The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 82
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 82
“Didn’t you say it was a simple matter!”
“Oh my, this person! It’s not about whether it’s simple or not!”
It was a small dispute.
A dispute that could happen anywhere.
Right now, similar arguments were breaking out in two or three other places. About product quality, defects, prices.
The difference was that those were mutual disputes, while this one was one-sided.
“Well, I’m even offering to pay, yet you’re being stingy.”
“Oh my! You outsider should stay out of this!”
Xie Baowei, who had been watching with his hands behind his back, suddenly interjected.
Dangyeonhwa, who was standing beside him, looked at Xie Baowei for a moment, then closed her mouth tightly as if thinking about something.
“No. It’s just so strange. One side is offering money, the other is refusing… Is there some reason you won’t do the repair work?”
“Well, that is…”
However, when the blacksmith owner saw Xie Baowei’s face, he flinched in surprise and began stammering in confusion.
To be precise, he wasn’t looking at Xie Baowei but behind him.
What was strange was that the face of the man who had been arguing just moments before had also hardened considerably.
And then.
“…Let’s just forget it. I’ll be going now.”
“Ah. Is that so? Ahem. Well, if you come next time, I’ll take good care of you.”
At the blacksmith owner’s parting words, the man who had been arguing glared at him intensely.
But without exchanging any more words, he turned and left.
It was truly a strange occurrence.
Xie Baowei stared at the disappearing figure for a long while.
And then soon,
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
The two people answered quietly.
***
“Hmm.”
“Mmm.”
That night, the three members of the Samjeoljo gathered once again around the dining table in their lodging’s living room.
Outside the room, the maid still stood like a painting.
Xie Baowei ordered a bottle of wine and some refreshments from her, and as always, the maid prepared fragrant wine and light refreshments.
“Bamboo Leaf Green. Good.”
It was still strong white liquor, but less potent and smoother than the Gojeonggongju they had drunk the day before.
With medicinal herbs and sugar added, it had a sweet aftertaste and caused little hangover, making it excellent wine for conversation.
Truly the refinement of the Namgung Family.
“Is it okay to talk here?”
Dangyeonhwa spoke in a small voice as if concerned.
Xie Baowei answered with a faint smile.
“Don’t worry. Even if we tried to hide it, it would be something they all know anyway.”
“Hmm… Well. That’s true. Hmph. Fox-like people.”
“What’s wrong with foxes… Well, the more one possesses, the thicker their clothing becomes. Just as authority is something worn over clothes, isn’t it? The Dang Family must be the same.”
Usually that thickness became hardness, so while the inside might be warm, the outside became cold – such was the way of the world.
Xie Baowei, who had tasted both that coldness and warmth, swallowed a bitter smile along with his wine.
“Is the E Family also like that?”
“…Not yet, but soon?”
Akmungi thought carefully, then quietly shook his head.
Three names and faces had already passed through his mind.
One of them was his respected cousin, Ak Munheon.
He who should have been the family’s pride was held in check from an ambiguous position, along with talk of not being direct lineage of the main house.
“I see, that’s unfortunate. Mungi. If that’s the way of prestigious families, then I don’t envy them.”
“Hmph. What’s so wrong with liking your own brother more than complete strangers? Master Xie tends to view those with possessions too negatively.”
“That’s also true.”
Xie Baowei agreed without much difficulty.
Everyone had their own difficulties according to their respective positions.
Just because he had lived without, didn’t mean those who had were always spouting complaints of being blessed.
However, in the end, the matter of making a living… No. Useless thoughts.
“Well, everyone must have roughly caught on, right?”
“Hah. Who was the one acting thoughtlessly?”
“Ahem. I was aiming for this all along.”
“Hmph!”
At Xie Baowei’s words, Dangyeonhwa snorted.
Even so, her expression was strange, giving an uncertain feeling.
Had he stepped on a mouse while backing away, or had he been deliberately hesitating while aiming for something?
