An Advertising Genius Falls into the Joseon Era - Chapter 47

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 47
Ha Yun and Song Do Hyeon made straight for Fenghuang Tower, the finest restaurant in Fenghuang City.
Fenghuang Tower lived up to its name—resplendent in every detail.
A gilt sign caught the sunlight and blazed, while a line of patrons stretched before the entrance. Inside, the air hung thick with rich, fragrant aromas that tickled the nose.
Ha Yun spoke up.
“Quite the crowd in here.”
“Indeed.”
“Should we go ahead and order?”
“Do you have anything in particular you’d like?”
“You pick. I don’t know enough about the food to choose properly.”
“Understood.”
Song Do Hyeon raised his hand to summon a server.
He began placing their order with effortless ease.
“来两碗素面，一份鱼香茄子，再上个东坡肉.”
(Two bowls of Clear Noodle Soup, one order of Fish-Fragrant Eggplant, and bring us the Dongpo Pork.)
“好嘞，这就来.”
(Right away, sir.)
The server withdrew with their order.
Ha Yun, who had been watching intently, murmured aloud.
“That was impressive.”
“What was?”
“Your Qing Dynasty Language. When did you even learn that?”
“Hmm, well—any merchant worth his salt has mastered that much, at least.”
Song Do Hyeon cleared his throat awkwardly at the praise, then suddenly spoke.
He let slip a remark almost without thinking.
“If you wish, I could teach you the Qing Dynasty Language.”
“Really?”
In this era, the Qing Dynasty Language held a status identical to English in the modern world.
No—considering that all important documents were written in Chinese characters, one might even say it mattered more.
It was essential learning for anyone seeking to rise through the ranks.
At the prospect of acquiring such a skill, Ha Yun’s face brightened visibly.
“You’re serious about teaching me?”
“Of course.”
“Then let’s make a promise.”
Ha Yun impulsively extended his little finger forward.
Song Do Hyeon regarded that small hand in silence.
…….
A delicate, slender finger.
Song Do Hyeon’s hand drifted slowly toward it.
After a moment, the two fingers hooked together in midair like clasping branches.
“…I so promise.”
“Ah……?”
A tingling sensation traveled up Ha Yun’s finger.
Only then did Ha Yun belatedly sense something amiss, and he hastily withdrew his hand.
Yet the space where they sat now seemed charged with an odd, lingering tension.
It was at that moment.
“Your order, gentlemen.”
A server appeared with perfect timing, setting down the dishes before them.
“Wow!”
Ha Yun’s eyes widened at the sight of such Exotic Delicacies, none of which he had ever seen before.
The Dongpo Pork gleamed with richness, the Fish-Fragrant Eggplant glistened with an appetizing red oil, and the fragrance of Clear Noodle Soup drifted up from its milky broth, tempting the senses.
After so long without Chinese cuisine, Ha Yun eagerly lifted his chopsticks.
“Delicious!”
Undoubtedly the finest Chinese food he had ever tasted.
The Dongpo Pork melted at the slightest touch, while the spicy-sour notes of the Fish-Fragrant Eggplant kept his palate dancing with delight.
And beneath it all, the deep, refreshing broth of the Clear Noodle Soup.
Perfection itself.
Once Ha Yun had finished, he gazed wistfully at the empty bowls.
“No wonder Fenghuang Tower earns its reputation as the finest restaurant in the city.”
“I concur.”
Song Do Hyeon, indulging in an uncommon excess, nursed his tea and took a moment to let his stomach settle.
“Shall we get down to business?”
Ha Yun gave a subtle signal.
Song Do Hyeon raised his hand, summoning the waiter.
“There’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Who is the head chef that prepared these dishes?”
“Chef Heo, sir.”
“Then please bring Chef Heo here.”
“Sir?”
The waiter looked at him with obvious confusion.
“Is there something wrong with the food…?”
“Not at all. I simply have a few questions for him.”
“Of course, sir.”
The waiter tilted his head uncertainly before disappearing into the kitchen.
Moments later, a middle-aged man wearing a grease-stained apron emerged before them.
“What do you want with me?”
“You’re Chef Heo?”
“I am.”
Called away from his busy work, the chef’s expression was far from welcoming.
He spoke with obvious irritation.
“Surely you’re not complaining about my cooking?”
“Not at all. It was exceptional.”
Song Do Hyeon cleared up the misunderstanding and moved straight to his purpose.
“I’ve called you here to make a proposal.”
“A proposal for me?”
“Yes. I’d like you to add a dish featuring Goryeo Ginseng to your menu.”
“A dish with Goryeo Ginseng?”
Chef Heo clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“What nonsense is this? Goryeo Ginseng isn’t some common ingredient. You want me to cook with something so precious…?”
“I’ll provide it.”
Song Do Hyeon cut him off, opening a wooden box to reveal ginseng roots inside.
“Ah!”
Through the partially opened lid, the rich, distinctive aroma of ginseng drifted out.
“I’ll supply five catties of Goryeo Ginseng free of charge for the ingredient.”
“Five… five catties?”
The chef’s eyes widened.
Ha Yun seized the moment and spoke up.
“Yes. In exchange, display this box of ginseng in the most prominent spot in Fenghuang Tower.”
Song Do Hyeon conveyed Ha Yun’s words directly.
