The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 408

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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 Eun Hae Trading Company Chapter 408

Chapter 408. The Harvest I Had Awaited (3)

Soon, an urgent voice rang out.
“Come to your senses! Baek Wol!”
“Baek Wol!”
Turning my head, I saw someone collapsed on the ground with people gathering around them.
I rushed over to them and asked urgently.
“What has happened?”
“Baek Wol suddenly collapsed.”
Looking down at the ground, I saw a young woman lying there, her face ashen as if her breath might leave her at any moment.
“We must take her to a physician at once.”
At my words, Palgap immediately lifted her onto his back.
“Where is the nearest physician in this area?”
The Shop Attendant who had served us stepped forward and guided us.
“Please follow me.”
We hurried after the Shop Attendant to the physician’s residence. However, the physician was farther away than I expected.
I could have sworn I saw a couple of physician’s flags on the way here.
“Is the physician really this far away?”
“…The other physicians do not treat courtesans.”
“Why is that?”
But he gave no answer to my question, and soon we arrived at a physician’s residence.
“We have a patient!”
At the Shop Attendant’s call, a woman rushed out from inside. Upon seeing Baek Wol, the courtesan carried on Palgap’s back, she spoke urgently.
“Lay her down here!”
Palgap laid her on the medical bed, and the physician took her pulse.
“It’s acute indigestion.”
As I suspected…
I had thought her vital energy was not circulating properly through her body, and now there was a reason for it.
The physician brought needles and administered acupuncture to Baek Wol’s body. Then, after helping her to sit up, she struck her back forcefully.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
After striking her back several times, something flew from Baek Wol’s mouth.
Hm? This is…
“Rice cake?”
“Yes, it is rice cake.”
Palgap answered my murmur.
Meanwhile, color returned to Baek Wol’s complexion, and she turned her head away in embarrassment.
The Physician shook his head and spoke.
“She swallowed without chewing properly, and the food lodged in her throat, blocking her vital energy channels.”
At this, everyone turned to look at Baek Wol, who spoke in a small voice.
“I was so hungry… and when the table was being cleared, the leftover food looked so delicious….”
So in other words… she’d gotten indigestion from wolfing down the leftovers because she was starving?
I asked the Shop Attendant.
“Is the situation at the Gisaeng House truly so dire? Are the courtesans unable to eat properly?”
The Shop Attendant hesitated, and the Physician stepped forward to answer.
“Cheongpa-ru is relatively better off. While not abundant, they provide two meals daily.”
Baek Wol spoke in a trembling voice.
“Our Luzu has done nothing wrong. It’s my own gluttony that caused this. Luzu is such a kind person.”
“Indeed, in other places the courtesans must pay for their own meals, but Cheongpa-ru provides them freely—truly a good establishment.”
The Physician continued speaking.
“In any case, today’s consultation fee….”
“Um, could today’s fee be put on credit? There haven’t been any customers lately… so….”
Baek Wol’s expression was desperate, while the Physician looked troubled.
I exhaled slowly and asked.
“How much is it?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll cover the consultation fee. Please rest for a moment. And Physician, come with me for a moment.”
I led the Physician to a corner.
“What is it?”
I asked directly.
“How many physicians are there in this place?”
“More than ten, I’d say.”
“From Cheongpa-ru to here, I saw several establishments with physicians’ flags. Yet the Shop Attendant ignored them all and came here. The other physicians don’t treat courtesans, do they?”
She nodded readily.
“That’s right.”
“Is there a reason?”
“A reason… yes, there is.”
She smiled bitterly and continued.
“They say they cannot treat lowborn courtesans who sell their bodies for a living. They claim the taint is contagious.”
Was it the same with physicians elsewhere?
“I cannot speak for other places, but this one has an unusually strong tendency toward such prejudice. Perhaps because there are so many taverns, there are many courtesans.”
….
“That’s why even minor illnesses often become fatal. Like my mother.”
She said no more, but it was clear this Physician had studied medicine because of that incident and become a physician as a result.
“It is a tragic matter.”
I said this and produced a gold coin from my pocket.
“This is the treatment fee.”
Upon seeing this, her eyes widened in alarm and she waved her hands frantically.
“What? That’s far too much!”
Yes, even I could see it was excessive.
The reason I was doing this was because I was irritated—no, deeply frustrated.
Frustrated with physicians who refused to treat Courtesans as though they were beneath contempt, and with the Courtesans themselves for accepting this resignation without protest.
Were Courtesans not human?
They too possessed precious lives; they too could marvel at beauty; they too could shed tears upon witnessing another’s suffering.
Yet when these men needed them, they were quick to keep them close and share drinks, but when the Courtesans needed help, they pretended not to see them.
Ah, I had grown too heated.
I steadied myself and spoke.
“From what I understand, the other Courtesans also lack the means to receive proper treatment. So when Courtesans come, please use this money to treat them.”
“…You are a generous person.”
“Please spare me such praise. It is merely a whim.”

