More Than Expected (4)
In my experience, that's never the case.
People have this urge to collect things, whether they're rich or poor.
And the obsession of the rich with collecting often exceeds imagination.
"In other words, there are an incredible number of ways to make use of this Self-Dancing Doll."
Even just the ideas popping into my head right now number in the dozens.
Chief Manager Yoo, who had been clicking his abacus, spoke.
"If done right, this could be quite a profitable source of income for the Merchant Group."
"Exactly. And it should become one too."
Pavilion Master Yeon smiled as he said this.
"To think you came up with such an idea—our Eunhae Merchant Group certainly has a bright future."
He looked at me with sparkling eyes, and for some reason, that gaze felt slightly burdensome.
I deliberately avoided his gaze and spoke.
"Uh, Father."
"What now?"
"The craftsman who'll make the clothes for the doll—can I look for them myself?"
"…?"
I continued, looking at my father, who gave a questioning look.
"I once briefly saw a craftsman who made very stylish and well-matched clothes."
Perhaps the things I'd said so far had built trust, because my father readily gave his permission.
"And as for the craftsman who can make the dolls, Father, please find one yourself."
***
After Eun Seoho left the room.
Those who remained in Eunwol Pavilion thought back on how confidently he had voiced his opinions and expressed admiration.
"Indeed, Young Master Seoho was born with a talent for commerce. He's only fifteen, and yet he already thinks like that."
"I sensed it during the secret agreement with Hideout Leader Jang last time as well—he's no ordinary boy."
"To have such a son, the Merchant Lord must be very pleased."
At those words, Eun Gil-Sang laughed heartily.
"He's more impressive than I expected."
He continued.
"Truthfully, I was surprised as well. I didn't expect the youngest to be thinking along those lines."
"If it hadn't been for the Young Master, we could've been in trouble. We almost ended up upsetting the Chief Inspector."
At Chief of External Affairs Go's words, everyone nodded. At that moment, Pavilion Master Jeok, who had been silent, spoke.
"A thought suddenly occurred to me."
With all eyes on him, Pavilion Master Jeok continued.
"I'd like to see just how far Young Master Seoho can go. And personally, I hope that destination is the world's number one Merchant Group."
***
It was evening.
After another full day of work at the Finance Pavilion, I headed out to the market as soon as I got off, taking Palgap and two personal guards with me.
Just as I had received permission from Father today, I was going to look for a craftsman who could make stylish and well-matched clothes.
In my previous life, there were people who helped make the Eunhae Fabric Store the number one fabric store in all of Hubei.
There was the Bamboo Grove Weaver Girl, who supplied high-quality silk.
And the woman who made quite exquisite clothes out of that silk.
Her needlework was among the best in the entire world, to the point that she earned the nickname Heavenly Seamstress.
I'm on my way to meet her now.
Perhaps because it's winter, the days are short, and the market street was already dark.
One by one, the surrounding lanterns began to light up.
"Young Master, where exactly are we going?"
"I've got business in the shopping district."
"Ah, I see."
Palgap nodded and turned his steps southward.
I tilted my head and asked him,
"Palgap, where are you going?"
"Huh? Didn't you say we were going to the shopping district…? Aren't we heading to South Street?"
"Mm. No."
The shopping district at the heart of Sungyang District is roughly divided into East Street, West Street, and South Street.
East Street has relatively cheap shops.
West Street is filled with entertainment establishments, like the Courtesan Houses and the Red Courtesan House.
South Street is where the high-end shops are.
There's also North Street, but since that's where the district office is, there are almost no shops.
I told Palgap,
"We're going over there, to East Street."
Palgap looked puzzled, but soon followed my words and led the way toward East Street, and before long we arrived at a fabric store.
Compared to the Eunhae Fabric Store I used to manage, it was quite a small shop.
"Welcome."
The shop owner greeted me.
Of course, he didn't recognize my face.
It's not like I go around with a sign saying I'm the son of the Eunhae Merchant Group's Lord, and there was never a reason for me to come to a place like this.
"Is there something you're looking for?"
The owner glanced at my attire and cautiously continued,
"I apologize, but this is a small shop, so I fear we might not have anything that would meet your standards, Young Master."
The shopkeeper looked worried, perhaps afraid I might cause trouble.
Indeed, people of high status rarely visit places like this.
Somehow, it felt like I was being a bad person just by being here, but it couldn't be helped.
There was a reason I had to come to this place.
I looked around the shop.
Sure enough, the fabrics here were of low quality.
I don't mean to belittle this place.
It's just an unavoidable reality.
Shops in East Street almost never stock expensive, high-quality fabric.
If one wanted fancy fabric, they'd go to South Street, not here.
So they stock the goods that customers with tighter wallets might want.
Ah! There it is!
Soon, I found what I was looking for.
Several garments are hanging inside the shop.
Fabric shops don't just sell materials. They also provide tailoring services.
They act as intermediaries for seamstresses who do piecework.
The clothes hanging nearby are samples showcasing those women's handiwork.
This is exactly why I came here.
The woman once called the Heavenly Seamstress used to do piecework here, through one of the shop's intermediaries.
I pointed to one of the outfits and said,
"That garment looks quite good."
"Yes, you've got a good eye. It's made by a woman renowned in the area for her skills."
