Chapter 33

Chapter 33

At home, the children usually wore old clothes.

But whenever they went into town for the market or visited another household as guests, they changed into cleaner, better clothes.

The children all knew this well.

The moment they heard they were going to town, they excitedly ran back to their rooms to change.

Only then did Gang Gye realize that he would be going along too.

He quickly followed them to change.

Before long, the entire family had gathered.

There were too many things to carry into town, so they had rented an ox cart in advance.

There were too many family members for everyone to ride at once, but an ox cart wasn't very fast anyway.

Some could walk while others rode, then switch places whenever someone became tired.

After some time, the entire family finally reached town.

The market was already packed.

It was so crowded that people could barely walk without bumping shoulders.

The noise was overwhelming.

Gang Jo-hang led everyone toward an area where they could set up a stall.

The market was generally divided into different sections depending on what people sold.

Naturally, livestock such as cattle and horses wouldn't be sold beside food stalls.

But aside from things like that, the rules weren't particularly strict.

As long as someone didn't set up directly in front of another person's shop, most people didn't care much.

There was no fee for ordinary stall space either.

However, some locations had long-standing regular owners.

Everyone simply recognized those spots through unspoken agreement.

Of course, there were still people who deliberately tried to steal another person's place.

If someone wanted to officially claim a location for the long term, they could pay the authorities.

Then, even if someone arrived early and occupied the spot, they could rely on the official permit to drive them away.

But the Gang family's business wasn't at the stage where they needed a permanent location.

They found an empty space between several stalls selling pancakes, noodles, and other food.

Then they unfolded their table and placed a large basin full of spicy konjac on top.

The basin had been covered with a clean white cloth.

Now they folded half of it back.

The oil paper and bamboo picks were neatly arranged to one side.

Once everything was ready...

The entire family suddenly fell silent.

People were constantly walking past.

Some occasionally glanced over with curious expressions.

Yet when faced with those strangers, no one could bring themselves to say a word.

Gang Gye saw this and tugged at Howa's sleeve.

Then he raised his childish voice and shouted,

"Koukouxiang spicy strips for sale! Spicy and fragrant! Really delicious!"

Koukouxiang was the name the Gang family had chosen for their spicy konjac.

It meant that every bite was fragrant and delicious.

The name was also easy to say and remember.

The moment Gang Gye pulled him in, Howa snapped back to his senses.

Howa had always been bold and shameless anyway.

He immediately joined Gang Gye in shouting.

"That's right! It's really delicious! A few bites aren't enough! Once you eat it, you'll want more! Come buy some!"

Howa had no idea how to advertise elegantly.

But he was extremely good at talking nonstop.

And his words carried the sincerity unique to a child.

As he shouted, Howa even swallowed his saliva.

He was making himself crave the snack.

The sight made people laugh.

Several passersby became interested in the unfamiliar food.

Soon, someone approached and asked,

"How much is this?"

Jang Un-chu hurriedly answered,

"One copper coin for a small portion."

"We have two flavors. Fragrant-spicy and sour-spicy."

The price wasn't expensive.

In fact, it was among the cheapest street foods available.

Most snacks sold for at least two or three copper coins.

The Gang family's Koukouxiang was cheap, looked appetizing, and gave off a mouthwatering fragrance.

The customer said,

"Then give me two copper coins' worth of each flavor."

"Thank you!"

Jang Un-chu quickly wrapped the spicy konjac in oil paper.

Roast duck and other foods sold in the market were often wrapped in oil paper too.

Fortunately, the spicy konjac didn't contain much liquid, so oil paper worked perfectly.

To stop the seasoning from soaking through, they had also placed leaves gathered from trees underneath the food.

While Jang Un-chu wrapped the order, Old Madam Gang collected the money.

The moment the customer received the package, several others who had been watching stepped closer.

The food was cheap and looked good.

They might as well buy some and taste it.

Most people wandering through the market had come prepared to spend at least a little money.

Because of that, more and more people began buying Koukouxiang.

The small portion wasn't large.

But it only cost one copper coin, so no one complained.

At most, they simply ordered another two copper coins' worth.

People used the bamboo picks to eat the spicy konjac.

Soon, several customers were completely won over by the flavor.

Seeing the crowd around the stall, they didn't even leave immediately.

Instead, they moved closer and shouted,

"Give me another five copper coins' worth of both flavors!"

"I'm taking some home for the children!"

Children would definitely love something like this.

Once so many people gathered noisily around the stall, passersby naturally stopped to look.

If that many people were buying it, then it had to be delicious.

Soon, even more people began lining up to buy Koukouxiang.

The stall suddenly became difficult to manage.

They had only brought one pair of chopsticks.

Who could have expected so many customers to gather at once?

Madam Sun quickly went to a neighboring stall and borrowed two more pairs.

Then she joined Jang Un-chu in wrapping orders.

Only then did Jang Un-chu's burden ease somewhat.

The three brothers worried that Old Madam Gang might get pushed around by the crowd.

So they stood nearby to maintain order, hand out the wrapped food, and collect payments.

Old Madam Gang took the children and sat down at a neighboring stall.

Watching the Koukouxiang sell without stopping, she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

Even Daejang said in surprise,

"I didn't know our food would sell this well."

Howa was delighted too.

If the Koukouxiang sold well, that meant the family would earn money.

And if the family earned money, they could eat meat more often.

Still, he didn't miss the chance to argue with his older brother.

