it. It was good to have something to eat.

Lin Zhen yawned: "Okay, I'll also buy the stones for Zhuzi."

"By the way," he suddenly remembered, "What happened to Zhuzi yesterday? He looked so bad. Maybe he was sick."

Lin Xiaoyao bit his lip: "Third brother, although Zhuzi is doing better than before, I think he is really uncomfortable. He can't sleep every night, and sometimes he stays awake until dawn." Lin Zhen

didn't expect Lin Zhuzi's symptoms to be so serious. How can a ten-year-old child, who is in a critical period of physical and psychological development, not sleep every day?

He thought for a while and said, "I will send Shuanzi to school later and go to him in person. Don't worry about other things for now."

"Okay."

After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Lin Zhen went to find Gu Shuanzi. As soon as he went to the left wing, he saw Gu Shuanzi wearing a gray robe and his hair tied with a headband of the same color, opening the door.

He stayed in the shop every day without sun exposure. Compared with when Lin Zhen first met him, he was much whiter, a little whiter than light honey, which was incomparable to Lin Zhen's milky white.

But this little whiteness made his superior eyebrows stand out, and at first glance he was a handsome young boy.

Lin Zhen walked over and looked at the schoolbag on his shoulders: "How is it? Is the schoolbag made by your uncle Xiaoyao suitable for you?" The

first schoolbag in his own son's life was of great significance. Lin Zhen came back yesterday and wanted to make one by himself. But when he found the scissors, cloth, and needles and thread, he didn't know how to start. Looking at the little boy Mumu's little face, he quickly grabbed Lin Xiaoyao to save the situation.

Although he didn't do the needlework, he drew the style of the schoolbag, which was almost the same, and he got the idea.

"It fits." Gu Shuanzi didn't know what Xu Youda was going to teach today, so he brought all the Four Books and Five Classics directly, and the cloth schoolbag was a little heavy.

He looked at Lin Zhen who had packed up, put his schoolbag on the stone table in the yard, took his toothbrush and face towel to wash up, and walked out with Lin Zhen after washing up.

It was still early, and there was only a strip of light as wide as a palm in the sky, but he could already hear rustling sounds coming from the surrounding houses.

Those who made breakfast were the first to get up. Those who sold noodles, porridge, and buns had already set up their stalls. The oil lamps formed small circles of light, dotted from one end of Zhazi Street to the other.

Lin Zhen took Gu Shuanzi to a bun shop with ease and asked Gu Shuanzi: "How many do you want to eat? Do you want some porridge?"

"Four, no porridge."

"Four?" The buns here are not small, one is as big as Lin Zhen's fist and a half. He remembered that when he took Gu Shuanzi outside to change the taste before, Gu Shuanzi only ate two.

Looking at the size of his adopted son, he nodded. It is a blessing for children to be able to eat. They will look good if they grow taller.

After asking the boss for five buns, Lin Zhen took the buns wrapped in oil paper and walked towards Xu Youda's house in the east of the city with Gu Shuanzi while chewing them.

Suddenly, just when Lin Zhen and Gu Shuanzi were about to reach Xu Youda's house, a child who was running forward with a book in his hand bumped into Lin Zhen and sat on the ground.

Lin Zhen looked at the last bite of meat filling that he had saved for the next meal, and looked at the child who bumped into him: "Did you fall anywhere? Does your butt hurt?"

The child who bumped into him was wearing a light yellow robe, with fair skin and a round face, and looked particularly soft and cute.

The child shook his head, climbed up, patted his butt, and bowed to Lin Zhen in a serious manner: "I'm sorry, I bumped into you by accident, I apologize."

He moved his mouth and looked at Gu Shuanzi: "Are you here to learn to read and write with Master Xu?"

Gu Shuanzi didn't like to talk to people, but with Lin Zhen next to him, he restrained himself and said coldly.

The round-faced child immediately jumped up and said: "Then run quickly, Master Xu is very fierce, whoever is late will be whipped!"

As he said that, he actually reached out to pull Gu Shuanzi's hand and asked Gu Shuanzi to run with him.

Gu Shuanzi's whole body stood up, and he almost pushed the round-faced boy away in the next second, but seeing Lin Zhen's relieved expression, he resisted this strong discomfort and let the round-faced child pull him into Xu Youda's yard.

As soon as he passed the gate, he pulled his hand out and said coldly to the round-faced child: "I don't like others touching me."

"?" The round-faced child looked at his empty hand and nodded, "Oh, then I will only use my mouth to call you next time!"

"..." Gu Shuanzi looked at the man opposite him and was sure that he was a man with an unknown head. He walked around the round-faced child and carried his schoolbag to the wing room where the class was held.

The round-faced child chased after him and walked side by side with him: "My name is Huang Yuwen, what's your name?"

Gu Shuanzi ignored him and didn't even look at the other people who had already arrived. After entering the wing room, he put his schoolbag on the table by the window and took out "The Analects of Confucius". He just saw that the round-faced child was holding this book. The

round-faced child didn't get angry when he couldn't ask, and sat at the table next to Gu Shuanzi and put the book on the table.

The next second, Xu Youda walked in. He looked at the ten students sitting in the wing room, including Gu Shuanzi, and stood in the middle.

The students all stood up and saluted him as disciples: "Hello, Master Xu."

"Please sit down." Xu Youda had a good reputation in the town, but he only had these few students under him. Except for Zhong Yan who was not there, two of the other students were Tongsheng students. They would take part in the provincial examination held every three years next year. If they were lucky enough to obtain the title of Xiucai, they would be exempted from taxes for their families, would not have to bow to officials, and would officially become the lowest among the scholars.

As for the remaining eight, there was Gu Shuanzi, who was not even a Tongsheng yet.

Xu Youda walked to Gu Shuanzi and said to the other students: "There is a new student in our school. We will be classmates in the future. You must follow the teachings of the saints, respect and love each other, and urge each other to achieve academic success as soon as possible." As

Xu Youda spoke, he lowered his head and said to Gu Shuanzi: "Your name is a bit indecent. How about I give you a new name?"

The rustic name of Gu Shuanzi really didn't suit his ears. After Xu Youda finished teaching yesterday, he found the apprenticeship card with Gu Shuanzi's name on it and immediately wanted him to change it.

Gu Shuanzi sat at the table and looked up at him, with no intention of changing it.

His name was given by Gu Daqi, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Moreover, Lin Zhen often called him Shuanzi, and even Lin Zhen didn't say that his name was indecent.

Xu Youda was shocked by Gu Shuanzi's amazing learning ability yesterday, and he was happy to accept him. At that time, he didn't find anything wrong with this child.

Now he frowned, thinking that the anger between this child's eyebrows was really heavy, and he didn't see the most important self-cultivation of a scholar in him.

Xu Youda was a little angry: "Since you don't change it yourself, then forget it."

After saying that, he turned back to the front and asked the students to open the "Analects of Confucius" and continued directly from where he talked before the end of class yesterday. He also told Gu Shuanzi that he had to make up for the previous one and go to him for advice in his spare time.

Children are very sensitive to emotions. Other students found that the new student was a little bit disliked by Master Xu, and quietly turned their heads to look at him.

Huang Yuwen, a good child, was even more curious about Gu Shuanzi. This man was different from him!

The eight people including Gu Shuanzi, who were not even Tongsheng, could go home after a morning class. They didn't have to go in the afternoon. In the afternoon, Xu Youda would explain more in-depth knowledge to the two Tongsheng.

Gu Shuanzi put the book into his schoolbag, walked through the wing room where people were fighting and going out the door.

Huang Yuwen hurriedly followed him, hanging behind him like a little tail: "Where do you live? Are we going the same way?"

Gu Shuanzi walked straight out without stopping. The other students who were one step behind Huang Yuwen came out and touched Huang Yuwen's shoulders: "You are too lonely, aren't you? Your neighbor?"

Huang Yuwen was used to being touched, and shook his head: "I met him outside Master Xu's house this morning."

"Seeing that you are so familiar with him, I thought he was someone you knew?" The person who spoke was a nine-year-old boy with an average appearance, but obviously dressed better than the others, and a jade pendant hanging around his neck.

Suddenly, the boy wearing the jade pendant touched his chin: "Do you know his name? Why did the teacher say that his name is indecent and he wanted to change his name?"

The others shook their heads. Gu Shuanzi had just arrived and was not familiar with them, so naturally he didn't know his name.

The boy wearing the jade pendant clapped his hands: "We don't know, the teacher has a list, we can go and take a look secretly!"

Chapter 63

"Not good." Although Huang Yuwen wanted to know Gu Shuanzi's name, he felt that there was no need to go to the teacher to secretly look at it. Everyone would know it after playing together.

The boy with the jade pendant did not listen to his words at all. He took a few people who joined him to the school to look through the list of names that Master Xu had placed on the table.

Zhong Yan, Liang Pinxiu, Chen Xing, Wang Qin, Huang Yuwen...

Soon, the last name appeared in their sight, Gu Shuanzi.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

"What an ugly name, not only indecent, but also extremely vulgar!!!"

"No wonder the teacher wanted to change his name. In the future, when people ask him what his name is, even the teacher will be ridiculed."

"..."

Huang Yuwen was also pulled in by them. When he heard them cancel Gu Shuanzi's name, his brows frowned. Before he could ask them to keep their voices down, the boy with the jade pendant, Wang Qin, had already shouted at the group of students to run out of the yard.

Gu Shuanzi came out of Master Xu's house and just walked around the corner of an alley when someone slapped his shoulder from behind. He grabbed the hand and twisted it hard.

"Ah!" Wang Qin's palm was in great pain and he screamed. He looked at Gu Shuanzi fiercely and said to the people who followed him, "Catch him!!!"

Four or five children older than Gu Shuanzi rushed towards Gu Shuanzi with their teeth and claws bared. Gu Shuanzi kicked the leg of the first person who rushed over. When the man was kicked back, he grabbed another person's hair and forced him to bend over, raising his knee to his stomach.

And those punches and kicks that fell on him at the same time seemed to have no effect on him at all, and he couldn't frown at all.

Wang Qin and others were from good families. They could still maintain the appearance of good students in school. As soon as they came out, they brought out their spoiled tempers from their families.

But they had never seen anyone fight like Gu Shuanzi, as if he was not beating a human, but a piece of dead pork.

The number of people rushing towards Gu Shuanzi gradually decreased. Gu Shuanzi picked up a stone in his hand. He swung it towards Wang Qin, but stopped at the last moment: "Why are you looking for me?"

Wang Qin looked at the stone that was only a finger away from hitting his forehead, and cold sweat slid down his head: "I... I... am looking for you..."

Gu Shuanzi tilted his head and looked at him straight.

