Chapter 8
Chapter 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Somehow Acquired That Thing (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Instead of answering, I turned the question back to Hye-yoon.
"In that case, Miss Hye-yoon, weren't you afraid of that giant customer? I'm curious why you approached him so casually."
"Well..."
Hye-yoon's pitch-black eyes wandered through the air before rolling downward.
"I had a feeling."
"A feeling?"
"Yes. He looked a bit intimidating with his massive build, but those eyes of his... they shone like a deer's. So I figured he was a good person."
"I see."
I nodded and began explaining the giant customer's identity first.
"The scars on his arms might look like sword cuts at a glance, but up close, they seem more like injuries from climbing rocky mountains—no direction, no intent behind them."
The mother and daughter nodded as they listened intently.
"And the dark red stains on his body looked like blood, but they were actually traces of mountain hydrangea juice."
"Heavens, how did you know that, sir hero?"
Unable to contain her curiosity, Somi covered her wide-open mouth with her tiny hands and asked.
"Hm. First, there was the scent of grass and ripe fruit wafting from near him. And... probably a small hole in his herb pouch, since a mountain hydrangea berry had fallen at his feet. So I judged him to be an herb gatherer."
The scars on his arm, the faint scent emanating from him, the dark red stains, and the single mountain hydrangea berry like a clue.
From those alone, I had determined the giant customer was no threat.
That's right.
Hye-yoon had good intuition, and I had sharp observation and a keen sense of smell.
"Benefactor, your insight is so profound—I'm utterly in awe."
Hye-yoon's eyes sparkled like oil lamps as she exclaimed in admiration.
"Mother, didn't I tell you? Sir hero is the wisest among all I know, with strategies unmatched in the world. Just look at yesterday's hot and sour soup—you can see my words aren't false."
Not to be outdone, Somi praised me too.
It seemed I had left quite a large and vivid impression on the mother and daughter.
Like they saw me as some strategist wielding kitchen tools.
"It's not that impressive..."
To me, it wasn't such a difficult feat.
But...
Why were they clapping so enthusiastically, and raising their voices in such loud admiration?
I half-expected them to summon seals.
As I tried to refocus on kitchen work, feeling a bit burdened by them,
Hye-yoon suddenly clapped her hands as if something had occurred to her and asked urgently.
"Then, benefactor, what did you say to that giant man to make him as tame as a lamb?"
"Young hero, I'm terribly curious about that too."
I wanted to explain the reason,
but
"You'll find out soon enough."
With things so busy now, I put off the explanation.
The mother and daughter's shoulders slumped in unison, their curiosity unsatisfied.
It was as if a caption reading 'We'll tell you after the commercial' had scrolled over my head—their faces were so crestfallen.
The giant customer's— the herb gatherer's—turn finally came.
Until then, he had waited quietly without a word of complaint, like a laid-back goat.
"Heh-"
Whenever our eyes met, he smiled.
In that short time, he seemed to have grown fond of me.
The giant customer devoured a massive meal befitting his size.
Ten bowls of chicken tofu soup and five plates of red oil dried tofu.
Only then did a satisfied smile spread across his face.
He rose quietly from his seat and approached me, hesitating a bit before broaching the subject.
"Ah, brother. I'm here."
"Goodness, brother."
I stopped what I was doing and went to his side.
"As I mentioned earlier, you resemble the brother I once served so closely—it startled me."
"Haha, is that so?"
As I tucked a small gourd bottle into his side, I whispered,
"And this... it's a family heirloom delicacy called fermented milk nectar. Please keep it secret from the other customers."
"Of course. If word got out that you're showing favoritism, it'd put my little brother in a tough spot."
The giant customer glanced around to check if anyone was watching, then quickly hid it in his bosom.
The small gourd bottle I gave him contained a pale yellow-orange drink.
It was a special beverage made by fermenting goat milk with koji, adding honey and peach juice—a recreation of the yogurt I enjoyed in modern times.
And its purpose was
a sort of 'bonus' given discreetly only to first-time customers at Waiting People's Restaurant.
I was copying the 'way to make regulars' used by modern restaurant owners.
When handing it over, I usually said something like,
'You feel so special, so I'd like to gift you this family heirloom drink.'
And this method always worked—they always came back.
Because it made them feel like they were receiving special treatment just for them.
In other words, every customer at Waiting People's Restaurant had received 'Woonsik Oh's Secret Drink' on their first visit.
'Thanks. Just for me, special?'
Anyway, this was one of my ways to build a regular customer base.
To soothe the complaining giant customer, I used this standard bonus drink as bait.
And thinking it might not be quite enough,
'No way, he says I resemble the brother I admired... Haha, a special drink just for me. Who knew there was another guy like me in the Central Plains.'
By saying he resembled the brother I admired, I naturally built rapport.
From my past life to now, I'd confirmed firsthand that men have a simple side— just calling them 'brother' smooths over many things.
