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

Chapter 238 Martial Arts Practice

With a smile, Gu Lin asked Brother Gao in front of him, "Master Mai, what are we learning today?"

Although Gu Lin was curious about why the other person was so tall and fit, a hint of envy also arose in his eyes, wondering why he didn't have the same height.

Despite having many thoughts in his mind, Gu Lin refrained from asking such impolite questions since it was their first meeting and they were not yet familiar with each other.

Facing the gentle and handsome young man, Mai Li's expression stiffened slightly. She moved her hands slightly, placing them against her trouser legs, and said in a cold tone, "Just call me Mai Li."

After saying that, he continued, "My husband's body is fully developed, so he can't start learning from scratch like a child. But he can't be without any basic skills. Let him practice the horse stance for a quarter of an hour first, and then I will teach him a set of self-defense techniques."

Whether he noticed Mai Li's forced composure and restraint or not, Gu Lin still smiled and agreed despite his indifference. But once he actually squatted down and assumed a horse stance, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he looked serious and straight ahead.

Mai Li stood to the side, his eyes sharp as knives. If Gu Lin made any mistake, he would immediately raise his hand to correct him.

Gu Lin listened attentively and followed the instructions one by one. Even after a quarter of an hour, when his legs were sore and weak, he still did not ask to rest.

Basic skills require years of practice; you can't achieve results by practicing them in a short time.

Mai Li began teaching the young man self-defense techniques. Targeting the opponent's weak and agile nature, Mai Li taught a set of self-defense techniques that emphasized skill over strength.

Gu Lin studied very diligently. He had finally persuaded Zheng Hao to let him learn martial arts, but he couldn't show weakness after only a short time. Otherwise, he would inevitably lose face in front of the young man if he made similar requests in the future.

Mai Li was amazed to see the young man staring intently at him, learning every move and style from him, and not stopping even when sweat dripped into his eyes.

When Lord Zheng initially asked him to teach his husbands martial arts, Mai Li had already prepared himself for dealing with these pampered women at home.

As Mai Li had expected, when she first met Gu Lin, he was beautiful and delicate, but not half as strong as her. She thought he was like those rich ladies and rich husbands who couldn't endure hardship, so Mai Li was prepared for him to shake his head and refuse to learn halfway through the lesson. But to her surprise, Gu Lin didn't complain about the hardship or fatigue at all.

Glancing sideways at the burnt-out incense sticks, Mai Li withdrew her gaze, stopped what she was doing, and said to Gu Lin, "That's all for today. When you get back, my husband, remember to relax your muscles and bones using the methods I taught you."

Gu Lin stood up, his whole body covered in sweat, his face no longer fair but rosy, making him look exceptionally healthy.

"Thank you for your hard work today, Master Mai," Gu Lin said.

At this moment, Da Yan walked over, and Gu Lin took the food box from her hand and said to Mai Li, "There are some pastries at home. Master Mai, take them back to fill your stomach."

To avoid being refused, Gu Lin said, "I often make these snacks at home, so it's not much trouble. Please don't refuse, Master Mai, otherwise I'll be embarrassed to let you teach me martial arts in the future."

Although the other party was Zheng Hao's subordinate, Gu Lin did not feel at ease and felt that it was only natural for Mai Li to teach him martial arts.

He even felt a little embarrassed, feeling that the other party, as a bodyguard, had finally returned from a long trip, but instead of resting, he was called by Zheng Hao to teach him martial arts.

Seeing Gu Fulang's sincere and kind expression, and meeting his tolerant light brown eyes, Mai Li hesitated for a moment before saying, "Thank you, Gu Fulang."

Then, he reached out and took the food box. Before leaving, he turned to Gu Lin and said, "Lord Zheng asked for my opinion on teaching my husband martial arts. I am willing to teach my husband martial arts, and Lord Zheng will also give me a reward. My husband doesn't need to think too much about it."

After speaking, Mai Li did not continue to observe Gu Lin's reaction and turned to leave the Zheng residence.

Standing still, Gu Lin was taken aback when he heard the other person's words. Then, watching the other person's figure disappear through the courtyard gate, he couldn't help but smile.

So he's a cold-hearted being from another dimension!

evening.

Returning home, Zheng Hao walked straight to Gu Lin's courtyard without any hindrance. As he entered the house, a young man came out and his nose twitched slightly as he smelled the aroma of medicinal wine.

Thinking of something, Zheng Hao went straight into the room, went around the screen, and saw a naked figure lying on a soft couch. Beside the couch, someone was massaging the young man on the couch.

As he approached, the servants saw him, stood up, and bowed. Zheng Hao whispered, "Go down."

The servant bowed and retreated silently.

Approaching the soft couch, Zheng Hao sat down and looked down at the person on it, only to find that the young man's eyes were closed and he had already fallen asleep.

His gaze shifted downwards, revealing a snow-white back with a subtle glaze. Due to the prolonged massage, the jade-like white skin took on a slightly pinkish hue.

