Episode 152: Two Villages

As Tang Mujin and his companions prepared to leave Nogun Village, a group of people approached them.

Curious about their intentions, Tang Mujin watched them closely. The man at the front, Bang Ik, extended a pouch slightly larger than a fist.

“What is this?” Tang Mujin asked.

“It’s a small token of our gratitude,” Bang Ik replied. “We’ve pooled together some money, hoping it might be of help.”

Inside the pouch were about thirty silver coins.

Tang Mujin was taken aback. They had only been in Nogun Village for a couple of hours, and it seemed like a significant amount to have gathered in such a short time.

“While I appreciate the gesture, I must decline. It’s a bit overwhelming,” Tang Mujin said, gently pushing the pouch back.

Bang Ik, however, insisted, his demeanor firm. “It’s not a burdensome amount, nor was it collected under duress. Many here wish to offer you a small token of thanks.”

Tang Mujin glanced around. No one seemed reluctant or regretful about the contribution.

Still, he declined again. “We have enough for our journey.”

“Please, use it to rest at a nice inn or enjoy a drink to ease your travels,” Bang Ik urged.

Tang Mujin observed the villagers. Everyone was well-dressed, even the children wore fine leather shoes. The prosperity from selling herbs from Nogun Mountain was evident.

‘Perhaps it really isn’t a burdensome amount,’ he thought.

Reluctantly, Tang Mujin accepted the pouch and handed it to Namgung Myung.

“I’m good. Give it to Hong Geolgae,” Namgung Myung said, refusing the pouch.

Hong Geolgae grimaced. “How can a beggar carry a money pouch? A true beggar lives humbly, relying on alms.”

Tang Mujin shot Hong Geolgae a look. Outwardly, Hong Geolgae seemed to uphold the traditions of a beggar, but his views on begging were unconventional.

When they first met, Hong Geolgae would refuse food offered by Tang Mujin or Gwai, preferring to go into town to beg. That was typical beggar behavior.

But over time, Hong Geolgae’s definition of begging expanded. Now, he considered eating food bought by the group or staying at Tang’s clinic as forms of begging, since the money didn’t come from his own pocket.

‘He just finds managing money bothersome,’ Tang Mujin sighed, tucking the pouch into his robe. Bang Ik looked pleased.

“Oh, you’re heading to Yangyang, right?” Bang Ik asked.

“Yes,” Tang Mujin confirmed.

“On your way, you’ll come across a river. You’ll need to choose between the west and east sides. I recommend the west.”

“Why is that?”

“Traders who visit Nogun Mountain all agree that the village on the west side is much better.”

A nearby merchant chimed in, “The village on the west, Sangshin Village, is prosperous and the people are kind. But the east, Hashin Village, is the opposite. The people are stingy, the accommodations uncomfortable, and there are many petty thieves.”

“Hmm,” Tang Mujin mused.

Other merchants eagerly added their testimonies. “No seasoned merchant stays in Hashin Village. It’s said you can overcharge and cheat the merchants from there without any repercussions.”

“Even without comparing it to Hashin Village, Sangshin Village is excellent. When you leave, make sure to take some bamboo rice from the inn. It’s cheap, delicious, and will make your journey to Yangyang enjoyable.”

The merchants unanimously praised Sangshin Village and criticized Hashin Village. Tang Mujin nodded in agreement.

“Understood. We’ll stay in Sangshin Village. Thank you for the advice.”

The merchants looked relieved, their expressions relaxed.

The next day, just past noon, Tang Mujin and his companions reached the river as described. Expecting a mere stream, they were surprised to find a massive river, over a hundred yards wide.

The current was anything but gentle, likely due to recent rains. Even a skilled boatman wouldn’t dare navigate it.

Namgung Myung asked, “Sangshin Village is to the west, right?”

“Yes,” Tang Mujin replied.

When faced with a choice between dung and bean paste, most would choose the latter. Yet, some are driven by curiosity, even when they know it’s dung. Young men often choose curiosity over reason.

“Honestly, aren’t you curious?” Tang Mujin asked.

Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae nodded. “Just how bad can it be?”

“If the reputation is that bad, it’s worth a visit.”

