The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 26

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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 26

Chapter 26. More Than Expected (3)

The one who entered was Jeok Byeong-chul, the Gak-ju of Sefung Division.
“Jeok Gak-ju, you’ve arrived?”
“Young Master came first, I see. But where is Yu Chief Manager?”
“Ah! He said he had something urgent to attend to, so he went ahead first. He should be here soon.”
“I see.”
Eun-wol Pavilion was the conference hall where the Merchant Guild discussed various matters both great and small.
In truth, I had not yet formally obtained the position of Sub-Guild Leader, so I could not attend meetings unless there was something exceptional.
But today, I had the right to be here.
Today’s meeting concerned the commercialization of wooden puppets, and I was the employer of Gong Mil, the only one who could create them.
“Please, be seated.”
“Yes.”
I took my seat, and silence settled over the room.
That awkward silence was broken when Jeok Gak-ju called out to me.
“Young Master.”
“Yes?”
“There’s something I couldn’t ask before. Would it be all right if I asked you one thing?”
I nodded at his question.
“Of course. Please, go ahead.”
“I know that you’ve made a contract with the Craftsman of Wooden Puppets as his employer. Why did you do it that way?”
I had glossed over it before, but it seemed Jeok Gak-ju was indeed curious about that.
“Is there something wrong with doing it that way?”
“That’s not it, but… I was curious. Normally contracts are made under the Guild’s name, so I wondered why you made it personally instead.”
I met Jeok Gak-ju’s gaze.
Jeok Gak-ju was a pillar of our Merchant Guild, having quietly carried out his duties for all these years.
Yet in truth, he was the one I feared most in my position.
His insight was among the finest in our entire Guild.
To such a man, excuses like “I made the contract first so someone else wouldn’t take him” would never suffice.
He was a man who had devoted his entire life to our Merchant Guild.
Because of that, I decided to show him my true heart.
“Jeok Gak-ju. Let me ask you something. Whose money is the Eunhae Trading Company’s wealth?”
“Well…”
Jeok Gak-ju, about to answer, fell momentarily silent.
It was only natural.
The answer to whose money the Eunhae Trading Company’s wealth was turned out to be far more ambiguous than one might think.
The Eunhae Trading Company’s master is my father, and our family has owned the Eunhae Trading Company for generations, but that doesn’t mean the company’s wealth belongs entirely to him.
I continued.
“But there is one thing I’m certain of. And that is that I have no money of my own.”
“My, you’re quite the ambitious young master, aren’t you?”
Jeok Gak-ju understood what I meant.
“So you intend to continue doing so in the future?”
In other words, he was asking whether I planned to keep pursuing personal gain like this.
“Yes, I do.”
“I see. But tell me—why go to such lengths? Surely you don’t lack for spending money, young master….”
Jeok Gak-ju was right.
I received a generous monthly allowance.
“It’s for the Eunhae Trading Company.”
I smiled broadly.
“I intend to make the Eunhae Trading Company the greatest merchant guild in The Realm.”
At my words, Jeok Gak-ju paused for a moment, then laughed heartily.
“What a grand ambition that is.”
“Of course, there is still much to accomplish. Does that answer your question?”
“It does, sufficiently.”
Jeok Gak-ju continued.
“In return for answering this old man’s difficult question, I too shall answer one question of yours at a later time.”
“…!”
I was genuinely startled by those words.
What astonished me was that the “answer to one question” Jeok Gak-ju had promised was no trivial matter.
He is the head of all employees in the Eunhae Trading Company.
For such a man to offer to answer my question was no light compensation.
Understanding the weight of his words, I quickly bowed.
“I accept with gratitude.”
At my greeting, Jeok Gak-ju nodded.

