Chapter 627
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Chapter 627? ? (Part Two) (Thanks to the patron "This Orange is So Delicious" for the generous donation!)
The maid Chunhe reluctantly gave an "oh," then raised her voice and shouted inside, "Miss, please don't boil water. Wait until I finish making the steamed buns before I go back and boil it."
After speaking, Chunhe straightened her face, raised her chin slightly, and looked down at the beggars lying on the ground. There was no disdain in her eyes, only pure annoyance and impatience.
“You little beggars, get up now and stop pretending. It’s only because our young lady is kind that she’s been giving you steamed buns every day during the holidays. Did you hear that? There will be hot water later too. You’re so carefree, you can just take the steamed buns and drink the hot water and leave. I still have to wash the dishes, and I have to wash the dishes that you’ve touched several times.”
My companion, who was lying at the front, scrambled to her feet with a smile on her face. "Sister Chunhe, you're so kind. Please, have mercy and give me a couple more buns. It's so cold now, one bun really won't be enough. I walked all the way from the outskirts, which takes three or four hours round trip. If I only get one bun a day, you won't see me for another two days, and I'll freeze to death at night."
Chunhe scolded with a stern face: "Who is your sister? Don't try to claim kinship with me, you little beggar. The number of buns distributed each day is fixed. Our young lady said that each person gets two, and no more."
Chunhe said this, but considering her companion's witty remark, she lifted the cotton cloth covering the bamboo basket, picked out two large black steamed buns, and threw them in front of her companion.
The steamed buns were still steaming hot; even after rolling them in the snow, the heat didn't dissipate, clearly indicating they were freshly steamed.
When his companion saw that he had received two such large black steamed buns, he was so happy that he quickly picked them up, put one in his pocket and stuffed the other into his mouth, and sat down on the ground to eat them without leaving them.
There will be hot water to drink later, so we can't leave now.
Qin Huai understood Chunhe's act of throwing away the steamed buns. An Youyou had also said that a proper beggar should never touch a benefactor while begging, not just because of dirtiness, but because beggars are often covered in fleas, flying insects, parasites, and many carry diseases, some even infectious diseases.
The first thing a beggar needs to do is to be able to read people's expressions. Those who can't read people's expressions and accidentally bump into someone important or touch them will be kicked or beaten to death in no time.
The companion who spoke sweet words received two large steamed buns, while the little beggar who remained silent received only two ordinary steamed buns.
The little beggar wasn't interested in the black-faced steamed buns. He picked one up and ate it like his companion, then gave the other one to his companion. His companion was very pleased with the little beggar's sensible manner and immediately said he would bring him back to beg for food the next day and would also teach him some extra begging skills when they got back.
Qin Huai could tell from the little beggar's expression that he was not interested in begging and did not want to learn any skills.
After distributing the steamed buns, Chunhe still had a few left in her bamboo basket, which she randomly tossed to a few beggars she found agreeable, including her companions and a young beggar.
He probably said something nice that got remembered, so he tossed it to the little beggar...
Qin Huai guessed that the little beggar was dressed very lightly, only wearing three thin layers of clothing. In this snowy weather, whether he was a beggar or not, passersby would take a second look and marvel at how he hadn't frozen to death. When Chunhe threw the black flour bun to the little beggar, she was also clearly taken aback. She looked him up and down, and after confirming that he was only wearing three thin layers of clothing, an expression of admiration appeared on her face.
There was no disdain for the beggar, only admiration for the strong who resisted the freezing cold.
After distributing the steamed buns, Chunhe carried her bamboo basket inside, making sure to close the door before she went in. Qinhuai followed her in.
The back door of Qin's Pastry Shop was a little different from what Qin Huai had imagined.
Qin Huai thought this was the back door of a shop, and that going inside would lead to a kitchen, courtyard, woodshed, or something similar, but it wasn't.
Inside, it was clearly a normal family residence; Qin's Pastry Shop wasn't very large. The front was the shop, and the back was the living quarters. After entering, Chunhe went straight to the kitchen to help her young mistress boil water.
