Chapter 407
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 407
Chapter 407. The Long-Awaited Harvest (2)
At my words, the shopkeeper, Wi Joon-deok, seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment and blinked his eyes.
Then he regained his composure and asked me.
“Did you just say ‘taverns’?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“Then how many do you plan to acquire?”
I smiled and replied to his question.
“I haven't decided yet. It will depend on the outcome of the negotiations and the situation.”
“As you know, acquiring taverns is a bigger deal than you might think.”
The shopkeeper, Wei Zhunde, continued.
“The taverns here have suffered greatly due to the prohibition on alcohol. And with no end in sight to the famine, it means taking on a growing deficit.”
As he said, acquiring taverns in Hangzhou was not just a matter of taking them over.
There were problems that would arise after the acquisition.
That is why many taverns that would normally never be put up for sale are now available.
So now is the time to buy a tavern.
“I understand your concerns, Mr. Wei. But I am not saying this without careful consideration.”
“Of course, I know. But I am worried...”
I smiled and said gently.
“I appreciate your concern.”
“By the way, does anyone know about your plans?”
I shook my head at his question.
“No, this is the first time I've mentioned it to anyone.”
He looked impressed by my answer and said in a solemn voice, "I must live up to the trust you have placed in me.
“I must live up to your trust. What can I do to help?”
“Just let me know the situation at each tavern.”
I am a merchant who pursues profit above all else.
It is only natural that I want to buy taverns as cheaply as possible.
“First, which tavern in Hangzhou is in the best condition?”
“What?”
Wei Zhunde, the shopkeeper, looked puzzled.
“You mean the one in the best condition, not the worst?”
“Yes. I plan to start negotiations there first.”
“Why?”
“The place with the worst situation would be the easiest to take over, but that would make things difficult later on.”
I continued.
“No one is more sensitive to rumors in Hangzhou than tavern owners. If one tavern after another falls into someone else's hands, they will feel a sense of crisis.”
“That's certainly true.”
“Are the tavern owners in Seoho ordinary people? It takes a lot of determination to run a tavern. That means they are likely to stick together and resist.”
“That's right.”
“That's why we're going to target their blind spot. If we start with the place that's in the best situation and take it over, what will the other tavern owners think?”
At my words, shopkeeper Yoo Joon-deok slapped his knee as if he had realized something.
“Ah, I see! If that happens, they will think, 'That place has fallen? If we hold out any longer, we will suffer even greater losses.
”That's right.“
”I've learned another lesson from you, Captain.“
”I'm embarrassed. I only learned from my father and older brothers."
He nodded at my modest words and smiled happily.
“Let's see... That would be the place with the best situation right now.”
.
.
.
After talking with the shopkeeper, I was on my way back to the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy.
“Young master, I have made another decision today.”
“What is it?”
“I will never turn against you, young master.”
“What do you mean? Why would you turn against me? You're not thinking of quitting as my servant, are you?”
My question made Pal-gap jump up and down.
“No, that's not what I meant! I just meant that you are that scary.”
The bodyguards and Miss Seo nodded in agreement.
“What's so scary about me?”
I muttered and tried to stroke Geum-ryeong, but stopped.
For some reason, I felt that Geum-ryeong would tremble.
“Stop making strange noises and go to bed.”
.
.
.
The next day, I headed for a tavern in Seoho.
Cheongpa-ru.
It was one of the taverns that survived five years of famine in my previous life.
That was because the food at this tavern was delicious and the service was excellent.
That must be why it was said to be the best tavern in Hangzhou.
When we arrived there, Pal-gap asked,
“Hey, isn't this where we came before?”
“Yes, it is.”
When we came here, we brought everyone to the fifth floor and ate the special dishes.
“I still remember the spectacular view of Seoho Lake.”
The other three bodyguards nodded in agreement with Seo Woo's words.
However, Myeongjong, Chang-woon, and Miss Seo-hyang did not share their sentiment.
That was understandable, as they had not yet met me.
It was fine.
We could create new memories together.
As we approached the tavern, the waiter quickly came to greet us.
“Are you here to eat? If so, please come to Cheongpa-ru!”
Hmm, I like this waiter.
He's very proactive.
“Are there any seats on the fifth floor right now?”
“Of course!”
He quickly led us to the fifth floor.
“Wow...”
Myeongjong, Chang-woon, and Seo-hyang were amazed by the view from the fifth floor.
Not only them, but everyone else who had come here was also impressed.
After all, no matter how many times you see the view of Seoho from here, it is still impressive.
“Would you like to order?”
I didn't look at the menu the waiter handed me and said confidently.
“The special.”
“Certainly. What would you like to drink?”
Despite being a tavern, the waiter asked only for tea instead of alcohol due to the prohibition.
I left the choice of tea to him as well.
“I will bring you our recommended tea.”
“Thank you. I will bring it right away.”
I handed him my coin purse and said, “I will pay in advance.
May I ask you a personal favor?”
“Of course.”
I asked him to deliver food to the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy.
He smiled brightly and nodded.
“Oh, you're that person. Wasn't it about two years ago that you asked me to deliver food to the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy?”
“That's right. You have a good memory.”
The waiter scratched his head.
“No, it's just that it was such an unusual request. It's not often that someone asks for such a large order of food from a tavern, is it?”
“That's true.”
“He's a very kind man. Please wait a moment. I'll have your food ready in a moment.”
“I'd appreciate it if you could bring me some tea first.”
“Certainly.”
With that, the waiter went downstairs, and I stood next to the tavern's pavilion.
The West Lake was wide open.
The scenery at the turn of May and June was different from what I had seen before.
