The Gift - 3
Two days after I told them I would inspect the Wuhan Daseogak branch, I sent the people from Mangeum Hall on their way. That evening—
"Before we begin the feast, a word from the man who leads the Joseon people of Wuhan! Lord Kang Yunho, Head of our Association!"
"I'm Kang Yunho. No one needs a lengthy speech on a good day like this. Everyone, congratulate Master Choi the escort—no, Merchant Choi, our very first shopkeeper. And let's all eat and drink our fill tonight!"
I had come with Lim Hayeon to the celebration feast for Master Choi's new business.
"Woooooah!"
"Merchant Choi, give us a word too!"
"Thank you all so much for coming today! I've prepared plenty of meat and drink, so feel free to take some home with you later!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Heh heh! I'll eat until my belly bursts!"
"What's the occasion here?"
"We open tomorrow. Come have a bowl of noodles and take a flyer with you!"
Among the Joseon people of Wuhan, who all lived such hard lives, this was a rare and welcome piece of good fortune.
On days like this, everyone greased their bellies and, for a little while at least, forgot their troubles, laughing and carrying on.
And, as it happened, all of it was thanks to the Head of the Association. Follow the Association Head's word, and you got yourself an inn. Spreading the word and burnishing my reputation along the way was just a bonus.
Sipping a cup of low-proof liquor, I scanned the crowd for one particular person.
While everyone around her wore broad smiles, there was a woman whose face carried a faint shadow of gloom.
Where is she. Ah, there.
The moment my eyes met Lim Hayeon's, I waved, but she looked away. Why wasn't she coming over?
"Did you fight with Sister-in-law?"
One of the inn's delivery men asked me.
"Why?"
"Her face is so dark. She's usually the warmest, friendliest person around, but she seems awfully down today. Nobody's said anything, but everyone's worried sick."
"We didn't fight, exactly……."
First the incident with the prized brush, and now Mangeum Hall. Lim Hayeon's expression had been sour for the entire feast.
"If you didn't fight, then it's gotta be your fault, Boss."
"Obviously it's your fault, Boss."
"Figured as much. Yep."
The young waiter boys who'd been listening in chimed in while stuffing their faces with meat.
"Aren't you lot ashamed? I'm your Association Head, you know."
"Kids always side with their mother over their father. It's just how it is."
"You little rascals."
Did this mean that breaking your back raising children was all for nothing? I certainly hadn't expected to taste the sorrow of a married man out of nowhere.
"Boss, I don't know what happened, but don't let your pride make things worse between you."
"It's not about pride."
If it had been my fault, I would have bowed my head and apologized without a second thought. The problem was that it was neither something to apologize for, nor something to accept an apology for.
"I don't know what the matter is, Boss, but pretty forgives everything, that's just the rule. I've worked around plenty of pure courtesans here in Wuhan—you know, the ones who say a single brush of their sleeve costs a fortune—and held up against Sister-in-law, every last one of them was plain as day."
"That's right. Women are just sulking over something small, that's all. Go to her first and it'll all blow over."
"Boss. As a man who succeeded in marrying for love, shall I tell you a surefire way to cheer up Sister-in-law?"
"What is it?"
I looked at the employee holding the liquor bottle with a confident expression.
A Joseon man who'd married for love.
What on earth was he about to say?
Every Joseon eye at the feast table turned toward the man who had spoken up.
"Squeeze your eyes shut, scoop her right up in your arms, and lay her down on the bed. Done."
"Haah……"
What kind of nonsense was that. I clutched my head with one hand and heaved a sigh.
"You never change, do you!"
"No, I'm telling you, it's true! Nothing beats a night in bed for resolving some vague emotional tiff."
"Is there anything you won't say in front of the Boss?"
"I'm only sharing because he's the Boss. I happened to catch a glimpse of him at the pleasure house, you see. An imugi was twisting itself into a dragon's ascent and I nearly stopped breathing—ow!"
Another employee nearby cuffed him on the head.
"Boss, this rascal's already drunk, I think. We'll drag him off."
"No, but it's the truth! My wife fought with me all day and then in bed she was begging me to spank her—ow! Stop hitting me!"
"Shut your mouth. Just shut it."
The drunken man was eventually hauled away to a corner.
As the gathered crowd steered the conversation elsewhere to smooth over the chilled atmosphere, I suppressed a laugh and picked up my cup.
How am I supposed to cheer Lim Hayeon up?
In the first place, I wished she'd never caught me with that prized brush.
Maybe I should have kept it in a safe instead of a drawer. Then again, this was a woman for whom a safe versus a drawer would hardly make a difference, so I doubted the future would change much either way.