Zheng Hao took the medicated oil from the side and stopped rubbing Gu Lin's back. He then removed Gu Lin's clothes and found that there was no medicine on his arms and legs.

Zheng Hao poured some medicinal oil onto his hands, rubbed it until it was warm, and then placed his hands on Gu Lin's body to begin massaging him.

Afraid of hurting the other person, Zheng Hao held back his strength. Unexpectedly, the young man frowned in his sleep, his rosy lips twitching slightly, as if he were saying something.

Zheng Hao leaned closer and heard the other person say intermittently, "Gently...gently...it hurts."

His hands paused, and the young man's breathing became disordered for a moment. The young man's breathing, sometimes light and sometimes heavy, and his intermittent murmurs sounded particularly enchanting in the dark night.

When his gaze fell upon the medicinal wine on Uncle Gu's body, he closed his eyes slightly. When he opened them again, his eyes were dark and deep.

He lowered his head and kissed the young man's fair and full forehead down to his pert and pitiful nose, and then from the nose down to his rosy and alluring lips. Gu Lin's mouth was blocked, and he swallowed all his murmurs. His originally furrowed brows relaxed with the young man's dense and light kisses.

As Zheng Hao applied medicine to his beloved, he gently kissed her. One was awake and the other was fast asleep, but that did not prevent their lips from mingling.

When Gu Lin woke up the next day, he felt a slight ache in his body but no pain, and knew that the servants had applied medicine to him the night before.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh. His constitution was too poor. He had practiced martial arts a little yesterday, and after dinner, he fell asleep when others applied medicine to his body.

It was difficult for them to move his body to apply the medicine.

After getting up to wash up, Gu Lin washed his face with a handkerchief. Then, he paused, and certain scenes from last night floated into his mind.

Then, he seemed to feel a sore and painful sore spot in his mouth, which was clearly the result of the young man's entanglement while he was asleep last night.

A blush appeared behind Gu Lin's ears, and he was slightly annoyed. How could someone do this while someone was asleep?

For many days in a row, whether it was sunny or rainy, Gu Lin never broke his promise and got up early every day to practice martial arts with Mai Li.

Compared to the beginning, when Gu Lin needed a day to rest and recover after each martial arts practice, after many days of training, Gu Lin gradually got used to it and was able to go out after finishing his martial arts practice in the morning.

Today, after the incense had burned out, Wheat Grain said, "Stop!"

Gu Lin quickly stopped what he was doing, took the handkerchief handed to him, and wiped his face and sweat.

As Gu Lin's martial arts practice progressed smoothly, Mai Li revised her plan. Starting yesterday, Gu Lin would practice for an extra half hour every day. In Mai Li's words, "My husband learns self-defense techniques very quickly, but his lower body is unstable. In future fights, he will easily be controlled by others."

So, Gu Lin used the extra half hour to practice his basic skills.

Seeing that it was almost noon, Gu Lin turned to Mai Li and said, "We have a chef in our household who is from Qingzhou Prefecture. I asked him to make dumplings with vegetable and pork filling, and kudzu root, sweet potato and dried shrimp filling. Chef Mai, please stay for lunch."

After spending several days together, although Mai Li was taciturn, she couldn't resist Gu Lin's eloquence. In just a few days, he found out about Mai Li's life and timeline.

Knowing that Mai Li was from Qingzhou Prefecture, Gu Lin guessed that she liked dumplings. Sure enough, in the past, he had invited her to stay for dinner seven times, but she would only agree once. Today, when she heard that he liked dumplings from Qingzhou Prefecture, Mai Li hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

After the dumplings were cooked, Gu Lin had some sent to the government office, and then he and Mai Li ate them.

To avoid the master finding the dumplings monotonous, the cook made three kinds of dumplings: steamed, boiled, and fried. He also prepared several kinds of dipping sauces, including sour, spicy, and sour and spicy. Originally, the dumplings were supposed to be served in plates of six, but Da Yan, thinking of Mai Li's appetite, ordered the kitchen to serve large plates.

So, three large plates of steamed, boiled, and fried dumplings were served, their aroma filling the air. Gu Lin, who had been practicing martial arts for a long time and was already hungry, couldn't help but swallow his saliva. Not only did Mai Li love dumplings, but he also liked them.

Gu Lin picked up his chopsticks and called to Mai Li, "Don't be shy, eat your fill. If you're still hungry, the kitchen has more. I had them make a lot of dumplings."

After saying that, he picked up a steamed dumpling and started eating. The dumpling skin was slightly yellow and chewy, and the filling was sweet and fragrant. When he took a bite, the filling would burst with juice. Gu Lin couldn't stop eating because his mouth was full of the delicious taste.

Mai Li followed Gu Lin and started eating dumplings with chopsticks. The two of them finished three large plates of dumplings on the table. After Gu Lin started practicing martial arts, his appetite had visibly increased. Compared to before, when he could only eat a dozen or so dumplings each time, he ate more than thirty this time. When he stood up, his stomach was so full.

When Mai Li left, Gu Lin had someone pack a lot of dumplings for her to take back with her.

