The workshop was quite spacious, which made sense—after all, this was where a thousand puppets would be made.
“Do you like the workshop?”
At my question, she nodded with a dazed look.
“This really is where I’ll be working?”
“Yes. Strictly speaking, it’ll be that room over there.”
“Even just that is more than enough.”
“Then let’s begin making the puppet clothes in earnest.”
“Yes.”
I handed her the puppet I’d prepared through Palgap.
“This is the puppet.”
I wound the gear and released it, and the puppet began dancing on its own.
“Oh my!”
She let out a startled cry.
“T-the puppet!”
“Yes, it dances. This is the product our merchant group is about to release.”
“So… you want me to make clothes for this puppet?”
“That’s right.”
“Then what kind of fabric should I use…”
“Come with me.”
I led her to the Eunhae Textiles.
It was nearby, so it didn’t take long to get there.
After receiving greetings from the staff, I said to her,
“We plan to sell each puppet for ten silver taels, so the clothes must match that quality.”
“Then we’ll need to use silk.”
“Exactly.”
I spread my arms.
“Choose any silk you like, as much as you want.”
I had already received Father’s approval for this yesterday evening.
As she looked over the wide range of silks in different colors and textures displayed at the shop, Lady Hong Geum-so asked timidly,
“Can I… really choose anything?”
“Yes.”
Even with my assurance, she only looked with her eyes, not daring to touch anything.
Silk is indeed expensive.
Most bolts cost at least eight silver taels.
So it made sense she’d hesitate.
I asked her,
“Is there one you like?”
“…That one.”
I walked over and pulled out the bolt she pointed to, spreading it out before her.
“Is there another one you like?”
“That one too…”
Shhhk!
I spread that one out as well.
“Any others?”
“T-that one?”
As I took the lead and laid out the fabrics one by one, she finally seemed to relax and began examining them seriously.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked through silk after silk, and I could tell she wouldn’t make her decision anytime soon.
“Palgap.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“I’m heading to work. Have the silks Lady Hong Geum-so selects brought to the workshop and help her get started. And make sure she has everything she needs.”
Palgap nodded at my instructions.
“Don’t worry and head to work. I’ll take care of everything.”
I could trust Palgap.
After asking for her understanding, I left for the Finance Pavilion.
.
.
.
As always, work at the Finance Pavilion kept me busy beyond measure.
Now that the sale of the self-dancing puppet was becoming more realistic, accounting for the related expenses had been added to the workload, and Chief Administrator Yu let out a sigh.
Still, he didn’t complain.
Once the profits rolled in, he, as the Internal Chief Administrator responsible for the Eunhae Merchant Group’s finances, would have less to worry about.
“Well then, I’ll head out for the day.”
“See you tomorrow.”
As soon as I finished work, I headed straight to the workshop.
“Oh! Seo-ho.”
I turned at the voice calling my name.
“Oh? Father. What brings you here?”
“I found an artisan who’ll craft the puppets from wood. I figured you’d go straight to the workshop, so I’m on my way there too.”
“I see.”
I gave an awkward smile.
“Actually, I was heading there because I wanted to see how the puppet clothes were coming along.”
“Is that so? I told them to bring the artisan to the workshop, so let’s go together.”
“Yes, Father.”
We walked to the workshop together.
“Greetings to the Merchant Lord and Young Master.”
The guards standing at the entrance bowed with martial salutes.
We stepped inside, and I called out loudly,
“Lady, the Merchant Lord is here.”
At my call, there was a flurry of noise inside, and Lady Hong Geum-so hurriedly rushed out.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, I came to see how the puppet clothes are coming along.”
“I’ve finished one for now. But I’m not sure if it’s really good enough…”
She led us into the workshop, and we couldn’t help but gape.
I turned to look at Father.
He wore the exact same expression as me.
Her true talent wasn’t needlework, nor arranging fabric colors, nor making elegant outfits.
Only now did I realize—
Lady Hong Geum-so’s true talent was making clothes for puppets.
“Incredible!”
Father could only exclaim in awe.
But whether that exclamation was praise or not, Lady Hong Geum-so fidgeted nervously.
“Where do you keep finding such extraordinary people?”
At Father’s question, I answered with a smile.
“They just happen to catch my eye.”
“Ha ha ha.”
Father gave a dry laugh, then looked at her.
“Such beautiful and exquisite craftsmanship!”
“T-thank you very much.”
“To be honest, I was worried when Seo-ho said he’d personally find the artisan to make the puppet clothes. But seeing your skill puts all my worries to rest. This venture has a very bright future.”
“You flatter me too much.”
“I look forward to working with you.”
“Yes, I’ll do my utmost.”
Just then, Deputy Lim Man approached the workshop with several men in tow.
Father had three deputies, and Lim Man was the second.
The third was Deputy Jo Yeong-yeong.
“Oh! The artisans are here.”
Seeing them, I smiled to myself. Just as I expected—they were artisans affiliated with the Eunhae Merchant Group.
I even recognized one of them.
His name was Bo Gwang (甫鑛).
He possessed the rare talent of sculpting puppet faces to look exactly like real human faces.
If I knew of his skills, there was no way Father didn’t.
Which is why Father had only given me permission to find the artisan for the puppet clothes.
And so, the finest artisans for crafting the self-dancing puppet had now gathered.
Honestly, I wanted to ask my Master’s wife for silk, but… it wasn’t time for that yet.
.
.
.
Today again, I’m working as an assistant in Chief Administrator Yu’s office at the Finance Pavilion.
Sales of red paper for making hongbao (紅包), the envelopes used for giving New Year’s money, as well as peachwood plaques inscribed with spring greetings and similar items, were surging.