Chen Xing behind Wang Qin was afraid of being implicated, and stammered: "He knows your name and wants... wants..."

Gu Shuanzi understood that these people knew his name and came to cause trouble for him. In the eyes of these young masters, it was his fault that his name was not nice.

Gu Shuanzi glanced at these people: "I will remember what happened today. If you want to be beaten, you can come again tomorrow."

After that, he threw the stone in his hand to the mossy wall, picked up the books scattered on the ground and put them back into his schoolbag, and walked away with the schoolbag on his back very obediently.

The more Huang Yuwen thought about it at Master Xu's place, the more he felt that Wang Qin would go looking for trouble with Gu Shuanzi, so he quickly chased after them and tried to stop them.

Soon, he saw Wang Qin and the others, all sitting on the ground or leaning against the wall, their clothes in disarray, and it was obvious that they had just been in a fight.

He asked breathlessly, "Where is Gu Shuanzi, what did you do to him?"

"..."

Wang Qin and the others hated and feared Gu Shuanzi when they heard his name, "What can he do, he went home!"

"?" Huang Yuwen looked at them, not quite sure what they meant. Gu Shuanzi went home, which meant he went back on his own, was he okay?

But Wang Qin was his neighbor, and he knew what kind of personality he had, so he would not miss the opportunity to tease Gu Shuanzi.

-

Gu Shuanzi did not wipe the scratches on his face, nor did he pat off the footprints and dirt on his robe. He thought that Lin really loved him, and if he knew that he was bullied in the school, he would agree to his request not to go to school.

He didn't like it there.

He didn't like Xu Youda.

He didn't like the students either.

He wanted to stay in Zhenyouwei Snack Shop and help with the work there. When he was older, he would use the money he saved to start a business and buy a house and land.

The sun was scorching at noon. If it wasn't for the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, there would be few people on the street. Gu Shuanzi was Lin Zhen's son. Lin Zhen's Zhenyouwei Snack Shop had become popular in the town again. The shopkeepers along the street would say a few words of concern when they saw him: "Gu kid, what's wrong with you? Why are you covered in mud?"

Gu Shuanzi knew that these people would also patronize Zhenyouwei Snack Shop and would greet Lin Zhen when they met, so although his expression was a little cold, he at least answered: "I accidentally fell to the ground."

"Fell to the ground, I don't think it's the case?" The person who spoke carefully looked at the scratches on Gu Shuanzi's face and the back of his hands. Since Gu Shuanzi's temperament has always been so cold, it's not easy to continue.

But he knew in his heart that the kid from Lin Zhen's family might not learn well and had a fight with someone outside.

Despite the concern of the uncles and aunts along the street, Gu Shuanzi stepped into the door of Zhenyouwei Snack Shop with his schoolbag on his back. It was not busy at the moment. Lin Zhen was sitting on a chair behind the counter to count the bills, his eyes half-closed, and his eyelashes drooped in a graceful arc.

Gu Shuanzi walked around the counter and went behind the chair: "Uncle Lin, I'm done with school."

"Huh?" Lin Zhen raised his eyes from the account book and suddenly widened them, "How did it happen?!"

He pulled Gu Shuanzi in front of him, looked at the slightly swollen bruises on Gu Shuanzi's cheeks and the scratches on the back of his left hand, and looked at his clothes covered with mud.

Gu Shuanzi pursed his lips and said nothing, just put his schoolbag on the stool behind the chair.

In Lin Zhen's eyes, it was his own kid who was bullied, and he didn't even have the energy and spirit as in the morning!

He quickly hugged Gu Shuanzi to his knees, pulled open his collar and trouser legs, and when he saw the obvious marks of being beaten under his clothes, he felt very upset.

If you raise a kitten or puppy for more than a year, you will develop feelings for them, not to mention a living person. Lin Zhen really treats Gu Shuanzi as his own child. He feels heartbroken when his child is beaten.

Gu Shuanzi saw the expression on his face and put his arms around his neck, "Uncle Lin, I had a fight with someone today."

"Why did you fight?" Lin Zhen let him hold him, with his arms around his back.

Gu Shuanzi whispered, "The students in the school said that my name is not nice, so they chased me to make trouble. There are many of them, five or six."

Lin Zhen was not indiscriminate in beating children, but when he heard that five or six children beat Gu Shuanzi alone, he was furious.

Not to mention that it was because of the name that was not nice. What's wrong with calling him Gu Shuanzi? He thinks it sounds nice!

"Are you going to the school this afternoon?" This is all bullying in the school. If you don't care, these children will only get more and more excessive. He sent Gu Shuanzi there to learn to read and write, not to get bullied and hurt.

The kid was originally dull, and if he was bullied by them again, he would be in even worse shape.

Gu Shuanzi whispered in his ear: "Uncle Lin, are you going to the academy?"

"Of course I have to go. Why would they bully you just because of your name? These little brats have nothing better to do!"

"Shuanzi, I'm telling you, if you're bullied, don't keep it to yourself. Tell me what you should tell me, and tell Master Xu as well, so they can learn a lesson."

Gu Shuanzi had never heard these words before. Even when Gu Da was around, when he got into a fight outside, Gu Da said that boys should stand up for themselves and not act like girls.

He told Lin Zhen just to get Lin Zhen to tell him about what happened to him in the school, and then he would not go to school.

But Lin Zhen seemed to treat him like a girl, who needed to be taken care of and held carefully.

Gu Shuanzi, with his head resting on Lin Zhen's neck, looked at Lin Zhen's neck with a few strands of hair, and asked after a moment: "Uncle Lin, I have already learned the Thousand Character Classic and learned arithmetic from you, why do I still have to go to school?"

Lin Zhen listened to his words, and didn't expect that because of today's incident, his little guy would develop an aversion to school. He thought for a while and asked Gu Shuanzi, "Shuanzi, do you think Uncle Lin knows a lot?"

"A lot," Gu Shuanzi nodded without hesitation. In his eyes, there was no one more powerful and knowledgeable than Lin Zhen. "You can make spicy hot pot, cold noodles, milk tea, and you can write storybooks and teach us arithmetic."

Lin Zhen waited for him to finish and said, "In Shuanzi's eyes, I know a lot of things, but before I knew these things, I learned from others for a long time, but what I learned is just a drop in the ocean for that person, a speck of dust in the universe."

The person Lin Zhen was talking about was his elementary school, middle school, high school, and university, and even his city and motherland. Everything he knew and learned came from there.

But Gu Shuanzi's thoughts were wrong. He remembered that Lin Zhen said that he learned the characters from Master Qian in the town. In Lin Zhen's eyes, was Master Qian like this?

Gu Shuanzi's heart seemed to be filled with something, very swollen, and very uncomfortable.

Lin Zhen didn't know what Gu Shuanzi was thinking, so he continued, "There are many people and things in this world. When you are in the town, you will feel that the town is very big, but outside the town there is the prefecture, outside the prefecture there are counties, states, and Kyoto."

"You can stay in this town forever, but I hope that when you want to go out and take a look one day, you won't be so hesitant."

Lin Zhen's voice had long recovered, and the ending tone was slightly raised, which was very special.

Gu Shuanzi listened to his words quietly, a little understanding, but also a little confused. He wanted to stay with Lin Zhen, and there was nothing wrong with staying in the town for a lifetime.

He asked Lin Zhen, "Does Uncle Lin want to go out, go to the prefecture, go to Kyoto."

"I haven't made any plans yet, but I may go in the future." Gu Shuanzi is still too young. If he goes out, he will definitely go to a farther place, which is not a good thing for the child's growth. This age is the time to absorb things, and it can't be delayed.

And there will be trouble with Gu Da's parents if no one suppresses them.

Chapter 64

Gu Shuanzi's original plan was shaken a little. He thought, at least when he read that Lin Zhen was going out, he raised his head from Lin Zhen's shoulder and said, "We don't have to go to school in the afternoon. We will go tomorrow morning."

"But Uncle Lin, you don't have to go. I will handle this matter myself."

"How do you want to handle it?" An eight-year-old child encountered bullying in school. Lin Zhen couldn't think of a particularly good way, unless he and Xu Youda stepped in.

Gu Shuanzi looked at him and said, "It can be handled."

"..." His words were not a joke. After a moment, Lin Zhen could only choose to believe his own kid. "Okay, then I will wait for Shuanzi's good news."

The chair behind the counter was custom-made by Lin Zhen at Ma Carpenter. It was wider than ordinary chairs, and the backrest extended backwards, which was in line with ergonomics. It was also covered with cotton pads, soft, and it was comfortable to lie on it when business was not busy.

But when holding Gu Shuanzi up, it was a bit difficult to use, and it was lying deeper and deeper.

Lin Zhen could only put Gu Shuanzi on the ground first, and then propped himself up from the chair: "I'll boil some water for you

, go get some clean clothes to wipe your body, and apply some medicated oil." Lin Zhen, Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi knew that Gu Shuanzi had gone to the school to fight with others, and they all came out to see.

Lin Xiaoyao helped to fetch water and asked Lin Zhen: "Is Shuanzi okay? Is he injured anywhere? Do you need to go to the clinic?" "I just touched it, and they are all superficial injuries. The one on his face looks the scariest." Lin Zhen was also afraid that he might have injured his bones at first, until he felt his whole body, and then he gave up the idea of ​​taking him to the clinic. Lin Xiaoyao breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, as long as no important parts are injured."

"Shuanzi doesn't even like to talk, how could he fight with others?" "Those little brats said his name is not nice, and they are looking for trouble with him."

Lin Zhen rinsed Su's pot, fetched water and poured it in, and stopped only when the pot was half full. Lin Xiaoyao didn't expect this reason, and frowned: "What's wrong with Shuanzi? We have Zhuzi, Shitou and Tiedan in our family, and there are people called Fenqiu in the village.

He is not stupider or worse than others." Lin Zhen didn't say anything. He thought the same as Lin Xiaoyao. What name has nothing to do with it. What he does and what he says are the criteria for measuring a person. The hot water was quickly boiled. Lin Zhen mixed the hot water and brought it to Gu Shuanzi's left wing. After he took a bath and changed his clothes, he took the medicine oil and wiped all the bruises on his body. Suddenly, when he was wiping the bruises off Gu Shuanzi's face, Gu Shuanzi asked him, "Uncle Lin, I want to change my name." "?" Lin Zhen paused with the homemade cotton swab in his hand: "Is it because of what those students said?"

"No,"

those people could not affect him. Gu Shuanzi just felt that he should change his name. The current name was given by Gu Da, and he wanted a name given by Lin Zhen, "Uncle Lin, please give me a name."

"Me?"

Lin Zhen did not expect that this would be his turn. He stopped what he was doing and looked at Gu Shuanzi,

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah." Gu Shuanzi nodded.

