"Big Brother, please slow down... My legs are shaking so badly I can't walk."
Chilbok grabbed the hem of my clothes with a tearful face.
He hugged the money pouch we had received from Pine House tightly against his chest.
One hundred thirty silver taels.
For Chilbok, who had been born a slave and had struggled to see even a single copper coin in his life, this money was not happiness.
It was terror.
"What if someone steals it? That guy walking over there has a strange look in his eyes. What if he's after our money?"
Chilbok jumped at every passerby and hid behind me.
"Straighten your shoulders, idiot. If a thief sees you acting like that, he'll think, 'Ah, that bastard has something hidden in his clothes,' and come after you."
I smacked Chilbok on the back.
"Money is meant to be spent. It's not meant to be clutched while you tremble."
"But... it's too much money."
"Don't worry. Manseok is here."
I pointed behind us.
Manseok walked along humming with an empty A-frame carrier on his back. He was huge to begin with, and now that he was glaring around while standing guard, no one dared approach us.
"All right, we're here."
I stopped in the middle of the town market.
It was a place where the fishy smell of blood mixed with the savory smell of fat.
A butcher's shop.
"Welcome! The meat is good... Huh?"
The butcher, who had been sharpening a knife, looked us up and down.
Shabby hemp clothes and dirt-covered shoes.
We looked exactly like poor tenant farmers or slaves.
"What? Do you even have money to buy meat?"
The owner spoke indifferently as he returned to sharpening his knife.
It was a typical cold welcome.
But I was in a good mood today, so I decided to let it pass.
"I have money."
I took one silver tael from inside my clothes and flicked it onto the counter.
CLINK.
The silver coin spun across the cutting board with a clear sound.
The owner's eyes went wide.
"S-Silver?!"
"Did you slaughter a pig?"
"Y-Yes! We slaughtered one at dawn today, so it's very fresh!"
The owner's attitude changed completely.
The power of capitalism worked even in Goryeo.
"Give me both hind legs from the sturdy one. And cut a generous amount of pork belly too."
"B-Both legs? Are you eating all of that?"
"We're having a feast, so stop worrying and start cutting. Ah, and that stuff in the corner."
I pointed to the piles of red organs stacked in the corner.
Small intestines, large intestines, livers, lungs, and other offal from cows and pigs.
"Pack all of that too."
"Pardon? That's stuff we give to dogs."
At the time, nobles ate only lean meat. They considered offal smelly and lowly, so it sold for next to nothing.
But that was only true for people who did not know how to cook.
"I have a use for all of it. Pack it up. How much?"
"Both hind legs, about three kilograms of pork belly... I'll throw in the offal, so two silver taels."
It was expensive. Because of the famine, meat was worth its weight in gold.
But I did not hesitate.
"Here."
I tossed him two silver coins.
"Thank you! Please come again!"
Manseok's carrier became heavy.
Red chunks of meat piled up like a mountain.
"Wow... Big Brother, is all of this ours?"
Manseok drooled.
"That's right. Today, we're eating until we burst."
"Loyalty! I offer my life to Big Brother!"
Manseok danced with joy.
But shopping was not over yet.
"Next, that place."
I pointed toward a cloth shop.
"Clothes? But we have clothes."
Chilbok looked down at his own outfit.
Old hemp clothes, patched in several places. The sleeves were worn through, and the hems of the trousers had been soaked in mud.
"Are those clothes? They're rags."
I led the two of them into the cloth shop.
Colorful silk hung everywhere, but we were not there to buy silk.
"Shopkeeper! Do you have sturdy, durable cotton cloth?"
"Of course. I have just the thing for people who work in the fields."
The shopkeeper brought out thick cotton cloth.
It was a higher-quality fabric than hemp, softer and better at absorbing sweat.
"Make one outfit for each of us from this. Make them roomy."
"B-Big Brother... you're buying us clothes? Hemp is good enough for us..."
Chilbok waved his hands in refusal. Even hemp was more than enough for them, so new clothes were beyond imagining.
"Be quiet. And..."
I looked at the shoes displayed along one side of the shop.
Most were straw sandals, but there were some leather shoes among them.
"Give me three pairs of those leather shoes too."
"L-Leather shoes?!"
