Chapter Six The Old Beggar

  Thank you ysch2007, thank you for your support, seeing a glimmer of hope, I will work harder from now on.

  Just a few steps away, Su Tiancheng suddenly felt something was off. His sixth sense warned him that someone was following behind him. This was Horse Market, where people came and went constantly, but he didn't know why he had this feeling.

  Su Tiancheng suddenly turned around and saw the person following behind him, startling him.

  The person following behind had disheveled hair, a very small face, and a greyish complexion with many stains. On the small, pancake-like face, only the big nose and mouth were visible, but they too were covered in stains. At first glance, it was unclear whether it was human or ghost. The tattered and worn-out long shirt had lost its original color due to the numerous stains that layered over each other.

  This is a beggar.

  Su Tiancheng was secretly shocked, not because of the man's attire or his beggar identity, but because he had been wandering around the horse market for half a day without realizing that someone like this was following him, wasn't it too strange?

  "Sir, have mercy on me, I haven't eaten for several days..."

  The beggar stretched out his hand, which was not a hand, but more like a chicken claw. The skin color could not be seen, and the whole thing was dark and dirty, as if it had not been washed for a long time.

  The beggar's body emitted a sour and strange smell, similar to the smell of spoiled food, which made people feel nauseous.

  People in the market have no feeling about the existence of the old beggar. Many people walk straight past him, as if they hadn't seen him at all.

  Enduring the foul smell, Su Tiancheng also thought of leaving, but for some reason, he couldn't move his feet. Seeing this beggar, he had a special feeling in his heart.

  "Old man, follow me."

  Su Tiancheng held the war horse with his left hand and grasped the beggar's hand with his right.

  The beggar's body trembled slightly.

  "Master, if there's any leftover food, I'd be eternally grateful if you could spare me a bite."

  Su Tiancheng didn't let go of the beggar's hand, pulling him along as he led his warhorse straight to a nearby pancake stall.

  This scene was too strange, and soon, the surrounding attention came over, and the discussion started.

  "Look at this old beggar, he's quite lucky, running into the big boss..."

  "Haha, birds of a feather flock together, people gather in groups..."

  "This is strange, this man is wearing brocade clothes, he doesn't seem like a simple person, why is he holding the hand of a beggar?"

  The whispers around him reached Su Tiancheng's ears, but he still pulled the beggar along, walking towards the pancake stall.

  The beggar didn't stand on ceremony and followed Su Tiancheng, slowly walking towards the pancake shop.

  The beggar's eyes were sharp, staring at Su Tiancheng, paying attention to Su Tiancheng's every move.

  There are still many snack shops in the horse market, and people who come here for transactions all want to eat something.

  The owner of the pancake stall was a middle-aged man who saw Su Tiancheng and the beggar coming, covering his nose with one hand and waving the other.

  "Don't come over here, I'm just a small business owner, can't afford to be bothered, and there are many people in my family who still need to eat."

  "Shopkeeper, I'll buy ten shaobing."

  Su Tiancheng pulled out a small piece of silver from his bosom and was about to hand it over to the owner of the pancake shop.

  Who knew, the boss raised his hand and blocked Su Tiancheng's hand.

  "Didn't you hear me? I don't want your money, and I won't do business with you. Go somewhere else to buy your buns."

  Su Tiancheng looked at the boss's disdainful eyes, and he couldn't help but want to tear down this shop. The dog looks down on people, and he himself is not a big shot, also doing small business, it can be said that he is also a miserable person. With such selfishness and ruthlessness, is it saying that beggars are so annoying? Who knows, maybe after a few years, something unexpected will happen, and the fate of this small boss may not be as good as that of a beggar.

  "Shopkeeper, I'll buy ten roasted buns. I don't want to trouble you, but this old man is hungry. I just wanted to treat the old man to some roasted buns. Besides, your roasted buns smell amazing and must taste great."

