Chapter 30
“What?”
“Has it already gotten that late?”
It was impossible to look around the entire market in just half a shijin (1 hour).
The customers could not hide their disappointment at how quickly the time had passed.
“You really only operate for exactly half a shijin…”
“That’s way too short!”
“I haven’t even made it halfway around yet…”
And the goblin merchants felt the same way.
‘What? We’ve only just started.’
‘You’re really going to send customers who went through all that trouble to come here away already?’
‘No way. You’re not actually going to close, are you?’
‘Tell her to stay open for just this gak (30 minutes) longer! Just another gak! Hurry!’
The merchants gave Hayun meaningful looks, hoping she would extend their operating hours just a little longer, but Hayun firmly refused.
“It’s unfortunate, but that concludes the Goblin Market for today. Please visit us again tomorrow.”
In the end, Hayun declared the market closed.
“Tch, can’t be helped.”
The customers who had not managed to explore the entire market reluctantly turned around and began walking away.
“At least I’m glad I managed to find some good things.”
“I didn’t even buy that much. I spent all my time looking around.”
“Then you can just come back tomorrow. What are you worried about?”
“Come here again tomorrow?”
Because the operating hours were so short, the customers began arranging their return visits among themselves.
“I’ll have a hard time tomorrow because I have work. How about the day after?”
“Then I guess I’ll have to come tomorrow and the day after. There are still so many places I haven’t looked around.”
“Me too. I can’t miss out on something this fun.”
Contrary to their initial concerns, the short operating hours actually increased the rate at which customers returned.
And this brought about an unintended effect.
‘It’s better for them to visit frequently and spend a little at a time. That way, we can sell more goods.’
Spending a large amount of money all at once was burdensome for anyone. But when people gradually spent small amounts, like getting soaked by a drizzle, they often ended up spending a much larger amount than they had initially expected.
‘Just like my credit card. Heh heh.’
Even if the customers did not necessarily buy something every time, having them visit the market frequently was a huge help to the market’s operation.
Then one merchant looked at an empty stall and shouted in surprise.
“What? Mr. Kim. Are you telling me you sold all those goods?”
“Come to think of it, yeah? They’re all gone.”
“If we’d only had more time, I could’ve sold out too… What a shame.”
“What a strange thing. We sold more in that short time than we have over the past several days…”
The merchants, who had experienced the power of the Goblin Market firsthand, could not hide their amazement.
The customers who had just visited certainly did not hesitate to spend money.
If anything, they were even searching for things to buy themselves, wondering if there was anything else they could purchase.
This was something even merchants who had been in business for decades were experiencing for the first time.
‘Heh heh, to the point where we have to close because we have nothing left to sell….’
‘I never imagined opening the market at night would be this effective….’
‘That haengsu was definitely right….’
But doing too well in business was also a problem.
Because they had only stocked enough goods to last a few days.
‘If this continues, what are we going to do about business next week?’
‘We didn’t stock very much because we never expected to sell this much….’
‘At this rate, even if customers come, we won’t have anything to sell them.’
‘That haengsu from Mansang. We absolutely have to hold on to that haengsu!’
‘We need to ask her to bring goods for us to sell here tomorrow!’
The merchants’ gazes toward Hayun had changed before they knew it. From a troublesome nuisance who made a racket to the savior of Eun-pyeong Market.
The merchants timidly approached Hayun.
Among them, the merchants who had tried to throw Hayun out earlier offered her their apologies.
“I’m sorry about earlier.”
“We didn’t understand what you were trying to accomplish, and we acted like that…”
“I sincerely apologize.”
“Please forgive us for our foolishness.”
Hayun did not accept their apologies.
“No. Don’t apologize.”
“What?”
“If you’re sorry, then from tomorrow, how about we take this more seriously?”
“Take it more seriously?”
“How much more can we do here?”
In truth, in a way, Hayun was nothing more than an outsider.
“Starting tomorrow, please double the number of lanterns here. So that the customers can walk around and see every corner more easily.”
“Uh, all right.”
Despite the fact that this outsider was giving them all sorts of orders, the market merchants did not show even the slightest sign of dissatisfaction.
