The next day, at the crack of dawn, Lin Yi was bursting with energy. She skipped breakfast at the mansion and dragged Gu Fang out to the market streets to try the local Chenliu morning snacks. But as soon as they exited the alley, they were startled by the scene before them.
On both sides of the street, seven or eight out of ten breakfast stalls were hawking Chenliu Tofu Sticks. Steamed, boiled, pan-fried, deep-fried—thick, thin, stuffed—a dazzling array that seemed like a full-blown festival of tofu sticks.
Lin Yi was torn between laughter and tears. She grabbed a kindly-looking old lady and asked, "Grandma, I'm from out of town. Do you know why so many people are selling Chenliu Tofu Sticks on this street?"
The old lady smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "This way of eating tofu is said to have come from the Imperial City. Word has it that it was invented by Lady Lin, the wife of our Great General. When it reached Chenliu, someone with a clever mind shaped it into sticks. Who'd have thought everyone would love it so much! Before long, more and more people started selling it."
Lin Yi asked again, "But if just a few people sold tofu sticks, that would be one thing—they'd eventually sell out. But now with so many people all selling them, won't customers get confused? Or what if everyone's tofu sticks just don't sell?"
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