Lin Zhen suddenly felt inexplicably happy. He reached out and embraced Gu Shuanzi with a smile on his face, "Then I have to think about it carefully."

He had dated girlfriends in modern times, but they had never gotten to the point of marriage, and naturally they did not have their own children. When he first saw Gu Shuanzi, he just felt that this child was pitiful, and he was going to lose his father at a young age. When he saw him again in front of Gu Da's grave,

he felt sorry for Gu Shuanzi, and then took him back to the Lin family, found him a place to live, bought him new clothes, and watched his injuries heal day by day, and he grew a little taller. This was something Lin Zhen had never experienced before, it was very novel and very comfortable. And now, Gu Shuanzi asked him to give him a name, and the bond between the two seemed to be deeper. Lin Zhen pondered for a long time, lowered his head and said to Gu Shuanzi: "How about calling him Gu Lin?"

"I hope you will be happy in the future, and even if you encounter difficulties, the winter will be gone and the stars will shine forever." Gu Shuanzi nodded: "Okay, I will have two names from now on." The next day, Lin Zhen sent Gu Shuanzi to the school as he did yesterday. He did not go in, but just stood at the gate and watched Gu Shuanzi go in. Gu Shuanzi came early, and there were not many people in the school. Huang Yuwen was one of them. He hurriedly came up and frowned at the bruises on Gu Shuanzi 's face, which became more serious after applying the medicine oil:

"I didn't see you when I chased you out yesterday. I only saw Wang Qin, Chen Xing and others. How come you were beaten so badly?!"

He stretched out his hand to touch Gu Shuanzi's face, but Gu Shuanzi stepped back a few steps to avoid him. Gu Shuanzi looked at him and said the first sentence to him: "Do your family members know that you have made friends with relatives outside?" Huang Yuwen scratched his face:

"Am I too familiar?" Gu Shuanzi told him with his eyes that you are not familiar, but you have become as sticky as porridge.

Huang Yuwen said, "I am just like this, it's hard to change. Anyway, I don't think you are like Wang Qin--"

"What's wrong with me?" Wang Qin, who came in with two students, looked at Huang Yuwen,

Your family and my family are neighbors, and you are talking about people behind their backs. What a mean person." Huang Yuwen was so angry: "Who told you to beat Gu Shuanzi? He didn't provoke you. You are just bored."

"Hey, I'm saying, are you itching for trouble--" Wang Qin was rolling up his sleeves and saying harsh words, and Gu Shuanzi, who had his back to him, turned around. He held back the words he hadn't finished saying and took two steps back. He suddenly remembered how Gu Shuanzi looked when he was fighting, and beating him was like beating a dead pig. Wang Qin looked at Gu Shuanzi fiercely but weakly:

"What are you looking at? I didn't tell my parents that you kicked me so many times yesterday. Don't think I'm afraid of you!" As he spoke, he suddenly felt a little aggrieved. It was obvious that he and a group of good friends were injured more seriously, and Gu Shuanzi just looked a little scary. Why did Huang Yuwen say that he bullied him? It was obviously he who was bullied, okay! Gu Shuanzi looked at him with dark eyes, and was satisfied that he said that he didn't tell his parents.

He remembered the promise he made to Lin Zhen and said, "Come to my house for dinner after class, I'll treat you." " ???" Wang Qin, who had planned to be irreconcilable with Gu Shuanzi, was confused. What did he hear? Gu Shuanzi actually invited him to be his guest! Huang Yuwen behind Gu Shuanzi was also confused. Didn't these two fight yesterday? What was going on now? Looking at the silly Wang Qin, Gu Shuanzi frowned and said, "I don't want to go."

"No, no..." Wang Qin, who was a little unresponsive, shook his head. He said, "You, you really want me to go to your house, just not beat me, just eat?" He looked at Gu Shuanzi's face, coughed, and put on airs: "Since you invited me, then I will go." At the end he added, "Please come to my house in the future."

Gu Shuanzi said something to Huang Yuwen behind him, and then sat upright on the stool, thinking that he had fulfilled his promise to Lin Zhen.

Chapter 65

Chen Xing and others who followed Wang Qin to block Gu Shuanzi heard that Gu Shuanzi wanted to invite them to his home to play. They looked as if they had seen a ghost. They held Wang Qin's hand and confirmed again and again: "Brother Qin, did you hear it wrong? You really invited us to dinner, not something else?"

Gu Shuanzi didn't look like he was afraid of them yesterday. Why did he suddenly change his attitude?

Wang Qin said: "How could I hear it wrong? Don't tell me you are afraid of that boy and dare not go."

Chen Xing, who was a little scared, was speechless. His family was much worse than Wang Qin's, so he could only afford to send him to Xu Fuzi to study. In order to cling to Wang Qin's thigh, he followed Wang Qin every day.

He opened his mouth: "Go, with Brother Qin here, what am I afraid of!"

"That's right, there are so many of us and we are afraid of him." Wang Qin said with great generosity. After Chen Xing and others sat back in their seats, he couldn't help but secretly glanced at Gu Shuanzi behind him.

Gu Shuanzi just raised his head and looked at him with dark eyes.

"..." Wang Qin turned his head suddenly and clenched his fists.

Gu Shuanzi had a wound on his face, and Xu Youda noticed it immediately. He didn't point it out during school, but asked Gu Shuanzi to go with him to the main room after school. He sat on a chair and looked at the student: "How did your face become like this?"

"Teacher, I was scratched by a wild cat on my way home yesterday."

"Where can a wild cat scratch?" Xu Youda felt that Gu Shuanzi was too lazy to even give him a perfunctory answer. How could a wild cat scratch such bruises? It was obviously caused by a beating.

After being rejected when he was asked to name him yesterday, Xu Youda was angry at first, but the anger dissipated in the evening. Since the sage said that there is no distinction between the two in teaching, facing the talented but bad-tempered Gu Shuanzi, he felt that he could not give up easily.

"Whether it's a wild cat or a domestic cat, just be careful on your way back next time."

"Yesterday I talked about giving you a name. Go back and discuss it with your father. It's okay here. If you are lucky, you may be able to pass the imperial examinations. Your current name is really not nice to the ear."

Gu Shuanzi looked up at Xu Youda: "My father has already given me a name."

"Oh?" Xu Youda had an impression of Lin Zhen. It would be hard for people to forget a face like that once they saw it.

Gu Shuanzi said, "Gu Lin."

"Gu Lin... this name is acceptable. Since your family has given you this name, you should use this name in the future when you go to school." In short, as long as it is not Gu Shuanzi, Xu Youda has no objection. He said to Gu Shuanzi earnestly, "You can be sent to study here. I believe your father has some expectations of you. You should be more diligent in the future and don't disappoint him."

Gu Shuanzi bowed his hands and said, "Yes, thank you for your teachings, Master."

Coming out of the main house, Gu Shuanzi walked out with his schoolbag on his back. Huang Yuwen, Wang Qin, Chen Xing and others who were waiting outside Master Xu's house saw him come out, and their expressions were a little tense.

All those who were sent to Master Xu's place had their families highly respect Master Xu and wanted their children to become the next Zhong Yan.

If Gu Shuanzi said bad things about them to Master Xu, Master Xu might tell his family what they did...

Only Huang Yuwen walked up to him calmly: "What did the master ask you to say? Why did you take so long?"

"Ask me how I got the wound on my face." As

soon as Gu Shuanzi finished speaking, Wang Qin rushed up with his fists clenched, "Gu Shuanzi, I didn't even tell my parents that you hit me, but you went to the master to complain first!"

If it wasn't for dispelling Lin Zhen's doubts, Gu Shuanzi really didn't want to deal with this man who had only fists in his head and a brain not even as big as a mung bean.

He said to Huang Yuwen, "I replied to the teacher that it was a wild cat that scratched it."

Wang Qin, who had been chattering, suddenly stopped. His clenched fist lost its strength under Gu Shuanzi's gaze. He pretended to say to Chen Xing behind him, "It's because you kept whispering in my ear that Gu Shuanzi would definitely complain. Otherwise, I wouldn't have misunderstood him!"

Chen Xing had indeed been saying this just now. He didn't believe that Gu Shuanzi would sincerely invite them to his home. He didn't like Gu Shuanzi either. It would be safest to remove him from Wang Qin and his circle.

Being yelled at by Wang Qin in front of seven or eight people, Chen Xing didn't refute it. He just smiled and told Wang Qin not to be angry. It was his fault.

Everyone knew that Chen Xing was Wang Qin's most loyal follower. They also tried to curry favor with Wang Qin, but they were not willing to lose face. After all, they had read some books and were a little arrogant.

Gu Shuanzi seemed to be oblivious to what these people were thinking, and walked in front: "Let's go."

Huang Yuwen, who was invited, hurriedly followed, and by the way called Wang Qin, who was still scolding people: "Hurry up, didn't we say to go to Shuanzi's house?"

The name Shuanzi was still very vulgar, but Wang Qin and others no longer dared to laugh at Gu Shuanzi because of this name. One by one, they looked at each other and followed.

When Lin Zhenzhen sent a guest out, he saw his own kid, carrying a cloth backpack and wearing a gray robe, walking over from the other side of the street like a little prince, and behind him were several children wearing the same robes.

Obviously, he was not the tallest among them, but it seemed that he was the most powerful.

Lin Zhen stood there with a smile, waiting for Gu Shuanzi to come to him with the group of students. He didn't hug him to give his kid face, but touched his head: "Shuanzi is back, is this your friend?"

"Yes, this is Huang Yuwen," Gu Shuanzi, who had a group of "friends", pointed to Huang Yuwen who was closest to him, and then pointed to Wang Qin and Chen Xing who were a little behind him, "This is Wang Qin, this is Chen Xing, Liang Pinxiu, Chen Kuiyou..."

Except for the two students and Zhong Yan, all of them were here.

Finally, Gu Shuanzi blinked and said to Lin Zhen: "I went to the school today and told them that it is wrong to make fun of others' bad names, so I invited them to come to my house to play."

Wang Qin, Chen Xing, Liang Pinxiu, Chen Kuiyou and others were confused, watching Gu Shuanzi, who was very expensive in the school, say two long sentences in front of his father.

And, they didn't know they were wrong, they were afraid of being beaten like a dead pig.

But everyone was here, and the person in front of them was still an adult, so they could only nod and admit it.

Lin Zhen was a little worried when he heard Gu Shuanzi say that he would handle it himself yesterday. Now he rubbed Gu Shuanzi's head a few more times: "Shuanzi's friends, come in quickly. Xiaoyao, watch the front for a while, I'll get them some food."