"I see. I'd like to commission a garment for my mother. Can you arrange it?"
"O-of course, we can. Please wait a moment."
The shopkeeper sent someone to fetch her, while I looked at the garment and thought back to my previous life.
One day, while I was managing the Eunhae Fabric Store, I had gone out briefly on an errand and got caught in an unexpected shower.
With no other choice, I took shelter under the eaves of a nearby fabric shop.
Before I could stop him, Palgap ran off to get the carriage.
While waiting in the rain, I spotted a piece of clothing at the fabric store and was captivated.
The needlework was simply outstanding.
At the time, I was agonizing over what to make and sell with the pile of fine silk we had, so her craftsmanship naturally caught my attention.
As soon as I met her through the fabric shop owner, I proposed that she join the Merchant Group.
She looked at me with desperate eyes and replied,
"I need money. If you give me enough of it, I'll gladly become part of your Merchant Group."
I paid her a large sum and signed a contract with her, and she did not disappoint me.
Her true talent wasn't in sewing.
It was in her ability to properly match fabric colors and create clothes that looked elegant and well-fitted to the wearer's body—that was her real gift.
She was obsessed with money, but at the same time, she was frugal.
Curious about why she was so fixated on money, I secretly instructed Palgap to investigate, and soon I learned the reason.
She had a sick husband, and the cost of caring for him was astronomical.
I carefully brought up her family situation, and she told me about her husband's illness.
His illness, as I heard it, was no ordinary one.
He had been struck by Blood-Rot Palm from a dark sect martial artist, and his internal organs were rotting away.
Fortunately, the Black Trace Immortal Physician, who had cured my illness, was still staying with our Merchant Group at the time.
So I asked him to take a look.
But after checking her husband's pulse, the Black Trace Immortal Physician shook his head heavily.
"It's already too late. The evil qi has reached his marrow. The fact that he's alive right now is a miracle. He probably won't last more than a month. If he had taken proper medicine five, no—six years ago, he might have been cured."
Just as he said, two weeks later, her husband passed away.
There were several reasons I came here to meet her now.
The main reason is that the Self-Dancing Doll needs to be decorated beautifully.
Since it's an expensive doll, it needs to have aesthetic appeal.
Also, thanks to her help in my past life, the Eunhae Fabric Store became the best fabric store in all of Hubei.
And… there was another reason, but…
Anyway, now it's my turn to help her.
A short while later,
A young woman entered the shop.
She was just as I remembered—frail and thin.
"Um, I heard someone wanted a garment made?"
At her words, the fabric shop owner spoke.
"That customer over there is looking for you."
She cautiously approached me.
"Did you make this garment?"
"Yes, I did."
"Your sewing is to my liking. I'd like to commission a garment for my mother. Would that be possible?"
"Of course."
"Then please come with me."
At my words, she followed me without much suspicion. After all, one needs to take measurements to make clothes.
After a short while,
She looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Um, this place is…?"
It was only natural—for what lay before her eyes was not an ordinary house, but the front gate of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
"This is my home."
"I, I see, so…"
I smiled and said to her,
"Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Eun Seoho, the youngest son of the Eunhae Merchant Group Leader."
"What?"
She gasped in surprise, then quickly bowed her head.
"Y-you're the young master of the Eunhae Merchant Group! I hope I didn't say anything rude…"
"There was nothing rude. In fact, I should apologize. Saying I needed clothes for my mother was a lie."
I continued,
"There's a different request I'd like to make, but it requires secrecy, so I said that. If you don't mind, may I speak with you for a moment?"
She looked flustered and hesitated briefly, then nodded, and we went inside.
Within the Eunhae Merchant Group, there were several Guest Halls for receiving visitors.
This was because we received quite a few visitors daily.
We entered one of those rooms, and I asked the guards to wait outside, then offered her a seat.
"You must be uneasy, not knowing what request I've brought you here for."
At my words, she nodded slightly.
"Let me be direct. I brought you here because there's something I need your skills for."
"My skills, you say…"
"I saw the garment you made at the fabric store earlier. The needlework was very precise and delicate."
"Ah…"
"To be honest, our Merchant Group plans to launch a new product—dolls."
"By dolls, do you mean…"
"Yes. I'd like you to make clothes for them."
At my words, she nodded.
"Alright. I need money. As long as you pay me well, I'll sign the contract."
Her words were almost identical to what I'd heard in my past life, and I smiled faintly.
"Then let's draw up a contract."
I handed her the contract I had already prepared.
"I'll explain the terms of the contract."
"No, I'll read it myself."
I already knew she was literate, but since it was our first meeting, I offered anyway.
She slowly read through the contract, then suddenly her eyes widened as she asked,
"Y-you're really going to pay me this much?"
"Yes."
"B-but why… why are you paying me so much?"
To her astonishment, I calmly explained,
"It's also payment for confidentiality. You must not speak of the dolls we'll be releasing. And that's no easy thing."
"…"
"What do you say?"
"I'll sign."
After a brief moment of thought, she wrote her name on the contract and signed it.
I took one of the two copies and looked at the name written at the bottom.
Hong Geumso.
That was her name.
The next day.
Just as promised, she came to find me before 9am.
"First, I'll show you to the workshop where you'll be working."
Madam Hong Geumso's workshop was located near Gong Mil's workshop.