Chapter 367. Taepyeong Tavern
After turning away, Youngwoo headed for Taepyeong Tavern.
He had nothing in particular to do.
He planned to eat lunch there and ask them to pack enough dumplings for one meal on his way back.
Taepyeong Tavern was busy.
Balhae soldiers were filing through the entrance in a steady stream, and every table inside was packed with men.
The moment Youngwoo entered, the servers quickly made space for him.
Even in the middle of the rush, it seemed they made a point of looking after him separately.
Thanks to that, the place was thriving.
But times like these never lasted long.
The flood of soldiers that came after a battle was temporary.
So how did one make use of a brief opportunity?
Raise the prices.
Reduce the portions.
Those were common mistakes.
Opportunity was not the same thing as ability.
The one who survived was the person who turned opportunity into something of his own.
Fortunately, Taepyeong Tavern had taken that opportunity seriously.
They had begun serving food soldiers actually liked.
First, they added more meat.
Bones and meat were simmered through the night until the broth grew deep and rich.
They had switched to larger bowls as well.
If someone asked for more, no one gave him a look. They simply ladled in another scoop.
And they made the reason perfectly clear.
They said it was at the Commander's earnest request.
He had told them not to let his boys go hungry.
He had also told them not to charge too much.
Seeing how crowded the place was, Youngwoo felt pleased.
The moment he sat down, a bowl of rice soup was placed in front of him.
The bowl was large.
The broth was rich.
There was plenty of blood sausage, meat, and scallions.
Youngwoo took one spoonful and felt genuinely happy.
Soldiers came in by the line, ate, and left.
Some drained even the last of the broth.
Others ordered extra dumplings and shared them between two men.
There was little drinking.
Most shared a single bottle just to wet their lips, then filled themselves with rice and meat.
For the time being, Taepyeong Tavern had become less of a drinking house and more of a soldiers' mess hall.
One of the servers approached Youngwoo discreetly.
"Is there anything else you need?"
Youngwoo hurriedly waved his hand.
"Ah, no silver ingot today. I am poorer than I look. Please stop treating me like this."
The server waved his own hands.
"No, no. That is not what I meant. We were told to take especially good care of you whenever you came."
"By whom?"
"Who else? The proprietor."
Youngwoo nodded inwardly.
Apparently, they called the tavern owner gaekju here.
It was a title that seemed to blend the local speech of Liaoyang with the language of merchants from the Central Plains.
"Then buy me some dumplings. Enough for one meal."
"Of course. I will have them put extra meat in."
Youngwoo smiled awkwardly.
"Too much kindness becomes a burden. It makes me feel as though I ought to eat more."
The server grinned.
"Not at all. Thanks to you, Commander, our establishment has been busier than at any time since we opened."
"I hope you are making plenty of money too."
"Oh, certainly."
Youngwoo took another spoonful of soup, then suddenly asked,
"Is your proprietor doing all right?"
The server's expression dimmed slightly.
"She says she has no strength. She has always been rather frail."
Youngwoo's spoon paused.
"That is unfortunate."
He remembered the woman from the night before.
Even covered in fear and trembling, she had still spoken calmly about money.
The moment she saw a silver ingot, her face had brightened.
She had cared more about asking him to send business her way than hearing that he had saved the country.
Somehow, hearing that such a woman was physically weak bothered him more than he expected.
"When you pack the dumplings, please give your proprietor a message as well."
The server bowed his head.
"What should I tell her?"
Youngwoo thought for a moment, then said,
"Tell her the rice soup was good. Tell her my boys are eating well too. And tell her I am grateful."
The server bowed again.
"I will make sure she hears it."