SSH Episode 9
by Emperor_Star“Me? Where would I get that kind of money? He said an ‘acquaintance’ gave it to him.”
Despite what she told Jang Seung-woo, Madam Kim was actually quite wealthy. The Jang family allowed their servants to own property and, true to their prestigious name, paid them far more than the average wage.
Even when she worked for Park Daegam’s household—Park Eun-soo’s family—she never lacked anything. But it was at the Jang estate that she truly amassed wealth. With little to spend it on, her fortune continued to grow.
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“Where would Young Master Hongwoo get the money to build a house for himself? An old friend gave it to him, that’s all~”
Whether she was aware of Jang Seung-woo’s rising frustration or not, Madam Kim hummed a tune, each word carefully chosen to provoke him. As he listened, his eyebrow twitched.
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At his new home, Hong-woo had been struggling since morning to cook rice. The firewood refused to catch fire, and it was nearly impossible to tell by sight whether the rice was fully cooked. Each time he checked, it was still undercooked, forcing him to wait longer. Determined to get it right, he kept the fire burning—only to end up with burnt rice.
Despite the exhausting morning, he found joy in learning each step of the process. Now, he lay on a wooden bench, enjoying the gentle spring breeze. The mornings and evenings were still chilly, but with winter retreating, the daytime was relatively warm. As he hummed to himself, a small swallow hopped closer.
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“Haha, little swallow! You’re the second guest to visit my home. Welcome.”
The swallow didn’t shy away from his touch. Hongwoo gently stroked its head with his finger, but just as it settled into his hand, it suddenly fluttered away at the sound of someone calling his name.
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He sat up. His ‘market hyung’ was entering the yard, accompanied by a towering man. The stranger wore fine robes that resembled a warrior’s uniform, a sword hanging at his waist. Standing beside him, the ‘market hyung’ looked especially shabby in comparison, but Hongwoo greeted them warmly, without a hint of displeasure.
“Hyung, what brings you here?”
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“It’s time to collect the money you owe me.”
“Ah… about that. Could you give me a little more time? I haven’t found work yet.”
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At Hong-woo’s hesitant reply, the market hyung’s expression darkened. He sat down on the bench, his voice firm.
“When you borrowed the money, I went out of my way to accommodate you. But now that it’s time to pay me back, you’re acting like you’ve forgotten? The market has its own rules—an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If you borrow money, you pay it back. That’s how it works.”
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He wasn’t wrong. Hong-woo nodded. Having grown up in a merchant family, he knew better than anyone that debts had to be repaid.
“How much do I owe?”
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In response, the market hyung pulled out the loan contract and began listing the items Hong-woo had purchased.
“So, this is what I spent the money on.”
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No wonder the blanket had felt so warm and comfortable—it was expensive. Just covering himself with it had been enough to relieve his fatigue. ‘This is what it takes to own a blanket like that’, Hong-woo thought, nodding to himself as he accepted the reality of his spending habits.
The market hyung smirked at the sight of Hongwoo.
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“This isn’t over yet. With interest, your total comes to 404 nyang. But since you’re my friend, I’ll be generous and round it down to a neat 400.”
“Four hundred nyang?!”
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After their father collapsed, Hongwoo had relied on his older brother for an allowance. Whenever he ran out of money, his brother would give him more, like a bottomless purse. But of course, it was never free—each time, he had to endure an earful of sarcastic remarks.
Over time, he learned to tune them out, but his brother always found new ways to mock him. Every allowance request felt like a battle between an impenetrable shield and an unstoppable spear.
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Back then, money had seemed like a joke. But now, he finally understood how terrifying interest could be. He had borrowed 202 nyang—yet now he had to pay back double. His vision darkened at the thought.
“Have the money ready by tomorrow. Otherwise, this gentleman here will have to show you just how strong he is.”
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The towering man with a sword at his waist remained silent, standing as still as a wooden statue while the ‘market hyung’ did all the talking.
‘You could’ve at least warned me that the interest would double’, Hong-woo fumed, feeling unfairly tricked. ‘Demanding twice the loan amount—wasn’t this outright predatory lending? …Or wait, was this exactly what predatory lending was?’
