The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 77

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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 77

Chapter 77. The Old Man Beneath the Moon (4)

I smiled broadly at her words.
“That’s right. You said Gong Rae would sing for us, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Gong Rae blushed shyly before composing herself, and then she sang with a serious expression on her face.
Wow…
She sang beautifully.
Palgap and the two Guard Warriors were completely captivated by Gong Rae’s song.
However, I had heard that song before in my previous life.
When conducting business for the trading company, I often visited gisaeng houses.
I had once met a courtesan at a gisaeng house in Hunan Province.
Her name was Yinghua.
Yinghua was exceptionally talented and deeply learned, so she primarily entertained the upper classes.
Her greatest skill among all her talents was singing.
She sang so beautifully that even the birds that usually chirped loudly would fall silent when she performed.
One day, I saw Yinghua sitting alone in the courtesan house garden, singing. But her song was different from what I had heard before.
It was simple yet warm.
I asked her about that song.

“I’ve never heard this song before.”
“That would be so. I composed this song myself when I was young.”
“I see.”
“Forgive me. The truth is, today is the day I was sold to the gisaeng house. I was thinking of my parents and my older brother, and I’m afraid I’ve shown myself in an unseemly manner.”
“I understand.”

Moved by sympathy for her, I spoke to her.

“Would you like me to find out news of your parents for you?”

At my suggestion, she shook her head.

“No. If I heard from them, my heart would only become unsettled and hurt more. I’ll simply think of no news as good news.”

That was my last meeting with Yinghua.
Martial artists had clashed with their blades in that place, and she had lost her life caught in the chaos of their struggle.
Yinghua, true to her name, had withered far too quickly.

The song she had sung back then was identical to the one Gong Rae was singing now.
No!
This doesn’t make sense!
Yinghua had said she composed that song herself, hadn’t she?
No, wait.
It does make sense.
There was a reason why Gong Rae had seemed strangely familiar when I first saw her. If she grew up like this, if she wore heavy makeup like that….
The face of that girl Yinghua I knew….
A curse escaped my lips.
Damn it, Jin-gyeon Trading Master. What a despicable bastard.
He worked Gong Mil to death from overwork, and sold Gong Rae to a courtesan house?
The Jin-gyeon Trading Master had already been executed, but I’d let him die far too cleanly.
I was truly grateful that I had managed to turn back time.
In this life, I would make Gong Mil and Gong Rae happy.
.
.
.
The next morning.
I trained with the sword without fail.
“We’ll stop here for today. Starting tomorrow, we’ll move on to new techniques.”
“Ah!”
As my expression brightened, Master let out a soft chuckle.
“You seem pleased.”
“Of course. Learning something new is always a joy, isn’t it?”
Master’s expression had grown noticeably brighter these days compared to before.
At least I could see him smile occasionally now.
“Starting today, my son Hyung-jin will be receiving instruction from the Internal Chief Manager.”
“From the Internal Chief Manager?”
“Actually, Hyung-jin has just begun studying the Analects. I wasn’t sufficiently learned to teach him properly, and the Internal Chief Manager kindly offered to help. He said he wanted to teach Hyung-jin together with a boy named Seok Il-song whom he’s been mentoring.”
“I see.”
“So I accepted his offer.”
“You made the right choice.”
So this was what Yu Chief Manager had wanted to discuss with Master.
But Yu Chief Manager had made that proposal first?
It seemed Seok Il-song had made quite an impression on him.
It was clear he had done this to give Seok Il-song a friend.
“The Internal Chief Manager has passed the civil service examination, so he will be more than adequate as a tutor in classical studies.”
“I am truly grateful for this arrangement.”

