I passed the first exam of Man Geum-jeon and established a contractual relationship with Je-gal Hyang.
Both are happy news, but the most joyous one is that I won’t have to see that annoying old man for a while.
For a moment, I thought I shouldn’t even glance in the direction of Man Geum-jeon Mansion until the next repayment ability assessment. But as soon as I solved the existing problem, a new one popped up.
“Why are you still working in my office?”
The day after I visited Man Geum-jeon Mansion, in my office.
Im Ha-yeon dragged a desk to one side and started working alongside me, showing some discomfort.
“Is it bothering you?”
“More than bothering, I simply don’t have a separate room. You used to work perfectly fine in your own room, so why suddenly in my office?”
“…….”
If you have complaints, don’t pout your lips, just say it. You’ve been glancing at me for a while now, like you have something to say.
If you have something to say, just speak up.
“What’s the matter? Is it because of the matchmaking?”
“Not that… But isn’t it unnecessary to accept the bookstore’s management rights?”
True enough.
“I had no choice but to do that, so Man Geum-jeon wouldn’t be a nuisance anymore and I could benefit as well.”
“……But.”
Im Ha-yeon lowered her head slightly and hesitated.
I understood why she was dissatisfied. Still, in that situation, it was the best choice.
“I understand you’re worried that I might pay more attention to Je-gal Hyang than to the business and the Ha-yeon issue. But Ha-yeon, I have no intention of marrying Je-gal Hyang at all.”
Marrying into the Je-gal family would be a life-changing opportunity. I would pour all my passion into that, making her worry.
“……Who’s saying anything?”
A peculiar crack began to form on the lips of Im Ha-yeon, who had been filled with dissatisfaction.
“Even though we were matched under pressure from Man Geum-jeon, the other party is the Je-gal family. It wasn’t meant to succeed from the start.”
“That’s true.”
“The reason I’m in Wuhan is to reclaim the Dasogak and protect Ha-yeon. So don’t worry too much.”
I assured her with a determined tone.
“……But the other party is another life, I mean, no.”
“Then, please return to your seat.”
“For now, let’s work together. I feel productivity increases when there’s someone in the same space rather than working alone.”
Im Ha-yeon spoke to me with a relaxed expression, as if she’d never had complaints at all.
“If that’s the case, I have no choice.”
Did I get caught trying to slack off just because I passed the exam? I’ve been overloading Ha-yeon with work lately.
I nodded to Im Ha-yeon and started reading a letter delivered from Seocheon Post Office. The letter mentioned recent news about Yichang.
“Are you reading a letter from Yichang?”
“They say the Dasogak is running fine. The Seocheon Post Office has also bolstered manpower, and they assured me to not worry as they are providing security for the Dasogak along with the printing house.”
I had initially trained staff to manage a branch. There were some disturbances at first, but thanks to the scholarship students, Seocheon Post Office, and the club leader, it seems everything is running smoothly.
“Let me see… Looks like those guys are still oblivious to the fact that I’m in Yichang.”
Im Ha-yeon frowned slightly at the mention of the troublemakers in the letter.
Though they had been notably tamer after suffering a few defeats, it seemed they were still occasionally surfacing.
“That’s fortunate. I have business to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have something to take care of.”
“Are you going to Man Geum-jeon Mansion?”
Why would I go there? Lately, every outing seems to lead to that annoying place.
“I want to keep my distance from that old man. I’m going to a restaurant in Wuhan’s downtown.”
“Why a restaurant? Do you have an appointment? Or is it…?”
Im Ha-yeon’s eyes twitched slightly.
“Have you forgotten?”
Did she not notice? Normally she’s sharp, but she can be strangely dull at times.
“What?”
I opened my mouth to jog her memory.
“It’s the place run by Si-mun Hyang-ju.”
The leader of all the subordinates under Hao-mun in Hubei Province, Si-mun Hyang-ju.
“Ah!”
Did that ring a bell?
——————-
I had originally planned to go alone, but I thought bringing Im Ha-yeon along would be better.
“Excuse me. The Hyang-ju is busy. If you’re dining, I’ll let you know when she’s free.”
We were led to a private room, ordered some exquisite dishes, and sat down to wait.
Wow! What an authentically martial arts restaurant!
