The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 20

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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 20

Chapter 20. Recruit the Master Craftsman (3)

I barely suppressed the surge of blood rushing to my head and accepted an introduction to his family.
There were four family members in total.
A father and mother, along with a young boy and a younger sister.
The man with the surname Gong had the name Du-i (斗二), while the siblings were named Gong Mil and Gong Rae.
“When the boy’s mother was pregnant, she dreamed of a jar overflowing with honey, so we named him Gong Mil. Our daughter received her name from the abundance of mugwort flowers she saw—Gong Rae.”
“I see. They are all fine names indeed.”
The siblings’ father was a potter—Gong the Potter, as he was called.
Gong the Potter’s family offered their gratitude to me and my companions, and brought out their cherished tea.
“We shall enjoy it gratefully.”
“Thank you.”
At that moment, my eyes caught sight of the young boy Gong Mil playing in the courtyard with his younger sister.
“Look, look at this!”
“Wow! How amazing! Brother, you’re incredible!”
In the boy’s hands was a toy cart that appeared to be handcrafted.
Yet that cart moved on its own.
I was startled once again.
‘That… that’s an automaton cart?’
Though the form was quite crude, the fundamental mechanism was something I recognized.
A toy that had once swept through the children of wealthy families—the automaton cart.
And he had already created one.
Gong the Potter, noticing my gaze, spoke.
“My boy has always been skilled at crafting such small things.”
“To already be making such things—he truly possesses remarkable dexterity.”
“It is admirable, certainly, but such talent does not earn money. He spends all his time on these creations, which troubles me greatly.”
“What do you mean by that?”
At my question, Gong the Potter looked at me, and I spoke with conviction.
“It will earn money. In fact, I am the son of the Merchant Guild Leader of the Eunhae Trading Company. Therefore, I can assure you—if your son’s creations were sold, they would fetch considerable sums.”
“I am aware of that.”
Gong the Potter smiled bitterly.
“But it is merchants who earn money, not craftsmen who create the goods, is it not?”
…
In that moment, I was left speechless.
“Craftsmen are merely employed. The bear performs the trick while the merchant pockets the profit, as the saying goes.”
…
It wasn’t an unreasonable concern.
“Working as a potter, I’ve witnessed such exploitation countless times. That’s precisely why I cannot bear to see my son subjected to the same fate.”
Gong the Potter’s eyes were brimming with worry for his son as he spoke.
Yet knowing that despite such concern and anxiety, Gong Mil would be ruthlessly exploited until he worked himself to death, my heart grew heavy.
Moreover, if I withdrew now, fate would surely toy with Gong the Potter’s family once more.
I refused to harbor regret again.
After a moment of contemplation, I found a solution and opened my mouth.
“Then, might I offer a proposal?”
“A proposal, you say?”
“What percentage of the profits from selling the pottery you craft do you currently receive as your monthly wage?”
“I cannot say with certainty, but it’s definitely less than ten percent.”
“Then, if I were to provide forty percent of the revenue, would you permit your son to work for our trading company?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Of course, we could negotiate further profit distribution based on future contributions….”
I trailed off, observing Gong the Potter.
Suspicion gleamed in his eyes—doubt about why I would go to such lengths.
I realized that mere pleasant words would not suffice to convince him.
Looking at their living conditions, they were hardly affluent.
Yet sending the child to school must stem from a desire that he not live an exploited life.
That’s precisely why Jingyeon Trading Company would resort to such measures to claim Gong Mil.
I sensed the need to approach this more sincerely.
However, to speak such truths, I needed the guards to be absent.
“Forgive me, but….”
I addressed the guards.
“Could you purchase some snacks for the children?”
They nodded at my request.
“Understood.”
They nodded and departed beyond the main gate. Yet I sensed it through my awareness.
Only one of them had actually moved.
The other remained stationed nearby.
Recognizing the unspoken request to vacate the space, I withdrew, though their duty remained vigilance.
They were preparing for any contingency.
Still, at this distance, they shouldn’t be able to hear our conversation.
“The truth is, I already know of that child’s talents.”
“Pardon?”
“In fact, I saw the child in a dream. That’s why I was startled earlier. I had seen this child in my dream, and now I’m seeing him in reality.”
“….”
“You find it unbelievable, don’t you?”
I continued with a smile.
“I cannot fault your disbelief. There is no evidence, so I cannot even plead for your trust. Haha.”
“….”
“So I came to meet that child. But I was having trouble finding the house where the child actually lives. I only remembered it was a house with a parasol tree, so I was going around this village examining each house with a parasol tree one by one.”
I smiled faintly.
“And then, the thief I caught happened to be targeting Gong the Potter’s pocket. And Gong the Potter led us here.”
“….”
“I believe it’s fate. Don’t you think so?”
“….”
Gong the Potter, who had been silent for a long time, finally opened his mouth heavily.
“So, what exactly happened in your dream that made you go to such lengths?”
He continued speaking.
“I know of the Eunhae Trading Company. It’s quite a large merchant guild that frequently does business with the place where I work. For such a prestigious young master to go to such trouble… I’m curious what happened in your dream.”
“…Someone discovered the child’s talent. But it caught the eye of an unscrupulous merchant guild.”
Gong the Potter looked at me, and I didn’t avoid his gaze.
“That guild kidnapped the child’s parents and used them to coerce the child. From that point on, the child’s life became nothing but exploitation. Shedding tears of blood, forgoing proper sleep and meals, developing new pottery… until finally….”
I continued with a bitter smile.
“Death from overwork.”
“…!”
“In the dream, the child cried out desperately. Begging me to save them and their family.”
“….”
“Is this merely a simple dream? No. When I saw the child’s talent, I realized it was a highly probable future.”
I called it a dream, but it was something that had actually happened.
“Despite being so young, I recognized this talent. Would others truly overlook it?”
“….”
“It’s ironic for someone like me, a member of a merchant guild, to say this, but there are quite a few people who would do anything for money.”
“Then, what about the Eunhae Trading Company that you belong to? Does it also do anything for money?”
I answered his question.
“A merchant guild’s purpose is profit. But still, the Eunhae Trading Company maintains its conscience. The principle of valuing people has been passed down through generations, and I believe in it as well. That’s why I proposed the condition of forty percent of the profits. I thought that much compensation would be necessary to avoid being called a thief.”
“Is that truly all?”
“And there’s also the reason that with such talent, they could certainly earn substantial wealth.”
I said with a smile.
“After all, I’m a merchant too.”
“….”
“Think about it. I plan to return in a day or two, and I’d like you to come with us then.”
“I understand. I’ll think about it.”
Just then, the Guard Warriors returned.
They carried snacks that children would enjoy.
“Here we are.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
I thanked the Guard Warriors and took the snacks to approach the two children.
“Hey kids, do you like honey candy and sweet pastries?”
“Wow! Ice candy!”
“And there’s sweet rice cake too!”
They were children, after all. They delighted in holding the ice candy and sweet rice cake, one in each hand.
Watching the two children, I smiled.
Seeing them like this, the guilt I had carried about failing to save Gong the Potter transformed into something far more subtle and complex.
I couldn’t quite name what this feeling was.
.
.
.
Dusk had fallen.
Geumson Market came alive as lanterns flickered to life, creating a magnificent spectacle.
Leaving Gong the Potter’s home, I surveyed Geumson Market.
Though I had seen it in daylight, the market now illuminated by lanterns presented an entirely different face—far more resplendent.
But I turned away quickly.
“Are you returning to the inn now, sir?”
At Palgap’s question, I shook my head.
“No, there’s somewhere I need to go.”
No matter how much I thought about it, something felt unresolved.

