Chinese Life in the Tibetan Foothills/Book 2/Beggars
Beggars 乞丐 ch‘i kai.
Some terms for beggars are:—
呌化子 chiao hua tzŭ; 討口子 t‘ao k‘ou tzŭ; 濫仗客 lan chang k‘ê.
Few beggars are born in that class, but nearly all have come to beggary through laziness, gambling, opium, wine or calamity. Those who are poor through no fault of their own are pitiable, but the others are contemptible. These pests waylay the traveller and extort money; gather in crowds at funeral and marriage feasts; bellow for hours behind a gentleman's door with half-a-dozen dogs howling round them, or walk along the street with a stick wagging behind and the dogs hanging on to it. It is a fully organized profession, with its officers and king; a race which is difficult to reclaim; the saying runs 討得三天口官都不想做; 'After begging for three days they do not desire even an official position.' They won't work and don't desire to be lifted up, and are known as 方上的弟兄, or brethren of the four quarters, that is, they go everywhere to get a living. The king of the beggars is called ta yao pa 大么爸. He rises to this position by ability and public recognition and is generally negotiated with at feast times in order that beggars may not come and lie at the doors of the houses.
The beggars' resort or refuge is called 乞丐所 ch‘i kai so, or 棲流所 ch‘i liu so, or 孤老院 ku lao yüan. In order to get admission an official permit is required, and a record of entries is kept in the yamen. Some have official rice and winter clothing granted to them besides. In these refuges all kinds may be found, such as the widow, the aged and the orphan. In districts where no such place is provided they congregate in temple doorways, under bridges and arches. They collect all the rubbish of the country-side and eat such things as dead dogs, cats, and rats. Unwashed, uncombed and clothed in filthy rags they seem to reach the utmost limit of human degradation.
The place where the beggars' branch of the secret society meets is called 什仿堂 shih fang t‘ang. It may be arranged for at any place, but the connection with the society is very real and wide-spread.
The beggars have a superstitious dread of the following words:—
不絕 pu chi, don't give; 狗咬 kou yao, the dog bites, 斷路 tuan lu, block the road; 短食 tuan shih, short of food.
The noise made by the beggars with their clappers at the door is called 打蓮花鬧 ta lien hua nao. This noise is also commonly made by the vagrant priests, who use a 彈板 tan pan to thrum on with the fingers. Wo t‘o shan ch‘ih 惡討善喫 gotten by wickedness, eaten with good manners, this is what is said of beggars' manners.
The beggars call the rice and wine given to them at feasts or New Year time fa-ts‘ai fan and fu-kuei chiu 發財飯 and 富貴酒. It is a kind of good wish for the prosperity of the giver. 'New Year rice' is given to beggars on the first day of New Year; beside this some give New Year money, meat, dumplings, etc. If beggars are diligent at the New Year they can beg enough to keep them for a month or two.
After persons have given money or food to a beggar, the latter says that he has succeeded in instructing his son 訓子 hsün tzŭ. Such spectacles as are displayed in most Chinese streets, the displaying of maimed limbs, frost-bitten feet, knocking the head on the paving stones with a thud, candles and incense stuck in hands and shoulders, and anything which works on the feelings of the people are included by beggars under this heading of 'instructing their children.'
Ao men niu 邀悶牛, to follow the stupid ox, is said by beggars who pursue people on the roads asking for alms. To pursue a person on the road and repeatedly waylay him for money or to exact money from the person by blackmail, is called by the beggars, 'chasing the dog.'
A beggar will beset wealthy families and stay for hours at the door bellowing for food. The first time he gets food that day he says that it was his 'big son' 大的兒, ta ti êrh who gave it him; the second time it is the 'second son,' and so on. These things make the beggars hated by many people, and a class which is loathsome to behold becomes also repugnant to the kindest of hearts. ***