Ah Mieu rubbed his stomach as he looked over at the steam bun stall.
"I haven't eaten anything in three days. Maybe I should find something to eat before I head to the Han Clan."
However, Ah Mieu recalled the predicament he was in. When he was leaving the Nine Desires Pavilion, the manager had 'generously' gifted him a storage ring and a thousand Imperial Coins for his services, but it seemed she got the last laugh as he was now sitting on a mountain of treasure but couldn't spend it in the Outer Circle.
After thinking for a moment, Ah Mieu thought of something, but the idea made him blush. However, he had no choice. He turned back and entered the shop.
After a moment, Ah Mieu exited the shop, and his face was even more flushed.
He had originally intended to exchange an Imperial Coin for some Mortal Coins or at least some White Coins; however, the shopkeeper had instead returned to him the change he should have received after buying the information on the Han Clan.
Suppressing his embarrassment, Ah Mieu turned and headed for the steam bun stall. After reaching, he bought six steam buns that were about the size of an adult's fist.
The owner of the steam bun stall became excited upon seeing that Ah Mieu was willing to buy so many of his buns. He even added an extra one as he packed the buns into a simple bamboo food box and gave it to him.
After taking the bamboo food box, Ah Mieu decided to walk along the street to look at what the other shops were selling while he ate his steamed buns.
However, he hadn't walked for long before a small child came up to him asking for change while holding out a small wooden bowl.
Ah Mieu swallowed the piece of bun in his mouth and looked at the beggar child. His hair and clothes were covered in dust, and through the holes in his clothes, he could see bruises all over his body.
The child, who looked to be about eight or nine, stared up at Ah Mieu with an apprehensive expression on his face. His hand holding the wooden bowl was trembling, which caused the two copper coins inside to lightly cling against each other.
Ah Mieu smiled, and after shifting the bamboo food box to his right hand, he reached out with his left hand towards the child.
The child, seeing this, instinctively closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. However, the slap he thought was coming never came. Instead, he felt a hand gently rubbing his head. This surprised him, and he looked up at the older brother in front of him with a doubtful expression on his face.
After brushing off a little bit of the dirt from the boy's hair, Ah Mieu rested his hand on his head and asked with a smile.
"Do you want some of my buns?"
He extended the bamboo food box toward the boy.
The boy hesitated, wondering if this older brother was up to no good. However, he remembered seeing that he had eaten a few of those buns just fine. With that, the boy nodded at Ah Mieu.
"Then go ahead."
Ah Mieu said, gesturing to the buns.
The boy stared at the three remaining buns inside the bamboo food box. The steam was still radiating from them. He reached out and tentatively picked up one while making sure his dirt-covered hand didn't touch the others or the bamboo food box.
However, just as the boy picked up the bun and got ready to eat it. He heard the kind older brother say.
"Only one?"
The boy looked up, surprised, but seeing this, Ah Mieu pointed at the small wooden bowl in his hand and said.
"Let me hold that for you."
The boy hesitated upon hearing that, but Ah Mieu didn't give him any time to react as he reached out and took the wooden bowl from his hand before stuffing the bamboo food box into his grasp.
The boy was still slightly confused about this situation when Ah Mieu suddenly wrapped a hand around his shoulders and said excitedly.
"I want to buy more buns. Can you follow me?"
However, once again, Ah Mieu didn't wait for the boy's response. He firmly held his shoulders and dragged him towards the steam bun stall that was a few shops back.
The boy was initially a bit timid, but on the way to the stall, Ah Mieu asked him a bunch of questions about the area and the different shops. Slowly, the boy's apprehension and timidness faded. With a mouth filled with the bun's meat filling, he answered Ah Mieu's questions with enthusiasm.
Upon reaching the steam bun stall, the owner's eyes lit up upon seeing Ah Mieu. However, his eyes darted to the boy next to him, and he frowned.
Ah Mieu acted like he hadn't seen the owner's expression and ordered twenty more buns.
The stall owner's frown immediately disappeared, and he happily packed up the buns into four bamboo food boxes, five in each.
The boy had finished the three buns, and seeing Ah Mieu buying so many, he unintentionally gulped down a lump of saliva. However, as the stall owner was packing up the buns, his attention involuntarily landed on the stick candies and other pastries set up in front of the stall in neat rows. Though a few were missing, having been bought by other patrons.
After taking the buns from the stall owner, Ah Mieu saw the boy gazing at the candies and pastries, so he asked with a smile.
"Do you want me to buy some of these for you as well?"
The boy immediately looked away from the candies and pastries before waving his hands in refusal.
"No, Big Brother Ah Mieu, I don't want any."
Ah Mieu smiled at him, and the boy, upon seeing this, blushed a bit but still refused to admit it.
After shaking his head, Ah Mieu turned to the stall owner and said.
"Can you sell me one of the apple candies?"
The stall owner had been observing the interaction between Ah Mieu and the boy. Hearing Ah Mieu's request, he waved his hand dismissively and said.
"You've bought so many buns from me; you can take one candy for free. However, you shouldn't spoil brats like these too much; they're nothing but an eyesore."
Ah Mieu acted like he hadn't heard the stall owner's latter words and turned to the boy, who had sadly lowered his head.
"You heard him. Go ahead and take the one you want."
With his head still lowered, the boy said softly.
"I-I really don't want it, Big Brother Ah Mieu."
Seeing the boy's behavior, the smile on Ah Mieu's face fell, and his tone turned stern as he said.
"Amon, raise your head."
The boy, who was named Amon, instinctively raised his head due to Ah Mieu's stern voice. He looked up at Ah Mieu nervously, thinking he was angry with him; however, the smile returned to Ah Mieu's face as he said.
"A man who struggles for what he wants has nothing to be ashamed of, so you should never bow your head. Do you understand?"