Lin Zhen took a group of little radish heads to the backyard and moved the table in the corner to the middle of the yard.

In the Dayu Dynasty, the ratio of boys, girls, and brothers was not even. There were more boys and girls, and fewer brothers. First, because the fertility of brothers could not be compared with that of girls, and second, some families who gave birth to brothers would choose to abandon or drown them.

And everyone knew that only boys who could not afford to marry girls would marry brothers. It was okay in the surrounding villages, and there were even fewer people who married brothers in the town.

Wang Qin and his family were not born to brothers, and there were no brothers in their families. When they saw Lin Zhen, they couldn't help but feel a little contempt in their hearts, and were shocked by Lin Zhen's good-looking face.

When Lin Zhen brought the table over, Gu Shuanzi went inside to get a towel, rolled up his sleeves and wiped the table, then said to Lin Zhen: "Uncle Lin, you don't have to be polite with them, they are not guests coming to eat, they are my friends."

While saying this, Gu Shuanzi looked at Huang Yuwen, Wang Qin and others, and they felt a chill on the back of their necks. They couldn't help but stand up and force a smile: "Yes, yes, we are Shuanzi's friends, uncle, you don't have to be so polite."

Lin Zhen put the table away and stood up: "Okay, then let Shuanzi take you to the shop in front to get some spicy hot pot. If you want to eat something, take it yourself. I'll go get you some drinks."

Lin Zhen was relieved to leave the matter to Gu Shuanzi, and went to pour milk tea and sour plum soup.

Gu Shuanzi looked at a few "friends" and said: "The spicy hot pot is in front, come and pick what you want to eat."

He asked Huang Yuwen, Wang Qin and others to think about it before they came. They would pay for the food they ate with silver, and they couldn't ask people to come to the shop to eat and drink for free, and let their family members work for nothing.

Spicy hot pot is very popular in the town. Huang Yuwen and Wang Qin and others have eaten it before, but they didn't expect that Gu Shuanzi's family actually sold spicy hot pot, and they couldn't help swallowing their saliva.

Looking at Gu Shuanzi's back as he walked in front, several people pushed and shoved to follow him.

"Uncle Xiaoyao, I'll take them to pick some spicy hot pot." Gu Shuanzi greeted Lin Xiaoyao who was busy first.

Lin Xiaoyao smiled and said, "Take your pick. The skewers I just took out from the back are the freshest."

Afraid that the children would not recognize them, he pointed to the skewers in the wooden barrel and said, "There are bamboo shoots, mushrooms, black fungus, radish, and some seasonal vegetables, pork, chicken, and pig ears. Those who can eat spicy food can eat the spicy soup base, and those who can't eat spicy food can eat the clear soup base."

Huang Yuwen, who had a round face, immediately said, "I know, I know. They are all delicious. I like Malatang very much. I have eaten it many times before."

"I think the radish is the best and it is cooked thoroughly."

Wang Qin was not convinced, "Obviously the pork skewers are the best. They are tender, smooth and especially fragrant."

Chen Kuiyou also said, "Pig ears are delicious. The crispy bones are especially fragrant when chewed!"

Chen Xing in the crowd kept his mouth tightly shut. He had never eaten Malatang and didn't know which one was delicious and which one was not. But something that could make people from well-off families like Huang Yuwen and Wang Qin scramble for it must be expensive.

He quietly pinched the four cents left in his purse from buying ink, which he had originally intended to take home to return to his mother, and felt very uneasy.

He wanted to say that he didn't like it, but it would be embarrassing in the surging crowd.

Looking at Huang Yuwen, Wang Qin and others who said they wanted three strings of radishes, five strings of pork, and four strings of chicken, he said to Lin Xiaoyao: "I want one string of radishes and one string of mushrooms."

Lin Xiaoyao looked at the child in front of him who looked a little ordinary but well-behaved. Seeing that he didn't say anything, he asked: "Don't you want the others?"

"No," Chen Xing glanced at Lin Xiaoyao, "My mouth has been inflamed recently, and it hurts a little when soaked in salt water."

Chapter 66

"Then I'll boil some clear soup for you." Lin Xiaoyao had had a sore mouth herself, and knew how irritating it was to have a sore mouth. If she ate spicy food at this time, it would take longer to get better.

Chen Xing nodded: "Yeah."

Wang Qin, who had ordered a lot of things next to him, looked at Chen Xing, who had just ordered a bunch of radishes and a bunch of mushrooms, and frowned: "Will this be enough to fill you up?"

Chen Xing said: "I have a sore mouth, so I can't eat too much. Brother Qin ordered so much. Can you finish it?"

Lin Xiaoyao was taking Wang Qin's order, which was full of bamboo sticks, most of which were pork, which looked like a lot.

Wang Qin curled his lips: "This is just the beginning. Maybe I'll have to boil so much more later. Do you think everyone is like you, feeding three or two pieces like feeding a cat?"

"..." Chen Xing smiled and said nothing, and clenched his hands at his side secretly.

Everyone's spicy hotpot was ready, and they took it to the table in the backyard in bamboo tubes. Lin Zhen had already placed three pots of sour plum soup, pearl milk tea, and Hong Kong-style milk tea, Junzi tea, in the middle of the table.

He looked at Huang Yuwen and others who sat down, and put the bamboo tube cups next to them: "We have sour plum soup, pearl milk tea, and Junzi tea. Add whatever you want to drink. We'll have dinner here later and play for a while."

Milk tea is particularly famous in the town. The high price of 20 cents a cup is a bit intimidating. Now in front of them, there is a full pot, drink as much as you want!

Huang Yuwen's eyes lit up, and he looked at Lin Zhen with an upbeat tone: "Thank you, uncle!"

"I didn't expect that uncle is actually the owner of the milk tea shop, so awesome!"

Who doesn't love cute children, especially such cute and sweet-mouthed children? Lin Zhen smiled and said, "Come with Shuanzi, I dare not say anything else, but there will be plenty of milk tea and spicy hot pot."

"Okay, you guys eat, I won't disturb you guys, Shuanzi, if you have anything, go find me in front." Children have their own topics to talk about, and they are uncomfortable with him standing here as an adult. Lin Zhen doesn't want to stay here and be a light bulb.

Lin Zhen glanced at the children at the table, and his eyes paused for half a second on Chen Xing, who only took a bunch of radishes and a bunch of mushrooms, and went back to the front shop without saying anything.

After doing business for a long time, he can judge people very well. Among the children brought by Gu Shuanzi, Wang Qin's family background is obviously the best, followed by Huang Yuwen, Chen Kuiyou and others.

The worst one was the child who only ordered a bunch of radishes and a bunch of mushrooms. Although he was wearing a robe, it had been washed too many times and the cotton thread had lost its warp and weft. The shoes on his feet were not very suitable and were obviously half a size smaller.

This reminded Lin Zhen of Zhong Yan, who was also a child from a poor family. But even in his washed and patched robe, he stood there straight like a green bamboo.

The child was too young and was thrown into the circle of Wang Qin and others. He just wanted to paint himself the same color as Wang Qin and others to cover up his differences.

But these had nothing to do with Lin Zhen. To him, Wang Qin, Huang Yuwen, and Chen Xing were all Shuanzi's friends.

Humph.

Lin Zhen smiled with interest.

The kid was really smart. I don't know how he called these people here. Look at them, they are like cats with their necks pinched.

After Lin Zhen left, only Gu Shuanzi and Huang Yuwen were left in the backyard. The spicy hotpot was so delicious that they could only eat it with their heads snorting, and then drink a sip of cold sour plum soup or milk tea. It was so delicious.

Only two people ate slowly, one was Chen Xing and the other was Gu Shuanzi.

Everyone had heard Chen Xing tell Lin Xiaoyao that he had a sore mouth, so naturally he could only pretend to have difficulty swallowing. It took him half a day to eat half of the two pieces of radish on the skewer.

He always felt that Gu Shuanzi must know that his mouth pain was fake, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed and hateful. Why, why could a small stall owner sit there calmly, not ashamed of his background at all, why did he have to smile and pretend to be careful in front of Wang Qin every day, but still have such a hard life.

Wang Qin, who was eating so much, didn't notice that his little follower had quarreled with Gu Shuanzi. He drank a mouthful of pearl milk tea comfortably, chewed the pearls inside, and looked at Gu Shuanzi: "If I had known that your father was the owner of a milk tea shop, I wouldn't have bothered you, so that I could have you bring me to eat spicy hot pot and drink milk tea every day."

Gu Shuanzi put down the sour plum soup in his hand and said seriously: "I won't bring you here."

"!" Wang Qin stared at Gu Shuanzi, "You are so good, Gu Shuanzi--" His voice was so loud that the cicadas in the backyard could not be heard.

Gu Shuanzi picked up a bamboo stick and put it against his mouth: "If Uncle Lin hears it, I will pierce it from your mouth to the back of your head, like a spicy hot pot skewer."

"..." The sharpened bamboo stick was twenty centimeters long, and it felt a little bit painful when it was pressed against his mouth.

But that was because Gu Shuanzi didn't use enough force. If he had poked it with his hand, he could have poked a hole in Wang Qin's mouth.

Wang Qin suddenly felt a little aggrieved. Ever since he came to the Lin family, he thought that Gu Shuanzi really wanted to be friends with him. He counted on his fingers and found that there were several advantages to being friends with Gu Shuanzi. First, Gu Shuanzi was good at fighting. If he met someone he couldn't beat in the future, he could ask him to stand up for him. Second, Gu Shuanzi's family had spicy hot pot and milk tea. When the money his mother gave him ran out, he could ask Gu Shuanzi to bring him delicious food.

Who knew that Gu Shuanzi was actually lying to him and said that he would wear him like a spicy hot pot skewer.

What Gu Shuanzi said also scared the others, especially when he said it in such a cold and indifferent tone, which made them feel that he would do it in the next second.

Wang Qin lowered his voice and sat back on the chair: "You asked us to come, and told your father that we are your friends, but now you are not keeping your word."

Gu Shuanzi looked at him, too lazy to tell him why he asked them to come, and too lazy to explain why he said they were friends in front of Lin Zhen. He only said the most important thing: "Even if we are friends, I will not treat you like this every time."

"Uncle Lin gets up earlier in the morning than we go to school to open the shop, and he has to work until late at night. I am just his... child, and I can't ignore his hard work because of this relationship."

Wang Qin and other young scholars who had everything they wanted could not understand what he said. For them, when they went home, servants would prepare clothes and food for them. As for where the clothes and food came from, they didn't know, and they didn't need to know.

A dinner that started and ended inexplicably ended.

Lin Zhen stood beside Gu Shuanzi, looking at the kid named Wang Qin who was walking the fastest and angrily. He folded his hands and looked at the kid: "You said you would keep them here for lunch, but you walked too fast."

