Chapter 008
The Daughter-in-Law of a Murim Family
How much time had passed?
After leaving the family estate, the barren scenery that had continued all this time gradually began to change, with mansions where people lived appearing here and there.
I glanced outside before carefully asking Bang Jin-woo,
“Where are we going today?”
“The Grand Madam recommended several shops that Young Lady might visit. They have been doing business with the family for a long time, so they are highly trustworthy. The shop owners also have excellent taste, so the quality of the goods they carry is quite good.”
If they were shops that had been doing business with the family for a long time, it would be even harder to find an opening to escape.
‘Although getting out of this man’s sight in the first place would probably be difficult.’
It couldn’t be helped.
It would be great if I could find an opportunity to escape right away, but even if I couldn’t, it was important to understand the situation first.
What methods did people usually use to leave the city?
How expensive were things here?
And so on.
I had to carefully observe anything that might help me escape.
The moment I subtly leaned my head toward the outside of the carriage, Bang Jin-woo quickly closed the window.
“I apologize, but I would like you to keep your face covered as much as possible.”
“Why?”
“The family has not yet publicly announced your existence. There were also many concerns about allowing you to go out today, but after considering your feelings, the Family Head made a special exception.”
“……”
“Please take the family’s position into consideration when you act.”
What a man. It feels like not even a drop of blood would come out if I stabbed him.
I stared at Bang Jin-woo’s cold face before swallowing a sigh and straightening my posture.
This damn family locks up a perfectly healthy young woman, puts her through intense bride training without even a groom, and then acts like they’re doing me some huge favor just because they let me go outside once.
Seeing my gloomy expression, Bingbing whispered,
“He is only doing that because he is worried that you might be in danger, Young Lady. There are many people who are interested in our family.”
Then let me go.
If I don’t get involved with anyone, there won’t be any danger in the first place.
That was when I closed my eyes gloomily.
A savory and sweet smell drifted in from somewhere, and my nose twitched before I even realized it.
Bingbing smiled brightly.
“It has been a long time since I smelled tangmiljeon. I remember my mother buying it for me sometimes when I was young.”
“Really?”
“It is a thin pancake topped with black vinegar and sweet preserved fruit. It is really delicious.”
Is it something like a crepe?
As I imagined the taste, my mouth naturally began to water.
I had eaten a hearty breakfast, but there was always room for snacks.
I had barely become interested when a cold voice ruined the mood again.
“Food sold on the street is not good for your health.”
My eyes widened.
I was already irritated because he had basically threatened(?) me into not looking outside.
“Who doesn’t know that? Still, you have to eat things like that sometimes. It helps relieve stress.”
“I do not know what the word ‘stress’ means, but please refrain from using vulgar words commonly used in the streets. In addition, most of the food sold in this alley uses inferior ingredients and is prepared in unhygienic environments.”
“Who said I didn’t know that?”
It wasn’t that I disliked the magnificent meals served morning and evening, with enough food to make the legs of the table bend.
It was just that sometimes, people needed stimulating snacks that completely ignored their health and were irresistibly delicious.
“If your meals are not to your satisfaction, I shall report this and have the head cook replaced.”
At Bang Jin-woo’s stiff words, Bingbing, who was sitting beside me, shrank into herself.
The moment I saw the girl’s dejected face, my head suddenly became clear.
I knew better than anyone why this child had become so depressed.
‘Does he really think he can’t understand something just because he doesn’t say it out loud?’
That snack Bingbing had eaten when she was young was probably considered an unsuitable, low-class food for someone like me now.
And at the same time, there was frustration in her eyes because I didn’t understand how extraordinary the things I enjoyed were.
‘No wonder something about him felt unpleasant.’
His appearance reminded me of the welfare center supervisor who used to make a huge show of handing me a few daily necessities.
‘Nari, you’re lucky. So many people are taking care of you so that you can grow up in a good environment. So don’t forget their kindness, and grow up to become a good person, okay?’
He acted as if I owed him some enormous debt for the public service he was performing with government funding anyway.
The meager supplies he gave me only helped me avoid starving for about a month, but at the same time, they threw me into the cold stares of my neighbors.
From the parents of friends who told their children not to associate with me, to the landlord who immediately announced that he would double my rent after learning that I had grown up in a facility without a guardian.
‘Well, I did gain something thanks to it.’
I had learned to read people’s moods and argue with my words through my difficult life, and I was confident that those skills could hold their own anywhere.
“I know the head cook’s efforts better than anyone because I receive the results of them every day. I have no intention of belittling his abilities.”
“……”
“But street food has value of its own. The foundation of the head cook’s excellent cuisine may have come from people like those who struggle to make a living by selling food on the streets.”
