An Advertising Genius Falls into the Joseon Era - Chapter 48

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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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Episode 48
Ha Yun surveyed the empty performance venue and posed a question.
“There’s still some time before the performance starts, isn’t there?”
“Let me go ask around.”
Song Do-hyeon set off toward where the performers had gathered.
A moment later, he returned and nodded.
“The performance begins in half an hour, they say.”
“Is that so?”
It was an awkward stretch of time.
Too long to simply sit and wait, yet too short to return to their lodgings.
Ha Yun recalled the market situated just beside the performance venue.
“Why don’t we browse the nearby market while we wait?”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
As a merchant representative, one could hardly pass by a market without investigation.
The two of them slipped out of the venue and made their way naturally into the crowds.
***
The moment they entered, the market’s characteristic bustle washed over them.
“Come, come! Today only—exclusive merchandise! Take a look!”
“Fresh steamed buns! Three buns for just five fen!”
“Special chili pepper brought all the way from Sichuan! Nothing could be spicier than this!”
“Half price for today alone! You won’t see prices like this again!”
The crowds surged, and exotic goods lay scattered everywhere.
Not Joseon, not the modern era, not China—the Qing Dynasty.
Ha Yun’s eyes lit up at the sight of rare objects he’d only read about in history books.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like this before.”
Visiting markets was always the best part of traveling abroad.
Fruits that could only be eaten in that country.
Exotic crafts, traditional garments.
And the haggling voices of the merchants.
A market was where the authentic scent of a place lingered strongest.
“There should be some genuinely useful things if we look around.”
Ha Yun murmured with interest, glancing about in all directions.
It was then.
“Jade! Fine jade jewelry here!”
Ha Yun stopped short.
“Hm…?”
Before the vendor lay an impressive array of jade pieces.
Earrings, rings, and countless other jade items gleamed softly under the sunlight.
The sight of the jade jewelry stirred something he’d long forgotten.
“Could it be…?”
Ha Yun picked up one of the pieces.
He began to examine it carefully.
A semicircular curve.
An interlocking jade curved bead similar to his late father’s keepsake.
Ha Yun studied the curved bead intently for a long time.
“Ah, no—it’s not it.”
He set it down with a look of disappointment.
The shape was similar, but there was a crucial difference.
This bead was a single, solid structure rather than one formed by interlocking pieces.
“What is it? Have you found something of interest?”
Song Do-hyeon, who had been watching this whole time, finally spoke.
“If it’s a matter of not being able to negotiate with the vendor, I’ll buy it for you.”
Song Do-hyeon readily offered to make the purchase, but Ha Yun shook his head.
“I wasn’t looking to buy.”
“Then what?”
“There’s a particular interlocking jade curved bead I’m searching for.”
“A particular interlocking jade curved bead?”
Why would he wear such a disappointed expression over mere beads?
Song Do-hyeon’s curiosity piqued.
“Tell me about it. I might be able to help you find something similar.”
“Hmm….”
Ha Yun hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
“What I’m looking for is an interlocking jade curved bead—two separate pieces that fit together perfectly as one.”
“Two pieces that become one?”
“Yes. They’re originally two separate beads, but once they interlock, they’ll never come apart.”
“Never come apart?”
“Not by any means.”
Song Do-hyeon turned the words over quietly in his mind.
Two pieces that lock together and become one.
Something that won’t separate no matter what is tried.
It was certainly no ordinary object.
“An intriguing item. I’ll keep it in mind.”
The two of them continued wandering through the market for some time after that.
“How much is that one? Can you ask for me?”
“How much does this cost?”
(How much is this?)
Whenever Ha Yun picked up something with curious eyes, Song Do-hyeon stepped in to translate from beside him.
“I’m sorry, but could you hold this for a moment?”
“Of course.”
When his arms were full and his hands ran short, he would take the items without a word of complaint.
The sight of the two moving through the market, buying goods, seemed almost like lovers on an outing.
Then, from somewhere nearby, a savory aroma drifted over.
“What’s that smell?”
Drawn by the scent, Ha Yun turned his head.
The source of the savory aroma was a street vendor roasting peanuts.
The fragrant smell teased his nostrils.
“That smells delicious… Don’t you want some?”
“I’m fine.”
Song Do-hyeon, who ordinarily disliked snacking, refused outright.
Yet Ha Yun asked again.
“You’d really just walk past that smell?”
“It’s only the common aroma of peanuts, isn’t it?”
“Really? You’re absolutely sure you don’t want any?”
“Didn’t we eat not long ago? That’s enough for me.”
At his repeated refusals, Ha Yun’s expression grew noticeably petulant.
“Ugh… Fine.”
Ha Yun walked past the peanut vendor as if nothing had happened.
But before long, finding he truly couldn’t help himself, he let out what he really wanted.
“Look, I’m the one who wants them, so… could you just buy me some?”
“Very well.”
Only then did Song Do-hyeon approach the peanut vendor.
“Proprietor, I’ll take one portion.”
“Twenty cash.”
“Here you are.”
Song Do-hyeon returned with the peanuts purchased.
He passed over the sack of peanuts matter-of-factly.
“Here.”
As Ha Yun took the sack, instead of thanking him, he gave Song Do-hyeon a sidelong glance.
“Now try eating these.”
Song Do-hyeon tilted his head, mystified by the remark.
After all this back-and-forth, Ha Yun had finally obtained his peanuts and quickened his pace.
“Let’s head back soon. The performance will be starting.”
***
Inside the performance venue, there wasn’t a spare inch of space—it was packed with people as if nothing had changed.
“Excuse us.”
Ha Yun and Song Do-hyeon carefully made their way to empty seats.
At that moment, the lights on stage brightened and the Peking Opera began.
“Ah, it’s starting.”
Ha Yun’s eyes fixed on the stage.
It was his first time seeing Peking Opera.
Actors in resplendent costumes moved with elegance across the stage, their voices soaring out in song and filling the auditorium.
“Wow! There’s our ginseng!”
A ginseng box sat prominently on one side of the stage, exactly as promised. It commanded immediate attention.
The actors then launched into a performance centered on ginseng.
“Alas, if only I had a single stalk of Korean ginseng…”

