Tangmunjeon - Chapter 372



Only Krnovel

Tangmunjeon Episode 372

A day in the life of a sugar daddy

In late spring of last year, a young blacksmith named Seok Ji-ui, who had come into the blacksmith shop, heard stories of the Tang family chieftain from his cousin Seok Ji-seung and other blacksmiths.

Even since people’s attitudes were closer to worship or awe rather than praise or admiration, it was natural that Seok Ji-ui had great curiosity about the abilities of the Tang family leader.

One day, almost a year after Seok Ji-ji entered the blacksmith shop, the head of the Tang family finally showed up at the blacksmith shop.

Even with the precious iron he brought, Seok Ji-ui’s expectations naturally soared to the sky.

‘What kind of great thing are you thinking of making?’

But before long, Seok Ji-ui became a little disappointed.

The way the Tang family worked was not as dynamic as people had said. No amazing things were created in an instant.

Just like any other blacksmith, he heats, hammers, and cuts a lump of iron to create a thin wire.

The old men and women watched the scene with their eyes glued to it, as if they found it interesting, but to the young and energetic Seok Ji-ui, it was a bit of a boring sight.

Seok Ji-ui watched the scene with his body twisted around, then cautiously asked his cousin Seok Ji-seung.

“Brother. I had high expectations because I heard that the Tang family leader’s skills were great, but it doesn’t seem to be that special.”

Seok Ji-seung answered Seok Ji-ui’s story without even turning his head.

“okay?”

“Yes. The materials are expensive, but the craftsmanship doesn’t seem to be much different from other people’s. It’s not that the other elders’ skills are bad, but…”

Seok Ji-seung smiled faintly.

“Do you have the eye to recognize a truly talented person?”

It wasn’t a wrong point.

Seok Ji-ui had not even been in the blacksmith shop for a year. He was still unable to hold a hammer, and he would have to continue to do so for another year or two.

But when you hear this story in person, you don’t want to be obedient.

“Of course, my eye for detail isn’t that great, but don’t skilled people have that air about them?”

“Well, the atmosphere is a bit different from other night markets.”

“Besides, the skills of the Tang family master that I heard about were not at that level. I heard that he could easily make the world’s best swords and all sorts of extraordinary objects, but all he could make was wire…”

Seok Ji-seung snickered and lifted his rough, scarred hand and placed it on his cousin’s head.

“Did I tell you the story of the day I first saw the Lord of the Tang Dynasty?”

“I’ve heard it at least ten times. You said that your eyes were opened when you saw a dagger being made by pounding iron as if it were a joke.”

The dagger that the Tang family’s owner made is still placed in a corner of the blacksmith’s shop.

Although the dagger was the best one that Seok Ji-ui had ever seen, he believed that it was made by Seok Ji-seung’s skill, not that of the Tang family’s leader.

The head of the Tang family did not finish making the dagger, and the person who finished making the dagger was his cousin, Seok Ji-seung.

Seok Ji-ui believed that the craftsman’s skills were best revealed in the finishing stage.

Seok Ji-seung said.

“That day, the Lord of the Party did not come to make a dagger.”

“I’ve never heard of that before. So what did you come here to make?”

“You came to make a needle. First, you made a dagger, and then you spent some time making a thin wire. Then, you and I cut and sharpened the wire to make a needle. This is the first time you’ve seen a needle. What a coincidence.”

Seok Ji-ui saw the thin wire that the Tang family leader was making. However, unlike Seok Ji-seung in his younger days, Seok Ji-ui could not understand what was so great about it.

Seok Ji-seung continued explaining to his cousin.

“Although iron is a precious item, handling it skillfully requires more skill than handling ordinary iron. This is especially true because each iron has its own unique characteristics. Not everyone has the skill to handle iron like ordinary iron.”

“Even so,…”

“Also, making wire is not an ordinary task. You may not know this because it is rare in our blacksmith shop, but we have a separate needlesmith who makes wire and needles. And even they cannot make wire that thin.”

Even in the eyes of the stone doctor, the wire made by the Danggajangju was extremely thin. It was so thin that he thought it was less than half the thickness of barley stalks in the fall.

It was obviously great, but Seok Ji-ui thought the wire wasn’t perfect.

“I’ve heard that the most important things when making wire are strength and flexibility, and then uniform thickness. I don’t know how strong and flexible it is, but I can tell that the thickness isn’t uniform.”

As Seok Ji-ui said, the wire that the Tang family leader made had some parts that were a bit thicker, like the joints of bamboo. Although it was a bit too thick to be compared to a joint of bamboo.

The old night watchman who was listening to the story laughed.

“You, Ji, have a keen eye for detail. Even I can see that the wire is not evenly thick. But the important thing is that the gaps between the thick parts are exactly the same. The owner of the Tang family must have made it that way on purpose.”

“No way. What use would you make a wire that’s so rough? It’s probably just poorly made.”

Seok Ji-ui did not easily give in to his stubbornness, just like his cousin did when he was young.

