In Preparation - 5
"Huh? You're back already?"
Was it because they'd returned earlier than expected? To the startled Chae Jin, Chae Ryeon flashed her trademark grin, brimming with mischief. Leaning her upper body forward to peer up at her sister from below, she studied Chae Jin's face for a moment, then gave a satisfied nod.
"...What?"
"Nothing at all. Anyway — Innkeeper."
"What is it?"
"We came straight back from the secret realm, so we haven't had a proper rest. Would it be all right if we stayed here for a few days?"
"Of course. Most of the rooms happen to be empty."
At the moment, the only occupied rooms belonged to Gi Noya, Wi Yeol, and Chae Jin. Handing every remaining room over to Chae Ryeon and the Moonlight Squad would be no trouble at all.
"Then, about payment..."
"No need."
"Nothing in this world is scarier than something free, you know."
She drew a bank draft from her robes. When I moved to refuse it, she shook her head.
"It covers meals and the bathwater, too. We'll be in your care."
"Hmm... you really didn't need to. Anyway, don't worry yourself — we're well prepared for that much. And since you've all been through so much, I'll ask Yohwan to put on medicinal cuisine for dinner tonight."
"Wow! Now that's exciting! Quick on the uptake, too — you really are a wonderful man, Innkeeper."
Laughing with easy charm, Chae Ryeon gave my arm a couple of friendly pats. Chae Jin, who had been watching the whole display in stony silence, seized her by the scruff of the neck.
"Mind your manners in front of the Innkeeper."
"Oh, come on~. What's the harm? By the way, may I borrow my sister for a moment? There's something we need to talk about."
"Lady Chae, will you be all right with that?"
"It's not that I mind, but..."
"Then off you go."
"Ahaha! Then we're off!"
Chae Ryeon sang out brightly and ushered Chae Jin inside. Watching the Moonlight Squad members file in after them with quick, easy bows, I told Jeomsoi to prepare rooms for the group.
It had been a long while since every room at the inn would be full. I wondered whether we had ingredients enough to spare.
I headed straight for the storeroom. A check of the provisions inside suggested no real problems... but just to be safe, I decided I'd better make a trip to the market.
As I stepped outside and was about to call for Gi Noya or Wi Yeol, I spotted Yu Hui and Sa Yun — down from Mount Hongseong for the day's patrol — walking into the back courtyard.
"Hello!!"
Sa Yun beamed and dipped into a deep bow, and Yu Hui greeted me with a smile every bit as bright. The more I looked at them, the more these two seemed like a pair of little suns.
"Hello there. Out on patrol?"
When I returned their greeting and moved to lead the cart out, Yu Hui and Sa Yun came up to me.
"Where are you off to?"
"Just a quick run to the market. We've got quite a few guests coming."
"Well, that's good news, though! A crowded inn is a happy sight. But you're going to the market yourself?"
I could certainly have sent the servants in my place, but there was no harm in seeing to things with my own eyes.
As I climbed onto the cart and said so, Yu Hui nodded, then turned to Sa Yun.
"Sa Yun. Let's escort the Innkeeper and count it as our patrol for the day. No objections?"
"Of course not!"
"There's really no need to go that far."
"We're doing it because we want to. Well then, let's be off."
"Then hop on behind me."
"Pardon the intrusion, then."
With the two of them perched lightly on the back, I set off for the market. I left the cart parked at its edge, made a full circuit of the stalls, and came back laden with more goods than it quite knew what to do with. When I returned to it, Sa Yun and Yu Hui were each holding a skewer.
"Wait?! We didn't tag along to freeload, you know?! Why is this in our hands?!"
"Th-that's what I'm saying!"
Buy this and that at the market, and the extras pile up before you know it. The butcher's stall in particular kept a skewer grill going alongside its counter, so I bought one apiece there and pressed them into the girls' hands.
