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∼Chapter 06∼
Some time later.
When Daljae arrived at Life Tavern, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“W-what in the world is all that?”
Even though lunchtime had long since passed, a line of people stretched around the corner of the wall.
It was the complete opposite of Sanmaru Tavern, where there wasn’t even a shadow of a customer in sight.
‘People are actually waiting in line? At a tavern?’
In all his years of running a tavern, Daljae had never seen anything like this.
A tavern was simply a place where you walked in and sat down.
Then you gruffly ordered a bowl of rice soup, and that was that. Nothing else was necessary.
But these people were actually standing in line and waiting.
It was difficult for Daljae’s common sense to comprehend.
‘Just what could be so special about this place…?’
His curiosity was impossible to overcome.
If people found out that the owner of a rival tavern had come here, his position would obviously become awkward.
But he couldn’t simply return empty-handed.
“Ahem. Cough.”
Covering his face, Daljae went to the very back of the line.
That was when it happened.
“Is this your first time here?”
A woman who appeared to be an employee suddenly approached him.
Not knowing that she was Hayoon, Daljae lowered his head and answered.
“Ah, yes. Yes.”
“Here, please have a cup of cool sungnyung while you wait. I’ll show you to your seat as soon as one becomes available.”
Hayoon handed him a bowl of sungnyung before walking away.
Daljae couldn’t help but be surprised by her kindness.
‘She came all the way out here just to give me a cup of sungnyung?’
It was a service Daljae had never provided even once in his life.
No, in fact, he was often so busy drinking that he would completely ignore customers even when they came in.
And yet, his tavern had continued to run just fine.
Because that was simply how taverns worked.
Gulp, gulp!
“Ah!”
After gulping down the cool sungnyung, some of the drunken haze began to clear from Daljae’s head.
He looked around suspiciously.
‘But there’s no way this alone could bring so many people here…’
A short while later, when his turn finally came.
Only then did Daljae realize why so many people had gathered here.
“Next customer, please come in!”
At Hayoon’s voice, Daljae entered the tavern.
Even though mealtime had already passed, the inside was bustling.
Warm, cheerful voices could be heard from every platform, and the customers eating rice soup all wore happy smiles.
“This tavern’s rice soup really is the best!”
“That’s what I’m saying. I have to come back again next week.”
“Jumo! Another bowl of makgeolli over here!”
“And one more plate of pollock jeon!”
Overall, there was a warm and pleasant atmosphere inside the tavern.
Anyone eating in a place like this would probably find their appetite returning even if they hadn’t had one to begin with.
Furthermore, despite having so many customers, the tavern was remarkably clean and orderly, making it obvious that someone was working hard to manage the place.
“Hmm…”
In contrast, the table Daljae had been drinking at in Sanmaru Tavern had been left exactly as it was.
There was no need to compare the two.
The answer was already obvious.
‘Hmph. It’s nothing special.’
But Daljae refused to accept that conclusion and tried to find the reason elsewhere.
‘Let’s see just how amazing this rice soup really is.’
With that thought, Daljae was about to order a bowl of rice soup when—
“Excuse me! One bowl of rice soup—”
“Just a moment!”
Hayoon quickly cut him off and brought over a menu.
“W-what…?”
Daljae couldn’t close his mouth after seeing the menu.
This was nothing short of an innovative creation he had never seen before.
[Assorted Set]
(For 2) 2 bowls of Life Rice Soup + 1 plate of Pollock Jeon / 12 nyang
[Rice Soup]
Rice Soup / 4 nyang
Life Rice Soup / 5 nyang
[Jeon]
Chili Pepper Jeon / 2 nyang
Potato Jeon / 3 nyang
Pollock Jeon / 5 nyang
“Please look over the menu and call me again when you’re ready to order.”
After Hayoon walked away, Daljae stared intently at the menu.
‘There are this many dishes? And all the prices are written down?’
Naturally, there were many people in this era who couldn’t read, making it difficult for a menu to function properly.
But Hayoon had taken that into consideration as well.
She had drawn small pictures representing each dish and had even used coin symbols so that customers could understand the prices.
Daljae couldn’t help but be impressed by such seemingly minor details.
‘Who made something like this? The jumo in the kitchen? Or perhaps that fellow Munsik?’
Daljae looked around.
Munsik and Okbun were so busy that they didn’t even seem to realize he was there.
‘No. If they knew how to do this, they would have made something like this long ago.’
Even if they were capable of making such a thing, there was no way he could expect this level of attention to detail from them.
The strange writing displayed at the entrance of the tavern, along with the colorful drawings scattered throughout the place, were clearly the work of someone with professional training.
Having realized this, Daljae’s gaze shifted.
‘Could it be that young woman?’
Daljae carefully observed Hayoon.
Her short hair, with no telling where or how it had been cut.
Her enthusiasm as she rolled up her sleeves without hesitation and worked.
Even her unusual manner of speaking, which gave no clue as to where she was from.
‘Just where did a woman like that come from…?’
A young woman, and alone at that.
She had settled down and begun working at a tavern where she had never met anyone before.
That could only mean one thing.
‘A criminal? Or a runaway slave?’
Whatever the circumstances might have been, there was no way she had a respectable background.
Otherwise, why would such a beautiful young woman be working in a place like this?
Especially dressed and behaving in such an unusual manner.
A strange woman from outside the region, who had suddenly appeared at a tavern at the end of a remote mountain road.
This wasn’t a coincidence.
It was a story.
‘Hmph. So that’s how it is?’
Daljae looked at Hayoon suspiciously.
“Customer, are you ready to order?”
“……!”
