It was only after hearing those words that I finally realized why this fellow was being so confrontational.
Last year—the day I fell into this era—was the very day the Treaty of Ganghwa was signed.
The god or whatever it was that sent me here told me to survive until 1895, the year of the Eulmi Incident.
I couldn’t help but think those dates were tied to Japan’s aggression.
In any case, the Treaty of Ganghwa happened the day I arrived, and it is a fact that Busan was opened to Japan, creating a formal route for Western goods to enter through Japan.
However, even now, a little over a year since the opening of the port, Western goods haven’t spread throughout all of Joseon.
Therefore, the merchants who can obtain and bring in such goods are extremely limited.
When we showed up with an absurdly large amount of goods, this man’s sharp senses told him that our items weren’t imported through Japan, but were instead smuggled.
He was eyeing us to see if there was something he could scavenge.
If we had been traveling in a large group, he wouldn’t have dared to provoke us out of fear.
But since I was just with a single child, he thought he could easily rob us and was currently gathering information.
Looking at Taeseok’s expression, it seemed he had also caught on.
The fact that we didn’t have any companions had already been revealed.
A man like this needed to be taught a clear lesson right now.
Otherwise, even if he appeared to back down submissively for the moment, he would surely try something later, whether by gathering a gang or using some other trick.
I cut in while the two were talking.
“Why is a gentleman we’ve never seen before—someone who didn’t contribute a single coin to help my uncle buy these Western goods—being so argumentative?”
“You brat! How dare a little brat whose head hasn’t even cleared of cradle cap interrupt when adults are speaking?”
“If it were an adult conversation, I wouldn’t interfere. But isn’t it because the way you’re harassing my uncle makes it look like you’re plotting how to steal our goods?”
I spoke in a deliberately offensive tone, and as I expected, this man seemed to view this as an opportunity.
Under the pretext of punishing a rude child, he seemed to intend to start a quarrel with Taeseok, escalate a small fight into a large one, and then call his companions to strip us of everything.
“What did you say? Where in the world did such an ill-mannered brat come from? Do you not even see your elders?”
Intent on slapping me across the cheek, he jumped down from the wooden porch in his stocking feet, raised his hand, and swung it at me with all his might.
He likely thought that if he hit me once, Taeseok would get angry and step in, and then he could call for his group.
However, I possessed strength and physical stamina that surpassed an adult, along with various Martial Arts techniques.
I had already tested them thoroughly since falling into this era.
After dodging his hand, I struck him in the side with my fist.
It was a Boxing uppercut technique, and against a man like this, it was more than enough.
I landed a clean blow right where the liver is located.
The merchant collapsed in the yard just like that, unable to even scream properly, only groaning and trembling.
I stepped firmly on his neck and spoke.
“You saw only the two of us and thought all our wealth belonged to you. But you should have also considered why just the two of us are traveling with such precious riches. Breaking your neck right here is as easy as turning over my palm, but since you’re a living soul, I’ll let you keep your life. However, if you try anything with us again, consider your life forfeit.”
I kicked him in the calf, ensuring he wouldn’t be able to walk properly for at least a month.
Only then did the man let out a sharp scream.
Hearing that sound, four people who seemed to be his companions came running.
Two of them shook their heads, seemingly realizing that this fellow had been greedy and gotten what he deserved.
However, whether because they were close or because they were just as greedy and lacked an eye for people as he did, the other two shouted at me.
“Did a brat like you do this to my companion?”
“This man, whom I’ve never seen before in my life, was being unreasonably greedy for our goods and harassing my uncle. When I spoke up, he looked down on me and jumped down in his stocking feet to hit me. I couldn’t just stand there and take it, so I gave him a beating. Do you two want to try fighting me as well?”
Seeing how I had taken down their companion, the two men didn’t seem confident in facing me bare-handed.
They pulled out short clubs from their waists and tried to strike me.
“What an arrogant little shit. Let’s see if you can still talk like that after being hit with this.”
If they had learned proper short-stick Martial Arts, I would have stepped back and grabbed something to fight with.
But looking at their movements, they were merely people whose reach had slightly increased; they didn’t even understand the strengths or weaknesses of the weapons they held.
Using my Superior Dynamic Vision and reaction speed, I grabbed the wrists they thrust forward and then kicked each of them in the lower abdomen.
Naturally, those two also rolled on the ground, groaning.
Ignoring them, I spoke to the two men who had shaken their heads earlier and didn’t join the fight.
“You two also seem to be companions with these fellows. Do you intend to keep fighting?”
Terrified after seeing me dispose of their companions in an instant, the two waved their hands.
“Uh, no, we have no intention of fighting. But it is true that we are their companions, so may we take them with us?”
“It’s fine to take them, but those two in the back will be pissing blood for the next fifteen days. Don’t give them anything with broth and have them drink as little water as possible. If they endure that for about fifteen days, they’ll recover. If they drink a lot of water, not only will they heal slowly, but they’ll scream every time they urinate. I’m warning you in advance. The man in front has a damaged leg, so you’d better make him a cane. He should recover after about a month of rest.”
By then, the servants of the Bohaeng-Gaekju had also come out.
Seeing what had happened between us, they whispered and called for others.
Taeseok was sitting on the porch drinking the liquor provided by the Bohaeng-Gaekju.
His composure made him look even more intimidating to these people.
Taeseok knew my fighting skills and had only thought it wasn’t his place to step in since our journey to Joseon was led by me.
To others, however, it looked as if he could resolve the matter instantly if he stepped in, but felt it was a task simple enough for a child like me to handle.
Eventually, the Doju of the Bohaeng-Gaekju appeared, and the companions of the fallen men took them away to prevent the situation from escalating further.
