Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Grassroots Market Economy (4)
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A tremendous crowd had gathered at the market newly established by the incoming magistrate, Kim Dae-bung.
There were quite a few merchants who had come prepared to do big business, among them Kim Man-deok, the merchant who had sought out Kim Dae-bung and volunteered to pay taxes.
Beyond them, countless common folk were preparing to sell their wares.
Among them was Soon-deok, the widow who had lost her husband at a young age.
"I hope the greens I brought today sell well. That way, I can fill my kids' bellies without them going hungry, even if it's just hearty barley porridge."
Even when her husband was alive, they were tenant farmers without land of their own, so life had never been easy.
Then her husband had died suddenly, leaving behind no fewer than four children...
To make ends meet, she had to rise before dawn and till the fields rented from Kim Chem-ji alongside her kids.
After half a day bent over without straightening her back once to tend the farmwork, she wouldn't head straight home but instead go to the hill behind the village. There, she gathered greens to feed her children.
She was reduced to boiling barley porridge stretched thin with extra water and a bit of those gathered greens.
And so, Soon-deok had come to the market driven by the desperate wish to feed her children better than this.
She prayed fervently in her heart to her late husband, her departed parents, and her ancestors.
Praying that today's sales would go well enough to put food in her children's mouths.
As she waited with bated breath for the market to open, the gong signaling the start of trade finally rang out.
An enormous throng poured in, bigger than anything even a village festival might draw.
"I was shocked at how many sellers showed up, but the buyers are even more incredible."
While Soon-deok stood stunned by the greatest crowd she'd ever seen in her life, the merchants around her—seasoned hagglers—began calling out loudly to attract customers.
"Come on now, if you head home empty-handed from the market, how'll you face your family? On a fine day like today, grab a bundle of dried persimmons for them! I've got syrup taffy too!"
"Dried fish, cheap cheap! A pollack for half a peck of rice! Ten for four pecks!"
"A measure of anchovies for three pecks of rice! Three pecks! Toss 'em in your soybean paste soup for broth. Can't beat the flavor!"
As the merchants hawked their goods, customers moved from stall to stall, drawn by the shouts.
Some had come just to gawk at this novel thing called a market, figuring crowds would gather, but ended up buying dried persimmons or rice cakes for the family after hearing the calls.
"These rice cakes look tasty. Give me a basketful."
"Pay in cloth bolts or rice?"
"How about a peck of rice?"
"That's too much of a loss for me... But you look like a good fellow, so I'll take just one peck specially."
Soon-deok had never in her life come to a market to watch goods being sold.
So the sight of hawkers calling out everywhere and deals being struck captivated her completely.
She wished she could stroll the market like the others, buy some food too...
But thinking of her children filling their bellies with water when even barley porridge was scarce snapped her back to reality.
She'd never done anything like trading in her life, but now she had to cast shame aside and toughen up.
A woman might be weak, but once she became a mother, she had to be strong.
"Folks from the village, come check this out! Bean sprouts, aster greens, mugwort, bracken! All kinds of wild greens for sale! Just sprinkle with salt and a dash of sesame oil—tastier than meat side dishes, no jealousy needed!"
Soon-deok's face burned as she mustered the courage to shout.
Hawking in front of all these people was a huge burden for her.
But she didn't stop.
"Mix these greens with soy sauce. Out-of-this-world flavor! Buy some greens! You'll regret it if you don't now!"
Her clumsy but persistent loud hawking paid off when a housewife approached and closely inspected the greens laid out before her.
She didn't touch the wares since they were someone else's...
But she eyed them as if appraising every detail, then spoke.
"These bean sprouts look so plump and fine. The bracken too, aster greens, mugwort... Just like you said, mix with soy sauce and a bit of sesame oil—no need for meat sides."
"I picked the best ones with care."
"Plump ones do make a difference. I'll take a basket each of bean sprouts and mugwort. How much?"
"Normally two pecks of rice, but make it one and a half."
"Isn't that steep? Greens grow wild all over the hills."
Soon-deok shook her head at that.
"Greens vary hugely by who picks them and when. These I gathered myself at dawn today. Sure, they're scattered on the hills, but knowing which spots yield the tasty ones isn't for everyone. And can't you see how I've packed the baskets full without skimping?"
"Fair enough."
"One and a half pecks is honestly selling at a loss."
Soon-deok's heart cried out for even half a peck if that's what it took to sell.
Even half a peck of rice could be swapped for barley to make tastier porridge for the kids.