Having eaten too much, Gu Lin didn't want to take a nap. He decided to go out for a walk to help digest his food.

Unexpectedly, before he even stepped out of the mansion, Ning Fangshi sent someone to report that the new weapon he requested had been forged.

Gu Lin had no desire to go out for a stroll. He had a carriage prepared and a message sent to the young prefect before he himself rode out of the city in the carriage.

When Gu Lin arrived at the weapons shop, he stepped off the carriage and found that Zheng Hao was already there.

The young man saw him and walked towards him. Looking down, he saw the confusion on Uncle Gu's face and guessed that after receiving the letter, the other party sent someone to the government office to find him.

Zheng Hao explained, "Today, I happened to be here with Mr. Ye for an inspection."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin immediately understood.

Following the other party, the weapons workshop was built around the iron mine, which was also to facilitate the transportation of iron ore to forge weapons. Upon seeing him, Ning Fangshi came forward: "Following the steel-forging method that you mentioned earlier, I have studied it for many days and finally figured out the correct method with the craftsmen. Look, those are the weapons made according to the weapon drawings you drew."

As soon as Ning Fangshi finished speaking, Gu Lin looked over, and Zheng Hao and Ye Kuo, who were standing to the side, also turned their gazes toward the direction Ning Fangshi was pointing.

Seeing a weapon unlike any he had ever seen before, Ye Kuo couldn't help but step forward and reach out to touch the tip of the hook-and-sickle spear. However, with just a light touch, his fingertip was cut and bled profusely.

The servants quickly stepped forward to bandage the other man's wounds. Ning Fangshi explained, "These weapons are all made using the steel-forging method, making them much sharper than ordinary weapons. They can cut a hair in two. Mr. Ye, please be careful not to get hurt."

Ye Kuo showed no displeasure after being injured. He stared intently at the other party and asked, "Such a divine weapon must have been difficult to forge. I wonder how many weapons the weapons workshop can produce in a day?"

Ning Fangshi did not answer immediately, but turned to look at Gu Lin and waited for his signal.

Upon seeing this, a different emotion flashed across Ye Kuo's eyes. Thinking of the weapons workshop and the steelmaking method, and the fact that these weapons were all proposed by Gu Fulang, coupled with the fact that his lord valued him so much, Ye Kuo became even more respectful of Gu Fulang.

Gu Lin nodded slightly. Ning Fangshi raised his hand and gestured a number to Ye Kuo: "As long as there are enough steel furnaces and craftsmen, daily production is not a problem."

Upon seeing the number Ning Fangshi had shown, Ye Kuo was excited. He then laughed heartily and turned to Zheng Hao and Gu Lin: "Gu Fulang's steelmaking method is truly astonishing. Congratulations, sir, on obtaining this steelmaking method and divine weapon."

At present, apart from the high-ranking officials and nobles who use weapons of superior quality, the weapons used by ordinary soldiers are dull and brittle, because the swords used by the former are made by craftsmen through countless hammering and forging, which takes a lot of time and effort and cannot be mass-produced.

Now, they possess steelmaking techniques that surpass those of the imperial court, and ordinary soldiers can wield divine weapons. How can they not achieve their great cause?

Spring passed and autumn came, and the potatoes were harvested in abundance. The people of Youzhou Prefecture welcomed a long-awaited bumper harvest. Since Prefect Zheng took office, he has vigorously promoted the use of waterwheels, grain seeds, and fertilization methods. After paying their grain taxes, every household still had a lot of grain left over.

They were all all smiles, happily planning how to buy some good meat before the New Year. After a year of hard work, the whole family deserved a good reward.

A figure dismounted, holding a token, and quickly entered the study in the front courtyard after being searched. Upon seeing the man sitting behind the desk, he knelt on one knee and reported: "—Reporting that half a month ago, the Prefect of Chengdu discovered that the General was privately minting copper coins and weapons and reported it to the court. However, his subordinates leaked the news, and the General killed the Prefect of Chengdu and then directly rebelled."

Zheng Hao gestured for him to leave. At night, the front courtyard was brightly lit with candlelight, and three or four strategists sat in the study looking at the young man behind the desk.

Zhao Xing: "The decline of the Great Qian Dynasty is felt by everyone in the world. Otherwise, the General of Chengdu Prefecture would not have directly led his troops to rebel."

"The imperial court is still the legitimate authority. The Chengdu prefecture general has defied the world by openly rebelling against the imperial court, which is bound to lead to defeat. The time is not yet ripe. What do you think, my lord?" Ye Kuo asked.

Zheng Hao: "Regardless of the outcome of this battle, the people of the world will not be as obedient to the court as before. Afterwards, various regions will inevitably become independent. We are far away in Youzhou Prefecture and no one cares about us. We should first strengthen our own strength and let them fight among themselves. In the future, we can enter the Central Plains and take over the north and south in one fell swoop."

Ye Kuo, Zhao Xing, and the others stood up and bowed to Zheng Hao: "Our lord is wise!"