I Became the Eldest Daughter of a Fallen Family - Chapter 21

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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 21. Guest and Servant Differ by One Stroke (2)
Wi Jeong. Likely the grandson of the former General of Anseong, Wi Gyeom, and the eldest son of the Wi Family—Cheongyang County’s most prominent local tyrant clan.
Unlike the So Family, who had fallen into criminal disgrace through Ju Ha-jin’s machinations, the Wi Family stood as Imperial Relatives and lived lavishly among the most powerful gentry families.
Moreover, it was said that even Yeon, the Imperial Concubine and mother of the Fourth Prince, had failed to win the Emperor’s favor during the lifetime of the late Wi Beauty.
And since no other member had entered military service besides the former General of Anseong, the Wi Family truly deserved to be called a clan without peer in the art of political survival.
Of course, remembering that all this was thanks to their quiet retreat to this distant borderland, one could appreciate their own particular hardships.
Yet that didn’t mean So Yeon-hui wished to keep crossing paths with them like this.
So Yeon-hui spoke with the utmost curtness to Wi Jeong, who suddenly began acting familiar with his bright smile.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
“Hmm? Why ever not? Are you perhaps worried that this man might threaten you? Rest assured, I, Wi Jeong, would never stand by and allow such a thing.”
“No, it’s not that. It’s simply that pregnant women shouldn’t eat these freely. Hawthorn fruit, you see.”
Hawthorn fruit was widely used as a digestive aid because it helped dispel blood clots, and was frequently employed in treating women’s ailments due to its benefits for irregular menstruation.
But that, put differently, meant it encouraged blood circulation to the womb.
‘A rather dangerous fruit to sell to an expectant mother. It’s a pity for the young gentleman, who set out with good intentions.’
Yet where one person is disappointed, another finds cause for joy.
The new bride’s husband suddenly puffed himself up with swagger, raising his voice triumphantly.
“There, you see! I told you these were foods she shouldn’t eat! My heaven-sent husband had his reasons for everything, and yet this ignorant wife couldn’t even show gratitude…!”
Of course, such words didn’t erase his earlier shameful conduct, and the disapproving clicks of tongues from the crowd showed no sign of abating.
‘Good heavens. What a pathetic creature. Does he really want so badly to lord it over his pregnant wife?’
Beyond finding the man’s smugness revolting, So Yeon-hui had no wish to further disappoint the new bride, whose circumstances already seemed so pitiful.
So Yeon-hui exhaled softly and withdrew her secret weapon from a basket hidden behind the counter.
“Instead! I have Tang Hou Lu made from tangerines. Would you like to take some of those? They’re equally sweet and tangy, very delicious. They’re three cash each though. My younger siblings picked the fruit themselves. What do you say—would you like to buy some?”
When the pale orange—indeed, almost golden—tangerine Tang Hou Lu appeared, a sparkle returned to the new bride’s eyes.
“Goodness! How can such a pretty treat possibly exist?”
With jewel-like tangerine segments wrapped in thin, transparent syrup, what else could one expect?
At the sight of the new bride, who looked almost as if she’d fallen in love, Wi Jeong burst into hearty laughter.
“Puhaha! Now I see that your business acumen is truly formidable! Hiding such a secret weapon!”
He clutched his belly and laughed for quite some time, then suddenly shifted his expression entirely and spoke with affected solemnity.
“I’ll buy them. The tangerine Tang Hou Lu. About ten should make the little one inside quite happy, yes?”
“W-what gives you the right to buy Tang Hou Lu for my wife?”
When someone offered to buy five cash worth of snacks in bulk, gratitude was only proper.
Seeing his wife’s cheeks flush slightly, the man bristled with jealousy and shouted.
Wi Jeong then swept the man with an arrogant gaze, and his lips curved slowly upward.
“Well? Does one need to be something specific to buy someone a gift? But if we must speak of such things… Madam, do visit the Wi Mansion soon. Among our household retainers, there are quite a few decent fellows. Certainly better than this small fry here—I’ll personally arrange a new match for you.”
Who could help but laugh at such shameless teasing?
The onlookers burst into laughter as if they’d been waiting for it.
The man’s face flushed as red as a boiled shrimp, but So Yeon-hui paid him no mind as she wrapped the Tang Hou Lu and handed it to the woman.
“Here—ten tangerine Tang Hou Lu. Morning sickness must be terrible in the early stages, so I hope this helps.”
“…Thank you so much, miss. Thank you, sir!”
The new bride practically bounced with gratitude, bowing her head deeply at mere Tang Hou Lu.
They say that pregnancy causes hormonal shifts that intensify emotions over small things, and clearly her husband’s indifference had wounded her deeply.
Yet the very man responsible for this situation seemed to have learned nothing.
He glanced nervously at those watching and tugged impatiently at his wife’s sleeve.
“What, what are you doing! Come along now!”
She hoped they’d leave without further trouble and might see her again another day.