People were dying due to a poor harvest, and this tavern was also struggling to stay in business, but the scenery of West Lake was as beautiful as ever.
“Let's come back again in the fall if possible. Then we can try the osmanthus tea made with osmanthus flowers.”
Lee Pil nodded at my words.
“It was a taste I really wanted to share with the two warriors and Lieutenant Kwak.”
The other warriors nodded at his words.
“Truly, I believe that you warriors should thank heaven for having such a liege.”
Pal-gap said, and Seo-woo replied.
“Knowing this, we already offer water every morning and pray for the long life and good health of our liege. Surely you are not neglecting this, Pal-gap?”
Pal-gap was taken aback by his words.
“Of course I do!”
“Really?”
I asked with a smile.
“I didn't see you doing that.”
“Huh, huh, huh. A man of honor does not let others see his prayers.”
We all laughed.
Now I realized that Pal-gap had another rival besides Geum-ryeong: Seo-woo.
After all, Seo Mu-sa was no ordinary man.
Soon, the specialty dish of the restaurant was served.
It tasted much the same as what I had eaten before.
That meant it was still delicious.
That must be why they survived the severe drought.
After finishing my meal, I pulled the cord to call the waiter.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
“It was delicious as always. Please convey my gratitude to the chef.”
“I will.”
“And is the tavern owner here right now? I would like to meet him.”
The waiter's expression changed at my question.
“Are you a customer who wishes to see the tavern owner?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
His reaction to my request to meet the lord of the tavern was unnecessarily sharp.
What was going on?
Then, Pal-gap approached me and said, “I heard that the lord of this Cheongpa-ru is the most handsome man in Hangzhou.”
“Oh, that's right.”
I nodded and said, “I knew that, but I didn't think about it.”
“I knew that, but I didn't think about it.”
Only then did I understand why the waiter reacted that way. This was a tavern frequented by geisha.
And the head waiter of this tavern was also an excellent geisha.
However, most of the customers who frequented the tavern could not tell the difference between geisha and courtesans.
As a result, the waiters must have had a hard time dealing with such customers.
And usually, taverns and brothels had strict conditions and rules for meeting the owner.
The waiter tilted his head at us.
He probably couldn't tell if I was telling the truth or just trying to confuse him.
Then Pal-gap said to the waiter.
“Our young master is not interested in women. He just wants to meet Ruzhu for business.”
“Really?”
“Yes, that's right. If our young master was interested in women, he would have called the geishas as soon as he arrived to liven up the party. Isn't that right?”
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
“Oh, that doesn't mean my young master is impotent. Please don't misunderstand.”
Hey, Pal-gap.
Did you really have to say that last part?
Seo-hyang is right here... This is embarrassing.
While we were talking, the waiter said to me.
“I'll tell the tavern owner.”
The waiter went downstairs, and I said to Pal-gap.
“Pal-gap, even if you were trying to defend me, that last remark was a bit much.”
“What do you mean?”
Seeing his innocent face, I lost the urge to question him further.
Besides, it felt a bit awkward to say it out loud.
“...Never mind.”
After waiting for a moment, the waiter from earlier approached us and said,
“The lord will see you now. Please follow me to his room.”
I followed the waiter downstairs.
The lord's room was on the third floor, and a samurai was standing guard at the door.
“This is the person who asked to see the lord earlier.”
Come to think of it, I hadn't told him my name.
I said to the samurai.
“I am Eun Seo-ho, the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
At my words, the samurai's eyes widened slightly, and he said to someone inside.
“Captain Eun Seo-ho, whom you wanted to see earlier, is here.”
“Please take him in.”
Clang.
The door opened, and I entered.
I thought I understood Lu Zhu's personality. The room, which was free of unnecessary items, showed that Lu Zhu was a frugal person.
At the same time, he was well-groomed.
Perhaps because of that, his already beautiful appearance seemed even more beautiful.
It was no wonder that he was called the most handsome man in Hangzhou.
“Welcome. I am Lu Zhu of Cheongpa-ru.”
The name of this tavern was named after Lu Zhu.
“Nice to meet you. I am Eun Seo-ho, the captain of Eunhae Trading Company.”
“I have heard of you. You are called Seonhae-mi-rang, right?”
“...”
I couldn't avoid that name even here.
“Please sit down. Would you like some tea?”
“No, thank you. I just had a filling meal, so I'm not thirsty.”
“I'm glad you enjoyed the food at Cheongpa-ru.”
“Yes, very much.”
She immediately got to the point.
“What brings you here? I heard you wanted to discuss business.”
“That's right.”
I nodded readily.
“I won't beat around the bush. I want to buy this tavern.”
“What?”
“I said I want to buy this tavern.”
She looked at me curiously and asked.
“May I ask why? I know there are many taverns for sale. But our tavern has never been listed for sale, so why are you saying that?”
“If someone wants to buy something, it means they like it, doesn't it?”
“You mean you like this tavern?”
“Yes. I like everything about this tavern. That means I like you too.”
“What?”
She looked embarrassed at my words and bit her lip.
Ah, there must be a misunderstanding.
“What I mean is that I like how you run this tavern. I just want to own it.”
“I see.”
Fortunately, the misunderstanding seems to have been cleared up.
"...Let me think about it.
It's not a negative answer, but it's not exactly a positive one either.
Judging from the fact that she didn't reject me outright, it's clear that the situation is ambiguous.
However, if I push her further, she may become defensive and the situation could worsen.
Let's leave it at that for today.
“Then I'll be going. I hope I'll get a positive answer.”
I went down to the first floor. My companions were already waiting for me there.
They could have just waited on the fifth floor.
“Good day.”
I left the tavern, seeing myself off by the waiter. Or rather, I tried to leave.
Thud.