The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 523 The Beggar (Part 8)

After a quick breakfast, An Youyou led her underlings off to work with great pride and high spirits.

It has to be said that a person's charisma needs to be highlighted by their underlings. A few days ago, An Youyou went begging for food all by herself, and Qin Huai felt that An Youyou was not like a leader, she didn't have the aura of a leader, and she didn't even achieve good results in begging.

Today, leading a group of underlings into the city, the aura was immediately different. Before even entering the city, we had a great start—we ran into another beggar group.

Qin Huai guessed that An Youyou and the boss on the other side were old acquaintances, and the two definitely had a grudge. Before either side had even opened for business in the early morning, they started fighting. An Youyou showed her boss-like demeanor in the fight, taking on four opponents at once, pinning them to the ground and still having energy left.

Of course, An Youyou's underlings are no less formidable. Xiao Jiu, who has been with An Youyou the longest, is the oldest and tallest, and can take on two opponents at once in a fight; he is a formidable fighter.

The youngest, Xiao Si, was very pragmatic. As soon as the fight started, he ran away, so far that he was nowhere to be seen in Qinhuai.

In the end, the fight ended with An Youyou's side emerging victorious. Since the other side hadn't started begging and were so poor they were practically begging, An Youyou, adhering to the principle of "since we're already here," stripped the leader of the other side of his tattered cotton coat and threw it to her underlings before leaving triumphantly.

As soon as she entered the city, An Youyou went straight to the Cheng residence.

As for why Qin Huai knew it was the Cheng residence, it was mainly because the Cheng residence had a plaque. It's unclear what the owner of the Cheng residence was thinking. It was clearly a Western-style detached mansion, but they insisted on hanging a plaque at the entrance that's only hung at the entrance of a traditional northern courtyard house. The plaque simply read "Cheng Residence" in large characters, very simple and clear.

The Cheng family was distributing porridge. The old lady of the Cheng family, dressed very warmly in a fur coat, led the women and directed the servants to distribute the porridge. The porridge was not very thick, but it was not watery either. When the servants scolded the beggars in line for not crowding, not cutting in line, and not making noise, the old lady would smile and tell the servants not to be so fierce. She could barely be considered kind and gentle.

Qin Huai knew that An Youyou's begging was planned; she was one of the very few beggars who used her brain to beg.

Normally, An Youyou would go to certain places to beg for food at certain times, let alone on New Year's Eve, which is an especially important day. An Youyou must have made a complete plan before leading her underlings out.

Jiang Weiguo's criticism of An Youyou was not wrong in a sense. If An Youyou were willing to put the same effort into other things instead of begging, she would succeed at anything.

Because the Cheng family started distributing porridge the earliest, there weren't too many beggars gathered at the entrance. An Youyou divided her followers into two groups: one group followed her, and the other pretended not to know her and squeezed forward.

The younger men had been eating and drinking well these days, and were quite strong. Compared to the ordinary, skinny beggars, they were practically all strong men, and they quickly squeezed to the front.

Seeing that the queue seemed to be getting a bit noisy, the maid quickly raised her voice and scolded, "What are you doing? What are you doing? No pushing, no shoving, no disorder! Line up properly, you have to wait in line. Our old lady is doing good deeds and accumulating blessings by distributing porridge during the New Year. Those of you who receive porridge should remember our old lady's kindness in your hearts and not make a fuss!"

Grandma Cheng sat on a rattan chair covered with fur, with her young granddaughter-in-law standing beside her.

"No need to say that. We believe in Buddhism and do good deeds like giving porridge. We don't need to shout it from the rooftops. It's not good if Buddha finds out."

Seizing the opportunity, An Youyou swiftly pushed her way to the front, not even giving the servants a chance to reprimand her, before collapsing to her knees with a thud and kowtowing three times. Her head was bleeding from the pounding, and she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Thank you, Grandma Cheng, for the porridge! I will forever remember your great kindness. My sister probably wouldn't have survived last winter if it weren't for your charity. Quick, Xiao Si, hurry up and crawl over here to thank Grandma Cheng!"

