Chapter 0002: The Beggar in Banana Leaf Alley

A Chou is truly a peculiar child

Ah Chou is capable of thinking, but can others?

The girl held her mother's hand, occasionally glancing back. The boy, who was not far from them, seemed to be in a more difficult situation than the mother and daughter. His tattered clothes barely covered his body, and the torn collar revealed his prominent collarbones. His cheeks were gaunt and sallow, with bruises and swelling on his face, new injuries layered over old ones.

Two strong men rolled up their sleeves and walked away, cursing as they said: "Damn beggar, how dare you steal food! If I catch you again, I will beat you to death!"

When A Chou is full, he does not sit in the sun like other beggars, removing his coat to scratch at fleas while making lewd jokes. Instead, he always sits on the half-turned stone mill in the backyard of the dilapidated temple, resting his chin on his hand and staring blankly at the sky. Niu Niu feels that A Chou must be contemplating something.

Niu Niu blinked her eyes, pondering for a long time in confusion, and shook her head, saying: "I don't understand!"

There were also Persians dressed in short-sleeved robes and wearing patterned hats, selling Persian dates used for cosmetics and saffron powder for making perfumes. Of course, the stall was not without the spices that were particularly favored by the Tang people: black pepper and strong mustard

Niu Niu has a very good temperament, conceding: "Alright, alright, you are not a beggar, you are a peculiar little thief, is that acceptable? Hehe."

Yet the vibrant world of reality ultimately cannot compare to the world depicted in books. In the illustrations of books, you can erase everything unnecessary, but in the real world, that is not possible. At any time, there will still be the poor; at this moment, a ragged little beggar is running desperately with bare feet, pursued by two imposing middle-aged men.

It is unclear how long it has been since https://m.hetushu.com. A woman dressed in a tattered dress was leading a little girl as they walked slowly from a narrow, dim alley. Upon seeing the beggar lying by the stream, the little girl stopped in her tracks, and a small dispute seemed to arise between her and her mother. The little girl emerged victorious; she lifted her tattered dress and quickly ran to the edge of the stream.

Gradually, the road became increasingly remote, and a dilapidated temple with a half-collapsed wall appeared ahead

The little girl crouched down to look at the unconscious boy, then took a broken clay pot from her mother's hand and carefully fed him porridge. The little beggar was clearly starving; even in his unconscious state, when the porridge was brought to his lips, he instinctively and quickly began to swallow.

... ...

A Chou pondered seriously and replied: "I don't know. Although stealing also involves extending a hand, it feels somehow different. When I steal, I just need to be prepared to take a beating, but when it comes to begging, I find myself unable to extend my hand or even utter the words to beg..."

Scholars in wide-sleeved robes, Hu people in narrow-collared and short-sleeved garments, and commoners in short brown cloth shirts walked among each other, creating a lively scene

Hmm?

During her childhood, when Niu Niu begged for a living and endured disdain as well as the hardships of hunger and cold, the time spent with A Chou became her most cherished memory

The little beggar seemed somewhat bewildered. After a while, a trace of bitterness suddenly flashed in his eyes, and he gently replied, "I... am called A Chou."

Ah Chou, sit down

At this moment, a pair of straw sandals is gradually taking shape in Niuniu's mother's hands

During that period, A Chou's face was always bruised, while Niu Niu's lips were always dark.

Niu Niu's two front teeth had fallen out, and the bread had been left for several days, hard as a rock. After gnawing at it for a long time, it was soaked with saliva, yet she still hadn't managed to bite off a piece. Hearing A Chou's words, she gave up her effort to continue gnawing on the bread, her mouth agape in astonishment, and asked, "How can that be? Is it not shameful to steal?"

Once again, Niu Niu secretly saw A Chou holding a branch, drawing something in the sand. After he walked away, Niu Niu approached and compared it with the half stone tablet for a long time, recognizing that what A Chou had written was indeed the same as the characters on the half stone tablet. Remembering the fluid motion of his writing, which resembled flowing water, Niu Niu felt a deep sense of envy.

The girl appeared to be even younger than him, with a thin, dirty little face and disheveled hair that had turned slightly yellow due to malnutrition. Only her eyebrows were dark and thick; if such eyebrows were on a boy, they would certainly exude a sense of vigor, but on a girl, they seemed a bit too pronounced.

A Chou fell silent for a moment and gently said, "Begging, I cannot do it, I... cannot extend my hand..."

Um!

Niu Niu smiled with her incomplete set of teeth, looking quite unattractive

A Chou stubbornly emphasized: "I am not a beggar! I have never begged!"

The little girl is wearing a moon-white short tunic, with a seam already coming undone at the shoulder, subtly revealing a hint of skin. Her lower half is adorned with a bamboo leaf skirt that reaches her chest. At this moment, she is squatting in front of a small beggar, causing two smooth knees to peek out from the hole in her skirt.

A Chou replied: "Because I stole their things to eat"

On the long street, countless pedestrians, merchants, and stalls crowd what was originally a very spacious road, making it completely congested

The girl smiled at him again.

