Thud!
Just like a student living alone would be thrilled to receive a three-set gift of oil, seasoning, and Spam, the most popular gift in Joseon era was, believe it or not, shoes!
Sure, given the price of essential goods, they were definitely a great gift all around.
Unlike modern superstitions about gifting shoes, back then it had the meaning of wishing for good fortune, as if walking on a new path with new shoes.
And there’s another meaning behind it, but we don’t need to get into that, do we?
“My gift?”
I smiled at Im Ha-yeon, who was alternating her gaze between me and the shoes with wide eyes.
“It’s called Tang-hye, a popular flower shoe in Joseon. Made from leather and silk, typically worn by wealthy women.”
That’s some expensive stuff! Only women from noble families would wear something like this.
“Where did you get Joseon shoes?”
“I heard there’s a skilled artisan among the local community. I asked him to make them carefully as a gift for Ha-yeon so-juh. What do you think?”
Beautiful flower shoes crafted with care by a skilled artisan. Even I could see they were well-made with a lovely pattern for a woman to wear.
“Yes, they’re pretty.”
Im Ha-yeon couldn’t hide her amazement as she inspected the shoes, her mouth agape.
Looks like she’s into them. Good job!
Having opened her heart with the gift offensive, it was now time to share my feelings.
“I’m sorry for troubling you all the time.”
I spoke with a thoughtful voice and looked at her, wishing to express my remorse, which left me momentarily speechless.
“Why so sudden?”
“Since I couldn’t even give you money properly, and you’re wearing those worn-out shoes, it troubled me.”
The nearly worn-out shoes I saw while she was walking on the wall.
Realizing how hard she was working in Wuhan made me reflect on a lot of things.
It’s understandable she was speechless when facing the brush.
She’s working hard while I just receive gifts and enjoy myself. She could feel upset about that. So, I searched for a skilled artisan and prepared this thoughtful gift.
“You’re the one suffering because of me. Why worry about such things?”
“It’s not just because of you. We’re suffering together because it’s about our work.”
We’ve got the Tea Bookstore at stake too. We’re a community of destiny, right? We need to work hard together!
I gazed at Im Ha-yeon’s face with an endlessly serious expression.
Did she understand my sentiment? Im Ha-yeon bit her lips, and her eyes quivered.
“…….”
“We need to take care of each other when struggling. Please accept them.”
“Ugh… You are really…”
Im Ha-yeon seemed flustered, turning her head away, probably aghast.
Did I kill the mood?
“Why don’t you try them on? They’re made to fit your foot size, but just in case.”
“…… Huh.”
Im Ha-yeon kept glancing at the shoes, giving me a peculiar noise.
Why isn’t she trying them on?
“Is there something you don’t like about them?”
They should fit just fine!
When I asked with a perplexed expression, Im Ha-yeon extended the shoes toward me.
“Put them on for me.”
“Me?!”
“Isn’t it possible for the one who gifted them to put them on?”
Why are you yelling?
With a strangely flushed face, Im Ha-yeon turned her head down and brought the shoes close to my chest.
She wants me to put them on?
Does she expect to be treated like a rich lady since she received a gift?
“Then give me your foot.”
Swish!
I suppose I’ll give her some service.
Im Ha-yeon turned her head and extended her leg towards me.
This feels a bit awkward. In ancient China, showing one’s bare legs to a man signified considering him as a suitor.
This world doesn’t have that stupid culture due to the terrible tradition of foot-binding, but still, it’s a bit embarrassing.
I carefully placed my fingers on her slender ankle to remove her old shoes.
“Ugh…”
If she makes that strange sound, it’ll be more embarrassing.
Why am I so conscious of her legs all of a sudden?
Her white legs were impressively toned with healthy muscle. Is this what Olympic female athletes look like?
I swallowed hard, almost unconsciously. What’s going on here?
Did I take off her shoes too hastily?
