Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 92

I was born the daughter of a low-ranking concubine. (92) [In Joseon Dynasty Korea, concubines were secondary wives, often of lower social status than the primary wife.]

The advantage was that since all the children flocked there, those who had been peeking around Siyeongwon [a government agency responsible for managing slaves and children of slaves], trying to steal a glimpse of their children, also gathered in the open space instead of Siyeongwon itself. This made the staff at Siyeongwon less stressed.

“If you’re so worried, you should raise them yourself.”

“Haha.”

There are always adults who suddenly jump in and get angry when children fight and get hurt.

“We’re raising them without even hearing a thank you.”

“And those kids know they have parents. So they sometimes look down on children who really don’t have parents, which leads to fights.”

“Hmm.”

I couldn’t help but fall into 고민 [Korean word meaning ‘worry’ or ‘trouble’] as I listened to the difficulties of the staff.

Because, as more people gathered in the open space, there was also the disadvantage that more people were subtly abandoning their children there.

‘Is it a net positive, or does it balance out to zero?’

But we couldn’t keep living like this.

In fact, there were cases where Siyeongwon children were adopted.

Of course, wealthy 양인 [commoner] couples who wanted a child would come looking, but when they found out they could get an education here, they would send them back during the day.

Or, after adopting them, they would make them work so hard that they would come back, saying it was too difficult.

“What if we create a foster care system?”

“What is that, Your Highness?”

“It’s not about adopting the children, but connecting the child with foster parents so they can learn about family life.”

“That’s a good idea, but how many people would do that… Ah!”

Min Sang-gung [a court lady], who was listening to me, exclaimed as if she had realized my intention.

“Parents who left their child at Siyeongwon will take their child back, saying they will foster them.”

That way, the child’s status would remain 양인, and they could live with their parents.

Of course, it was a loophole, but it was a way to satisfy the parents’ desire to raise their child as 양인 while also raising them themselves as much as possible.

If the child wants to continue receiving education at Siyeongwon, they can just move near here.

If they come to see their child often anyway, it would be better to just move.

Even now, the area near Siyeongwon was already forming a small community as Siyeongwon-related people settled down one by one.

It wasn’t intentional, but there are cases where Siyeongwon children become independent. However, since there are so many children, there are many complaints about the noise, so… I just gave them a generous amount of money and bought houses, and that’s how it happened.

This is how a 금수저 [literally ‘gold spoon,’ referring to someone born into wealth] solves 민원 [civil complaints]…….

It’s something I did, but honestly, it was a bit absurd. Of course, it was a happy ending for everyone, so that’s a relief.

***

The employees of Siyeongwon implemented my policies and decided to approach the parents watching their children and recommend foster care.

If someone was staring intently at one child in the open space, even though they weren’t using the playground equipment, there was a high possibility that they were the child’s biological parents. So, they deliberately sent a few people out to the open space to observe the people and children and found the biological parents with hawk-like eyes, succeeding in foster care.

And occasionally, they decided to collect child support from people with no conscience who demanded child support instead.

“You’re actually that child’s biological parent, right?”

“Y-yes? Me?”

“Whether it’s true or not, we can confirm by taking the child and asking the neighbors. Isn’t that right?”

“I, I’m…”

“I know. You wanted to raise your child as 양인, right? Isn’t that right?”

“Y-yes, yes.”

“But you wouldn’t be thinking of leaving your child here and even demanding money, would you? Ah, did I misunderstand that you would pay child support?”

“I-I’ll give it to you!”

“You know better than anyone what will happen to your child if this is discovered.”

“Of course, of course…”

I didn’t think Mauri would be like that… he’s really good at talking.

I was pretending not to listen to Mauri’s 영업 [sales pitch] next to him when I saw a familiar face.

“Oh my, Agi-ssi [term of endearment].”

“I see you often.”

“I frequent this place, but I don’t often see Agi-ssi.”

It was Maehyang, who I was now used to seeing.

‘Maehyang is probably the one who spread the word about this place.’

It’s good for me since it’s 영업 [business promotion].

“It seems this place has completely become a playground.”

“It was literally a place to play, so what does it matter?”

It was crowded every day because of the playground equipment, but also because many people gathered.

They even made and operated separate playground equipment for children and adults, and that wasn’t bad either.

For reference, men and women are kept separate when riding the adult equipment.

In addition, I had the people of Siyeongwon make and sell 엿 [Korean taffy] and sikhye [sweet rice beverage], reminiscent of the amusement parks of my past life, and that was also reasonably profitable.

“With so many people, if a traveling troupe comes, they could perform here.”

“Hmm. Should I harden the ground a bit more?”

Even now, it’s a place where many children gather, so I’m making small swings and seesaws, and the ground seems to be getting narrow.

I was 고민 [worrying] about buying more land when Maehyang said something unexpected.

“I heard you’re opening a school. How did you come up with that idea? If a doctor specializing in women’s diseases is created, can gisaeng [female entertainers] like me also receive treatment?”

“Did that get out? Anyone, including gisaeng, can get treatment, of course. Why wouldn’t they?”

“I thought it would be a doctor exclusively for the wives of noble families.”

“How many noble women are there? And doctors don’t discriminate like that.”

“Is that so?”

Since it was an unexpected topic, I asked, thinking of it.

“Gisaeng call doctors when they’re sick, right? So does a male doctor come?”

“We don’t really mind that.”

“But isn’t it more comfortable for a female doctor to come?”

“Women would be more comfortable if a skilled female doctor treated them. Especially when it comes to women’s diseases, doctors can’t always say they know everything. But are female doctors really skilled?”

