The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 135

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 135

Chapter 135. You Reap What You Sow (5)

“Why on earth would you do such a thing…?”
“Well, it’s…”
Among those kneeling, Haeng-su hesitated before speaking.
“We were swayed by the Namho Merchant Leader’s temptation. He said he would give us a fortune if we simply did as instructed. And even if we were to leave the Mi Gwa Merchant Guild, he promised the Namho Trading Company would take us in…”
In short, they had been bought.
They confessed everything about what they had done.
“We have committed a sin worthy of death.”
“The Mi Gwa Merchant Guild treated us so well all this time, yet we forgot that…”
“We are the most ungrateful wretches in all the Realm.”
Though they repeatedly bowed their heads in apology, my Paternal Uncle could not utter a single word.
I approached my Elder Brother Jin-ho and whispered quietly.
“Elder Brother, I think it would be fine to take them out now.”
At my words, Jin-ho took them out along with the two Guard Warriors.
I spoke to my Paternal Uncle.
“Uncle, you should not have simply raged at the merchant guilds who came to protest. You needed to understand the full circumstances first.”
“I should have…”
“Honestly, it’s rather late, but there is still something you must do, Uncle.”
“What is it?”
“An apology.”
“An… apology? You want me to apologize?”
“Yes.”
“But how could I lower my head to them? It wounds my pride…”
“The reason things came to this was because you turned them away at the door, insisting it was impossible.”
“…”
“You acknowledge that, don’t you?”
“…”
I regarded my Paternal Uncle quietly. Whether from my intensity or something else, Uncle finally squeezed his eyes shut and admitted it.
“Fine! It was my mistake!”
“Then why did Uncle make such a poor decision?”
“…”
In the face of Uncle’s silence, I answered for him.
“It was because of Uncle’s pride.”
“Kugh!”
The Namho Merchant Leader could not possibly be unaware of how strong my Paternal Uncle’s pride was.
That’s why I resorted to this approach.
My Paternal Uncle would fly into a rage without even bothering to understand the full circumstances.
And indeed, that’s exactly what happened.
“Currently, it’s true that the Mi Gwa Merchant Guild mixed inferior medicinal materials into their sales. Regardless, such an incident did occur.”
“….”
“So then, would it wound your pride more for you to seek out those merchant guilds and apologize? Or would it wound your pride more for the Mi Gwa Merchant Guild to become known as a disreputable guild?”
I spoke firmly, meeting my Paternal Uncle’s gaze.
“Even if I save this guild, without credibility it will never endure. I’m certain you understand that well.”
“….”
“I’m not asking you to abandon your pride. I’m asking you to sacrifice a smaller pride for a greater one.”
“….”
“Shouldn’t the guild that our predecessor built be developed further by you, until it becomes the foremost broker in Guizhou?”
“Well, that’s true.”
My Paternal Uncle nodded.
I suppressed a quiet laugh within myself.
What I had done was nothing grandiose. I had merely redirected where my Paternal Uncle’s pride was headed.
From experience, breaking the pride of someone with strong pride is difficult, and whatever result comes from it only breeds backlash in the end.
It’s far better to simply redirect that pride’s direction ever so slightly.
“So starting today, you should personally seek out those merchant guilds and apologize. And give them this.”
With that, I handed over the sealed letters I had prepared in advance.

* * *

Eun Jo-san, the Merchant Guild Leader of the Mi Gwa Trading Company, exhaled a weary sigh from within the carriage.
“What troubles you, sir?”
The man seated before him was the Chief Deputy Manager—someone who had walked beside him for nearly a lifetime.
“The fact that I must apologize… it weighs heavily on me.”
“An apology is not difficult. Though for you, sir, who has never apologized before, it may prove challenging.”
“Are you reproaching me now?”
“If that is how you heard it, then your ears remain quite sharp.”
“What?”
“I advised you to examine their circumstances, yet it was you who refused to listen, sir.”
“Ugh!”
“And so, here we are—forced to offer an apology.”
A brief silence fell between them.
“Truly…”
“Yes, sir?”
“Can Seo-ho truly save our trading company?”
“At this point, we have no choice but to believe he can, do we?”
Eun Jo-san could only sigh, unable to fathom how matters had spiraled to such a state.
At first, I had assumed the Namho Trading Company was simply undercutting our prices.
But before long, more than half our clientele had shifted to them.
Our financial situation grew more dire with each passing day.
We no longer had funds to purchase medicinal herbs, let alone wages to pay our workers.
Thus, I sold off various household effects and dismissed those I could no longer afford to keep.
Those who remained were willing to forgo their wages for the company’s survival.
Truly, they were precious souls.
I felt utterly ashamed before them.
Yet with no sign of improvement, I had no choice but to send a letter to the Eunhae Trading Company, requesting a loan.
Pride prevented me from detailing the full extent of our plight.
But unexpectedly, Eun Jin-ho and Eun Seo-ho arrived, presenting terms I had not anticipated.
They would serve as acting Merchant Guild Leader for half a year.
And they would restore the Mi Gwa Trading Company to prosperity.
Honestly, I could not fathom Seo-ho’s words. He spoke of mutual survival and blood kinship as pretexts, yet surely it was my Uncle who had requested this.
Suddenly, my Uncle’s words came to mind.