* * *

Cheongpa-ru.
Luzu, the proprietor of that tavern, gazed at the spot where Eun Seo-ho had just stood.
He had expressed his intention to acquire this tavern.
In doing so, he had said the tavern pleased him, and that she pleased him as well.
Upon hearing this, she felt an instinctive revulsion.
Over the years, many men had schemed to possess her.
Though Eun Seo-ho was called Seon Hyeop Mi-rang, a celebrated hero, she did not let that name lower her guard.
Even men called heroes gazed upon her with eyes brimming with lust.
But…Eun Seo-ho was different.
His eyes held not a trace of desire—he regarded her solely as a business partner.
“Sigh…”
She exhaled slowly.
In truth, Cheongpa-ru’s circumstances were far from favorable.
She had been saving diligently and cutting expenses to survive until now, but she was nearing her limit.
She rose from her seat and retrieved a letter from a wall cabinet.

[If you become our branch and serve as our eyes and ears, I will ensure Cheongpa-ru’s prosperity never falters. So return to us.]

Qingpa exhaled a long sigh.
Though the sender’s name wasn’t written, I knew who it was.
The Hao Organization.
An information network composed primarily of courtesans and shop attendants.
In other words, it was a proposal for me to become a branch of the Hao Organization.
But the proposal didn’t sit well with me.
I wanted no faction to interfere with my tavern.
The Hao Organization had long coveted me, rumored as the most beautiful woman in Hangzhou, and my Cheongpa Tavern, but until now I had been financially secure enough to refuse their advances.
‘How did I ever escape that place!’
The truth was, I had originated from the Hao Organization.
But when I established this Cheongpa Tavern, I left them.
After that, I operated the tavern happily, but then a sudden famine struck, and a liquor prohibition was issued.
With no end in sight to these calamities, the situation had become nearly unbearable.
I was on the verge of tearfully accepting the Hao Organization’s proposal when a man named Eun Seo-ho appeared.
“Luzu.”
Just then, the Shop Attendant’s voice came from outside.
“Come in.”
I quickly put away the letter and said so.
The door opened and the Shop Attendant entered.
A man who had been with me since I first established this Cheongpa Tavern.
“I heard Baek Wol suddenly collapsed.”
“Yes. So I took her to Jami Physician, and she was treated successfully.”
“That’s fortunate. Then she’s well now?”
“Yes.”
“You must be worried about the medical fees. Surely it was done on credit, and with this money….”
But the Shop Attendant shook his head.
“There’s no need for concern. The Small Merchant Leader Eun Seo-ho, who visited earlier, paid it on her behalf.”
“Small Merchant Leader Eun paid for it?”
“Yes.”
The Shop Attendant nodded.
“And Jami Physician mentioned earlier that Small Merchant Leader Eun gave gold coins and asked that they be used for the medical treatment of the other courtesans.”
“He’s quite a remarkable man.”
There was nothing else to say but that he was remarkable.
Until now, no man had ever spent money for the courtesans’ sake—only to satisfy his own desires.
“By the way, why did Baek Wol collapse?”
“Well….”
The Shop Attendant answered with his head bowed low.
“When she was serving a guest, she was so hungry that she swallowed a rice cake without chewing it. That’s why she suffered acute indigestion….”
“….”
At this, I bit my lip.
Normally, when the guest’s table is cleared, any remaining food belongs to the Shop Attendant or the kitchen staff.
However, the Gisaeng had broken that rule out of hunger.
“The meals provided to the Courtesans have been rather meager, haven’t they?”
“Even so, the Courtesans are grateful simply to receive meals without cost.”
After all, in other establishments they must pay for their own food.
Qingpa recalled Eun Seo-ho’s gaze once more and asked the Shop Attendant.
“Do you know where Eun Seo-ho, the Small Guild Master, is staying?”
“Most likely at the Yangyang Martial School.”
“Send word for me. Tell him I wish to meet.”

