I Became the Eldest Daughter of a Fallen Family - Chapter 32

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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 32. The Rediscovery of Beans
Eight taels of silver.
When she held it in her palm, its weight refused to leave So Yeon-hee’s mind.
It was the Advance Payment that the Wi Family had willingly offered. No small sum, and there was no shortage of immediate uses for it either.
Yet even accounting for that, she found herself uncertain whether accepting this proposal was truly advantageous.
The constraints were quite numerous, after all.
She couldn’t use meat or fish, nor even eggs, and yet the food had to be flavorful, have a tender texture, and be easy to digest.
Of course, befitting a Birthday Banquet, it had to boast elaborate and beautiful plating as a matter of course.
‘There are so many factors to consider, so I need to prepare even more thoroughly.’
But that didn’t mean she could abandon her livelihood and devote herself entirely to Recipe Development.
‘Frankly, what if the dish I develop doesn’t suit their palate?’
She wouldn’t ask for a refund of the Advance Payment for the sake of the family’s honor, but still—one could never be too careful.
So Yeon-hee resolved to maintain her routine as much as possible while preparing for any unforeseen circumstances.
Thus, with a basket brimming with Hyangjang and Tanghulu just as always, she made her way to the Butcher Shop in Jang-ga.
The moment she set the basket down and bent lightly at the waist, the butcher couple—Jang and Yang—greeted her with inexplicably anxious expressions.
“Oh my, you’ve come! Did you bring the Hyangjang?”
“Of course. Here—the five pounds of Hyangjang I promised.”
So Yeon-hee opened the basket lid and handed over the Hyangjang to the couple.
Then Yang finally relaxed, her face brightening as she let out a relieved sigh.
“Where were you these last two days? You didn’t come without sending word.”
Yang expressed her worry, noting that her concern had been especially acute since So Yeon-hee’s communication had gone silent right after extracting one tael of silver from Wi Family Young Master.
So Yeon-hee gave her a brief account of what had transpired between her and Wang Village Chief, and also shared the news that she had received a commission from the Wi Family.
“So the Young Master was quite taken with your cooking! To think he’d make such an offer.”
“It does seem he was quite fond of the Tanghulu and Hyangjang.”
The combination of sweet and savory really was supreme.
Otherwise, how could he have come by so calmly after being fleeced of a tael and proposed a business arrangement?
But unlike So Yeon-hee’s bright demeanor, Jang regarded her with some concern and asked:
“In that case, would it be difficult for you to increase the Hyangjang supply?”
“Increase the Hyangjang supply?”
“Yes. Right now we’re receiving five pounds every four days, but it’s nowhere near enough. We’d like at least twelve pounds.”
Twelve pounds in four days meant they were selling four pounds a day.
Was Hyangjang—sausage—really that popular?
“We could manage it, but is it really selling that well?”
“Since the Young Master came through, word spread like wildfire. If it were up to me, we could probably sell five or six pounds a day.”
Five or six pounds a day?
So Yeon-hee paused to calculate the selling price, costs, and the labor required to make the Hyangjang.
Since preparing the offal was considerably labor-intensive, pushing the supply too aggressively could compromise quality.
“I think I can manage ten pounds—double what we have now—without too much difficulty. Beyond that, though, I’m not sure what would happen since we lack both equipment and manpower.”
“That’s more than sufficient for now! We have the Wi Family commission to attend to anyway, and if we pushed further, we’d only be doing you a disservice.”
Jang laughed cheerfully and dried his hands on a cloth.
The expression on his face as he hung the Hyangjang on a hook beneath the eaves was absolutely beaming.
‘That’s another guaranteed daily profit of 100 cash.’
Not a fortune by any means, but it would add up nicely over time.
Moreover, whenever she came to deliver Hyangjang, she could sell Tanghulu alongside it and generate additional income.
‘Initially Tanghulu was the main business and Hyangjang was more of a side venture, but somehow they’ve switched roles.’
But Tanghulu was inherently a seasonal snack.
