Chapter 126
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 126
Chapter 126. The Apricot Blossom Academy (2)
The shopkeeper checked the ledger and the order form and nodded.
“That's right! Here...”
When the shopkeeper was about to say the name of the book, I quickly stopped him.
Just hearing the name of that book of pictures was embarrassing enough.
And I had Pal-gap and my bodyguards standing right next to me.
“Anyway, it was those two books. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't help myself and burned them.”
“I see. That's understandable.”
“That's why I'm here to pay you for them.”
At my request, the shopkeeper told me the price written next to the books, and I took the money out of my wallet and handed it to him.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you very much. I really appreciate you coming all this way to pay for the books.”
“We are fellow merchants, so there is no need to do that.”
“I wouldn't worry if they were customers of other merchants.”
There was something behind his words.
After finishing my business at the bookstore, I started looking around the book district.
There were many interesting books.
Then, someone caught my eye.
It was a young man.
The first thing that caught my eye was his leather arm guard, which was worn so thin that the leather was showing.
Normally, when it gets that worn, you would buy a new one, but the fact that he was still wearing it meant that he was struggling financially.
The fact that he had ink stains on his fingers, as well as on his armband, meant that he had a job that involved using ink.
He was talking to the owner of the bookstore.
“Here are the books you requested.”
“As always, you've done a perfect job. Here's your payment.”
“Thank you.”
When I saw that, I thought it was just a passing encounter.
But didn't someone say that if you meet someone three times a day without any plans, it's fate?
The second time I ran into him was at a bookstore I stopped by on a whim.
“If you ever need any work, please let me know.”
“Sure, I will.”
“Sure. You'll always be my first choice.”
“Thank you.”
It was as if he was asking for work.
The third time I saw him was by a river.
“Aah!”
A child was drowning in the river, and another child was crying and stamping his feet on the riverbank.
“Help! My brother fell into the water! Help!”
It seemed that he had been playing on the ice and fell in when it broke.
However, no one was willing to jump in to save him.
It was understandable, as it was not just any river, but a river covered with thin ice.
If an adult stepped on the ice, they would not only fall in, but also put themselves in danger.
Then,
the young man I had seen twice today tied a rope around himself and shouted.
“If I climb down, will someone pull me up?”
Hearing that, I quickly ran over and said,
“I'll help you.”
The guards and Palgak followed me, and the young man fearlessly climbed down from the bridge.
We slowly lowered the young man to the bottom of the bridge. Meanwhile, the child, who had been floundering, seemed to have lost strength and was sinking.
“Geum-ryeong!”
At my call, Geum-ryeong, who had been hiding in my sleeve, jumped into the water.
Soon, the child's body rose to the surface.
Geum-ryeong had pushed the child with his body.
Thanks to her, the child did not drown while the young man was trying to save him.
“Now pull him up!”
That's how we saved the child.
But we couldn't relax yet.
The child's lips were blue, and he was trembling.
I said to the child's brother,
“Your brother could die from hypothermia, so we need to stay at this inn for a while.”
I carried the child and ran to a nearby inn, showed them my money, and asked them to prepare warm water for a bath immediately.
Seeing the child shivering with lips blue from being soaked in water, the waiter at the inn quickly led us to a room on the second floor.
The waiter followed us and poured hot water into the bathtub.
When the water was at the right temperature, we put the child in it.
After a while, color began to return to the child's lips.
“You can rest assured now.”
“Thank you so much.”
“Where is your home? I will take you there.”
The children's home was not far away.
The mother of one of the children rushed over, surprised to see her child in the arms of Pal-gap.
“What on earth happened...?”
“They were playing on the ice and fell in. A young man saved them. They're fine now, so don't worry.”
“Oh my! Thank you. By the way, who was the man who saved them?”
“He was a young man wearing a worn-out belt. His hair was tied back tightly...”
“Ah! The giant Bo-uk saved my child. And thank you for bringing him back to me.”
“Do you know him?”
She sighed in relief and nodded in response to my question.
“Of course. He is quite famous in this area.”
A giant refers to someone who has passed the local civil service examination.
“He is a copyist and has a good reputation, so many people seek him out.”
“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”
After saying goodbye to her, I headed for the bookstore where the young man had delivered the books.
I was curious about his copywriting skills, which were so famous that even the child's mother knew about them.
“Welcome.”
Perhaps because I was wearing expensive clothes, the bookstore owner treated me with great respect.
“Do you have any books transcribed by the giant Bo-uk?”
“I see you heard about him. Here you are.”
I took the book the owner handed me and opened it. I was surprised.
Was this really handwritten?
The handwriting in the book was very neat and consistent.
Although books are printed, handwritten books are actually more popular than printed books.
This is because printed books often have printing errors.
Even today, letterpress printing is not very accurate and is very expensive.
Therefore, they were mainly printed in the imperial palace and distributed, but it was not enough to meet the demand of the masses.
That is why there were more handwritten books.
“How long will it take to make a book like this?”
“Two days.”
“What?”
I was really surprised to hear that.
The book I was looking at was quite thick, and copying it would be difficult.
