Pharmaceutical vendor.
Decades ago, when entertainment was scarce, these were the people who gathered in rural markets or senior centers, showcasing their skills while selling medicine.
They sold fake medicines they claimed to be panaceas, promising to cure everything from coughs and phlegm to boosting immunity and even solving nighttime problems from various ailments.
While some spectators were fooled into buying these fake medicines, others saw the vendor’s skills as worth the price of admission and purchased the products.
What caught my attention with the medicinal vendor was precisely this “admission fee” aspect.
‘It’s likely people are more comfortable paying for a product than a story.’
For an audience in such a backwater town, listening to both the person next to them and the one in front, there was no reason for me to pay for that vendor alone. Thus, they could easily avoid paying anything.
Should I quit being a vendor in a place like this?
Absolutely not.
Fatigue recovery potion? I can make it, but what use would it have?
Medicine and poison are just a thin line apart. Use too much medicine, and it becomes poison; use suitable doses of poison, and it can be medicine.
I got the skilled Lady Tang to help me create a genuine fatigue recovery potion using cheap materials instead of fake medicine.
What would happen if I sold this potion?
It would seem reasonable to think one should contribute some money after hearing the vendor’s story. However, spending money seems a rip-off. But wait! That vendor has a potion with real efficacy?
If I buy that potion, I not only get a powerful remedy but also pay for the admission fee, so why not buy one?
That’s the mindset.
Of course, to make it enticing enough to sell, I had to clearly demonstrate the potion’s effects.
‘Now, a quick mid-commercial break!’
I pulled out the potion from my pocket, raised it high, and walked around the stage, showing it to the people.
“Sichuan Tang Family!!! From a woman who dedicated her life to researching medicine!!! I purchased this fatigue recovery potion!!! Just drink it!!! And fatigue from the day will vanish!!! If taken regularly!!! Even the crippling fatigue that never disappeared despite sleeping a lot will be gone!!! This is the secret of the Sichuan Tang Family!!! Fe! Ti! Gue! Re! Co! Ve! Ry! Po! Tion!!!”
“Wow, such an incredible potion exists?”
“The Sichuan Tang Family? Isn’t that the notorious clan in Sichuan Province? What kind of potion is that?”
“This person! Knows one thing but not the other! Doesn’t he understand that medicine and poison are just a page apart? Naturally, they understand both poisons and medicines well!”
“Wow! Just drinking it relieves fatigue; isn’t that the legendary elixir I’ve heard about?”
“If such a thing exists, I’d love to try it.”
The crowd buzzed with surprise at the name Sichuan Tang Family and began discussing the potion I held.
Now, if they were modern people, they’d criticize the blatant product placements and advertisements disrupting the immersion. But there were no such worries in this world.
This selling method must be a first.
I had never seen entertainers sell medicine here. And even if such a thing existed, it likely wasn’t a popular method.
‘If they’re surprised by just this level of advertisement, that’s a problem.’
As the atmosphere calmed and the audience looked back at me, I drank the potion.
“I feel revitalized!!! The fatigue is gone!!!”
I purposely pretended to be energized and did a somersault on the spot.
“Wow! It must be really effective!”
“Isn’t that the nearly collapsing Hamurin doing a somersault?!”
“It feels like the fatigue has completely disappeared, just like waking from a cozy sleep with fresh morning air!”
I shouted loudly, announcing I was ready.
“Hey, a masked woman is climbing onto the stage!”
“She’s holding a dagger! She must be an assassin!”
The masked woman slowly climbed up onto the stage.
My potion promotion was just the beginning.
To sell the potion effectively, what’s needed?
The highlight of all vendors.
The trademark of all medicinal sellers.
A device to prove the potion’s efficacy.
“I am the assassin! Re! Ce! I! Ve! My! Dagger.”
Now that’s awkward acting!
Who announces themselves as an assassin first? I mean, I’m not the one saying, “Who are you?” I was gonna wait until that moment!