Besides laying her down on a bed—setting that absurd advice aside—there has to be a better way……
Following the thread of my thoughts, I looked back toward where Lim Hayeon sat. And in that instant, my eyes met hers—she had been watching me.
Why are you looking this way?
The moment our eyes met, Lim Hayeon jerked her head away with a startled look.
Don't tell me she heard the whole conversation.
When I turned my head, Lim Hayeon's ears—which were now even more clearly visible—looked strangely red.
"Boss!"
Great. If I went over to her now, it'd only get weirder. I was sitting there feeling thoroughly awkward when Master Choi, today's newly minted shopkeeper, approached with a flushed, drunken face.
"Merchant Choi. Congratulations once again."
"Thank you so much. It's just……"
Master Choi trailed off, so overcome with gratitude he could barely lift his head.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Is it true? That you're really going to push my inn as your grand opening?"
So that was what this was about.
It would be the fourth branch in Wuhan. Since I'd deliberately opened it far from the other branches to avoid competing with them, there was a real risk word of mouth would spread too slowly.
We would advertise hard, of course, but that alone wouldn't be enough.
We needed to make the people of this neighborhood feel the convenience of food delivery all the sooner.
The word of mouth had to spin at breakneck speed.
And to that end, I brought out the new card I'd acquired.
"Of course it's true. Every last one of my delivery runners trained in lightness art will be directed straight to your inn for the time being."
"Hey, friend. Still sleeping it off?"
In a residential quarter of Wuhan, a martial artist working security at a rich merchant's mansion roused his friend, who was sprawled in a deep sleep.
"Uuugh. What? Is the sun up already?"
His friend squinted against the sunlight streaming through the window as he scratched his tousled hair.
"The sun's been up for ages."
"We had a few drinks last night, I want to sleep in a little more……"
"Your shift starts at noon, doesn't it? If you don't want to work until evening on an empty stomach, get up already."
The martial artist nudged, then resorted to slow, lazy kicks to wake his friend.
Guard duty at a rich man's mansion came with no meals, you see. Time was tight if you wanted to eat before leaving. The martial artist cursed the rich man under his breath—of course the wealthy always took more from those who had nothing.
"We can just order food."
His friend, however, rolled back over as if that were no problem at all.
"Order food? You want me to go get it?"
Had this fool finally lost his mind? Just as force gathered in the martial artist's foot—
"No. This."
His friend, still lying down, held out a single sheet of paper.
What on earth was this? The martial artist slowly read what was written on it.
Un-gi Inn Branch — NOW OPEN!
Order from the comfort of your home with Giosugu!
"Un-gi Inn branch opening. Order comfortably from home with a Giosugu pigeon? What is this?"
The paper was an advertisement flyer for the newly opened inn.
"You haven't heard of the letter-pigeon food delivery everyone's been talking about lately?"
"Oh! Now that you mention it, I did hear about it through the grapevine. Come to think of it, that newly opened inn I passed by the other day was an Un-gi Inn, wasn't it?"
"They got themselves a Giosugu pigeon. Anything you're hungry for?"
His friend rubbed his sleepy eyes, got up, and pulled out the menu board hanging near the pigeon cage.
"So I finally get to try delivery food, huh! Then, then—don't order anything expensive, we're broke. Order something cheap with big portions."
"Then I'll get the set menu. I've ordered it before—the portions are generous."
"But there's back-and-forth time, isn't there? Won't it take forever? Wouldn't it be faster to just go out and eat?"
The martial artist had heard that delivery food was convenient, true. But convenient or not, delivery was delivery.
Wouldn't it take far too long?
Wouldn't it be quicker to walk to the inn, order there, eat, and then head to the mansion? He asked with a worried frown.
"They have something called Rapid Delivery at this branch. Free trial for a month, so I'll use that."
His friend marked something on the paper and promptly sent the letter pigeon flying.
"Rapid Delivery?"
The martial artist tilted his head at the sight.
Fast or not, it was still delivery, wasn't it? No way it could beat simply walking to the inn and ordering in person.
Just as the martial artist opened his mouth to say they should go out after all—
"Un-gi Inn delivery! You're the one who ordered, correct?"
The food had arrived.
"Hwaak! It hasn't even been that long since we released the pigeon!"
"Was it always this fast? The inn's pretty far from here—did they happen to be in the next room or something?"
Weren't they being a little too fast? It had barely been any time at all since the pigeon took flight. The two men stared at the delivery runner in open astonishment.
"Haha. If you order Rapid Delivery, the runners trained in lightness art come to you."
"What?! Joseon people train their delivery runners in lightness art?"
"Haha. It's a basic qualification for Joseon delivery runners. Your food's getting cold. Where shall I set it?"
"Truly the people's delivery! Set it up on the table. So, friend, what did you order?"