Chunhe's daughter, Qin Huai, is acquainted with her.
She is Qin Wan, Jiang Chengde's wife, and the mother of Jiang Weijin, Jiang Weiguo, and others.
Qin Wan was wearing a light blue embroidered cotton coat, a thin gold bracelet on her wrist, gold and silver hairpins in her hair, and a pair of pearl earrings on her ears. Her hair was clearly styled like that of an unmarried young girl. She looked very young and not weak, and her lips were very rosy.
She looked like a typical young girl from a fairly well-off family.
"Chunhe, have you finished distributing the buns?" Qin Wan was clearly not the kind of pampered young lady who never lifted a finger. She had calluses on her fingers, and although she was wearing a thick cotton coat, you could tell that she was not slender. Most importantly, she was very skilled at adding firewood to the fire, which showed that she often helped out in the kitchen or cooked.
“Miss, it’s all been distributed. It’s a good thing you made a little extra today. You wouldn’t believe how shocked I was when I opened the door. There were beggars lying all over the place. Miss, you really can’t keep delivering these buns like this. If you keep doing this, I’m afraid the beggars will end up lying on the street. If the master finds out, he’ll definitely scold you.”
"If you ask me, those beggars did it on purpose. They all pretended to be starving to death and lay at the door, but as soon as I handed out steamed buns, they perked up."
Qin Wan smiled and said, "That means the steamed buns I made these past few days have been effective. Otherwise, how could I be so energetic if I wasn't full?"
Chunhe choked, carefully selecting a few broken bowls from the pile, and then began pouring hot water into the kettle: "Miss, even if you want to practice, you don't have to make black-faced buns. I think you're just kind-hearted, afraid that those beggars will starve to death, so you're deliberately making up this excuse."
Qin Wan added another piece of firewood to the stove: "This winter is cold. It's only the beginning of winter and there's already such heavy snow. Those beggars are all children. A few black-faced buns won't sell for much, but if they can survive this winter, consider it an act of kindness and good deeds. Father won't blame us."
Chunhe didn't quite understand, but agreed: "That's true. Miss, you've been looking for a husband these past two years. With a good reputation, you can find a good family. Master certainly won't object."
"What nonsense are you talking about, girl?" Qin Wan shook her head. "Let these hot water cool down a bit before sending them out. They won't feel the temperature because they're freezing in the snow. We don't want them to get burned without even realizing it."
“I know, miss.”
"By the way, Miss, today there was a little beggar wearing only three layers of clothing. I was shocked when I threw him some steamed buns, thinking he was really frozen to death, but he was quite lively. I've never seen anyone so resistant to the cold in my life. It was so cold outside today that I shivered as soon as I opened the door, but he was only wearing three layers of clothing and still managed to walk from the outskirts to the city in an hour or two."
"And I noticed that he looked different from the other beggars. His face was clean, and his hair was quite clean, so he probably hadn't been a beggar for long. Do you know what the most interesting thing was? The first thing he did after picking up the buns wasn't to put them in his mouth, but to hand one of the buns to the beggar who came with him as protection money."
"There were more buns later, so I gave him another one. In the end, he broke that bun in half and gave it to the beggar."
Qin Wan said, "He must be from a good family. His family encountered some misfortune and he started begging."
Hearing Qin Wan say this, Chunhe was taken aback and sighed, "He's really unlucky. If he had been begging in the spring, he wouldn't be in such a miserable state."
Qin Wan added another piece of firewood to the stove, then got up and left the kitchen to walk to another room. Qin Huai tried to follow but bumped into an invisible wall, and could only watch Qin Wan's back as she left.
Following Qin Wan's instructions, Chunhe waited for the hot water to cool down slightly before carrying the kettle and a bamboo basket filled with broken bowls to distribute hot water to the beggars. Qin Wan had boiled a lot of hot water, enough for each beggar to receive about two bowls. On this cold day, two bowls of hot water were just as effective as two dark brown buns.
As for the broken bowls, Chunhe didn't take them with her, but let the beggars divide them among themselves.