Soon, my Father and other important figures entered the Eun-wol Pavilion, and the meeting began.
My Father had just returned from the Provincial Capital of Hubei Province.
He had met with Pojeongsa and come back.
Thanks to the wooden puppet, Magistrate Po’s Wife had become the center of attention at the gathering.
Pojeongsa was able to save face with his wife.
Song Jang-ju had managed to win over Pojeongsa’s favor by presenting the wooden puppet.
Of course, the overlooked lands still needed to be corrected.
But we would no longer face the decline that had threatened to reduce our estate to nothing but a name.
Moreover, we had secured better terms for trading grain with Song Jang-ju.
And we would reap substantial profits from selling the wooden puppets.
It was a favorable outcome for everyone.
Everyone except Jingyeon Trading Company.
Pojeongsa had expressed his desire to meet my Father, and my Father had just returned from the Provincial Capital.
From my Father’s expression, I could tell that matters were progressing well.
“First, the trip to the Provincial Capital went smoothly. Magistrate Po has agreed to cooperate with our trading company.”
In other words, we had secured Pojeongsa as our backer, and everyone’s faces brightened.
“He asked whether we could present ten wooden puppets as gifts by the end of this month. Can we manage that?”
At my Father’s question, I nodded.
“Yes, it’s possible. It seems you’re planning to give them as Spring Festival gifts.”
“Exactly. And we plan to showcase the wooden puppets over a period of about two months. The rumors need time to spread properly. Can we manage that as well?”
That was entirely feasible.
Of course, I had no intention of overworking Gong Mil. The reason it was possible was that I planned to apply methods I had devised in my previous life.
At my Father’s question, I nodded.
“It’s possible if certain conditions are met.”
“Conditions?”
“First, I don’t intend to entrust all the puppet-making to Gong Mil.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“To be honest, if we only consider the craftsmanship of puppet-making, there are many artisans more skilled than Gong Mil.”
Everyone nodded at my words.
There were craftsmen who could create exquisitely lifelike puppets, and there were artisans with excellent taste who could sew and dress the puppets beautifully.
“Receiving help from such craftsmen would be the way to make the wooden puppets even more beautiful and produce them faster.”
At my words, Yeon Gak-ju nodded.
“That certainly makes sense.”
Then Yu Chief Manager raised an objection.
“But wouldn’t that risk the manufacturing technique of the wooden puppets being leaked?”
The others nodded at his concern.
“Previously, you said replication was impossible. But applying the method you just described would be no different from revealing the manufacturing technique.”
“You may think that way. But I can confidently say that replication is still impossible.”
I continued.
“Because the core of the wooden puppet is the method of moving the gears, and only Gong Mil knows how to manufacture the components used for that. Even I cannot understand it just by looking.”
That was precisely why the wooden puppets could not be replicated.
“That’s why I believe it’s fine to entrust the external appearance of the wooden puppets to other craftsmen while Gong Mil focuses solely on the essence.”
Father nodded at my words.
“If you, as Gong Mil’s employer, say so, then it must be true. What support do you need from me?”
“We need a workshop and the materials necessary for puppet crafting.”
“Understood.”
In my previous life, the greatest reason Gong Mil died from overwork was that he had undertaken all aspects of puppet creation himself.
Gong Mil is now only ten years old.
Though skilled, he is still a child, and I had no desire to burden him with excessive work.
He deserves to play more at this age.
He should be playing at this age.
“Then let us now discuss the sale of these puppets. First, where would you like to sell them?”
“What about a bangmul shop? After all, those who primarily purchase puppets are the women who visit such establishments.”
“A shop that sells crafted goods might also work well.”
“A pomok shop could also be suitable.”
Various opinions emerged, but the answer I sought had not yet come.
“Father, may I offer my thoughts as well?”
“You have my permission.”
At Father’s response, I gathered my thoughts before speaking.
“Father, and honored Gak-ju, there is one thing you are overlooking. It is that products like these wooden puppets are not merely one item.”
