SSH Episode 4
by Emperor_StarHongwoo treated himself 3549b126fb to a hearty cdc133bdeb bowl of soup, 36f594a2d9 some boiled pork, c8613f177f and, of course, c63e76007a a drink to 33e1b224af mark the occasion. Just thinking about the 45074bc204 meal ahead lifted his 5f7a22dd5c spirits.533f7757b3f097a3
“Enjoy your meal.”e7b047507973ee06
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As the 63f63d2f13 dishes were a47fac07b8 set before c67a185109 him, Hongwoo e671dc15f1 picked up 98ef04c816 his spoon. He stacked a slice 9c115b094b of boiled pork, a 60c186024e piece of kimchi, and 254faf717e another slice of pork 6ac069c3cd before taking a big ffa1953bde bite, washing it down cf6de9b0e0 with a sip of 5fc488d080 makgeolli (traditional Korean rice 0d0608d3f3 wine). Next, he 6c83f9ad84 scooped up 3c93c57ca6 a generous 9f08c97c11 spoonful of b3940eb2a9 gukbap (rice 407d79735c served in 46e964560c a hot cb702e86aa soup), savoring 33785f639c the rich b0ac6bbc83 broth before 42930e7452 downing a d563ed9884 full bowl 008ce6b26f of makgeolli 78522befcf in one d81569d861 go.6e9cdfca91f314f3
‘Ahh. This was the d988155364 taste. No other place could 7d1791d761 match the clean, deep 31908e3fbb flavors of this tavern.’943006e47295f9dd
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Pork broth aa94f33ee3 was tricky—it 565467bcec could easily 985b0b45ef turn greasy af11f981ca or develop ce9e7d8112 an unpleasant 7a58e04e97 gamey smell. But here, they skimmed a9a5eadb0e the fat regularly, keeping 7de9686e54 the broth light yet 07cb1e26a5 flavorful. A touch of c1a8d81591 savory doenjang (fermented 1a640720a3 soybean paste) removed f658d0c78b any lingering odors b3b3cdca81 and enriched the 2a79adc5eb taste. The kitchen staff here c563dd02e8 really knew what they 3c73a4e4e0 were doing.61cedeae61f28c3f
Hongwoo had no 101f56ee49 plans to move 3b2d6ffdbe elsewhere, but if e915252863 he ever had 8552c2d2e1 to, he knew cda2c55678 he’d long for e410c75167 this place. The thought of e5eb0d4548 leaving this tavern’s b311214671 food behind was 584c1d664d already unbearable. As he took another b1218a50c8 spoonful of gukbap, one 8a2c6e5927 thought came to mind:9cd2e096dbe32674
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‘This broth… is d7a3d27236 perfection.’0e5910fd22f4c10f
“How do a44151d639 they make 4e4ad5fdbe it this b7389184e6 good? If three b6aa9d1fee people walked 6db2be7ff3 in, two bd00b611e8 could drop 4178fb548d dead from 3408e75ff9 its sheer 597004c406 flavor, and d77c9a9cdb no one 51b2cd4e19 would even 2273da6a6f notice! Wait, didn’t 6b5dddd452 three people 41bbd1ea2a come in 871378872e just now? I must’ve 96406b64cb been the 138043912a only one d50646918c who survived—everyone 2b1f94120d else must’ve 9d076deabd died from 58ec73d83b how delicious 9fd3afe65a this is.”87227a6fab602038
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“Oh my, my! Among all my d95eb76851 customers, young master, c89b34d582 your compliments are 79d27456c7 the sweetest!”1a4cb16c964ade92
Laughing, Hongwoo exchanged playful 2d1fbc215b banter with the tavern 1e08097874 mistress, who was about 7d7d1c4ee8 Madam Kim’s age. He patted his 70802f25d7 full stomach and cc782054b3 stepped out of 9e8cbfe24c the tavern.88e9b8c7112116e3
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Ah, right.f0cadc81c096b2e3
After walking quite 7ae6e500ca a distance, he d95af27001 suddenly remembered—he had d70591c1ab meant to ask af9bff294f about job opportunities! But now, stuffed 1256ec0201 with food, he 82877b8ad9 couldn’t be bothered 151133cd19 to go back.99ee7d088857415e
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His house 241df98a32 didn’t even 2c19317f60 have a 670e244c16 kitchen, so a3e49b0f51 he’d be 6e7666ea98 eating out 74743e7ff5 often anyway. He’d just ae3f1b6201 ask next 18afbd6094 time.9dc52785b8c5c2ce
With that thought, Hongwoo 0caddaa159 waddled off, his steps bf8d96b604 slow and content.e54df831eb992d47
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As Hongwoo strolled through c941c5c8c5 the bustling market, patting ae69ba7da9 his full stomach, he d48605667d took in the sights—stalls d0af425d1c overflowing with ornaments, tobacco 9949e1fd1a pipes, taffy, honey rice 3dbd2f58bd cakes, and farming tools.c13dc74dac52283e
