If you broke it so thoroughly, it’s ti to build it back up.
“Mr. Ahn, please find a few Joseon people who know how to work with wood.”
I said to Ahn Tae-won as I looked at the wrecked, thoroughly smashed first floor of the inn.
“You’re the innkeeper and the guild head now, Brother Kang. Stop calling hyungnim, just call Ahn Sook-su. And if it’s about furniture or fixtures, I know a supplier. They won’t overcharge just because you’re Joseon.”
In the market, both sides compete fiercely. When you live with black hair in a place where you have no connections, you have to assu getting overcharged is the norm—it’s exhausting.
Still, having a good supplier is helpful.
“It’s because we need a major renovation.”
“A major renovation? But the Heukdo thugs are gone. Wouldn’t it be enough to just run the business now?”
Ahn Sook-su asked with a puzzled look. He wasn’t wrong. With the troublemakers gone, just running the inn would’ve been enough to make a living.
“I’m planning a new business. Including carpenters and laborers for odd jobs. Tell them we’ll pay generously and find people.”
Yeah, I’ve got a venture to launch.
“Weren’t you just working the inn?”
Im Ha-yeon’s voice ca from behind .
“It’s similar, but a little different—huh?!”
“Ah!”
Both Ahn Sook-su and I turned toward the voice and gasped.
“W-what is it?”
“Why are you wearing that?”
Im Ha-yeon was wearing a black qipao—a revealing one tailored to my tastes, with a deep neckline and a scandalously short skirt.
That was in my room back in Yichang. When did she take it?
“If I wear sothing like this to serve food, wouldn’t it help draw a crowd?”
Well, technically she’s right. But did she not realize how much her whole body is screaming “embarrassed”? That’s not an outfit for serving; it’s sothing you wear in a bedroom.
Blushing, Im Ha-yeon tugged her skirt down, trying to hide what little she could.
“Hahahaha!”
“Urgh... I only wore it because I wanted to help!”
She frowned, clearly flustered. I appreciate the gesture, but there’s no need to go that far.
“Young lady Ha-yeon, I’ve got sothing else for you to help with. Sothing very important.”
There’s a task only you can handle.
“?”
Yes. I need you.
-------------
The manpower and construction got started quickly.
“You’re expanding the kitchen? Wouldn’t it be better to just seat more guests?”
“You want the third floor done like this? Not impossible, but...”
“You want all the polite kids from Simun gathered here? Got it.”
“I’m good with wood, yes, but I’ve never made anything like this before. Oh! Not that it’s impossible! If the guild head asks for it, I’ll figure it out!”
“A dozen agile Joseon n to work as busboys? Isn’t one or two enough?”
“Guild Head! Reporting in, sir!”
“Promotions? What are you talking about? You want us to hold signs and hand out flyers?”
There wasn’t just one or two things to be done. Even though everything was mapped out in my head, turning a plan into reality was exhausting.
“Aren’t you being way too leisurely up here?”
On the day the prep work was nearly finished, Im Ha-yeon ca up to the third floor, visibly sulking.
She was just on the first floor a mont ago. And now she’s up here? That’s so insane qinggong.
“Just taking a breather. I wouldn’t slack off after giving young lady Ha-yeon a task, now would I?”
Let catch my breath for a bit.
It’s nice not having to do physical labor anymore, but managing people and making sure things go as planned drains you in a different way.
“Hmph. Whatever. Here.”
She snorted softly and handed a cup resting on a small plate.
“What’s this?”
“Iced aricano. Figured it looked like you needed one.”
So that’s why you ca all the way up.
“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”
I smiled at her and picked up the chilled glass. Even with her sharp tongue, she’s clearly changed lately.
Before, she was like a stray cat—suspicious and darting off after eating. Now, she’s more like a dignified feline that lets you pet her when she feels like it.
As I savored her changed attitude and took a sip, the chill seeped in and the strong caffeine worked its way through .
Truly the potion of the working man.
While I was enjoying the cold lingering on the glass, Im Ha-yeon spoke.
“I’ve done everything you asked. The third floor should be ready by today.”
“Then we’ll start in earnest tomorrow.”
We had to do everything at once due to ti constraints, but it all wrapped up faster than expected.
I looked out over the first floor of the inn, now completely free of any trace of the old arena.
“......”
“Why do you look uneasy?”
I asked Im Ha-yeon, who was holding the dish and staring at without saying a word.
“You spent almost all the money on the promissory note. If this fails, you could lose everything.”
Her voice carried both worry and guilt. She was wondering if it was really okay for to go this far because of her.
“Guys like us, with nothing, only get one shot. One failure and it’s over. We don’t get second chances.”
For soone like Jeon Gil-san, a failure is just a lesson. For people like , it’s a pit you never climb out of.
One-coin clear. For soone else, it’s just losing a single coin. For , it’s everything on the line.
“You know that and still—!”
“But sotis, to save soone, you have to risk it all.”
I looked at her with the expression of soone shouldering a burden too heavy to describe.
“......!”
Did I move her? Her eyes trembled.
Honestly, this is a gamble to spread my wings, but it matters to you, too. I need your help to make this work.
You’re not just watching go for a one-coin clear from the sidelines. You’re part of this. You have to own it too. Seeing how hard I’m trying will weigh on you more than a hundred words would.
“Don’t worry too much. Didn’t you yourself clap and say it was a good idea?”
I reminded her of how I’d explained the plan a few days ago and she’d been all for it.
“Do you really think it’ll work?”
“It will. I’ll make both the Ten-Thousand Gold rchant Guild and Simun happy with the results. Just trust .”
I walked up right to her and gave her a confident smile.
“O-okay. I’ll try trusting you.”
She nodded, unable to et my eyes.
Alright. Let’s start the business tomorrow.
*************
“You’re finally here!”
“Weren’t you running late?”
“Sorry about that. Already dealing the tiles?”
In a residential area of Wuchang, a man who worked as an escort agent arrived late to a room where his friends were waiting.
“We can’t play mahjong without you. You think it’s easy getting four people ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) together?”
“I said I was sorry. But seriously, we should be more careful about playing mahjong.”
He covered his mouth with one hand and whispered cautiously.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s so shady folks hanging around the neighborhood. Might be constables. We should be careful.”
They were gambling for money today. Even if it was just for fun among friends, big-stakes gambling was regulated by the state.
No need to bring the law into this.
“Bamboo hats? Oh—you an the Joseon people?”
“Joseon people?”
“They say to avoid trouble, they’ve been covering their hair with bamboo hats when walking around town.”
“Is that what it was?”
So they weren’t undercover constables but foreigners. The escort agent felt a little embarrassed by his paranoid assumption.
“Now that everyone’s here, sit down and let’s deal.”
“I know I’m late, but...”
Since he was already embarrassed, the escort agent decided to just lean into it.
“Now what?”
“Aren’t you all hungry? Let’s eat first. My treat for being late.”
He hadn’t eaten since oversleeping. Grabbing his grumbling stomach, he made the offer.
“You’re really buying lunch?”
His friends exchanged mischievous glances after glancing at his belly, clearly up to sothing.
“Of course. I just got my escort agent salary. Let’s eat sothing nice.”
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