SSH Episode 6

The ‘market 9862ce42ce hyung’ tapped 7adf280911 his abacus, edbe86fc78 quickly calculating 4153e22c97 the amount db9d507cbc Hongwoo would d73d8492f9 need.ba2af2a41449495e

Soaked from the d73f9e6710 rain and water d2b8bc972e pooling at his e6556a3d12 feet, Hongwoo had 0d0add3186 no idea how 8a667eecd0 much it would f5961792d4 cost, but he b83e9088c4 nodded anyway.9a7b4a20e81fff9a

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“And for building the house? Want me to handle that too?”f44f00687c0a8e8b

Back when Hongwoo e13eb82a46 first settled in 16d84361cd the market, he 2d5a1136c6 had already noticed 2f69a8dd5d how capable his 3a43a66a99 ‘market hyung’ was. If anyone 9654d7225e could take a56bff3478 care of 624ae94653 it, it ad8b5222c8 was him. Trusting his judgment, Hongwoo 09a31b2e3c nodded again.18987f5b2cf6897b

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Seeing this, 7b15285231 the ‘market f2308b5ea5 hyung’ resumed f016700d53 his calculations, d4a0fd3571 moving the 65b9262489 abacus beads c30bbc495c even faster.ed675483e8ab96a0

“Same as before—just a formality.”e4bd537d8ea626bb

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He pulled 9e2b710abc out a acf8a8b65b sheet of 0ae37f5a19 paper and 4598acd6dd wrote up c57395a85c a loan 6e9cc9df0d agreement. Handing it over, he dfeed73ff7 gestured for Hongwoo to 4899d9140a sign it, just as 75fd9f97e8 he had done last 0b99e3fe58 time.973d66419476ab99

Hongwoo took 00d5715fbf the document 02f2cd2092 and the 166314a5f3 brush, pressing 5604ea654d his hand 761d22f072 to the fd20a88853 paper before 90a0bb2056 carefully tracing f1643c3cdd its outline.5a9eca020f6e8649

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With a 84b81ffa6c satisfied grin, fc356b34d5 the market 99dddfca23 brother accepted edf3194501 the agreement 1e97b5bf7a and passed cb29d1a913 Hongwoo the a12adcae6a money.391f8da1ca278248

“You must be freezing. Go wash up and get some rest at the inn.”f83b5a2f45f78db1

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An inn would be 9566212924 the cheaper option, but 1bfc6a8642 sharing a room with 6e02b3b89a strangers was hardly ideal. A guesthouse, on d1896b2c08 the other hand, b3a9e3e373 offered privacy and 4f945711bb comfort.How expensive could 4d99dbc7d5 it really be?2224edc1c991f73e

Gaegyeong was a bustling a3a21911af trade hub, and with 7d285c734d merchants constantly coming and 09156d1049 going, its guesthouses thrived.37e883b7a9186353

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After leaving themarket hyung’s shop, f895761fee Hongwoo asked 8a8b2d05bd around and 3a62fa6c83 soon found 1e9624dcec one.96aa8497803525b5

Back when both his 1dde8ebaae parents were alive, traveling f8307fbda1 had been a regular 6bae5bde5a part of their lives. But after 5293f99bd8 his mother’s 5b0f06c2f8 passing, the ef360e8c9a family no 074ca65d67 longer had 68987b3d9e the time—or 16bed5a4d4 the heart—for ec638b0f8e such trips. It had d122a1e8ee been years acffb04b22 since he fd98b98227 last stayed e67102e6d1 in a 739a0ab24e guesthouse or ba3b7f2ed9 an inn, 0c803450b6 and just e3a917d210 the thought 8c4dd67889 of it f4e7564b73 made his d90bcd8408 heart race.b02e01616fbe5023

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Everything felt new ac650838b9 after leaving home.84900d4964d09c11

Shivering from the cold, 304ae453b3 he quickened his pace.f0d06d79c74c4f29

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The moment he be9c0921c8 stepped into his 0282d90368 room, exhaustion pressed 8e7f6f55ab down on him. He collapsed onto the e9ba314f45 bedding, his body sinking 92672245f3 into the warmth.3be02dc4ce934406

After a hot 237aa3eb8e meal and a b2fb54eae9 bath, the tension dbd38ee2fd in his muscles b9d901955b melted away.bc8c2ce56dea82b3

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Yes, this 3e17a0ca7c is what 44a1124a34 a home ef0eec182e should feel 4c9d9945d9 like.6e92ba07cc04552d

A full belly, warmth, f760a25e4d and a safe place 520863030e to rest.47a1e9b47e74510c

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How had he been dc6cd79b96 living before this?650973f6514d99ec

