Chapter 21 …. Searching for Clues
The ones running toward her, shouting as if hunting and clattering the tops of their heads with bowls like bird nests, were beggars—and they were children.
“Jo Mi-yoo-daah!”
“Vegetable pancakes!”
Mi-yoo stepped back two paces, wondering what on earth she had done to these kids.
Nothing. There was no reason. Not once had they come close asking for even a single coin.
There were four kids in total, all small and scrappy. Three boys and one girl.
The boys were about 10–13 years old, and the youngest girl seemed around eight.
Despite their age, they were the infamous four-member beggar gang of Songpa Market.
The leader, Yong, was smart and had managed to survive, leading his group even among adult beggars.
The four children formed a semicircle around Mi-yoo, holding out their bowls.
“Give us a coin.”
“No coin? Give us two.”
“These kids are really… they startled me!”
Mi-yoo blinked rapidly, biting her lip, pretending to scold them.
“The whole Songpa Market is buzzing about Mi-yoo nunna,” Yong, the beggar leader, said with a yellow-toothed grin.
“Mi-yoo nunna? Since when are you calling her nunna?”
“She’s not a younger sibling, not a brother, not a mother, not an aunt, not a grandmother. So she’s nunna. A fair and pretty nunna.”
Yong answered with a thick-skinned seriousness.
“Wow, you really are good at business.”
“I’m just doing beggar work. The business sense is all Mi-yoo nunna’s.”
Yong replied cleverly.
Mi-yoo studied Yong’s eyes carefully. Despite his age, his gaze was firm and intelligent.
Life must have been harsh, forcing him to develop wisdom on his own. How tough it must have been to be forced into a life as a beggar at such a young age—and to continue living that way. Yet Yong had endured it proudly, training himself through that harsh time.
Mi-yoo admired how steadfastly Yong took care of his group and survived.
“But you’ve never once asked me for a coin before.”
She asked, curious about his response.
“The most important thing for beggars is tact. Even in the same house, the time and day you visit can determine whether you get a meal or a slap.”
“Oh? So?”
Mi-yoo’s face lit up with interest.
“The clerk at the vegetable stall wouldn’t have any money. Earning only two jeon a day, you see.”
“But? Why now?”
“They say that clerk, who works at the Princess’s vegetable stall, brought three of us during a busy market day and even sold all the vegetables in the storage.”
Yong answered sharply.
“The clerk?”
Mi-yoo tilted her head slightly. She wanted him to explain again.
“Ah, a very pretty clerk.”
“Hohoho, I see.”
“A clerk earning two jeon a day? No way. At least one nyang, probably.”
Mi-yoo smiled silently, looking down at Yong.
‘A clever child,’ she thought.
She took out her purse.
With eyes full of anticipation, Yong and the beggar children alternated glances between her and the purse.
“One coin would be enough, but since there are four of you, I’ll give four coins.”
“Thank you!”
“Live long!”
“Become rich!”
“Your son will pass the highest exams!”
From the youngest girl to Yong, they gave their practiced, flattering responses before turning away without lingering.
Mi-yoo felt a pang of sympathy at the sight of the children in worn, shabby clothes.
“Why give them coins? What if they keep asking?”
Boksil muttered.
“There’s a reason,” Mi-yoo said meaningfully.
Boksil scrunched her chin in confusion, unable to understand Mi-yoo’s thoughts, then pouted.
After a while, Boksil grumbled about having to collect novels around the village today and disappeared into the bookstore.
When Mi-yoo arrived at the Princess’s vegetable stall, the grandmother was already sweating from the crowd of incoming customers.
“Wow.”
She barely had time for words.
“What’s this? If you made it this busy, you have to take responsibility. Come help with the sales.”
The Princess’s grandmother, delighted yet overwhelmed by the bustling morning, waved her dry hands at Mi-yoo.
“Yes, ma’am,” Mi-yoo said, rushing over.
“Is this okay?”
The grandmother muttered slowly, bewildered, glancing between the stall and the counter.
It wasn’t even 3 PM yet, the exact hour of the Shen Shi.
Yet the vegetables hurriedly delivered in the morning were already sold out.
The grandmother couldn’t believe it; she had expected to sell them for at least three days.
“What’s the problem?”
Mi-yoo began tidying up with a cheerful expression.
“Grandma, bring more vegetables from tomorrow.”
“Y-Yes, that’s true. If we sell vegetables like this, we’ll get rich, Mi-yoo.”
“I told you so. Ahem.”
Mi-yoo stretched her arms high into the sky.
“Seriously.”
“Yes, seriously! So, shall we call it a day?”
“There’s nothing left to do anyway.”
Mi-yoo closed the Princess’s vegetable stall door and leisurely began walking around Songpa Market, holding the leash of Milk in one hand.