"If they go back too late, their families will be worried." Gu Shuanzi's robe fluttered in the wind, and the hairband on his head fluttered with it.

He took out a purse from his sleeve and took out a piece of just the right amount of silver: "Uncle Lin, this is our expenses for today."

"Huh?" Lin Zhen took the piece of silver. He didn't react at first, but after he understood, he suddenly squatted down and pinched his cheeks, which had finally grown a little baby fat, with both hands, "Gu Shuanzi, what are you thinking about all day?"

The flesh on his handsome little face was pinched, and his thin mouth became a chicken's mouth, but you could still see his original long eyebrows and eyes, which were seriously wrinkled: "This is what I should do."

"Uncle Lin, you work very hard running the shop, and you haven't had a good rest."

Lin Zhen, who originally wanted to say something to him, suddenly stopped talking, holding the piece of silver and said: "Then I'll take it, but I won't spend this silver, I'll keep it forever."

"Our Shuanzi has grown up to be a caring person."

Lin Zhen put down the hand that was pinching his face and was about to stand up when he heard someone calling him.

He looked at the person who called him and saw that it was a young man with a jade crown on his head, a narrow-sleeved robe on his body, and a jade pendant purse and a fan bag hanging on his waist. He was different from many people on the street and was obviously a rich man.

Lin Zhen was stunned for a moment, and the original memory of this body flashed through his mind.

This is Master Qian!

The Master Qian who married him and then divorced him according to his mother's order!

What is he doing here!

Lin Zhen has taken over this body for a year. He doesn't know if the original owner never really liked the relationship between Master Qian and Gu Da. He rarely thinks of these two people, and when he is busy, he can't find any trace of them.

But when Master Qian stood in front of him, some things he thought had disappeared suddenly hit his head.

Young Master Qian Jingyuan, his first husband, was the one he had done everything he could to get on the high branch. For this reason, he did not hesitate to have sex with Qian Jingyuan in Liyu Village. He married into the Qian family despite a lot of infamy, the disappointment and confusion of Lin's father and Lin Adie.

After entering the Qian family, the original body saw what it meant to be rich and well-fed, what it meant to be a real superior person, and she was even more obsessed with Qian Jingyuan. At

that time, the two had just got married, and Qian Jingyuan loved him very much. He asked for the stars, but Qian Jingyuan would not give him the moon. He was with him for ten hours out of twelve hours a day.

Soon, it made Mrs. Qian unhappy. She didn't like Lin Zhen, a country boy, at all. Not only did she seduce her son shamelessly, but she also had no education.

Therefore, Mrs. Qian stuffed several beautiful maids into Qian Jingyuan's yard.

At first, Qian Jingyuan didn't even look at those maids. Compared with the extremely beautiful Lin Zhen, the maids were not comparable at all.

But when the first maid succeeded in climbing into the bed, there would be a second one. Gradually, the two of them spent less time together, and Old Madam Qian also found ways to torment the original body.

It was said that Old Madam Qian threatened to die to force Qian Jingyuan to divorce the original body. In fact, it was not just because of this. During that period, the original body was overwhelmed by the maids who took away Qian Jingyuan's favor, and did many things that Qian Jingyuan felt ugly, so she wrote the divorce letter.

Chapter 67

Lin Zhen felt that, with the things that his original body did before being divorced, Qian Jingyuan should have put him in the cage of memory and never pulled him out again.

But looking at Qian Jingyuan's eyes, it seemed that this was not the case...

On this busy street, Lin Zhen didn't want to become the topic of conversation and have his name spread all over the streets and alleys, so he pretended not to see this person and pulled Gu Shuanzi to the shop.

Qian Jingyuan, who had finally slipped away from Cai Jinzhu, didn't expect that Lin Zhen, who used to want to stick to him all the time, would be like this. He quickly walked into Zhen Youwei Snack Shop and called Lin Zhen: "Zhen'er, are you okay now? It's been three years since we separated." The original body hooked up with him at the age of

fifteen. When he entered the Qian family, he had just turned fifteen. He was divorced from the Qian family at the age of sixteen and married Gu Da in the second half of the year. This year, Lin Zhen is nineteen years old, and it's not three years since they last saw each other.

Lin Zhen got goose bumps all over his body when he was called by Zhen'er. He turned around and looked at Qian Jingyuan: "Please respect yourself, my husband's surname is Gu. It is not proper for you to call me by my name like this."

He has been setting up a stall here for two years. Almost everyone around him knows him and his name. Lin Zhen has no way to avoid it. There is no other way but to make it clear.

Lin Zhen has seen that the people who come to the shop to eat and the people on the street have already cast their eyes here.

Qian Jingyuan did not believe what Lin Zhen said to him at all. He said anxiously: "Are you blaming me for not talking to my mother more and keeping you by my side, Zhen'er? I really regret it. If I am given another chance, I will never-"

Lin Zhen's hair stood up all over his body.

The most popular rumor in the town is that Mrs. Qian threatened to die to force him to divorce his original body. What he said now is not a disguised message that his original body is more important than his mother, and he wants to be with his original body regardless of his mother's life.

In this place where filial piety is more important than anything else, no matter what twists and turns there are, most people will only have one thought: Lin Zhen is indeed a demon husband, who seduced Master Qian to be with him even without his biological mother!

Before Qian Jingyuan could continue, Lin Zhen stopped him and said, "Qian Jingyuan, you have married and I have married again. We are both married people with families. Why do you have to say these things that are not good for your wife, parents, and my children?"

"Why are you still living in a muddle when you are over 20 years old, without any sense of responsibility."

Lin Zhen really looked down on this ex-husband who only had a decent appearance but a head that seemed to be stuffed with mud. He couldn't resist the temptation of the maids' novelty back then, and rolled around with several maids. He was forced by Madam Qian to divorce his wife, but he could do nothing but cry and be decadent. Now he said some disgusting words.

Just like he said, he has already married a new wife, but he doesn't want to live a good life with his wife, and comes here to pretend to regret.

Isn't that pushing him into the fire?

He pulled Gu Shuanzi and said solemnly, "From now on, we will not welcome Young Master Qian to come to Zhen Youwei Snack Shop, and we will not do business with you."

"Xiaoyao Zhuzi Shitou, send Young Master Qian out."

Lin Xiaoyao was very anxious since Qian Jingyuan came in. He had heard the customers in the shop and the discussions outside. After hearing Lin Zhen's words, he immediately took Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou to push Young Master Qian out of Zhen Youwei Snack Shop.

Qian Jingyuan felt that Lin Xiaoyao and others who pushed him were very angry with him, and he exerted great force, and almost fell to the ground.

He looked at Lin Zhen who disappeared behind the curtain with the child. He wanted to go in with his robe in hand, but Lin Xiaoyao pushed him away fiercely and said bluntly: "You are such a weird person. I'm living a good life, but you have to interfere. What on earth do you want?"

"Is the divorce letter recognized by our government fake, and the words 'we can go our separate ways and have no relationship from now on' are also fake?"

"I, a brother, understand this truth, but Master Qian, who has studied for many years, doesn't understand it?" "

Or are you pretending to be confused and blackmailing people here?"

There were some things Lin Zhen could not say, but Lin Xiaoyao did not have so many scruples. After that, he glared at Qian Jingyuan fiercely, and said to Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou who followed him: "You two should recognize this man clearly. Whenever he comes to our store in the future, please ask him to leave."

The door of the shop was wide open, and everything that happened was seen by everyone, and the discussions became more and more.

"Didn't Master Qian marry the daughter of an official in the capital? Why is he here to bother Boss Lin from the snack bar?"

"Haven't you heard that the daughter of the official is not good-looking? Master Qian probably still has feelings for Boss Lin and wants to reconcile with her."

"But Boss Lin has remarried."

"You don't know yet, but the one Boss Lin married died last year. The child he is carrying now is the child left by the dead husband's previous wife. Otherwise, with Boss Lin's appearance, the man in his family would not be willing to let him go out to do business."

"So that's the case. It seems that Boss Lin treats the child very well and even sends him to study with Master Xu. I'm afraid this is the only way for a biological child."

"Boss Lin is a man of integrity and righteousness. It's a pity that now that Young Master Qian has come here to make a scene, I don't know how many rumors will arise."

The person who spoke to him was puzzled: "I think what Boss Lin said just now was right. He was living a good life but was disturbed by Young Master Qian. After thinking about it, it's all Young Master Qian's fault. The rumors shouldn't be directed at Boss Lin."

The person who spoke to him shook his head: "Boss Lin will be the only one who will suffer. After all, Boss Lin is a brother and Young Master Qian is a man."

As soon as the man finished speaking, someone next to him said, "If I were Young Master Qian, I would also turn around and eat Boss Lin's grass. That face and that figure, wow."

"A brother opens a shop in public, doesn't it just for people to see his face? His customers go there for this, too."

"..."

Lin Xiaoyao heard it and was so angry that he trembled all over, but he knew that the more he said, the more mistakes he would make, so he turned around and went back to the snack bar.

Young Master Qian wanted to go in, but was stopped outside the door by Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou, who had been doing farm work since childhood and were quite strong, so he had to leave in dismay. In

the backyard, Lin Zhen looked at Lin Xiaoyao, whose eyes were red with anger: "He left?"

"He left. If you dare to come again, I will chop him alive with a knife!" Lin Xiaoyao looked at Lin Zhen who was sitting under the eaves, and suddenly felt that he was being oppressed and couldn't breathe.

He heard what those people said just now. If there were ten or twenty people, it would be like this. What about a hundred or a thousand people? What should he do?

He said to Lin Zhen: "Brother, why don't we go back to the village to avoid the limelight? I'm afraid that Young Master Qian will come again."

Lin Zhen knew that he handled it in a timely manner today and blocked some of the conversations, but gossip news is everyone's favorite. A little sign can blow out a flame.

The best way is to not move no matter what others say, and wait for a few waves of heat to die down, and everyone will feel that it is boring and move on.

But Master Qian's family is in the town, and his business is also in the town. It is no exaggeration to say that they will meet each other every day. Those gossips are likely to emerge at any time, and they will repeat themselves over and over again.

He thought about it, shook his head and said, "We will open the shop as usual. First, he just came today. If we close the shop and leave, others will think it is a big deal, and we don't know what kind of rumors will spread. Second, we will open a shop in the town to do business in the future. If we refund once, we will refund every time."

"What if Master Qian comes again?" Lin Xiaoyao bit her lip and didn't tell Lin Zhen that several customers who came to eat just now left without even finishing their food.

Lin Zhen said, "I hope he comes more often, so that others can see clearly that it is he who is causing trouble for us, and it is not us who have anything to do with him."

