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With the matter of selecting someone on her mind, Lin Yuan remembered that her tofu shop was still lacking a steward.

Originally, she hadn’t wanted Xia Zheng to choose the person, for fear that he would send over another spy to steal her tofu-making methods.

However, after spending some time together, Lin Yuan’s wariness towards him had lessened considerably, and she even felt somewhat dependent on him.

Moreover, during the days when Xia Zheng freeloaded at the Lin family’s village, she had practically handed over the entire tofu-making process to him.

Nevertheless, due to a prior agreement, Xia Zheng had learned the art for nothing and dared not find someone to make tofu on his own.

There was no helping it, the young girl was clever as a fox, her mind full of new ideas.

He was genuinely afraid she might put Fuman Building out of business in retaliation.

On the way back to the village, Liu Limin was uncharacteristically silent, saying not a word. But watching her eyes spin around, as if pondering something intently, Lin Yuan eventually couldn’t help but ask, "Auntie, are you thinking about something?"

Lost in thought, Liu Limin didn’t hear at first and only came to her senses after Lin Yuan called out to her a few times. Yet, regarding the young girl’s question, Liu Limin smiled mysteriously, the corners of her red lips curling, "It’s a secret, I can’t tell you."

Under normal circumstances, she would never have guessed her aunt’s secret, but today was different. From the moment they left the tofu shop, her aunt’s eyes had shifted from delight to envy and scheming. If she wasn’t considering opening her own shop, Lin Yuan wouldn’t believe it.

"Auntie, are you still keeping secrets from me?" Lin Yuan looped her arm through her aunt’s and gave a gentle shake, "I’ve guessed it already; you, auntie, want to be a shop owner and run your own business, don’t you?"

"Cough cough." Liu Limin thought her little schemes were well hidden, but she didn’t expect them to be laid bare so easily in front of her niece.

She felt a bit disappointed, yet still enigmatically curved the corner of her lips, countering, "But do you know what kind of shop your aunt is planning in her head? "

What kind of shop? Lin Yuan really couldn’t guess this one.

A restaurant? An embroidery shop? A general store? A jewelry shop? She even guessed martial arts schools and academies, but all were met with her aunt’s denial.

"Auntie, what on earth is the shop you want to open? Tell me, please? Pretty please?" Lin Yuan employed all the coquettish techniques she’d learned from Xiao Linshuang, but Liu Limin just smiled smugly, refusing to reveal her thoughts.

Her aunt was completely different from Lady Liu. Although Lady Liu was shrewd, she had a gentle disposition and always put her husband and family first; she couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.

But her aunt was different. She had her own ideas, and once she set her mind to something, she would keep at it doggedly, even if it meant getting hurt in the process, without giving up easily.

Just like when she had refused to marry, offending matchmakers throughout the neighborhoods without showing the slightest anxiety.

Yet Lin Yuan quite admired her aunt’s character. Although she never got the answer, she eagerly anticipated the day her aunt would open her own shop and become a shop owner.

The carriage followed the main road smoothly back to Lin’s village.

However, before she reached her home, she encountered Lin Wei and a group of people anxiously searching for something on the road.

Even Chief Sun and his workers had been alerted; they must have been looking for someone very important.

As soon as Lin Wei saw Lin Yuan, her red-rimmed eyes brimmed over once more. Upon clarifying the situation, the usually calm Lin Yuan felt a chill down her spine, her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.