Chapter 384: Picking Up a Beggar to Be a Wife

Shanzimama’s eyes lit up shrewdly. "Girlie, we have food at my place."

She squatted down. "Let me tell you something. If you agree, you’ll have food every day from now on."

The beggar nodded, looking at Shanzimama with a hopeful expression.

Shanzimama smiled. "Girlie, every young woman needs to marry when she comes of age. I have a son at home. He’s seventeen, tall, and handsome. We’re also here because we were fleeing the famine, and we plan to go back home eventually."

"We have a house, land, and even a mule cart back home. If you’re willing, how about you become my son’s wife?"

The beggar stared blankly for a moment. After a long pause, a single word escaped her throat: "Alright."

Shanzimama was overjoyed. "Come on, follow me home."

The beggar pushed herself to her feet. Shanzimama had intended to help her up, but the sour stench coming from the girl was so overpowering she couldn’t bring herself to touch her.

The listless beggar followed Shanzimama to a small, dilapidated courtyard. She opened the gate, revealing a wooden cart parked inside.

A mule was tied up in a rickety shed to the side.

Shanzi was feeding the mule some hay. Hearing the commotion, he turned around and frowned. "Ma, why did you bring a beggar home?"

Shanzimama just smiled. "Never you mind."

She went to the kitchen, grabbed a coarse flour bun, and handed it to the beggar. Famished, the girl snatched the bun and began to gnaw on it.

Shanzimama poured her a bowl of water. "Eat slowly, there’s more."

She turned and called to Shanzi, "Go get some firewood and boil a few pots of water. I need it."

After Shanzi finished feeding the mule, he carried a bundle of firewood into the cookhouse to boil the water.

The beggar squatted in the courtyard and ate two coarse flour buns, drinking a bowl of water.

Shanzimama placed a washtub in the cookhouse and had Shanzi pour the boiled water into it.

Once the water was poured, she added some cold water to temper it. She also boiled some soap-pod water and set it aside. After sending Shanzi away, she beckoned the beggar inside. "Girlie, you go take a bath first. I’ll go find you some clothes to wear."

Shanzimama closed the cookhouse door and went back to her room to rummage around. She found a gray, coarse-cloth dress that had become a bit too small for her to wear, along with a bodice she had worn in her youth.

Holding the clothes, Shanzimama called out from the cookhouse doorway, "Girlie, I’ve brought the clothes! I’m coming in."

With that, she pushed open the cookhouse door.

She saw the beggar sitting in the washtub, completely naked. She was indeed a girl, with all the right parts, just a bit thin.

Shanzimama set down the clothes, beaming. "Here, let Auntie help you wash."

It took three full tubs of water before the water she poured out was no longer black.

Shanzimama looked at the girl with a beaming smile. Now that she was clean, she was actually quite pretty. Shanzimama thought she was no worse-looking than Xing’er, just that her skin was a little darker.

She took a fine-toothed comb to the girl’s hair and asked as she worked, "Girlie, what’s your name?"

The girl said shyly, "My name is Du Juan."

"Oh, that’s a pretty name," Shanzimama said, beaming. "Du Juan, dear, my family are refugees from the famine, and we don’t have any relatives here. So for the wedding, let’s not have a banquet."

"Tomorrow, Auntie will buy you a couple of new outfits. After you and Shanzi perform the wedding ceremony, you can just settle down and live a proper life with him, how does that sound?"

Du Juan had already seen Shanzi just now. He was indeed tall and well-built with handsome features. Seeing that the family also owned a mule cart, she was already more than willing. She blushed and nodded her head.

After finishing combing Du Juan’s hair, Shanzimama settled her down to sleep in her own room. Then, she got up and went out to ask around the neighborhood if anyone had a room for rent.

After making her inquiries, Shanzimama returned and went to her son’s room. "Shanzi, your Ma needs to discuss something with you."