Even so, Lin Zhen's reputation in the future will not be much better than in Liyu Village, and it will be even more difficult for him to find a marriage.

After all, no family wants to marry a boy with a bad reputation, and even the rest of the family will be talked about.

But Lin Zhen doesn't care about this at all. He doesn't plan to live with a man. He is only nineteen years old this year, and he still has a long life ahead of him.

The incident that Master Qian caused in Zhen Youwei Snack Restaurant spread throughout the town the next day. People passing by the snack restaurant would look inside to see what the boy who had attracted Master Qian looked like.

At the same time, the business of Zhen Youwei Snack Restaurant was also affected. On weekdays, only three or two people could fill the shop at noon.

Lin Zhen flipped through the account book and thought that this matter was more difficult than he thought.

On the other side, Cai Jinzhu was like crazy, grabbing things in the house and throwing them at Qian Jingyuan, "Qian Jingyuan! You are a weakling with only two taels of meat under your crotch, and you actually went to find that little bitch!"

Qian Jingyuan couldn't dodge in time, and was hit on the shoulder by the thin-necked porcelain bottle thrown by him, and screamed in pain.

But because Cai Jinzhu broke the news that he went to find Lin Zhen, he didn't dare to refute, and just said in a mosquito-like voice: "Zhen'er is not what you said, and his shop has nothing to do with me. I just found out that he was in town by chance."

"Do you think I will believe your lies? If you didn't think about him every night, I wouldn't know that you were secretly communicating with him! You still want to deceive me and use me to find you a position in the government office, and dream about your Spring and Autumn period!"

Cai Jinzhu's face can only be regarded as decent, and he is ferocious and terrifying when scolding people, so Qian Jingyuan doesn't want to look at him at all.

Cai Jinzhu's words made him angry. He married Cai Jinzhu, who was plain-looking, just to get in touch with Cai Jinzhu's father and find a position for himself in the government office in the prefectural city. But

Cai Jinzhu's father looked down on him. He only accepted the gifts but did not give any confirmation when he came to the house with gifts several times. He also said that he had no achievements and was difficult to deal with.

Qian Jingyuan had everything he wanted at home, so how could he bear such humiliation? He was very dissatisfied with Cai Jinzhu's father, but he did not dare to get angry because the other party was a minor official in the government office in the prefectural city. However, he became more and more cold towards Cai Jinzhu.

Cai Jinzhu did not mention anything else, but just poked at his sore spot.

Chapter 68

Qian Jingyuan was like a cat whose foot was stepped on. He changed his soft and easy-to-control appearance just now, picked up things and started fighting with Cai Jinzhu.

Suddenly, an old woman with silver hair came in with the help of two maids. Seeing the couple fighting, she poked her crutches fiercely and said to the servants who dared not get close to them: "Quickly pull the young master and the young mistress apart, it will be terrible if they get hurt."

The couple took the porcelain vase and the chair respectively, and the people around them did not dare to get close, for fear that they would be hit.

But the old lady had to obey her orders, so they had to fight on both sides at the same time, surrounding Qian Jingyuan and Cai Jinzhu from front to back: "Young master, put down the things, the old lady is here."

"Young Madam, don't be angry with the young master, don't let the outsiders hurt your relationship." Cai Jinzhu married Qian Jingyuan because she was attracted by his appearance and the temperament of a scholar, and she also really liked him, so she was so angry after discovering that Qian Jingyuan was obsessed with his previous wife.

She glared at Qian Jingyuan fiercely, letting the maid take the things from her hand, and looked at Mrs. Qian with her chest heaving: "Mother, the little bitch that Jingyuan married before is in town, why did you hide it from me!" Mrs. Qian

frowned, not liking the tone of her questioning, but she lived several decades longer than Qian Jingyuan and Cai Jinzhu, and her mind was relatively stable, and she said slowly: "It's all in the past, now you are Jingyuan's wife, why are you entangled in a person who has been divorced?"

"So mother knew that the little bitch was in town, but didn't tell me, and kept me in the dark like a fool!" Cai Jinzhu hated it.

Mrs. Qian was even more unhappy: "Jinzhu, once you enter my Qian family, you are a member of the Qian family. You must think about the family, know what to say and what not to say, and don't act recklessly like in the boudoir." Mrs. Qian didn't say the second half of her words. Cai Jinzhu had been married before she married her son. If it weren't for her father's fortune, she would never agree to Cai Jinzhu's marriage.

Cai Jinzhu looked at Qian Jingyuan and then at Old Madam Qian, knowing that she would not be able to get away with it.

She hated Qian Jingyuan and Old Madam Qian.

After stopping the couple, Old Madam Qian called Qian Jingyuan: "Jingyuan, come with me."

"Yes." Qian Jingyuan was raised by Old Madam Qian, and was very respectful to her. Without saying a word, he followed her out of the yard.

Old Madam Qian took him directly into her courtyard. The first thing she did after sitting down was to pull Qian Jingyuan to her side, touch him up and down, and complained: "Jinzhu has a terrible temper. She fights with you at every turn. I don't know how she was taught at home. She has no manners at all."

Compared with Lin Zhen, Qian Jingyuan was completely disgusted with Cai Jinzhu. He said: "Her father is a minor official in the government office of the prefecture. There are many people who flatter her, and she will naturally not give in to anyone."

Qian Jingyuan felt a little uncomfortable and said to Old Madam Qian: "Mom, I regret it. I don't want to be married to Cai Jinzhu anymore."

Old Madam Qian, who was about to comfort him, paused: "Jingyuan, Cai Jinzhu is a little spoiled, but her father is an official, you can't divorce her."

"What kind of official position is this? He's just a low-ranking official. I don't know how much money he stuffed into the yamen!" There are not only the superiors in the yamen, but also officials who are not counted as officials in charge of complicated affairs. These officials are mixed and have deep water. Although the title sounds bad, once they get in, they are separated from the common people and cannot be compared with each other.

Cai Jinzhu's father is such a minor official, who specializes in measuring land.

Although he deals with land, how to measure and how much to measure are all decided by his pen. Many families in the city go in with silver every day to seek connections.

This involves how much taxes are paid and how much land can be concealed.

If Cai Jinzhu's father had not been very good at dealing with things and had won some favor from the master of the city, such a good job would never have fallen on him.

Old Madam Qian knew her son very well. Seeing his appearance, he really wanted to divorce Cai Jinzhu. Her face darkened and she turned to ask another question: "People say that you went to find Lin Zhen, right?"

"..." Qian Jingyuan's lips moved, and seeing that he couldn't hide it, he nodded directly, "Yes, my son went to find him yesterday." "

You are still haunting me, did he ask you to go?" Old Madam Qian hated Lin Zhen, who was obsessed with her son, more than Cai Jinzhu. At least Qian Jingyuan would not talk back to her for Cai Jinzhu or do things that were not to her liking, but Lin Zhen was different. For him, Jingyuan talked back to her several times.

Qian Jingyuan quickly said, "No, I just found out that he opened a shop in town, so I went to meet him."

"Humph, that vixen must have known that you were back, and she opened a shop to seduce you openly!" Old Madam Qian didn't believe that Lin Zhen would really open a shop, but it was just a means to get close to her son again.

She repeatedly told Qian Jingyuan: "I don't care how many concubines you bring home, but you must never go to Lin Zhen again. If you still want me to live a few more years, give up that thought."

"Mom..." Qian Jingyuan looked anxious. He did want to marry Lin Zhen after divorcing Cai Jinzhu, but seeing the gloomy face of Mrs. Qian, he dared not say anything more.

The business of Zhen Youwei Snack Shop was very quiet. It only sold five servings of cold noodles, two cups of sour plum soup, and no more than ten strings of spicy hot pot in a day, and it didn't sell a single cup of milk tea.

Not to mention compared with the previous days, even when Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao set up a stall, they made more money in a day.

Lin Xiaoyao saw it with his own eyes and was anxious in his heart, but he didn't say it out loud. He knew that Lin Zhen had a harder time than him.

Taking five pairs of chopsticks from the bamboo chopstick basket, Lin Xiaoyao said to Lin Zhen, who was still frying the last dish, "Brother, it's ready, come and eat."

Lin Zhen stir-fried the liver slices that had just changed color, added a little rice wine to it, scooped up the liver slices when they were the freshest, and walked to the table with them: "Eat it. When I went to buy meat today, I found that the pig liver was very fresh, so I bought a basket. Try it."

The internal organs are easy to smell fishy when they are processed. In the past, the Lin family mostly ate pig heads, and there was very little pig liver.

But in the town, the seasonings are complete, and he makes some from time to time to supplement everyone.

Lin Zhen put down the pig liver and sat on the stool, but he soon found that the atmosphere was very depressing when he was holding the bowl. Several people saw the business of the shop today, and it was impossible for his mood not to be affected.

He glanced at them and said, "If you are angry when eating, you will offend the God of Food, and you will be hungry in the future."

Lin Shitou was very honest. When he heard that he would be hungry, he immediately picked up the bowl. Lin Zhuzi thought about it and did the same.

Lin Xiaoyao knew that he didn't want to make her and the children worry, so she forced herself to suppress the complicated thoughts in her mind and picked up the bowl.

Gu Shuanzi sat there steadily from the beginning, but his eyes were on Lin Zhen most of the time.

After a somewhat depressing meal, everyone washed up and went to bed. Lin Zhen thought for a while, walked to the left wing where Gu Shuanzi lived, and knocked on his door.

Soon, Gu Shuanzi opened the door from the inside. He seemed to be going to sleep soon. He was wearing a white cotton shirt and trousers, and his socks were taken off.

Lin Zhen naturally would not sit on his bed, but pulled over the folding chair he brought from Liyu Village and sat opposite him: "Shuanzi, you saw the situation in the shop today. The rumors about me are spreading outside. I'm afraid the students in Master Xu's school also know about it. You might encounter uncomfortable things when you go to school." In fact

, the shop business was bleak today, but Lin Zhen was not in a hurry. He had almost three hundred taels of silver from running the shop for more than a month, plus the money he earned from selling the storybook "Mei Niang", a total of five hundred taels.

No matter what, it was a world of difference compared to when he first came.

What really worried him was Gu Shuanzi.

He had just started studying at the academy, and the students in the academy were all from the town. They had bullied him before because of his bad name, but now because of his reputation, he was afraid that they would look down on him even more and treat him even worse.

And Master Xu, would he continue to let Gu Shuanzi study with him?

Gu Shuanzi sat on the bed, his back straight, his hands casually placed on his thighs.

Listening to Lin Zhen's words, he said, "As long as Uncle Lin is fine, I'm fine."