“What did you just say?”

The owner of the voice that suddenly rang out was… unfortunately, Heo Seong-ji.

“Agi-ssi, it’s been a while.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while…”

Seong-ji, who greeted me first, glared at Maehyang with unkind eyes and asked.

“Judging by your appearance, you’re a gisaeng, but on what basis do you disparage the skills of female doctors?”

“Judging by your appearance, you’re a female doctor, but isn’t it natural since I’ve never seen a skilled female doctor?”

“Hmph. Is that why you hear that there’s no 품격 [dignity] in the songs of gisaeng?”

“What did you just say?”

Ugh… can’t you guys fight somewhere else….

It seemed like they had touched each other’s Achilles’ heel, so if someone intervened, it would surely be a case of a shrimp getting its back broken in a whale fight.

Of course, in terms of status, I might be a humpback whale, but I didn’t want to get involved in that, so I took Gai and stepped back.

“Agi-ssi, shouldn’t we stop them?”

“One is someone who comes here to teach medicine to the children, and Maehyang comes here often to play and teach the children songs, so if they fight, they’ll just come on different days.”

Let’s get out of here.

“Yes, Agi-ssi.”

I tried to slip away, whispering like that, but the two people, who were equally quick-witted, grabbed me at the same time.

“Where are you going?”

“I still have something to say.”

“……”

Scary. As I made a sullen expression, the two people coughed awkwardly as if they were embarrassed, and Seong-ji opened his mouth first.

“My uncle caused a great deal of trouble the other day.”

“I’m glad if it’s okay.”

The identity verification was মোটামুটি [roughly] done, but I was still worried about that uncle.

He agreed to be a teacher, so it’ll be okay, right?

“I will make sure there are no problems in teaching the students, so don’t worry.”

“Okay. I’m counting on you.”

As Seong-ji seemed to be finished with his business, Maehyang opened her mouth this time.

“Is there any way to get more of the soap you gave me with Jeon-du the other day? It’s a necessary item for people like me.”

“Ah, actually, I also wanted to ask about the soap. Is there any way to get it?”

“Hmm. We’re prioritizing supply to places like Hyeminseo [a government-run clinic for the common people], so the quantity is a bit short.”

I haven’t organized the exact statistics yet, but the royal physicians of Naeuiwon [the royal clinic] are already aware of the 효능 [effectiveness] of soap, so they want mass production of soap.

I wanted that too, but in the first place, I’m still focusing on increasing the number of pigs, so there’s not much 기름 [oil/fat].

“It takes 기름 [oil/fat] to make it, but 기름 [oil/fat] isn’t a common item.”

“Then is camellia oil okay?”

“Isn’t that too expensive?”

“It’s okay even if it’s expensive.”

Even now, the use of soap, which started because of me, was naturally spreading to the officials, sadaebu [scholar-officials], and palace people who wanted to follow the culture of the royal family.

I had been supplying it to the royal family and the medical office for free, but now I was in a position to tell them to buy it with money.

I was getting reports that everyone, including the royal family, was secretly selling the soap that was being sent for the sick.

So I designated the palace maids and female doctors who reported it to me as soap suppliers and told them to sell it at a high price, giving them a share of the profits.

Thanks to that, I made money, but the demand was still increasing rapidly, so I was in a difficult situation.

‘The pig farm is still insufficient, so the supply can’t keep up with the demand.’

Okay, since I’m going to sell it at a high price anyway… let’s mix in expensive vegetable 기름 [oil] and sell it at a high price.

Vegetable 기름 [oil] can smell good if you make it well depending on the type, but if you do it wrong, it can give off a very extreme smell.

‘Especially sesame oil soap.’

But in this era of Joseon, there are hardly any fried dishes, and even yakgwa [Korean honey cookie] is fried in sesame oil.

So there’s quite a lot of sesame oil to make soap… so I had to mix it with animal 기름 [oil] somehow.

Well, if you’re not in a position to be picky, it’s not the sesame oil smell that’s the problem, but even if it’s made with old 기름 [oil] and smells rancid, you just use it.

As I made a lot of soap, everyone got the hang of it, and the quality is getting better these days.

Of course, you can’t ignore the 재료빨 [quality of ingredients], so the better the 재료 [ingredients] you use, the better the soap will be, but what kind of 기름 [oil] is good for making soap, and what ratio you should mix it in was really something I found out by hitting it head-on.

The reason I gave this away for free was because the quality of the soap produced in the early stages was low and the production volume was small, but it was actually from a humanitarian point of view. If they buy it from public health care or places unrelated to my business, I have no choice but to sell it at a high price now.

And it wasn’t me who was in charge of my business, including soap production, but Gai.

“Then I’ll start by hearing how much quantity you’re thinking of.”

“…Agi-ssi?”

“Gai is my đại lý [agent], so talk to him here. I’m going to play a bit once I get the basics of the school down.”

“Then you should talk to me first.”

For some reason, Seong-ji smiled at Maehyang as if he had won and took my hand.

I don’t want you to be close friends, but I hope you don’t fight.

Thinking about it, I think I’ve been too busy for the past few years.

I couldn’t play even though I kept saying I should play, and until I set up a school and graduates come out, I should enjoy the life of a 금수저 백수 [gold spoon unemployed person], collecting 청자 [celadon] and relics.

‘Around that time, will the female lead, Ji-hwa, start to appear?’

But as always, humans are not creatures who can rest when they want to rest.

Especially if you have special 혈육 [family].