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For several days, everything was peaceful, except for the news that the entire family at the old house had a collective bout of diarrhea. On this day, Lin Ershuan came looking for Lin Yuan, saying that the tofu shop’s furniture had all been finished and was asking when he could deliver it.

Before Lin Yuan could respond, her excited aunt, who was cooking brown sugar water for Lady Liu, jumped up, "It’s ready? Hurry and deliver it, hurry, I want to go see too."

Ever since learning from her older sister that Lin Yuan had opened a tofu shop, Liu Limin had been eager to visit her store in town, but there had been too many chores at home in the past couple of days and she hadn’t had the chance to get away.

Now that she heard they were going to deliver furniture, naturally, Liu Limin was over the moon.

Seeing how her aunt’s eyes shone, Lin Yuan’s enthusiasm was instantly ignited.

She decided to go to the shop early the next morning to wait for the furniture delivery.

Besides, it had been quite a few days since she had visited the place and she was unsure how Xiao Linzi was managing on his own.

Even though she had left him some silver and food, Xiao Linzi was still a child and she couldn’t help but worry.

When she heard that Lin Yuan was going to town, Xia Zheng came over with a carriage early the next morning to pick her up.

These past few days had really worn out Young Master Xia, what with climbing up the mountain to chop bamboo and going down to the fields to repair fences.

Although he had some martial arts training, he had still been pampered from a young age and was not used to hard labor.

Fortunately, the vegetable garden wasn’t big, and there wasn’t a lot of fence to repair, so he wasn’t exhausted.

But what had to be said was that although Xia Zheng talked a great game, he was also very good at getting things done. Even though it was his first time repairing a fence, he made it very sturdy, and each bamboo stalk was cut uniformly. From a distance, it looked like a line of sentinels.

To reward and thank him, Lin Yuan not only prepared medicinal meals for Mr. and Mrs. Liu each day but also cooked various dishes in new and varied ways.

She didn’t even realize that the meals she made were now basically tailored to Xia Zheng’s taste: less chili, less oil, more salt.

She probably didn’t even know how Young Master Xia’s position in her heart was changing day by day.

Xia Zheng drove the carriage with Lin Yuan and Liu Limin to town.

Since they had business to attend to, they didn’t bring Lin Wei and Xiao Linshuang with them this time.

Initially, they had planned to take Grandma Lady Fan as well, but she didn’t want to leave her pregnant daughter and her two little granddaughters at home, so she didn’t go along.

Thanks to the full package of clothes and bedding brought by Lady Fan, the unborn child’s needs were basically met.

Thinking about her busy eldest daughter at home, Lady Liu wanted to make her a few new sets of clothes.

With her mother there, they set out to work on clothes after discussing the simple styles Lin Yuan had mentioned before.

Xiao Linshuang couldn’t sit still. After watching for a while, she lost interest and started fussing to go out and play.

Not wanting her to go alone, Lady Liu called Lin Wei to go with her.

Although Lin Wei, who had been hoping to learn, was reluctant to leave, she obediently took her sister out to play.

They ran into Xiao Shitou right outside, and since taking one was as good as two, after a quick word with their aunt, the trio went off to the nearby puddle to hunt for snails.

With Lin Wei watching, their aunt felt assured enough to go back to making pancakes. However, what she didn’t expect was that the normally tranquil little puddle was now being watched by a pair of malicious eyes.

When the carriage stopped at the entrance of the tofu shop, the furniture delivery had not yet arrived. Lin Yuan was planning to take her aunt on a tour first, but before she could speak, her impatient aunt had already eagerly jumped from the carriage.

Lin Yuan shook her head secretly, watching her aunt’s excited demeanor. How could her little aunt seem more childish than her?

The door was open, and Lin Yuan was wondering how Xiao Linzi knew she was coming today and had opened the door early to welcome her. As she headed in, she heard a commotion of children’s voices from the courtyard. There were too many of them for her to distinguish what was being said.

Why were there so many people in the yard all of a sudden? She hadn’t hired anyone yet, had she? Could it be that Xiao Linzi had run off with the silver, and her tofu shop had been taken over by someone else?

Exchanging a glance with Xia Zheng, Lin Yuan hurried into the courtyard.

As she passed through the front hall, Lin Yuan couldn’t help but glance around a few more times. Unlike when she had left last time, the front hall was especially clean this time, presumably because Xiao Linzi had cleaned it. And it wasn’t just the front hall; the back hall was the same.

The courtyard, on the other hand, was a bustling scene of activity.

Xiao Linzi was seen holding a broom in one hand while directing a little boy with the other, instructing him to wipe the dust off the windows thoroughly.

The boy being directed was filthy from head to toe, clothed in ragged garments, and had his hair in a complete mess.

However, the only clean part of him seemed to be his hands, which he was currently wringing a cloth in a basin of water, then deftly wiping the windows back and forth, as if afraid that the slightest dirtiness would provoke Xiao Linzi’s reprimand.

There wasn’t just one child like this; there were about a dozen in the yard—some sweeping with brooms, others carrying buckets to dispose of garbage.

Inside the house, several girls with long hair and large eyes, resembling little beggars, were bent over wiping the muddy spots off the floor with cloths one by one.

This place hardly resembled her tofu shop, it was more like a playground for little beggars. Oh no, more accurately, a workplace.

Lin Yuan’s jaw almost dropped in disbelief. Liu Limin lost interest in observing further and nudged her shoulder incredulously, asking, "Lass, are you sure we’re not at the wrong place?"

It was only when they spoke that Xiao Linzi realized there were people behind him.

He turned around sharply and saw Lin Yuan.

A guilty look flashed in his large eyes and, after a nervous chuckle, he found himself unable to utter a word.

What could he say, that he had taken in these little beggars without Boss’s permission?

Coming back to herself, Lin Yuan gestured to him, and a few of them entered the front hall to talk.

"Let’s hear it then. What’s going on?" Lin Yuan wasn’t meaning to scold him, she was just very curious.

Xiao Linzi bit his lip and lowered his head, silent for a while as if considering whether to tell the truth or make up a pleasing excuse.

Lin Yuan saw through the child’s thoughts and added sternly, "I want to hear the truth."

Xiao Linzi rubbed his hands together, made up his mind, and suddenly looked up with a defiant look in his eyes. "I called these little beggars here. I know it’s not right, but, but it was all my own idea. If you want to hit someone or scold someone, take it out on me, don’t hit them."

Lin Yuan had already guessed it was him who had brought them, but she didn’t know why. Nevertheless, hearing him speak so passionately, even with a readiness to face death, she couldn’t help but secretly smile to herself, although her expression remained serious.

"Why do you assume you’ve done something wrong? Did I say you were wrong?"

Xiao Linzi bit his lip. "You’re my boss. You took me in because you looked up to me, but, but I went behind your back to take others in. That’s my fault."

Xia Zheng secretly nodded in approval. Despite Xiao Linzi’s stubbornness, he understood the principles of right and wrong. However, knowing that it was wrong, why did he still do it?