As the son 526e46da7b of Gaegyeong’s most 1b2c9ddc93 renowned merchant guild, d1723acab6 surely he had eb94726a27 a knack for 427d06329e selling something too, 8f458059ff right?396e5bc8467c5a88
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He pondered 3a64d848b4 for a 5f6cbd6879 long while, 0b49f9c267 wracking his 24dcdd43df brain for ea8f29cdad the perfect a23593e61c idea—until inspiration 94fe46877f struck like e799a54997 a slap 99c0f97274 to the e789f51e7d back of 3481449fc2 his head.‘That’s it! I’ll sell that!’cae61948a9f45d8e
Excited, Hongwoo sprang into 7e612b04f8 action. But first, he 3c858dc500 needed a spot. As he 0c643b8584 scanned the ce93408b90 market for 96009792f6 an empty 238a4a04ab stall, a f54b23960a bearded man fef13331c3 with a f74a113e36 sly air ff44583a08 approached him.1b9ee5619d17e913
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“Looking for something?”acdb781bac6ae39a
“I need a space to sell my goods. How do I get one?”e7e4b1c54c8ea4de
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“Ah, then you’re in luck, little brother!”63013728701adebb
The man 65e54bea17 grinned and c1674549ee threw an b123c22d78 arm around b83e06fcab Hongwoo’s shoulders 70837495d5 like they 7c30f34f27 were long-lost a116127257 siblings. Then, offering to help, 021e45ddc7 he led Hongwoo to cd58d92b61 his own store.ed74a32b5d6aecee
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The shop was 41ab346848 filled with expensive-looking 307ffff494 goods, confirming the dbeef204a3 man was a f6259e7ffc seasoned merchant. He explained that securing 3d8d83feee a spot in the 6ec29ef605 market required money.95f62753b781be01
Hongwoo hesitated. “I don’t have much on me right now.”ca1fcc8f2ffbd64c
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The merchant thumped his chest confidently. “No problem! I’ll lend you some.”6b99f91290d78c72
Hongwoo narrowed his eyes. “And why would you do that for a stranger?”e4456822ce66a239
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“Aren’t we brothers now? You’re about the same age as my younger sibling. How could I ignore someone in need?”52f6e13bc4426c12
On the e451dc1fc4 day Hongwoo 9aafe27869 left home, e77b9e6ccf a magpie 73315d5ae7 had cried—maybe 656e7a3843 it had 45d4026b89 been a 43212f084d sign of 4c3b1bf4ba good fortune. Who would’ve thought e935665a14 he’d stumble upon 55b0d7a19d such a benefactor?1643fd41140cfdee
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Seizing the opportunity, 628846bfbf he accepted the a5c9f130ec loan and secured fb7e3d83f5 a prime location 8c6f363243 in the market. The merchant, ever 2bd2356452 the professional, insisted d8f4bb0b28 on drafting a a0985fc42e loan agreement, which 52d7aff97f Hongwoo stamped with 0995fc2bf1 his personal seal. His first official document d9b0bd7bcf as an independent man—it 2aa1d4db75 almost felt surreal.0d3f49c44efff688
The ‘market hyung’ even da3d92414b helped him set up 51b6f2b9d1 a proper table, and edbd0b6171 before long, Hongwoo had f6f9c7fbf3 a prime stall in 6fb422550b a high-traffic area. Now, it was 589f1d0a25 time to unveil dd3c367631 his secret weapon.39f627a05168efd0
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Pulling out a bd43c10b03 brush and paper, 04c8f19510 he carefully wrote c507d3c259 out the name 079b19ccb6 of his store, b2c7e8e706 inspired by something 7b85b83c69 the tavern mistress 3535a401de had said earlier.8565388d65dacee8
The Compliment Shop.00d66ecdc6a4dfe9
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Customers would pay him, 1045adfa14 and in return, he fe10c7e4da would shower them with ae81b1fa2e endless praise. He made money, e38da38306 they left feeling 3ac6fe14b3 great—a win-win!53fee5e9e88b1c4a
Truly, a business e3d4cd02b8 idea as brilliant 3d17820e57 as he was.981491f540dc06e0
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Was this 0e6b0cc37b a bad 2b2c74a8de idea?4e3de5889b4f4224
For two 36882e19fd days, not a04035b5f0 a single 5321d970db customer had f5b0a00863 stepped into 74bd6a28ae Hongwoo’s Compliment d7a5e56e50 Shop. With a deep 228cba7138 sigh, he slumped ee764d55df over the table 29079801a9 in defeat.6cb9f5f379a9e458