She needed to sell as much as possible while the season lasted, so So Yeon-hee tied her apron firmly around her waist.
“Buy Tanghulu! Only two cash each! Crispy and sweet-and-sour Tanghulu! Good for digestion and good for your skin!”
Her bright and practiced Hawking went on much as it always did.
But the crowd’s response was oddly lukewarm compared to usual, which made her tilt her head in confusion.
Then, finally, the day’s first customer came her way.
“One stick of Tanghulu, please. Here’s two cash.”
It was that pregnant woman from before—the one who’d had a tussle with her husband over Tanghulu—and she handed over the coin with a hesitant expression before cautiously taking a bite.
Then her eyes widened and she exclaimed with satisfaction:
“Mm! This tastes right now! I keep getting swindled at that shop across the street, but eating the real thing like this—I feel alive again!”
So Yeon-hee’s hand stopped.
“There’s another shop selling Tanghulu across the street?”
Then Yang, who had been cleaning meat beside her, chimed in quietly:
“That’s probably those people from the Kim and Chae families. Once word got out that Young Master spent silver coins buying up your stock, people started copying it everywhere.”
What? But how long had she been selling Tanghulu in Jin-seong?
Truly, those ancient merchants knew nothing of Merchant Ethics.
So Yeon-hee swallowed her bitterness and placed the coins in her purse.
‘I did expect knockoffs to appear. It’s just hawthorn berries on a stick dipped in sugar syrup—it’s hardly difficult to imitate.’
But they’d already copied it in two places within just four days?
At this point, the fact that the hawthorn season was short seemed like a blessing in disguise.
Even if counterfeits flooded the market, it wouldn’t be a product she’d sell for long anyway.
‘I need to decide on the next menu item soon. If possible, something seasonal.’
Of course, the Wi Family’s commission had to be handled first.
Autumn was supposedly a season of harvest, yet somehow no progress was being made, only tasks piling up endlessly.
A cool autumn breeze swept across her hands as she tidied the display stand, like a sigh.
* * *
‘Still, I sold quite a lot today.’
She’d worried that sales would plummet with the emergence of competitors, but surprisingly, there were many customers who valued originality.
Especially those who had already tasted So’s Tanghulu once.
“How could these fake Tanghulu—half-done with just malted sugar—even compare to So’s?”
“Exactly! The very appearance is different!”
So’s Tanghulu, where the sugar hardened into what looked like red glass beads from a distance, bore no resemblance to the counterfeits, which looked like hawthorn berries simply rinsed in water.
In reality, the knockoffs used a dilute sugar syrup with a considerably low malt ratio and carelessly dipped the hawthorn sticks into it.
The form could be copied, but the quality could not.
Thanks to customers coming specifically for the “real Tanghulu,” by the time she counted her earnings, they came to nearly eighty cash.
‘That’s enough for today.’
Though there were still about ten sticks of Tanghulu left in the basket, So Yeon-hee closed up shop early, as soon as late afternoon arrived.
Since autumn meant shorter daylight, she needed to leave early to avoid trouble.
Instead, she distributed the remaining Tanghulu among the children in the street, and the familiar chime of Good Deed Points being earned filled her vision with notifications.
Thus, she gained another 10 points and began her journey home.
So Yeon-hee adjusted her basket and turned her steps toward the Grain Shop.
Now that a decent sum had come in thanks to the Wi Family, she thought she might as well buy some rice.
Just then, a familiar face appeared from across the way, caught sight of her, and waved.
“Oh my! If it isn’t young lady So! Fancy meeting you here?”
It was Song, the second daughter-in-law of the Sim Family. A few Woven Mats were visible protruding from her back-load, suggesting she had come to Jin-seong to sell them.
“Have you come to Jin-seong to do business as well?”
“Yes. Actually, my youngest has been coughing constantly, so I came to buy medicine while trying to sell some Woven Mats here. But it hasn’t gone very well since no one’s been around to help.”
Beneath the friendly tone lay a hint of disappointment.