  The boss looked at Su Tiancheng, stunned for a moment. He probably didn't expect that not only did Su Tiancheng not lose his temper, but he also said something that made himself feel so comfortable.

  Many people around were watching the commotion, some pointing and laughing with scornful smiles, without any reserve. The boss didn't want to cause any more trouble, perhaps also being touched, quickly packed ten buns in a paper bag and handed them to Su Tiancheng.

  "Take it away, go quickly, I don't want your money anymore."

  "Shopkeeper, I'm here to buy some shaobing. I'll definitely pay for it. I remember the boss's kindness. When you're out and about, you always encounter things that happen. If someone can lend a hand, don't hesitate to help. Thank you."

  Su Tiancheng put the silver coins on the counter and smiled at the boss before pulling the beggar away.

  From start to finish, Su Tiancheng was polite and courteous, with elegant speech.

  Ten pastries worth no more than fifty copper coins, the silver fragments on the pastry case are at least five mace, worth five hundred copper coins.

  The boss hastily pulled out a handful of copper coins from his pocket and chased after Su Tiancheng without even counting them.

  "Sir, this is the copper plate you've been looking for."

  "Never mind, don't look for it anymore. In the future, if someone else is hungry, I hope you can help them out."

  Su Tiancheng and the beggar left for a while before the boss reacted. He turned around and returned to the store, speaking to the guests behind him.

  "Ah, 50 copper coins for a single pancake? I'm embarrassed."

  "Why bother with so much nonsense? Business is what matters. That old beggar from earlier reeked, luckily they're gone."

  "You know, everyone has difficulties sometimes. These years the harvests have not been good, and many beggars have appeared in my hometown. If one day relatives come here, can we still ignore them?"

  The woman looked at the master of the house, not speaking for a long time. Could it be that someone bought ten baked buns here and said a few words, and the master of the house changed his temper? This is really hard to figure out.

  Su Tiancheng carefully handed over the paper bag containing roasted bread to the old beggar, and he had already gotten used to the smell on the old beggar's body.

  Su Tiancheng was very mindful of his attitude, he couldn't show off a superior air in front of the beggar, nor could he show off a charitable air. Food that is given with a scowl on one's face, no one wants to accept it, even beggars have their own dignity.

  The old beggar took over the paper bag, pulled out a pancake and quickly stuffed it into his mouth. In just three or two bites, he swallowed it into his belly.

  When the old beggar took out the second pancake, he made a move that left Su Tiancheng stunned.

  The old beggar handed the pancake to Su Tiancheng.

  "Sir, you're a good man, I see you've come to the horse market and haven't eaten anything yet, have a pancake."

  The old beggar's hands were really too dirty, on the yellowish baked cake, five black fingerprints had already been printed, such a cake, no one could eat it.

  Su Tiancheng was slightly stunned for a moment before taking over the pancake.

  "Thank you, old man, I'm really a bit hungry."

  Su Tiancheng held the shaobing and opened his mouth, ready to take a bite.

  Su Tiancheng was able to do so thanks to some experiences in his previous life. At that time, he went to the countryside and arrived at a peasant's home. The tea cup handed over by the host family was sticky, and the tea water inside couldn't be seen clearly, but you still had to drink it, otherwise it would be considered impolite. The cigarettes handed over by the peasants were only a few cents per pack, very difficult to smoke, but you also had to smoke them.

  The old beggar's action, I don't know what it means, but Su Tiancheng won't refuse, a dirty baked cake, can't kill anyone.

  "Haha, ten baked buns from Old Beggar might not even be enough to fill his belly. Thank you, young master, we'll meet again someday."

  Su Tiancheng hadn't even reacted yet, and the roasted cake in his hand was gone. What made him even more strange was that the old beggar had disappeared, and the voice seemed to have come from a very distant place.

  The surrounding area was still crowded with people, many of whom were holding torches, illuminating the surroundings brightly.

  Su Tiancheng shook his head, thinking that everything from just now was just a dream.