“It doesn’t seem like he deliberately deceived us.”
Akmungi spoke in a cautious voice.
Though they still didn’t know why the Nangong had specifically designated the Samjeoljo, they knew the original mission was truly simple.
If Jiangnan Yilian controlled the powerful territory of Jiangnan, that is, near Anhui Province, then the loose alliance of the southern regions – the long coastal areas of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and others to the south – could be called the Southern Dragon Alliance.
They were people who usually engaged in piracy, or robbed those pirates, or did both, fighting and quarreling among themselves. Due to the characteristic tough and tenacious nature of sea people, even though they were bound together as the same alliance, they weren’t particularly close-knit or unified.
However, they would unite as if they were one body in only two matters: one was responding to the Waegu, and the other was advancing inland.
“They said it was just a matter of delivering a message. I thought it might go easily for once.”
“Things have changed. Even mountains and rivers change, so how could human affairs remain unchanged?”
Originally, it was truly just a trivial errand asking them to handle matters that Namgung found difficult to deal with directly.
Taking advantage of the chaos caused by numerous merchant groups flocking due to the magnetite mine discovered in Qiulong Town, some suspicious people were trying to purchase large warehouses near the Yangtze River, and when they investigated, the Southern Dragon Alliance emerged.
Not wanting to cause unnecessary conflict with the Southern Dragon Alliance, they requested mediation from the Alliance.
In fact, Namgung could have handled it themselves. The reason they deliberately called the Alliance was probably because the atmosphere in the southern regions had been unsettled recently.
Still, since it was a matter where the Alliance’s authority and face had to be maintained, sending the recently renowned Three Absolutes was somewhat understandable, but Namgung specifically naming Xie Baowei was puzzling.
“Hmph. There was an incident.”
“I don’t know who started it, but it’s clear they clashed.”
It was a suspicious matter.
Was there really a need to detain guests from the Alliance who came to work, even treating them well?
While the Alliance was a big name to minor local sects, the prevailing atmosphere was that anyone with even a bit of regional influence would use the Alliance as workers.
So it was like treating carpenters called to repair a house? And even that varied depending on each household.
Well, for someone like Namgung, it could be considered the dignity of a great family, but even so, it was excessive.
Moreover, not letting them tour inside or go outside?
“I noticed from the beginning. The smell of medicinal herbs was overwhelming.”
“Ha. You seemed completely thoughtless when sleeping, eating, drinking, and rolling around! Where in a martial family would there be no smell of medicinal herbs!”
“Ahem!”
“Come to think of it, the people in the market also felt suspicious.”
Whatever they did to keep mouths shut for four days, the market was excessively peaceful.
Apparently, they had managed to silence people appropriately and somehow reached an agreement with the Southern Dragon Alliance members.
“See? There was no need to visit the medicine district.”
If someone had been injured, that would have been the first place to look, and the first place to control.
Still, even the wisest can make mistakes. How could one family block off this vast land?
“Tsk. Weren’t you just wanting to rest?”
“Oh my. I was hesitating because I had my reasons. When fights break out, it’s not just human bodies that get damaged!”
“Sigh… Really. So, what are you going to do?”
Simply thinking, it was likely that Namgung suppressed them and the Southern Dragon Alliance resisted.
It would be a picture of Namgung forcibly covering it up after subduing them.
“Well… what is there to do? Just move according to how they’ve set the stage.”
“Ha. Become a puppet?”
“Following the client’s wishes. I’m an excellent worker, you know.”
“Hmph!”
Dangyeonhwa grumbled, seemingly irritated at being deceived.
Xie Baowei just shrugged his shoulders.
Why bother worrying? Just do as told.
He only thought to himself that the pride of great families was truly both petty and remarkable.
He wondered if it was necessary to go through all that trouble just to avoid showing such a small flaw.
However, what was even more admirable was Namgung’s power to silence the mouths of so many people gathered in a village like Qiulong Town, even if temporarily.
