The Martial Artist Returns to Farming — Episode 2
“What are you looking for?”
A man who had been diligently hammering away at iron in the blacksmith shop, seemingly the owner of the place, asked.
“I wish to have some farming tools made.”
“Farming tools, you say? What would you like me to do?”
At the blacksmith’s words, Yeongcheon explained what he wanted.
“I wish to have a hoe made. Please make the handle from iron.”
At his words, the owner countered.
“Eh? What did you say? Make the handle from iron? Hey! You there! How could anyone lift something so heavy……”
“It matters not.”
“Tch. Very well. The customer asks, so I must comply.”
Then, a lump of iron caught Yeongcheon’s eye, set off in one corner of the blacksmith shop.
“Ah, if possible, I would like you to make it from that iron.”
“What! What did you say?”
At his words, the two blacksmiths working there turned around in surprise, and the owner dealing with Yeongcheon jumped up with both hands raised and said:
“Th-that iron is not to be used for mere farming tools!”
“I know. Because that iron is Profound Iron (玄鐵).”
“You recognized it? That this iron is Profound Iron?”
The fact that they had met someone capable of distinguishing between ordinary iron and Profound Iron in a place like this surprised them once again.
“I request this of you.”
“But that iron is quite expensive.”
“This should be sufficient.”
He took out one gold nyang from his bosom and set it down. At the glint of the gold, the owner nodded as if mesmerized.
It was more than enough—overflowingly sufficient.
“Very well.”
In truth, Yeongcheon would not have regretted paying even more. Seeing the farming tools hung in the blacksmith shop and the sword hanging in the corner, he realized this blacksmith was no ordinary blacksmith.
Moreover, blacksmiths who could work with Profound Iron were exceedingly rare. It was impossibly heavy and hard.
‘A blacksmith with such skill, why is he in a place like this?’
But he soon set aside his curiosity. He was now living a life where he need not doubt trivial matters.
Yeongcheon paid for the hoe and entered the accessory shop in front of it. Yeongmi was busily looking at the accessories, and he quietly watched over her.
He had been forced to leave the village shortly after Yeongmi turned two. His mother had disappeared somewhere a year after giving birth to Yeongmi, so Yeongmi had to be cared for by Yeongjin, who was ten, and Yeongcheon, who was fifteen.
Perhaps because Yeongcheon still remained in her memories, she treated him warmly, and Yeongcheon was incredibly grateful for such a Yeongmi.
She possessed the innocence of the countryside. Had she tasted even a little of city life, she would likely have been standoffish for a month, interrogating him on whether he was truly her brother……
He wanted to protect that heart of hers.
His plans included making his family live grandly without want. But not immediately.
Because he had often seen people who struck it rich only to ruin themselves by mismanaging their wealth. He did not want his family to become like that.
From now on, he would move slowly, and in five years, his family would become a prosperous household. They would make it so together.
“Oh my? Aren’t you Yeongmi?”
Just then, a woman entered the accessory shop. Wrapped head to toe in luxurious silk at a glance, she was undoubtedly a young lady from a wealthy family.
“Huh? Ah, Euna.”
“Long time no see. What brings you here?”
“To buy accessories……”
There was no confidence in Yeongmi’s answer, and Yeongcheon’s heart grew heavy seeing that.
“Really? I’m a regular here, so I know well—the items on this side are at least five nyang of silver. What you can look at is over there.”
The items she pointed at were clearly shabby accessories incomparable to the others. But Yeongmi could not refute her words.
“R-right. Thanks for letting me know.”
And Yeongmi turned her body toward that side. Now was the time for Yeongcheon to step in.
“Yeongmi, have you picked something you like?”
“Brother…… not yet……”
“Is there nothing you like?”
“……”
At Yeongcheon’s question, Yeongmi’s eyes shook greatly. But he pretended not to notice, took her wrist, and went to the side that looked the most expensive at a glance.
And among the accessories there, he held a red plum blossom-shaped hairpin against her head and said:
“This seems to suit you.”
At his action, the woman named Euna standing behind spoke to Yeongmi:
“Oh my? Who is he? Why haven’t you introduced him to me?”
“Ah, this is my eldest brother. Brother, this is Euna, a neighborhood friend.”
And she said in a small voice:
“She’s the daughter of Im Mareum.”
“I am pleased to meet you. I am Im Euna. I had not heard that Yeongmi had an eldest brother, so it is a pleasure to meet you like this. You are very handsome. Hohoho.”
“I am Go Yeongcheon.”
News of himself would have spread throughout the village, and as the daughter of the headman, she would certainly know of him. But seeing her play dumb so thoroughly, she even looked cute to Yeongcheon.
“Shall we go somewhere quiet and have some tea?”
And she slightly lowered the veil covering her face. She was exceedingly beautiful and was openly sending flirtations his way. Surely ordinary men would have fallen head over heels for her!
‘Ridiculous.’
Already tired of the renowned beauties of the Central Plains, Yeongcheon’s heart leaned more toward the innocent beauty of the countryside, so her seduction only drew a snort.
Most decisively, she had openly ignored his younger sister. If anyone slighted his family, he would slight them in return. That was Yeongcheon’s creed.
Yeongcheon glanced at Yeongmi. She looked up at Yeongcheon with an expression like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse, and Yeongcheon replied politely.
“I apologize, but I do not think I can accept your invitation. If the day grows dark, my father will worry.”
“Do not worry about that. I have a carriage.”
“That is even more impossible. With propriety between men and women, how could we ride in the same carriage? It would cause unfavorable rumors to spread about you. We would be fine.”
And he turned to Yeongmi and said:
“Now, we should be going? Do you like this plum blossom ornament?”
“……Yes. But this will be too expensive.”