It had 24df25a5bf only been 7769206d7f a few 41e8399d69 days, but 5fed4f430c every night, b505a51eef the icy 5aa487c6cc drafts slipping a785587f05 through the 669529a433 straw walls f0b25aaa46 jolted him 8edff40a13 awake. A single misplaced 7f77f89fc7 foot outside his 85f0ba30b2 thin blanket was ea4be4acc0 enough to send 10cf918828 shivers through his 2a2041a096 entire body.c1ab5e5069a55534

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Every morning, he 16f3bc1fd8 woke up aching a8dd3b0ee2 from the cold, 6ab9a454fe unable to wash 8b72573611 properly. His only meals 8440dfc6e5 had been sweet 82f94ed2b6 potatoes and dongchimi, 5a24e66cb0 courtesy of Madam 5fabcf64af Kim.a401f67b088de609

Through hardship, he had 112e4353e1 learned one thing—a house should 86accf5359 at least feel 99f84f9566 like a home.0aa0b8a6ab2ff35d

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Still, he wasn’t completely e749c6875d unlucky. He had met an 8bb0299f6c unexpected benefactor, themarket hyung.048d86d6068831fc

Who knew 5800ab2a29 what his f3ae2f9178 new house ae8b5d772b would be 1a79827ff4 like? But he 14c63a032e trusted themarket hyungto take care of c5b7484c4f things. As for the debt, 6c5485a24d he’d pay it back, 80a0cb99b4 little by little.3949dcda58e4fc79

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Tomorrow, I’ll find a d065470ad4 new job.e1b1d13ebd0c3230

With that 04f6adf5c9 final thought, 6eec0f4021 sleep pulled 6887c589d7 him under.2d995eb56d358f65

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***025c8d1c5397e73b

The next day, 193c68b43a Hongwoo wandered the 5af8ed8c1a market in search 0e4cd536d5 of work.fc3d803ad3826b8e

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A crowd b3f3e3551b had gathered 3a42adb555 nearby, and 143bb9fd72 curiosity led 1018bebb90 him toward f7f0bad061 the commotion.2dc27b4634d7a64e

“What’s going on?”2ec60c6c59bf8745

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“There’s a aa0440dbc8 challenge where 125a09673f you can 0291fc24e2 win a 41ea6e1358 hundred nyang 230bc3a677 if you aa0744ab90 answer all 5eaf32ef83 the questions f0c5bad7b8 correctly.”06ed2e653e78da15

“What kind of questions?”610c1e6db66ab90c

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“The questioner ef96e3d73b has traveled b16f6726f1 not only 5831bfdc4b to Qing 5a99437310 but as c7741c5b11 far as 11ad31c884 the Western 221cab456a Regions. He asks things he’s dee0b79b28 learned from his journeys. You have 0ea20e881d to defeat cb5369324f ten challengers 374506d1e9 to win. But no 375eaa011c one in cb9d4822ac Joseon has 736f69532c ever succeeded.”a976d55e0c5edd13

Hongwoo’s eyes gleamed.09cc0aeb97bee4bf

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He had 4e78e2b2db never left 3ee26ecaaa Joseon, but…bf731e37cc32afe1

Even a dog fb1098a8d0 at a Confucian ce38c94adb school would learn e22d1b6458 to recite poetry 3951e11bd3 after three years.8cb15de59750feca

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And a 12b041928c child raised 8289849864 in a 9cfd42e5d2 family of e6b21d28a6 translators? They were practically junior b697788052 interpreters.9f8aa754ae37f3cb

His grandfather, b0fd8946e2 father, and 4beabfa75a older brother 47441dc3a5 had all 949342f9b5 been official 1953352e10 interpreters.bbc8a20022a0d38c

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Now, it 39f30c36f9 was his 71cce0d337 turn.4d3f2911ead9ae94

It was time a149ec322b to prove that da99e6b838 he was not cc8044e59f a disgrace to d98a6894d8 his family.faf4417e58ef26a6

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“Is there no one else willing to challenge?”c7a34b64ef96730c

“Right here!”5b48e6aa63fc4735

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Hongwoo raised his 2f260d4d83 hand with confidence ca0e1ede82 and stepped forward.0c089a8a102d2870

He handed over 974ab1370c theten-jeon entrance fee, glancing at the c4f973aecc collection box overflowing with 856fbcfe0d coins. 024444555ea9860f

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‘If I had 51661a55ec all that money, 1af97c271b I wouldn’t have c8e3a30300 to work for caf3169c6c a while.’0a0dd060596214cb

