The capital city is bustling today, and the once chaotic markets have been cleaned up spotlessly.
The street was also sprinkled with water and washed clean.
The usually filthy commoners and smelly beggars were all driven to places where they could not be seen.
Along the way, there were also yamen runners patrolling, forbidding ordinary people from walking on the streets, for fear that they would offend the eyes of those nobles.
Along both sides of the street, the county magistrate specially arranged for some of the family members of the officials to pretend to be ordinary citizens.
They were all dressed in clean and tidy clothes, and lined up in neat rows.
As soon as the emperor's entourage appeared, they would shout "Long live the Ming Dynasty! Long live His Majesty!" just as they had rehearsed.
Only in this way can the magistrate's effective governance be demonstrated.
Behind the street, in a place where the sun doesn't reach.
A group of young beggars surrounded an old beggar.
A little beggar glanced furtively at the street, then turned and spoke.
Why can't we go begging today? I'm so hungry!
The old beggar scratched the lice off his body and replied weakly, "Because those important people are kind-hearted and can't bear to see people like us suffer!"
"They can't bear to see us suffer, shouldn't they make us beg for food? If we have food to eat, then we won't suffer!"
The little beggar scratched his head, finding the big shot's thoughts really strange.
"Because those kind and important people don't just not want to see us suffer, they can't bear to see us suffer, do you understand?"
The old beggar spoke with a hint of sarcasm, curled up on the ground, knowing that only when he was asleep would he not feel hungry.
The little beggar touched his head; he still couldn't understand what they were saying.
Maybe I'll understand when I grow up.
He tried to comfort himself with that thought, but the rumbling in his stomach made him feel like he might never grow up.
Just as he was clutching his stomach in worry, a thin, small girl walked over, carrying a few steamed buns in her arms and a bowl of food in her hand.
"Come quick, come quick, I found lots of food."
When the beggars saw the food, they all crowded around it.
Instead of fighting over it, they divided the steamed buns and leftovers into several portions, ensuring that everyone had a bite to eat.
Because the food was brought by a little girl, she was given an extra portion.
This is their rule; only in this way can they live a little longer.
The old beggar slowly stuffed the small piece of steamed bun in his hand into his mouth.
He squinted, savoring the taste of the food, taking a long, long time to eat each bite.
He found the taste of a small piece of steamed bun to be absolutely divine.
"Little Fish, where did you get these steamed buns? You didn't go to someone's inn backyard again and steal their swill, did you?"
"Yes, yes, Little Fish, you can't steal other people's swill. If you get caught by the people at the inn or by that group of beggars, you're dead."
"Last time, Big Black went to steal swill and was beaten to death."
The beggars, remembering Dahei's miserable state, couldn't help but feel afraid.
Little Fish quickly waved his hand and said to them, "I didn't. It was Manager Tong from Qixia Town who saw me picking fruit behind their inn."
"I specifically asked Uncle Big Mouth to give me some steamed buns, and he also told me that I could work at the inn in the future, and I could take away the leftovers that the guests didn't want."
Wow!
A group of beggars murmured with envy, and couldn't help but feel happy inside.
Although they themselves couldn't live a good life, they were happy that their little fish could.
Even the old beggar couldn't help but pat her head.
"Did you thank Manager Tong?"
Little Fish nodded: "I kowtowed to Uncle Big Mouth and Manager Tong. They are good people."
Thinking of this, Xiaoyuer said to the old beggar, "Right, right, let's go to Qixia Town in the future, okay? I'll work at the inn, I don't need wages, I just need the swill."
The old beggar thought for a moment, then said seriously to Xiaoyuer, "Going to Qixia Town is fine, but you mustn't go around telling everyone. Otherwise, if so many beggars go and bother Manager Tong, how will he be able to do business?"
Upon hearing this, all the little beggars nodded and covered their mouths to indicate that they would not speak carelessly.
So they decided to pack their things and sneak off to Qixia Town in Lantian County.
In the eyes of these beggars, being able to eat swill is the happiest thing in the world.
Today, the civil and military officials did not attend court. They had received orders a few days ago to go to Jianfeng Pavilion, thirty miles away, to welcome the immortal disciples.
The Grand Secretary Yan Song was having a meal served by his maids. The table was laden with chicken, duck, fish, meat, and all sorts of other delicacies.
There were more than twenty dishes in total, filling the whole table.
Yan Song took a bite of the fish that the maid had picked out the bones for, and couldn't help but spit it out onto the ground.
“Give the cook who made this dish today a good beating. I told him I didn’t want authentic West Lake Vinegar Fish, or at least not authentic West Lake Vinegar Fish, but he still got it wrong.”
"Is this authentic West Lake Vinegar Fish even edible? Even dogs won't eat it."
"Next time he makes this kind of dish, I'll break his hand while he's cooking."
Upon hearing Yan Song's anger, all the maids knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.
Seeing their appearance, Yan Song lost his appetite and ordered the untouched dishes on the table to be removed.
He stood up, and several robust women carried him to the carriage.
Then the carriage slowly moved forward, heading towards the Forbidden City.
Halfway through the journey, Yan Song spat out a mouthful of phlegm, and the maidservant accompanying him quickly caught it with her mouth, afraid that if it fell on the ground, she would be punished.
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