The elegance overflowed even in its decorations, and the prices were beyond imagination. Yet, I was still happy that this restaurant mostly served genuine martial arts-style dishes.
“It’s here. They say this dish is called Qing Zheng Yu (清蒸鱼). It’s a steamed high-grade fish garnished with sizzling oil and various seasonings. I’m looking forward to it.”
I gazed at the beautifully placed fish with eager eyes, turning to Im Ha-yeon.
“Looking carefully, you’re not from the Central Plains, yet you seem to like these foods more than the Central Plains people do.”
Im Ha-yeon looked at me as if curious.
“To me, it’s all exotic food. I’ve never had it before, so I’m even more excited.”
“Ah… Um… Sorry about that.”
Im Ha-yeon frowned, looking embarrassed. Was she reminded of my past where I lived like a beggar?
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s eat.”
How should I eat it? It looks so fancy; I’ve lost my touch. I guess I just grab the ordinary parts with chopsticks.
“Wait a minute. If you don’t know how to eat it, I’ll help you.”
Seeing my hesitation, Im Ha-yeon carefully took the fish bones off with her chopsticks, placing it with some vegetables on my plate.
Why is she suddenly this kind?
“I’ll thank you for the meal…”
“Wow! So it seems you’ve already become someone who removes fish bones for each other.”
Just as I was about to take a bite of the Qing Zheng Yu, the door to the private room swung open.
“Si-mun Hyang-ju!”
The person entering was the amiable-looking Si-mun Hyang-ju, who seemed like someone who successfully runs a business and spends his evenings gaming at home.
“Sit down. Sit down. I have to go out again since I’m busy.”
“Yes.”
Without any pretentious nonsense, Si-mun Hyang-ju waved his hand and sat down on an empty chair, looking at me with interest.
“Haha, you asked me to show off my abilities, and you’ve chosen a very amusing method. Using carrier pigeons for takeout, huh? That’s the first time I’ve heard of it in my life, even after having been in the business since I could hold a spoon.”
“Being from a foreign land made this stand out.”
“Save the modesty for when you’re in front of others. Here, you should acknowledge my great talents.”
“Haha, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I hear you’ve hired quite a few folks from the Si-mun faction? They said you take care of the lunch breaks, and they have decent wages. Isn’t it surprising that there exist lamentations about why they aren’t black-haired?”
The Joseon people I employed were members of a faction, and those in the Si-mun faction were eager to be noticed by me as the leader.
“It seems it’s easier working with those from the same hometown. If you don’t like it, I can make adjustments.”
“That’s fine. Choosing subordinates is up to the boss. You’re doing well.”
“Do you know what’s going on with the troublemakers?”
Since he mentioned being busy, I hurriedly brought up the main topic.
“We’re blocking their information and feeding them false information.”
“False information?”
“That Im Ha-yeon is still in Yichang. No, actually, she disappeared after the road’s lost cause, abandoning the useless Kang Yoon-ho. A turmoil-inducing piece of information, you know?”
“Ah, I see.”
“On their end, it’ll be quite chaotic. If they had their way, they’d want to catch that black-haired innkeeper out in Wuhan and interrogate him about the whereabouts of the runaway courtesan. But from the intelligence they received from Si-mun, this black-haired guest is a subordinate who has caught the attention of the Sichuan Tang Family, isn’t he?”
Since he’s from Si-mun’s side, he added that last part.
“It seems the troublemakers don’t want to create more commotion in Wuhan.”
That probably meant they wanted to keep the attention of the Hao-mun focused on Im Ha-yeon rather than spreading it to other Hao-mun locations.
“Glad to see you catch on quickly. Perhaps this is why people should be closer to books than food.”
“Thank you very much for your help.”
“Thank you? What’s that about? It’s a Hyang-ju’s duty to look after the family.”
“Are you finally acknowledging me as family?”
It seemed that if I were acknowledged as a family member, he would help me.
“I guess it’s family, but more of the troublesome relative kind.”
Is that a sign that I’m lacking?
“What should I do to improve?”
“To be recognized by the family, you must have a lot of dependents. Brother, you should be the one who boasts about the number of your dependents. It’s only right for someone to help if they see me putting on airs.”
“I’ll expand the business a bit more.”
If that meant leading more of the Hao-mun under Si-mun, that would be worthwhile. I had to keep growing the business after all.
