Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 83

Ninth Dragon Chronicles (83)

The cities of Dongsheng, Xichang, Dechang, and Jinyang in Sichuan Province were the granaries of Sichuan, specializing in agriculture to the extent that they harvested thirty percent of the grain produced in the Central Plains [the central region of China, historically the seat of power and culture].

In particular, Jinyang City was a hub where grains collected from Dongsheng, Xichang, and Dechang were gathered. Collection points and courier companies were located there to ship the grain to all parts of the Central Plains.

Therefore, it was more developed than Dongsheng, Xichang, and Dechang. Because courier companies were active, it was also a place where one could often see martial artists with swords or ordinary couriers.

Hwa-Rin was at an inn in Gokhyun, where the grain collection point of Jinyang City was located, observing the large grain collection point across from her.

Hwa-Myung Merchant Group, which operated the largest collection point in Gokhyun, brought grains collected from Xichang, Dechang, Dongsheng, and Jinyang City to this point. They then divided the shipments by destination and quantity, and transported them through courier companies.

The weather was clear after the end of the rainy season, and the days were ideal for transportation with a cool breeze. However, the atmosphere at the Hwa-Myung Merchant Group’s collection point was tense.

“Hurry,” someone barked.

This was because they were prioritizing gathering the quantity to be sent to the Eight Route Water Army [a naval military division], delaying shipments to other clients.

“Then what about Qinghaesheng?”

“Tell them to wait a month.”

“Oh, if it’s a month, the client will find another supplier.”

“The same goes for Guangdong Province. There may be disruptions in obtaining fish and seafood from there, which will also cause distribution problems.”

Hwa Jung-wook, the youngest member of the Hwa-Myung Merchant Group family, who was in charge of managing the collection point, spoke bluntly with a frustrated expression.

“Then are we going to lose our biggest client? We can supply the Eight Route Water Army and the government army first, and then send the rest as soon as we can.”

“That’s true, but…”

“But what? There’s an order of importance to things. So don’t say anything else.”

When Hwa Jung-wook got angry, the others fell silent.

Hwa-Rin, who was sitting at the inn across the street, smiled brightly after eavesdropping on the conversation inside the Hwa-Myung Collection Point using her internal energy and magic.

“If this problem occurs in Sichuan, the collection points in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi will be facing the same issues.”

Hwa-Rin envisioned a larger plan to seize their commercial rights if the Hwa-Myung Merchant Group struggled.

“To do that, it would be good to select smart people to work, dispatch them to each region, and have them learn the business.”

The Hwa-Myung Merchant Group was one of the top ten merchants in the Central Plains, so it wasn’t a group that would easily go bankrupt.

It would collapse like a reservoir with a breached levee if it was continuously harassed over a long period, causing the accumulated water to flow out and dry up.

“If my people learn the business, take away their clients, and manage them effectively, it won’t be difficult to absorb the commercial rights of the Hwa-Myung Merchant Group.”

The problem was finding smart people, talents, who could do this. Hwa-Rin knew someone who could find these talents.

“I should ask the chief manager to find about a hundred people.”

Chief Manager Seo Dae-young was from the Imperial Palace’s Eastern Depot [a secret intelligence agency]. As the Eastern Depot manages all the information of the Imperial Palace, he would have investigated people who took the civil service exam or were recommended by high-ranking officials and bureaucrats. Hwa-Rin thought that if she mentioned it to him, he would be able to find some suitable candidates through the Eastern Depot’s network.

“This is not something that can be achieved quickly, so if I wait patiently, it will be achieved to some extent.”

Hwa-Rin picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

“Ten years, that’s enough to reproduce the glory of the old Danri family.”

Hwa-Rin recalled her promise with Danri Hyuk-gwang. Danri Hyuk-gwang simply asked for help for his younger sister and younger brother, but Hwa-Rin was thinking of reviving the Danri family, which was once one of the top ten merchants in the Central Plains, not just helping them become self-sufficient.

“To do that, I’ll need quite a few outstanding martial artists.”

There was a limit to protecting the family with assassins alone.

“I should find out a little about martial artists through the Hao Mun [likely a martial arts organization or information network].”

Then Hwa-Rin thought of Danri Hyuk-jin.

“No, if I teach that guy martial arts, he’ll cause another accident. It might be better to teach Danri Soso martial arts instead.”

* * *

“Really? Are you really telling me to manage and operate this place?”

Danri Soso was considering entrusting the fabric store she was running to Myung-ok, a clerk who had been working with her.

She was called a clerk, but she had known her for a long time and Myung-ok knew the current fabric store better than anyone else.

She had discussed with Gu-Ryongjang to entrust the operation of the Sanyang-hyun fabric store to Myung-ok, so she would take over the operation of the newly opened Hwaeum-hyun fabric store this time.

The reason she decided to take over the new fabric store in Hwaeum-hyun was because her younger brother, Danri Hyuk-jin, was going to work as a manager at the tavern that was opening there.

Even if he was a manager, he was not the real owner of the tavern, so she was worried.

He was showing that he was coming to his senses and working hard now, but he was her younger brother who had led a gang until a few months ago, so she was going to Hwaeum to keep an eye on him in case his bad habits resurfaced.

“Yes. Gu-Ryongjang said that he is opening a fabric store in Hwaeum-hyun, so I think I’ll have to go there and work until the fabric store makes a stable profit.”

Then Myung-ok’s expression changed slightly.

“Why?”