Watching the fleeing couple recede into the distance, Yeon-hui swallowed back words of concern.
Then, fixing an indifferent gaze on the uninvited guest still standing brazenly before her, she calmly requested payment.
“That comes to thirty cash in total.”
“My, miss So. Surely we ought to exchange warm greetings first, as we’re hardly strangers?”
Wi Jeong fanned himself with his fan while giving a playful smile, as if somewhat hurt.
She couldn’t fathom why he’d been acting this way since their last meeting, but So Yeon-hui complied with his request.
After all, it was she who needed to collect payment, and she had no wish to upset him.
“Good day to you, Master Wi. The Tang Hou Lu comes to thirty cash in total.”
“Master Wi? Such a bleak form of address. Wouldn’t you call me ‘A-jeong’ in a friendlier way? Or ‘Jeong-jeong’ would do as well.”
Guest and servant differ by one stroke, they say.
At his cloying presumption, So Yeon-hui’s jaw clenched. She exerted maximum composure and maintained her business smile with effort.
“Master Wi, if you keep this up, you’ll interfere with my trade. Pay and be on your way.”
“How cold you are! Yet I am genuinely a customer here to buy Tang Hou Lu. In fact, I came to buy a great many on the request of my friend A Yun. He apparently can’t forget the sweet taste he had on the street, to the point of being ill over it.”
“…He ate Tang Hou Lu on the street?”
So Yeon-hui’s brow twitched with displeasure.
They’d only glimpsed each other in passing, but the man called A Yun had been wearing fine silk robes of the highest quality—the sort worn by great nobility.
So why would someone clearly drowning in wealth have taken the Tang Hou Lu given to poor children in the slums?
As his intentions seemed dubious and she frowned, Wi Jeong hastily added a clarification.
“Ah, more precisely, he traded his meat dumpling for one piece of Tang Hou Lu. He said the thin little child looked so pitiful, eating snacks instead of a proper meal. Haha, quite a kindhearted fellow, isn’t he?”
Even as he spoke, his own explanation sounded increasingly hollow, and Wi Jeong tried to gloss over the situation with an awkward laugh.
What good would come of arguing with such a man? Nothing but worn-out mouth.
So Yeon-hui sighed briefly and asked weakly.
“…So how many should I prepare?”
“Let me see… ten tangerines should do, and forty-five hawthorn Tang Hou Lu ought to suffice.”
Fifty-five skewers of Tang Hou Lu in one purchase?
That the display held precisely that amount—was it truly mere coincidence?
So Yeon-hui’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“Including the ones for that lady, that’s one hundred fifty cash total.”
With deft hands she wrapped the Tang Hou Lu and passed it over. He smiled widely, as if he’d been waiting for this very moment.
Then he drew a rather substantial silver ingot from his pouch and set it on the counter with a casual cough.
“Miss, this is a one-tael silver ingot, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“The Tang Hou Lu costs one hundred fifty cash. One tael—that’s one thousand cash, not…”
“Ah, I don’t carry such small change on me. Why don’t you visit the Wi Mansion instead? I’ll have my servants give you your change, and you can look around the garden and rest while you’re there.”
Wi Jeong displayed a triumphant smile and unfolded his fan. His entire sequence of actions reeked of shameless smugness.
‘Ah! So this is how you’re going to play it?’
So Yeon-hui’s eyes hardened with intensity and her lips twisted.
As if to prove something, she held the silver ingot up to the light before tucking it into her pouch, then spoke to Butcher Jang and his wife, who stood tensely beside her.
“Uncle Jang, how much Hyang-jang do you have left?”
“Uh, uh… about three catties.”
“Give me all of it.”
“All of it?”
“Now, please.”
A bewildered Butcher Jang began hastily removing the Hyang-jang from the rack.
Wi Jeong’s pupils dilated. His expression clearly showed: This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.
“You see, the sweet flavor of Tang Hou Lu pairs perfectly with the salty Hyang-jang, don’t you know? It’s what we call the sweet-salty combination. So: Hyang-jang at one hundred fifty cash, and Tang Hou Lu at one hundred fifty cash. Together, that’s exactly three hundred cash!”
“Wait, wait! The Hyang-jang is from the shop next door. I didn’t intend to buy any…”
“Oh? I actually make and supply that Hyang-jang too. So it’s practically the same shop.”
With these words, So Yeon-hui quickly wrapped the Tang Hou Lu and, together with the Hyang-jang Butcher Jang handed her, carefully packed everything into a Stainless Steel Container that she’d been carrying hidden in her pack.
Then, with a radiant smile, she handed over the entire set.
“I’ll charge only seven hundred cash for the packaging, including the container cost. After all, we’re not strangers, and it would feel too cold to charge full price, wouldn’t it?”
Wi Jeong, unexpectedly strong-armed into purchasing even a stainless steel container, received the Tang Hou Lu and Hyang-jang set (Stainless Steel Edition) with a dazed expression.
He might have found being robbed at knifepoint marginally less bewildering.

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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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