AGFJE 3

Chapter 3

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The next day.

“Hmm.”

Hayun walked around the tavern with her arms crossed. Her sharp eyes carefully examined every corner of the place.

‘There are more problems than I expected.’

A yard full of weeds.

Mud walls that looked as though they could collapse at any moment.

Old wooden benches that creaked.

The most basic rule of business was to make sure customers did not feel uncomfortable.

Perhaps it would not matter for a store that only served old regular customers.

But if they wanted to welcome many customers in the future, it was important to remove anything that most people might find uncomfortable.

Hayun already knew very well that the success or failure of a business was not decided by taste alone.

‘Don’t leave people with an unpleasant experience.’

No matter how delicious the food was, it would all be ruined if there was an insect in it.

The foundation of a food business was making sure customers did not leave with an unpleasant experience.

To put it extremely, they should not even have a bad memory of the place.

It should be comfortable enough that they could come every day without getting tired of it.

That was Hayun’s belief.

‘The entrance is narrow and gloomy. It doesn’t make me want to go inside at all.’

Hayun’s eyes settled on the entrance of the tavern.

An old straw mat was carelessly crumpled up, while a pile of firewood blocked half of the entrance.

On top of that, a musty smell drifted through the air.

It was the unpleasant smell of old wood soaked by rainwater and mixed with mold.

‘No wonder nobody comes here…’

The entrance was like the face of a person.

Yet the face of this business had been left in such a terrible state.

From a customer’s point of view, this was a place they should not enter.

‘No matter how good the food is, it means nothing if people never step through the door.’

Just as a person needed to take basic care of their appearance to date someone, a business also needed proper care.

‘I want to tear everything down and rebuild it, but…’

Hayun let out a long sigh.

There was no money.

There was no time.

Everything was lacking.

All she had was her healthy body and the knowledge in her head.

‘I need to focus on what matters. Get the greatest possible effect with the least amount of money.’

As Hayun thought, her footsteps suddenly stopped.

What caught her attention was an old flag hanging in the air.

‘Ju… Mak…?’

It was a piece of cloth so torn and faded by the wind that it was difficult to tell what had originally been written on it.

The writing was so unclear that it was impossible to tell whether they were letters or simply stains.

“Signboard!”

Hayun suddenly shouted.

“Oh! You scared me.”

Okbun, who had been peeling garlic in one corner of the yard, raised her head in surprise.

“Signboard? What’s that? Is it something you eat?”

Okbun narrowed her eyes. The word itself seemed unfamiliar to her.

“A signboard is like a business card for a store. Instead of that old piece of cloth, I’ll make you a proper sign.”

Hayun pointed at Munsik.

“Mr. Moon! Do you have any spare wooden boards? The bigger, the better! And please bring me a brush and some ink too!”

Munsik, who had been putting down his A-frame carrier in the yard, asked with a confused expression.

“What do you need a board for? Are you going to use it as firewood?”

“I’m going to give the tavern a new name. And I’m getting rid of that flag.”

At the mention of removing the flag, Okbun shouted in surprise.

“What? Why get rid of a perfectly good flag? Everyone who passes by sees it and comes inside.”

“Don’t they run away after seeing it?”

“Wh-What did you say?”

Okbun’s face immediately turned red.

Even so, Hayun’s direct words did not stop.

“We need to make it so customers can immediately recognize that this is a place of business. Who would look at those faded letters and know this place is open? They would think the business has already failed.”

“Hmm… Now that you mention it, you may have a point.”

Slowly, Okbun nodded, convinced by Hayun’s words.

In truth, Okbun already knew.

Recently, more and more people had simply been walking past the tavern.

But she had not known where or how to begin fixing the problem, so she had simply left it as it was.

Now, however, Hayun was there, accurately pointing out the problems as if scratching an itch she could not reach.

Creak.

Munsik opened the shed door and searched inside before coming out with a fairly large wooden board.

It was not a small board that could fit in his palm.

It was a large board, almost as big as a person’s torso.

“Will this be enough?”

“It’s perfect!”

