Who is Madame Francois and how does she encounter Florent?

THE BELLY OF PARIS begins with Madame François driving her wagon full of vegetables from Nanterre (a suburb of Paris) to Les Halles. It is just before daybreak, and the vendors form a caravan of carts, horses, and wagons all taking their vegetables into the massive open air market. Along the way, Madame François sees Florent lying unconscious at the side of the road. His clothes are badly worn and his face is drawn and haggard. Florent is a pitiful sight and Madame François notices how very thin the man is. Bringing the caravan to a complete stop, Madame François, much to the consternation of the other vendors, takes pity on Florent and allows him to ride in the back of her wagon.