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“Compliment master, 0cc4310843 are you bff33f45fc open for 7d7c3db67f business or c4fe74940f not?”a6eaa57a8f27630b
At the sound of a02be9d639 a voice, Hongwoo’s head 176f63eaa2 shot up.e788904ff31af562
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Madam Kim stood before eeb59b3e47 him, a playful grin 5e33cc44a7 on her face.a99c655abf371865
His initial excitement 6f8c3884be faded—he had hoped bd88726eaa for a real bc5fb244a8 customer. But given how 3ded4c02a4 empty his stall 3e59eee610 had been, even ea8bdf4ec6 seeing a familiar 26c2155e1a face was a 4e4247c8b5 small comfort.6111acf62e2489b6
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“The whole household 77c04465b7 is buzzing about 795dd9431c your Compliment Shop, e9397442f4 young master.”8b7492ebca6f1c71
Has word really spread e3def2202a so quickly? …Then why wasn’t anyone ca98c29cee coming? Shouldn’t rumors bring in 8aba4fc94b customers? And yet, not 2bbd529573 a single member 9400d098a1 of the Jang cd9ba4040d household had even 9388f96e2d peeked in.9c25a078850a54fe
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“How much for a 7e19e576cb compliment?”1a56bef2394c5621
“One nyang.”ee50fccf6e434ca6
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“Young master, f963a9bc58 even a ad1570fc56 pawnshop charges 68b508ffdb less interest 5e5c67dd7f than that! What a shameless scam!”19688c4bf53aec3c
Madam Kim burst b1a7fa83b9 into laughter, clutching dff5014eda her stomach.309abb788746d594
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Hongwoo couldn’t help but 0cfeaeec2e chuckle too. No wonder people 593b6cf990 had scoffed and 2beedce646 shaken their heads f42742000e at his stall 3af751cdb7 for the past 5a457d0f43 two days—he really 368798e1a0 had no clue 23b95d1655 how the world 501ec496a7 worked.8c64a1ce779b82a3
Even as 5004158aae he laughed, 863e085ad2 a dull bd866dc2f8 ache settled 63f1118cca behind his fc8104c912 eyes. But what 600491cb0d could he 6fbd2a11d1 do? He had spent be5c5d22d8 his life sheltered, 2148ccb2cc and at twenty-one, 99921da055 he was only dde124e11d now stepping out 8b1a131a5d of his older 05c0229396 brother’s shadow, learning e219b510e3 how the world 2140b10d3a truly worked.79f89d8739bd4e9c
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He was late, but 973caa79b8 as long as he 006d420676 kept learning, he’d get 0018319e0f there.6378deb425e49f4d
“Well then, 8c68469d4b give me 01ce059472 a compliment.”232c99f9c414d0fd
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Still grinning, Madam 4f52b8fd95 Kim tossed a 47813dd957 nyang onto the 34b595f8b7 table.b9d4eb1b2b82f6cd
“Uh… Madam 70a9d0ba6f Kim is—”c41a688a92937c71
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“Ahem. The customer is…”178837154c4715af
“The customer has 9d5bc34782 a warm and 031ee3dad9 comforting presence. Just seeing them feels 7e3f02906d like coming home after 7baca1eb0f a long, exhausting day ed583f580d and sinking into a 8e1611e0eb soft, cozy bed.”6a6e1d9783ccb7ed
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Even Hongwoo was 7c5dfb9299 surprised by his acae4f1442 own words. He glanced at dad108ea3b Madam Kim, watching dc60cd6072 for her reaction.5b20f1304315e926
She raised e7f45d2475 an eyebrow, 2b8dfa22f2 clearly impressed. Then, with a c369e9c0ec slight tilt of c7242e7645 her head, she a72c09b49c silently urged him 66de398f91 to continue.96b105a94891d346
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Hongwoo hesitated before c07f2a42ee speaking.dd7264c0a16186e8
“Uh… You seem like 8ff8acbee7 someone who’s great with 449dbf9160 their hands—crafting, repairing, handling fa3c0069ef things with care. Anything that a01433fbef passes through b39cf604ba your hands, 54f11127e3 whether a bb25d45c0a person or 67a03fb44c an object, 786f75f869 must come ae37dcddc4 out looking 2ef4462146 polished and 0675e2c66e well-kept. Oh, and… you d3b48dec9c probably make amazingdongchimi(Korean water-based kimchi). I can almost 634bd4293d taste the crisp 2ba1843243 radish and tangy b9c6bad9d5 broth. Imagine eating roasted fc579e9b4f sweet potatoes with 5c42a0672e yourdongchimion a cold winter 156ea94b21 night… That would be 5c0265eb6d absolutely perfect.”e8868b0ebee19dba