Munsik handed her the board along with an old, worn-out brush. Half of its bristles had fallen out, and its handle was cracked.

“Ink is expensive, so we don’t have any. But we have soot mixed with oil… Will that work?”

“Hmm. I think that should be fine.”

Hayun placed the wooden board in the middle of the yard.

Then she carefully thought about what she should write on it.

‘Now, this is where the real work begins.’

Who would casually choose a name?

Simply calling it a tavern was not enough.

Knowing the importance of naming, Hayun fell into deep thought.

‘It needs to stand out. If I simply write “tavern,” there will be no difference between this place and any other shop.’

Dozens of words appeared and disappeared in Hayun’s mind.

When people thought of design, they usually thought only about visual elements.

But linguistic elements were also important, such as naming a store or choosing a name for a product.

‘A logo would be difficult…’

She considered creating a visually appealing logo, but she was not sure whether people in this era would even understand the concept of a logo.

More importantly, pictures had limited power when spread by word of mouth.

No matter how perfect a logo was, there was no easy way to explain it with words.

In an era where word of mouth was everything, Hayun realized that she ultimately had to win with a single word.

‘A word that is easy, simple, and unforgettable!’

Then, the perfect word came into Hayun’s mind.

‘Yes. That’s it!’

After deciding on the name, Hayun boldly picked up the brush.

Whoosh!

Hayun was well known for her calligraphy skills.

Creating an identity through handwriting alone.

It was one of her strongest abilities.

‘Good handwriting is a design in itself.’

She might not have been as skilled as Han Seok-bong, but Hayun had studied calligraphy enough to confidently begin writing.

Scritch— Scratch!

The surface of the wooden board was rough, but it was not enough to stop her from writing.

The black paint made from soot and oil soaked into the wood.

‘There’s no second chance. I have to finish it in one try.’

The most important thing when writing calligraphy was not to hesitate.

Hesitation left traces behind.

Even if the result was imperfect, it was better to make bold strokes.

The same was true when drawing.

Swish!

Hayun put strength into the final letter and completed the new name of the tavern.

Munsik and Okbun, who had been watching the entire process, widened their eyes.

“Oh my, what is that?”

“I’ve never seen writing like that before.”

“The letters are all crooked and changing in size… It looks completely messy!”

“But somehow, I can still read it easily. That’s really strange.”

Naturally, it was difficult for people from the past to understand calligraphy that had transformed Hangul to such an extreme.

Hayun’s unique writing style did not simply control the strokes freely. It even crossed the boundaries between different letters.

It was a type of calligraphy that did not exist in this era.

The bold, sweeping strokes.

The perfect balance between strength and softness.

And even the final letters that added a special point.

The words Hayun had written seemed to come alive.

“Phew. It’s finished.”

Hayun wiped away her sweat after moving her brush as if she were possessed.

The wooden board contained the following words.

[Insaeng Tavern]

The combination of the word “life” and “tavern.”

Okbun opened her eyes wide when she saw the new name.

“Insaeng Tavern? What does that mean…?”

“It means a tavern you absolutely have to visit at least once in your life.”

Hayun put down her brush and smiled.

“It could also mean that a single meal here might change your life. What do you think? It’s good, right?”

In truth, a meaning could be attached to anything.

The important thing was the impact the words created.

‘Insaengju, Insaengjeon, Insaeng Gukbap. There are so many things that can come from this name. Now is my chance because no one has claimed it yet.’

Naturally, in the future, she would not have been able to use a name like this so freely.

She would have had to check whether another business already used the name and go through complicated processes such as trademark registration.

But in this era, such concepts did not exist.

The first person to claim it was the owner.

Like painting on a completely blank canvas, what kind of picture she would create in the country called Joseon depended entirely on Hayun.

“Insaeng Tavern…”

Okbun stood still and stared at the sign.

The seemingly wild style of writing strangely caught her attention.

More than anything, the word “life” touched her heart.

“The letters look a little crooked, but somehow they suit it better than I expected.”

“You’re right. It’s neither Chinese characters nor ordinary Hangul. It’s strange, but I can’t stop looking at it.”

“Alright, then hang this where people can see it clearly from the entrance.”