As soon as An Youyou finished speaking, Xiao Si pretended to have a leg injury and struggled to climb out of the crowd. She was young and short, and Qin Huai didn't even know when she had squeezed to the front.

"Thank...thank you..." Xiao Si pretended to be unable to speak and babbled incoherently.

"Hurry up and kowtow to the old lady, she's your savior!"

Xiao Si quickly kowtowed, making a large movement, but without making a sound or hitting the ground much.

An Youyou was the lead actress, so she couldn't use a stunt double. She had to kowtow with genuine emotion, and the harder she kowtowed, the better the effect. That's why those three heads kowtowed so loudly, to the point that their heads even broke.

Xiao Si was just a supporting extra, not very important. As long as the meaning was conveyed, that was enough. Anyway, the old lady was old and her eyesight was not good. Sitting in the wicker chair so far away, she couldn't see whether Xiao Si was bowing or not.

The servants were stunned. Only after Xiao Si finished kowtowing did they realize they should have gone forward to drive them away. They had just shown a fierce expression and taken two steps forward when the old lady, supported by her granddaughter-in-law, stood up with a smile and asked with great surprise, "Did you drink the porridge provided by our Cheng family last year?"

Since the old lady had spoken, the servants dared not shoo her away and quickly retreated to the side.

An Youyou nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down her face, and said, "Last winter was particularly cold. My parents died early, and I only have one mentally challenged sister. Last year, she broke her leg and can only crawl on the ground. I originally thought that my sister and I would not survive. When I heard that the Cheng family was giving out porridge, I thought I would come and ask for a bowl, as long as I wouldn't be beaten by the steward."

“I originally thought this week would be bland and watery, and that it would be good enough to warm my body in the middle of winter. I didn’t expect the porridge you gave us to be so thick. You took pity on my sister and me and specially asked the manager to give my sister an extra bowl. That’s how my sister and I got through the winter.”

“At that time, I thought that when we became successful in the future, my sister and I would definitely repay you by serving you like cattle and horses.”

Is it Xiao Si?

"Ahhhhhh—" Xiao Si immediately understood and started yelling incoherently, acting like a fool with unparalleled skill.

“I heard that the city government was distributing porridge again, so I brought my sister here. Grandma, we didn’t come here to ask for porridge today. We just wanted to thank you for your kindness and for saving our lives.”

"My sister and I are beggars, and we only get to see you once a year at this time. I think you... you look just like a Bodhisattva in a painting, you truly have the heart of a Bodhisattva!"

Hearing An Youyou's words, Old Mrs. Cheng beamed with joy, her hands trembling with excitement. She repeatedly said to those around her, "See? I have been a Buddhist for many years and have been distributing porridge every year. It has never been for those empty names, but just to save these poor children."

"Good child, don't kneel, get up quickly." Grandma Cheng gestured to the servants to help An Youyou up. "Your sister's leg..."

"I broke my leg two years ago. I didn't have money to see a doctor, and my bone grew crooked, making it difficult for me to walk. So I can only crawl on the ground. The doctor said that if I wanted to get treatment, I would have to break the bone and let it grow back. It would cost three silver dollars for the medicine. I have been begging for food for a year and have saved up a few dozen coins. In a few years, I will have enough money to pay for my sister's leg treatment."

“Good child, what a silly child. This illness can’t wait. I have been practicing Buddhism for many years and have always been good. I can’t stand seeing such tragedies. Last year, you two sisters survived by drinking the porridge from my Cheng family. It is because you two are destined to be with our Cheng family.”

"Jade." The old lady called over a maid standing to the side whose clothes were clearly of better quality and more luxurious. "Give these two children three... no, five silver dollars. Let this child take care of her sister. Go and get them some warm food, two pieces of candy, and see if you have any old coats to bring."