As I removed her shoes, her socks came off too. I may not have any specific preferences, but those toes look really grab-worthy.
And then, from those beautiful feet, a hint of a certain odor wafted…
“Foot smell…”
“What did you say?!”
I was immediately kicked.
“Auughh!”
We’re on the rooftop!
In an instant, I felt my body lift. It was as if gravity disappeared.
Am I gonna fall from the pavilion? I haven’t even learned how to walk on air! And I definitely didn’t master the method of changing direction in mid-air with the techniques of the Dragon’s Flow!
This can’t be happening just as I was escaping a predicament, right?
“Are you okay?!”
Fortunately, Im Ha-yeon, who had quickly got up, grabbed my hand.
“Huff!”
Long time, no see, gravity. I missed you after just a second apart.
When I looked up in surprise, Im Ha-yeon stared at me with a frown, eyebrows knitted tightly.
“Unbelievable! Who would say a girl’s feet smell?!”
“Uh… I’m sorry.”
“And they don’t smell that bad!”
As she hastily changed into the flower shoes, her face went redder than ever, and she yelled at me.
No way! I might have frowned at the subtle scent rising, but still!
“The smell was from running around all day. It’s not a bad scent. It’s just a bit musky and very bearable…”
I really shouldn’t have said that; it’s a losing battle.
“I’M NOT SAYING I DO!”
Anything I say is just going to make things worse.
“It seems you’re right.”
My nose is actually on the fritz. Maybe the words of the Shadowless Thief have some truth to them.
“Seriously! Why would you say something to ruin the mood?”
Im Ha-yeon scolded me, looking a bit aggrieved.
Truth be told, things were a bit awkward a moment ago, and I found myself all tensed up unconsciously. I swallowed the words I couldn’t bring myself to say and gazed at Im Ha-yeon’s feet with the shoes on.
“Haha. Those flower shoes suit you.”
Beautiful shoes for beautiful feet. They matched perfectly, both above and below!
“… They feel really comfortable too.”
Im Ha-yeon seemed to have no desire to argue anymore, lifting her foot slightly to admire her new shoes.
“A craftsman with the surname Na made them, using top-quality materials and a special insert for comfort when walking.”
Just like Joseon’s enlightened monarch who cares for the people, it’s advanced shoe technology!
“They must be really expensive. I should be careful with them.”
“If they wear out, I’ll gift you another! Just let me know anytime.”
“… I-I’ll leave now.”
Is she shy about wearing the newly received gift? Im Ha-yeon looked embarrassed as she prepared to leave the pavilion.
“Alright. But…”
“What?”
“You need to let go of my hand if you want to leave.”
Im Ha-yeon’s hand, which held mine once, showed no sign of letting go.
Why is she still holding on when we’re safe now?
“Ah… Well! It’s harder to go down than up, so hold onto me, and let’s go together.”
“I think I’ll be fine with my Shadowless Body Technique at level one.”
“It’s dangerous! Come down with me!”
It definitely looked dizzying when looking down.
I held Im Ha-yeon’s hand and safely descended from the high pavilion toward our lodging.
But somehow, she never thought of letting go of my hand the entire way to the inn, but I figured on a good day, I wouldn’t need to care about that.
“Hey, innkeeper, haven’t you finished work yet?”
Before long, deep into the night, Im Ha-yeon came into the inn with Kang Yoon-ho and called out to Innkeeper An, who was resting in a corner.
“We’ve been getting a lot of late-night customers lately, and the youngsters downstairs can’t handle it.”
“Isn’t that a bit too late for you to be working? You should take a break.”
Kang Yoon-ho asked with a concerned expression on his tired face.
“I’m not comfortable leaving the late-night snacks to the kids. It’s okay since tomorrow is my day off. But still…”
Innkeeper An wore a mischievous grin as he looked at the couple and noticed something different.
“What?”
“Looks like there’s some sweetness in the air.”
The intertwined hands of the two. Even Innkeeper An, who has seen both of them from the start in Wuhan, had never witnessed such a sight.