* * *

I was spending my time at the Yangyang Martial School.
I was merely playing with the children, yet the school’s caretakers were delighted by it.
Well, the children enjoyed it too.
Once they move to a new location, the children will be even happier.
The tavern built where the Yangyang Martial School once stood was called Gahorou.
And I planned to return Gahorou to the Yangyang Martial School’s care much later.
Once I begin acquiring the taverns, the people around West Lake will gain hope.
Hope that they won’t starve, or that they might earn coin.
And since Gahorou is also a tavern, its owner, Manor Lord Sung Jun, will hold onto that hope and wait for when his turn might come.
That is what I am counting on.
But until the very end, that hope will never reach Manor Lord Sung Jun.
Isn’t that too cruel?
For one so ungrateful, even this is mercy.
Even the late Manor Lord Sung Ji-myung would understand this.
When would word arrive from Cheongpa Tavern?
I hoped for a swift answer—whether she accepted my proposal or refused it.
It was then.
One of the Disciple Attendants at the Yangyang Martial School approached me and handed over a letter.
“The person from Cheongpa Tavern asked me to deliver this to you, Small Guild Master.”
I received the letter, read it, and smiled.
The moment of decision had finally arrived.
.
.
.
Shortly after.
I headed toward Cheongpa Tavern.
The Shop Attendant who had greeted me yesterday welcomed me once again.
“Welcome. We have been expecting you. Please, this way.”
I followed him to Luzu’s room located on the third floor.
The warrior standing before the door announced my arrival the moment he saw me.
“Luzu, Eun Seo-ho, Small Merchant Leader of the Eun Hae Trading Company, has arrived.”
“Please, invite him in.”
Creak.
The door opened and I stepped inside.
She remained as beautiful as ever.
I’d heard yesterday that she was well past thirty, but was that connected to her martial training? There were martial arts that could slow or prevent aging, or so I’d been told.
Perhaps that explained her youthful appearance.
“Luzu, I am Eun Seo-ho of the Eun Hae Trading Company. Thank you for this invitation.”
“Please, sit.”
“Of course.”
As I took my seat before Luzu, she personally brewed tea and poured it for me.
Every gesture and movement she made was remarkably elegant and fluid.
While training certainly played a role, there was something innate about her grace that transcended mere discipline.
I found myself understanding why she bore the title of Hangzhou’s First Beauty—it was the culmination of all these qualities.
“Please, enjoy.”
“Thank you. I shall savor it.”
I brought the cup to my lips.
Hmm? This fragrance… Could it be Dragon Well tea?
The fact that she was serving such an expensive tea suggested today’s discussion might yield promising results.
Click.
As I set down the cup, she spoke first.
“I invited you today to discuss the matter we spoke of previously.”
“Yes.”
“So, what value do you place on this tavern?”
“I am thinking of one thousand silver taels.”
She paused in thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Very well. And the condition you mentioned before—that I would manage this tavern’s operations—is that still valid?”
“Of course. In fact, I would very much like to request it.”
“Could you offer me a lifetime contract?”
“Absolutely. Since you built this tavern from the ground up, I’m certain you have deep affection for it.”
She nodded at my words.
“I will have minimal involvement in the tavern’s operations. From what I’ve observed of how you’ve managed it thus far, my active involvement would only hinder things. However, I do ask for thorough reports.”
“Agreed. Then I shall transfer this tavern to you for one thousand silver taels.”
At those words, I could not help but exult inwardly.

With the contract finalized, I immediately settled the payment on the spot with ten promissory notes worth one hundred silver taels each.
After transferring an additional five hundred silver taels for operational expenses, I went to meet Wi Jun-deok Shop Owner.
“Welcome.”
Wi Shop Owner greeted me, and I informed him that I had acquired Cheongpa-ru.
“Truly impressive.”
He marveled at the news.
“So then, which tavern has the best prospects next?”
.
.
.
After hearing from Wi Jun-deok Shop Owner about the circumstances of the next tavern, I returned to Yangyang Martial School.
Night had fully fallen.
As I was about to wash and rest, Palgap came rushing in urgently.
“Young Master! Young Master! This is not the time for that!”

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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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