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The realization hit him like a brick.
According to Madam Kim, the moneylenders of Gaegyeong’s market were ruthless. If even a single coin went unpaid, they would strip you down to your underclothes to collect their dues.
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‘Idiot’, Hong-woo scolded himself. ‘Why did I borrow money from a loan shark?’ But there was no use regretting it now—he had spent the money well, and there was no one to blame but himself. ‘Where on earth am I supposed to find 400 nyang in a day…?’
Only one option remained. Before rumors spread that the second son of Gaegyeong’s wealthiest family was in debt to a loan shark, he had to settle this. With heavy steps, he trudged toward his family home.
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Standing before the grand gate, his already fragile pride took another hit. But between enduring his older brother’s scolding and being stripped of everything by a loan shark, the former seemed like the lesser evil. …Or was it? Maybe dealing with the loan shark was the better option.
As he hesitated, the gate creaked open. A servant of the Jang household spotted him and bowed in greeting.
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“Is my older brother home?”
“The eldest young master hasn’t returned from the merchant guild yet.”
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“I see. Alright.”
Hong-woo had timed his visit to coincide with his brother’s return, but it seemed today was especially busy at the guild. ‘The one in need should make the effort’, he thought, and so he headed to the Eunsu Merchant Guild.
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Upon arrival, he stopped a passing errand boy.
“Do you know where my brother is?”
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“The head merchant isn’t here right now.”
***
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Every merchant in the city wanted to do business with the Eunsu Merchant Guild. Their goods were expensive, but because they sold out in an instant, traders still made a handsome profit.
Even those who weren’t merchants—like the moneylender Hwang Chun-gil—longed to work with them. Eunsu Merchant Guild didn’t just deal in goods; they also lent money. However, securing a loan from them was as difficult as catching a star. They scrutinized every detail—the borrower’s family, occupation, reputation, reason for borrowing, and collateral—before even considering an approval.
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Yet people still sought their loans. The reason was simple: their interest rates were the lowest in the market.
Hwang Chun-gil had tried to borrow from them countless times, hoping to expand his pawnshop, but he was rejected every time. And yet now, standing inside his very own shop, was none other than Jang Seung-woo, the head merchant of Eunsu.
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“I warned him that if he didn’t repay his debt, something terrible would happen. That must’ve scared him quite a bit.”
Hwang Chun-gil forced a smile, but the weight of the moment pressed down on him. Jang Seung-woo sat in silence, rolling a coin between his fingers, deep in thought. Behind him stood the warrior who had accompanied Hwang Chun-gil to Hong-woo’s house earlier. The pawnshop felt suffocatingly quiet, and a nervous shiver ran down Hwang Chun-gil’s spine.
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Jang Seung-woo finally stood and approached, stopping just three steps away.
“From now on, your answer will always be ‘yes.’ There will be no instance where the word ‘no’ leaves your mouth.”
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“Y-yes! No—ah! I mean, I was trying to say that I won’t say ‘no’ anymore, but in doing so, I said ‘no’—ahhh…!”
Hwang Chun-gil stammered, flustered by his own words.
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Jang Seung-woo remained completely unfazed. He continued spinning the coin between his fingers before stepping even closer.
“You will never lend money to Jang Hong-woo again.”
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“Of course! Of course! I swear, I’ll never lend him money again!”
Hwang Chun-gil answered frantically. Lending money was his business, but when it came to Jang Hong-woo, he vowed to never do it again.
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Jang Seung-woo took another step forward.
“You will never show yourself to Jang Hong-woo again.”
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Hwang Chun-gil nodded so fast it looked as if his head might fall off.
“Yes! Yes! Don’t worry! I’ll stay far, far away from him!”
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“And why should I believe you?”
The room fell silent as Jang Seung-woo waited for an answer. Just then, the shop door creaked open, and a man carrying a bundle stepped inside.
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“Excuse me. The clothes are ready. The ones that thick-browed, round-eyed fellow ordered as a gift last time? Here they are.”
The fabric shop owner placed the bundle on the table, muttered something about being busy, and left.
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