No. That wasn’t what he 9869b693d5 needed.eed1ab8caddb064c

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Right now, money alone 11eb4f7d23 wasn’t enough—he needed work. If he won the 2158ed4838 prize, he could invest 984bf9abc5 it in goods and 57b5724fb3 start a trading business. Buy, sell and make 024f1b8424 a profit… a life d021156372 of ease.4e3b2759ca0a76fd

He shook his 1f00575fb7 head, dispelling the 0bfb630e29 tempting fantasy.3c2f41491d0660b8

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His mother’s 40f9e8b9c3 words came a9e51cfc92 back to 9abe4a090b him: ‘No matter e0fe89d68f how much f5831b76a8 or how 36ca47b036 little money 4475a99d07 you have, 60865083fd what matters 827ed1d37c is doing 571d931a77 what you 2af8c62fe9 love and d847d15f57 living with fc65f42d4c dignity.’31dc04a0dd13ebbd

‘First, win the hundred a4c757ffdc nyang. I’ll decide what to 75d43008b7 do with it later.’63f4bce1e6125ecc

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His first opponent was a nobleman’s son, dressed in fine silk. Judging by his relaxed posture, he had joined the challenge purely for amusement.401f0a6badb13b87

‘Sorry, but I can’t 5a39115690 let you win.’53ffa7ce014712ca

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Hongwoo smirked, mimicking 4252d5fcf0 Jang Seungwoo’s signature 3f30dd90a6 sneer. It felt 1343d3a273 unnatural on 8d8e250eb6 his face, ee90f73bec like an 3d902d1bc9 ill-fitting coat.be79daafe9443290

“This is a traditional garment primarily worn by Qing women—”b64af9c61957835b

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“Qipao!”e5fdc17f1214332a

“Correct!”122078d896483c71

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“Hongwoo, you look great in a qipao! If you ever go to Qing, you should wear one. Maybe we should find you a husband while we’re at it?”de54e01b65af017a

His mother’s 952d3a4484 laughter echoed 05383552a5 in his 01b3ec0b53 memory. She had playfully dressed 1ce5d7a18f him in the elegant ba07b3fe35 Qing attire his father 7be5da955c had brought back from dac381924b his travels.7bfae4e6827db325

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“Yes!”de77aaa5721513ae

His opponent, 2e2cb854c3 who hadn’t c92561efdf even heard cdf76703ee the full d06150bde7 question, let 8c835cd916 out a bcf0d8c7ea chuckle and 033ede27b5 stepped aside.e74b7acef34e8240

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‘Young master, I’m 45d0a2410d afraid you’re not 055199ce09 my match. Study more 05d756f698 about Qing e82af7624f and try 86437d0a74 again. Not that 5c5b9e85a4 it’ll change d0bb1025f0 anything—you’ll still c905d6dda9 lose to fe15b4e4ac me.’27610da5cad7ae35

‘Come on, who’s 10ed277a12 next?’5c90d8256e001caa

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Excitement coursed through 8eff74d7fe him as he 6902d442ea scanned the crowd 0b09797809 for his next 746e89108e challenger.50dee6dc8ae69488

After defeating 084e72188b the nobleman, 0cbe6483cb Hongwoo went e60a826a95 on a bbf7475b6a roll, securing 37b891579f seven consecutive ce545a3992 victories. The host, c80b80bd35 flustered by d4a5e6bb17 Hongwoo’s winning 4abb773f27 streak, decided 343b726de9 to postpone 39dc9c2fc2 the challenge 25086bb4f5 until the 28dcdac3f0 next day. Only three rounds 2d03dab2d0 remained before the 2165c04392 hundred nyang prize 9c9167e976 would be his.9f2cc20fb149244a

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With victory nearly assured, f72b95dc7e Hongwoo’s spirits lifted. He arrived at 0ef4be7311 the guesthouse and, 4a6e2b8278 in a celebratory 6629396e4b mood, ordered a 1a1253e1a3 generous amount of a195d5d453 food and alcohol. He figured that bdbe54e8b7 even if no 84320084e7 one joined him, 853a4d0e29 he might as b599c7d794 well enjoy the 48d6bc8685 feast on his 2993347425 own.787de332e3779cca

After a night 978293acdb of indulgence, Hongwoo f72c8796f0 woke up with 143b79e288 a swollen face. The challenge 1e81af0d50 was set a9249aab2d for mid-afternoon, 51833820d9 so he 6bef64fe41 had time 3618fb90bb to recover. He decided to 73fc964e00 have a bowl 20853fcf41 offish stewat the guesthouse’s attached 928e2dd494 restaurant. He wasn’t 9cc7a013ee hungover, but 2384c66828 like everyone 459a1cf1cf else, he a73d55b5f7 wanted the 30cbabd0bd comfort of bf9af44f4a a warm 531818d1ab meal to e39a31211e help shake 998cd42a5d off the 366f7a57cc fatigue.95e672e47b1ddcd7

