Chapter 413
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 413
Chapter 413. The Long-Awaited Harvest (8)
The next day.
I left Cheongpa-ru as the sun was setting.
“Where are you going today?”
In response to Pal-gap's question, I pointed to the tavern I was going to with my hand.
“Wooljulu.”
The name meant “moon wine,” because when you drank wine there on a moonlit night, the moon was reflected in your cup.
The inn was originally named something else, but people said it was like drinking wine made from the moon, so they started saying, “Let's go drink moon wine,” and the name of the tavern changed.
However, the tavern's popularity was not due to its atmosphere alone.
Naturally, as it was a tavern, the sake was delicious.
It had a unique refreshing taste, and because the taste of the sake was like the cold moon, it was named Wolju.
In the past, the tavern was crowded with people who wanted to drink Wolju, but now that prohibition has been imposed, it is quiet.
In their previous lives, the Martial Alliance bought this place.
They brewed this Moonju and sold it to Daewook, making a considerable profit.
The cool and refreshing taste went well with the climate of Daewook, and they liked the name of the sake.
Not only Daewook, but even neighboring countries came to buy Moonju, so what more can I say?
In response to my answer, the warrior Yeo-eung-am said.
“I've tried Wolju from Woljuro once.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The feeling of it cooling my throat and stomach... Just imagining it makes me happy. Hahaha.”
I smiled back and nodded.
I must take over a place like this.
When we entered Woljuro, the waiter greeted us warmly.
“Welcome! This is Woljuro!”
“Where is the best place to enjoy the view?”
“This floor, of course.”
Usually, the higher floors are recommended for the view, but unusually, this floor has the best view.
This is because the best place to drink moon wine is the outdoor seating area on this floor.
“Due to the prohibition on alcohol, you cannot drink moon wine, but you can drink as much moon tea as you like.”
“I guess I'll have to settle for moon tea.”
I looked at the menu the waiter handed me and ordered.
“I'll have the ‘Cheongwol’ at the top of the menu, please.”
“Sure thing. I'm sorry, but our tavern requires payment in advance.”
Hearing that, I took some money out of my wallet and handed it to him.
“Thank you. Please wait a moment.”
I could go buy the moon wine right away, but I decided to eat dinner first.
It was out of consideration for the hard-working bodyguards, Pal-gap, and Miss Seo-hyang.
I felt a little sorry for Seo Woo, who couldn't come here because he was escorting Cheongpa Ruju.
Of course, he would say, “It's okay. Isn't the Liege's order more important?”
I'll have to bring him here later.
A short time later, the food began to arrive.
The dishes were quite luxurious.
This time, I didn't ask for delivery to the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy.
This was because it was quite far from the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy.
And so, we began our dinner.
The moon reflected in the teacups gave off a strange excitement.
In a place like this, it must have been one of the most famous places in Hangzhou before the prohibition on alcohol.
After the famine ended, this tavern was once again crowded with people.
That is why the Martial Alliance, which had acquired this tavern, was able to earn a decent income from it.
This time, I will never let the Martial Alliance...
As I was drinking my tea, my eyes widened.
Huh? What is this? What did I just drink?
A refreshing sensation I had never felt before lingered in my mouth. It tasted like Yongjeong tea, but it was more refreshing than Yongjeong tea.
I tilted my head and took another sip.
I wasn't the only one who found the taste unusual. The people sitting with me also tilted their heads.
“The tea is warm, but it tastes refreshing.”
“It's definitely hot.”
“It's unusual.”
I pulled the cord to call the waiter.
“Yes, you called?”
“What is the name of this tea?”
“Oh, that tea is a new blend created by our tavern's Palm print master. It's called Moon Tea.”
I thought he meant to enjoy the moon reflected in the teacup, but the name of the tea was Moon Tea!
There was no way I didn't know about tea with this flavor in my previous life.
What on earth happened?
I thought about it for a moment and shook my head.
I could think about the reason later.