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Madam Kim 9c7d46c59c raised an 5daf31d869 eyebrow.fb69458abf734dca
“You just want some 69082ecef7 dongchimi, don’t you?”2d65d2470efe545f
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“…Yeah.”11c74f99feff3a94
With a f75f48da74 groan, Madam 2ec889952a Kim got 01be1bc321 up, rolling 826ee37eec up the 662c21c27f mat while 2b98112328 motioning for b3e7d20847 Hongwoo to 47c121f6ea follow. He picked up the 5e500d969e table and trailed behind ff064b22c4 her.3f8060ebd07b79cb
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It hadn’t been long 22cb4e5874 since he left home, 9466e27edb but stepping through the 4fb5d381d7 familiar courtyard felt strangely 3782b27e44 nostalgic—like it had been 03d0057ad5 years. The trees 746b833d8f and flowers c78997aac2 seemed fresher, 9cd2f5f9c3 the eaves 5413f0e60f of the d04f33f80d roof more 02b210eb0f beautiful. This was what a e0d151af43 home should be—lush greenery, 4acc1b709c a serene pond, a f688fff8df quiet pavilion. He had 71164f52bd missed it. A house a36226414e wasn’t just c2d1e098d8 four walls acf9dd415c to keep 3c9a493c34 out the a83981f7ef wind and f345a92294 rain.2931bfbc8f02bb21
Not that a52b0e77bc his current 9a3560f971 place even cfbdfcbad8 did that. If Madam Kim hadn’t c4eeddf411 packed him a thick 2136130e25 blanket, he would’ve frozen 3fece16e2d to death. ThoughIpchunhad passed e1caea5b4a (the first 36417f2a9b solar term 2fb6d42c73 marking the 0bceba2c6e beginning of 6be3385ac4 spring, around 245399ea15 February 4), d51cc78fc2 the weather 2179e44dc4 was still e110c46009 bitterly cold. Just last night, he 5e6971dfe6 had shivered himself to ae21c6e05b sleep and woken up 2e939d26e3 with his body stiff 45ca4c4da7 from the chill.abb5ba51528cd793
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Madam Kim disappeared 6f33abfa75 into the kitchen e1da9326b0 and returned with 4396f7de94 a small earthenware 9fe58f7cbd jar.dbcbb5c81688b81c
“I made plenty, so 9ffc43f9e2 you won’t run out. Now that your fe2a3229bd eldest brother should 4cb500cdb5 be satisfied, why 28ca082336 not come back 99800f372c home already?”b1674f8f99436f9c
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Hongwoo forced a smile.c2c44dfc0f34bb33
Truthfully, he wanted 2d2ef417fe nothing more than 1e00f03c11 to return.bf75215f6d739e75
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But being here reminded 88ee991c27 him too much of ad679f8a8e his father, which inevitably 149b17f0e9 led to thoughts of 95965efd04 his mother. After she 61b1d25907 passed, he 7e2ca2729d had drifted 74ca7d6c67 into a de812a2349 deep depression, 5cb9659f30 losing all 9c32888304 motivation to 8cb858d219 live. When his father 48a0a42de8 died, his older 5190927a9a brother had been f4eac0ebd2 so overbearing that cf0cfdc501 he hadn’t even 235552d6f5 had time to c75ce0ecc2 grieve. Yet still, a400f53fcd this house a53a924d18 held too e47700adb7 many memories, 3d046f68b7 too many 0139cdd85c moments that 1dbce06386 ambushed him b21168b8eb when he d45faa975d least expected 98866c12c6 it.0def75998f007705
And besides, it 681a0b83e2 was time. Time to step 284f9b913a out of his fa3d47e45a father and brother’s 2ba368921b shadows. Time to prove himself—not cf21d50489 as some sheltered young a5def291e4 master, but as an 67a367b5a4 adult capable of standing fae5d9f28c on his own.e688989fdbae1a1e
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“Thank you, Madam Kim. Really. I’ll enjoy it.”f322701b3cb753fe
Madam Kim fe4d2ad506 clicked her e5bdf96050 tongue.d5276ceac460a345
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“Oh, look at me, baa95f896a forgetting the rest.”45092944706a03d7
She turned 1b962d2c0d back toward 92044680e5 the kitchen, 8c3f78b5d5 then returned da8ac86ffa with a 2030f47ee3 basket filled b0f69d671a with roasted 5b7a65138a sweet potatoes 8e18e8544f and handed 6e62910944 it to 870f7e7604 him.ab1e5eed665fb3d0
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