I Became the Eldest Daughter of a Fallen Family - Chapter 69

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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 69. The All Thumbs Controversy (2)
‘It’s certainly not an easy task for a beginner. This bricklaying business.’
So Yeon-hui herself had needed quite some time after first picking up a trowel before she could properly lift the lime mortar.
The curious thing was that So Jin had mastered a credible technique in such a short span; there was absolutely nothing to be ashamed of if a novice like Ju Ha-yoon stumbled a bit.
But as everyone knows, a man’s pride is a stubborn thing.
Embarrassed by his clumsy performance, Wi Jung had flushed crimson and fixed his eyes intently on his own hands, and this very sight kindled something in So Yeon-hui—a spark of genuine interest.
After all, what teacher doesn’t find it rewarding to teach a student brimming with enthusiasm?
In that sense, Ju Ha-yoon was the model pupil incarnate.
“May I try once more?”
“Of course. You can’t expect to do everything perfectly the first time, so don’t worry yourself. Just take it step by step.”
So Yeon-hui handed the trowel back to Ju Ha-yoon, and he drew a light breath before positioning himself before the wall once more.
The tension radiating from his frame was unmistakable, so So Yeon-hui offered her guidance with deliberately greater warmth.
“First, mix the lime mortar until soft, and then try to scoop it onto the trowel as evenly as possible. If you lift it level, it will settle level when you place it on the brick as well.”
Ju Ha-yoon nodded lightly and immediately did as she instructed.
At first he fumbled slightly, uncertain of the angle at which to grip the tool, but when So Yeon-hui silently took his hand and corrected the tilt, the three-mixed earth settled onto the trowel quite convincingly after a few attempts.
“Next, you need to spread the lime mortar evenly across the brick’s upper surface. For this, if you let it drop gently—almost suspending it in the air before releasing—it becomes much easier. The key is to use speed and the angle of your wrist actively.”
Hearing this, Ju Ha-yoon, his face flushed crimson and his jaw set firm, drew the trowel across the brick with a smooth stroke.
Perhaps it was because his resolve burned with such intensity—Sincerity Moves Heaven, as they say.
This time he succeeded on the first try, spreading the lime mortar evenly without a single mistake.
In fact, the subsequent work of laying the brick proceeded remarkably smoothly.
Whether it was the alignment or the spacing, he had no trouble, and the bricks rose quite plumb; the work of scraping away the excess lime mortar with the trowel and spreading it on the next brick’s side was executed with an almost surprising precision.
‘Goodness. What’s this? He was stumbling just moments ago. Why the sudden change?’
Was it because so many of the men in this place trained in martial arts?
In any physical discipline, they seemed to learn quickly and adapt readily.
Their capacity for adaptation was truly remarkable. Even Wi Jung, who had a rather sickly air about him, felt emboldened enough to issue his own challenge.
“What? Looks easier than I thought. Hand it over. Let me give it a try.”
Ju Ha-yoon glanced back at him with obvious displeasure, raising one eyebrow, but ultimately yielded and handed over the trowel and brick.
“Ho. ‘Trowel,’ was it? This thing is heavier than I expected.”
But who could have foreseen it?
This was precisely where tragedy began.
Contrary to his confident declaration, Wi Jung ran into trouble the moment he tried to scoop the lime mortar onto the trowel.
“Huh? Er… why’s this happening? Ugh.”
Why was he smearing the mortar all over the handle?
This was a bricklaying trowel, not a wall-finishing one, so the handle and the blade’s edge were far apart, yet somehow he was getting mortar all over the handle.
It made no sense whatsoever, but So Yeon-hui decided to observe patiently for now.
After all, the man was of considerable status. She thought it best not to point out every small mistake and risk offending him.
But the more she watched, the worse things became.
“Ah! My shoes!”
He nearly struck someone in the face while concentrating so hard on spreading the mortar that he forgot about the brick he was holding.
The mortar he’d so carefully placed on the trowel came tumbling down onto his shoes the moment his concentration wavered slightly.
He couldn’t control his strength, so the mortar piled onto the brick in ugly, haphazard lumps, and when he tried to place it, he had no sense of angle whatsoever—Ju Ha-yoon had to reach over and physically adjust it.