Lin Zhen looked at him, and always felt that since this child read the Thousand Characters and came into contact with words, he was different, as if he had opened his mind, and slowly hid the former Gu Shuanzi in a very deep place, becoming calm and mature.

He inadvertently looked at Gu Shuanzi's desk and found that the book he bought for him was spread out on it, and he had already turned to more than ten pages, and the indentation on it did not look like it was flipped casually, but really read.

He had only been studying for two days, and Master Xu couldn't teach him that fast no matter how fast he taught.

Lin Zhen couldn't help but ask curiously: "You have read so much, do you understand it?"

Gu Shuanzi's eyes followed his eyes and said: "I understand some, and I don't understand some. I marked them." "

Smart boy." Lin Zhen really didn't expect that his memory would be so good, and he would study hard in private. He couldn't help but hope that he could study more with Master Xu.

He said, "I will definitely be fine, but the words from others, whether true or false, can't hurt me at all."

"As for you, you should be patient after I send you to the school tomorrow. If there is a conflict, go to Master Xu first and see what he says and does. If you really don't want to stay, come back first." Lin Zhen planned that if the students at Master Xu's place were too much and Master Xu didn't want to accept Gu Shuanzi, he would find a way to change Gu Shuanzi's place.

There should be students or scholars in the surrounding villages. It shouldn't be difficult to find them.

"Okay." Gu Shuanzi nodded.

Chapter 69

The next day, Lin Zhen got up early like the previous two days. After having some breakfast with Gu Shuanzi, he walked to the east of the city where Master Xu's house was located.

It was still early at this time, and most of the shops on the street were closed. Only those selling breakfast lit two lanterns, just like the first time Lin Zhen sent him to the school. However,

as the two of them left the door of Zhen Youwei Snack Shop and walked onto the street, those selling breakfast cast their eyes towards Lin Zhen and Gu Shuanzi, either implicitly or openly. Some of them were whispering something to the people next to them, looking at Lin Zhen as they spoke.

Lin Zhen acted as if he didn't see anything, and took Gu Shuanzi straight to the gate of Master Xu's house.

"Go, remember what I told you, go home if you don't want to stay." Lin Zhen patted Gu Shuanzi on the shoulder and said to him while standing outside the gate of Master Xu's house.

Gu Shuanzi nodded and looked at Lin Zhen: "Uncle Lin, be careful when you go back."

"Don't worry, I'm not a murderer, they dare not do anything to me." Lin Zhen has been in the town for almost two years and has some understanding of the situation in the town.

The county magistrate in the town is a middle-aged scholar in his forties. Because he failed to pass the imperial examination for a long time, he donated money to become a ninth-rank official here.

This county magistrate is mediocre in talent. He has not done anything that people applaud in the town for more than ten years, but he is not the kind of corrupt official who oppresses the people to death and collects taxes under various names.

Lin Zhen guessed that this county magistrate probably still had the idea of ​​moving up or transferring away from this place, so he didn't make the town a mess, and the people in the town lived and worked in peace and contentment.

With the appearance of the superiors, the people below are naturally afraid and restrained, and they can't do anything to their brother who is surrounded by a bad reputation for a while.

Gu Shuanzi walked into Master Xu's house, looking at Lin Zhen's slowly receding back, and went into the wing room with his schoolbag on his back

. As soon as he entered, the atmosphere in the wing room became extremely strange. Master Xu holding textbooks, the two students, Huang Yuwen, Wang Qin, Chen Xing and others who had been "visiting" Zhen Youwei Snack House two days ago all looked at him.

Gu Shuanzi walked to his seat with the same expression on his face as he did on the way here. Suddenly, one of the two students who just passed by Gu Shuanzi stood up and said, "Master, we are reading the books of sages in our school, how can we keep him here?"

This student did not hide his dissatisfaction with Gu Shuanzi at all. When he said this, he looked at Gu Shuanzi, and it was clear who he was targeting.

The other student sitting next to him looked at Gu Shuanzi with a look that was not friendly, but just looked at him coldly without saying a word.

Chen Kuiyou, who was sitting next to Wang Qin and had been to Zhenyouwei Snack Shop before, responded to the boy's words: "That's right. If he could also learn to read and write here, wouldn't it be a disgrace to the word saint? He was born and raised by a slut who specializes in seducing men in the town. No wonder his shabby restaurant is doing so well. It turns out that there are tens or hundreds of young masters with money——"

Chen Kuiyou hadn't finished his words yet. Gu Shuanzi, who hadn't moved at all when the boy was talking, suddenly kicked his desk with a "bang", pounced on him, grabbed his hair and punched him.

The other people in the wing room were stunned by his swift speed. After they reacted, they hurried to separate the two, but Gu Shuanzi was simply desperate. He was willing to beat Chen Kuiyou a few times, and beat him up, making Chen Kuiyou scream.

Master Xu was so angry that he slammed the table with a ruler: "Stop! Stop!"

"It's insulting! It's insulting!"

Ten students in the school pulled Gu Shuanzi and Chen Kuiyou at the same time. The student who talked to Gu Shuanzi as soon as he came in seemed to dislike Gu Shuanzi very much. He deliberately attacked Gu Shuanzi while pulling him. His hands and feet were hitting Gu Shuanzi's back and legs. He was so strong that he wanted to kick him so hard that he couldn't get up.

Wang Qin, who was pulling Gu Shuanzi with Huang Yuwen, suddenly cursed: "Fuck you!"

He grabbed the inkstone on the table and hit Luo Jing who was attacking him: "What kind of hero are you if you hit people secretly, and in front of me, I won't be called Wang if I don't beat your brains out!"

He attacked too quickly and suddenly, which made others unexpected. Luo Jing couldn't react in time and was hit several times on the arm and back.

Chen Kuiyou, who was responding to Luo Jing's words, finally broke free from their fight, and seeing Wang Qin who attacked, he shouted in confusion: "Brother Wang, you hit the wrong person. It was that poor guy Gu Shuanzi who caused the trouble. That's Luo Jing."

"I hit Luo Jing!" Wang Qin turned his head and looked at him, "And you, your mouth is a cesspool, you can only spit out maggots!"

Huang Yuwen tried to hold Gu Shuanzi at the side but failed. When he saw that Wang Qin was also chasing Luo Jing with the inkstone and couldn't stop him, he rolled up his sleeves and pushed away the other student who was trying to grab Gu Shuanzi: "Wang Qin, I tell you, I can't beg for mercy from your parents this time. You just take care of yourself."

Wang Qin, who was chasing Luo Jing, trembled in his heart, and saw Luo Jing running away and hurried to chase him: "Why!"

He was afraid of his parents. Huang Yuwen was smarter and more likable than him since he was a child. Every time he was beaten with the stick, Huang Yuwen would speak well of him and explain to his parents that what he did was not that outrageous.

Wang Qin could imagine what kind of meal he would have when he returned home today.

Huang Yuwen grabbed a brush and threw it at the student who was holding Gu Shuanzi: "I also fought."

Gu Shuanzi, who was held by two or three students of eight or nine years old, looked at the chaotic wing room because of the joining of Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen, and blinked his eyes.

...

Master Xu's face was livid, looking at the room full of students who were restrained by two servants, and his hand holding the ruler was trembling slightly: "Good, very good!"

"One by one, you didn't listen to the advice and made a scene in the school. I think you have all learned knowledge in your dog's stomach!"

Wang Qin, who had a cut on the corner of his mouth and a bump on his forehead, hissed in pain and looked at their Master Xu in disbelief.

In his impression, Master Xu was a very upright scholar. He didn't know where he learned this dog's stomach from, but it was the most indecent thing Wang Qin had ever heard Master Xu say.

Huang Yuwen also widened his eyes, and his round face made him look smaller than usual.

Gu Shuanzi, who had several bruises on his face and a thin bloodstain under his eye, remained silent and coldly looked at Chen Kuiyou and Luo Jing, who were even more miserable than him.

Chen Kuiyou, who was beaten the worst, was very unconvinced. He covered his swollen face, which was almost as big as two steamed buns, and said, "Master, it is obviously Gu Shuanzi who is violent and violent. You should expel him from the school immediately, otherwise who will dare to study here in the future!"

He was still frightened by Gu Shuanzi's reckless hatred. When he spoke, he only dared to look at Master Xu, not Gu Shuanzi.

Luo Jing and the other two had the same opinion and stood up to say the same thing to him.

Wang Qin, who had just fought with them, couldn't help it and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Master Xu walked up to Chen Kuiyou with a ruler and suddenly hit him on the back with the ruler: "This is what you have learned from studying for two years. You interpret things arbitrarily without verifying them."

The iron ruler made a wheezing sound when hitting people, which made people feel painful.

Master Xu was so angry that smoke came out of his head. After beating him, he hit Luo Jing, then Gu Shuanzi, Wang Qin, Huang Yuwen...

All ten students were beaten with the ruler. Master Xu said to Gu Shuanzi: "Gu Lin, follow me."

Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen immediately looked at Gu Shuanzi, and Gu Shuanzi stood up and followed Master Xu out.

The nine students who stayed in the wing room were divided into two groups in the fight just now. One group was led by Luo Jing. The others were students who were students of the same school as Luo Jing, Chen Kuiyou, and another student whose family was at odds with the Wang family.

On Wang Qin's side, there were Huang Yuwen, Chen Xing, Liang Pinxiu, and another student named Yu.

Huang Wanwen, needless to say, was a neighbor of Wang Qin. Although the two of them seemed to be at odds with each other most of the time, only Huang Yuwen could occasionally persuade Wang Qin to do something immoral.

Chen Xing, Liang Pinxiu, and the student named Yu were often with Wang Qin. They all went to Lin Zhen's snack restaurant that day, except Chen Kuiyou.

Huang Yuwen rubbed his swollen wrist: "Wang Qin, didn't you bully Shuanzi back then? What's wrong now?"

Wang Qin licked the corner of his mouth that was broken by Luo Jing: "It's my business to bully him. I just can't stand the bad behavior of some people. They ate Uncle Lin's food and then said those words here. It's better to feed them to dogs. At least they can get a few barks and wag their tails."

He said this loudly, and Chen Kuiyou, who went to the snack restaurant with them, heard it clearly.

But he knew that Wang Qin's family was powerful, so he just gritted his teeth in resentment and didn't say a word.

Huang Yuwen's round face had a similar expression. He looked out the window: "I don't know what the teacher is going to do."

Master Xu was not very old, only in his thirties. Because he was a weak scholar, his figure was thinner than that of men who had been working hard for a living all year round. He wore a brown robe and looked like a teacher.

He sat on the chair and looked at Gu Shuanzi, whose clothes and hair were all messy because of the fight: "The news about your family has been spreading in the town for a long time. I have also heard about it. Do you have anything to tell me about it?"