When the two of them, who had accepted the skewers before they knew what was happening, froze in flustered embarrassment, I laughed and said:
"You came along even though it wasn't your duty. If I didn't put something in your hands, my conscience wouldn't rest easy."
"Oh... well, if you insist. We'll accept them gratefully."
And so we sat on the cart, munching away at our skewers. Only when hers was finished did Sa Yun beam at me, sauce still smeared at the corner of her mouth, and I fished a handkerchief from my breast and held it out.
"You've got some on your face. Wipe it off."
"Thank you. Ah — I'll wash it and return it next time."
Smiling brightly, Sa Yun tucked the handkerchief into her robes. The skewers were gone and I'd bought everything on my list, so it was about time we headed back.
"I can manage the walk home on my own — why not head straight out on your patrol?"
"We couldn't possibly!"
Watching her clench both fists and blaze with resolve, Yu Hui nodded along as well.
'Finish what you start,' is it? Haha. A fine sight to see.
In that case, I could hardly refuse.
"Then I'll count on you both to the very end."
"Yes, sir!"
Escorted by Sa Yun and Yu Hui, I made my way back to the inn. While I was stowing our purchases in the storeroom, the two of them hurried off on their patrol once more, and I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
What a shame. I'd been planning to send them off with a mooncake apiece, seeing as they were here anyway.
Sweet-and-salty is the golden pairing, after all — if they'd had savory skewers, they needed sweet mooncakes to balance it out.
I'd simply have to treat them properly when they came back.
"What's with that face?"
"Nothing at all."
Just then Yohwan came out, fanning herself. She settled onto a seat with her usual dour expression, studied the sky for a while, and muttered:
"Tonight's going to be a busy one. Innkeeper — I'll need you in the kitchen too."
"Will I actually be of use?"
"It's not as if you can't cook at all, is it? And I'd like a few extra hands besides — Jeomsoi, or some of the servants."
"Understood."
She was asking for help, and the master of an inn could hardly lounge about while his kitchen struggled. I nodded at Yohwan's words, and she flashed a grin.
"Then let's start with the prep work."
With Jeomsoi pitching in as well, we saw the prep through to the end.
We peeled the skins off a vegetable called hwangu, trimmed the scallions, smashed garlic, turned our hands to one odd job after another, and helped Yohwan put together a few of the simpler dishes.
To think the kitchen could be thrown into such a flurry just from a few extra mouths to feed.
For as long as they stayed, I'd need to assign another pair of hands or two to the kitchen — Jeomsoi, maybe, or a servant.
Of course, even amid all the bustle, I never forgot to keep peeking outside, wait for Yu Hui and Sa Yun to come by, press a mooncake into each of their hands, and scurry straight back into the kitchen.
"Guests coming in!"
I threw myself into welcoming the evening's guests as they streamed in. I waited on tables with my own two hands, and whenever a dish looked set to run late, I hurried over to smooth things over, sometimes offering a complimentary plate of tea and sweets.
While I worked to keep any grumbling to a minimum, one of the Moonlight Squad members who had come down from upstairs bowed her head to me, looking apologetic.
"I'm sorry for descending on you so suddenly."
"Welcoming guests is precisely what an inn is for. Besides, I've set aside a separate space for the Moonlight Squad."
I led her toward the back of the hall. Once I'd guided the squad members into the spacious room reserved for honored guests, I tilted my head.
The two people I ought to be seeing were nowhere among them.
"Where has Lady Chae gone?"
"She's in her room right now. She'll be down in a moment..."
"Here I am~!"
That girl had no sense of decorum either. Bounding down the stairs with a bright, breezy laugh, she flashed me a beaming smile.
"Hehe. So it's Yohwan's medicinal cuisine tonight, is it? I'm curious what it tastes like. Am I allowed to look forward to it?"
"By all means."
"Wonderful! Ahh, I'm starving~!"
"Um... you seem awfully busy. I'll help too."
Chae Jin, who had followed her sister down, reached out awkwardly for the plate in my hands. But I shook my head.