“No, it’s just that you’re not a servant, but you’re working too hard for Gu-Ryongjang.”

A faint smile appeared on Danri Soso’s lips at those words.

“I don’t think so. Our siblings have already received great kindness from Gu-Ryongjang.”

“Are you talking about him setting up this fabric store for you?”

Danri Soso shook her head.

“If Gu-Ryongjang hadn’t helped us, I don’t know what would have happened to me and Hyuk-jin. Hyuk-jin could have been seriously injured or even killed in a gang fight. I could have been sold to another family or died wandering the streets.”

“Miss, don’t say that.”

“No, really. It was really like that before Gu-Ryongjang helped us. Our siblings have received a grace that we can’t repay with just that. So I have to work hard and repay that grace.”

Still, Myung-ok had an unpleasant expression on her face.

“Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself in the future.”

“Why me?”

“If the fabric store’s sales drop, Gu-Ryongjang may replace the manager.”

“Ah…”

“Gu-Ryongjang is a merchant, and from a merchant’s perspective, if there is no profit or sales drop, they will first find out what the problem is and try to fix it. If the person in charge is neglecting his duties…”

When she pretended to cut her neck with one hand, Myung-ok flinched.

“But how do you know that, Miss?”

Danri Soso knew that her family used to be a merchant family and lived in great power, although her memories were faint now, and she had heard many stories from her father.

She saw the process of her family’s downfall, knew what the problem was in the middle, and realized that she was too young to solve the problem.

“It’s just one of the things you naturally learn while doing business. So don’t treat customers carelessly just because you’re in charge of the fabric store. You have to be more friendly than when you were a clerk.”

“Like you, Miss?”

“More friendly than me. You have to make the customers like you even more than they like me.”

“Yes.”

“And take good care of the employees. Think of it as the employees are the ones earning the money, not you.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“But it’s not good to be too nice, or they’ll keep asking you to do things.”

“Then?”

“You’ll have to learn that one by one as you gain experience from now on.”

“Me?”

“Yes. How long are you going to work under someone else?”

When Danri Soso asked, Myung-ok couldn’t answer.

“Get a lot of experience in this fabric store. And after you make those experiences yours, you can open a small fabric store of your own, or do whatever you want to do with the business you learned here.”

“Ah…”

Myung-ok nodded to Danri Soso.

Having been together for a long time, Danri Soso felt that she was a thoughtful person who was used to caring for others.

“Always think and try to make changes.”

“Yes, I will. But why don’t you do that, Miss?”

“Me?”

Danri Soso answered, and Hwa-Rin’s face came to mind.

“I have to repay the grace. The grace of saving our siblings. And I’m quite satisfied with my current life. Even though I’m a substitute manager, I have enough to eat, sleep, and live.”

“Come to think of it, our Gu-Ryongjang is a really good person. Life has really gotten better since Gu-Ryongjang came to our Sanyang-hyun.”

Danri Soso recalled Sanyang-hyun before Hwa-Rin came.

She was living in worry and anxiety every day, but after he came, those worries and anxieties disappeared like a lie.

Not everyone living in Sanyang-hyun feels that way, but it was certain that they could feel that life had become better than before, like Myung-ok.

So the sound of praising Gu-Ryongjang is high in Sanyang-hyun, and when something happens, they don’t go to the county office, but first go to Gu-Ryongjang and tell him their difficulties.

Just looking at this, it was clear that life had become better than before.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“But our Gu-Ryongjang doesn’t get married?”

“I don’t know. There’s no talk of that yet.”

“Then doesn’t he have anyone he’s seeing?”

“No way.”

If it was the family of someone who runs such a large manor, it would definitely be a great family, and that family would be looking for a good marriage.

She thought that maybe there was a wife in the family who had already been arranged.

“If he doesn’t have anyone to meet, why don’t you try it, Miss?”

“Me?”

Even while answering, a slight blush crept into Danri Soso’s cheeks.

“Yes, who knows? You might get lucky.”

“What? Get lucky?”

“That’s right. He’s so handsome and capable, but the reason he hasn’t gotten married yet is because people are thinking differently.”

“Thinking differently?”

“Yes. They think he’s already married or that Gu-Ryongjang’s family is looking for a good match.”

She was thinking that way too, so Myung-ok’s words made sense.

“So why don’t you try it, Miss?”

“What if there’s really someone who’s married or the family is looking for a marriage? Isn’t it just my heart that gets hurt?”

“That’s true, but you still don’t know. Like I said a little while ago, you might get lucky.”

“If you’re going to say such nonsense, think about how you’re going to run the fabric store in the future.”

“If you get him, it’s a jackpot.”

Myung-ok, who turned her body with a pout on her lips at Danri Soso’s scolding, grumbled to herself.

“It’s perfect… The two of you seem to get along really well… If no one challenges me, should I try it?”

Myung-ok grumbled to herself until she went to the warehouse, and Danri Soso, who was watching her back, smiled.

“Our Gu-Ryongjang, he’s a really good person. But if I like Gu-Ryongjang, that’s just my greed. Our Gu-Ryongjang should meet someone better than me.”

Danri Soso’s expression was somehow full of regret.

“Hoo…”

Danri Soso, who took a long breath, returned to her usual expression and shouted loudly towards the warehouse.

“Myung-ok, take good care of the store. I’ll be out for a while.”

“Where are you going?”

When Myung-ok’s voice was heard, Danri Soso answered casually and left the fabric store.

“Gu-Ryongjang!”