Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 1147 - 552: Beggar (Part 10)_2

"Damn it, let me emphasize again, I'm a beggar, not a laundry worker. I have a proper job. Besides, with my begging, Sister-in-law Chen's family won't starve!"

"And, you shorted me three copper coins just now. Don't think I didn't notice! Hand over the three copper coins!"

An Youyou chased out of the courtyard for debt, and Qin Huai noticed that a few families seemed to have moved into the blue stone brick house where beggars used to live on the first floor and tenant farmers on the second. When An Youyou and the woman argued one-on-one, a child was peeking through the window of the room originally belonging to Little Ninth and his group, watching the commotion.

The previously clean and tidy courtyard was now cluttered with debris, and even the ground was not as clean as it used to be.

It seems that An Youyou's memory stretches back a long time since the last dumpling party, and many things have happened in the interim.

An Youyou did not chase far from the courtyard before Qin Huai stood there, unmoving, as if an invisible wall had stopped him, and An Youyou returned.

When An Youyou returned, he was holding three copper coins, and as soon as he entered the courtyard, he shouted, "Sister-in-law Chen, I got the money back for you."

Only then did Sister-in-law Chen slowly come out of the house.

She wasn't intentionally dawdling or afraid, just too frail to move quickly.

Qin Huai could hardly believe what he saw; if not for the blue stone brick house looking more or less like before, not aging too severely, he might have thought decades separated these memories.

Qin Huai had seen Sister-in-law Chen in both An Youyou's and Luo Jun's memories, with Luo Jun's memory belonging to the earliest period. Back then, Chen Shun was still a chubby little boy who could barely speak clearly, shouting "Ming Ming" at Jiang Weiming.

In that period, Sister-in-law Chen could barely be called young, though frail yet sturdy, the very image of a typical farm woman.

In An Youyou's earlier memories, Sister-in-law Chen was no longer young, but much chubbier. Living on the edge of Shanghai in a blue stone brick house and sending Chen Shun to school indicated relative prosperity, not worried about food or drink; at that time, Sister-in-law Chen had a normal physique, which in that era was considered plump, with a rosy complexion and sound health.

Now, Sister-in-law Chen...

Qin Huai couldn't help but gasp.

She could no longer simply be described as emaciated; her sickly appearance belied an utter lack of energy, standing like a skeletal figure, her skin barely cloaking her bones, with not a hint of flesh visible, cheeks sunken, making her eyes appear disproportionately large. Prominent veins on her neck made her look somewhat like a bobblehead.

She was obviously suffering from severe malnutrition.

She appeared aged beyond recognition, even her hair was graying.

Sister-in-law Chen managed to squeeze out a thin smile at An Youyou: "Dada, thank you."

An Youyou waved his hand: "No problem, Chen Shun told me before he left to take care of you. Sister-in-law Chen, tonight Thirteen is making porridge, I'll have him bring over two bowls for you, you should drink more. Worst case, when Chen Shun returns, I'll have him pay me back for the porridge with interest."

"You're too skinny, I feel like you haven't been eating. Since you got sick in winter, you haven't eaten much, you'll starve to death if you keep this up."

"The beggars starving to death on the street in the winter are about the same as you now."

An Youyou spoke bluntly, yet it was genuine concern, plain words reflecting care.

Sister-in-law Chen knew An Youyou was worried about her and forced a weak smile: "I have a small appetite, a few bites fill me up. The cold I caught in the winter cost a lot in medicine, eating less helps save on food. A Shun is working alone in Jinling, it's tough, our home relies on him now, all I can do is wash clothes for people to earn money."

"I used to be able to embroider, but now with blurry vision and clumsy hands, eating a little less won't burden A Shun too much."

An Youyou muttered quietly: "What's so good about cooking? Everyone's becoming a chef. I've said many times that begging has prospects, why doesn't anyone believe me?"

"Dada, what did you say?" Sister-in-law Chen didn't catch An Youyou's mumble and asked.

"Nothing, it's windy tonight, Sister-in-law Chen, you should return inside quickly. When Thirteen returns and the porridge is ready, I'll have Little Ninth bring it over to you."

With that, An Youyou also headed inside.

An Youyou's room had changed significantly from before.

Previously, An Youyou had a single room with a bed, a cabinet, and some small furnishings. Now all those were gone, leaving only a bed.

Of course, the room wasn't empty because the floor was covered with mats, bedding, and straw. After returning, An Youyou picked the cleanest and softest straw spot, sat directly in it, and began counting money.

Compared to previous economic states, An Youyou was now so broke it was heartbreaking.

Entire belongings amounted to one silver coin plus 63 copper coins, along with some scattered foreign currency, demonstrating through An Youyou's attitude towards them that foreign currency wasn't worth much.

After counting the money, An Youyou sadly lay down onto the straw pile and sighed, "Why am I so poor."

"Little brothers are decreasing, money is dwindling, at this rate how can I face going back? If the worst comes to the worst, I should rob the gang for a few guns, set up my own territory, but where around here is there a mountain to claim?"

An Youyou mourned his stalled career.

As An Youyou wallowed in sorrow, Qin Huai wandered around the whole blue stone brick house, discovering the Chen family's apparent decline. An Youyou had initially rented all four rooms on the ground floor, now only her room was hers, with Sister-in-law Chen's family next door, and two rooms occupied by different families.

Upstairs was similar, with every room crowded, though An Youyou's was especially cramped.

Qin Huai counted the bedding quantity; there were 6 bedrolls on the ground. Even assuming two brothers share one, the room's floor could barely fit eight or nine people.

Yet An Youyou originally had 13 little brothers.

The remaining brothers combined with what An Youyou said earlier...

Qin Huai could only conclude times were truly tough, with even An Youyou too broke to afford new brothers.

An Youyou lay sadly on the straw, dazing out until his brothers gradually returned from begging.

Qin Huai recognized the faces of remaining little brothers, namely Xiao Yi, the mistress, Little Seven, Little Ninth, and Little Ten, with another bedroll likely belonging to Jiang Weiguo.

Each brother returned looking dejected, with Little Ninth sporting an injury on his face.

Returning dejected, Little Ninth reported: "Boss...today we all...all..."

"Couldn't get anything, right?" An Youyou said weakly, popping up from the straw, glancing at the brothers preparing to be scolded but having no heart to lecture. "I also didn't get anything, just two steamed cornbreads for the journey."

"Boss, those gang members are so evil now, not only did they beat us, they snatched our jobs. Begging used to be our job, now they're even taking that!" Little Ten said indignantly.

"What can we do?" An Youyou stared blankly out the window, eyes dull and lifeless, "They have guns, we can't beat them. Wars are breaking out everywhere, food is hard to beg for, and they've snatched all the territories."

Little Ninth was eager: "Boss, why don't I enlist? I heard enlisting gets paid, as much as two silver coins for settling-in allowance!"

An Youyou irritably glared at Little Ninth: "Didn't hear them mention this while begging! Two silver coins for settling-in, you'd be lucky getting 20 copper coins paid. I've raised you so long expecting you to hand over a silver coin monthly like Thirteen, not to be bought off for 20 copper coins and sent to die."

Little Ninth hung his head: "Sorry, Boss, for disappointing you."

An Youyou weakly lay back down into the straw pile: "I guess you guys should stop calling me Boss. It's not me who's been supporting you these past two months, even I've been raised by Thirteen, from now on let's call Thirteen 'Boss'."

"Yes, Boss."

"I was just joking, you actually call Thirteen Boss? Remember, I've been supporting you for years, Thirteen's only for a few months? He wants to be the Boss, I'm the real Boss!"

"Yes, Boss."