"If I criticize you for your poor upbringing, then I'll also be implicating the general and his wife."

"But both Brother Gu and Brother Gu are upright people. How come you are the only one who has grown into a crooked tree?"

The two people who spoke this way were trembling all over. These two people were Gu Yangjia and Gu Feirui.

But one was angry, and the other was trying to hold back his laughter.

"Anything else you want to say? If not, I'll leave you alone."

"You, don't think I don't know your dirty thoughts." Gu Yangjia's face turned red with anger, and he almost shouted this sentence.

"Oh? What am I thinking? Tell it out loud so that everyone can hear it." Unlike Gu Yangjia who was desperate, Gu Lingze asked back lightly.

"You got a great deal by living in our house, and you've been trying hard to curry favor with my mother these past few days. You just want to marry my eldest brother Gu Xiuyi!"

After hearing this, Gu Lingze laughed a few times breathlessly, then looked at Gu Xiuyi and said, "Sorry, Brother Gu, I'm not laughing at you."

Then he straightened up and wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes.

"I think I should apologize to you."

As soon as these words came out, a smug smile appeared on Gu Yangjia's face.

"Now it seems that you don't have a flaw in your character, but a problem in your brain."

"This matter is mainly my fault. You were sick, but I still argued with you. It was indeed my fault."

Gu Tianhua and Xie Qingwan couldn't help laughing when they heard this.

Gu Lingze apologized and pulled Zhao Chengmo out, not caring how angry Gu Yangjia was behind him.

"Lingze, are you really going to leave? You don't have to care what Gu Yangjia says. He has always been outspoken."

When Gu Feirui said this, there was a hint of reluctance in his tone.

At this time, Xie Qingwan came in from outside. She heard that he was leaving, so she came to persuade him.

Gu Lingze smiled and said to her, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam. However, we came to the capital to accompany Brother Xu to take the imperial examination, so we will have to stay for at least another two or three months."

"It's really not appropriate to live here for such a long time."

In fact, this was just an excuse made by Gu Lingze. Except for Gu Yangjia, everyone in the Gu family took good care of these three people.

But this is not his home after all, and he has many secrets. Over time, it is hard to guarantee that others will not discover them. So during the time he lived in Gu's house, he never entered the secret realm once.

"But...but I only ate the red bean iceberg you made once."

Gu Lingze knew that this was an excuse made by Gu Feirui because he was not good at talking, so he did not expose him.

“It’s actually very simple to make red bean iceberg, and the ingredients are not complicated.” After saying that, he explained the method and ingredients in full.

"If you want to eat it in the future, ask the chef in the mansion to make it for you."

Gu Feirui was so anxious that he scratched his head and could only look at Xie Qingwan for help.

Seeing that he was determined to leave, Xie Qingwan didn't want to force him, but just asked him to come to her house more often when he had time.

Gu Lingze agreed.

After saying goodbye to Gu Tianhua, Gu Xiuyi insisted on sending them to the inn, but unexpectedly they were sent to a small courtyard.

"The inn is very busy and noisy after all. This place is quiet and peaceful. Although it's not big, it has everything. It's just right for the three of you to stay here."

Gu Lingze knew that he meant well, so he didn't refuse and decided on a place to live.

After settling down, Xu Mingyan continued to study hard every day, while Gu Lingze and Zhao Chengmo were happy to have some free time, eating and strolling around the capital every day.

That day, the two of them arrived at a market. Passing by a stall, Gu Lingze suddenly found something familiar.

"What's this?"

Although he was a little surprised in his heart, he still looked calm on the surface.

The seller was an old man, and when he saw the customers coming, he immediately stood up and introduced his products enthusiastically.

"This is ground frost. In summer, grind it into powder and soak it in water to drink. It can relieve heat and summer heat, and can also relieve diarrhea and sore throat."

"Hey little brother, do you want to buy it and try it?"

Gu Lingze pretended to be curious and asked a few more questions.

Then he waved his hand and said, "I want them all."

When the old man saw how generous he was, he was so happy that he quickly packed them all up for him.

Zhao Chengmo took out the money, picked up the things, and the two of them walked around for a while before returning to their residence.

As soon as Gu Lingze entered the door, he changed his leisurely attitude and hurriedly took out the things he had just bought from his bag.

When Xu Mingyan heard them coming back, he also came out of the room. Seeing a pile of dirt on the ground, he asked in confusion, "What is this?"

"This is called ground frost. I once read in a book that this thing can make ice."

"Ice making?"

"right."

Xu Mingyan was a little surprised, but he did not doubt it. After all, Gu Lingze never did anything without a purpose.

Gu Lingze asked Zhao Chengmo to help him smash all the soil into pieces, then collect them and filter out the debris with clean water.

After repeating this three times, put the filtered water into a pot and boil it over high heat.

After waiting for less than half an hour, I opened the lid of the pot and found that there were already formed crystal blocks at the bottom of the pot.

Gu Lingze picked out these crystal blocks and put them aside.

After the raw saltpeter was made, Gu Lingze called them both to the kitchen.

"This thing is called saltpeter, and here it is also called ground frost. In fact, it has many names. There is also a high-sounding name called the Northern Emperor's Mysterious Pearl."

"If you want to use it to make ice, you have to process it like I did before you can use it."

After saying that, he turned around, picked up a clay jar, and scooped most of the water into it.

Then put the jar into a small pot, put raw saltpeter in the pot, add water to the pot and stir.

After a while, the water in the pot began to freeze, and then the water in the jar also formed ice cubes.

Gu Lingze took out the jar and showed it to them.

"The ice in this jar can be eaten directly, and the ice in the pot can also be eaten directly."

"Saltpeter is originally a medicinal material, so it is definitely non-toxic. However, the water into which saltpeter is added can be repeatedly used to extract raw saltpeter using the method I just used, so it can be recycled forever."

Zhao Chengmo and Xu Mingyan no longer knew what expression to use to accept the fact before them.

After all, selling ice is a highly profitable industry. It does not require any raw materials, but it consumes huge amounts of manpower and material resources, which most people cannot afford, so ice is sold at such a high price.

By doing this, Gu Lingze has greatly reduced the cost, which is truly a win-win situation.

"I thought about it and decided that our families could open a restaurant together in the capital."

"We make ice bowls in the summer, sell snacks during the week, and have hot pot in the winter. These are all our own specialties."

"Are you planning to stay in the capital in the future?" Xu Mingyan asked.

After hearing this, Gu Lingze looked at him strangely, "We may not necessarily, but Brother Xu, you must stay here."

"Why?" Xu Mingyan became puzzled.