“Not merely one?”
“Could it be… there is something else?”
I smiled knowingly.
“What I will offer remains a secret, but yes. Therefore, I humbly request to open a separate shop.”
At my words, Father pondered for a moment before nodding.
“If such exquisite items like wooden puppets are not merely one or two, then opening a shop is indeed justified. However, the cost of opening a shop is no trivial sum.”
“I understand. But this is also for the benefit of the company. If these puppets, which Po Jeong Sa Dae-in endorses, are handled in another shop alongside other goods rather than in an independent establishment, would that not offend him?”
“Ah!”
At my words, everyone’s expressions suddenly showed understanding.
“Had it not been for the young master, we would have made a grave mistake.”
For those in positions of authority, what matters is honor and power, but equally important is face.
A Pojeongsa governs an entire province.
If one fears future complications, one must avoid damaging the Pojeongsa’s dignity.
And the more powerful one is, the more likely they are to be petty over trivial matters.
Of course, not all are like this, but there is no harm in being cautious.
“Then, as you say, even if it is small, we must open a separate shop.”
“Understood. I will prepare to open a separate shop.”
“And how many of these wooden puppets are you planning to produce?”
“The more, the better, would it not?”
At those words, I spoke with resolve.
“No, Father. We must produce exactly one thousand wooden puppets—no more.”
“What? One thousand?”
“Yes.”
“You fool! Do you truly believe we can turn a profit selling merely one thousand?”
“Please hear me out completely, Father.”
My composed demeanor seemed to settle his emotions.
“Very well. I’m listening. Continue.”
“Father, why are pearls and jade so expensive? They are merely fragments of shells and green stones, yet—”
“Because many desire them, yet their supply is limited… Ah!”
Father’s eyes widened.
Not only Father, but everyone gathered in the Eun-wol Pavilion seemed to grasp my meaning, their eyes growing wide as they fixed their gaze upon me.
“Precisely, Father. Rarity.”
I smiled knowingly.
“I wish to imbue the wooden puppets with rarity through limited-edition sales. The world is full of wealthy individuals who wish to distinguish themselves through possessing rare and exclusive goods.”
Yet in my previous life, Jingyeon Trading Company never conceived of such a strategy. They focused solely on mass production and mass sales.
At that time, each wooden puppet sold for half a silver tael.
Thus, people could acquire the figurines with ease.
Half a silver tael was a sum even common folk could accumulate by saving for merely two or three months.
Consequently, the wooden puppets’ popularity faded rapidly.
People grew weary of them quickly.
Therefore, Gong Mil was forced to ceaselessly create new designs.
Witnessing this, I felt profound pity.
I pitied Gong Mil’s exploitation, and equally lamented how such exquisite craftsmanship was squandered in fleeting trends.
Had I been in their position, I would have leveraged the wooden puppets far more strategically, reaping considerably greater profits.
At my words, Yeon Gak-ju let out a soft laugh.
“Your words ring true, Young Master. This world is indeed brimming with individuals drowning in excess wealth. But at what price should we sell the wooden puppets?”
Father and I answered simultaneously.
“Ten silver taels.”
“…!”
Father and I exchanged glances and smiled.
“For those driven by vanity, nothing speaks louder than a steep price.”
“Precisely.”
Then Go External Chief Manager spoke.
“Still, it seems a shame. These are remarkably well-crafted figurines, yet we must conclude this venture after a single season.”
At his words, I smiled faintly, and Father, noticing this, narrowed his eyes.
“You rascal, you’ve got something else up your sleeve!”
“Indeed, Father.”
“Out with it! Speak now.”
Urged by Father’s impatience, I unveiled my plan.
“Following what I mentioned about introducing another product, I intend to weave a narrative around these wooden puppets.”
“A story?”
“Yes. So we’d be crafting puppets that contain the tale of Heo Seon and White Snake Demon Baek So-jung, or puppets that embody the story of Yang San-baek and Chuk Young.”
“I see….”
“Then, would someone who purchased a puppet containing the tale of Heo Seon and Baek So-jung truly be satisfied with just that one?”

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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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