At her words, Euna nodded as well.
“Ah! I’m a regular here, so I know—the accessories on this side are at least five nyang of silver……”
But ignoring her words, he asked the clerk there:
“How much is this?”
“Yes. It would be ten nyang of silver. It is crafted with gold and silver plated upon high-quality red jade……”
It was quite expensive, but to Yeongcheon, it did not matter.
“Here you are.”
Euna blinked at the note in Yeongcheon’s hand.
It was clearly ten nyang of silver.
‘Wh-what is with this man?’
* * *
A short while later.
Yeongcheon and Yeongmi were returning home. In the light of the setting sun, the red plum blossom in Yeongmi’s hair burned even redder.
“Brother, may I truly accept this?”
“Why do you ask? Do you not like it?”
At his words, Yeongmi shook her head vigorously.
“No, Brother. I like it.”
“Then why do you ask?”
“A hairpin costing ten nyang of silver! You went too far. It is too good for me.”
At her words, Yeongcheon stopped walking and looked at her. She turned around with a bewildered expression.
“Why, Brother?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Pardon?”
“That hairpin is by no means too good for you. Even ten nyang of gold would be insufficient for you. I wish to buy you something even better.”
Yeongcheon’s voice trembled as he said this. Seeing him like that, Yeongmi choked up.
“I-’m sorry, Brother. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever had something so nice. So I suddenly grew afraid. It feels like a dream. And you returning feels like a dream too. I was afraid everything would disappear when I woke up. So……”
Tears streamed down Yeongmi’s cheeks. At those tears, Yeongcheon approached her, wiped away her tears, and then lightly flicked her forehead.
Thwack!
“Ouch!”
“You fool! To think such thoughts.”
“Hehehe.”
“Put such thoughts aside. This brother will never disappear. Never again……”
“But I feel sorry. I’m the only one receiving something so nice.”
Yeongcheon smiled at her kind heart.
“Do not worry. I will give good gifts to each of my other family members as well. And I will make our family happy. First, when Yeongjin returns, let us buy land. If we farm that land diligently, we will be able to move to a large house. Then I shall gift you an even bigger and more beautiful hairpin.”
At Yeongcheon’s words, Yeongmi made a blissful expression, as if lost in a dream, going “Hee—”. Yeongcheon placed his hand on Yeongmi’s head and said:
“You rascal……. Let us hurry home.”
* * *
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Yeongcheon tilled the field with the Profound Iron hoe. The hoe he had received the day before yesterday was made of Profound Iron, so it would not break no matter how much force he applied.
Thus, without holding back his strength, he tilled the field with ease, and as a result, finished in two hours what would take a strong man an entire day.
‘Hmm. Very good! I like it!’
Had others seen where he tilled, they would have thought two or three strong oxen had been put to work, so well was it plowed.
Seeing how well the air was mixed into the soil, if they planted crops here, half the battle was already won.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Then, the sound of drums was heard from afar, and his father’s words came to mind.
—In this village, when drums are beaten, it means to gather at the village chief’s house in the center of the village. Remember this well.
He leaned the hoe against a nearby tree.
Thud!
The hoe struck the tree with a heavy sound. Leaving the hoe as it was, he wiped his sweat and headed toward the village chief’s house.
Since an ordinary person could never lift that hoe anyway, there was no problem leaving it there.
Walking for about a quarter of an hour, he arrived at the village chief’s house. All the villagers were gathered nearby. They waited for the village chief with curious expressions.
Of course, Yeongmi was among them.
“Brother, what could it be?”
“Who knows. I do not know either.”
Answering Yeongmi’s words, Yeongcheon looked at the village chief advancing to the platform ahead and read anxiety in his expression.
The village chief cautiously spoke.
“Ahem, I am sorry to have to deliver unfortunate news to you all.”
“……?”
“It is said that those delivering tea to Merchant Leader Yu’s house have been detained by bandits.”
In an instant, the sound of sighs from the villagers made it seem as if the village was sinking into the ground.
Slump.
Yeongcheon quickly pulled the staggering Yeongmi into his embrace.
“Br-Brother…… Yeongjin Brother……”
Yeongmi kept calling Yeongjin’s name.
‘Yeongjin…… detained?’
Soon, negotiations began between the village chief representing the village and Im Mareum, the representative of Merchant Leader Yu’s side. The storage fee for the tea leaves the bandits wanted was fifty nyang of gold.
That was, of course, to be prepared by Merchant Leader Yu’s side. But the problem was the ransom for those taken hostage, and it was impossible for the merchant leader to pay all of it.
The ransom demanded by the bandits was five nyang of silver per person. But the merchant leader’s side firmly insisted they could not offer more than one nyang of silver as a form of compensation, and in the end, the negotiations broke down.
Returning home, Yeongmi brought her hand to her head and removed the plum blossom-shaped accessory Yeongcheon had bought her.
“Brother, I’ll…… use this to save Yeongjin Brother.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know that back then, in front of Euna, you went to such lengths to save face for me. An accessory costing ten nyang of silver! I don’t need something like this. But if Yeongjin Brother is gone……”
Yeongcheon knew that Yeongjin was a very special existence to Yeongmi. After he disappeared, Yeongjin must have practically raised Yeongmi!
Though he knew this, he felt slightly disappointed at the thought of her using the accessory he bought to save Yeongjin.
But that was only natural. He tightly grasped the hand holding the accessory and spoke.
“Put it away. This is the first gift I have bought for you.”
“Br-Brother……”
“Do not worry. This brother is a far greater man than you think. I am the brother who bought you that hair ornament. Do you think I have merely a few nyang to my name?”
“H-hng……”
“I will bring Yeongjin back. So do not worry.”
He reassured the crying Yeongmi.