“And whenever a guest orders the ginseng dish, retrieve it fresh from that display and prepare it right there in view. Make it visible.”
No further explanation was needed.
Everyone knew how precious Goryeo Ginseng was.
Five catties of it equaled the entire day’s revenue for Fenghuang Tower.
Such materials.
And five catties of it for free, no less.
Unless he was a fool, there was no reason to refuse.
Moreover, using such premium ingredients would elevate Fenghuang Tower’s reputation several notches.
“I’ll accept your proposal.”
Chef Heo nodded readily.
“I’ll create the finest ginseng dish this world has ever seen.”
“Thank you.”
With the first agreement concluded successfully, Ha Yun and Song Do Hyeon moved on to their next destination.
***
The next place Ha Yun and Song Do Hyeon visited was a shabby medicine shop.
The shop’s sign had faded with age, its characters half-erased, and dust lay thick on the medicine cabinets.
Ha Yun frowned as he looked around.
“This is the place?”
“It has to be.”
Initially, the plan had been to find a renowned doctor.
The higher the doctor’s reputation, the better they could draw out the ginseng’s efficacy.
But a thought suddenly occurred to him.
If a renowned doctor cured an illness, was it truly thanks to the ginseng’s virtue?
Or was it the doctor’s skill that made the difference?
If he couldn’t distinguish between the two, there was no point to any of this.
So Ha Yun changed his plan.
He decided to find a physician of some competence—but one whose name had not yet spread beyond the local circles.
“Are you here?”
Ha Yun and Song Do Hyeon stepped carefully into the apothecary.
“Who are you?”
An elderly man with graying hair looked up from organizing medicinal herbs.
Ha Yun launched directly into his proposal.
“I need you to make a Herbal Pill using Goryeo Ginseng.”
As expected, the old physician’s first reaction was disbelief.
“Is that even possible? And that’s not some trivial expense either—”
But the moment Ha Yun produced the ginseng itself, the physician’s demeanor shifted entirely.
“It’s genuine ginseng!”
The old physician’s eyes went wide.
His hand reached forward almost of its own accord before he caught himself and drew back. The way he reacted to the ginseng revealed his true nature as a physician—one who cared deeply about his craft.
“Is this quantity sufficient?”
“Sufficient? Absolutely! I’ll craft the finest Herbal Pill you’ve ever seen!”
The old physician’s voice rang with resolve.
Watching him, Ha Yun nodded to himself inwardly.
‘A truly skilled craftsman needs better tools, after all.’
The saying that a true artisan doesn’t care about their tools was half right and half wrong.
It was a notion that only mediocre craftsmen lived by.
In the world of true masters, a single small tool, a single ingredient, could make all the difference.
If one couldn’t perceive that subtle variation, one could never claim to be a true master of the craft.
“Then I’ll ask for your help.”
“Don’t worry yourself. With this, I’ll cure every ailment in these parts.”
With their second agreement reached so effortlessly, Ha Yun and Song Do Hyeon moved on.
“What’s next—a teahouse?”
“There we can have them prepare ginseng tea.”
“And at a tavern, ginseng wine?”
“That’s also a sound approach.”
In this manner, they continued traversing Fenghuang City for several days, pounding the pavement at each location.
And each time a crate of ginseng grew lighter, Ha Yun’s steps grew correspondingly lighter as well.
***
“Is this the last stop?”
The final place Ha Yun and Song Do Hyeon visited was a Peking Opera performance hall.
Since the show hadn’t yet begun, the troupe members were scattered about the stage in small clusters, taking their rest.
“It must be over there.”
Ha Yun and Song Do Hyeon approached that direction.
“Good day to you.”
“The performance hasn’t started yet—come back later.”
One of the performers waved them off dismissively.
Clack!
At that, Song Do Hyeon immediately showed the ginseng crate.
“Huh?”
The explanation came after that.
The performers, hearing the proposal, exchanged curious glances.
“You’re giving ginseng away for free? Why?”
“Yes. But there is a condition.”
Song Do Hyeon relayed Ha Yun’s words directly.
“Place the ginseng where it’s most visible on stage. And during the performance, add scenes where the actors consume the ginseng.”
“Add scenes of eating ginseng…”
The performers exchanged knowing looks.
It was a win-win proposition.
To receive rare ginseng for nothing and, into the bargain, elevate the quality of their production with an exotic prop—there was no reason to refuse.
“That’s no trouble at all.”
The agreement came through without difficulty.
“I’ll accept your proposal.”
“Thank you.”
With that, every box of Goryeo Ginseng they’d brought was gone.
Ha Yun glanced at Song Do Hyeon and asked.
“That’s all of it, isn’t it?”
“Yes. That was the last one.”
Song Do Hyeon had carried those ginseng boxes around for days without showing a hint of frustration or fatigue.
Instead, a faint smile had never left his face.
Song Do Hyeon asked with a look of reluctance.
“Are you planning to head back to the lodgings now?”
“Head back where? We need to watch the Peking Opera.”
“You mean we should watch it together?”
Song Do Hyeon asked in surprise.
“That’s right.”
Ha Yun replied matter-of-factly.
As always, the finishing touch to any work was seeing the results with his own eyes.
“We need to see how they promote our ginseng. Who’s to say they won’t just pocket it and break their word?”
“I see.”
“So let’s wait here until the performance begins.”
Song Do Hyeon nodded readily.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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