After selling out of the cold dishes, Gu Lin packed up his stall and shouldered his bamboo basket. Since it was not yet noon, Second Uncle Zhang’s ox cart would not be leaving even if he went out to the city gates now, so Gu Lin did not plan to leave the county town right away.
He had just sold fifty bamboo tubes of cold dishes, with each tube going for seven copper coins. This meant he had earned three hundred and fifty coins today. Gu Lin’s heartbeat gradually accelerated before he slowly calmed himself down. After all, these three hundred and fifty coins were not pure profit. The wild vegetables cost nothing, but subtracting fifty coins for the seasonings, he had actually earned three hundred coins today.
Even so, this was quite a lot. A happy expression bloomed across Gu Lin’s face. He turned to look at Zheng Hao beside him. The boy still wore his usual cold and untamed expression, but thinking of how Zheng Hao had proactively helped just moments ago, and looking past that fierce look on his face, Gu Lin found it hard to feel any lingering fear.
Gu Lin figured that the Zheng Hao in the original novel turned out the way he did later because he suffered too much misfortune in his youth: his father passing away, his stepfather and an adulterer absconding with the family property, and growing up all alone amidst endless malice and mockery. Under such conditions, even the kindest heart would likely become warped.
Gu Lin looked at Zheng Hao. Right now, Zheng Hao was still young. As long as he slowly let the boy feel that someone genuinely cared for him, the boy probably wouldn’t turn into the cold, bloodthirsty figure of the original book who harmed loyal officials.
At this thought, Gu Lin felt his future was bright and promising. He lowered his head, smiled, and said to Zheng Hao, “Let’s go. We earned money today, so let’s go buy some meat to eat.”
Goodness knows how much Gu Lin had been craving meat lately. The only meat he had touched since arriving in this world was those two meat buns. Now that he had finally made some money, it was naturally time to treat himself properly.
The youthful spirit radiating from the boy was something Zheng Hao had never witnessed before, yet he felt not a shred of aversion. The image of the boy’s former haughty and triumphant self seemed to vanish into thin air in an instant.
Gu Lin returned the wooden placard to the street manager, and under the manager’s surprised gaze, led Zheng Hao to the butcher shop on the next street.
Looking at the pork belly hanging at the stall, saliva pooled in Gu Lin’s mouth. He swallowed hard and said to the burly, broad-waisted butcher with a face full of bristly flesh, “Boss, I want one jin of pork belly.”
Buying only one jin of meat wasn’t because Gu Lin was stingy, but rather because there were only the two of them. Buying too much meant they couldn’t finish it, and with the weather being so hot, meat spoiled easily. Once left uneaten overnight, it would turn sour.
Therefore, Gu Lin still felt it was best to buy and eat fresh on the same day.
The butcher took down the cut of meat Gu Lin had been eyeing, brought his knife down with a single stroke to carve out a fine piece of meat, tied it up with straw rope, and said, “Fifteen copper coins.”
After paying the money, Gu Lin took the meat and placed it into his bamboo basket. Then, he led Zheng Hao to leave the county town. However, it was still too early, and the others from the village had not arrived yet, so Gu Lin and Zheng Hao stood under the shade of a tree to wait.
Once everyone had gathered, the crowd boarded the cart, and Second Uncle Zhang swung his ox whip to embark on the journey home.
Upon arriving back in Xiahe Village, Gu Lin was still the first to get off and pay his fare.
After he left, the women and ge’ers standing around began to gossip.
Tian Dahua pointed at Gu Lin’s departing back and said, “Did you see that?”
Another ge’er nodded repeatedly. “I noticed it long ago. That bamboo basket looked heavy as lead; I reckon Lin Ge’er didn’t sell many dishes this morning.”
Another woman remarked, “He is pitiful, too. At eighteen, right in the prime of his youth, he’s already a widow, with a drag-along child by his side. I’m afraid it won’t be easy for him to remarry in the future.”