She and So Yeon-hee had attended the Five-Day Market together and built the water mill together, yet So Yeon-hee had kept the Jin-seong business to herself—and Song felt the slight.
“I never meant to exclude you. Circumstances just unfolded that way. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, don’t mention it. I was just saying. You know how it is when a child is sick—you get more sensitive about things. I apologize for bringing it up.”
Though Song waved it off, So Yeon-hee bowed sincerely.
Of all the people she wanted to maintain a good relationship with, the Sim Family topped the list, and she had no wish to incur their resentment.
So she deliberately softened her expression further and shared the bitter news about her Tanghulu being copied.
“Already? My, Jin-seong is a frightening place……!”
“Exactly. I was prepared for copying, but I never thought it would happen this fast.”
At So Yeon-hee’s complaint, some of the disappointment faded from Song’s eyes.
Her eyes brightened, and she cautiously broached a new topic.
“By the way, you know what I’m curious about?”
“Yes, please tell me.”
“What did those young masters who came yesterday want?”
So Yeon-hee laughed softly. Judging by the playful look in her eyes, she could roughly guess what Song was driving at.
‘I’m sure she’s thinking about romance or marriage prospects, as usual.’
In a small rural village, what gossip could there be besides rumors of whose daughter had caught whose son’s eye?
Though she had no intention of spreading word beyond this point, given the expression full of curiosity and interest, So Yeon-hee spoke brightly but firmly:
“Actually, I was commissioned to develop a dish for the Wi Family Great Lady’s Birthday Banquet. They bought loads of Tanghulu and Hyangjang, so it seems my snacks left quite an impression on Wi Family Young Master.”
“My goodness, is that really true? How impressive! Congratulations!”
“Thank you. But the conditions are so demanding that I have no idea what to make.”
So Yeon-hee exhaled a long sigh.
What she said was no exaggeration—it was genuine.
She could only use vegetables, and the dish had to be soft and non-irritating.
That constraint kept circling in her mind.
“With your skill, I’m sure you’ll create something as ingenious and delicious as the Tanghulu. I have faith in you.”
Song’s kind expression and warm reassurance touched her heart, and So Yeon-hee felt her mood warm a little.
The two women then entered the Grain Shop together and each purchased their goods—Song bought ten measures of barley, So Yeon-hee five measures of rice.
Actually, So Yeon-hee had meant to buy barley too, but the image of her grandmother’s slightly gaunt face of late caught her, as if holding her back.
‘White rice has plenty of nutrition and is easy to digest—for the elderly, there’s nothing quite like it.’
Perhaps she could even find a breakthrough for the Wi Family’s commission in this rice?
Like a rice-obsessed Korean, So Yeon-hee mentally generated reasons why she needed to eat rice, engaging in a little self-rationalization.
Then, as she turned to leave with her change in hand,
For some reason, the shopkeeper called her back.
“Miss, would you perhaps need any beans? Only five cash a measure.”
Following the direction of his finger, she saw several sacks of beans stacked in the corner.
They were clearly trouble inventory. Rather than immediately opening her purse at the low price, So Yeon-hee asked a question first:
“Five cash? Why so cheap? They’re not spoiled, are they?”
The shopkeeper’s eyebrows shot up sharply.
“What kind of establishment do you think this is! Just look at the quality of these beans! The seeds are carefully selected, shiny and firm—truly excellent!”
Indeed. The beans’ quality appeared to be quite good, just as he said.
But then why were they being sold at such a low price?
Unable to shake her confusion, as her eyes narrowed, he lowered his voice and murmured:
“The thing is…you know how it is with beans. They’re so hard and have such a strong odor that people don’t seek them out easily. Even if you boil them into porridge, it takes forever and is difficult to flavor properly, so who would readily buy them?”
The fact that he said it himself suggested he was an honest merchant. But that wasn’t the point.
So Yeon-hee’s grip tightened on the sack.
‘They don’t eat beans because boiling them for porridge is hard? Could it be…these people don’t know what tofu is?’
Something clicked into place in her mind with a sharp sound.

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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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