* * *

Jin So-mi returned to the Eunhae Trading Company with a trembling heart.
On the day she met Eun Jung-ho’s parents, she had been genuinely terrified—afraid they might annul the marriage.
To her anxious daughter, her father, Jin Jin-hak, the Sect Master of Jin’s Martial Hall, spoke in a warm voice.
“There is no need to worry. They are not the sort to break such a promise.”
“But will they truly accept me as family?”
“If you wish to know, deliberately make a small mistake.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Merchants are a peculiar breed—those to whom they have not opened their hearts receive either unwavering courtesy or cold indifference from beginning to end. If they scold you, you can rest assured. It means they have accepted you as family.”
Following his counsel, she deliberately made a small error.
Eun Jung-ho’s mother gently scolded her while comforting her, and Jin So-mi’s fears were laid to rest.
It meant she had truly been accepted as family.
But today, her heart trembled far more than it had then.
Today, she was to meet the Jegal Family’s Grand Elder.
To her, born and raised in Hubei Province, and especially as the daughter of a martial family, the Jegal Family’s Grand Elder was like a star in the heavens.
“Has she arrived?”
Following the respectfully greeting maidservant, she made her way to the Separate Quarters where the Grand Elder resided.
“Grand Elder, Jin Miss has come.”
“Come in.”
With the Grand Elder’s permission, the door opened, and she entered with careful steps.
“Jin So-mi, daughter of Jin Jin-hak, Sect Master of Jin’s Martial Hall, pays her respects to the Grand Elder of the Jegal Family.”
As she performed the proper courtesy, the Grand Elder nodded in acknowledgment.
“Yes, come sit here.”
“Yes, sir.”
She took the seat the Grand Elder offered.
“Tell me, are the wedding preparations progressing well?”
“Yes. Thanks to the efforts of both families’ parents, everything is proceeding smoothly.”
The Grand Elder, having set a warm and pleasant tone with his light inquiry, spoke to her.
“I am the Grand Elder of the Jegal Family. That means I do not speak falsehoods. Therefore, my promise to become your patron is no empty word.”
He would truly become her patron!
Her heart raced with excitement.
The Grand Elder explained to her the support he could provide.
It seemed like a dream.
“I know not how to express my gratitude.”
“There is no need. Simply continue your diligent efforts as you are now. Ah, and should anyone ask to whom you owe your success, it will be sufficient repayment if you say it is thanks to the Jegal Family.”
“I shall remember your words.”
“By the way, have you thanked Seo-ho, the Small Merchant Guild Leader? He connected you and Eun Jung-ho, so you should express your gratitude for playing the role of matchmaker beneath the moon.”
“Of course. I conveyed my thanks with utmost sincerity.”
“Well done.”
She had concealed her martial prowess until now because her family lacked prominence and influence.
Outstanding martial skill and talent were luxuries for a humble household—they would wither and perish beneath the jealousy of envious rivals.
Fearing this, her father had instructed her to conceal her martial abilities as much as possible.
Even when Eun Jung-ho and Wi Seung-jeo came to blows, she had hesitated.
It was Eun Seo-ho who shattered those chains and set her free.
Eun Jung-ho had confessed his affection for her as well.
He had even purchased a hairpin for her in Beijing, he said.
In truth, she had harbored feelings for Eun Jung-ho for a long time.
It was when she accompanied her father to the Eunhae Trading Company’s banquet.
Lost and bewildered, she had been guided with such kindness by Eun Jung-ho that he captured her heart that very day.
Thanks to Eun Seo-ho, she had drawn her blade with unwavering resolve and crushed Wi Seung-jeo, who had dared mock her with vulgar words.
At first, she had worried about the trouble she had caused.
But that incident had transformed into a blessing.
Eun Jung-ho had proposed to her, and the Jegal Family’s Grand Elder present at the scene had become her patron.
With the Grand Elder’s backing, no one in Hubei Province dared lay a finger on her.
Leaving the Grand Elder’s residence, she suddenly found herself longing to see Eun Seo-ho.
“I wish to visit Small Merchant Guild Leader Eun Seo-ho.”
“I shall guide you.”
Soon she arrived at Eun Seo-ho’s office.

[Hyun Pung Bureau]

She had heard from Eun Jung-ho.
Eun Seo-ho had been entrusted with overseeing a newly established organization called the Hyun Pung Bureau, directly under the Merchant Guild Leader.
Through the wide-open window, Eun Seo-ho came into view.
Anyone would acknowledge him as a strikingly handsome youth.
Of course, her heart belonged only to Eun Jung-ho.
Watching Eun Seo-ho move about busily, Jin So-mi reflected.
If there was anything she could do to aid him, she would do it without hesitation.
And those who stood in his way would have to answer to her blade.