“Also, please fix up the roads a little. You saw the customers pushing through the bushes to get here earlier, right? Can the market entrance really be left like that?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll cut down every bit of grass around here.”
“Cutting grass is something we’re experts at.”
No, if anything, it was obvious that they were anxious at the thought of Hayun suddenly leaving just like that.
“What else should we do next?”
One merchant volunteered himself for work.
Hayun gave him his instructions.
“Uncle, whenever you have a chance, hide in a corner of the market and suddenly jump out. Then pretend to be a goblin and surprise the customers.”
“Surprise the customers? Is that really all right?”
“It’s a kind of surprise show. We need events like that to make the customers enjoy themselves even more.”
“A show? An event?”
They could not understand everything Hayun was saying, but they seemed ready to follow any instruction she gave them.
The merchants all nodded in unison.
“All right. Anything else you want us to do?”
“Lastly, please make sure to wear the goblin masks at night. The goblin masks are the key to the night market.”
“Of course!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll wear this mask day and night.”
“No. Please only wear the masks at night. That’s what will make it distinctive.”
At the firm response, the merchant who had spoken looked dejected.
“Really? Hmm… all right.”
“You! Weren’t you saying goblins were unlucky just earlier, and now you’re saying you want to wear that thing all day?”
“Ah, well, that’s because back then I didn’t know this goblin was a good goblin.”
When someone chided him, the merchant tucked the goblin mask deep inside his clothes.
“Now that I know this goblin brings us wealth, we have to treat it like a family heirloom. Don’t you think?”
“Hahaha, that’s true.”
“Rather than this, why don’t we start holding a ritual every day from tomorrow? A ritual for the goblin.”
“Hahaha! That’s a great idea!”
For the first time in a long while, bright laughter rang out across Eun-pyeong Market.
Although their faces could not be seen because of the masks, it was clear that the corners of the merchants’ mouths had risen high, unlike before.
Noticing the change in the merchants’ mood, Hayun encouraged their enthusiasm.
“Then starting tomorrow, let’s really give it our all!”
“Good!”
“Long live the Goblin Market!”
As they cheered while wearing goblin masks, there was a strange air about them, as though they had truly become goblins themselves.
***
A few days later.
Daegyo Market, where Song Do-hyeon was.
A major construction project to install shade canopies throughout Daegyo Market was in full swing.
One laborer was on a ladder, attaching cloth to a pillar.
“Hey, hey! Be careful not to tear it!”
Riiip!
Despite Merchant Chairman Old Man Woo’s warning, the laborer installing the shade canopy ended up tearing the cloth.
“Ah! I’m sorry!”
“Oh, come on! I told you to be careful…!”
“I was being careful, but as you can see, the cloth is just too weak…”
“Then you should’ve been even more careful! Tsk!”
Sunlight shining through the torn cloth made Merchant Chairman Old Man Woo frown.
Just then…
“Greetings. How is the construction coming along?”
“Oh, Haengsu Song.”
Song Do-hyeon appeared at the construction site.
Song Do-hyeon looked pleased as he gazed at the shade covering the entire market.
“How is it? Isn’t it much better now that we have some shade?”
“It’s definitely cooler and more pleasant, but…”
Woo looked displeased as he stared at the torn section.
“If the cloth tears this easily… I don’t know how many years we’ll be able to use this.”
“We only need it to get through this heat wave. Surely it won’t be this hot again next year, will it?”
“That may be true… but since we’re putting it up anyway, we should get as much use out of it as possible.”
“If the cloth wears out, we can simply replace it, can’t we? What are you worried about?”
Song Do-hyeon answered indifferently, as though it were someone else’s problem.
“But as you know, installing these shade canopies doesn’t cost just a few coins… If we have to collect money again later, the merchants are going to complain quite a bit.”
“We can think about that when the time comes. For now, isn’t everyone happy that there’s shade?”
“Tch….”
Seeing no sign that he could get through to Song Do-hyeon, Woo quietly shut his mouth.
“Now, now, don’t be like that. Let’s have some cool sikhye together. This is iced sikhye I went to considerable trouble to obtain.”
“Oh! You really managed to get ice…!”
Woo stared at the glass filled with ice with fascinated eyes.