I was certain.
This moon tea would become as popular as moon wine.
A moment later.
After finishing my meal, I called the waiter again.
“The meal was delicious. Please convey my gratitude to the chef.”
“Certainly.”
“And I would like to meet the owner of this tavern.”
By owner, I meant the proprietor, not the manager.
Cheongpa-ru and Chwim-ru were special cases, and most taverns and brothels had different owners and operators.
Usually, trading companies owned taverns, but in Hangzhou, most taverns were owned by chairmen.
That was why the chairman of the Seong family envied them and recklessly got involved in the tavern business.
In any case, thanks to that, I was able to smoothly acquire the taverns in Hangzhou.
If the trading company had been the owner of the taverns, they would have been less affected by the famine and would have been able to survive.
That was also the reason why I took this opportunity to actively acquire the taverns in Hangzhou.
If not for this opportunity, it would have been very difficult to acquire a business in Hangzhou.
In any case, in cases like this, the tavern keeper usually plays the role of manager, and the real owner is someone else.
“The owner of our tavern is already waiting for you on the first floor.”
“What?”
He's waiting for me?
“If you would like to talk with him, I can prepare a room for you on the fifth floor.”
A moment later.
I went up to the fifth floor and waited there for a while, and then a man came up to the fifth floor, panting heavily.
He was a slightly plump man, followed by two bodyguards.
I stood up from my seat.
“I am Eun Seo-ho, the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company. Are you the owner of this tavern?”
“Yes, I am. My name is Manjin. I am a chairman who owns some land and buildings in Hangzhou.”
“Then, would it be rude if I called you Chairman Man?”
“Others call me that, so there is no need to be rude.”
He looked quite a bit older than me, but he did not treat me with disrespect.
Could it be...
I tested him lightly.
“I came here because I really liked this tavern, and it's really nice.”
“I'm grateful you say so. Hahaha.”
I didn't reveal my intention to buy it right away and continued to praise the tavern.
Then his expression became increasingly anxious.
It's certain.
He wants me to buy this tavern.
He said he was waiting for me on the first floor earlier.
He probably heard that I was here and rushed over to the tavern.
It seems like he waited until I finished my meal.
To be honest, I bought Cheongpa-ru and Chwimyeol-ru hoping for something like this, but things are going better than I expected.
Should we get down to business?
“I would like to buy this tavern. How much is it worth?”
“Five million yen.”
Huh?
Five million yen?
It was cheaper than I expected, and I was taken aback.
“Is that right, five million yen?”
"If that's too difficult, Senior Uncle, four hundred silver coins... would be fine.
Perhaps misinterpreting my confused expression, he quickly lowered the price.
I looked closely at Chairman Man's appearance.
Although he was well-built, he looked gaunt and his skin was sagging, as if he had lost weight rapidly recently.
It was obvious why the owner of this tavern and the chairman had become like this.
The situation was much more difficult than I had thought.
If he was a landowner, his situation would have been a little better, but if his spending remained the same, it would be difficult.
During such a severe famine, the harvest would be reduced by half or less.
Then he would be in the red by hundreds of nyang every year.
There is a saying that goes, “You have to earn money while you can.
You can spend the money you earn, but it will be gone in no time.”
Chairman Man was now looking at me cautiously.
By the way, the Martial Alliance bought this tavern a little later.
That means that the Martial Alliance bought this tavern for less than 400 Senior Uncle silver coins.
Seeing my expression, Chairman Man immediately lowered the price, so it was only a matter of time before it went on sale, and it wouldn't be surprising if it went bankrupt soon.
I briefly considered lowering the price even further.
But I only thought about it.
I could have lowered the price even further, but there is such a thing as business ethics.
Besides, this is where the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy is located, and everyone knows that I have a special relationship with them.
Furthermore, I am the Young Master of Seolpung Palace.
As the Young Master, I cannot give the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy a bad name.
