He could only sigh in his heart; it was impossible to follow the other party and wander around. How could I, Liu Bei, be subservient to others?
However, he was not in a hurry. As long as he was still in Zhuo Commandery, he would definitely not escape his grasp.
At that time, he would appeal to his emotions, reason with him, and talk about his life ideals, and he would surely follow him.
After chatting for a while, Liu Bei did not bother him further and, taking a few young men with him, began to stroll around the city.
Liu Jin pondered deeply after Liu Bei left!
This kid often wanders around the city and is very likely to discover Guan Yu. Perhaps their stalls are even next to each other. At that time, with a bit of flattery, Guan Yu might be recruited by him.
It seems I can't just wait; I must prepare early.
He looked at Zhao Ergou beside him and said,
"Let's quickly hawk our wares and sell these tiger meat and other wild game we caught."
Zhao Ergou nodded and immediately opened his throat, shouting loudly to the passing commoners!
"Don't miss it, come and see the fresh game!"
"And this tiger! Buy some bone meat to make soup. Men who drink it will strengthen their bodies and bones, and women who drink it will beautify their appearance!"
After a few shouts, it indeed piqued the interest of many commoners to buy.
Although some people were very afraid of this big beast, it wouldn't be bad for them to buy some meat to try.
However, many commoners dressed in coarse linen could only watch from the side, because meat was very expensive, and they simply didn't have the money to buy it.
Basically, it was mostly commoners with some family wealth, or some rich merchants and powerful families in the city, who were buying.
Soon, a few hours later, the sun began to set, and a hint of dusk already appeared in the sky.
Liu Jin and Zhao Ergou looked at the wild game on their stall, which was basically sold out.
Only half a roe deer and one pheasant were left.
The tiger meat, tiger skin, and other game, combined, sold for around ten thousand.
So the two of them, carrying the remaining items, returned to their residence along the street, so that Zhao Ergou's mother could prepare a sumptuous dinner.
As they passed a street, a red-faced man, seeing that the sky was about to darken, sighed slightly, apparently indicating that his business was not good today.
He tied up the bag of mung beans next to him, preparing to take it home and sell it again tomorrow.
When he looked up, he saw two figures standing in front of him.
The red-faced man's face lit up with joy, thinking someone wanted to buy his mung beans, and quickly introduced them!
"Good quality mung beans, buy some."
He immediately tore open the sack, letting the two of them see the mung beans.
Liu Jin quickly waved his hand to stop him and said with a smile,
"We're not here to buy mung beans."
Upon hearing this, the red-faced man looked up at the two young men in front of him.
After a moment of stunned, it turned out to be Liu Jin, the tiger-slayer who was widely talked about in the city.
At that time, he was selling mung beans on the street and heard commoners spreading the word, which surprised him a little.
He then followed the crowd and went to observe for a moment, where he had seen this Liu Jin.
However, his tone remained somewhat flat!
"If you're not buying mung beans, then why are you here at my place?"
Liu Jin's face was calm, and he said with a smile,
"I observe, brother, that you possess an extraordinary demeanor, far from being an ordinary person. Why are you selling mung beans here? Is it not a waste of your talents?"
Upon hearing this, the red-faced man's expression was a mix of emotions, seemingly filled with sentiment.
He naturally knew he possessed talent, but unfortunately, there was no opportunity for him to shine.
Especially since he was a wanted criminal, having left his hometown to come to the north, what else could he do besides selling mung beans?
If the authorities found out, his head would be on the chopping block.
He sighed and said indifferently,
"Brother, you flatter me too much. I am merely an ordinary person; being able to secure food and clothing is already a great blessing. I have no other ambitions."
Liu Jin frowned upon hearing this. This was not what Guan Yu was thinking.
He quickly recovered, a smile appearing on his face. This attire and this aura were definitely not ordinary. It seemed Guan Yu was still somewhat wary of him.
It was only their first meeting, and their relationship was not close, so Guan Yu naturally wouldn't reveal his grand ambitions; he would only act like an ordinary person to avoid unnecessary trouble.
However, he was not in a hurry. A smile appeared on his face, and he cupped his hands, saying loudly,
"I am a descendant of the Han Dynasty royal family, a great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing, and a descendant of Liu Liang, King Xiao of Zhao. I am Liu Jin."
"May I befriend you, brother?"
Guan Yu was a little surprised to hear this, not expecting the other party to be a descendant of the imperial clan.
He felt a bit more respect in his heart, and since the other party could kill a tiger, his martial arts were naturally extraordinary, making him worth befriending.
He cupped his hands and said politely,
"I am Guan Yu, courtesy name Yun..."
After a pause, his voice continued,
"Chang."
Liu Jin nodded, the stone in his heart finally settling.
The person in front of him was indeed Guan Yu, just as he had guessed.
So the two chatted for a few sentences, and their relationship was quite harmonious.
From the conversation, he learned that Guan Yu could only make a living by selling mung beans, barely scraping by.
Liu Jin didn't ask too many questions. If he was too eager to please, it might make Guan Yu think he was nothing special and look down on him.
He placed the pheasant in his hand on the stall and immediately prepared to leave with Zhao Ergou.
Guan Yu frowned at this sight, his red face showing some anger.
He immediately picked up the pheasant and said coldly,
"Jin brother, why is this?"
"Are you looking down on me, Guan, in my current predicament, and offering charity?"
"I, a nine-foot tall man, how can I accept charity from others? Take it away quickly!"
His tone was even somewhat cold, seemingly filled with anger.
Although he, Guan Yu, was down and out now, he could still earn a living with his own hands and did not need charity from others.
Liu Jin quickly waved his hand and said with a smile,
"Yun Chang, don't misunderstand."
"I am merely a person who cherishes talent. I observe your extraordinary demeanor, like a precious sword hidden in its scabbard, a bright pearl concealed in a dark room."
"This gift today is not charity, but rather an imitation of Tao Zhugong's 'hoarding rare goods.' If I gain an opportunity someday, I might receive a promise of help from you; if the opportunity hasn't arrived, consider it a friendship formed in a humble hut."
"A true man in this world should understand the principle of spring planting and autumn harvest. Today, I am merely sowing a seed."
After saying this, Liu Jin took Zhao Ergou and headed towards the distance of the street, leaving only a tall figure behind.
Guan Yu looked at the pheasant in his hand, somewhat lost in thought.
From Liu Jin's tone and eyes just now, he didn't see charity, but rather that Liu Jin truly treated him as a friend.
He felt a little moved. He didn't expect that on their first day of meeting, someone would treat him as a true friend. Such people were indeed rare.
Although he wasn't old, having fled all this way, besides those he poured his heart out to, he had never encountered such a sincere person.
A solemn look appeared in his phoenix eyes. If he ever achieved success one day, he would naturally not forget this kindness of the gifted chicken.
He immediately tied up the pheasant in his hand and the two bags of mung beans, picked them up directly, and returned home.
A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. To say he wasn't craving this pheasant would be impossible.
He had been on the run for so long, coming here all alone, and besides basic sustenance, he had no meat to eat.
Although he could go hunting in the mountains, without a bow and crossbow, his harvest would be meager; it was not as cost-effective as selling mung beans.
Walking on the street, Zhao Ergou looked at Liu Jin beside him and asked in confusion,
"Jin-ge, why are you so generous, giving that pheasant to this person?"
"I think that red-faced man has a somewhat cold and arrogant temper, even unapproachable. He thought we were just giving charity, which made me a little annoyed."
