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Xiao Linzi lowered his head and softly cleared up the confusion for the three of them, "Actually, I was always bullied in my previous home, so I ran away and have been wandering ever since. When I first arrived in Zhuma Town, many beggars bullied me because I was young, they played tricks on me, schemed against me, and wouldn’t let me find shelter.

Only these kids didn’t look down on me; they were willing to help me and even shared their food with me. "

"After I got your help, I always thought of repaying them, so I took advantage of your absence to bring them here." Afraid that Lin Yuan wouldn’t be pleased, Xiao Linzi quickly waved his hands and explained repeatedly, "But don’t worry, I didn’t just give them food for nothing.

I told them that as long as they worked here, I would give them two plain steamed buns to eat.

And don’t be fooled by their dirty appearance; they’re really hardworking and do a neat job.

Look, here, here, and over there, all of it was cleaned by them. "

Fearing that Lin Yuan wouldn’t believe him, Xiao Linzi pointed to the corners of the room for her to see.

Lin Yuan was moved by his actions. She had initially thought him to be stubborn with a strong sense of pride, but it surprised her that he would go to such lengths to explain for a few unrelated little beggars.

And after all, he was just a child, revealing his past in just a few words—having run away from his former home because of bullying, it must have been a decent household.

She just didn’t know whether he had been a servant or something else in that home.

"Alright, Xiao Linzi." Hearing that the cart delivering the furniture had arrived, Lin Yuan stood up and walked toward the door, which made Xiao Linzi even more anxious.

Although Liu Limin was rough around the edges, she was kind-hearted, and the nine-year-old child’s actions had already touched her. She was about to say something to comfort him when she saw Lin Yuan stop suddenly at the door and softly say, "Why don’t you hurry up and have them help move things?"

"Them" naturally referred to those little beggars.

The surprise was so sudden that Xiao Linzi was momentarily at a loss for words, and if Liu Limin hadn’t laughed and patted his shoulder a few times, he would have forgotten to call for them.

The children were good for sweeping and cleaning, but still too small for moving furniture; Lin Yuan asking them to move things was just to give Xiao Linzi peace of mind.

But keeping the little beggars wasn’t just for Xiao Linzi’s sake; she had seen with her own eyes the hunger and sadness of these children when she had given them flatbreads, so she also had an added desire to help them.

However, being kind-hearted didn’t mean she was indiscriminately generous, willing to give away her silver to support them for nothing, as that would only harm these children.

Therefore, after the furniture was moved, Lin Yuan had a serious talk with Xiao Linzi.

She made it clear that any child who was of good character, industrious, and willing to stay and work as a helper at the tofu shop could be accepted and would receive a regular monthly wage.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Linzi immediately expressed his willingness to act as her gatekeeper and to select capable individuals.

She had seen the way Xiao Linzi commanded things when she had entered the door, and she was confident in entrusting this matter to him. Moreover, he had more contact with these children than she had, and he definitely knew who was good and who was bad.

Watching Xiao Linzi excitedly announcing the good news in the courtyard, the corners of Lin Yuan’s mouth curled involuntarily.

It was then that Xia Zheng at her side suddenly reminded her, "It’s not enough to just look at character.

You also have to check whether they have any family members still alive. "

Lin Yuan clapped her hands, realizing her oversight.

If a child was an orphan, that was one thing—they could decide their own affairs.

But if they had family still living, things would become much more complicated; it would involve consulting with their family, and signing a binding contract would be much more troublesome.

Many little beggars were used to idling away their time and didn’t like to be restricted.

They were fine with working for a meal or two, but if they were constantly confined and controlled, they probably wouldn’t be able to adapt.

Anyway, there was no rush for this matter; she would let Xiao Linzi make the selection first.