As expected, my plan didn't miss the mark.
The giant customer melted like soft tofu at the special bonus drink and the 'brother' bit.
"Thanks, brother. With my rough looks, no one really approaches me. So my speech gets coarser over time..."
The giant customer stroked the drink in his bosom and expressed his gratitude.
Then he started spilling his life story unprompted.
Turned out he was a terribly lonely man.
That must be why.
He kept glancing at Hye-yoon, who had approached and spoken to him so casually, and eventually blushed.
Sensing his gaze, Hye-yoon looked over. He hurriedly averted his eyes.
"Innkeeper, th-thanks. You're the first to show me such kindness... along with that lovely lady over there."
"I see."
"S-so, about that. I can't just receive without giving back. Let me give you a gift..."
The giant man rummaged in his herb pouch and suddenly thrust something out.
"Wh-what is this?"
Even I, trained in business smiles, struggled to keep a straight face at that moment.
Because...
It was an ugly fruit: two egg-sized orbs with a cucumber-sized thing attached between them.
'ㅇllㅇ'
It wasn't that some lewd demon possessed me.
Ew, gross.
As my eyes shook uncontrollably, the giant customer cleared his throat and whispered,
"It's he shou wu fruit."
"...Why does he shou wu fruit look so disturbingly creepy?"
He shou wu fruit was a root herb with a long history, even mentioned in the Compendium of Materia Medica.
It had various benefits, known for improving blood circulation, preventing hair loss, and boosting vitality.
"It's called Dragon Yang He Shou Wu. I luckily dug it up recently. For reference, it's one of the rarest herbs. And... haha, it's great for a man's body, but hard to explain."
Unlike his massive build, the giant customer looked shy.
From what I gathered, it was the 'ultimate aphrodisiac.'
Its effects were so potent, it was said to leave one on the brink of extinction.
"Anyway, take good care of it. I have to head to the market, so I'll be off. You might end up bowing to me someday. See you later, brother."
"Thank you, brother customer. Please come again."
The giant customer left the hideous, unsettling herb with me and departed.
Worried someone might see,
I hurriedly hid it deep in the cart.
Thud, thud.
Maban apparently disliked the Dragon Yang He Shou Wu's appearance too, pawing at it repeatedly with his front paws.
'Where... am I supposed to use that thing?'
I'd better take it home and seal it away forever.
Today's business was finally over.
I approached the mother and daughter, gave a light bow, and expressed my thanks.
"Miss Hye-yoon, you worked so hard today. Somi, you too—great job."
These weren't empty words.
Without Hye-yoon and Somi today, I couldn't have handled all those customers without mistakes.
The mother and daughter hadn't complained once. They worked diligently as if it were their own business.
'If I had better way with words, I could've given more eloquent praise and thanks.'
Unlike them, my poor eloquence left me with rote phrases.
That's when Somi's fingertips caught my eye.
After handling pine needles all day, the child's tiny fingers were stained black beyond purple.
'If only there were sanitary gloves.'
Somi had done her best despite the harsh conditions.
Like I do with Maban, I patted the hooded girl's head instead of saying 'good job' or 'thanks.'
"Hee, hee, hee."
For some reason, Somi shrugged her shoulders and made odd noises.
"Here. Your promised pay for today."
I placed 50 wen on each of Hye-yoon and Somi's palms. About five times the usual wage.
The mother and daughter stared at their palms in shock.
"Benefactor, th-this much..."
"Sir hero, too much..."
Before they could continue, I added another 50 wen to each palm.
That made 100 wen per person.
Hye-yoon and Somi's mouths gaped open. Their round eyes just blinked rapidly.
They reminded me of googly-eyed goldfish.
'Nothing beats the joy of being rewarded for effort with money. Right?'
Soon, their eyes reddened, and tiny ripples filled their dark pupils.
"Benefactor... You saved our lives, and now bestow such great favor... I feel only shame."
"This girl merely helped in the kitchen a little... I'll engrave this precious grace in my heart forever."
Once again, the mother and daughter professed themselves indebted magpies and conveyed their gratitude.
I had only provided work when I needed hands and paid fair compensation.
"Miss Hye-yoon, if it's alright, how about working together for a month? You too, Somi."
To lighten the awkward mood, I quickly changed the subject.
"Goodness, benefactor... We'd be grateful."
"Are those words true, sir hero? You're the kindest, most benevolent adult I know—like a vast continent."
"Somi, no more worries about meals for a while. It's all thanks to the benefactor bringing rain to our lives."
"Mother, didn't I tell you? Sir hero's character and magnanimity are greater than any general's, his mercy as vast as heaven and—"
Oh dear...
Far from changing the subject, the two summoned seal spirits again and launched a praise relay.
As I scratched the back of my head awkwardly from the rising unease,
Cough, cough.
Serious coughs from here and there in the market sliced through the chilly air and spread.