Merchants, with their wide networks, love discussing the pros and cons of various villages. These exchanges often turn into heated debates.

For instance, if one village has cheap liquor but another has delicious food, opinions on which is better will differ.

Men, in particular, enjoy challenging others’ opinions, often highlighting minor advantages to counter arguments.

Thus, it’s rare for multiple merchants to unanimously badmouth a single village.

That was the problem.

If it were ordinary dung, it wouldn’t matter. But the fact that no one could refute its reputation intrigued Tang Mujin and his companions.

They followed the river eastward for half a day, eventually spotting a small village.

With just over a hundred households, it was clearly far from prosperous.

Before entering, Tang Mujin and Namgung Myung checked their money. Tang Mujin had about seventy silver coins, while Namgung Myung had only eighteen copper coins.

“This should be enough,” Namgung Myung said.

Feeling an inexplicable excitement, they entered the village, eager to see just how dire the situation was.

Though there were people around, the atmosphere was strangely bleak.

The buildings were rundown, the people shabby, and their faces lacked any sense of ease.

A village’s mood is often best reflected by its dogs.

Tang Mujin noticed a dog with its tail tucked between its legs, looking timid and avoiding people. Yet, when it saw the outsiders, it wagged its tail desperately and approached.

Tang Mujin tossed it a small piece of meat, thinking, ‘Indeed, a pitiful village.’

As they wandered, a young boy appeared from down the street, casting furtive glances at them.

Knowing what to expect, Tang Mujin secured his money pouch inside his robe. Namgung Myung, however, left his pouch dangling carelessly from his waist.

The boy pretended to be distracted, running into Namgung Myung and deftly snatching the pouch.

Neither Tang Mujin nor Hong Geolgae alerted Namgung Myung. If he lost his money to a child with no martial skills, they’d have endless fun teasing him for years.

The boy exaggeratedly trembled and apologized, “I’m sorry!”

Namgung Myung gently helped the boy up. “No need to apologize. Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“Good. Be careful where you walk. You could get hurt.”

“I’m sorry.”

The boy bowed to Namgung Myung and scurried away.

As Tang Mujin and Hong Geolgae turned to tease Namgung Myung, they noticed his money pouch still hanging from his waist.

Namgung Myung counted the coins. “One, two, three, four… eighteen. And one more!”

The money had increased. He must have taken the boy’s coins too. Tang Mujin clicked his tongue.

“Wasn’t it enough not to get robbed? Did you have to take that little boy’s money too?”

“In life, it’s rare to learn a lesson for the price of a single coin. He should be thanking me.”

“Your words are smooth.”

“It’s the truth. Anyway, it seems the rumors about the villagers being stingy and full of thieves weren’t lies.”

With that, Namgung Myung headed towards the inn in the village center.

“Having experienced the thieves, let’s see just how unfriendly the people are.”

Inside the inn, they found a young girl dozing at a table.

She looked about twelve, likely helping out with chores.

Startled by their entrance, she quickly stood up, and the three of them took seats.

The girl approached and asked, “What would you like to order?”

“One serving of dumplings and three bowls of noodles,” Namgung Myung replied.

The girl thought for a moment before telling them the price.

“Six coins for the dumplings, and four for a bowl of noodles. That’ll be eighteen coins in total.”

To Namgung Myung’s surprise, the prices were quite reasonable. He cheerfully counted out eighteen coins and handed them to the young boy.

As the boy disappeared into the inn’s kitchen, a gruff voice, full of irritation, echoed from within.

“I told you to charge outsiders triple!”

It seemed to be the innkeeper. He had lowered his voice, likely assuming no one would overhear. But with their keen hearing, the three travelers caught every word.

A young girl’s voice, hesitant and muffled, followed.

”…Last time we tried that, it almost ended badly.”

“That was then. These folks look like they don’t know the first thing about the world. We should take what we can while we can.”

“But…”

“No buts! Just go fetch some water. And don’t stop until the bucket’s full.”

“Yes…”

The girl left with a downcast expression, and a man with thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows emerged from the kitchen.

Feigning generosity, he announced, “Ah, my apologies, dear guests. There was a mistake. It’s not eighteen coins, but forty-eight. The boy’s a bit slow with numbers… But as a gesture of goodwill, we’ll only charge you forty-five.”