This time, even the shopkeeper was surprised.
Only nobles or well-off merchants wore leather shoes. The fate of slaves and farmers was to wear straw sandals until they died.
"Big Brother! We can't! How can lowly people like us wear leather shoes...?"
Chilbok jumped in fright and stepped back.
Manseok hid his own feet too. They were rough, dirt-covered feet calloused from labor.
I grabbed Chilbok by the shoulder.
"Hey, Chilbok."
"Y-Yes..."
"Didn't I tell you? We're brothers now."
"......"
"If the older brother wears leather shoes while the younger brothers walk around in straw sandals, people will curse the older brother. Wear them, if only to save my face."
"B-But..."
"Wear them. That's an order."
I forced leather shoes onto Chilbok's feet.
They fit perfectly.
Tough, durable cowhide wrapped around his feet. Unlike straw sandals, they did not scratch, and stepping on rocks would not hurt.
Chilbok looked down at his feet.
He wore an expression as though he could not tell whether this was a dream or reality.
"Sob..."
Suddenly, tears began falling from Chilbok's eyes.
"Why are you crying, idiot? Are the shoes too small?"
"No... Sob... I'm just so happy... This is my first time in my life. New clothes and leather shoes... Even my mother never wore anything like this in her whole life..."
Chilbok began to weep loudly.
Manseok's eyes reddened as well, and he sniffled.
It was not simply because they had received good things.
They were moved because they had been treated like people.
"Don't cry. It's embarrassing to bawl in the middle of the market."
I ruffled their hair.
"Ring it up."
Another five taels left my purse for the clothes and shoes.
But I did not regret it at all.
The absolute trust and loyalty toward me in their eyes were something I could not buy even with five hundred taels.
On the way home.
The mood was festive.
"Heave-ho! That's the spirit! Heave-ho!"
Even with a mountain of meat loaded on his carrier, Manseok's steps were light as feathers.
Each time his new leather shoes touched the dirt road, they creaked. He liked the sound so much that he kept hopping in place.
Chilbok could not stop smiling either. He looked at the leather shoes on his feet more often than the money pouch in his arms.
"Big Brother, I'll work really hard. I'll work until my bones break."
"All right, all right. I understand."
We did not arrive at the marshland shack until sunset.
The sun was beginning to sink.
"All right, shall we begin the feast?"
I rolled up my sleeves.
Today's cook was me.
"Manseok, split firewood and set up the largest cauldron."
"Yes!"
"Chilbok, wash the rice. Scrub it thoroughly. No barley mixed in today. One hundred percent white rice."
"Understood!"
The two of them ran around excitedly.
I prepared the meat.
Pork hind leg.
It was low in fat and high in lean meat, so it could be dry, but boiling changed everything.
I cut it into large chunks and soaked it in cold water to draw out the blood.
Then I filled the cauldron with water and began boiling it.
While the water heated, I prepared my secret weapon.
"Soybean paste."
I scooped a ladleful of dark soybean paste from a jar in the corner of the shack.
The improved soybean paste I had made was not ready yet, so this was traditional soybean paste I had received from the Village Chief's home.
I dissolved the soybean paste into the boiling water. A rich aroma spread through the air.
Then I added wild garlic gathered near the marshland, ginger, and dried tangerine peel that I had saved.
The three musketeers for getting rid of pork's unpleasant smell.
"Meat, in!"
Splash. Splash.
Massive chunks of meat dove into the soybean-paste broth.
Now came the time for patience. Thirty minutes over high heat, then forty minutes over medium heat. It needed to boil thoroughly.
On a small brazier beside it, the offal was being cooked.
Small and large intestines.
Since we had no flour, I rubbed them hard with coarse salt. I washed them again and again until the smell was gone.
"Big Brother, why are you washing those shit intestines so hard?"
Manseok asked while holding his nose.
"This is a real delicacy. Later, you won't be able to get enough of it."
I placed the clean intestines on top of a cauldron lid.
SIZZLE—!
White smoke rose with a cheerful sound.
Fat slowly seeped out. Once I sprinkled salt and grilled them, a savory aroma filled the air.
"Huh...? That smells good."
Manseok flared his nostrils.