... ... ''

Due to his poor thieving skills, A Chou often ended up with a bruised face. If it weren't for the assistance from Niu Niu's mother, he might have starved to death long ago

On either side of the road, there are vendors, and behind them flows a clear little river. Stone and wooden bridges span the river, and crossing the bridge leads to riverbanks adorned with banana plants. Behind the banana trees are numerous taverns, from which the lingering aroma of wine wafts out, merging into the bustling scene of the street.

A woman and a little girl found a spot to sit in a dilapidated temple with a leaking roof. The little girl began to eat, while the woman grabbed a handful of pliable wild grass and started to weave something.

The little beggar woke up slowly. As he opened his eyes, a sudden throbbing pain surged through them; one of his eyes was bruised and swollen, leaving only a narrow slit. After a moment of dizziness, his slightly opened gaze settled on the little girl in front of him

On both sides of the road, there are those draped in shoulder cloths and wearing earrings, loudly hawking their sandalwood in broken Tang dialect. There are also barefoot Kunlun people from the South Seas walking the streets, selling pain relief ointment made from aloe vera. Some individuals incessantly boast about how refreshing their clove lozenges can make one's breath.

The little beggar struggled to rise, his entire body aching with pain. He tugged at his tattered clothes, which were as thin as silk, and looked around in confusion before instinctively following the mother and daughter ahead of him

A Chou smiled bitterly, slowly raised his head, and looked at the beam of sunlight streaming through the hole in the temple roof, along with the light dust dancing in the sunlight, and said softly: "Actually, I don't understand myself either..."

And the books! This is not good; begging is fine, as one will always encounter kind-hearted people

She turned her head again, blinked, and asked, "A Chou, would you like to stay here?"

Niu Niu patted the straw beside her, and A Chou glanced over before gently sitting down next to her

The little girl, with a mouth missing two front teeth, struggled to gnaw at the bun. After a considerable effort, and once her saliva had soaked the bun, she finally managed to take a bite. Happily swallowing the bun, she looked at the boy and asked in a soft voice, "My name is Niuniu, what is your name?"

A Chou can still climb trees to collect bird eggs, use branches to catch dragonflies, and go into the river to catch small fish. Regardless of whether it is bird eggs, dragonflies, or small fish, they all inevitably turn into delicious food, although they are all invariably burnt. Nevertheless, Niu Niu enjoys eating them very much

In the second year of Yongchun, July, Guangzhou Prefecture

The little girl tilted her head in thought, took out a bun from her pocket, carefully broke it in half, compared the sizes, placed the larger half in the little beggar's arms, and then smiled at him. She stood up with her jar in hand, and a woman came over to take her small hand, casting a indifferent glance at the boy. The mother and daughter then walked away along the deep, narrow alley.

The little beggar fled into a narrow alley, finally exhausted, and was caught up by two strong men. After a flurry of punches and kicks, the little beggar curled up, holding his head, resembling a small dog, being kicked away repeatedly. He neither begged for mercy nor cried out in pain, until he was kicked into the ditch at the edge of the alley, at which point he let out a muffled groan and fainted.

A Chou can write, but can others?

He stubbornly refused to beg, preferring instead to steal

The little beggar quickly understood his situation and the identity of the other person. He did not express his gratitude but simply stared blankly at the little girl. The girl smiled at him, likely due to her teething; her incomplete set of teeth made her look rather unattractive.

In the dilapidated temple, there was more than one beggar. An old beggar sat in the sunlight, having removed his tattered coat, revealing a body that was nothing but skin and bones, as he busily scratched at fleas. Another beggar, who was more robust, lay on a pile of straw, propping up one leg and humming a tune.

The little beggar seemed like a frightened little animal, cautiously observing everything in the temple. Yet, he stubbornly moved closer to the mother and daughter. Having rarely experienced kindness, he felt a deep sense of warmth from the little girl's goodwill. Being all alone and helpless, he instinctively sought to approach that which he found comforting.

A Chou pondered for a moment, then solemnly nodded in agreement with her assessment

A woman led a little girl into the dilapidated temple, and after standing outside for a while, a young beggar also followed them inside

Niu Niu giggled and said, "Ah Chou, you are truly a strange beggar."

Niu Niu turned her head, tugged at her mother's sleeve, and pleaded: "Mother, could you please knit a pair of shoes for A Chou?"

Niu Niu bit into the bun, tilted her head to look at him, and quietly asked, "How did you end up getting beaten like this?"

Even the vendors selling pistachios pushed their carts, shouting at the top of their lungs about the benefits of pistachios for enhancing men's kidney function and vitality, and bringing comfort and joy to women. This boisterous promotion attracted countless women: who wouldn't want their man to be a robust and great husband, whether in public or in the bedroom

In the dilapidated temple, more than ten beggars were residing, and they all unanimously believed that A Chou should be called A Dai, as he must be foolish. Only Niu Niu did not think so.

Hmm

The streets are bustling with pedestrians, yet no one pays any attention