Chapter 404

Defeat is a bitter pill to swallow.

The people of Jin have been sharpening their swords, preparing for the next battle with this experience in mind.

And today, the time has come to repay that humiliation.

This, indeed, is the Jin Gajang Restoration Tournament!

Jin Seol and the Cheonnam Guild have been waiting for this day.

They practiced secretly, hauling and stacking bricks, concocting plausible strategies to focus on art points while deploying as few people as possible to the internal renovation work.

Effort never betrays, generally speaking.

(Though sometimes it does.)

And behold, the result!

Look at this grand and beautiful work of art!

“What is this, my lady!?”

Qing made a face as if she had bitten into a bitter herb.

In the Central Plain language, “so-tai” refers to the bark of the “gomu” tree, notorious for its bitterness.

So bitter that if you hung it in the house, even flies would flee… it’s not a cooking ingredient nor medicine, just plain wood.

What do you think it looks like to chew on the most bitter bark in the world?

Qing looked with utmost disdain at this peculiar building style of Gwangju, gazing at the ears hanging from the roof.

Last time, they had declared victory based on how high the Big Dipper Guild had stacked their ears, and now they had built up a tall tower!

Its shape was oOo, like a large circle in the center with smaller circles on each side.

If that central circle were made into an elongated ellipse and stacked tall, what form would it take?

“Did no one feel something was off while stacking this? What on earth is this? Is this an ear? Anyone can see that this… lady, what are we going to do with this?”

Qing barely swallowed the impulse to utter a expletive.

But in a place where adults were present, one certainly couldn’t say ‘that.’

It wouldn’t much matter if they did, however, since the participants in the restoration tournament were all thinking the same thing.

Hmm. When it’s stacked up high like this, doesn’t it look a bit… ridiculous?

Indeed, that’s quite the angry sight.

The women of Jin stared at the protruding phallic sculpture, half embarrassed, half curious, while the children couldn’t suppress their giggles.

“As it happens, while we were stacking…”

“While stacking? No, didn’t Jin Sojeon say these were for children? How can you build a house like this? What do you think the guests will say? They’ll be thinking, ‘What sort of guest hall is this? What do you mean presenting us with something like this?’”

Qing was fuming.

It wasn’t her house, but as the head carpenter supervising the construction, her professional pride was on the line.

“Pfft, what?”

Jin Seol hung her head low.

But she showed no signs of remorse, prompting Qing’s brows to twitch.

“Please don’t be too angry. Hmm. How about we change the name of this guest hall? Let’s not say phallic, but rather… how about we call it the ‘Center Hall’.”

Seeing his daughter shrink back, Jin Gaju chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

But like father, like daughter.

On the opposite side stood another towering brick structure, with a truly colossal phallic form rising high.

It was like a twin barrel aimed at the cosmos.

“How about ‘Center Chamber’? Perhaps Cheonhwa-geom could write the plaque for it… Hmm. It’s been a while since I wrote a plaque, maybe I should practice a bit. Where did I put that big brush?”

Seeing Qing’s expression, Jin Gaju naturally turned away.

“My lady. I don’t know. Is this Jin Sojeon’s house or my own? The owner is okay with it. Don’t go spreading that I built it!”

Ignoring Qing, he tossed a hammer aside.

With that, the people of Jin exchanged glances, looking hesitantly at Jin Jagang and Jin Seol.

Qing snorted in annoyance as she noticed their hesitation, and at that moment, Jin Seol finally took a deep breath to speak.

“So, who is the winner…?”

“Where is the winner now!? All they did was fight to the bitter end, leaving nothing but the innocent guest hall soaked in blood! If we must declare anyone a winner, it has to be the brickmaker, who will have to buy more bricks!”

From the Big Dipper Guild to the Cheonnam Guild.

And at that moment, the brickmaker claimed an unexpected victory.

Jin Seol let her shoulders drop.

But she’d said all she had to say.

“Erm. Jin Sojeon, but contextually speaking, isn’t this not about you?”

“Both are the same! Next time, learn to use people properly!”

Qing shouted.

Qing had herself accumulated a loss.

You could say it was a day where everyone ended up being a loser.

—-

Qing never really could remain sulky for long.

Thus, after a meal of anger, her temper swiftly calmed down, though she still found something about it all somewhat annoying.

Do you think construction is a joke?

In any case, as she headed back to the Iungi Shrine to change clothes, her belly was so bloated that she couldn’t get anything to fit.

Clothing is often uncomfortable in proportion to its beauty. Jin Seol had crafted a modified version of the shaman outfit that wound up being so tight on Qing, it emphasized her slim waist even when she was empty.

“Jin Sojeon? Uhm, I can’t fit in this dress…”

“What!? No, what’s with your stomach!?”

“So, this is the source of supreme martial arts?”

“No one eats until they get bloated like this! Clothing is like weapons to a woman! Does Jin Sojeon not go into battle armed!? How could this…!”

Now, Jin Seol was fiery.

Everyone has a soft spot.

If Qing’s professional pride as the head carpenter was fierce, then Jin Seol took immense pride in thinking she led the fashion trends across the Central Plain.

Though she may not be leading all the way to the Central Plain, she was definitely calling the shots in the Dragon and Phoenix Association’s styles, so it wasn’t entirely wrong to brag.