Perhaps Lady Tang was nervous, as she froze like a wooden puppet when she stepped onto the stage.
I needed to cover for her quickly.
“I’m in a state of energy after drinking the Sichuan Tang Family fatigue recovery potion!!! A dagger is child’s play!!! Come at me!!!”
I promoted as naturally as if I’d be hired as a TV commercial model for the Sichuan Tang Family while executing the prepared act.
“Here I go.”
Lady Tang showed the audience the dagger with a red string and began throwing it at me.
“Wow! That vendor is dodging everything! Impressive!”
“He’s just flailing his limbs from his spot and dodging! Incredible!”
“Oh my goodness! He caught the last dagger!”
“There’s not a single drop of blood despite the cuts! Is it the potion’s effect?!”
“Wow! The woman throwing daggers is impressive!”
“The red string lets everyone see the dagger flying from afar!”
Looks like they are seeing it well as expected.
The red string was attached for a special effect.
Even if Lady Tang threw the dagger slowly, there’s no way the audience could see me dodging it properly.
When the dagger flew with a red string, the long line stretched out, clearly showing the trajectory of the dagger being thrown. The general spectators could easily see the process of throwing and dodging the daggers.
It worked out, but it was genuinely exhausting. We practiced together in the morning, but executing it perfectly in real-time was a whole other challenge.
“The dagger trembled.”
Lady Tang signaled her final preparation for the act with her awkward performance.
“Assassin! Take my blade!”
I charged at Lady Tang, swinging the fan I was holding like a sword.
The assassin collapses.
So slow. Even the falling felt slow.
“Yay! The Hamurin Prince has won!”
“Whoa! The assassin’s chest was swaying charmingly as she fell.”
“Did this person just say something absurd? What did he just say?”
“Darling, I’m sorry!”
“The assassin was pretty impressive too.”
“If I hadn’t taken that fatigue recovery potion, I would’ve been in big trouble.”
“I wish I had something like that too.”
Great! This was a far more successful performance than I thought.
“I could defeat the assassin thanks to my restored energy!!! All thanks to the Sichuan Tang Family’s potion!!! I must express my gratitude to the lady selling me the potion with a prayer to the heavens!!!”
Now, we’ll have a brief sales time.
I knelt down to pray, winking at Lady Tang, who was heading off the stage. She took the potion from the side and approached the audience.
With my eyes barely open, I started the advertisement, pointing towards the sky.
“Oh, heavenly beings!!! She has purple hair and green eyes!!! A girl who suffered from illness as a child and possesses a gentle heart!! She learned to create affordable, effective medicine for the lowly people!!!”
Lady Tang removed the assassin’s mask, revealing her hair and eyes to the crowd.
“Whoa! Purple hair!! Green eyes!! She is a woman of the Sichuan Tang Family!!!”
“That masked area was covered, but upon closer inspection, is she sick?”
“Hey! She suffered from illness as a child and learned about pharmacy!!”
“Could the potion in front be the one Hamurin Prince drank?”
The twist was amazing!
I specifically covered her hair with a mask to get that effect and had her unveil it in front of everyone.
It must feel like a fictional character has jumped into the crowd.
Moreover, she really is the descendent of the Sichuan Tang Family. The likelihood of them believing that fact was high.
“I’m selling fatigue recovery potions! One dose for 1 silver!”
“Lady Tang, speak louder! Look how shy you are saying it so quietly!”
“Give me one!!!”
“I’ll take one too!!!”
People started rushing to buy a potion from Lady Tang.
‘Looks like I can’t sell them all.’
The people were buying the potion, but since I made a lot for bulk sales, I didn’t think I could sell them all.
“Don’t you want to buy any?”
“Eh, why would an old man who can’t sleep buy that kind of potion?”
“Darling, should I buy one too?”
“Waste of money.”
I needed to lend support.
