Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle

Chapter 1306 627: ?? (Part 3)

In the following period, his companion took the little beggar to the back door of Qin's Steamed Bun Shop to beg for food every day, come rain or shine.

During this time, Qin Huai learned the companion's name was Shi Tou, an experienced beggar who had been begging since he could remember. He was skilled at picking up newcomers like Gouzi and the little beggar, who had come from relatively decent families and were relatively honest, as his younger followers.

Qin Huai also basically confirmed that this memory was a long one.

In the boring days when Shi Tou led the little beggar to beg for food every day, the time outside of entering and leaving the city was all fast-forwarded. To be accurate, as long as the little beggar stayed in one place without moving, the time was in a fast-forward status, indicating that there was nothing worth watching in the days of begging.

And indeed, there wasn't much worth watching.

Neither of them had any particular skill in begging. Shi Tou, relatively speaking, was a bit sweeter-tongued, but compared to An Youyou and his gang of followers, it wasn't much. The two could eat their fill every day purely because Qin Wan made more black steamed buns.

The number of beggars at the back door of Qin's Steamed Bun Shop increased day by day, and the quantity of black steamed buns Qin Wan made also increased day by day. At first, Chun He still came out with one bamboo basket to distribute the buns. Later, it became two. At first, she would say a couple of words before distributing the buns; later, she couldn't even be bothered to speak, becoming a machine that coldly distributed black steamed buns.

The little beggar, following their agreement, gave half of the buns he got to Shi Tou each time. Shi Tou, in return, took him to good begging spots, and during New Year's, led the little beggar to kowtow around the city.

Of course, Qin Huai could see from the little beggar's expression that he didn't really want to kowtow; it was purely a matter of following local customs.

And so, the two beggars survived the winter.

The arrival of spring was an instant affair. Not only ducks could sense the warming water of the spring river, but the beggars in the city could also keenly perceive it.

Almost immediately as spring arrived, Shi Tou eagerly took his tattered coat to the pawnshop and bought two plain baked buns from the cheapest stall in the city for a hearty meal.

The little beggar clearly didn't understand Shi Tou's hedonistic behavior. He didn't pawn his cotton coat, nor did he have money to buy baked buns. He just sat quietly by the roadside watching Shi Tou devour the buns.

"Aren't you afraid of suddenly freezing to death because of a cold snap in a few days?" the little beggar asked.

"You're inexperienced, see. It's already spring, it can't get that cold again, I won't freeze to death," Shi Tou said happily, munching on his bun.

"Every year before winter, you save up to redeem the coat you pawned in spring, and in spring, you pawn it again just to eat two baked buns?" The little beggar clearly didn't understand Shi Tou's behavior.

"You don't get it. Now that it's warm, a coat is useless. I can't wear it; holding it is easy for someone to snatch, and hiding it in the broken temple means it'll get stolen. Pawning it is definitely a better deal for some cash." Shi Tou glanced at the little beggar's dirty cotton clothes, "You better pawn yours too, it's certainly more valuable than mine."

The little beggar said nothing.

Shi Tou was used to the little beggar's occasional indifference. It wasn't a big deal, even if he had a rebellious little brother. Besides, this little brother would always share half of his buns.

Shi Tou shared some gossip, "Have you heard? Miss Qin and Young Master Jiang, the former young master of Taifeng Building, got engaged and will marry at the end of this year."

"I heard."

"Sigh, once Miss Qin gets married, we won't have buns to eat anymore. I wonder how much longer we can keep having these buns. Do you think when Miss Qin marries into the Jiang family, she'll still make buns and give them to us every day? Should we go to the back door of the Jiang family mansion? I know where it is."

The little beggar looked at Shi Tou expressionlessly and asked, "Didn't you say Miss Qin gives out buns every day to gain a good reputation for herself to make it easier to discuss marriage with Young Master Jiang? Now that they're engaged, Miss Qin doesn't need a good reputation anymore, so why would she keep making buns for us? Why do you think she'll continue after she's married?"

Shi Tou, choked either by the little beggar's words or the bun he was eating, coughed violently for a few moments, his face turning red before saying, "Can't I just wonder?"

"I just think Miss Qin is a good person. No one in the city has ever given out buns all winter specially to little beggars like us."

"Didn't you notice? When Chun He gives out buns, she gives two to little beggars like us, but only one to the bigger ones. She gives us the big ones, them the small ones."

The little beggar looked at Shi Tou, "So now, why do you think Miss Qin gives us buns?"

Shi Tou rolled his eyes, "Hey, you've asked me this question the entire winter, aren't you tired of it yet? How would I know why Miss Qin gives us buns? Maybe her family has plenty of grain, or maybe Miss Qin is the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva who loves doing good deeds."

"We're just two lousy beggars, what's the point of overthinking? As long as there's food, it's fine."

The little beggar remained silent.

Shi Tou continued eating his bun, feeling a bit annoyed. Once he finished, he went to look for some water. Suddenly, the little beggar stood up and said to him, "Theoretically, if I were begging on the street with just two layers of thin clothes during winter, I'd definitely freeze to death."

Shi Tou nodded proudly.