* * *

In a village adjacent to Geumson Village, there stood a merchant guild.
Jingyeon Trading Company.
Though not particularly large, it had earned a respectable reputation in Geumson Market for its dealings in ceramics.
The Guild Leader’s Office.
The expression of the guild leader seated before his desk was far from pleasant.
Before him knelt a man, his head bowed.
“I heard you failed.”
“My sincerest apologies. Unfortunately, it seems a passing stranger caught him.”
“A passing stranger….”
“Yes, because of a gourd bottle dropped by the third son of the Eunhae Trading Company who came for negotiations….”
“Ha!”
“You failed because of that?”
“My deepest apologies. But please, do not worry too much. I have ensured silence will be kept, so there is no risk of our involvement being discovered.”
“Well, that was wise.”
The guild leader nodded in understanding, then tapped the armrest thoughtfully as he asked.
“But did you find out why that youngest son of the Eunhae Trading Company came all the way here?”
“Well… I actually had him followed all day, but apparently he only ate and toured the neighborhood.”
“Hmm… Perhaps he was simply gaining experience in commerce?”
“That seems likely. He’s only fifteen years old, after all.”
“I heard he stopped by Gong the Potter’s house?”
“Apparently, Gong the Potter couldn’t just let him go, so he served him tea.”
“I see. In any case, there must be no failure next time.”
“Of course. You need not worry. I will absolutely make Gong the Potter sign a self-sale contract.”
A self-sale contract.
That is, a contract to sell oneself into servitude.
“The fool doesn’t even appreciate the kindness of being given work all this time, yet dares to try switching to another merchant guild. There’s nothing pitiable about him. Hahahaha.”

* * *

Dawn broke.
“Have you awakened?”
“Yes. I’ll practice my breathing exercises, so stand guard for me.”
“Understood.”
After completing my breathing exercises, my mind felt somewhat clearer.
Perhaps because the Shadowy Ice Divine Art accumulates yin energy within the body, my head felt refreshed after the breathing practice.
Because of this, I scarcely perspired at all.
“I’ve brought water for washing, sir.”
“Thank you.”
I washed my face with the water Palgap brought, dressed properly, and descended to the first floor.
I needed to have breakfast.
When I arrived, Master and Jung Chung were already seated at the dining table in conversation.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I slept soundly.”
After exchanging brief morning greetings, I took my seat at the table. Soon, the Merchant Guild members began arriving one by one, offering their respects before sitting down.
“What is today’s schedule?”
Ji Myeong-cheon, an officer of Sang-yu Hall, answered my question.
“Today at the Hour of the Snake, we plan to go to the empty ground beside Geumson Market to conduct a trade transaction. We have exchanged correspondence with the opposing merchant guild to meet there.”
Jung Chung continued.
“And we’re thinking of departing early the day after tomorrow. The Guild Leader said there are some matters of the guild to attend to.”
At those words, the two officers of Sang-yu Hall nodded.
“I see.”
Im Gyeong-bin, an officer of Jae-gyeong Pavilion, spoke from beside me.
“Young Master, you need not burden yourself. Simply record the transaction today as you learned, and that will suffice.”
“Since there may be mistakes, please examine it carefully.”
“Do not worry. I will also examine it thoroughly.”
After finishing the meal, I returned to my guest room.
And from the window of my room, I gazed out at Geumson Village.
Since I could not know whether Gong the Potter would accept my proposal, I felt somewhat uncertain.
Of course, the child’s own wishes were most important, but he was still not of age.
I needed my parents’ permission before proceeding with the matter.

Shortly after, our group headed toward the empty ground beside Geumson Market, bringing bolts of silk loaded onto carts.
That open ground had been created for large-scale transactions.
I had visited a few times before, and it remained unchanged from then until now.
After we arrived and waited for about an hour, a group of people appeared in the distance, pulling carts toward us.

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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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