And if you own a tavern like this and are called the Chairman, that means you are a prominent figure in Hangzhou.
That means that later, he could be someone who would take our side between the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy and the Chairman.
“All right.”
“Then, five hundred silver coins...”
“I'll give you eight hundred silver coins.”
“What?”
His eyes widened.
I gave him a reasonable excuse and let him go.
“How can you sell such a wonderful tavern for only 500 nyang?”
“Of course! Of course! This tavern was very famous before the prohibition on alcohol.”
“Do you have any conditions?”
“No, nothing. Just do as you wish.”
Min Jang-ju's face was filled with joy at being able to sell the tavern.
After all,
taverns make a lot of money when they are busy, but when they are not, they are money pits.
So we signed the contract and officially acquired the tavern for 800 nyang.
We went down to the first floor.
Everyone from the tavern was waiting on the first floor. It was understandable, as the tavern was changing owners.
It was only natural that everyone was on edge.
There could be changes in the staff depending on the new owner's intentions.
A beautifully dressed woman approached us.
When he saw her, Chairman Min pointed at me and said, “This is the new owner.”
“Let me introduce you. This is the new owner.”
“I am Eun Seo-ho, the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“I am Hong Mae, the tavern keeper of Wolju Tavern.”
She bowed her head in greeting and looked at me with an uneasy expression.
That was understandable, as tavern keepers were often the first to be replaced when the owner changed.
However, I had no intention of leaving.
“You've worked hard to run this tavern during difficult times.”
“Oh, no, it's nothing...”
“I look forward to working with you in the future.”
“What?”
She looked at me with an incredulous expression.
“Why are you so surprised?”
“Then... I won't be fired from my position as tavern manager?”
“Why would I kick you out of your job? You've done such a great job running the bar. Even though business has been slow lately, that was just bad luck due to the poor harvest and the prohibition.
I smiled and continued.
”So I hope you'll continue to do your best."
She bowed deeply, looking deeply moved by my words.
“I will do my best to run the tavern.”
“I believe you.”
Min, the chairman, who had been listening to our conversation, said,
“Well, I'll be going now.”
“Oh! I didn't realize I was holding you back, Chairman.”
“Not at all. Hehe. It pains me to hand over the tavern I have grown fond of for so long, but I am handing it over to you, Captain, so my pain is eased.”
You are very eloquent.
I smiled and agreed with her.
“I am grateful that you trust me enough to hand it over to me. Please take care on your way.”
“Let's meet again if we have the chance.”
After seeing off the Chairman, I asked Hong-mae, the tavern owner.
“Now, please introduce me to the tavern staff.”
She nodded in response to my request.
“First, this is...”
She introduced the tavern staff one by one, and finally, it was my turn.
“These are the Palm print makers who were the pride of our tavern.”
There were ten of them.
However, they were all gaunt and thin.
It was understandable.
It had been over two years since they had been unable to make alcohol due to the prohibition.
They had nothing to do, and they didn't know when they would be fired.
But they were the reason I took over this tavern.
“Moonju was not the pride of Woljulu in the past, but will continue to be the pride of Woljulu in the future.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
I said to them.
“I would like to sign a separate contract with each of you.”
“What?”
“It's because I value you highly. Although we can't make sake right now, it's only temporary. The time will come soon when your skills will shine.”
I smiled.
“I want to sign a contract with you in advance for that time. I will add 50% to your original salary.”
Their eyes widened at my words.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
They bowed deeply before me.
“Gwak Bu-gwan.”
“Yes.”
“Please draw up the contract.”
“Yes, sir.”
Seo Hyang Miss brought paper and ink and sat in front of the table, and we exchanged our terms.
And so, the contract was made.
Great!
Now we had secured the palm print makers before the Martial Alliance.
I can hear money coming in!
- Kwi! Kwi!
Geum-ryung, you must be excited because you heard the sound of money coming in too.
Wait a minute...
How did Geum-ryung know that?
Did you really hear the sound of money coming in?