Once the signboard was finished, Munsik carried it toward the entrance of the tavern.

Hayun followed behind him and gave him instructions.

“Higher! Make sure people can see it even from across the road!”

“Is this high enough?”

“A little higher on the left. It isn’t level.”

“How about now?”

“You need to center it. Move it a little more to the right.”

“Here?”

“More, more, more!”

“Goodness, you’re incredibly picky…”

Munsik grumbled, but he did not look unhappy.

When Hayun first said she would help, he had not expected much.

But as Hayun began showing her skills, he could clearly see that she was a professional.

And a highly skilled one at that.

“Good. Secure it firmly there. Make sure it won’t get ruined when it rains.”

“Honestly, someone would think you’re the owner of this place.”

While Munsik secured the sign to the post, Hayun walked over to Okbun.

“Auntie Okbun.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Do you sell any food besides gukbap? Things like seasoned vegetables or jeon?”

“Of course we do.”

Hayun immediately continued asking questions.

“Then what kinds of food do you sell here exactly? Please tell me the prices too.”

“What do you need to know that for?”

“I’m going to make a menu.”

“A menu?”

“Ah, let’s call it a food list.”

Hayun’s next plan was to create a menu.

‘Most people who eat gukbap are men between their twenties and sixties. They never ask what else is available.’

The typical words heard at a tavern were always:

“Ma’am! One bowl of gukbap here!”

It was not because they did not want to eat something else.

It was because they did not even know what other food was available.

‘If they don’t ask, how are they supposed to know?’

Men often could not even properly explain what kind of hairstyle they wanted.

‘If we want to attract more people, we have no choice but to sell a variety of food.’

No matter how delicious the gukbap was, anyone would eventually get tired of eating it every day.

Gukbap could remain the main dish, but they needed a variety of side dishes to support it.

Only then could they attract more kinds of customers.

And all of those options needed to be clearly visible at a single glance.

“Pepper jeon, 2 jeon. Potato jeon, 3 jeon. Frozen pollack jeon, 5 jeon. Seasoned wild garlic leaves, 4 jeon. Seasoned bean sprouts, 2 jeon…”

“Good. Please keep telling me.”

Hayun took the remaining wooden boards and began writing down everything Okbun said.

She arranged the names of the dishes neatly on the left and their prices on the right.

Instead of writing the word for coins, she drew a small picture of an old coin.

She also added decorative elements around the edges of the board.

The menu was complete.

“There.”

Hayun looked at the finished menu with satisfaction.

It had been made entirely with a brush, so it was simple, but that also made it easy to understand at a glance.

The menu Hayun created looked like this:

[Main Dish]

Gukbap / 4◎

[Jeon]

Pepper Jeon / 2◎

Potato Jeon / 3◎

Frozen Pollack Jeon / 5◎

[Seasoned Dishes]

Seasoned Bean Sprouts / 2◎

Seasoned Wild Garlic Leaves / 4◎

[Drinks]

Makgeolli / 3◎

Dongdongju / 3◎

Insaengju / 5◎

After finishing the food list, Hayun looked at Okbun with a satisfied expression.

“What do you think? It’s much more convenient now because you can see all the food at once, right?”

“Oh! It’s neat and easy to read. You really do have some talent.”

“What did I tell you? I said I would make this place the best tavern in Joseon.”

“You really do seem to know something about business.”

As Hayun passionately worked to improve the tavern as if it were her own home, Okbun’s suspicion of her slowly began to disappear.

“Alright, then the next thing we need to do is…”

And just like that, a month passed.

During that time, Hayun carried out many repairs, including improving the kitchen.

She also trained Okbun and Munsik in customer service, taught them hygiene management, and added various visual elements both inside and outside the tavern.

“Today is D-Day.”

They had not intentionally closed the tavern.

But because they had spent the entire month repairing and improving everything, even fewer people had visited than before.

Occasionally, someone would approach out of curiosity, but after seeing the messy surroundings, they would assume the tavern was finally closing down and turn away.

But Insaeng Tavern was now preparing for a new opening.