The beggars dared not scramble for it; they could only rely on their quick eyes and hands. The little beggar didn't move, but his companion found a broken bowl and grinned from ear to ear.
"Chunhe, come in for a moment."
Just as Chunhe was about to chase the beggars away from the door and tell them to eat somewhere else instead of gathering at her door, Qin Wan called Chunhe inside, and Qin Huai followed.
In the courtyard, Qin Wan was holding an old cotton-padded coat that looked quite old.
"This is Yanxing's cotton-padded coat from when he was little. I don't know if the little beggar you mentioned can wear it. I just rummaged through the closet and only found this one. The others must have been thrown away. The cotton inside has hardened after so many years, but it can still provide some warmth. It should help him get through this winter."
"Take it and give it to that little beggar."
Chunhe was astonished: "Miss, you are too kind. Such a nice cotton coat is too good for that little beggar."
Chunhe took the cotton coat out and reluctantly threw it in front of the little beggar, saying fiercely, "This is a gift from my young lady. She was afraid you would freeze to death wearing three thin clothes in this cold weather and waste the buns my young lady made."
After saying that, Chunhe looked at her companion and warned him, "Did you hear that? This was a special gift from my young lady to him. You're not allowed to take it!"
His companion, beaming, said, "How could we dare to steal what Miss Qin gave us? Hey, hurry up and kowtow to thank Miss Qin!"
The little beggar didn't react much, clearly not wanting to kowtow.
Chunhe didn't care about any of that. She turned around, went into the courtyard, and closed the door. As she closed the door, she shouted, "Hurry up and leave! If you stay at the door, you won't get any steamed buns tomorrow!" The beggars scattered. Before running away, some of them were tempted to snatch the cotton coat from the little beggar's hand. But they gave up under the angry glares of their companions and grabbed the unfinished steamed buns to find another place to shelter from the wind and continue eating.
Looking at the cotton-padded coat in the little beggar's arms, which was much cleaner than his own, his companion said enviously, "You guys who had parents before are really born rich. When Gouzi was begging for food, he got a silver dollar, but it was stolen later. Now Miss Qin has given you a cotton-padded coat. You're really lucky. I've never seen my parents, never gotten a silver dollar, and no one has ever given me a cotton-padded coat."
The little beggar remained silent, simply putting on his cotton-padded coat.
His companion looked him up and down and said, "Your clothes are too clean. When we go out later, I'll dig some mud from the snow and put it on you. Otherwise, Scarface will definitely take a liking to your clothes. He won't even fit into them and will try to take them."
The little beggar didn't say anything, but his companion, who was clearly used to it, led him back.
On the way back, the little beggar suddenly asked, "Why did Miss Qin give us steamed buns and a cotton coat?"
The companion looked at the little beggar with a questioning gaze, as if asking, "Brother, are you alright? You're not an idiot, are you?" and said, "Of course, it's to do good deeds and accumulate merit."
"That's how all the rich people in the city are, especially young ladies from wealthy families like Miss Qin. They do good deeds and accumulate merit during festivals. Don't think that life is hard now. Things will get better during the New Year. Many families will open soup kitchens and give money away."
"But there are really few people as kind as Miss Qin. Qin's pastry shop sells black-faced pastries for three coins each, while other pastry shops only sell them for two coins. She just took them out and gave them to us like this."
"Hey, have you ever tried Qin's Pastry Shop's pastries before?"
"No."
"So your family really didn't have much money before, but Gouzi ate it. He said he ate it for his birthday last year, white flour buns, pea flour cakes, and that fermented rice wine... anyway, it was all good stuff."
“I’m different. I don’t even know when I was born.”
The little beggar wasn't very interested in his companion's topic and continued asking on his own, "Is Miss Qin getting engaged?"
The companion glanced at the little beggar: "You've heard about it too? Let me tell you a little tidbit I overheard last autumn when I was begging in front of Taifeng Restaurant."
"The Qin family's young lady may be engaged to the young master of Taifeng Restaurant, no, she shouldn't be considered the young master anymore, but the former young master."
