The 61st Beggar

  Ximen Qing and Zixuan were immediately drawn in by the bustle inside the city gate of Yun Cheng. Compared to Qinghe County, Yun Cheng was more prosperous, with more street vendors and shops along the streets. The sound of hawkers calling out to customers filled the air, with people coming and going constantly. However, despite the many shops, they were mostly small businesses such as pharmacies, cloth shops, grain stores, and small wine houses. There were hardly any large, luxurious shops to be seen. The once-great Song Dynasty had declined, and corrupt officials had caused many large businesses to go bankrupt. Although Yun Cheng was prosperous, it was still just a county town. Moreover, at the street corners, there were many beggars dressed in tattered clothing, either elderly people with white hair or young children with unkempt hair. Each person looked sorrowful, begging passersby for food. However, there were hardly anyone who gave alms. The common people's purses were not full, barely enough to make a living, so how could they afford to give charity?

  Two people led the horse into the city, strolling around, and were immediately surrounded by beggars. An old man, with tattered clothes that barely covered his body, wept and wailed, saying: "Young master, young lady, please have pity on this poor old man who has gone three days without a meal, surviving only on cold rice balls, and spare some coins to warm my belly!"

  The other children also cried one after another, and they all hurriedly knelt down in front of Ximen Qing, begging him pitifully.

  Xiangyun pulled on Ximen Qing's sleeve and said sympathetically: "Sir, they are so pitiful!"

  Ximen Qing nodded and involuntarily thought of his past life. He immediately said loudly, "Everyone, wait here for a moment!"

  After finishing speaking, Ximen Qing turned around and walked into a small wine shop next door, then shouted: "Shopkeeper, come out quickly!"

  Upon hearing Ximen Qing's shout, a middle-aged man at the counter looked at Ximen Qing and immediately felt delighted, thinking that a wealthy customer had arrived. He hastily put down the account book in his hand and walked over. Upon arriving in front of Ximen Qing, he bowed with a smile and said: "Greetings to this esteemed guest! I am the shopkeeper of this humble store. Our store has excellent braised beef and steamed buns that are sure to satisfy you!"

  After finishing speaking, the middle-aged man saw a beggar standing in front of his door and immediately changed his face, shouting: "What are you looking at? Get out of here, don't you know that standing here affects my business?"

  He immediately wanted to pick up the wooden stick in front of the door to intimidate.

  But before he could pick it up, Ximen Qing grasped his wrist. With Ximen Qing's strength, the shopkeeper cried out in pain and exclaimed: "Ah! Ah! Sir, please be gentle, my wrist is going to break!"

  Ximen Qing coldly scolded: "Hmph, what a waste of being human! They've already lost their homes and are suffering from hunger and cold. You don't even give them charity, but instead want to beat them? Believe it or not, I'll punch all your teeth down with one fist!"

  "I believe, I believe!" The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly in fear, almost kneeling down.

  Ximen Qing then released his hand, and immediately took out a silver ingot from his bosom, waved it in front of the man's eyes, saying: "See that?" After finishing speaking, he threw the silver to the middle-aged man, and then asked: "How much beef and steamed buns can these silvers buy?"

  The middle-aged man chuckled and weighed the silver in his hand, then smiled and said: "Sir, these twenty taels of silver are enough to buy all the beef and buns in my small shop. Do you plan to buy them all? Well, I'll pack them up for you and deliver them for free!"

  Ximen Qing shook his head and said, "Never mind, bring out the beef and buns and distribute them to these people in front of the gate!"

  "Ah?" The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment and didn't react immediately.

  Ximen Qing glared and said: "What are you staring at? Get back to work!"

  The middle-aged man finally reacted, nodded, and hastily called out to the inner hall: "Madam, quickly bring out the beef and steamed buns!"

  The middle-aged man also ran into the inner hall and soon brought out beef and steamed buns with a middle-aged woman.

  The beef was not much, only twenty catties, but the steamed buns were over a hundred, white and fluffy, still emitting heat, indeed just out of the steamer.

  Beef and steamed buns were brought out, and many beggars swarmed around, swallowing their saliva as they stared, their eyes shining brightly.

  Ximen Qing rolled up his sleeves and directly grabbed a steamed bun with one hand and beef with the other, without caring about anything else, and handed them over to the beggar in front of him.

  "Everyone, don't rush, there's plenty of mantou and beef to go around, all for free!"

  The beggars all looked at Ximen Qing with gratitude, waiting for Ximen Qing to distribute the buns. It's strange to say that these almost starving beggars were actually lining up in an orderly manner to receive their share, without a single one fighting or quarreling.

  Zi Xiang also accompanied Ximen Qing in distributing them, and before long, a unique landscape was formed on the main street of Yuncheng.

  As the news spread, beggars from other streets also rushed to join in, participating in the queue. Yuancheng County has a large population and is a densely populated county town. With more people, there are naturally more beggars. As the beggars flocked in, the entire street was filled with hundreds of beggars, almost like a beggar conference.

  A lot of beggars, the onlookers with money started to mock and jeer: "Damn it, so many beggars, filthy. Hmph, this guy is really asking for trouble, I'll see how he's going to give alms to so many beggars."

  "Let's see how he wraps things up if he wants to play the good guy!"

  ·····

  These people are wealthy and have a lot of property, but they are stingy and look down on beggars. Now that Ximen Qing is doing good deeds and giving to charity, it naturally makes them resentful, thinking that Ximen Qing's good deeds are making themselves lose face.

  Looking at the buns being distributed, Zixuan felt anxious and asked: "Sir, the buns are almost gone, what to do? At least half of the people still don't have food!"

  Ximen Qing nodded and said: "Don't worry, I have a way! You stay here to distribute, I'll go and come back!"

  Zi Xuan nodded and said, "Good!"

  Ximen Qing put down his work and immediately pulled over the young owner of the small wine shop, asking: "Young master, are there any other wine shops around here?"

  The shopkeeper rubbed his hands and smiled, saying: "Young master is really a good person, actually so generous. If I had known earlier, today would have been more dumplings and beef! Young master, go straight down this street, turn left at the first intersection, and you'll see a 'Song Family Wine House'. The wine house is large in scale, and there must be enough dumplings and beef inside!"

  Ximen Qing smiled and nodded his head, saying: "Good, thank you!"

  He immediately turned around and rushed towards the Song family wine house.

  Arriving at the first crossroads, Ximen Qing turned left and walked a few steps before seeing the sign of Song's wine shop swaying in the wind.

  Compared with it, Songjiajiu's scale is much larger and there are more people eating inside.

  Ximen Qing stepped inside and immediately called out: "Is the shopkeeper in?"

  Immediately, a man wearing a blue robe with a slanting button came out. The man looked refined and elegant, exuding an air of wisdom, not like a commoner.

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