Bang Jin-woo stared at me as if he was wondering what kind of nonsense I was talking about.
“People were not born with different levels of food, clothing, and shelter according to their social class from the beginning of time. Before people became wealthy, everyone was simply trying to earn enough to survive each day. From finding things that could be used as ingredients to figuring out how to cook them, it was the result of a process that took a very long time. You could say that expensive and excellent dishes for a small number of noble people were created at the very end of that process.”
A slight wrinkle appeared between the brows of the previously expressionless man.
Bingbing subtly tugged at my sleeve, but I did not stop.
“Also, street food can be one of the best indicators for understanding the conditions of a local area.”
“An indicator for understanding the conditions of the area?”
“I heard that as one of the Five Great Families of the Murim Alliance, the Hwangbo Family is responsible for the security and peace of Shandong Province. Those foods sold at street stalls are some of the best samples for understanding the situation in Jinan City. If the wheat pancakes are sweet and oily, it means that not only the local area but also the surrounding region is relatively safe. Sugar and oil, which are used to make things sweet and rich, aren’t produced here. They come from far away. That means bandits who attack merchant caravans aren’t running wild.”
“……”
“On the other hand, if the wheat pancakes are watery, without oil, and stiff, it means there has been a poor harvest and people are starving. It would mean bandits are rampant and many people are struggling, so special attention should be paid to public security as well.”
Yeah. Complete bullshit.
But it sounds convincing, right?
I’d made a living by talking my way out of things, and that was how I’d gotten all the way here.
Did he really think he could beat me in a battle of words?
Bang Jin-woo only moved his lips slightly, unable to refute a single word, and stared at me silently.
I ignored his gaze and smiled at the maid.
“I heard that my grandaunt said the people of Shandong Province live relatively stable lives compared to other regions because of the presence of the Hwangbo Family. Since we’re here, I’d like to try one of those wheat pancakes myself. Could you go buy one for me?”
I took out a small coin purse and placed several copper coins in Bingbing’s hand.
Bingbing’s eyes wavered.
“It should be all right, shouldn’t it, Chief Bang?”
We came all the way out, so what’s the point if I can’t even eat what I want?
After remaining silent for a moment, he raised his hand as a signal, and the moving carriage slowly came to a stop.
The man, who had kept his mouth tightly shut until then, spoke quietly.
“Buy the wheat pancake and come to the Geumga Store. We do not have much time, so do not delay.”
“Yes, yes!”
Bingbing answered energetically before hopping out of the carriage.
An awkward silence settled over the carriage, which now had only the two of us inside.
I had no desire to make friendly conversation with him, so I lowered my head and fiddled with the edge of my fingernail.
But that lasted only a moment.
When I raised my head at the feeling of a piercing gaze coming from somewhere, I saw Bang Jin-woo staring intently at me.
‘Why is he doing that again?’
What was he dissatisfied with this time?
Unable to withstand his intense stare, I asked awkwardly,
“Is there something you want to say to me?”
“You said that you lost your parents when you were so young that you cannot even remember them.”
“Yes. And?”
“May I ask from which teacher you gained the insight behind what you said earlier?”
A teacher? Where did that come from all of a sudden?
His expression was far too serious for it to be a simple joke.
“I don’t really have anyone I would call a teacher…”
“Long ago, a great master once said that water always flows toward the lowest place. Foolish as I was, I heard those words and simply let them pass through one ear and out the other without understanding their meaning. But it seems you have embraced that principle in your life.”
The more Bang Jin-woo spoke, the more awkward I became.
I had only thrown together some convincing words because I was annoyed that he kept looking down on people.
But now that I was facing his eyes filled with admiration, I didn’t know where to look.
“People are not all born into the same circumstances, yet I am ashamed that I judged a person’s limits beforehand based on the circumstances they were born into.”
“You’re quite an amazing person yourself, Chief Bang. You’re lowering yourself so much that I don’t know what to do.”
This is awkward, so could you please stop?
“I apologize for my rude words and actions toward the betrothed of the Great Young Master, whom even the Family Head has acknowledged.”
He stood up and knelt on one knee before me.
And right at that moment, the carriage door opened at exactly the right time.
“Welcome, Young Lady. We have been waiting for you.”
A gentle woman’s voice rang out.
Dozens of shop employees lined up on both sides bowed all at once.
“We sincerely thank Young Lady for visiting our store.”
I froze awkwardly and blinked.
Then, when the shop owner and the employees raised their heads and saw what had been happening inside the carriage, their expressions became rather strange.
“……”
“……”
Bang Jin-woo, the person responsible for this entire situation, calmly stood up and said coldly,
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you attending to Young Lady?”
This is all because of you, you fucking lunatic…