Xu Youda likes poetry and prose, and doesn't like to socialize, but his mother and wife often go to the town to buy some needlework, rice and vegetables, and they will tell him when they come back after hearing new things.

In recent days, the most popular things in the town are those about Lin Zhen, saying that after being divorced by the Qian family, he actually did not break off contact with Qian Jingyuan, and the two of them were still connected.

He also dug up his subsequent marriage, saying that Gu Da's death was strange, and it was feared that Qian Jingyuan and Lin Zhen killed Gu Da for Gu Da's money. This statement is not widely circulated. After all, the Qian family's huge family business is not comparable to Gu Da, a country man, but the reason why rumors are rumors is just that the person who made it up said it casually, and the listeners wanted to have fun.

Whether it is true or false is not that important.

Chapter 70

Gu Shuanzi actually knew that Master Xu didn't like him very much, at least less than other students. He thought Master Xu would directly expel him from the school, but he didn't expect to ask this question.

He said, "Uncle Lin is not as the rumors say."

He paused, and told him that his father Gu Da died suddenly, and Lin Zhen not only did not covet the Gu family's wealth, but went back to the Lin family to make a living, and asked for justice for him from Ma and Zhou Tao, and then took him home and sent him to the school.

Gu Shuanzi didn't expect any of these things, and it was the first time he said them out loud. He didn't know that his face slowly warmed up from the coldness, and his cold and indifferent face also had some childishness of a child of this age.

Xu Youda looked at the different expression on his face, thinking of Lin Zhen who sent him here that day. After a moment of silence, he said, "Let's forget about today's matter. If it happens again, I will never tolerate it."

Gu Shuanzi, who was ready to carry his schoolbag home when the fight started, looked up at him and said, "Yes, Master."

The two of them returned to the wing room one after the other. Master Xu specially selected several articles to explain. Not only did they have to read and recite them, but each person had to copy them ten times.

The ten people who had just fought looked at the bright article titles. They knew Master Xu's intentions, but how much of it went through their hearts, only they themselves knew.

Soon, it was time to end school.

Gu Shuanzi packed up his books and was about to leave as before. Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen hurriedly caught up with him: "Gu Shuanzi, wait a minute, how can you be so disloyal, ouch!"

Hearing the voice coming from behind, Gu Shuanzi turned his head and saw that Wang Qin got up too quickly and hit his knee on the table. He was rubbing his knee and grimacing, but he didn't expect to pull the wound at the corner of his mouth, and his face was crooked in pain.

He stopped and looked at Wang Qin: "Do you have anything else to talk to me about?"

Wang Qin's eyes lit up. My God, his tone was calm and peaceful as never before! Wang

Qin didn't even bother to rub his knees. He limped up and put his hand on Gu Shuanzi's shoulder without any courtesy. Gu

Shuanzi's shoulders stiffened for a moment, and his brows knitted, but at least he didn't throw his hand away.

Wang Qin noticed his expression the moment he put his hand on him, and thought he was going to be beaten, but seeing that Gu Shuanzi didn't do anything, he exclaimed: "Why don't you wait for me and Huang Yuwen, let's go together."

"We are friends now, right? It would be great to go to school and go home together in the future."

Gu Shuanzi found out why Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen were neighbors, because they were both very familiar with each other, and they were as familiar as a pot of porridge.

He wanted to say that he didn't like to walk with others, but looking at Wang Qin's broken mouth, he said: "We are not going the same way."

Wang Qin waved his hand: "It doesn't matter, we can stay together as long as we can!"

Huang Yuwen, who was a step behind and not as impatient as him, caught up. Huang Yuwen usually didn't participate in Wang Qin's fights, so he was a little unfamiliar with the business. He just suffered a little loss and was hit several times, which seemed to be a little more serious than Wang Qin.

He held his book and walked on the other side of Gu Shuanzi: "Our two families are in the east of the city. Shuanzi lives on Zhazi Street. We have to walk on different sides when we leave the master's house. You're jealous of walking such a few steps."

Wang Qin bulged his eyes: "A few steps is also the same way. I'm going to be bored to death following you to school and back every day."

There was no anger of being despised on Huang Yuwen's round white face: "Oh."

Wang Qin snorted, looking at Gu Shuanzi with a little excitement: "You can't say we are not friends this time, I tell you, you won't suffer any loss with a friend like me, and if anyone bullies you, just shout, and I will never be vague."

This time Gu Shuanzi did not refute his words that they were friends, but reached out and took his hand off his shoulder, "There is no way to go together, I'm leaving."

It was only more than twenty steps from the wing room to the yard, and the gate was right in front of them. The way home was completely different.

As soon as Gu Shuanzi stepped out of the courtyard gate, he saw Lin Zhen standing outside. His eyes instantly brightened up and he walked over faster: "Uncle Lin, why are you here?"

"I came to pick you up." As soon as he stepped out of the gate of Master Xu's house, Lin Zhen saw the bruises on his face and the bloodstains under his eyes. His heart tightened. Just after he greeted him, he saw Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen who were one step behind Gu Shuanzi.

The three of them had injuries on their faces, and it was obvious that they had been in a group fight.

Lin Zhen knew that something he didn't want to see had happened.

He stood there, waiting for Gu Shuanzi to come to him, and then took his hand: "How did you get the cut under your eye?"

The cut was long and thin, running from the end of the left eye to the bridge of the nose. There is no scar removal technology or special medicine now, and scars will be left if you are not careful.

Gu Shuanzi stretched out his other hand that was pulled and touched his eye: "I got scratched by my nails."

He took the initiative to say: "Today I had a fight with students in the school."

Lin Zhen was silent for a moment: "Did you fight those two students just now?"

"No, I had a fight with a student named Chen Kuiyou first. The two of them came to separate and found that the students from Chen Kuiyou's side had attacked me. They were... my friends." Friends were very common to Gu Shuanzi before he was eight years old. Before Gu Da died, his friends were all the children in Datianzi Village. A group of them ran together every day to catch chickens and chase dogs. There were new tricks every day, and there was never any trouble.

But after Ma and Zhou Tao, he was not used to anyone getting close to him, and he couldn't play with Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou, who were the same age, as if he was looking at them through a layer of something.

If it weren't for what happened today, he and Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen might have only been in the school for their entire lives. When they met in the future, you would go your way and I would go my way.

At this moment, Lin Zhen and Gu Shuanzi had already walked more than ten steps away from Master Xu's courtyard, and so did Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen. The two children were standing side by side, and no one knew what they were talking about. Occasionally, they turned their faces and looked sad, especially Wang Qin, who sighed in a particularly vivid and exaggerated manner.

When Lin Zhen heard Gu Shuanzi say that Wang Qin, Huang Yuwen, Chen Xing, Liang Pinxiu, and a student named Yu helped him fight with five other students, he thought about the scene for a while and turned back to look at Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen. It happened that Wang Qin turned around for some reason and saw Lin Zhen looking at them, and waved happily.

Lin Zhen smiled, and his liking for this kid grew. He also waved to Wang Qin: "Come to my house with Shuanzi some other day."

Wang Qin obviously liked this suggestion very much. He grabbed Huang Yuwen and said loudly: "Okay, Uncle Lin, let's go home."

"Go," Lin Zhen looked at the two backs and asked Gu Shuanzi, "What did your teacher say?"

"The teacher punished all of us with a ruler, called me out to ask some questions, and then asked us to copy the article ten times." Gu Shuanzi had a good memory. He wrote down all the articles to be copied and told Lin Zhen by the way.

Lin Zhen couldn't help but smile knowingly when he heard it. It was all related to what happened today. It seemed that this Master Xu was a man who was old-fashioned but had his own principles.

In this way, he could finally feel relieved. With Master Xu and Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen as friends, Gu Shuanzi could finally study with peace of mind in the school.

Lin Zhen brought Gu Shuanzi back to Zhen Youwei Snack Shop. Suddenly, when they were still three meters away from the snack shop, the owner of the grain and oil shop next to the snack shop saw them, and hurried over and said anxiously: "Lin Ge, you'd better take Shuanzi away from the limelight. Master Qian's wife is here, and she's worried that she can't find you."

There was a loud noise of something breaking in front, which attracted waves of people to crowd there to watch the fun. When the people outside saw Lin Zhen and Gu Shuanzi, they started to talk a lot, without any hesitation about him.

If Lin Zhen hadn't often bought things from him and sent him some sour plum soup noodles from time to time, the owner of the grain and oil shop would not have been willing to wade into this muddy water. Lin Zhen's

face was stern. Hearing the sound of people smashing things in the crowd, he said solemnly: "Thank you, Shopkeeper Feng, but there are only three children in my shop, so I have to go in."

He lowered his head and glanced at Gu Shuanzi, who immediately said: "I'll go with Uncle Lin."

Lin Zhen knew his temper. Even if he was asked to stay outside, he would not stay. He simply said: "Let's go home."

Shopkeeper Feng of the grain and oil shop sighed. He didn't believe that Lin Zhen was as the rumors outside were. How could someone like Brother Lin look down on Master Qian?

But these words were like a drop of water merging into the ocean, and they had no effect at all.

Besides, he couldn't say more, otherwise the rumors would spread to him.

Lin Zhen pushed the crowd to make way while pulling Gu Shuanzi in tightly. When they saw it was him, they showed an expression of watching a good show and started to jeer, "Boss Lin is back!"

"Boss Lin, please take a look at your shop. It's been smashed beyond recognition."

"This is the divorced girl who still hooked up with Young Master Qian. Ha, she looks like she can't live without a man!"

"She's been found out for her dirty deeds and now Young Master Qian's wife is knocking on her door. How can she put her face down? I'd jump into the river and die." "

That's not the case. Boss Lin only came to the town to set up a stall last year. At that time, Young Master Qian was still in the capital."

"Oh, you're so supportive of that witch. Did you get a taste of her too?"

"I think so. Everyone knows that this guy is the most shameless. He not only hooked up with Young Master Qian, but also hooked up with many others. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to open this shop."

"..."

The man who was speaking to Lin Zhen had just said one sentence when he was suppressed by the people around him, and instantly he was labeled as an adulterer with Lin Zhen.

The man didn't expect that he would be splashed with so much dirty water just for saying one word from his heart. As soon as he opened his mouth, he was blocked by these people. He was so scared that his face turned pale, and he quickly squeezed out and ran away.

Standing in the crowd, Lin Zhen, who heard every word of these words, held Gu Shuanzi's hand and looked at the servants who were smashing things around in his shop and the young woman in a bright red dress.

Lin Xiaoyao, who was standing in the corner in fear and panic, saw Lin Zhen coming back, and ran to him with Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou: "Third brother!"