I thought it would take at least a week.
But he said it would only take two days!
“I understand your surprise and disbelief. But it's true. Bo-wook's specialty is speed writing.”
His words made my eyes light up.
He was a talented man.
And he was the talent I needed.
As the size of our country, Hyungpung, grew, copying and storing documents became quite a burden.
I felt a little sorry to take his speed writing skills away from the book market, but I had to do what I had to do.
And it's not like we can't copy books without him, even if he can't copy them quickly and neatly.
I headed to the place where the young man lived.
According to the bookstore owner, the young man was staying at an inn for a long time.
He had been staying at the inn for five years?
That meant he had failed the civil service examination for five years.
I asked around about him and confirmed that he was indeed skilled at writing.
Perhaps it was fate, but the inn where he was staying was the same place where I had asked for warm water to raise the body temperature of a child who had fallen into the water and was shivering.
When I entered the inn, Bo-uk was sitting at a table.
“Ah!”
The young man saw me and quickly ran over.
“Thank you very much for your help earlier. Is the child all right?”
“Yes, he's fine. I just handed him over to his guardian.”
“Thank you.”
“I think it was only natural to help. You were in danger yourself, but you still had the courage to do that! You are truly amazing.”
“I just thought it was the right thing to do when I saw someone in danger, so I did it.”
I said with a smile.
“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Eun Seo-ho. I am the governor of Hyungpung County at Eunhae Trading Company.”
“My name is Bo-wook. I don't have anything special to say about myself. I passed the local civil service exam and came here to prepare for the national exam.”
If he passed the local civil service examination, he must be knowledgeable, and judging from the way he used the rope in that situation, he seems to be quick-witted as well.
On top of that, he has the kind of personality that would not hesitate to jump in to save a child, and he is also a skilled writer.
I envy him.
The young man, Bo-wook, rubbed his arms together.
“It's suddenly gotten cold. Hahaha.”
“You don't look well.”
“Well, it is winter.”
“Actually, I am very happy to meet someone like you today.”
“Me, a master?”
“Who else could be a master but you, who risked your life to save a child?”
At my words, Bo-wook scratched his cheek and looked very embarrassed.
“Even if you say so, I am embarrassed to receive the title of Master.”
He said so, but his face was very honest.
The corners of his mouth were turned up.
“Now that I have met a Master, let me treat you to a meal.”
He then said to the waiter.
“What is the best dish at this inn?”
“It is Dongpa Yuk and Pidan.”
“I'll have that.”
Bo-wook sat down at the table with the young man.
Pal-gap and the bodyguards sat at the next table.
While they were talking about this and that, the food was served, and they ordered a bottle of wine.
“Have a drink.”
“Thank you.”
After a glass or two, Bo-wook began to open up.
“So, Master, are you aiming for a higher position?”
“To be honest, that's why I came to the capital, but as time goes by, I feel that this is not the right path for me, and it makes me sad.”
“How is your family?”
“I have a mother and an older brother. They are farmers in the countryside. That makes me feel even more sorry. They must be waiting for me to succeed.”
“I see. You must be very worried. But tell me, what is the direct reason you want to become a high-ranking official?”
“That's because... I want my family to live comfortably. My family lives off farming, but we are not well off. I want my family to live a little more comfortably, just like me.”
It was as expected.
“You are working so hard to support my studies, so you should end this life soon.”
Studying is not cheap.
Stationery and books are very expensive.
The reason for investing in studying for the civil service exam is the hope of a better life.
Of course, some study for honor and power, but most do it for a better life.
“As I mentioned earlier, I am the head of the Eunhae Trading Company. And our company is looking for talented people like you.”
“Talented? I'm just a failure who keeps failing the exam.”
“No, you are the talent our company is looking for.”
I continued.
“I would like to hire you as a clerk for Hyungpung Kingdom. I will pay you eight nyang a month.”
“What? Eight nyang! You must be joking.”
One nyang is worth one bushel of rice, so eight nyang is enough to buy eight bushels of rice.
An average adult man eats one bushel of rice a year.
Even if you become an official, you have to rise quite high in the ranks to earn that much.
So it was natural for Bo-wook to be surprised.
“I'm not joking.”
“I know my place and I am not presumptuous. What ability do I have to earn so much money?”
“Be honest.”
I smiled and said.
“You don't believe me, do you?”
“That's...”
Bo-uk nodded.
“Actually, yes.”
To be honest, if I were in Bo-uk's position, I wouldn't believe me either.
But if you show trust, they will eventually come around.
“Then let's do this.”
“...?”
I placed a silver coin in front of him.
“This is my gift to you for meeting you, Master. If you learn more about me and decide you can trust me, come find me at the Yeonjoon Trading Company. I'm busy and have to leave in three days, so please come before then.”
I baited the hook with a large lure and cast the line.
All that's left now is to wait.
.
.
.
The next day
I received the emperor's summons and headed for the imperial palace.
I went directly to the emperor's office, submitted my report, answered various questions, and concluded the audience.
On my way back, I came across a familiar face.