Looks like the Spring Festival is truly on its way.
Truthfully, festivals like this—celebrated by everyone—are the best opportunity to make money.
People tend to loosen their purse strings in the festive mood.
Naturally, the Eunhae Merchant Group couldn’t afford to miss such a chance.
However!
That’s precisely why we would not release the self-dancing puppet during the Spring Festival.
There would inevitably be those who bought it on impulse and later regretted it, which could devalue the puppet itself.
The self-dancing puppet wasn’t something to be bought on a whim—it had to be longed for, truly desired.
So just as Father said, we had to wait for word to spread through the Commissioner of Land Affairs in Hubei and for people to begin seeking it.
Even rice must simmer before it’s served.
That’s why we prioritized production of the puppets meant for the Commissioner.
“Young Master, this as well, please.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Could you check if there are any miscalculations?”
I took the document from Chief Administrator Yu and calculated with the abacus.
Wait a minute…
This was an expense report for the shop we purchased to sell the self-dancing puppets.
I let out a dry chuckle in my mind.
The scale was far larger than I expected.
Total support, in every sense of the word.
Since I was Gong Mil’s employer and the one who initiated this entire venture, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of it for a moment.
Before becoming the Deputy Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group, every successor must go through five years of practical training.
Of that, three are spent in the Finance Pavilion—and today I was reminded exactly why that is.
By reviewing the group’s income and expenses, you can instantly grasp how the entire operation runs.
Even for someone often called clever like me, it took over a year to fully understand the flow at a glance.
While the real flower of the Eunhae Merchant Group is the Trade Pavilion, which oversees all goods and deals, I learned something while working there for a year:
You can’t learn commerce from books.
Experience is the key.
That’s why after a year of general overview, they assign you a shop to gain hands-on experience.
As for the Operations Pavilion, you’ll naturally get a sense of it just by staying within the group.
That’s when my eyes caught an item on the ledger.
It was for travel expenses to the capital city of Hubei Province.
This was because Father and Pavilion Lord Yeon had personally gone to the provincial capital to deliver the self-dancing puppets requested by the Commissioner.
The carriage gradually slowed.
“We’ve arrived, Merchant Lord, Pavilion Lord Yeon.”
At the escort’s words, the door opened and Eun Gil-sang and Yeon Dami stepped down.
They had arrived in the capital city of Hubei Province.
This city was the largest urban center closest to the Eunhae Merchant Group’s headquarters, and a major hub for its activities.
Naturally, the group’s largest regional branch was also located here.
Eun Gil-sang turned to his second deputy, Lim Man.
“Deputy Lim, go request a meeting with the Commissioner.”
“Yes, understood.”
Then, after instructing that the puppets be stored with utmost care, he headed straight for the marketplace.
They had recently purchased a new store there for the purpose of selling the self-dancing puppets.
The front of the shop was covered with a red curtain.
This was something Eun Seo-ho had suggested.
— Father, how about covering the storefront with a red curtain during renovations?
— A curtain? Wouldn’t that get in the way of the construction?
— True, there are some downsides. But it also draws the curiosity of passersby. People are always more intrigued by what they can’t see than what’s in plain view.
So the idea was to stir curiosity about what was hidden behind the curtain as a form of passive advertising.
The red fabric wasn’t tightly woven—it was loose enough that the inside was faintly visible.
Not clearly, just barely—just enough to pique curiosity in every person passing by.
And there was another unexpected benefit to the curtain.
Dust from the construction didn’t spread to nearby stores, so no complaints had been lodged.
Eun Gil-sang stepped inside the curtained area and was greeted by the staff overseeing the renovation.
“Welcome, Merchant Lord!”
“Oh! You’ve been working hard.”
This man was to become the shopkeeper for the self-dancing puppet store.
He had worked for many years under the shopkeeper of a trinket store in the capital and had now been promoted on recommendation.
“This is a major initiative for the merchant group. I trust you’ll do well.”
“You can count on me. I’ll give it my all.”
“Let me know if you run into any trouble.”
As Eun Gil-sang conversed with the new shopkeeper, Deputy Lim Man came running, panting heavily.
“Merchant Lord… huff, huff…”
“What is it?”
“You must come at once. The Commissioner is calling for you.”
“Is that so? Alright.”
Eun Gil-sang stood and gave a wry smile.
‘Well now, he’s certainly in a hurry.’
.
.
.
A short while later, Eun Gil-sang and Yeon Dami were face-to-face with the Commissioner.
“You must’ve had a hard time making it all the way here.”
“Not at all. Meeting with you, sir, makes any hardship worthwhile.”
“Hahaha, this man sure knows how to flatter an old official!”
The Commissioner chuckled heartily as he stroked his beard.
“So then, what brings you to me?”
“I, Eun Gil-sang, have come to express my gratitude for the favor you’ve shown our merchant group.”
They had come to deliver the self-dancing puppets he had requested—but not once did the word “request” leave his lips.
That’s vital when dealing with powerful officials—not just in negotiations, but even in meetings.
It had to be framed not as a powerful man’s request, but as a humble offering made out of gratitude for his grace.
“You really didn’t need to go that far… hmm hmm.”
Eun Gil-sang glanced at Yeon Dami, who then opened the specially crafted case containing the self-dancing puppets.
“Oh!”
As soon as he saw the puppet, the Commissioner’s eyes widened.
“How can it be so beautiful!”
Crafted through the collaboration of Eunhae’s finest woodworker, Hong Geum-so—whose skills earned her the name Seamless Heavenly Garments—and Gong Mil, the puppet was full of life, as if it were truly alive.
It was nothing short of stunning.
–TL Notes–
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