[3] In The Market...

Jungkook and Park Imo arrived early, but the

vegetable vendors on the street had also arrived almost at the same time. Rural people do not have the habit of sleeping in, and the families who pay attention to quality prefer to come early to buy fresh produce. The eggs from Park Imo were recently collected, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they were fresh and of good size. They were quickly bought by a customer, twenty eggs for thirty coins. For eggs to fetch such a good price, they had to be fresh. The usual price was twenty-five coins. Park Imo was in a good mood after making a good deal. "Let's go, Jungkook-ah, what do you want to buy? Let's go shopping!"

Jungkook was also infected by Park Imo's happy

atmosphere, and his voice unconsciously carried a hint of excitement. "| want to buy piglets, chicks, and..." "Alright, alright, take it easy. Follow me," Park Imo said with a kind look in his eyes as he observed Jungkook, who appeared thin and weak but had eyes that gleamed involuntarily. He held Jungkook's hand and took him to the place where piglets were sold.

"It's late winter now, and there are fewer piglets available. Let's try our luck. We'll buy the energetic ones, and if not, we can come back next time. Don't rush, there's still time. Ill negotiate the price. You're young and inexperienced, so observe and learn more. It's not easy to avoid being taken advantage of in the future," Park Imo advised Jungkook as they walked. Seeing Jungkook nodding like a little chick pecking at grains, Park Imo felt even more satisfied. This kid was a good boy.

Park Imo thought he should began thinking about matchmaking; Jungkook had really grown up. He should pay attention and see if there are any eligible bachelors who haven't found a wife yet, and maybe he can match them with Jungkook. Otherwise, when Jungkook turns twenty-one, it won't be good. Park Imo felt somewhat worried because in this world, when a young ger reaches twenty-one and a man reaches twenty-four without a spouse, they have to listen to the government and go for an arranged marriage. Those arranged marriages are not a good fate. People waiting for arranged marriages are either lazy men or have disabilities.

Park Imo looked at Jungkook, who was beside him, eagerly surveying the market, and his heart softened. He's already twenty but still acts like a child. 'I should talk to Jungkook-ah about this one day. I believe he must be thinking about the arranged marriage issue to make such a significant change and step out of the village.'

Unaware of what Park Imo was thinking, Jungkook was captivated by the various ancient buildings at the market. He had no idea about the tradition of arranged marriages in this world. Otherwise, he would have been restless and unable to enjoy the sight of these quaint and picturesque houses.

Fortunately, luck was on their side as there were a few energetic piglets available. Although they were small in size, with proper care and nurturing, they would surely grow into large pigs. The seller happened to be from Park Imo's maternal village, so there was some familiarity between them. As a result, the original price of 650 coins for the piglets was discounted to 600 coins..

While Jungkook was busy paying the seller, Park Imo seized the opportunity to pull aside the seller's wife, Lyu Imo. "Hey, pay attention to something for me. Look for honest and reliable men in Gil-sang Village who haven't been married yet. I want to find a match for my nephew!'" Following Park Imo's gaze, Lyu Imo noticed Jungkook, who was bowing his head to take out money. Despite his fair complexion, there were obvious red bumps on his face.. "Is he from the Jeon family?" Park Imo scolded Lyu Imo with a glare. "So what? Are you also as shallow-minded as those people with superficial judgments?"

"Hey, what are you saying! Leave it to me. Recently, many men who served in the military have returned to the village, and quite a few of them haven't found a partner yet!" Lyu Imo hastily reassured. "You just watch closely, and I'll handle it!" "Ok then, I trust you!"

"Park Imo, what were you talking about?" After

Jungkook finished paying and made an agreement with the owner (who happened to be Lyu Imo's husband) to come back for the piglets after buying other items, he noticed Park Imo and Lyu Imo huddled together, chatting incessantly.

"Oh, nothing much. It's just been a long time since I visited my mother's family, so I asked Lyu Imo to pass along a message for me, right?" Lyu Imo quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, young man, you go ahead and shop first. I'll tie up the piglets separately for you. Come and take them when you're done!"

Jungkook expressed his gratitude, even though he had already spoken to the owner. But with the boss' wife bringing it up again himself, he felt even more reassured.

"Why are you staring at their backs? Although

that ger looks a bit ugly, he's still a good kid," Butcher Lyu looked at his wife staring at Jungkook and the others as they left, puzzled. In return, he got scolded by his wife, "Yah, what ugly or not! Go away! You're annoying." Lyu Imo scolded his husband away while thinking about which man in the village had a more reliable character.

Led by Park Imo, Jungkook quickly bought salt and a seasoning similar to chili. While shopping for clothes, Park Imo grabbed Jungkook's arm and said, "Why buy clothes? We can make our own by cutting cloth. It's much better than buying." Jungkook was taken aback. He didn't know how to make clothes!

Seeing Jungkook's helpless expression, Park Imo found it amusing and said, "Cut the cloth, and Imo will make it!"

Jungkook hurriedly waved his hand, saying "That won't do, it's too troublesome." Park Imo insisted, "What's so troublesome? It's shop, selecting fabric that suited for gers." Jungkook hesitated and tugged at Park Imo's sleeve, saying, "If you make clothes for me, I have to pay you for your work. I won't let you do it for free." After Jungkook insisted repeatedly, Park Imo reluctantly agreed.

