How does the author use foreshadowing in The Master Puppeteer?

At the end of Chapter Four, the reader is given another little story about Saburo's exploits. This time he and his gang steal rice from the merchants by pretending to be the Shogun's tax collectors. The merchants are surprised and angry when the real tax collectors turn up later. Not only has Saburo successfully stolen food again, but he has also managed to embarrass and strike a substantial blow to the greedy merchants who are exploiting the city's poor. He has also sent a strong message to the Shogun that if the authorities continue to support the tyranny of the rich, they can be targeted too. He shows how easy it is to get what he wants by impersonating government officials. These little anecdotes about Saburo and what he is doing pop up throughout the story, despite having nothing to do with Jiro's story at present. They create intrigue and mystery, as well as reminding the reader what is going on in the city. They foreshadow later events as Saburo will become very important to Jiro's life later in the story.