After everyone else had retreated, the Doju, whose surname was Sim, approached us and spoke.
“I am very sorry that such an incident occurred while you were staying at our Bohaeng-Gaekju.”
I replied.
“The reason we paid to stay at the Bohaeng-Gaekju was to avoid such things.
But I suppose it’s inevitable that someone would try to pick a fight when they see only two people traveling with so much wealth.”
Sim Doju stared at me for a moment and then said.
“You seem very young, but your skills are remarkable. Is such talent something you were born with?”
“Well, no one has ever taught me.”
Taeseok, who had been silently sipping his drink, spoke up.
“The only reason we can travel as just the two of us is because of that child’s talent. Honestly, most of the wealth we carry belongs to him. I am simply here as an adult companion because there are many inconveniences for a child alone.”
Sim Doju looked at us with wonder and said.
“This is truly a strange thing. By the way, where do you plan to sell the goods you have? Since we also run a brokerage, if you don’t have a specific contract, we could purchase them, or if there’s any left, we could introduce you to other merchants.”
“We don’t care where we sell them as long as the profit is certain. However, we’re looking to obtain some kelp.Would that be possible?”
Sim Doju asked with a slightly puzzled face.
“Looking at the luggage you’ve unpacked in your room, if you trade it for something like kelp, it would fill more than a boat.
How do you plan to carry all that?”
“Kelp only needs to be enough to load onto ten horses. For the rest, I’d like to obtain some Hongsam.”
“If it’s that much kelp, it’s an amount that can be easily found here in Myeongcheon. If you leave it to our Bohaeng-Gaekju, we will obtain it along with the horses. However, for ginseng, unless it’s the Songsang or Mansang, there won’t be much stock available. But the Mansang are coming all the way from the border to obtain ginseng to sell in China, so they won’t sell it. That leaves only the Songsang. Should I try to contact them?”
“Are there Songsang here as well?”
“Is there anywhere in the country that the Songsang don’t go? Naturally, they come to this northern border land of Hamgyeong-do as well. Actually, the people you fought with today are Songsang. But since a conflict broke out today, it will be difficult to trade with them. I’ll try to put you in touch with a different Songsang instead.”
I interjected.
“Even if there was a conflict, if they’re okay with it, we don’t mind.”
“Then I’ll send word to them.”
Once Sim Doju withdrew, Taeseok asked.
“Is there a reason to trade with those people specifically?”
“Since I’ve broken their pride, they won’t look down on us or pick fights anymore. Our goal is to buy kelp and ginseng rather than making a huge profit, so as long as they don’t rip us off, it doesn’t matter who it is.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
Then, the two men who had shaken their heads while watching the fight with their group hurried over to us.
“Did you say you were selling Calico and looking for ginseng?”
“That’s right. If the price is right, I intend to hand it over.”
“What other Western goods do you have?”
“There are Western needles, scissors, and Geumgyerap.”
“Heh, you even have Geumgyerap?”
“Seeing as you know what Geumgyerap is, you must indeed be Songsang.”
Geumgyerap refers to quinine, a treatment for malaria.
Malaria is called the “shuddering sickness” in Joseon.
Once contracted, it’s hard for the elderly to survive, and even young people lose so much strength that it takes years of convalescence to recover.
However, taking just a few pills of Geumgyerap cures this terrible disease, so people regarded it as a god-given medicine.
Because Joseon had not yet begun trading with the West, and almost none came through Japan, it was not yet a widely known medicine, with only small amounts entering through the border with China.
Still, because its effectiveness was so miraculous, many among the powerful nobles and the wealthy in Seoul sought it out.
When I took out a bottle of Geumgyerap, the Songsang recognized it instantly.
“Oh, it really is Geumgyerap.”
Originally, malaria was rare in Primorsky Krai, so Geumgyerap hardly existed there.
But I had specifically ordered it from Kunst and Albers, and they had bought it from Hong Kong, so it was the exact same product as the Geumgyerap coming through the Chinese border.
Then I showed them the Calico, our most abundant commodity.
Calico refers to cotton fabric woven with much finer threads than general cotton cloth and then bleached to a pure white.
It was much thinner than existing cotton, making clothes look more stylish.
Among the fabrics sold in Joseon, it was the most expensive after silk, and among the cotton cloths coming from the West, it was the product Joseon people liked most.
The Kaesong merchants carefully examined the Calico I presented and said.
“It’s not top-grade, but it’s high-grade Calico. Are you selling all of it?”
Taeseok spoke.
“We cannot sell the items to be taken to my in-laws or what will be used to pay for the kelp.”
These men seemed curious about why we were looking for kelp, but since merchants never reveal their business secrets, they didn’t bother to ask.
The Kaesong merchants calculated the goods and said.
“How about we value everything at 2,000 silver nyang and exchange it for 120 geun of Hongsam? We have to take the goods all the way to Kaesong, and you should also make a profit, so it seems like a fair trade.”
With that, they showed us the Hongsam they had brought.
Each root was well-trimmed and was by no means of poor quality.
Originally, the trimmed shape of Hongsam greatly influenced its value, and this quality seemed sufficient to be sold in China.
When Taeseok looked at me, I nodded, and our deal was finalized.
After the transaction, I gave the merchants an ointment for bruises purchased from Kunst and Albers and said.
“This is a Western medicine for bruises. It will be helpful if you apply it to your companions’ injuries. Just get some on your hand and apply a thin layer to the bruised areas. It won’t heal them instantly, but it will make the pain subside much faster.”
Knowing well the miraculous nature of Western medicines, they thanked me repeatedly and took the medicine.
Afterward, Sim Doju brought ten horses in total—the four we had brought and six new ones—all fully loaded with dried kelp.
We paid for them with the remaining Calico.
***