However, he planned to refuse Jungkook's payment when the clothes were done. While Park Imo was selecting fabric, Jungkook asked the fabric shop owner about the price of making clothes, so he had an idea in mind. He said, "Come, Jungkook-ah, take a look at these pieces of fabric."

Jungkook walked over and looked at the three

pieces Park Imo had chosen: deep blue, light purple, and pale green. He touched them and said, "Well, although it's rough cloth, it feels nice." He didn't want to buy any silk fabric. It would attract too much attention and wouldn't be convenient for work. He had experienced all kinds of hardships in the post-apocalyptic world and knew how to make economical choices. The three pieces of fabric cost a total of 60 coins, while buying a ready-made garment would cost 50 coins. It wasn't cost-effective. He said, "You understand, right? This money can't be spent recklessly. We have to be thrifty."

Park Imo looked at Jungkook with a pleased expression and joked, "Yes, I never thought there would be such a big difference between finished products and fabric. By the way, Park Imo, I want to buy some chicks and pork."

After Jungkook finished paying, he immediately remembered that he hadn't finished shopping. Park Imo replied, "The sun is already high, it's almost noon, and there won't be any chicks for sale. How about this? My family will have chicks soon, so you can come to my place to get them."

Upon hearing that, Jungkook smiled and looked at Park Imo playfully. He said, 'Then I'll buy them from you at the market price when the time comes; otherwise, I won't buy." Park Imo replied, "Alright, alright, let's do that."

Jungkook immediately made his request, saying

"I want fifteen little chicks!'" This surprised Park Imo, who asked, "That many? Can one person

handle it?"

Jungkook patted his slender chest and confidently said, "Of course I can. When they're fully grown, I'll give you one to taste!" Jungkook's demeanor amused Park Imo, and he chuckled "Then I'll be looking forward to it!" After saying that, Jungkook's face immediately lit up with a satisfied expression, and he continued to laugh joyfully.

Passersby were somewhat puzzled, saying "This young ger may be ugly, but his smile is quite sweet."

After Jungkook and Park Imo bought 1.3kg of pork belly and led the piglet, they hurried to the place mentioned by Lee Samchon. "Over here!" From a distance, they saw Lee Samchon looking at Jungkook with the piglet and driving the donkey cart towards them. "Lee Samchon, why are you the only one here?" Jungkook was confused. When he arrived this morning, there were many donkey carts parked here.

"Oh, Jungkook-ah, don't you know? Today is the day when the conscripts return to their hometown!" Park Imo thought Jungkook had forgotten, so he explained the reason to him, not realizing that the other person had no knowledge of it at all.

"That's right. The donkey carts have been running several times because of that. I also made several trips before I saw you here." Lee Samchon was in a good mood. He made some extra money from the trips today, so he could buy some delicious food for his wife and children to make them happy.

After putting the piglet on the donkey cart and settling down, Jungkook felt a bit guilty and asked Park Imo, "Park Imo, you know I don't usually go out. Who is the ruler of this dynasty?" Jungkook pointed his finger towards the sky. Park Imo didn't suspect anything and thought Jungkook had become more open-minded and lively. "We are in the Great Kim Dynasty. The Emperor is in his prime, and the taxes on us common people..." Jungkook realized that this "Kim Dynasty" wasn't the same as the ancient Korean Gim Dynasty.

"Then why is there conscription? Is the world not peaceful?" Jungkook became worried. He didn't want to be transported to a turbulent era. "It's not like that. It's a tradition that has been passed down through several dynasties. I don't know why either." Park Imo didn't know ordinary people. So he explained some the reason, but it didn't concern them as knowledge about conscription to Jungkook.

In this dynasty, there was conscription every five years, and every household had to send one male member. Families that had already sent someone to serve in the military were exempt from conscription for fifteen years. If a household had two husbands, only the one who had given birth to sons was exempt. The head of the household who had already served in the military could pay taxes instead. When Jungkook was born, his appa had just finished his military service and returned when Jungkook was five years old. Until Jungkook turned fifteen and his parents passed away, their family paid taxes every five years instead of serving in the military. Now Jungkook was already twenty turning twenty-one in two months. The conscripted men had also returned this year, so Jungkook finally felt relieved. He was alone, and moreover, he was a ger. It seemed that he had to find a way to make money for taxes.

Lee Samchon escorted them to the fork in the road they had taken in the morning. He helped Jungkook unload the piglet and their belongings. Then he mounted the donkey cart and returned home. After Park Imo put down their things, he helped Jungkook drive the piglet into his pigsty. Then he went back. Today, families in the village who had their children gone for five years due to conscription were full of joy as their sons returned home. By noon, smoke rose from the village as people began cooking Jungkook watched for a while, closed the courtyard gate, and prepared lunch.

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[A/n: This author apologizes for the late update, citing a busy schedule. Author assure readers that updates will continue on available dates. The author hints at the importance of Park Imo and his family, suggesting they will become significant allies for Jungkook in future episodes, and their bond will strengthen over time]. ]

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