This time, Seok Ji-seung spoke again.

“It’s common for a forge to make mistakes. There are countless instances where the iron has had to be remelted after it has been nearly shaped. You’ve done the same thing when you pick up a hammer, and I’ve made mistakes myself. I’ve been a forge for ten years now, and it’s even more so when I’m making small, delicate objects.”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“But I have never seen the Lord of the Tang Dynasty make anything wrong. Not even once.”

Seok Ji-ui glanced at Seok Ji-seung to see if his cousin’s story was a lie. However, judging from his calm expression, it didn’t seem to be a lie.

Seok Ji-ui looked again at the wire that the owner of the house had made without asking for any further explanation.

A wire as thin as a hair. Putting aside the fact that it was bumpy, I thought that even people who were experts at making wire couldn’t make wire that thin.

‘···It seems that he is definitely skilled.’

After the foreman finished cutting the wire, he took a chisel and began to hit the wire with a hammer to break it.

The part where the wire broke was always in contact with a part of the wire that was slightly thicker.

Thanks to this, the wire is thin from the front to the middle, but there is a small thick part left at the back. It is so thin, but it looks more like a nail than a needle.

There wasn’t even a little difference in the length of the broken wire. As the old blacksmith had said, the owner of the party had intentionally made the wire uneven.

‘···It’s a bit strange.’

Then, the owner of the party took out a small hammer and struck the thick part remaining at the back of the wire three times.

Thump thump thump, thump thump thump, thump thump thump.

Thanks to this, the thick part attached to the back of the wire was pressed down and flattened, just like a small arrow with feathers attached to its end.

The owner of the party trimmed the flattened parts little by little to make them straight, then spoke to the night watchmen.

“I know it’s a bit of a hassle, but could you lend me a helping hand?”

The night watchmen who were watching the work answered.

“You seem to be making needles, so could you sharpen the end of the wire to make it sharp?”

“Yes, please.”

Seok Ji-ui could sharpen iron with a whetstone. However, since the other forgemen had taken all the wire, Seok Ji-ui was not able to receive any wire.

Seok Ji-ui, who suddenly had nothing to do, stood still and watched the head of the household finish his work.

The owner of the party quickly made a needle by sharpening the end of a piece of wire that he had left behind instead of sharing.

However, what the stone doctor was curious about was the purpose of the flat part at the back of the needle, like the feather of an arrow.

However, the flat part was so small that it was probably only about half the size of a little fingernail, so it didn’t seem like it would have any special use.

‘Are you trying to make a handle for the needle? No, does the needle even need a handle?’

The master of the party took the smallest chisel, sharpened its tip, placed the chisel on the flat part, and gently tapped the back with a hammer.

As Seok Ji-ji was watching with his head stretched out, the head of the household gestured toward him.

“You won’t be able to see it from that far away. If you want to see it, come closer.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Are you Seok-hyung’s cousin?”

“···you’re right.”

“They look somewhat similar. Anyway, come closer and take a look.”

The tone of the party leader’s speech was strangely friendly. It was as if he was talking to his own cousin.

Seok Ji-ui did not refuse the favor of the owner of the house, but approached him and watched the work.

‘Are you trying to carve even a small pattern?’

It’s a narrow space, but I think I can carve a line or two into it.

If there is such a pattern, it will not slip easily when held in the hand, so it becomes both aesthetically pleasing and practical.

‘It’ll break if you touch it wrong… I guess you have some confidence in your dexterity.’

But after a while, Seok Ji-ui realized something unbelievable.

The owner of the shop was using a chisel and hammer to carve a person’s name into such a small space.

It was even the name of a member of parliament who was well known to Seok Ji-ui.

The assemblyman who oversees the assemblymen who have come to visit the Tang family is Chu Sam (鄒三).

The text is so small that you wonder if even the members of the National Assembly, who suffer from presbyopia, can read it.

But the writing was not at all messed up or distorted, and was neat as if it had been written with ink on the tip of a thin strand of animal hair.

Before I knew it, Seok Ji-ui’s breathing stopped for a moment.

It was something that went beyond metallurgy and reached the realm of precise craftsmanship. No, it was something that went beyond even the realm of craftsmanship.

‘···How is this possible?’

Seok Ji-ui instinctively realized this. He was only nineteen years old.

I have many years left to live, but I know that no matter how hard I try my whole life, I will never be able to replicate that talent.

I never even thought about reaching that level someday. That’s why Seok Ji-ui felt a strange sense of frustration rather than a sense of triumph.

The owner of the Tang family quickly finished engraving one person’s name and then began engraving the other names one after another.

Son Yeop (Sun Yeop).

Jia Youhui.

Hao Xiaoyun.

Oh Jang-hong.

The names of numerous members of the National Assembly were engraved one after another in a small space.

Every time he finished a needle, Seok Ji-ui unconsciously came closer to the owner of the house.