Dang Moo-jin’s eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

“That’s absurdly expensive.”

“In autumn, it would have been half the price. But with the current spike in ingredient costs, we can’t afford to sell for less.”

Just as Dang Moo-jin was about to argue, Namgung Myung reached out to stop him.

“We’re not short on money. Let’s not bicker over something trivial. The innkeeper knows best about his prices.”

From Namgung Myung’s pocket, a slightly dented silver coin appeared. It hadn’t been there when they checked outside the inn.

Dang Moo-jin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘Could it be?’

He discreetly checked his own coin pouch under the table. The silver coins were all accounted for.

So where did Namgung Myung’s coin come from? It hadn’t been there when they entered the inn.

With a confident voice, Namgung Myung addressed the innkeeper, “We have plenty of money, no need for a discount.”

Hong Geol-gae chimed in, “It’s no big deal if a child makes a mistake with the math. Don’t be too harsh.”

The innkeeper’s face lit up with relief.

“Such generous hearts!”

“Naturally.”

“And so humble!”

The innkeeper, thinking he had found easy marks, grinned widely as he took the money.

Once the innkeeper returned to the kitchen, Hong Geol-gae whispered to Namgung Myung, “You didn’t have that coin earlier, did you?”

“Must’ve been buried in a corner of my pocket.”

That couldn’t be. They had turned the pocket inside out when checking their funds earlier.

Namgung Myung slipped the change back into his pouch, only to find the same dented silver coin he had just handed over sitting inside.

Dang Moo-jin stared at Namgung Myung in shock. But Namgung Myung’s expression remained calm and unbothered.

‘How is this possible?’

When the dumplings and noodles arrived, Namgung Myung called out to the innkeeper again.

“Do you have any good liquor to go with the meal?”

“We do, but the price isn’t cheap…”

The innkeeper eyed Namgung Myung, gauging how much he could overcharge without causing a fuss.

“Don’t worry. The liquor won’t cost more than a silver coin, will it?”

Namgung Myung flashed the silver coin, and the innkeeper, grinning from ear to ear, fetched a bottle.

After receiving the change, Namgung Myung ordered more food.

“Oh, and while you’re at it, could you prepare some meat dishes? We might run out of snacks.”

“Of course.”

“Here’s the payment upfront.”

Once again, the coin he handed over was the same dented one.

By now, Hong Geol-gae realized something unusual was happening.

Both Dang Moo-jin and Hong Geol-gae watched Namgung Myung’s right hand intently, but they couldn’t figure out how the coin kept returning to him.

Namgung Myung continued to perform this miracle, ordering more food and drink with the same coin.

The innkeeper’s cooking was mediocre at best, but a full stomach is a great equalizer. The three travelers ate and drank their fill, feeling content, while the innkeeper, thinking he had swindled them, was equally pleased.

As they finished their meal and stood to leave, the innkeeper rubbed his hands together and asked, “Do you need a place to stay for the night?”

“No, thank you. We’ve had our fill.”

“Please visit us again anytime.”

The innkeeper bowed deeply. As soon as they stepped outside, Namgung Myung grumbled, “The merchants were right. The people here aren’t very hospitable. It’s quite bad.”

Dang Moo-jin and Hong Geol-gae squinted at Namgung Myung. The locals might be unfriendly, but he was hardly one to talk.

“Why not stay at the inn? Why leave?”

“If we get caught, it’ll be a hassle. Besides, we have three more days of travel, and I don’t want to eat that inn’s food on the road. Even if we camp out tonight, let’s stay at Sangshin Village tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” Hong Geol-gae agreed. He was curious about the bamboo rice the merchants had raved about.

As they left the village, the young girl from the inn approached them hesitantly. She didn’t seem like she was trying to pickpocket them.

She reached out to Hong Geol-gae, who extended his hand in return. She placed something in his palm and quickly ran off.

It was a shabby bead, with a thin crack running through it.

To an adult, it was worthless, but to a child, it might be a treasure.

“Looks like she took a liking to you.”

“Hardly.”

Hong Geol-gae pondered the bead’s significance but couldn’t think of anything.

He tucked the bead into his pocket and continued walking with his friends.