And if there was something even more impressive, it was how they didn’t seem particularly regretful about being discovered, as if it was no big deal.
“We just need to watch the show and eat the rice cakes. Why stir things up and make each other’s faces red?”
Xie Baowei looked toward the central courtyard and smiled broadly.
The maid who received his gaze quietly bowed her head.
.
.
.
“I’ll be counting on you.”
As soon as the next morning came, Namgung Hong called for Xie Baowei.
The man who had been the center and spearhead of the Namgung Family’s Hubei branch politely entrusted the work with an unremarkable face.
Nothing had changed.
He didn’t even provide an explanation about the incident they suspected, let alone small details like things to be careful about or reference points.
“If the matter ends well, I’ll reward you greatly.”
He only offered a bonus with the gentle smile that would have charmed many people.
Xie Baowei didn’t refuse it and came out.
“What’s so good that you’re coming out with such a silly grin? Hmph.”
Don’t you have any pride? Tsk.
Dangyeonhwa puffed out her cheeks sulkily.
She used to grumble but wasn’t usually such a twisted child.
“What’s got you so twisted again? Anything given for free is something to be grateful for. There have been plenty of times when we were treated coldly and had to return empty-handed.”
Basically, Alliance missions are unpaid.
Whether Cheongjukrim or Jawunyeong, there’s a monthly salary, and allowances based on the mission’s grade and distance.
So whether the dispatched location provides extra benefits depends on their goodwill. That’s what he meant.
Sometimes they managed to get meals, but sometimes they couldn’t even get a cup of tea.
What if you secretly hope for it? Well, you just won’t get dispatched to that region anymore.
“Ugh. O-our Dang Family treats people really well too, you know?”
Ah.
Despite receiving generous treatment, her expression had been poor the whole time, and it seemed she remembered the poor treatment Xie Baowei had received at the Dang Family the day before.
Such a transparent child.
Xie Baowei smiled gently.
“Yes. I didn’t ask. I’m not curious either.”
“Ugh! I’m not doing this!”
Dangyeonhwa stomped her feet and went outside.
Akmungi glanced at Xie Baowei for a moment, then hurriedly followed after her.
Such an upright, tender-hearted young man.
Xie Baowei smiled broadly and followed after him.
He’ll probably be somewhere nearby cooling off his anger since he has nowhere else to go anyway.
“Won’t you have some sweets?”
“Then shall we stop by the shop first?”
As soon as they stepped out the door, Dangyeonhwa and Akmungi stood there as if they had been waiting.
The advantage of this boy was that his ever-changing moods didn’t last long enough to be annoying, so Xie Baowei smiled gently and stroked the boy’s head.
“Let’s go.”
The Nangong Family’s servant quietly followed behind them.
***
Hwaheng Mulssan.
It was the name of a shabby estate where three people from the Samjeoljo and one maid stood.
Unlike its grand name, the outer walls and nameplate were worn.
The manor grounds were quite spacious, but the main gate was firmly closed.
“This must be the place.”
The main gate was quite large, but looking around, it was deserted with no guards or people coming and going.
When they went to the door to examine it, something seemed a bit awkward.
The entrance was clean as if freshly swept, but the condition of the door was a bit…
When Xie Baowei applied some force, it wouldn’t open. It seemed to be firmly barred from the inside.
Looking to the side at the side door, there were signs that it was frequently opened.
While Dangyeonhwa and Akmungi looked around the area, Xie Baowei knocked on the door.
“Hello there.”
Knock knock.
Since they had come as customers, he thought he should announce their presence.
No one came out.
Knock knock.
He knocked on the door again but there was no answer.
While Xie Baowei was stroking his chin and going “Hmm,” there was a creaking sound of the side door opening.
Oh, did someone come out? he thought.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming in?”
Having apparently finished surveying the surroundings, Dangyeonhwa had opened the door and gone inside.
Akmungi looked at Xie Baowei.
Xie Baowei shrugged his shoulders.
And then quickly followed her inside.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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