“Yes, madam.” Emerald hurriedly went to do it.

Grandma Cheng looked at An Youyou with a smile: "Good child, you and your sister will be blessed in the future."

Then, Grandma Cheng stopped paying attention to An Youyou and said with a smile to her granddaughter-in-law, "See? This is the reward of worshipping Buddha. No good deed is too small to do. There are too many poor people in this world. If we have the ability to help them, we should help them."

“Grandma, you have such a kind heart. That little beggar was right, you do look a bit like the Bodhisattva in the painting,” the granddaughter-in-law said quickly.

Grandma Cheng couldn't stop smiling: "No way, you're just good at saying nice things."

Then Old Mrs. Cheng smiled and sat back down in the rattan chair, as if only An Youyou and Xiao Si were the two unfortunate people at the gate of the city government, and the other beggars who didn't even have cotton clothes, were shivering from the cold in their thin clothes, were skin and bones, and were pale and thin, and dared not say a word when the stewards raised their voices slightly, were not unfortunate people.

Qin Huai watched An Youyou's entire performance and gave it a perfect score of 100.

The actress perfectly grasped the user's psychology, every word striking a chord with Old Mrs. Cheng. While claiming she hadn't come to beg but only to express gratitude, every word was a calculated attempt to elicit sympathy. Her expression was sorrowful, but her voice held no trace of wailing, and she skillfully exploited Old Mrs. Cheng's Buddhist beliefs to shower her with flattery. A professional actress.

If she doesn't get rich on New Year's Eve, who will?
With Old Madam Cheng's instructions, the subordinates dared not embezzle and gave An Youyou a full 5 silver dollars and a large bag of food.

An Youyou opened the food container and looked at it; it was definitely a feast for a beggar. There were eight white steamed buns, two boiled ears of corn, six eggs, and five flatbreads. The old lady said to give An Youyou two pieces of candy, and the servants actually brought her two pieces of maltose and four slightly dry pastries.

Adhering to the principle of going all the way in a performance, An Youyou thanked them profusely, took the things, and left to continue her act at the next venue.

After a day of performances, An Youyou had bruises and swelling on her face from kowtowing. Those who knew her would know she was out begging for food, but those who didn't would think she was out to get into a fight.

An Youyou's 12 henchmen all had roles and their own special performances. Among them, Xiao Si, being young and having excellent acting skills, performed three shows with An Youyou.

In one day, An Youyou obtained 37 silver dollars, two gold leaves, a small handful of silver beads, and some odds and ends of copper coins and legal tender, as well as countless kinds of food.

However, the food they asked for consisted only of staple foods, such as steamed buns and flatbreads; there was no meat or vegetables. Perhaps the wealthy family thought that beggars didn't need to eat vegetables, and that it was enough for them to be full of staple foods.

Wealthy families are generous; they either throw silver dollars or give you a beating. Around 10 p.m., An Youyou didn't go to Fuji to find Jiang Weiguo (Qin Huai guessed that Jiang Weiguo should have already gone home by then), but led her 12 henchmen home in a grand procession.

Perhaps because of the Lunar New Year, it was quite unusual for An Youyou to find that not every house was closed and dark on her way back. Many houses had lights on, and laughter could be heard from time to time, making people feel warm even when standing in the cold wind.

Xiao Si performed three shows today, which could be considered quite meritorious. On the way back, he successfully squeezed out Xiao Jiu's place and followed closely behind An Youyou. When they were almost home, he dared to sniffle and ask, "Boss, are we really having braised pork knuckle tonight?"

"Of course!" An Youyou said proudly, "We'll eat it not only tonight, but also on the Lantern Festival!"

"Not only do we have to eat pork knuckle, but also pig's head, pig's tail, and pork ribs."

Just hearing An Youyou say that made Xiao Si's mouth water. Xiao Si hugged the food he had gotten tightly and said longingly, "Pigs are so good, so delicious."

