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With the soap in my arms, I walked through the hallway, and the maids who noticed me greeted me with warm smiles. “Young Master, why are you in such a hurry so early in the morning?” “Be careful not to trip and hurt yourself~.” “Are you not playing with fire today?” “No, not today. What about Mother and Father?” “They went outside to check the delivery of goods.” Human adaptability. After adeptly responding to the greetings of the maids, which I was uncomfortable with just until recently, I briskly walked towards the outside. After a while, as I exited through the main gate, I saw my parents directing several people in the spacious courtyard. Although it had been over five years since I was reborn, my parents still looked so young that it was hard to believe they were my parents. However, there was no hint of disrespect for my parents in the gazes of the surrounding servants. “One, two, lift it up. One, two!” “Heave-ho!” “Be careful... Master Zhao, where should we put this?” “You can put it in the carriage of the merchant over there.” As I had guessed when I was a baby, my family was a fairly prestigious merchant family. While it may not be on the level of the top domestic merchant guilds, the Zhao Merchant Family of Gucheng County was considered one of the best in Xiangyang. For reference, Gucheng County, Xiangyang, where the Zhao Family is situated, was located in Hubei Province.When I searched for a map of China on YouTube, I realized that it was quite a long way from Korea. The main business of the Zhao Family, in simple terms, was wholesale trade. They would establish connections with various merchants and suppliers from other regions to bring in goods from the Western Region, selling them to local merchants who would pay money and purchase the items. In addition, the specialty products from various regions that they encountered on their return journey from the Western Region were also included in the main products of the Zhao Family. As a result, the area in front of our house was always bustling with carriages and servants of nearby merchants who came to negotiate and purchase goods. By the way, my father mentioned that he first met my mother on the return journey from the Western Region. He saved her from being surrounded by a pack of wild dogs, and that fateful encounter led to their marriage. Well, it would be strange for two good-looking people to not be attracted to each other when they received the buff called suspension bridge effect. However, one unfortunate thing was the absence of reliable elders in the family to support and guide them. At the time of their marriage, my great-grandfather, who had always been there for them, passed away due to illness two years before I was born, leaving them with no parents to rely on. However, the young couple showed great competence and successfully managed the Zhao Family business without any major issues. In such a situation, I hoped that the handmade soap I created would be of help to them. “Mother, Father.” When I finally made my way through the bustling crowd and reached my parents' side, both of them, who had been watching the workers, turned to look at me. “Hui, it's dangerous here, you shouldn't have come.” “He came here because he missed his mom. I’ve roughly checked the goods, so let's go inside now, Jiao En.” Dad flashed his manly smile at Mom, then leaned down to lift me up in his arms. I laughed playfully while hanging onto Dad's neck. Seeing that my dad has a lot of hair, I don't have to worry about hair loss. It was at that moment when the soap I had placed in my embrace slipped and fell to the ground. Thud- “What's this?” “Hui, is this yours?” As Mom brushed off the dirt and dust from the soap, she asked, and I quickly nodded my head in response. “I made it. But it needs water.” “Our son made something like this?” “That's right.” The two of them exchanged delighted smiles, seemingly considering the soap I made as nothing more than a toy for children to play with, but that was only until they reached the main building. Right after I brought water and oil from the kitchen and they saw me washing away the oil with the soap, the smiles on their faces disappeared as if they had been washed away. “Did you really make this?” “Hui, you have to be honest.” “I ended up making it while playing around…” Why are you all acting like this? Is it because you're too surprised? Seeing the serious expressions on my parents' faces, which I had always thought would be filled with joy, my own expression hardened in response. Then, my dad, kneeling on one knee, came up to me and matched my eye level, asking a few more questions. “I heard that you sometimes visit the kitchen and take used cooking oil, animal fat, or grease, etc. Did you make something with those?” “Yes.” “Hmm…” While Dad was lost in thought, Mom started questioning me. “Hui, is there anyone else who knows about this?” “... No.” “I see. Can you make more?” “Yes, I can.” “Well then, would you like to try it once more in front of Mom and Dad?” Saying that, Mom gestured with her eyes towards Dad, who was still contemplating the situation. “Come with us, Dad.” “...Alright.” Without knowing why, I pushed forward as if by instinct and headed to the backyard, where I found myself making soap once again, under the watchful gazes of my mom and dad with their eyes lighting up. I realized something was wrong, but the water had already been spilled. I hesitantly stood in front of my workbench and began making soap, following the familiar process that I had become accustomed to over the past two months. Originally, the first step would have been to filter the lye water, but fortunately, I had some leftover from yesterday, so I could skip that part. After around ten filtrations, I mixed three types of oil in the proportions I had discovered through countless trials and errors. As I vigorously stirred the thickened lye water, a saponification reaction took place, resulting in a creamy soap. I added a handful of soybean powder, mixed it evenly, and poured the mixture into a mold and told my Dad. “It's ready.” “Already?” “It just needs to settle.” “Is it that simple…” That simple? No, I went through so much trouble to make this! I couldn't ignore the word "simple," so I widened my eyes, but my parents, absorbed in the soap, didn't even notice their son's stare. After standing silently for a while, the two people finally spoke up about 10 minutes later. “This matter will be kept a secret for the time being. Hui, you should behave yourself for a while.” “Did you hear what Dad said?” “Uh... Yes…” And just like that, I was banned from making soap the same day I succeeded. It wasn't until four days later that Dad brought up the subject again.