Hayoon happened to approach him at that moment, and Daljae hurriedly ordered.
“I’ll have the Life Rice Soup. And one bowl of makgeolli.”
“Yes. Please wait a moment.”
A short while later.
“Here are your Life Rice Soup and makgeolli. Please enjoy.”
Hayoon placed the steaming bowl in front of him and walked away.
Daljae grumbled as he picked up his spoon.
“Hmph. You filthy runaway slave…”
Slurp.
The moment he swallowed a spoonful of the broth, his eyes widened.
‘The broth really is refreshing…’
Rich stock.
Tender meat.
A clean, refreshing flavor.
Objectively speaking, the rice soup here was easily among the top three he had ever tasted.
Daljae, desperately in need of something to cure his hangover, emptied the entire bowl.
‘But it’s not like it’s that much better, is it?’
Daljae tilted his head.
The rice soup at his own Sanmaru Tavern was plenty delicious as well.
Compared to this place, it wasn’t particularly inferior.
After all, Sanmaru Tavern had originally been established because his wife, Yang, was an excellent cook.
‘Then why are all these people flocking here?’
The quality of the food was almost identical.
If so, the cause had to lie somewhere else.
Daljae looked around once more.
‘Ah…’
And then he realized.
Ninety percent of this tavern’s sales were being handled by Hayoon.
From her friendly customer service to the menu she had created.
There was hardly a place in the tavern that hadn’t been touched by Hayoon.
Come to think of it, the biggest difference between this place now and what it had been in the past was the presence of Hayoon.
‘So that wench is the culprit.’
Having discovered the reason his own tavern was going under, Daljae glared at Hayoon.
A short while later, he approached her under the pretext of paying.
“I enjoyed the meal. Here are eight jeon.”
“Thank you.”
“But I’d like to ask you something.”
“Yes?”
Hayoon looked up at Daljae at the sudden question.
“Who changed this place so completely? I don’t remember it being like this before.”
At Daljae’s question, Hayoon scratched her head.
“I’m embarrassed to say this, but it was my work.”
“You?”
Daljae’s eyes sharpened.
“You’re saying you completely revamped this place and made things like that menu yourself?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Well, aren’t you impressive.”
Daljae continued speaking sarcastically.
“Your way of speaking is rather unusual. Where are you from?”
“Ah, my hometown is Daegu…”
Hayoon almost answered without thinking, but then corrected herself.
“…No, that’s not right. I don’t really remember where I’m from.”
“You don’t remember your hometown?”
Daljae stared at Hayoon suspiciously.
“Yes. Actually, I’ve lost my memories. So I’m staying here for the time being.”
“Of course you are.”
Daljae’s suspicion only deepened after hearing Hayoon’s clumsy excuse.
“I sincerely hope you recover your memories.”
“Thank you.”
Having learned everything he wanted to know, Daljae turned around.
That was when Hayoon suddenly called him back.
“Wait! You have to take this with you.”
“?”
As she said this, Hayoon held something out toward him.
It was none other than an exchange ticket.
“Here’s your exchange ticket. Once you collect ten stamps, you get a free bowl of rice soup.”
“Free rice soup!”
Daljae’s eyes trembled as he stared at the exchange ticket.
Why had he never thought of something like this?
It was such a simple yet effective way of encouraging customers to return.
“……Thank you very much.”
Daljae snatched the exchange ticket from her hand and walked out of Life Tavern.
Outside the tavern.
Rip! Rip!
The torn pieces of Life Tavern’s exchange ticket fluttered away in the wind.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
He felt as though he had been dealt a crushing blow.
He had gone there simply to find out why his business had collapsed.
But all he had found there was despair.
The menu.
The exchange tickets.
And even the friendly customer service.
In all those areas and more, Sanmaru Tavern couldn’t compete with Life Tavern.
Daljae wanted to introduce those methods into Sanmaru Tavern even now, but there was one problem.
There was no one capable of putting them into practice.
There was an unmistakable talent in every corner of Life Tavern touched by Hayoon—a level of talent he couldn’t overcome.
Unfortunately, although Daljae possessed a modest amount of wealth, he didn’t possess that kind of talent.
And even if he tried to imitate her now, it was already too late.
Anger and a sense of crisis swept through Daljae’s entire body.
‘This can’t continue. I have to get rid of them.’
Daljae clenched his fists and stared in the direction of Life Tavern.
“How dare they… hide a runaway slave without fear?”
In Joseon, hiding a runaway slave was considered a serious crime.
It wasn’t something that could simply be settled by paying a small fine.
Anyone who concealed a slave or assisted in their escape could be sentenced to one hundred lashes.
Depending on the circumstances, they could even be sentenced to three years in prison.
It was one of the gravest crimes imaginable, as it threatened to shake the very foundation of Joseon society, which was divided among yangban, commoners, and slaves.
‘If that woman really is a runaway slave… then that fellow Munsik will be caught up in it too.’
Munsik, the owner of Life Tavern, was widely known for being a kind-hearted man.
That was why he hadn’t questioned Hayoon in detail about where she had come from or what her social status was.
He had simply believed her claim that she had lost her memories and welcomed her into his tavern.
And because of that carelessness, their necks were now practically in Daljae’s grasp.
“That’s right… Now I can see the way forward.”
A vicious smile appeared on Daljae’s lips as he found his solution.
He turned his head and glanced at Life Tavern.
Cheerful laughter was still ringing out from inside.
“You’d better enjoy that laughter while you can. Before long, it will come to an abrupt end.”
Daljae glared at Life Tavern for a long while before abruptly turning around.
And the direction he headed in was not toward Sanmaru Tavern.
It was toward the government office.
