A Bowl of Restorative Comfort
It has been a year since I started working as a chef at Gaeun Inn. Business is absolutely booming! Gaeun Inn has become a must-visit hot spot before crossing the mountain, and the tiny Gaeun Village has transformed into the trendy Gaeun-ridan Road.
Since travelers have to cross the mountain to reach the capital, a decent number of people pass through, but Gaeun Village used to be incredibly unpopular because it lacked any local specialties or attractions to draw attention. The vegetable broth-based somyeon noodles they used to serve weren't bad, but it was a dish you could get anywhere. I felt a bit sorry for Mrs. Jang, but there was a clear reason why Gaeun Inn used to be so empty.
My job here was to completely strip away Gaeun Inn's old image. That was why I chose pork bone broth, which has a powerful, arresting aroma. I got the idea from successful Korean blood sausage soup joints and Japanese tonkotsu ramen shops back home—places where you can smell the rich, deeply simmered pork bone broth just by walking past. A restaurant wafting such delicious aromas is bound to entice anyone; it's basically a sensory billboard.
Along with that, I thought of Jeju Island's famous pork noodles and Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. Noodles are the only dish that can maintain a high table turnover rate while allowing us to keep using the dry somyeon noodles we already have in stock. In particular, brewing the broth with gelatin-rich cuts like pig's trotters and ears cuts down on the greasiness.
On top of that, I could make chashu—or chaso, as they call it here—using the meat clinging to the bones. Serving it as a topping was the icing on the cake. It offered the perfect combination of a rich broth and savory meat at an affordable price. Finally, by adding hosi (dried oyster powder) and fish sauce to eliminate any gamey odor and multiply the umami, along with various medicinal herbs, my masterpiece was complete: Donyuk-myeon (Pork Noodle Soup).
"Ahhh, that hits the spot!"
"This is absolutely magnificent!"
"...Is it just me, or do I feel a sudden surge of energy?"
"Hahaha! How can a simple bowl of noodles give you energy? You're just imagining things because it tastes so good!"
Hearing the customers chatter made my conscience prickle slightly. Actually, they weren't imagining it; they really were gaining energy. The broth of my Donyuk-myeon wasn't made from mere pork bones. Based on my master Yakseon's Jeyak-beop (Medicine Formulation Method), I had combined common, easily obtainable local herbs to infuse the broth with vitality, essentially turning it into a medicinal tonic.
Of course, it wasn't some miraculous elixir, so eating it wouldn't suddenly grant you decades of inner qi or eternal youth. However, it provided more than enough stamina for travelers about to embark on a grueling mountain crossing. Eating a good meal naturally builds physical strength. This is the essence of Yaksik-dongwon—the philosophy that food and medicine share the same origin. It was a restorative tonic in its own right.
"Oh, my aching arms..."
Now that the rush hour had passed and the customers were trickling out, Mrs. Jang sat down in a corner of the inn, massaging her forearms. The relentless stream of patrons had clearly taken a toll on her, leaving her exhausted.
"Mrs. Jang, I told you not to overexert yourself. Just leave the heavy lifting to him," I said, pointing at the young waiter who had been managing the queue outside.
The waiter grumbled instantly.
"Hey, Hyung! I tried to help her, but she literally kicked me out! She said making money is too much fun and told me not to even step foot inside the inn!"
Because of the overwhelming crowds, we had no choice but to hire a waiter. Since he was from the same village as Mrs. Jang, he was quite comfortable around both of us, speaking without much formality despite being an employee.
"You need to put in some real *eff-ort* to persuade Mrs. Jang, you lazy youth."
"Hyung, you're young too!"
"I'm stuck in the kitchen. How am I supposed to manage the dining hall?"
"Then how am I, stuck outside, supposed to manage the inside?"
"Aigoo, will you two please stop?"
When Mrs. Jang finally stepped in to mediate, the waiter and I had no choice but to shut our mouths.
"Still, it's wonderful that so many people are visiting our village thanks to our young Master Yoon. The Village Chief and his wife are absolutely thrilled. They even told me to make sure to call them when we expand the inn."
"Are people already talking about expanding the inn?"
"Well, business has never been this good. The Village Chief and the rest of the villagers seem to be swept up in the excitement."
"Oh dear, they shouldn't get carried away so quickly."
While it was great that they weren't showing any jealousy or envy, it wouldn't do for the people of Gaeun to rely solely on Gaeun Inn. It would be much better to guide them toward creating businesses that could generate a synergy effect together.
"Let's wait and see if these customers keep coming back next month, and the month after that. It's still a story for the distant future."
"My, aren't you cautious?"
"Of course. After all, I plan to keep running this place until we become a famous landmark of Shandong Province."
"Hoho, you always did have a good sense of humor."