So, thinking of her children, she steeled herself and naturally put on the merchant's classic 'selling at a loss' act.
"Aigoo, you win. But throw in some extra aster greens as a bonus."
"What're sisters for if not this?"
Soon-deok grinned good-naturedly and piled on a generous heap of aster greens atop the basket.
It wasn't just today's market; she'd sell greens again in five days...
Call it an investment in the future.
The customer smiled at the heaping greens and handed over one and a half pecks of rice.
Soon-deok's face bloomed with a smile too.
If she sold all the greens like this and swapped the rice or cloth for barley...
She could feed the kids their fill of barley rice instead of porridge today.
No—even better: if she sold greens like this every market day, every five days...
Maybe she could feed them proper mixed-grain rice instead of porridge?
Her body would ache more, but picturing her children eating their fill and beaming with happiness filled her with joy.
Like all mothers and fathers who rise resiliently at hardship's darkest hour by thinking of their kids.
She resolved to hawk with even more courage for her children's sake.
"Greens for sale! Greens! Pair a handful with Deok-bang's anchovies over there and boil 'em up. Clears the gut with sour, hearty flavor. Rice cake lovers! Grab mugwort and make your own—filling and delicious!"
At first, it had been embarrassing, awkward shouting so loud.
But now that selling greens could truly feed her kids properly, what was there to hesitate over?
Clutching that one thought, she hawked resiliently.
Time flew by unnoticed.
Others sought out the market inns at mealtime for bowls of rice soup, but she skipped eating to hold her spot.
Focused solely on trade, she succeeded in selling every last green she'd brought in heaps.
"I really sold them all...?"
Determined to feed her kids more, she'd brought a mountain of greens—more than she thought one day could handle.
Yet Soon-deok had sold them all.
"Two whole pecks of rice, no less?"
With this, she could let the kids gorge on rice today, and on other days, mixed bean-barley rice instead of daily barley mush.
A miracle beyond imagining until now.
For Soon-deok, rice had been a Chuseok treat since her husband's death...
At this rate, maybe regular rice meals ahead?
No more watching her kids survive on water alone when food ran out?
As Soon-deok drifted into sentiment, Deok-i, selling nearby, chimed in.
"Aigoo, this auntie skips meals for trade... and sells out that mountain of greens. Tough as nails."
"Gotta do it for starving kids."
"I'm wrapping up—wanna grab some rice soup together?"
"Where's the money for that? Kids waiting for Mom."
She didn't know rice soup's price. But even that bowl's cost felt precious.
Feeding the kids tasty food mattered; what joy in Mom eating alone?
"Deok-i, shouldn't you hustle too and buy your husband some vigor-boosting grub?"
"Hey, you wench! How'd you know?"
"Heard he's too weak at night, left you widowed in spirit. Yun-i spilled it."
"That one's husband bragged about his nightly prowess—hated her smug face from the start..."
With trade done, Soon-deok took her half-peck rice earnings swapped for three pecks of barley and headed home.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The moment she got home, she forgot her weary body from the day's toil and rushed to the kitchen to wash the rice and set it on.
Her limbs weighed a ton, but imagining the kids' delight made her move on their own.
While the rice cooked, she blanched the greens she'd touted endlessly as meat-free bibimbap fixings.
Bean sprouts, bracken, aster, and more got parboiled; as soon as the rice finished, she called the children.
"Kids, rice time!"
At "rice," they swarmed expecting the usual grain porridge...
"Mom! White rice?!"
"Mom sold greens and bought this rice with the earnings."
Soon-deok beamed at her kids.
Mom smiling, they grinned back.
"Mom, why cry? It's yummy food..."
"Tears of joy. So happy Mom and you kids get to eat tasty stuff."
Saying so, Soon-deok prayed inwardly to heaven and earth.
Begging the magistrate to stay in this county long, long hence.
And to live on just like this—not more, not less—happy as now.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Hobang spat as he pressed on with the tale.
"Even poor folk sell greens, straw sandals, firewood—take home half a peck of rice. Everyone's thrilled, saying life improves thanks to the magistrate."
"Truly a blessing."
Joseon's core value was, undeniably, improving the people's livelihood.
To that end, taxes were collected absurdly low, wrecking finances—a grave issue...
But proven as for the folk's sake, I wouldn't be punished for it.
So I thought... What was this?
A scholar oozing 'I'm a Confucian Taliban geezer!' stormed into the yamen.
"The new magistrate opening a market only makes the people idle and neglects their proper duty (farming)."