Tian Dahua glanced at her and sneered. “You must be out of your mind. He and that Zheng brat don’t have a drop of blood relation. How much affection can there be between step-father and step-son? You all saw how Gu Lin used to treat the Zheng brat. Now that he’s putting on an act for a few days, you actually think he’s changed for the better.”
Although Tian Dahua’s words were harsh, they held a grain of truth, and the remaining ge’ers and women fell into quiet contemplation after hearing them.
The woman who had spoken earlier hesitated, wanting to say more. She felt that Lin Ge’er truly was different from before and had changed a lot, but upon seeing Tian Dahua’s sharp and vicious face, and remembering that Tian Dahua had a scholar son whom they couldn’t afford to offend, the woman swallowed her words back down.
When Gu Lin returned home, he had no idea that people were gossiping behind his back the moment he left. Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have cared; as long as it didn’t reach his ears, it was all the same to him.
Gu Lin took out the purchased meat, washed it to drain the bloody water, and then tossed it into the wok for a quick stir-fry. Adding a bit of minced garlic and sauce, a golden and glistening stir-fried pork belly was ready.
Gu Lin didn’t eat right away. First, he filled a bowl to the brim with meat, stepped out of his house, and went over to the Zhao family’s place. The Zhao family’s door was open, but Gu Lin didn’t go inside; instead, he called out to Sister-in-law Zhao from the doorway.
Sister-in-law Zhao was cooking inside the house and rushed out immediately upon hearing Gu Lin’s voice. “What is it, Lin Ge’er?”
Seeing her appear, Gu Lin stepped into the courtyard and said, “I went to the county town this morning and bought some meat. I didn’t want to buy too much at once since Zheng Hao and I couldn’t finish it, so I brought some over for you.”
In this day and age, ordinary families didn’t get to eat a few pieces of meat in an entire year, constantly going hungry and lacking in oil and grease. When Gu Lin first walked in, Sister-in-law Zhao had caught a whiff of meat fragrance. She initially thought she was just imagining things because she hadn’t tasted meat in so long, but it turned out to be real.
Looking at the glistening slices of meat in Gu Lin’s bowl, Sister-in-law Zhao swallowed hard.
Yet she held back. “When you buy meat, you should keep it to nourish yourself and the Zheng brat. Why bring it over? Hurry up and take it back to eat. Big Brother Zhao and I are older and can’t handle greasy food.”
Although Sister-in-law Zhao was craving the meat, her character had never allowed her to take advantage of others. If someone gave her a needle, she would feel compelled to return a whole bundle, let alone a bowl of meat.
Gu Lin naturally saw through Sister-in-law Zhao’s feigned reluctance and deep care, but since he had brought the meat over, he had no intention of taking it back.
Dropping his gaze slightly, he put on a desolate expression and said, “Does Sister-in-law Zhao view me as an outsider? In my heart, I’ve always regarded you as my own flesh-and-blood sister-in-law. Earlier when Liu Sanlai was splashing dirty water on me, if you and Big Brother Zhao hadn’t spoken up for me, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”
“Oh my goodness!” Seeing the young ge’er looking as though he were about to cry, Sister-in-law Zhao anxiously slapped her thigh and said, “What nonsense are you uttering, you silly ge’er? If I truly regarded you as an outsider, would I have been running around busy these past few days, terrified that others would bully you now that Hunter Zheng is gone?”
Gu Lin had been waiting precisely for these words. He looked up at Sister-in-law Zhao before him and said, “Since sister-in-law says so, you mustn’t treat me like a stranger by refusing my meat. Otherwise, if you bring things to my house in the future, I won’t have the face to accept them.”
Sister-in-law Zhao had lived for decades; how could she not see through Gu Lin’s little tricks? Yet looking at the obedient, sweet-talking ge’er in front of her, her heart warmed up thoroughly. She didn’t have any ge’ers or daughters, only a single son. Although her son was filial, he was just like his father, dull and honest, and could never utter such sweet, comforting words. Sister-in-law Zhao thought to herself that having a ge’er or daughter really was much better.
