Chapter 16
When the second son returned, he didn't go straight back to his room either.
He felt much the same as his wife.
The three brothers had always gotten along fairly well, and now it felt as though he had been the one to cause trouble between them.
He quickly stepped in and said,
"Next time you need to slice the huiyu, call me. My hands don't itch that badly when I touch it."
Perhaps his constitution was different.
He really didn't seem to react much to it.
"All right."
Gang Jo-hang nodded without saying much.
Then he went over to his wife and held his hands near the fire.
They still itched badly, but the warmth did seem to help a little.
Old Madam Gang returned soon afterward and heard about the huiyu.
She showed even more interest than Old Master Gang had.
She picked Gang Gye up and questioned him carefully about every little detail.
Gang Gye answered everything as sincerely as he could.
"...Besides those things, we'll need to buy some tiny shrimp too. Oh, and we'll have to make ice. Once the huiyu is finished, we need to chill it."
If tiny shrimp were dried or roasted together with mushrooms and then ground into fine powder, the mixture could add a rich savory flavor to food, almost like MSG.
That kind of umami could completely transform a dish.
And most importantly, nobody in this era knew that secret.
As for the mushrooms, they could simply gather them in the mountains themselves.
The family already had dried mushrooms stored at home, so they wouldn't even need to buy any.
The problem was the ice.
For that, they needed saltpeter.
The court didn't control saltpeter, and the method of using it to make ice was already widely known.
During summer, some street vendors even sold shaved ice and similar cold treats.
However, saltpeter supplies were limited.
Without the right connections, it was difficult to obtain, and the price was also fairly high.
That was why Old Madam Gang looked troubled when she heard Gang Gye's explanation.
"Can we even get saltpeter?"
Saltpeter could be reused.
During the hottest part of summer, Old Madam Gang had once considered buying some herself.
They could use it to make ice and keep cool, or even sell chilled drinks.
But the Gang family had no connections in that trade.
In the end, she had been forced to give up.
Now that the subject had come up again, she couldn't help feeling discouraged.
They were just ordinary villagers.
They had no special connections.
At that moment, Gang Jo-hang spoke.
"I'll go into town this afternoon and visit someone I used to know from the escort agency."
Old Madam Gang couldn't hide her delight.
Ever since Gang Jo-hang injured his leg, he had gradually become quieter and more reluctant to go outside.
He had especially stopped contacting people from the escort agency.
Now, however, her son was voluntarily saying that he would go meet someone from his past.
Didn't that mean he was finally beginning to emerge from the shadow of his injury?
How could Old Madam Gang not be happy?
She looked toward the tiny dumpling of a child who had buried his face in his bowl and was eating diligently.
The more she looked at him, the more adorable he seemed.
Little Six really had come at just the right time.
After this child entered their lives, her previously lifeless son had slowly begun to change.
Later, whenever Gang Jo-hang was around Little Six, he even spoke more than usual.
Over the last few days, Old Madam Gang had seen that side of him more and more often.
Her son would hold Little Six and teach him characters every day, talking almost nonstop.
The sight had shocked her.
Now that he was finally showing ambition and energy again, Old Madam Gang felt as though one of her long-held wishes had finally come true.
She said happily,
"Good. Go ask around. And while you're there, buy some of those tiny shrimp Little Six mentioned."
"I think we're almost out of salt too, so buy some more seasonings while you're at it."
"I'll give you the silver."
"No, that's all right. I can—"
Gang Jo-hang tried to refuse, but Old Madam Gang cut him off.
"What do you mean, no? These are proper household expenses. They should come from the common funds."
Seeing how stubborn she was, Gang Jo-hang stopped arguing.
If this dish really could become a business, then it would become an affair for the entire family.
Using the common funds now was reasonable.
He couldn't keep the business entirely to himself anyway.
As long as the family remained undivided, if he went out to do business, the household work would naturally fall more heavily on his two brothers.
It was only right that he contribute more to the common funds in return.
Of course, his parents wouldn't simply let things become unfair.
When the time came, they would divide things reasonably so that no one suffered a loss.
Ever since the three brothers had married, their parents had always worked hard to keep matters fair between them.
Even much of the silver Gang Jo-hang had once contributed to the common funds had later been spent on treating his injured leg.
Whenever Old Madam Gang made a decision, the other brothers rarely objected.
After finishing the meal, Gang Jo-hang set out for town.
Gang Gye followed closely behind.
This time, they didn't walk.
They were worried they might arrive after the shops had closed, so they paid one copper coin each to ride the village ox cart.
The ride was certainly easier.
Unfortunately, the road was rough, and by the time they reached town, Gang Gye's bottom hurt.
As soon as they arrived, Gang Jo-hang first bought a few things.
They looked like gifts for someone.
Afterward, he led Gang Gye to the entrance of a large residence.
"Father, whose house is this?"
Gang Gye asked.
Gang Jo-hang knocked on the door and answered quietly,
"This belongs to the man who was Father's master when I worked at the escort agency."
"His surname is Zhou. When you see him, call him Grandpa Zhou."
"Okay!"
Gang Gye nodded.
Even from outside, the Zhou residence looked fairly large.
They waited for a moment.
Before long, the door opened and an elderly man poked his head out.
He looked Gang Jo-hang over, then seemed to recognize him.
His face immediately brightened.
"Young Master Gang! It's been such a long time since you last came. Please, come in. Master and Madam have often spoken about you."
Gang Jo-hang exchanged a few polite words with the gatekeeper and familiarly led Gang Gye inside.
The gatekeeper didn't even go ahead to announce their arrival first.
He simply let them in.
It seemed Gang Jo-hang and his former master really had been very close.
Gang Gye also noticed something else.
The gatekeeper walked with a limp.
His father did too.
But Gang Jo-hang was clearly trying his best not to let it show.
Watching his father deliberately slow his steps and carefully hide his limp made Gang Gye's heart ache.
