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Lin Yuan was worried, but Xiao Linzi was after all a boy, and a very smart one at that, so she thought it unlikely he would run into trouble.

The only issue was with the children at the tofu shop.

They were all little beggars in the past and it was because of Xiao Linzi that they came to work at the tofu shop.

Now that Xiao Linzi had left, and these kids had a deep connection with him, even seeing him as their leader, she didn’t know if they would still want to stay without Xiao Linzi around.

Lin Yuan went out of her way to ask a few of the children and, surprisingly, not a single one wanted to leave.

They said Xiao Linzi, though gone, would definitely be worried about his brothers in hardship and would surely come back to check on them.

They wouldn’t leave so that Xiao Linzi would have a place to find them when he returned.

Amused and comforted by the children’s almost naive thoughts, Lin Yuan thought that if Xiao Linzi knew the kids he worried about every day were also thinking of him daily, he would be very happy.

The children didn’t wish to leave, which settled one of Lin Yuan’s concerns. She then checked the accounts with Shopkeeper Wu, and Lan Hua couldn’t resist sharing with Lin Yuan the events of the past month.

"Lin Yuan, you have no idea, our Zhuma Town has been so lively this month!

" Lan Hua poured Lin Yuan a cup of hot tea, her eyes sparkling, "I heard there are a lot of big events in the Capital city this year, the triennial imperial examinations, the annual Imperial Merchant competition.

Our Zhuma Town is so close to the Capital city, plenty of merchants and scholars pass through here!

And so many people came to our tofu shop to buy tofu!

They all praised our tofu and even suggested we should enter the Imperial Merchant competition! "

After putting away the account books, Shopkeeper Wu said with a smile, "Miss Lan Hua these past few days has been going on about us going to the Capital city to register and compete, thinking we might just win the title of Imperial Merchant."

"What do you mean ’might’, Uncle Wu? It should be ’will’!" Lan Hua giggled, looking at Lin Yuan, hoping she would be as eager as herself to set off immediately to the Capital city to participate in the Imperial Merchant competition.

But, to her disappointment,

Lin Yuan smiled and returned Lan Hua’s glance, chiding, "Are you the one running the Imperial Merchant competition? You think you can just participate as you wish? You really think it’s like rushing to a street market!"

Lan Hua pouted, "What? Isn’t the Imperial Merchant competition open to any merchant who wishes to enter?

Could it be that it also depends on status?

Only those of noble birth can participate?

If that’s the case, then it’s better not to go at all.

A competition that judges people based on their status is truly snobbish! "

"It’s not snobbish, it’s about rules and procedures," Lin Yuan said with a smile as she set down her tea cup and personally poured a cup of tea for Lan Hua. Because An’s House was also participating in the Imperial Merchant competition, she had specifically asked Xia Zheng about it while in Yecheng.

"It’s true that anyone can enter the Imperial Merchant competition, provided you have a skill that no one else has and you can make something very rare. However, it’s not just anyone who can make it to the finals."

Although Shopkeeper Wu had spent time in Yecheng, he generally didn’t get involved in the Imperial Merchant competitions at the inns, so he was also quite curious about it and sat down to listen to what Lin Yuan was saying.

After glancing at Shopkeeper Wu, Lin Yuan continued, "The competition has three rounds of selection.

The first round is nomination by the local Magistrate, the second round is appraisal by specialists from the Capital city, and only in the third round do you perform in front of the Imperial Palace to compete for the final title of Imperial Merchant. "

So, it’s that complicated!

Lan Hua pursed her lips and silently sipped her tea without speaking.

However, Lin Yuan suddenly remembered something, "You said Xiao Linzi left. What day did he go?"

"About ten days ago," Lan Hua recalled.

"Ten days?"

Lin Yuan’s delicate fingertips stroked the tea cup, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Could it be that Xiao Linzi had gone to the Capital city?

His family might be merchants. But was the Capital city really his home, or were the ones going to the Capital city to participate in the Imperial Merchant competition the ones from his household?

Moments from Xiao Linzi’s past surfaced in her mind. Though the boy might have had a bad temper, just judging by his behavior and manners, he likely came from a well-to-do family; she just didn’t know why he suddenly left to wander to Zhuma Town.

Without figuring it out, she stopped pondering the issue and chatted with Lan Hua for a while longer. Then Lan Hua suddenly took Lin Yuan’s hand very seriously and said with gratitude, "Lin Yuan, I want to thank you on behalf of our family."