"This is more than enough help. Besides, it's been an age since you last saw these friends of yours. If it's no trouble to you, why not sit and eat with them?"
"But the inn's own people..."
"We're quite all right."
I gave Chae Jin's back a gentle push, and after a moment of dithering she finally disappeared inside. Chae Ryeon, watching it all, smirked.
"Your thoughtfulness is simply superb, Innkeeper!"
"This hardly qualifies as thoughtfulness."
"Ahaha. A person who, in her own hard times, won't reach out to others and insists on solving things herself — that's someone worthy of respect. In that case, I'll accept your kindness and hospitality with pleasure."
"Please do."
With Chae Ryeon inside as well, I set myself moving again.
She could call it thoughtfulness all she liked — this was no such thing.
Had we truly been drowning, I'd have begged for help — but the staff on hand was more than enough to manage.
"Table four! Five-spice braised pork and dumplings, out!"
"Coming!"
Hearing the shout from the kitchen, I quickened my steps.
And so the warlike stretch of hours came to an end.
Tonight's takings might just be the best the inn had ever seen.
I told the exhausted Jeomsoi and the servants they could turn in a little early for once.
The Moonlight Squad was still eating, but there seemed little chance of further food orders — just the occasional drink to bring out, and that much I could manage alone.
Besides, Yohwan would be staying on anyway.
I pressed a tael of silver into each of their hands by way of a bonus and sent them home, then set about cleaning with Yohwan.
We had more or less finished tidying up, and I was sitting at a table sharing a quiet rest with her when a light knock sounded at the inn's entrance.
"We're closed for the day."
"Well, isn't that lucky, then?"
The one peeking in with a sunny smile was none other than Hong Ryeon. Come to think of it, she had said she'd be by today.
Yohwan looked puzzled, but I told her to head in first and made for the back courtyard.
She entered on light footsteps, her face faintly flushed.
"Good news, perhaps?"
"Good things are always happening. These days, every single day is a joy."
"That's a fine thing to hear."
"Hehe. Now then — shall we begin?"
As always, I pulled off my shirt and folded into a cross-legged seat. Hong Ryeon came around behind me and slowly brought up her hands.
Hands far too soft to belong to a swordswoman brushed and kneaded along my back in light, sweeping strokes.
Was she searching out my acupoints again? As if I'd know one if I felt it.
So I simply sat there meekly — until Hong Ryeon gave a low, awkward cough and said:
"I'm only checking where the turbid qi has gathered further. It means nothing else, I assure you."
"I never said a word."
"Right! Exactly! Through your back I observe the meridians like so, and I have to confirm where the turbid qi lies, so—"
Then again, this was still only as much as Hong Ryeon had learned from Geomseong so far — perhaps her skill simply wasn't polished yet.
"Ahem. Now then, let's truly begin."
Having cleared her throat, Hong Ryeon sent her qi flowing into my body, just as before.
Strong, warm internal energy coursed through me, tracing the paths of my meridians, and the turbid qi it drew out in its passing gathered little by little.
How long did that go on? When I finally expelled the clotted turbid qi, Hong Ryeon's lips curved into a smile.
"It seems you've been training diligently. Your meridians have grown sturdier. We could shorten the interval next time, you know."
"Good to hear."
"And from the look of you, today was a busy one. Shall we have dinner later, then?"
I shook my head.
I couldn't simply send Hong Ryeon off after all the trouble she'd gone to.
Yohwan had earned her rest today, so I figured I ought to make something myself. Looking at Hong Ryeon, I said:
"It's late, but won't you have something? Even if it's simple."
"Is Yohwan making it?"
"No — I will. It won't be on Yohwan's level, but I've picked up a thing or two from her... Of course, if you'd rather have her cooking, I'll go ask."
Hong Ryeon shook her head slowly and said with a smile:
"Then make me the dish you're most confident in."
Been a while since I got to show off my skills.