The floors were cleanly swept.

The tables stood straight and neatly arranged.

The signboard shone brightly.

It had become such a completely different place that even the word “transformation” did not seem enough.

Munsik and Okbun asked nervously.

“Do you think people will really come?”

“Don’t worry. In a few days, people will be lining up all the way to the wall just to eat here.”

“If only that could really happen.”

Once they had mostly finished preparing for business, Hayun suddenly walked toward the kitchen.

“Where are you going?”

“We’ve finished preparing. Now we need to bring people here.”

As she spoke, Hayun looked at the large cauldron in the center of the kitchen.

Inside was a rich broth that had been boiling for several hours.

“Here goes!”

Without hesitation, Hayun used a pair of tongs to lift the lid of the cauldron.

Whoosh—!

Okbun saw this and immediately rushed over in surprise.

“What are you doing? The soup will boil down!”

As Okbun tried to close the lid, Hayun explained.

“We need to tempt people with the smell! What’s the point of keeping this delicious smell trapped in here?”

“You’re going to attract people with the smell?”

“Yes. From now on, we’re going to spread this smell far and wide. This smell is more valuable than any perfume.”

Saying that, Hayun threw open the kitchen door.

“Don’t you have a fan? Hurry and fan the smell toward the road! Now is the perfect time—it’s lunchtime!”

“Huh? Oh?”

Although confused, Okbun picked up a hand fan.

“Here, the fan.”

“Good. Fan as hard as you can!”

“Ugh, what in the world am I doing…?”

Okbun complained, but she began fanning hard.

After coming this far, all she could do now was trust Hayun.

Flap! Flap!

Hot steam flowed out of the kitchen.

The smoke drifted toward the road with the wind, carrying the rich and savory smell of meat broth.

‘Everything is ready now. All we have to do is wait.’

Hayun looked thoughtfully in the direction where the smell was spreading.

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At that time, at the entrance of Mungyeong Saejae.

A group of peddlers carrying large bundles was walking along the road.

There were eight of them in total, and each had a large bundle of goods on their back.

“Ugh.”

Crossing the mountain pass while carrying heavy bundles was exhausting.

In the past, traveling peddlers carried bundles that weighed an average of thirty kilograms and walked around twenty kilometers every day.

In modern terms, it was like going on a long march every day.

Because of this, peddlers were always hungry.

They needed to eat regularly to keep moving.

The peddlers were silently walking along when—

Sniff, sniff.

One of the peddlers walking at the front suddenly flared his nostrils.

“Huh? Brother, what’s that smell?”

“This… isn’t that the smell of boiling meat?”

“Wow, that meat smells incredible.”

The smell that tickled their noses made the other peddlers stop one by one.

A rich and savory smell of meat broth was drifting toward them with the wind.

“Come to think of it, isn’t it almost time to eat?”

“I was already feeling hungry… Should we go over there and take a look?”

“Sounds good. Let’s go.”

Drawn in by the smell, their footsteps naturally turned toward the tavern.

A moment later—

The peddlers’ eyes widened when they arrived at the entrance.

“What in the world?”

A neatly organized yard.

Walls decorated with paintings.

And the eye-catching sign that read, Insaeng Tavern.

“Insaeng Tavern? Was there always a place like this here?”

The peddlers tilted their heads as they looked at the sign.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t there a tavern here before?”

“Ah! I remember now! That place that was practically falling apart…”

“You’re saying this is the same place?”

The peddlers who remembered the old tavern looked around in disbelief.

They had been traveling along this road for more than ten years, but they had never once stepped inside Munsik’s tavern.

Even during heavy rain and storms, they avoided that place.

They had never even considered using it.

But today was different.

Instead of the old and miserable thatched house, there was now a neat and well-organized yard.

A properly displayed signboard stood at the entrance.

And above all, the rich and savory smell drifting through the wind seemed to grab hold of their feet.

It did not take long for hesitation to turn into curiosity.

“Did the owner change?”

“Hmm, should we go inside and take a look?”

“Alright. Let’s just give it a try.”

Still unsure, the peddlers stepped inside Insaeng Tavern.