Hey, I'm not joking. Why does everyone always think I'm joking?
"Ah, that was a wonderful meal. As expected, Chef Yoon's skills are unmatched."
"Did you enjoy it?"
The last customer in the inn stood up to leave. I bowed my head politely as I took his empty bowl. The final patron was Old Man Yeon, a traveling merchant who frequented this region.
"It feels like the taste gets better and better every time I visit. Thanks to this, I'll have the energy to make it to the next village today."
Old Man Yeon was the very first customer to taste our Donyuk-myeon, and he was a grateful benefactor who had spread the word to all the surrounding villages. Thanks to his word-of-mouth advertising, many people from other towns, merchant caravans, and pyosa (escort warriors) had made the trek to Gaeun. Because of this, I always put extra care into preparing Old Man Yeon's bowl.
"Thank you for the compliment. By the way, which direction are you heading today?"
"I have to walk briskly toward Euncheok. I heard rumors that a mine was discovered over there, so I'm going to check it out. Oh, by the way, have you heard the news?"
"Eh? What news?"
"I heard that some high-ranking officials from the Mutual Righteousness Academy are coming to Shandong Province. You haven't heard?"
"The Mutual Righteousness Academy?"
The name sounded familiar. As I tilted my head in thought, the young waiter chimed in.
"Aigoo, Hyung. You don't even know that?"
"What is it?"
"It's that massive academy established to foster righteous champions who will lead the Central Plains! You know, the one created through a pact between His Imperial Majesty and the leader of the Murim Alliance, who usually hate each other's guts."
"Ah, *that* academy?"
Since the name literally meant "Mutual Righteousness Academy," I had initially thought it was just some school where people gathered to negotiate and compromise. But as I recalled what the waiter said, a few details came back to me.
According to what I'd overheard from other customers, the claim of fostering "righteous champions" was actually just a plausible excuse. Under the principle of Non-interference between Government and Wulin, the imperial court and the Murim Alliance had terrible relations. The same went for the orthodox sects of the Nine Sects and One Gang, who constantly clashed with the Demonic Cult and the unorthodox factions. The academy was essentially a compromise—a place where martial artists and non-martial artists from various entangled interests could gather and hopefully learn to fight each other a little less. They figured that if these youths rubbed shoulders from an early age, some mutual affection might naturally blossom. But honestly? Seeing as I hadn't heard any news of the academy building collapsing yet, it seemed to be functioning surprisingly well.
"At the end of the day, isn't it just a place where beardless kids try to establish a hierarchy and act like adults?"
"How could anyone establish a hierarchy when imperial princes and princesses attend the academy?"
"Naturally, it should be based on seniority—I mean, class year. Even if she's a princess in the outside world, if she enrolled after me, she's my junior."
"Wow, Hyung, it sounds like you really want to get dragged off by the Eastern Depot."
"Don't say such horrifying things. Why would the Eastern Depot be in a rural village like this?"
Seriously, what kind of bratty kid casually drops references to the Eastern Depot? Back in Korea, this would be the equivalent of asking if I wanted to be taken away in a black sedan by the NIS or have beef bone soup forced up my nose.
"But when you say high-ranking officials, just how high-ranking are we talking about?"
"Do you know that the Mutual Righteousness Academy has four academic halls?"
"Well, roughly. I heard that martial artists who use swords and those who use fists use different buildings."
"That's about right. And among them, the head of the Seobanggwan (Western Hall) is said to be visiting."
"Ah, so they have Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern Halls?"
"I thought you said you didn't know, but you seem to know everything!"
"Ayy, a merchant needs at least this level of deduction to survive."
Since the halls were divided by what the students learned, and there were four of them, I could easily grasp the structure. In Korean terms, the head of the Western Hall would be equivalent to the dean of a college department. Thinking of him as something like the Dean of Engineering at Seoul National University made it clear that he was indeed a very high-ranking figure.
"But what brings such a prominent figure all the way to this mountain valley?"
"From what I gathered, they are traveling up from Jiangsu Province toward the academy. Jiangsu is home to the Maoshan Sect, and just across the mountain from here lie the Shandong Yue Clan and the Huangbo Clan."
"Ah, that makes sense. It's spring, so it's the season for academy admissions."
Just like how universities in Korea send representatives to high schools to encourage students to apply during early and regular admissions, it seemed academy officials traveled around to recruit students. Since the Mutual Righteousness Academy was located in the capital, they would naturally have to pass through Gaeun Village.
"However, I hear the competition this year is incredibly fierce. Even highly skilled martial artists from the Nine Sects and One Gang are struggling to make the cut."
"That's true! There's a small sect nearby called the Yongje Sect, and there's this incredibly arrogant guy there who's the same age as me. He's actually pretty good at martial arts, but I heard he failed the entrance exam this time."