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As the evening approached, Dad gathered the three of us together and seated me on a chair and started talking. “Over the past four days, your mom and I tried the soap you made. It was effective, too effective.” Agreeing with Dad's remark, Mom nodded her head and continued speaking. “Dad and I had a conversation, and we concluded that the value of what you've created is too great for our family to monopolize.” "I have considered disguising it as a newly imported product from the Western Region, but as long as there are other shops collaborating with us, getting caught would only be a matter of time. That's why I decided to seek help from the Zhuge Clan." Zhuge Clan? I may not know much about Chinese history, but I do know Zhuge Liang. As my eyes lit up at the familiar name, my dad continued his explanation. “The Zhuge Clan is a prestigious family known for its long history of producing talented individuals for the royal court. If we can borrow their strength, it will not be a loss even if it means giving up half of the profits we gain from this new item. Fortunately, I received a reply to the letter I sent three days ago.” “What did they say, Dad?” “They expressed their interest in hearing more details. I might depart in a couple of days.” “Will you be alright on your own?” “We’ve been doing business in Hubei for generations and I’ve never fallen out of their favor, so it should be fine... Hui, do you find Mom and Dad’s words difficult?” The couple who were engaged in conversation noticed me sitting there cluelessly and chuckled. I understood the context, but due to unfamiliar words scattered here and there, I nodded honestly. “Yes.” “I haven't mentioned the most important thing yet. The truth is, I called you here to ask for one favor.” “A favor?” “You said you made this soap accidentally, but we can't be sure if others will think the same. I'm concerned that the Zhuge Clan or other groups might covet you, being so young. That's why in the letter I sent to the Zhuge Clan, I lied and wrote that your Dad made the soap, not you. Can you understand and agree to this?” In simple terms, Dad asked me to say that he made the soap in order to protect me. And the father who has been taking care of me since I was a newborn was never the kind of person who would take credit for his young son's accomplishments for the sake of his own reputation. I nodded without any hesitation. “Okay.” “Thank you. There's more we need to discuss, so go and rest first.” “Yes.” I returned to my room right away and called for Hang-ah along the way. Soon, 17-year-old Hang-ah, who had grown noticeably compared to our first meeting, entered the room with a smile. “Why did you call me, Young Master? Are you going to give me something delicious?” “Hang-ah, do you know the Zhuge Clan?” “Yes, Young Master. Doesn't everyone know about the famous Zhuge Clan?” “What is it?” Rather surprised by my question, Hang-ah widened her eyes and asked again. “You don’t know the Shaolin Temple? Best of the Best!” “Even I know the Shaolin Temple.” “Then what about Wudang? The Wudang Sect in our Hubei Province!” Wudang tells fortunes. “Ami!” Korean Army… (TN: BTS Army Reference. Probably. :D) As I shook my head in succession, Hang-ah also tilted her head in response. “Why don't you know?” “No one has told me, how would I know?” "Still, Young Master, even without me teaching you, you walk very well on your own, did your own potty training, and even spoke properly. You are even well-mannered.” While pinching my cheeks, her demeanor was far from that of a servant addressing her employer. As she scrutinized my face, she began to pour out her knowledge about the Ami Sect that she knew. The problem was that most of the words she was uttering seemed like baseless nonsense, even by my standards. “...And among the children serving Madam Zhao, there is a child named Xiao Yue who claims to have seen a martial arts expert flying in the sky when she was young.” “Okay, don't lie to me.” “Huh? Why? It's true, I swear.” “So, have you ever seen a martial artist?” “No, I haven't, but…” Ah, I see. She sees me as someone gullible because I'm young. I let out a chuckle directed at Hang-ah, who had a look of injustice on her face. “You're always spouting lies whenever you open your mouth.” “Ah, but it’s the truth.” “Never mind. How's things going with Seokdan-hyung these days?" “Ah, what are you talking about?” Hang-ah snorted, suddenly rolling her eyes. However, no matter what excuses she made, rumors had already spread among the maids that Hang-ah was involved in a romantic relationship with a handsome young man four years older than her. “I see. Everyone is dating except for me. Ah, when will it be-.” “We're not like that, you know?” "I know everything." “What does a little Confucius like you know!” People in this world who have not been tainted by the Internet and TV were quite naive compared to modern people. Soon, 17-year-old Hang-ah, unable to withstand the teasing of a 6-year-old child, pouted and left the room. I lay down on the bed and typed 'martial arts’ in the YouTube search bar. Then, two contrasting videos captured my attention. Then, two contrasting videos captured my attention. One showed an over-the-top drama with characters flying in the sky and shooting gusts of wind from their hands, while the other featured a video of a martial artist from the Shaolin Temple getting pummeled by a mixed martial artist in a fighting tournament. It was obvious which one was more believable. “For it to be believable, it should make sense first.” However, even without the stories of Hang-ah, it was clear that the Zhuge Clan wielded significant power. If not, Dad, a respected merchant in Xiangyang, wouldn't have shown them such reverence. But I couldn't help but worry, wondering if Dad would handle things well. It was not uncommon for people to change when faced with immense profits. Did I meddle with my soap for no reason? We had enough to eat and live without it. Concerned that my Dad might face difficulties in the Zhuge Clan, I fell asleep, thinking that we should talk about it again tomorrow. However, that opportunity never came. The very next day, two individuals from the Zhuge Clan knocked on our front door.
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