As for the joint spacing, well, that hardly bore mentioning.
“Well, I was planning to just watch, but this is unbearable.”
So Yeon-hui, unable to contain herself any longer, took the trowel from Wi Jung and immediately handed it to Ju Ha-yoon.
“Why don’t you assist my father and Lord Ha-yoon by handing them bricks? It’s not as simple as it looks to keep them supplied efficiently.”
“Ha, haha… very well. That’s strange—why won’t this work for me?”
Wi Jung laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
Ju Ha-yoon observed him from the side, then quietly looked away.
The faint upward curve of his lips was an open secret.
* * *
After leaving the task to the bricklaying novices and her father, So Yeon-hui finally made her way back to Jeongbang.
She’d only stopped by intending to lift her father’s spirits briefly.
Somehow she’d spent far more time than intended.
Still, pleased at having found what looked like a capable worker, So Yeon-hui helped her mother with preparations beside the makeshift oven, occasionally glancing toward Ju Ha-yoon.
Unlike Wi Jung, who found even handing over a single brick awkward, Ju Ha-yoon worked tirelessly, sweat dripping down his face as he laid brick after brick—a sight so earnest it was hard to believe he was a crown prince.
Yet this very dedication made Jang’s expression grow rigid.
“But… why is he laying bricks?”
“Oh, that? He seemed eager to become closer with Father, and he volunteered to help first.”
“Even so, you just let him do it?”
“What else would you have me do? Tell a guest of his station to just stand and watch everyone work? I’d feel awkward in his position.”
So Yeon-hui spoke thus, then nudged her anxious mother’s shoulder lightly.
“Don’t worry, Mother. He’s probably enjoying this novel experience quite thoroughly. People raised in luxury tend to find hard labor almost like play, you see.”
That’s why hobbies like “weekend farming” and “recreational carpentry classes” were so popular among the wealthy, after all.
Having settled in Yeongcheon-ri, she’d seen plenty of such affluent people coming to enjoy expensive pastimes like these.
Ju Ha-yoon, in any case, was in quite a buoyant mood at the moment.
“In any case, I’ve brought eggs and mushrooms, so Mother needn’t worry about a thing.”
The rice was prepared this morning, the broth already simmering. Surely all that’s needed is to prepare a simple stir-fry and one new side dish?
So Yeon-hui scrubbed her hands and forearms thoroughly at the water source, then cracked all the eggs into a broad bowl to make an egg mixture.
Next, when she began finely mincing the vegetables her mother had prepared, Jang tilted her head.
“Are you making Steamed Egg?”
“Yes.”
Then, as if on cue, Hong appeared beside them and promptly clicked her tongue.
“Will just Steamed Egg be enough? Wouldn’t it be better to go next door right now and get some fish again…?”
“Oh no, Steamed Egg is perfect. It’s savory and filling, has vegetables in it, and when you add water and steam it, the portions expand generously.”
“Eggs can easily turn fishy if you cook them wrong.”
“Don’t worry about that. If you follow the basics properly, there’s hardly any ingredient easier to cook than an egg.”
Her mother and grandmother seemed skeptical, but So Yeon-hui was confident.
After all, egg’s characteristic fishiness is easily masked with black pepper or sugar, and with just a touch of sesame oil it transforms into something entirely different—what could she possibly worry about?
‘When I see people who claim to have All Thumbs and then try to cook, they never seem to follow the basics properly.’
Just do what you’re told to do, and you’ll manage just fine. Yet they always attempt something strange and fail.
The same goes for that lime mortar. Lime mortar mixed with glutinous rice paste? What sort of bizarre dish is that? But when you think about it, that’s precisely the traditional secret that kept the Great Wall intact for centuries.
‘So perhaps, before making excuses about having All Thumbs, one ought to first check whether they’re actually following the basic guidelines properly?’
As So Yeon-hui added the finely minced vegetables and enoki mushrooms to the egg mixture, she smiled with quiet confidence.
“Whoa, whoa! Why is this collapsing!”
And so it remained until Wi Jung accidentally caused an otherwise perfectly stable stack of bricks to come crashing down.

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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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