"Koukouxiang tastes that good! Of course it sells well!"

From the very beginning, Howa had believed something so delicious would naturally sell.

His only regret was that he had barely been allowed to eat any that morning.

His mother had stopped him because they needed to sell it.

Howa still hadn't eaten his fill...

At this rate, everything would be sold.

There wouldn't even be leftovers for him.

Looks like he wouldn't get any today.

The thought made him gloomy.

Howa sighed heavily and stared longingly at the Gang family's stall.

"I wonder if Mother will save some..."

"I really want more..."

Daejang laughed at him.

"Can't you tell just by looking?"

"There's not going to be anything left for you."

Howa pouted.

Old Madam Gang had been listening to her grandchildren with amusement.

She boldly pulled several copper coins from her clothes.

"Take these and go buy some tanghulu."

Tanghulu couldn't compare with Koukouxiang.

But when he thought about it, it was still a snack they normally couldn't eat often.

Better than nothing.

Howa took the money and immediately ran off to buy tanghulu.

As more people gathered around the stall, more than half of the carefully prepared spicy konjac disappeared in what felt like an instant.

The family members gathered with shocked and delighted expressions.

"I didn't expect it to sell this quickly."

"Exactly. It's because Little Six and Howa advertised so well."

"When children start talking, even adults like us get swept along."

Everyone burst out laughing and began sharing their thoughts about the experience.

Then another customer came to buy Koukouxiang.

The family immediately stopped chatting and returned to work.

Once that customer left, Old Madam Gang said,

"All right. There's little enough left now that only a few of us need to stay."

"Third Son, take Little Six and Munsaeng to look at the private schools."

"The rest of you can walk around the market too if you still have energy."

"Take the children and let them look around."

"We only need one person to remain here."

"It isn't easy for the children to come to the market, after all."

"Yes!"

Everyone answered at once.

In the end, only the eldest branch remained behind.

The eldest son was momentarily speechless.

But after thinking about it, he accepted his fate and continued selling.

Gang Gye walked beside Munsaeng.

Along with Gang Gye's parents, the second son had joined them too.

They were going to look at the private schools.

This would be the place the children spent the next several years.

If they could inspect it beforehand, that would naturally be best.

Since the two children would attend together, they could also discuss anything they disliked before making a final decision.

Dohwa, Haenghwa, Howa, and the others didn't come with them.

They went around town with their parents instead.

Munsaeng's mother, Madam Sun, went with Haenghwa as well.

The first place Gang Gye's group visited was Scholar Zhou's private school.

This was currently their first choice.

If what they saw today seemed satisfactory, they planned to settle on this school immediately.

When they arrived, the front gate was closed.

But it wasn't barred.

Gang Jo-hang knocked.

The courtyard of a house like this was fairly large.

If he knocked too softly, people inside might not hear.

Gang Jo-hang knocked at a steady pace, neither too quickly nor too slowly, careful not to annoy whoever came to answer.

After a short while, a woman's voice sounded from inside.

"Who is it?"

Then the gate opened.

The woman looked at the group outside.

Her gaze shifted to Gang Gye and Munsaeng.

Understanding immediately, she asked,

"Are you here because you want the children to study?"

Her clothes were simple, and her expression was gentle.

At a glance, she didn't look like an ordinary maid.

And judging from the tuition Scholar Zhou charged and his household circumstances, the family probably couldn't afford servants anyway.

Gang Jo-hang greeted her.

"Madam, greetings."

"These two children are both old enough to begin learning."

"We heard that Master Zhou teaches very well, so we came hoping to take a look."

Gang Gye unconsciously glanced at his father.

His father always looked cool and stern.

Unexpectedly, it seemed he had practiced his speaking skills too.

Scholars generally considered themselves refined people.

Their social standing was also higher than that of ordinary villagers.

Usually, teachers chose students.

Students rarely chose teachers.

If someone came directly to inspect a teacher's ability before deciding whether to send their child...

A wealthy or powerful family might get away with it.

But if ordinary villagers like them tried to be selective, some teachers might become offended.

A few might even explode in anger.

Yet the woman in front of them showed no displeasure at all.

Hearing Gang Jo-hang's flattering words, she smiled so widely that she could barely close her mouth.

She opened the gate fully and said modestly,

"You're praising him too much."

"Please, don't stand outside. Come in."

"My husband is teaching the students in the schoolroom right now."

"I'll show you the way."

"As long as you don't make any noise, it's fine to listen from outside for a while."

Naturally, she had already realized that Gang Jo-hang and the others didn't intend to enroll immediately today.

She gave their clothes a quick glance.

They looked like ordinary farming people from a nearby village.

Still, she didn't think there was anything wrong with letting them observe first.

Not every teacher had good character.

And not every teacher taught well.

She herself had come from a poor family.

After spending decades beside her husband, she understood very well how difficult it was for a farming household to support even one scholar.

Naturally, when choosing a teacher, they should inspect things carefully before deciding.

When her husband had first begun studying, his own family had also searched cautiously for a suitable teacher.

Gang Jo-hang quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Some people might indeed dislike such a request.

But as long as it remained reasonable, most wouldn't become truly angry even if they felt somewhat offended.

In any case, seeing how sensible Scholar Zhou's wife was, Gang Jo-hang felt that Scholar Zhou himself probably wouldn't be too unreasonable either.

That alone made him like this private school even more.