"Why the former young master?" The little beggar asked, bombarding the questioner with a million questions.
"You haven't heard of such a big thing? The owner of Taifeng Restaurant squandered his fortune on opium and mortgaged the restaurant, which made his father sick with anger. If the Jiang family hadn't fallen on hard times, Miss Qin wouldn't have been able to arrange a marriage with the former young master. No matter how expensive Qin's Pastry Shop's pastries are, a black-faced pastry only costs three coins. Do you know how much a dish at Taifeng Restaurant costs?"
"Even the cheapest dish costs one dollar!"
"Even the General praised the food at Taifenglou. Even the beggars on the street know that Taifenglou is the most famous restaurant outside the Great Wall."
"So Miss Qin gave us steamed buns and a cotton coat to improve her reputation and make it easier to arrange a marriage with the former young master of Taifeng Restaurant, is that right?" the little beggar continued to ask.
This question stumped his companion. He frowned, thought for a long time, and finally shook his head.
I don't think so.
"There are many kind-hearted gentlemen and ladies in the city, but there are also many who pretend to be kind."
“Miss Qin is different from them.”
“During the New Year, wealthy families would distribute porridge. If you wanted to drink porridge, you had to kowtow and say auspicious words. If you said nice things, the porridge would be thicker. If you said particularly nice things, you might even get a couple of coins as a reward.”
"But even the thickest porridge will have pebbles and sand sprinkled in it, and the porridge is made with rotten beans."
"Miss Qin's black-faced steamed buns are all good buns."
"She didn't ask us to kowtow. Today, even though it's snowing heavily, she still gave us hot water and a cotton-padded coat."
“Other gentlemen and ladies don’t do this when they do good deeds.”
The little beggar nodded, seemingly understanding a little, but not quite.
"So what is Miss Qin trying to achieve by doing this?" the little beggar asked again.
His companion, annoyed by the beggar's series of questions he couldn't answer, snapped, "How would I know what she's after? Maybe she's after a good reputation, or maybe Miss Qin is just kind-hearted, a reincarnation of a bodhisattva, a good person."
"As long as you have something to eat, and you even got a cotton coat for free, what's there to ask?"
The little beggar shut his mouth.
The two walked a little further into the suburbs, and the companion couldn't help but ask, "Hey, why do you want to know why Miss Qin did this?"
“I just want to know,” the little beggar said. “I know why you took me with you. It’s because I can fight. That day in the city, when someone tried to steal the bun from your hand, they thought I was with you and tried to beat me up too, but they couldn’t beat me. You thought I could fight, so you took me to the dilapidated temple.”
companion:……
“I know why you took me to the city to beg for food today. It’s because Gouzi died. You can only get two buns by yourself. There are so many people in the dilapidated temple. Only Gouzi would listen to you. You want to see if I will share half of the bun with you? If I don’t share the bun with you today, you won’t take me there tomorrow.”
“You took two different routes there and back, wandering around the city and deliberately wasting a lot of time, just so I wouldn’t know where Qin’s Pastry Shop is, so that I wouldn’t be able to find it when I secretly go looking for it tomorrow. You know I’m not familiar with the city.”
“I know why you did this, but I don’t know why Miss Qin gave me this cotton coat.”
companion:……
The companion was a little angry. He ignored the little beggar and walked on his own, muttering as he went, "You clever kids who had parents before."
"If I hadn't brought you here, would you have gotten this cotton-padded coat? Without it, you would have frozen to death this winter. I haven't even asked you to share half of it with me yet."
The companion walked quickly for a while in anger, then noticed the little beggar had followed. He said to him with a displeased look, "Hey, go to the river, the mud there is dirty."
"I'll take you there again tomorrow, and you'll have to share half of the steamed buns with me, okay?"
"know."
"I should get half of the money from pawning this cotton-padded coat in the spring."
"Not distinguishable."
"Hey, what's wrong with you? But that's where I took you!"
"Then we won't divide them."
(End of this chapter)