Liu Jin heard this and said with a smile,
“Ergou, you don’t understand.”
“This Guan Yu is imposing and burly, clearly a martial artist. In these chaotic times, he could rise at any moment, and his future will definitely be extraordinary.”
“We naturally need to befriend him well.”
“As for Guan Yu’s aloof temper that you mentioned, I find it quite normal.”
“For ambitious people like him, on a first meeting, giving them some benefits might indeed seem a bit condescending, which is why he showed anger. A simple explanation will suffice.”
Zhao Ergou’s displeased expression improved considerably upon hearing this.
But he still didn't believe that Guan Yu's future achievements would be extraordinary; even if he could rise, it would be someone like Jin-ge.
The two quickly returned to Zhao Ergou's house and knocked on the door.
A voice filled with surprise came through!
“Ergou, is that you back?”
“Haven’t seen you in a few days, have you eaten?”
Zhao Ergou was overjoyed to hear this. As expected, his mother was the best, asking if he had eaten as soon as he returned.
He quickly said with a smile!
“Mother, it’s me.”
“I haven’t eaten yet, I’ve been hungry for a long time.”
The wooden door was pushed open, and Zhao Widow’s eyes were a little moist. She held a bamboo whip in her hand and, without a word, lashed out, saying with a trembling voice!
“Since you haven’t eaten, then take a few lashes from your mother first.”
“Whack, whack, whack sounds rang out.”
After taking a few lashes, Ergou howled and quickly shouted!
“Mother… Mother!”
“Stop hitting!”
“I had something important to do this time!”
Zhao Widow snorted slightly upon hearing this!
“You rascal, what important business could you have? You ran off for a day and a night and didn’t come back. You must have been up to some shady business.”
Zhao Ergou wanted to cry but had no tears, and quickly said!
“Mother, please stop.”
“Jin’er-ge and I were hunting in the mountains outside the city, and we caught a lot of wild game. We wanted to bring it home for you to nourish your body.”
Zhao Widow heard this, and the bamboo whip in her hand finally paused.
Liu Jin seemed a bit awkward. He hadn't expected Zhao Widow to immediately start hitting Zhao Ergou. He quickly stepped out and said with a smile!
“Aunt Zhao, we really didn’t do anything bad.”
“Look, this is the wild game we hunted.”
After saying this, he took out the remaining half of the roe deer.
As for the matter of killing the tiger, it was too shocking, so he didn't mention it, as Aunt Zhao would surely be even more worried if she knew.
After all, no matter how capable Zhao Ergou was, in his mother's eyes, he was still a child, and she only wanted to protect him as he grew up.
Zhao Widow saw this and knew she had misunderstood Ergou, but she still said faintly with a mother’s authority!
“Ergou, Jin’er,”
“Next time you go out, you must tell me. At least then I won’t worry at home.”
“Seeing that you two didn’t come back for a day and a night, I thought you were missing.”
Zhao Ergou quickly nodded and bowed, saying softly!
“Mother, don’t worry, I will definitely tell you if anything happens in the future.”
“You go ahead and prepare this half roe deer. Mother hasn’t eaten meat in a long time, so tonight we’ll have a good meal.”
Liu Jin said with a chuckle from the side!
“Yes, Aunt Zhao.”
“This was caught by Ergou with great difficulty, he just wanted to help you nourish your body.”
Zhao Widow heard the two of them talking back and forth, and her soft heart was filled with emotion. It seemed she hadn't doted on them for nothing all these years, as they still thought of her.
A tender expression appeared on her face!
“You two silly children, I’m already so old, what body can I still nourish?”
“As long as you two can grow up well, that’s all that matters.”
After saying this, she smiled simply and said softly!
“You two must be hungry too. I’ll go stew this roe deer right away.”
Zhao Ergou watched his mother leave, pouting. He knew he shouldn't have stood in front, as he ended up getting a beating.
However, there was no resentment in his heart, but rather a sweet feeling. It was perfectly normal for his mother to be angry after he had been away for so long without saying hello.
Liu Jin saw this scene and felt a pang of envy. His parents had died early, and he could no longer enjoy such affection.
He found a small stool and sat down, looking up at the sky, contemplating his future path.
In the chaotic Han Dynasty, with heroes vying for power, since he had come to this world, he naturally couldn't live a mediocre life.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion was his springboard; he would grab the rope and climb higher and higher until he reached a point where others looked up to him.
The sky had already darkened, and a sliver of moonlight slowly shone down, making the courtyard exceptionally peaceful.
After a while, a rich aroma of meat wafted from the simple kitchen, filling the entire courtyard.
Liu Jin and Zhao Ergou, next to him, salivated at the scent, and their stomachs rumbled.
Zhao Widow carried a steaming pot of roe deer meat and said with a smile!
“The meat is ready, come and eat quickly!”
Liu Jin and Zhao Ergou nodded, and without further ado, rushed over.
Completely disregarding the heat, they stuffed the tender meat into their mouths and ate heartily.
Although the meat flavor was very plain, only seasoned with some salt, after cooking, the meat was tender and still tasted delicious.
The next morning.
Liu Jin awoke from his bed, pushed open the door, stretched, and watched the bright sunlight slowly shine down.
Looking at the familiar courtyard, he felt a bit reluctant. After all, it was the only asset left by his predecessor's father.
But for the sake of his future, he could only sell this courtyard.
One should know that having an independent courtyard within Zhuo Commandery was considered a well-off family, much better than the impoverished common people.
Liu Jin immediately pushed open the courtyard gate and walked out.
He arrived outside Zhao Ergou's courtyard and was about to reach out to knock on the door.
The door creaked open, and Zhao Ergou said with a wide smile!
“Jin-ge!”
“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
Liu Jin nodded slightly, naturally knowing why Zhao Ergou was waiting for him. They had already agreed yesterday to sell the courtyard.
He said with a smile!
“Since you’re ready, let’s go to the pawnshop in the city.”
Zhao Ergou nodded, and the two walked along the street towards the bustling part of the city.
During this Han Dynasty period, pawnshops did not have a unified name; some were called pawnshops, collateral banks, pledge houses, brokers, or pawn establishments.
They were basically operated by powerful families in the city, possessing not only ample funds but also strong connections, which attracted many people to sell or mortgage their items.
Soon, the two arrived at the Wu Family Pawnshop.
After Liu Jin and Zhao Ergou walked in, the entire pawnshop was empty, with only a few tables and chairs placed around.
A middle-aged man sat to one side, holding a brush and writing on bamboo slips, evidently recording something.
Hearing footsteps, the middle-aged man smiled and quickly looked up, only to find the two dressed in coarse linen clothes, and he curled his lips.
Clearly, they were not from a wealthy family and probably wouldn't have anything decent to offer.
However, he still stood up and said indifferently!
“What do you two wish to pawn at my Wu Family Pawnshop?”