She looked at Gu Lin and said, “I’ll accept it this once, but you mustn’t do this again in the future.”
Gu Lin’s previously sorrowful expression vanished, replaced by a bright smile, though he wisely didn’t make any promises about the future.
Unaware of Gu Lin’s inner thoughts, Sister-in-law Zhao patted his shoulder affectionately and said, “Come, give me the bowl. I’ll pour the meat out into another container, and you can take your pottery bowl right back.”
Eating someone else’s food was already a thick-skinned act; Sister-in-law Zhao would never be shameless enough to keep Gu Lin’s bowl as well.
Gu Lin didn’t refuse and handed the bowl over. Once she transferred the meat into another container, Gu Lin took back his own ceramic bowl and said, “Sister-in-law, I’m running a small business in the county town now that requires a lot of bamboo tubes. The ones Dagen brought over yesterday have all been used up, and today I’ll need Dagen to make another hundred and fifty bamboo tubes.”
Hearing that he needed so many tubes at once, Sister-in-law Zhao was taken aback, but she didn’t pry further and replied, “Alright, I’ll have Dagen deliver them over later.”
Gu Lin insisted, “This time you must charge me money. Last time sister-in-law refused payment, I felt so ashamed I couldn’t sleep at night. I’m going to need one hundred and fifty of these bamboo tubes every single day. If you still refuse to take payment, I won’t dare ask Dagen to make them anymore.”
Seeing that Sister-in-law Zhao was about to refuse again, Gu Lin added, “Even true brothers settle accounts clearly. If sister-in-law won’t take the money, I’ll have no choice but to find someone else.”
Sister-in-law Zhao panicked at that.
She hadn’t wanted to take money, partly because bamboo tubes were cheap and hardly worth anything, and partly because they had received too much kindness from Hunter Zheng previously. She was already wishing she could repay that kindness, so how could she have the face to charge the benefactor’s widow for a few bamboo tubes?
Yet hearing that Gu Lin would go find someone else if she didn’t take payment, she grew anxious, terrified that this silly ge’er would get scammed and end up counting money for someone else. She reached out and lightly tapped Gu Lin’s forehead with her finger. “You’re going to drive me to distraction with your persistence. I’ll listen to you, but charging two tubes for a copper coin is too many; let’s change it to five tubes for a copper coin.”
Never had Gu Lin seen someone so afraid of letting others lose out. He said, “Sister-in-law, listen to me: three bamboo tubes for one copper coin. The bamboo has to be cut down from the mountain, then carved and crafted into tubes; Dagen puts a lot of effort into it. Do you have the heart to let Dagen work so hard for just this tiny bit of money?”
In her heart, Sister-in-law Zhao disagreed, knowing this wasn’t just a tiny bit of money. Even at five tubes for a coin, one hundred and fifty tubes would earn thirty coins a day.
Thirty coins could buy two jin of meat; that was quite a lot.
In the end, she couldn’t win against Gu Lin and agreed to his terms.
With the matter settled, Gu Lin walked back home with a bright and cheerful mood.
He tasted a slice of meat from his bowl. It was crispy, tender, fresh, and savory. A satisfied expression appeared on his fair face, and his round eyes narrowed slightly in pure enjoyment.
After eating several slices in a row, Gu Lin finally stopped. Glancing sideways, he noticed Zheng Hao eating rather slowly. His hand paused for a moment; then, he picked up a piece of meat and placed it into Zheng Hao’s bowl, saying, “Eat more meat. Today we owe it all to your help, otherwise I surely wouldn’t have been able to handle so many people.”
Zheng Hao looked down at the piece of meat in his bowl, then raised his gaze to look at the ge’er before him, whose eyes were sparkling with bright, starlike smiles. The boy remained silent for a brief moment, but without saying a word, he picked up the meat and began to eat.
Yet if one looked closely, they would notice that the fierce, hostile edge between the boy’s brows had diminished somewhat.
At last, the large bowl of tender, fragrant meat was shared and finished by the two of them sitting at the table.