Before we knew it, the sun had completely set and the moon had risen.
We lit a campfire in front of the shack and spread straw mats.
"The rice is ready!"
Chilbok lifted the cauldron's lid.
WHOOSH.
White steam rose.
Glossy white rice. Pure white grains without a single mixed grain gleamed like jewels.
"The meat is done too."
I opened the large cauldron's lid as well.
The broth had reduced slightly, and boiled pork with a rich brown color showed off its beautiful form within.
I pulled out the meat with tongs and placed it on a cutting board.
Hot meat with steam rising from it.
I placed a knife against it.
SHHHK.
The knife slipped through without effort. That meant the meat had been boiled to perfect tenderness.
A piece of boiled pork sliced along the grain.
The perfect balance of fat and lean meat.
"All right, sit down."
On a low dining table, I placed one plate of boiled pork, one plate of grilled offal, and three bowls of white rice piled high.
The only side dishes were aged kimchi, garlic, and soybean paste from the Village Chief's home, but I did not envy even a king's royal table.
And finally.
"Alcohol can't be left out."
I opened one bottle of Great Peace Wine left over after today's sale.
"Raise your cups."
Golden alcohol filled the cups of all three of us.
"You worked hard today. This is only the beginning. From now on, we'll eat better and live better."
"Big Brother... thank you!"
"Thank you for the meal!"
Cheers.
With a clear CLINK, we drained our cups.
Sweet, peppery Great Peace Wine traveled down my throat and heated my stomach.
Before that heat could fade, I picked up a slice of boiled pork and wrapped it in aged kimchi.
Straight into my mouth.
CHOMP.
"......!"
The instant I chewed, savory pork fat burst across my mouth.
The soybean paste had removed every trace of unpleasant smell, and the meat was soft enough to melt in my mouth.
The sour aged kimchi cut through the richness perfectly.
It was an explosion of flavor.
"Aaaaaah...!"
Manseok let out a wild cry.
"Big Brother! The meat! The meat disappeared in my mouth! It melted!"
Excited, he picked up his rice spoon.
He shoved a huge spoonful of white rice into his mouth, then pushed in two slices of meat at once.
His cheeks bulged as though they would burst, and he wore a blissful expression.
Chilbok did not even speak. He simply ate.
When he tried the grilled offal, his eyes widened.
"Big Brother, this is truly incredible. It's chewy and savory... It isn't the kind of intestine I knew."
"Right? Perfect with alcohol."
I dipped a piece of offal into salt and ate it too.
A chewy texture. A savory flavor that deepened the more I chewed.
The alcohol went down smoothly.
The night grew deep.
The campfire crackled, and fullness and pleasant drunkenness wrapped around us.
"Burp~"
Manseok let out a mighty belch.
His rice bowl was spotless. Even after eating three bowls, he seemed dissatisfied and scraped the empty bowl with his spoon.
"Big Brother."
Chilbok called to me, his face red from alcohol.
"What?"
"Well... at first, I planned to run away."
"I know."
"Pardon?"
"When we first came to the marshland, you went to shit five times in the night while debating whether or not to run away."
"Ah... You knew?"
Chilbok scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"But you didn't leave."
"......"
"Thank you for staying and trusting me."
When I filled his cup, Chilbok sniffled.
"Big Brother... I, Chilbok, will serve you until this life ends. You're the only person who has ever fed me meat until I burst and put leather shoes on my feet."
"Who are you calling someone to serve? I'm your big brother."
"Me too! Big Brother is the only one for me! If you tell me to die, I'll even pretend to die!"
Manseok joined in.
I snickered and looked up at the night sky.
The stars were so numerous they looked ready to pour down.
One hundred thirty taels.
It was a large sum.
But if that money was piled up in a storehouse, it was nothing more than lumps of metal.
This was how it should be spent.
To buy people's hearts, buy loyalty, and create energy for tomorrow.
'The foundation is in place now.'
I had money, and I had people.
And there was this vast marshland.
Starting tomorrow, it would be time to scatter this money and turn this rotten land upside-down.
"All right, one last cup, then sleep. Starting tomorrow, we'll be truly busy."
"Yes, Big Brother!"
Our cups struck together once more.
It was an exceptionally sweet night.