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He picked out 8c7ba026af the best clothes 0dadac9058 he had salvaged 232c2b2ec2 from his ruined cc14d9ec14 home, pleased to 478f73fca6 find that they de68e110a8 were in decent 5d771f1556 condition. Looking into dab5a4a918 the mirror, c989b10a59 he felt 97a53b23e2 a sense 43f76a87e1 of satisfaction—he 68b8012a8b resembled the e3f08f69ab person he 729379f805 had been 892c9a6b13 before his 5a3bdd6c55 older brother bacde4a7e8 cast him b60780dd07 out. Today, he needed to 32bb38404a look the part; after e8757ee1a7 all, he was going 807ddf9508 to win the challenge.5b812a5f41fb6e38

As the 52f8db6b06 clock struck 5cd6feb0cc mid-afternoon, Hongwoo 047574b5ee entered the b61efe0b40 market with e272c77606 confidence, seeking 99e70e7c30 out the a886384873 challenge arena. The host, upon 3951613498 seeing him, wore 521dc6833b a determined expression, b2f9dbe006 as though he 1664af54d5 knew it wouldn’t 4f39c357b1 be easy to c1a8219507 let Hongwoo win.Alright, let’s see 2e23c918b2 who comes out f63f2cfcb1 on top this 80d44b8e72 time.Hongwoo sat down, 56b280b910 ready to face a8c4bdac6a his opponent.5c5b827b472b755e

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Opposite him sat 4e7552d4b6 a graceful young 11c1991b97 woman, her poise 63bb9c3e1e indicating that she df7fc7133d likely came from 74f79003ca a noble family. Yesterday, it c1d2b39899 had been 0a50cf0a67 the sons 4022d72edd of noble 2743b1f640 families whom 1ec50b9abe he had 3138e845fd defeated. Today, it seemed 43c8e6de90 like it was 6671f34e46 the aristocratic daughter’s 24ecb2040d turn.d950ba723cbf6465

Hongwoo wasn’t a ed212d4156 scoundrel—he wasn’t going aa0509c6ab to try to 5cf2ca8116 win by any 93bb189fa3 dirty means. He would have 446a7998b4 preferred to let e30ec8cbd1 the young lady 735d904ad8 win, but his a7e8549116 circumstances didn’t allow 68fae89090 for such kindness.2d0971237be0f2fe

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‘I’m sorry, miss, 783e7ca2c1 but I have 01e78473f7 to win this.’417faca4483604d4

In his mind, a75dee4ab9 Hongwoo silently apologized 650dc9efde to the young abd2fad124 lady, knowing full c1f2746754 well that he b4effcc70f needed to secure 71aacc214b his victory.44628a13082ccf8d

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The first question 37f0c781b4 came:4ca392223a35f418

“The novel written by a Qing author, Zhao Shengen, in which the protagonist, originally a stone from the heavens, is reborn into the human world with a jade in his mouth. What is the name of the novel?”09643d8af663fdb7

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The young 4515c1d34a noblewoman answered 78da8e937b calmly, without 5a4626daf9 hesitation. But it 3e8b201681 wasn’t correct.ed004ef0b118ee0a

As the challenge a74d3b9226 continued, Hongwoo began 5ea38a3e83 to feel the a2d58d9055 pressure. d29a95c2662bd2af

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‘Please don’t get b88c5c63a3 this right, miss. You seem wealthy enough—please 6d1beb0559 let me win.’1d9e5f93dcc6dac6

Once again, Hongwoo’s c9c4ce3dba inner thoughts revealed 312369eec2 a side of 42ee994747 him he wasn’t 511b4a5615 proud of.f31edb7c80e177dd

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‘Stay calm’,he told himself. ‘She might still make 33276e37cc a mistake. Focus and remember—the 682bb912af protagonist with a 42c4ff6b03 jade in his d69050cdc3 mouth. What was that novel?’66fa95edb1e84a27

Hongwoo thought for 28cf525f86 a moment, his dec181dc01 mind working through 44ee0d23d3 the possibilities, and 654504a8a8 then it clicked.5b25cddce55e8a81

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“Gabook?”ecef852722afa58b

Right, Gabook. The novel where the protagonist, Gabook, meets one woman after another… what was it called again?4681dc368ec5b536

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“Dream of c3dd15d453 the Red 21c36be388 Chamber!”35f21af1e28036f4

“Correct.”f42a1de1bc333102

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The announcer, clearly in disbelief, weakly declared Hongwoo’s answer to be correct. Hongwoo let out a deep breath, his face reflecting a mix of relief as he worked to calm his nerves.46064ba42a197a1e