“Oh heavenly beings!!! The sleepless old man buys the! Sichuan! Tang! Family’s! fatigue recovery potion to give to his tired grandson at lunchtime! He understands well that his grandson is having a hard time lately! This will give him power! A light pat on the shoulder! Will make the potion help him focus and inspire him, allowing him to pass exams and imagine his sleepless grandfather encouraging him for life!”
“Wait…… let me line up and go.”
“Fool, let’s go together.”
“Oh heavenly beings!!! To those who work all day long that are tired!! If they give fatigue recovery potions to their husbands who refuse to sleep because they’re tired!!! Their husbands will be full of energy and vitality!!! Where would they release that vigor?!”
“I bought one too! When I get home, I’m going to wash up right away.”
“Darling, that’s not what I meant!”
“Give me one more!”
“Me too!”
In the end, Lady Tang sold out of all the potions she was holding.
“I’ve completed my grandfather’s revenge!!! And now, for the bright future of the heir!!! I will live diligently!!!”
Thus, the story of Hamurin concluded with a happy ending here. If they bought the potions, they could ask for a refund if it ended on a sad note.
“Great story!!!”
“I’ve never seen a vendor who could tell stories like that!”
“Honey! Don’t stray off the path and let’s go quickly!”
“Can’t we just drop by a friend’s place?”
“Slowpoke. I need to brew something for my grandson!”
What a heartwarming sight.
I’m glad I earned money, and the audience is pleased buying good potions.
Everyone is leaving the open space with cheerful smiles.
“Is this really okay?”
Except for Lady Tang, who stood there with a dazed expression.
—————————-
“Isn’t this a scam?”
After finishing dinner in the guest room, Lady Tang asked me with an incredulous face.
“Stop saying that. I told you it’s not!”
“I mean, does it really seem credible that concentration improves, or that vitality rises? How is this not a scam?”
“But you made the potion, right? It’s a fatigue recovery potion from the Sichuan Tang Family.”
The potion I sold today contained the secrets of the Sichuan Tang Family.
This wasn’t a scam organization with Lady Tang; I aimed to build trust with her and had no intention of selling fake potions that would ruin my image. Hence, I sold genuinely effective potions.
“It’s indeed a pretty effective one for using inexpensive ingredients.”
“See? We didn’t sell some phony deer antler. If the fatigue recovers, concentration improves as well, and even without planning to sleep, you’ll have an intimate moment with your wife; that’s just how it is.”
“Still…”
“What we did was just promote the potion. It’s normal here in Joseon to advertise like that. They say eating enhances your tiger-like strength or makes you as strong as a bear.”
“Is that the norm in Joseon?”
“Exactly. I’m rather pleased that I could showcase the true value of your potion to the public. What about you?”
I prompted her for empathy.
When she felt even a hint of guilt, it’s best to pull her into the conspiracy.
“…I felt good that the potion I made was selling.”
Lady Tang reluctantly acknowledged softly, lowering her head.
“Of course! I also felt good seeing people praise you and your potion selling out.”
I spoke with a smile of approval, like a supervisor watching a new recruit grow.
Suddenly, Lady Tang’s eyes widened.
“Uh, about that…”
“So let’s go to sleep now. I’m tired.”
That should do it; I passed by Lady Tang and collapsed onto the bed.
Lady Tang sat on the edge for a while, then sighed softly and fixed her anxious gaze on me.
“Hey……. Kang Yoon-ho.”
Lady Tang kept staring at me, then cautiously called my name.
Did she have more to say? She didn’t seem displeased anymore.
I gave her a silent signal to say whatever was on her mind, locking eyes with her.
“Why did you really choose to accompany me?”
“I told you, it’s about my friend’s medicine…”
“Is that really the only reason?”
She asked me in a serious tone.
Is she suspecting me? I sat up on the bed and quietly gazed into her eyes.
As our eyes met again, Lady Tang’s pupils trembled, revealing anxiety with a hint of yearning.
She wasn’t expecting to hear the same joking words again, was she?