After all the sleepless nights spent making her a dress, to hear her say she can’t wear it because she ate too much was infuriating!

Qing chuckled awkwardly.

“Well, I might go out without it sometimes…”

“What!?”

Jin Seol’s eyes turned sharp as an axe blade, causing Qing to flinch.

She had merely spoken the truth.

Isn’t it that truth is always the most oppressed? A sigh escaped her lips.

Fortunately, belts in the Central Plain vary greatly in thickness, so there exist selections that cover a vast area from the solar plexus all the way down to the hips, similar to corrective garments from Qing’s hometown.

Wrapping her belly with one of those, she could avoid the disaster of exposing her skin.

Walking back in front of the Iungi Shrine, she found people lined up along the villa’s walls.

This line, you’d think they were waiting for some gourmet restaurant.

“Lady! My wife is about to give birth! Please write me a talisman to ensure it’s a boy!”

“My child is preparing for the civil service examination. Just one powerful talisman, please!”

“Oh, lady, our family is in crisis. My first, second, and third children have all fallen ill one after another. I think it’s a curse, please, just this once, could you please perform a ceremony to save them!”

“There’s a marriage for my son coming up, and I’m worried about bringing a widow into the house. Could you just see if she’s a woman who devours men? Please?”

“My goodness, I’m planning to build another villa, and I’ve heard the Civil Engineering Fairy is incredibly effective, so I’ll pay top dollar for her services!”

And so forth.

In the Central Plain, even setting up a shop requires a simple offering to bless it.

Once word spread that a genuine shaman had appeared, people across the city sought her blessings.

Overwhelmed with requests for ceremonies, renovations, physiognomy, future readings, and pleas, Qing quickly grasped the situation.

Being a shaman did seem like it could be entertaining.

But if the rest of her stay in Gwangju will only involve playing the shaman, what a pity.

Moreover, what was required of a shaman? There weren’t any skills to learn.

Carpentry had been fun, and healing had meant saving lives, so she had given it her all.

But wasn’t being a shaman just a religious occupation that offered comfort to the spirit in exchange for coins?

“No, what in the world is going on? Why the racket in front of the shrine!? Don’t you all have somewhere else to be?”

Yet the people just looked around, hesitating without any intention to leave.

And then, suddenly…

“Uncle! Is that you!?”

“Huh?”

A familiar voice rang in Qing’s ears.

In truth, it was more the name ‘Uncle’ that made her whip her head around.

There was nothing particularly special about Gyeon Pohee’s voice, but when was the last time Qing had heard it?

Rather than that, who would call New Uncle with a voice brimming with a mixture of joy, laughter, and haste all packed into one?

“Ah? Uncle? Is that you?!”

Qing’s voice was also filled with delight.

From a distance, a noticeably agile Myeonsanya charged toward her at full speed in response to Qing’s call.

Qing opened her arms wide in welcome.

Bam! An eager embrace wrapped around Qing.

Qing hugged Gyeon Pohee back with equal fervor.

But, why?

Qing blinked in confusion.

Something oddly concealed slipped behind her knees, and then, suddenly, her body was lifted into the air.

“Eh? Uncle?”

“Your Uncle’s legs get tired easily. Being close like this is so nice. Now that I’m here, you don’t have to walk around on those tired legs anymore.”

“Tired legs? Me?”

Qing, whose lightness was legendary in battle, was essentially a strong figure, with her formidable body being reinforced by a magical aura.

But, uh…

Was it just because she hadn’t hugged anyone in a long while?

This felt remarkably comfortable…

“Well, if that’s how you feel, then so be it. But what are you doing here? Did Grandpa send you on an errand all the way to Gwangju? Or is it something about the market? Does Grandpa think he can continue expanding the market by sending someone all the way to Gwangju?”

“Eh? No, I came to see Uncle. Ah, right. I came with my nephew, but he said he had some errands to run. Have you met him yet?”

At this, Qing’s eyes went wide.

“Huh? Nephew? When did Uncle get a nephew? Oh wait! If he’s running errands separately, then that means he’s grown up a bit since the first time I saw him. Is that what you were back then when you were a mother? Who’s the father? Why wouldn’t you show him to me?”

Gyeon Pohee tilted her head, confused.

“Mother? Not at all! And I don’t know who the father is either.”

“…?! I know who he is?”

“Yep. He’s my nephew.”

“Uh, nephew? So what?”

What’s going on? Why is this conversation falling into a riddle?

Is it truly the case that Gyeon Pohee is being, well, Gyeon Pohee again?

Should I just understand that this is how my uncle operates?

“So, how old is your nephew? Old enough to be wandering around on his own? Is he ten? Eleven?”

“Oh. I do know that. He turned fifty this year.”

“…?”

What is happening right now?

In typical conversation, isn’t the point to share exchanges?

By that logic, can what we’re doing now even be classified as a conversation?

Having marinated in the flavor of Gyeon Pohee after a long absence, Qing felt her thoughts swirling and losing clarity after just a few words.

Thinking back, wasn’t my uncle always like this?

But what can be done? She is indeed my uncle.

I must embrace her with love.

“Um, Uncle. You see-”

It was at that moment.

A loud voice interrupted Qing’s words!

“Mother!! I’m here! The good son has arrived!!”

And so it goes.

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