In the end, Seok Ji-ui’s breath reached the back of the head of the head of the party, but the head of the party did not scold Seok Ji-ui and just let him watch the work.

Seok Ji-ui recalled the story of his cousin Seok Ji-seung.

Didn’t you say that you’ve never seen the owner of a company make a mistake while making something?

It was true. Among the countless strokes that the Tang master had carved into the narrow space, not a single one was off or messy.

It was clearly a miracle. It wasn’t a question of being outstanding or not, but a talent that clearly went beyond what humans could demonstrate.

I had heard many times that the owner of the Tang family was a very talented person.

It is said that they have each reached a high level in martial arts, poison, medicine, and even metallurgy.

However, Seok Ji-ui was certain that among the many talents that the Tang family leader possessed, the most outstanding were definitely metallurgy and manual dexterity.

How much time had passed like that? The head of the family, who had been working intently with his head down, suddenly raised his head and tilted it from side to side.

Only then did Seok Ji-ui realize that he had come too close and took a step back.

“Uh… I’m sorry for bothering you.”

Then the head of the party waved his hand.

“No, that’s not it. I’m going to stop here for today.”

“yes?”

“I think it’s done by now. Isn’t it?”

Before long, there were more than thirty needles engraved with people’s names placed in front of the head of the party.

Seok Ji-ui looked outside the blacksmith shop. Before he knew it, the sun was setting and it was getting dark outside.

‘When did the time get like this?’

Seok Ji-hee nodded and was about to leave when he realized that there was something he had to ask before doing so.

“···By any chance, what are you going to use this needle for?”

Deep down, I knew why, but I had to ask.

The owner of the party answered in a strange manner.

“I’m thinking of giving one to each of the members of the National Assembly. We’ve been through thick and thin together at the party for months, so I thought it would be nice to give each of them a souvenir.”

“ah···.”

Seok Ji-ui sighed softly.

You’re not even selling it, you’re just giving it away. As expected, that needle wasn’t even the masterpiece of his life.

My chest feels stuffy. My mind feels like it’s wavering.

In the end, Seok Ji-ui made up his mind. From now on, he will look for something other than night work.

The rest of my life was too long to live trying to overcome an insurmountable wall.

At that moment, the field marshals behind them gathered together and spoke.

“Thank you for your hard work today.”

Only then did Seok Ji-ui realize that people were watching him and the head of the party from behind.

The owner of the party seemed accustomed to the attention and gaze of the night watchmen, but Seok Ji-ui was not. Seok Ji-ui felt embarrassed later.

“Yes. See you tomorrow.”

As the head of the party stood up from his seat while saying that, Seok Ji-seung approached Dang Mu-jin and asked him.

“It’s tomorrow. Is there a lot of work left?”

“I have to hand out just over fifty needles this time, so I’ll have to do similar work tomorrow.”

“I see. I understand.”

Seok Ji-ui’s ears perked up.

Even if I had to give up my night job, I thought it would be a shame to miss out on this kind of spectacle.

‘···Still, I have to come to the blacksmith shop by tomorrow.’

Seok Ji-seung asked again.

“Will it all be finished if I work on it by tomorrow?”

“Since I’ve already started, I plan on making all the needles even if I engrave the names later. If I use up all the iron, I should be able to make at least four or five hundred… It’ll take a few more days. Still, it’ll be worth the effort since I’ll be able to use it for at least ten years.”

Seok Ji-ui’s ears perked up again.

It was only when the time came for Seok Ji-ui to carve the name of the owner of the house that he realized belatedly that the owner of the house was special in his craftsmanship.

However, the other field masters had been watching the work of the Tang family master with interest from the beginning. This meant that the other field masters knew something from the beginning that Seok Ji-ui did not realize.

So Seok Ji-ui changed his mind again. He decided to come to the blacksmith shop only until the work was finished. He would find out what was so special about it.

The night watchmen who were looking at Seokji smiled brightly.

The night watchmen could clearly see into what Seok Ji-ui was thinking, since most of them had gone through a similar process to Seok Ji-ui and ended up staying in the Tang family.

Until tomorrow, Seok Ji-ui will watch the fingertips that carve names. The day after tomorrow, he will watch the hammers that strike the wire.

The next day you will see hands holding tongs, and the day after that you will see eyes gauging the temperature of the fire and stirring the fire.

By then it is too late to live away from the fire and the crackling noise.

Even though he knows he can never reach it, Seok Ji-ui remains in the blacksmith’s shop in order to get even a little closer.

Like a pine tree that grows endlessly toward the sky, even though it knows it can never reach it.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“See you tomorrow.”

When the night market participants gathered again to greet the owner of the party, the owner of the party greeted them and left.

In an instant, the surroundings became noisy, and the night market workers began to clean up.

Seok Ji-ui moved diligently, as befitting the youngest of the blacksmiths. However, his eyes were somehow a bit hazy.

The young blacksmith took his first steps toward becoming a blacksmith without even knowing it.

Today, the day of the Danggajang has come to an end.