In Joseon summer, ice was like a flower that bloomed in winter. Both were things that were difficult to see even once in a lifetime outside their proper season.
Normally, summer ice was used only to keep meat from spoiling or to preserve precious medicinal ingredients. To put such ice into sikhye was an extravagance beyond compare.
Song Do-hyeon had made an effort in his own way as well. He held the sikhye containing ice out toward him.
“I went to considerable trouble to prepare this for you, Chairman. Have a nice, refreshing drink.”
“You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble….”
Seeing the sikhye with ice floating in it, Woo finally felt some of his anger subside.
A drink beneath the cool shade.
If he could gulp down the sikhye like this, it would be nothing short of paradise.
“I’ll enjoy this. Haengsu Song.”
Woo accepted the glass of iced sikhye.
Just as he was about to gulp it down in one go…
“Hahaha! Catch me if you can!”
“Stop right there!”
“I’m warning you, you’re in for it if I catch you!”
Suddenly, a group of children appeared and began running all over the market.
Thud!
One of the children brushed against Woo as he ran past.
“Ah!”
At the same time, the bowl Woo was holding fell to the ground.
Crash!
Woo spilled the iced sikhye and flew into a rage.
“T-This precious thing!”
It was a day when nothing went right.
“You brats! If you want to run around and play, go play somewhere else!”
Woo, thoroughly worked up, tried to chase after the children, but the little ones had already disappeared into the distance.
Instead, a humming song could be heard from behind the retreating children.
♪ Every night, at eight!
♪ Eun-pyeong Market Goblin Fair!
♪ Open for just one hour!
♪ Come late, and it’s over!
The song Hayun had taught them before had spread among the children like a fad.
“The Goblin Market?”
Song Do-hyeon’s eyes shook as he heard the song.
“No, I definitely heard them say Eun-pyeong Market….”
He had not misheard.
They had definitely said Eun-pyeong Market.
A market that opened for only one hour every night, starting at eight.
‘What on earth is she up to now…!’
Eun-pyeong Market was the market Im Ha-seong had been assigned to.
The strange rumors coming from that place began making Song Do-hyeon anxious.
‘What time is it now…!’
Song Do-hyeon raised his head and looked at the sky.
Judging by how the shadows were gradually growing longer, it seemed to be around shinsi ( 3–5 p.m.).
‘Four hours from here to Eun-pyeong Market….’
It was a distance that could only be covered by diligently traveling on foot.
If he departed right now, he would barely be able to arrive by eight.
‘I need to hurry.’
He needed to find out what this Goblin Market was as soon as possible. Only then would he be able to come up with an appropriate response.
Having made his decision, Song Do-hyeon hurriedly picked up his fan.
“Something has come up, so I’ll take my leave.”
“Hey! Haengsu Song! Where are you suddenly going?”
As Song Do-hyeon hurriedly prepared to leave, Old Man Woo, who was beside him, grabbed him.
“At least stay until the construction is finished, shouldn’t you? This was a project you pushed for, wasn’t it?”
“There’s somewhere I urgently need to go. I may not be able to come here for a while, so please understand.”
“W-What?”
Woo could not hide his bewildered expression at the one-sided announcement.
They had gone to the trouble of spending a huge amount of money to carry out the shade-canopy project. Yet Song Do-hyeon had merely pocketed the material costs and showed absolutely no sense of responsibility.
If he had received a payment of five hundred nyang, wasn’t it basic human decency to at least stay and see how the work was progressing?
‘I treated him so generously because he was a haengsu of Mansang, and now his arrogance is reaching the heavens!’
If Woo had been a small-scale merchant, it would have been difficult for him to defy Song Do-hyeon.
But as the chairman of a large market like Daegyo Market, things were different.
He held considerable power.
Just as the merchants of Daegyo Market had joined forces to collect money at his word, if he put his mind to it, cutting off business with Mansang would not be difficult at all.
Mansang was not the only merchant guild supplying goods throughout the eight provinces of Joseon, after all.
“Tsk! Just watch me. I’ll never do business with that bastard again!”
Having resolved to cut off business with Mansang, Woo glared furiously at Song Do-hyeon’s retreating back.
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