Si-mun Hyang-ju nodded in satisfaction at my words.
“Keep doing what you’re doing well. Today, I will treat you, so eat well and take care of yourself. They’re good for your health, so you should be fine to handle it three times tonight. Or wait, since you’re black-haired, can you handle more?”
Si-mun Hyang-ju said with a playful smile directed at Im Ha-yeon.
“T-That sort of relationship doesn’t exist between us!”
“Doesn’t exist? In a public place, you remove fish bones for him. Quite the sight to see.”
“That was because it was a private room…”
“If the door hadn’t been closed, would you not have done it?”
“……”
“Normally, someone who removes fish bones by day becomes a partner who removes undergarments at night.”
“I will protect Ha-yeon with great care until you acknowledge me.”
I stepped in for support, as Im Ha-yeon’s face turned crimson.
“Sure, assuming the prized possession of the Gyeonggi Province doesn’t find satisfaction unless it’s a black-haired innkeeper, the Gyeonggi Province or the troublemakers will foam at the mouth, so once you catch them, don’t let go.”
“Ugh…”
“Haha! I must be off now. I will contact you when the time is right.”
“Thank you. Please take care.”
“Oh! I almost forgot to ask something important.”
Si-mun Hyang-ju stopped as he was about to leave and turned back to us.
“What?”
Is it something more important than news about Im Ha-yeon?
Could it possibly be some bad news?
With an endlessly serious expression, Si-mun Hyang-ju took out a small piece of paper and spoke to us.
“What dessert do you want? We have vanilla ice cream and green tea ice cream.”
I chose the green tea ice cream.
—————-
“Si-mun Hyang-ju has a refreshing attitude, unlike that annoying old man.”
“Well, you’re a proxy for Uncle Gwak. Considering you’re on his side, paying special attention seems reasonable.”
Im Ha-yeon added that it’s very rare for a branch manager to treat the proxy well.
“Though it doesn’t feel like they trust me completely.”
“Sigh. Do you know what position the Hao-mun Hyang-ju holds? The way he treated you would have astonished other Hao-mun members.”
“I thought he treated me comfortably because it was just his nature. But if he’s treating me like that, shouldn’t he quickly resolve the troublemaker issue?”
“From Si-mun’s perspective, confronting the troublemakers is inevitably awkward. But now I understand why none of them have pinpointed my position.”
“Seems that Si-mun’s abilities run deeper than I initially thought.”
It seems Si-mun Hyang-ju might have halfway recognized me as a family member, providing me a bit of consideration.
“Our activities are quite limited. Going to the gambling houses or brothels isn’t an option either. The only ones who can report on us would be the subordinates, but their information is held tight by Si-mun Hyang-ju.”
“It looks like I can continue my business without worry for the time being. While to gain Si-mun’s full acknowledgment, I might need to add a few more inns to the mix.”
I figured I needed to be a stable pillar to feed the subordinates of the Si-mun faction.
“You do have a way to do that.”
Im Ha-yeon’s voice had a strangely sharp tone.
“Are you suggesting the Dasogak branch? It won’t be instant, and it’ll take time to get it running, then the revenue sharing…”
I was still unsure about when I would receive the Dasogak branch, so waiting indefinitely was also questionable.
I silently walked together with Im Ha-yeon back towards the inn.
—————–
“There’s nobody here!”
What’s going on? Upon arriving at the inn, I saw a few people in constables’ attire with grim expressions.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re from the government.”
“From the government to our inn?”
What’s happening? I’ve paid my taxes on time. I’ve got all the necessary permits. Surely they aren’t asking for a bribe?
“No, we’re not here for the inn. We’re here for you, Kang Yoon-ho.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve come to confirm the facts as part of an investigation. Do you know a man named Heo Song?”
The constable picked up a brush from a nearby person and mentioned a name I was familiar with.
“Heo Song? You’re talking about the Heo Song who opened the Man Geum Library?”
“That’s right.”
“Did Heo Song make any complaints against me?”
Is he throwing a fit by involving the government? If Man Geum-jeon hears about this, he wouldn’t let it go lightly. How pathetic.
But what came out of the constable’s mouth was unexpected.
“That’s not it. He was found dead.”
“What?”
“Heo Song was discovered dead this morning.”