“Do you know your pride mirrors your father’s? In truth, regarding talent, your father surpassed me. Yet my father appointed me as Merchant Guild Leader. Do you know why?”
“I do not, sir.”
“Because of pride. His pride was far too strong.”
“Why was that a problem?”
“Moderate pride is virtuous. But excessive pride ultimately wounds oneself. A merchant must know how to bend gracefully. Before that pride destroys you, I wish you would learn to humble it somewhat.”

Those were the words my Uncle had spoken before returning to the Eunhae Trading Company.
And true to his words, I was now suffering the consequences of my pride.
Yet to someone like me, Eun Seo-ho had said something.
Sacrifice small pride for the sake of greater pride.
Thinking it over, it all amounted to the same thing in the end.

It was then that the Chief Deputy Manager spoke.
“Pardon me, Guild Leader. Have you memorized all of it? The apology examples that Seo-ho, the Acting Guild Leader, wrote for you?”
What Eun Jo-san held in his hands was a guide on “how to apologize” that Eun Seo-ho had written.
It was a sheet of paper filled with dialogue examples—if someone said this, respond with that, and so forth.
“If you master just that much, you won’t end up embarrassing yourself when you go to apologize.”
.
.
.
The next day.
Eun Jo-san and his party arrived at the Kim’s Trading Company, the closest one.
“Is anyone here?”
“Who might you be?”
“We’ve come from the Mi Gwa Merchant Guild.”
“Please wait a moment.”
The Gate Keeper called someone to relay the message inside, and shortly after, someone emerged.
It was a deputy manager I’d seen every time we conducted business.
“Our Guild Leader is currently away on business.”
“Then when might he return?”
“Who knows? He’ll come when he feels like coming.”
The meaning behind those words was unmistakable. A refusal to receive visitors.
“Then please excuse us.”
Slam—!
The door shut.
“….”
At that sight, something surged up inside Eun Jo-san.
“Blast it! Am I really supposed to apologize after being insulted like this….”
“Then did you truly expect the Guild Leader to open the door easily after treating you so coldly?”
“….”
“Read what Seo-ho, the Small Merchant Guild Leader—no, the Acting Guild Leader—wrote for you.”
At those words, Eun Jo-san withdrew the paper he’d tucked away and read it.
“…Sigh.”
Then, taking a deep breath, he spoke.
“Lay out a mat in front of the gate.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s written here. Just wait without any particular plan. Especially if it rains—just let the rain fall on you.”