* * *

Clang, clang, clang, clang!
With the loud clash of instruments, the wedding ceremony of Eun Jung-ho and Jin So-mi Miss began.
In that brief span of time, my Small Merchant Guild Leader’s proclamation grounds had transformed into a perfect wedding venue.
Two lions danced to open the path, and Eun Jung-ho in crimson ceremonial robes rode on horseback toward Jin’s Martial Hall.
To bring back the bride.
Traditionally, the wedding would take place at the bride’s residence, but we couldn’t accommodate so many guests there.
So we brought Jin So-mi Miss here and held the ceremony at the Eunhae Trading Company instead.
When Jin So-mi Miss arrived in her sedan chair, the waiting guests erupted in unison.
The noise was deafening, enough to hurt one’s ears, yet I couldn’t stop smiling.
They say the louder the celebration, the happier and more prosperous the couple will be.
In my previous life, Eun Jung-ho’s wedding had been rather modest for a firstborn son’s ceremony.
Circumstances had forced us to scale down the reception.
But not this time.
Truly, countless guests were offering their congratulations.
And Jin So-mi Miss—or rather, my sister-in-law’s guardian, the Jegal Family’s Grand Elder, was also in attendance.
With this, my sister-in-law’s path forward would now be unobstructed.
Both Eun Jung-ho and my sister-in-law had formed their bond without heartache or regret.
Truly, playing the role of matchmaker beneath the moon had been worthwhile.
.
.
.
Night had fallen.
The wedding ceremony, conducted in its prescribed order, finally concluded as darkness enveloped all sides.
From then on, the grand banquet truly began.
Though dark, it mattered not.
Red lanterns illuminated everything brilliantly.
And I had prepared something special for Eun Jung-ho at tonight’s banquet.
“For my elder brother Eun Jung-ho and my sister-in-law’s radiant future, I have prepared a humble performance of song and music.”
I took up the guqin and found my place, while Gong Rae, beautifully dressed, stood beside me.
And I began to play the guqin.
Playing the guqin was one of the fundamental accomplishments, something I had learned since childhood.
Thanks to this, I was able to deliver a rather refined performance.
As I played, Gong Rae began to sing—a song celebrating the bright future of the couple.
As expected, everyone was captivated by Gong Rae’s voice.
Eun Jung-ho and my sister-in-law listened to our performance with expressions of pure joy.
The song ended.
Amid the cheers of all, I presented the item I had brought to the couple.
“What is this?”
“A wedding gift.”
At my words, they opened the box. Inside lay a pair of figurines dressed in wedding attire.
“This is a newly crafted self-playing zither that I created.”
I explained to them how to operate the self-playing zither, and both turned the mechanism simultaneously.
As they did, the figurine slowly rotated while emitting the crystalline notes of an instrument.
“Oh!”
“My!”
“Extraordinary!”
Just as I had been astonished upon first witnessing it, the others were equally captivated.
When I first saw the self-playing zither, I immediately recognized its value.
Thus, I decided to produce it as a commercial product.
Of course, the first self-playing zither was crafted for me by Gong Mil.
To never forget that significance, I decided to number each self-playing zither sequentially.
Therefore, the self-playing zithers I gave to Eun Jung-ho and his bride were numbered one and three respectively.
And I presented them as gifts during this wedding banquet, where so many guests had gathered.
Judging by the crowd’s reaction, the promotion had succeeded admirably.
As the banquet continued, my father’s attendant and my mother’s maidservant approached.
“It is now time for the bride and groom to retire to the bridal chamber.”
At those words, Eun Jung-ho’s and his bride’s faces flushed crimson.
They understood what that meant.
“What are you waiting for? Go on, now.”
At my Elder Brother’s urging, they rose from their seats.
Then someone whispered softly.
“Shall we follow along?”
“We can’t miss such a fine spectacle.”
At that whisper, I let out a quiet laugh.
As if they could sneak a peek.
Just then, my mother’s maidservant asked the bride.
“But what is that you’re holding?”
“Ah, it’s a container with hidden projectiles. The Jegal Family’s Grand Elder taught me how to throw them.”
The bride smiled brightly.
“In case there are any peeping toms during the wedding night, I can use them.”
Truly, she is the perfect match for the gentle and affectionate Eun Jung-ho.
I approached the Wi Clan Martial Hall Master who had attended as a guest.
And I spoke directly.
“Why not entrust your son’s education to an academy that I know well?”
I explained the academy to the Master, and before long, his seal was already impressed upon the enrollment acceptance letter I had presented.
.
.
.
The next day.
Wi Seung-jeo (Small Cooperator) was dragged to the academy by those who had come from it.
Seeing that sight, my heart felt completely refreshed.
Next time, let’s meet as proper human beings.

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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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