An Youyou thought Xiao Si had said something very reasonable and nodded in agreement.

"Boss, can I have a bite of braised pork knuckle tonight?" Xiao Si asked again.

"Of course, everyone has worked hard today. When we get back, everyone can have a piece of braised pork knuckle. I'll distribute the meat, but you're not allowed to bite it. If you open your mouths, you'll bite my pork knuckle off. Xiao Si, you acted exceptionally well today, so you can have a couple of bites."

"Thank you, boss, I will definitely work hard," Xiao Si shouted at the top of his lungs.

As they were talking, a group of people walked to the entrance of the courtyard.

The lights were on in every room on the second floor of the bluestone brick house, with the kitchen being the brightest, which was probably not from lamps but from the fire.

Chen Shun stood at the kitchen door and greeted An Youyou and the others when they returned. He said, "My mother said that there is no dining table in the first floor you rented, so she wants you to come to the second floor for dinner tonight. It's not good to have a New Year's Eve dinner at a small table in the kitchen. It's only proper to have a New Year's Eve dinner around a round table upstairs."

"What's on your face? Did someone hit you?" Chen Shun looked at An Youyou with some confusion. Her face seemed to say, "You still got hit? Aren't you good at running away?"

An Youyou rolled her eyes at Chen Shun, annoyed: "You're the one who got beaten up! With your size and build, I could take on eight of you by myself! Begging comes at a price, you know? You think begging is easy? Begging is a skill!"

"Is Thirteen in the kitchen? Is the braised pork knuckle ready yet?"

"It should be alright..."

Before Chen Shun could finish speaking, An Youyou ignored him and rushed to the kitchen, shouting as she ran, "Thirteen, when did you get back? Is dinner ready yet? I'm starving today! I didn't eat anything all day because of this dinner, and I even gave all the hot porridge I begged for to them."

"Did you steam any buns? Did you make those dumplings that you mentioned are eaten during the New Year in the North? We ordered a lot of white steamed buns and vegetarian flatbreads today. Did Fu Ji give you any tips?"

Qin Huai followed An Youyou into the kitchen, where Jiang Weiguo was busy by the stove. There was a braised pork knuckle in the pot, several stir-fried vegetables and meat dishes on the stove, and a steamer on another stove where something was being steamed.

Qin Huai glanced at the stir-fried dishes.

Minced meat stir-fried with cabbage, minced meat stir-fried with celery, minced meat stir-fried with tofu, sliced ​​meat stewed with tofu, sliced ​​meat stir-fried with white radish.

Each dish contains minced meat and slices of meat, which would definitely be considered meat dishes in this era.

It really is Chinese New Year.

Jiang Weiguo looked up at An Youyou and was taken aback: "Boss, you got beaten up?"

"You were robbed on the way back?"

An Youyou:......

“You are…”

"The boss gave me a three-dollar bonus today, and also a piece of pork belly," Jiang Weiguo said. "I was originally planning to make braised pork tonight, but look what happened, boss..."

"I think we should save this piece of pork belly for the Lantern Festival and make braised pork."

"Braised pork?" An Youyou didn't want to argue; all her attention was drawn to the braised pork. "What is braised pork? Is it delicious? Is braised pork better than braised pork knuckle?"

"Boss, how do you know about pork knuckle if you don't know about braised pork belly?"

"Nonsense, you never told me, how would I know? What is braised pork? And isn't pork knuckle the one you keep telling me about that Master Ding's pork knuckle... that it's so delicious? Otherwise, I wouldn't want to eat pork knuckle."

"Let's make it! Braised pork today!" An Youyou said, pulling out all the silver dollars she had hidden on her person. "I've got plenty of money right now, and I'm going to eat a whole pig on the Lantern Festival!"

“Boss, a pig has a hundred or two hundred pounds of pure meat, you can’t eat that much.”

"Never mind that, I said I'd eat one, so I'll eat one. I'm the boss!"

(End of this chapter)