Old Man Yeon nodded in agreement with the waiter's words. It seemed the entrance exam for the Mutual Righteousness Academy this year was an absolute killer, the equivalent of a notoriously brutal College Scholastic Ability Test. School admissions are stressful no matter where you go.
"Anyway, since the academy officials are bound to be martial artists, we should probably keep a low profile."
"Hmm? Young man, why would you need to keep a low profile?"
"Because whenever a bunch of martial artists gather, trouble is bound to follow."
Doesn't this happen all the time in wuxia novels? Some warrior-like figure walks into an inn, tosses a silver ingot at the waiter, and barks, "The waiter and the innkeeper, get out." Hearing this, the tearful innkeeper and waiter scramble outside, only for rival martial artists to show up immediately after and smash the entire inn to smithereens.
If that happened, Gaeun Inn would undoubtedly become a scene of absolute chaos and destruction. I could easily picture the tragic ending: Mrs. Jang falling bedridden from shock, while the waiter and I lost our jobs and ended up as penniless bums on the street.
Yet, the others simply stared at me with expressions that asked, Why on earth are you worrying about that?
"An Absolute Master like the head of an academy hall is coming. Who would dare cause trouble in his presence?"
"But what if someone even stronger shows up?"
"Uh-huh. Chef Yoon, when did you become such a pessimist?"
I scratched the back of my neck at Old Man Yeon's remark. Do I really seem that pessimistic?
"Well, martial artists do love to fight."
"What is there to fight over in a tiny village like this? It's not like we have some priceless treasure or miraculous elixir hidden here."
"Uh... right. Of course."
His words made me want to avert my eyes. Actually, there was a place nearby where priceless treasures and miraculous elixirs lay dormant, but the problem was that no ordinary person could enter.
The area surrounding Yakseon's cave was protected by the Illusion Returning Array, which naturally guided anyone who wasn't chosen by Yakseon right back out of the forest. That was why I had wandered into the cave as if possessed.
At any rate, excluding Yakseon's cave, the most expensive things around Gaeun Village were probably the cheap dowry jewelry the villagers kept in their homes. So, there was no harm in relaxing a little.
"Since those high-ranking officials might stop by Gaeun to eat, it would be wise to stock up on high-quality ingredients."
"Is that so? When are they expected to arrive?"
"In a week at the latest."
"A week, huh..."
A week was more than enough time to prepare ingredients. However, since there was a chance they might not even stop by our inn, stocking up on overly expensive ingredients seemed risky. What could I make that would entice the academy folks to open their wallets and pay handsomely?
As I fell into deep thought over what dish to prepare, the waiter chimed in.
"Why don't you just make them a Manhan Imperial Feast? You're a great cook, Hyung."
"Just because I'm a good cook doesn't mean I can magically whip up a Manhan Imperial Feast. Besides, if you feed a massive feast to people who have been walking all day, they'll get indigestion."
"Aw, come on. Martial artists probably eat expensive food all the time. We have to serve something pricey so they'll pay us a lot of money, right?"
The kid's logic wasn't entirely flawed. However, I didn't know how to make a Manhan Imperial Feast, nor could I source those kinds of ingredients. I had heard that some dishes in the feast required bear paws, but it wasn't like I could just go out and hunt a bear. Ah, what should I do?
"I agree with Chef Yoon. It's not wise to feed greasy food to travelers who have journeyed a long distance," Old Man Yeon said.
"Even if they are martial artists, they must have suffered quite a bit on the road. Wouldn't serving them something restorative be gentler on their stomachs?" Mrs. Jang added.
The waiter pouted at their remarks. Exactly. How could a young kid's digestion be the same as that of older, wiser folks?
I needed a dish that wasn't too greasy but was still hearty, something that would serve as a restorative tonic for weary travelers.
Wait, a restorative tonic? When it came to stamina-boosting food in Korea, there was one legendary dish that stood above the rest. A dish familiar to people all over the world, yet incredibly nourishing, flashed through my mind.
"Mrs. Jang, you know the man who supplies us with medicinal herbs?"
"Hmm? Ah, Mr. Baek, the simmani?"
"Yes, him. Could you ask him if he can source some Hasuo (tuber fleeceflower) for us?"
"Hasuo? What do you need that for?"
"I need it for the dish I'm going to make this time. The bigger and more plentiful, the better."
"I can certainly ask him, but what on earth are you planning to cook that requires such expensive Hasuo?"
"I'll let you know when the time comes."
When I mentioned making a new dish, both Mrs. Jang and Old Man Yeon looked dying of curiosity. The young waiter, of course, was practically vibrating with excitement. My hands were already itching to get started. Would everything go as planned?