“Oh no!”
“Ah…”
A strange sigh of disappointment escaped as their fingers unwound.
“By the way, I need to talk to my future daughter-in-law for a bit.”
“I’ll head back first. Sleep well.”
“I-I’ll go in first.”
After an awkward exchange of glances, Kang Yoon-ho left toward his room.
Im Ha-yeon, hiding the hand that had been holding Kang Yoon-ho’s behind her waist, silently watched until he disappeared.
“Have you finally reconciled? The club leader inquired, and did you manage to gift her shoes at last?”
“Yes, do you even know that? But what’s the story you wanted to tell?”
“Are you doing okay lately?”
Innkeeper An spoke to Im Ha-yeon, aware of everything.
“No, it’s you who seems to be working harder.”
“Beyond that, about the matter regarding the matchmaker from the Jegal family.”
The matchmaker’s daughter from the Jegal family had been the talk of the inn. The staff held their tongues around Im Ha-yeon, but it had been the hottest topic recently.
“Ah…”
“It’s not good for a man to be smothered when he’s out and about. Instead, it makes him want to wander even more, you know?”
The strange cold war between Kang Yoon-ho and Im Ha-yeon. Knowing that it was the talk of the inn where everyone knew about it, Innkeeper An had intended to give them both a piece of advice, but seeing that they’d reconciled, he left the woman who only seemed to require guidance alone.
“……”
“As long as you’re doing your part in a visible way, he’ll feel guilty and come back.”
“Is that so?”
Im Ha-yeon’s voice held a peculiar note of skepticism.
“Do you know what it means to give shoes as a gift in Joseon?”
Innkeeper An looked knowingly at Im Ha-yeon’s shoes, which made her expression shift from worry to intrigue.
“Is there a special meaning behind it?”
“It means wishing for good fortune for the giver…”
“And?”
“It also means the person is someone you always want to see.”
With a playful wink, Innkeeper An glanced down at the beautiful flower shoes.
“Ah…”
Im Ha-yeon’s worried expression quickly transformed into a peculiar blush.
“Surely, a sincere club leader would never neglect a devoted wife. Just keep your feelings in check and stay where he can see you. Then he won’t be able to leave you.”
Some of the staff speculated whether the Jegal family would even be better off, but Innkeeper An was clearly on Im Ha-yeon’s side.
“Look at the place where your line of sight meets; keep your sight where it meets…”
Did she find some sort of enlightenment in that? Innkeeper An wore a satisfied expression as he spoke to her.
“That’s all I have to say. You should go in.”
“Thank you! I’ll, um… go in now.”
Im Ha-yeon bowed to Innkeeper An and scampered off toward her room.
As if holding something precious, she bashfully looked back at the hand that had just held someone else’s.
*
The gift offensive was a success.
She must have forgotten about the time I gawked at her from behind, right?
What can I say? But with the guilt from the trouble I caused her and the good gift I gave, I was satisfied.
“Where are you off to so early in the morning?”
As I stepped out of the office, getting ready, Im Ha-yeon approached me with a slightly excited expression.
“I’m thinking of stopping by the Seocheon Post Office to bring back the books for the branch from Yichang. I also need to send a letter and discuss some cargo.”
“Oh….”
“Once the books arrive, it looks like we’ll be able to open the branch.”
If we rush, we might be able to open it in just a few days’ time. That way, I’d be one step closer to passing the exams for both Man Geum-jeon and the literary tests.
The problem is, if I start managing the Tea Bookstore branch, I’ll have to assign Im Ha-yeon more delivery work.
It’s best to give her a heads-up about this right away.
As I prepared to say something about the schedule, I studied Im Ha-yeon’s expression.
What’s going on?
Im Ha-yeon seemed to hesitate, mumbling something before finally speaking, as though she had made a decision.
“I’ll help too.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“The branch management for the Tea Bookstore. Let me join in.”
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