Eun Jo-san met with Kim Merchant Lord four days later.
“So, what exactly do you wish to say?”
Kim Merchant Lord asked Eun Jo-san.
“I apologize.”
“Apologize for what?”
“I should not have acted as I did in the past, yet this cursed pride of mine led me to commit a grave error.”
Eun Jo-san continued.
“I have made two mistakes. First, I failed to properly assess the circumstances of my trading partners. Second, my management of my staff was inadequate.”
“….”
“Therefore, I have come to offer my apologies and, moreover, to provide compensation for that matter.”
Eun Jo-san extended a pouch he had been holding.
“Here is the value of the medicinal materials that contained inferior quality herbs.”
At those words, Kim Merchant Lord opened the pouch in surprise and asked.
“You say your circumstances are difficult, yet you do this?”
“It is true that my circumstances are difficult. However, this is a matter of my pride. I cannot accept payment for inferior medicinal materials.”
“….”
Kim Merchant Lord nodded and brought up the matter he had heard earlier.
“But what do you mean about inadequate staff management?”
“In truth, several of my employees were instigated by Namho Trading Company to mix inferior quality herbs into the medicinal materials.”
“Is that truly the case?”
“It may sound like an excuse, but it is the truth. I only discovered this belatedly, which is why I have come to you.”
“I see… so that is what happened.”
At those words, Kim Merchant Lord felt a pang of regret.
He had not known the truth, yet Eun Jo-san had still come to apologize despite learning of it so late.
The thought that he had turned him away at the gate in the same manner, leaving him to stand in the rain for four days, weighed heavily on his conscience.
At least he himself had not been rained upon.
“I accept your apology. I, too, must apologize.”
“What could you possibly have to apologize for, Merchant Lord? Rather, I am ashamed to be offering my apologies only now.”
He then produced a sealed letter from his pocket.
“What is this?”
“In fact, my cousin’s son has been serving as acting Merchant Lord for some time now. It was he who uncovered the schemes of Namho Trading Company.”
He continued.
“He asked me to give this to you, Merchant Lord.”
Kim Merchant Lord accepted the sealed letter, and Eun Jo-san took his leave from Kim’s Trading Company.
There were still many other places he needed to visit to offer his apologies.

Meanwhile,
the Kim Merchant Lord’s heart was gradually softening.
‘Ah, so that’s how it was.’
The sense of betrayal faded, leaving only pity in its wake.
Then his eyes caught sight of a sealed letter resting upon the wooden table.
“A letter from the Deputy Merchant Guild Leader….”
He opened the seal.
“Huh?”
In that instant, his eyes could only blink in astonishment.

[Mi Gwa Merchant Guild Special Discount: For the next month, we will sell medicinal herbs at forty percent of the original price to the first fifty customers each day.
Present the enclosed privilege voucher and receive them at thirty percent of the original price.]

* * *

Four days had passed since I became Deputy Merchant Guild Leader.
And now the area before the Mi Gwa Merchant Guild was teeming with those gathered to trade medicinal herbs.
“Where are you cutting in line?”
“Hey! Cutting in line?”
“This person is unbelievable!”
And occasionally, the sounds of quarreling could be heard.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the commotion.
The moment I became Deputy Merchant Guild Leader, I drastically reduced medicinal herb prices, but with a limitation.
Every day for a month, first come, first served, fifty customers.
And through the Shop Attendants at the inns, I spread word of this offer far and wide.
As a result, those who had come to Guizhou to purchase medicinal herbs converged on the Mi Gwa Merchant Guild.
After all, it was cheaper than the Namho Trading Company, which sold at fifty percent or less of the original price.
And once the existing merchant guilds, whose hearts had been won over by my paternal uncle’s apology, began trading with the Mi Gwa Merchant Guild, the atmosphere around it became favorable in an instant.
“But I’m concerned about something.”
“What might that be, sir?”
I turned my head to look at Ji-seo Elder Brother standing beside me.
“Selling cheaper than the Namho Trading Company to attract customers is fine, but how long do you plan to sell at this price? After a month, customers will return to the Namho Trading Company.”
“That’s not a concern. I have no intention of stopping after just one month.”
“Huh?”
“Right now, the Namho Trading Company believes we’ll only sell cheaply for a month, so they’ll hold onto hope and endure. But what if, after that month, we announce we’ll continue for another month?”
“I see.”
“What do you think they’ll do then?”
“Huh?”
At those words, Jin-ho Elder Brother beside me looked at me and spoke.
“That’s cruel. You’re planning to completely crush their hope, aren’t you?”
“But they started it first. They refused to participate in price-fixing.”
Ji-seo Elder Brother spoke with concern.
“Then there’s no problem with funds? You’ve spent such a considerable amount of money….”
“We’re still fine for now.”
“But the cost of purchasing medicinal herbs must be substantial….”
However, I had procured the medicinal herbs at prices far cheaper than buying directly from the production areas, and I continued to do so even now.
Because I was sourcing them from Namho Trading Company.
So far less money had been spent than what Ji-seo Elder Brother imagined.
And the quantity of medicinal herbs I had purchased in advance was enough to fill seven estates, so we could easily sustain operations for over three months.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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