"These rich folks in the city are all like this, especially soone like Miss Qin from a big family; when holidays co around, they practice charity to accumulate karma. Despite tough tis now, things will get better during the New Year; many families open soup kitchens and give out alms then."
"However, Miss Qin is truly rare; the black stead bun from Qin's Stead Bun Shop sells for three cents each, while other bakeries sell theirs for just two cents, yet she gives them to us for free."
"Hey, have you ever tasted the stead buns from Qin's Stead Bun Shop?"
"No."
"Then your family really had no money before, Gouzi has tasted them. He said he had so for his birthday last year, white stead buns, pea cake, and that rice wine thing... all good stuff."
"I am different; I don't even know which year, month, or day I was born."
The little beggar wasn't very interested in his companion's topic and continued asking, "Is the Qin family's girl going to be engaged?"
The companion glanced at the little beggar, "You heard that too? Let tell you a little secret; I heard it last autumn while begging at the entrance of Taifeng Building."
"The Qin family's girl might get engaged to the young master of Taifeng Building, wait, he can't be called the young master anymore, the forr young master."
"Why the forr young master?" The little beggar was full of questions.
"You haven't heard about such a big thing? The owner of Taifeng Building wasted his family fortune on opium, mortgaged Taifeng Building, making his father sick from rage. If the Jiang Family hadn't declined, Miss Qin wouldn't be considering marriage with the forr young master. Even if Qin's Stead Bun Shop sells expensive stead buns, a black stead bun goes for just three cents; do you know how much a dish costs at Taifeng Building?"
"The cheapest dish costs one silver coin!"
"Even the Marshal praised Taifeng Building's dishes; all the beggars on our street know Taifeng Building is the most famous wine house outside the border."
"So Miss Qin gives us stead buns, gives a cotton coat, to build a good reputation, to facilitate engagent discussions with the forr young master from Taifeng Building, right?" The little beggar continued asking.
This question puzzled his companion, who frowned, thought for a long ti, and finally shook his head.
"I don't think so."
"There are many kind-hearted nobles in the city, and many pretend to be kind-hearted."
"Miss Qin is different from them."
"During the New Year, big families offer porridge; if you want to eat, you must kowtow and say auspicious words; the better your words, the thicker the porridge, and if it's really good, you might even get two alms."
"But even the thickest porridge contains stones and pebbles, made with rotten beans."
"Miss Qin's black stead buns are good buns."
"She doesn't require us to kowtow; today with heavy snow she even gave us hot water and you a cotton coat."
"Other ladies and gentlen don't do this when they practice charity."
The little beggar nodded, sowhat understanding, yet not fully.
"So, what's Miss Qin's purpose for doing this?" The little beggar asked again.
The companion was annoyed by the little beggar's persistent questions he couldn't answer, and snapped, "How would I know her purpose, maybe for a good reputation, or maybe Miss Qin is just kind-hearted, a Bodhisattva reincarnated, a good person."
"As long as you have food and got a cotton coat for free, what's there to question."
The little beggar closed his mouth.
The two walked a bit more towards the outskirts, and the companion first couldn't hold back asking, "Hey, why do you want to know why Miss Qin does this?"
"I just want to know," the little beggar said, "I know why you brought because I can fight. That day in the city when others tried to snatch the bun from you, they thought I was with you and couldn't beat ; you thought I could fight and took to the rundown temple."
Companion: ...
"I also know why you took to the city to beg today; because Gouzi died. You alone could only get two buns, with so many people in the ruined temple, only Gouzi listened to you and shared half the bun; you want to test if I would share with you, if today I didn't split the bun with you, you wouldn't take tomorrow."
"You took two different routes to and from the city, circled around on purpose, taking a lot of ti, just to prevent from knowing where Qin's Stead Bun Shop is so I can't find it myself tomorrow when I go looking, you know I'm not familiar with the city."
"I know why you do these things, but I don't know why Miss Qin gave a cotton coat."
Companion: ...
The companion was a bit angry, didn't look at the little beggar, walked ahead while muttering, "Only you guys who once had parents are so clever."
"If it weren't for taking you here, would you get this coat? Without a cotton coat, you'd surely freeze to death this winter, and I haven't even asked you to split the coat with ."
The companion walked quickly, discovered the little beggar was following, and said angrily, "Hey, go to the riverbank, the mud there is dirty."
"I'll take you again tomorrow, buns still need to be split, got it?"
"Got it."
"This cotton coat money from pawning it in spring should be split too."
"Won't split."
"Hey, what's wrong with you? But I took you there!"
"Still won't split."
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