Something hearty and cost-effective from the Un-gi Inn menu, no doubt.
Jajangmyeon and jjambbong, as advertised? Or maybe the stir-fried pork set?
The martial artist waited for his friend's answer, his face lit with anticipation.
"I ordered the Un-gi Brunch Set."
"Un-gi Inn's Brunch Set, delivery complete for two!"
The delivery runner opened the insulated iron delivery box with practiced ease and laid out the food.
"Oho. The portions really are generous, just like they say."
"Pretty good, right? The price is fair too—I order the Un-gi Brunch Set all the time myself."
"I've put the Giosugu pigeon back in its cage. Rapid Delivery is free for the whole month, so order anytime you like."
"They hand out Giosugu pigeons if you visit the inn, right? I should apply for one too!"
"I'll spread the word to my fellow guards who live nearby!"
"Much appreciated!"
Delivery runners trained in lightness art brought hot, delicious food before it could even cool.
Word of the fourth branch—and of its lightfooted delivery runners—spread swiftly through the surrounding neighborhoods.
"I'll be off, then."
With the inn branch's opening finally behind us, it was now the Daseogak branch's turn.
Lim Hayeon saw Kang Yunho off as he left to inspect the Daseogak branch, where the construction was nearly finished.
"Safe travels."
Why wouldn't he just go? Lim Hayeon watched as Kang Yunho's footsteps stubbornly refused to carry him away.
"Wouldn't you like to come inspect it with me when I get back? I still need to pick up my own key."
In the days since the prized brush incident, a faint awkwardness had settled between the two of them.
The Daseogak branch was both a blessing for the two of them, and the key to clearing the trials set by Mangeum Hall and the Simun Division that much more easily.
Hoping to lift the spirits of Lim Hayeon, who'd been so down lately, Kang Yunho tried to persuade her to come along.
"I have martial arts training at the academy this morning, and pigeon courier drills this afternoon."
Lim Hayeon politely declined his offer.
"……"
Kang Yunho's face fell, just slightly.
Watching him, Lim Hayeon sank briefly into thought.
Truly, none of this was his fault.
It was only because he had maintained his ties with his matchmaking prospect that he'd been granted the branch at all.
Her own insecurity had no business intruding on his daily life. Lim Hayeon steeled herself with effort, forced a smile for the first time in days, and spoke.
"Have a safe trip. Honestly, they're asking us to pass an impossible trial as it is. It's not as if we sank a fortune into this business on a whim, and yet they want the entire sum written on the promissory note plus additional revenue on top, brought in separately."
"They're forgiving the entire Daseogak debt, so it's worth a try."
"That's true. With the branch's profits added in, it might not be impossible."
With Daseogak on their side, they might just sail through the trial like a ship with the wind at its back.
The only catch was the uninvited guest Lim Hayeon did not want, hoping to board that very ship.
That was all.
"I'll be going now."
"Don't go getting tangled up in something else at Mangeum Hall—make sure you actually check on the Daseogak branch."
Gathering her strength, Lim Hayeon—to get those lingering footsteps moving at last—took him by the shoulders and slowly pushed him out the door.
"Remember what I said. And we may have a visitor today."
"The visitor you mentioned before? Who is it?"
"That's part of the fun. Wait and see."
Kang Yunho stepped out the door with a mischievous smile.
"Haah……"
Only when the last trace of Kang Yunho's presence had faded did Lim Hayeon let out a long sigh.
He was a man who worked harder for her sake than anyone.
To save her, he truly toiled without a moment's rest. Watching him from beside her, she could understand what it meant for a person to shine brighter the harder they worked.
Lim Hayeon turned her head, thinking of the brush sitting in that drawer.
Could the youngest daughter of the Zhuge Clan really be free of ulterior motives?
Still—of all things, gifting a brush the woman used every single day? Wasn't the intent blindingly obvious?
Or perhaps she was being oversensitive. Maybe it really was an ordinary gift, just as he said.
No. It couldn't be. Not that.
Lim Hayeon shook her head, her heart in turmoil.
Time to get up and get to work. She had to go to the academy.
Just then—
"Unnieeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
A familiar voice kicked open the door of the office and burst inside.
A girl with a smile as bright as a wildflower spreading across her whole face. A look that owed more to cuteness than to beauty. Lim Hayeon stared in wide-eyed surprise at the girl bounding toward her, somehow glad to see her.
She was one of the few genuine connections Lim Hayeon had made for herself back in Yichang.
"Ha Soso?"
"Hee hee! The Romance Daoist Ha Soso has arrived! Hayeon unnie, how's the romance with the boss going?"
Lim Hayeon's rock-solid ally in love.
The Daseogak employee, Ha Soso.