The hardware store owner noticed her and gave a quick nod.
“Hello, isn’t this Mi-yoo from the vegetable stall?”
“Hello! How’s business at your shop?”
“Can it be as good as the Princess’s vegetable stall? But Mi-yoo, why aren’t you running the stall?”
“The vegetables sold out early.”
“Oh, a lucky charm has come to the Princess’s stall.”
The hardware store owner marveled.
Mi-yoo enjoyed the afternoon sunlight breaking through the edge of her hat as she walked with Milk.
Her steps brought her to the northern livestock market of Songpa Market.
She was here to investigate the incident of the Tongue-Cut Cow in Dapsimni, as Hwang Hee had mentioned.
Just sitting and thinking wouldn’t spark good ideas. Since it was a cow-related incident, she needed to observe the animals and look for clues. Eventually, a lead would appear.
Inside a wooden fence the size of a playground, hundreds of wooden stakes were driven in, and livestock were tied up. Although it was called a cattle market, sheep, pigs, and goats were also traded.
The livestock market was crowded with both people and animals, exchanging large amounts of cash.
Buyers meticulously inspected each animal, checking the color, teeth, overall balance, and even the shape of their rear to ensure they were choosing strong, well-tempered cattle.
“Hey, not like that! Look at this one. Wide belly, big but firm, broad chest, short shiny hair, bulging eyes. I’ll give five nyang more.”
“Hmm, the horns seem bent backward a bit…”
“What? Stop… cow! Our cow! You’d be upset if you heard that.”
“Let’s agree on this price. It’s a good cow, but it’s a brown one, not black.”
At cattle markets, black cows were valued higher than brown ones.
While the owner and customer haggled, Mi-yoo stood before a dark brown cow.
She looked into its large, moist eyes.
It seemed frightened, sensing it would be sold.
A big baby in stature.
“It’s okay. You’ll find a good owner and live well.”
Mi-yoo whispered to the scared cow.
The image of the Tongue-Cut Cow came to mind.
‘How much it must have hurt…’
Thinking of the cruelty made her frown and a pang hit her heart.
“Planning to be a cattle broker this time?”
A soft, playful voice, like a spring breeze, made her recognize who it was immediately.
Byeon Ha-yeon stepped forward and stood beside her, looking down at Milk.
“Nice to see you, Mi-yoo’s Milk.”
Milk wagged its tail happily.
Mi-yoo stared at Byeon Ha-yeon like a stranger.
He brushed his cheek with his palm.
“My face isn’t too bad, right?”
“Why are you here? In Songpa Market?”
Suddenly, it felt odd.
She was a clerk at the Princess’s vegetable stall, but what was Japanese interpreter Byeon Ha-yeon doing here?
Ha-yeon laughed heartily, apparently buying time to think.
“Hmm, I have no choice. I must reveal why I’m here. I’m looking for valuable goods to take to Japan. Just bringing ginseng or tiger paintings wouldn’t yield much profit, would it?”
Her expression showed the exaggeration was somewhat pitiable.
“I can see it’s all a lie. If you don’t want to tell me, don’t. If you do, do it properly.”
Mi-yoo snapped.
“I’m following the trail of an important item. It’s not mine, but it was lost.”
Byeon Ha-yeon’s voice dropped like a shadow. He cleared his throat before continuing.
“I must warn you—I cannot reveal what the item is.”
“So, there’s an item in Songpa Market you’re looking for?”
“Exactly.”
“No clues at all?”
“None.”
“Then it might not even be in Songpa Market.”
“It’s a large item; transporting it secretly is difficult. Besides, I’ve already arranged with the pier manager, Jinbu, so sneaking it would be worse.”
After speaking, Byeon Ha-yeon glanced at Mi-yoo, subtly hoping she might help.
When she stayed silent, he nervously spread his fan to hide his face and asked,
“Is there really no way?”
Mi-yoo turned her head toward him.
“Why hide your face with a fan?”
“Habit… sometimes it’s just more comfortable.”
“Then stop doing perverted things all the time,” Mi-yoo said bluntly.
“Perverted? What are you saying? How tragic!”
“You sound like someone advertising a Louis Vuitton sale.”
“What do you mean by ‘tragic, new work’? If it’s tragic, how is there new work?”
“Louis Vuitton never discounts. Which means Byeon Ha-yeon can’t not be perverted. That’s what it means, right?”
Mi-yoo nodded in rhythm with the words, replying to him.
“Such incomprehensible talk…”
Mi-yoo smiled faintly, like spring sunlight filtering through shade.
“Shall I tell you the way?”
“There’s a way?”
“Hehe.”
“Please.”
Byeon Ha-yeon’s face grew urgent.
Of course—his family’s fate depended on it.