“Hah, you truly believe such a precious treasure would appear in such a place?”

“Ah! How did ginseng come to be here!”

When the lead actor fell into the trap, he happened upon the ginseng, consumed it, and gained miraculous strength to defeat the villain.
The plot was painfully predictable.
Yet the effect was undeniable.
“Wow!”

“Korean ginseng is amazing!”

The audience, captivated by the Peking Opera, erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
“Well done! That’s it!”
Ha Yun leaned forward without thinking, drawn into the performance.
……
Song Do-hyeon, by contrast, had little interest in the opera itself.
The confined space made Ha Yun’s scent all the more palpable.
Each time their shoulders brushed, his heart lurched; whenever Ha Yun drew breath, Song Do-hyeon found himself breathing faster in turn.
For the duration of the performance, Song Do-hyeon had to maintain a theater of his own.
Then it happened.
Crunch. Crunch.
Ha Yun’s hand disappeared into a sack as he reached for peanuts.
……
Watching for a moment, Song Do-hyeon found his own hand slipping into the sack without his permission.
Brush.
Their fingers touched inside the bag.
“Oh?”
Ha Yun turned to look at Song Do-hyeon with surprise in his eyes.
“You said you weren’t hungry.”
Song Do-hyeon muttered sheepishly.
“…I changed my mind.”
“See? I knew it.”
Ha Yun pushed the sack toward Song Do-hyeon.
“Here, have some. But not too much.”
“……Thank you.”
The two of them watched the rest of the performance in companionable silence, sharing peanuts.
Soon after.
The opera ended successfully, and as Ha Yun made his way out of the performance venue, he asked a question.
“So, what did you think of the opera? Was it good?”
Ha Yun grumbled as he spoke.
“In the middle, the actor says something after eating the ginseng, but I couldn’t understand a word of it.”
Despite his complaints, Ha Yun’s expression was not unpleasant. He had witnessed the audience’s enthusiastic reaction to that very scene.
“I couldn’t very well ask you about it in the middle, either… But the response seemed good. What did you think?”
……
He had no answer to offer.
The opera had been entirely forgotten.
The only image that lingered in his memory was the brushing of fingertips when they reached for peanuts.
“Hello?”
When Song Do-hyeon offered no reply, Ha Yun waved his hand broadly.
“Hey, are you listening to me?”
“…I’m listening.”
“Then you need to answer. So did you enjoy the opera or not?”
Snapping back to himself, Song Do-hyeon scrambled to fabricate something.
“That scene where he shared the ginseng for his mother’s sake—it was quite moving.”
“Tsk, you didn’t notice a thing.”
Ha Yun let out a small, derisive laugh at the entirely mistaken observation.
“For now, the response doesn’t seem bad, so let’s watch it for a few more days. I think reactions will start coming in soon enough.”
“All right. Let’s do that.”
All the way back to their lodgings, Song Do-hyeon’s smile never faded.
Today had been a day of considerable gains.
***
A few days later.
Talk of ginseng began drifting through the town.
“Have you heard? Manager Jang took a pill made from Korean ginseng and his chronic illness disappeared completely, they say?”
“And Heo of the Great Pass, she ate ginseng dishes and her whole constitution changed?”
“I saw it in a Peking Opera show too—the effects of Korean ginseng are supposed to be that amazing?”
“And I heard ginseng tea tastes that good….”
Even inside the inn where Ha Yun was staying, talk of ginseng never ceased. Rumors about Korean ginseng had already swept through all of Fenghuang City.
“Maybe I should try just one root of ginseng?”
“The price is rather steep, but… it should be worth what we’re paying for it, right?”
“Don’t even mention it. I stopped by the apothecary just now, and they’re completely out of pills made from Korean ginseng.”
“Really? Then we should hurry?”
Song Do-hyeon relayed the customers’ conversation to Ha Yun.
“Nothing but ginseng talk everywhere. Your plan worked perfectly.”
“See, what did I tell you? I said it would work, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you were right this time too.”
Ha Yun smiled quietly at Song Do-hyeon’s praise.
That was when it happened.
“Merchant Representative!”
The door burst open and Yun rushed in breathlessly.
“I went to procure ginseng today, but everything’s sold out!”
“Already?”
Ha Yun’s eyes widened.
The pace was faster than expected.
At this rate, Wei Xiaogang would have no choice but to act soon.
“And I heard a rumor on the way back….”
Yun paused to catch his breath before continuing.
“The Qing Dynasty merchants are going to demand negotiations again!”
“Finally!”
Ha Yun and Song Do-hyeon rose from their seats simultaneously.
Clap!
Without hesitation, they clasped hands together.

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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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