Business Is Connections
The dinner with the Provincial Governor and his wife was nothing particularly special.
The Governor had little to say, and Dang Un-sang made no effort to wring flattery from thin air for his benefit. After the usual round of polite inquiries after each other’s health, the meal settled into a quiet atmosphere. The real conversation began only once the dishes were cleared and tea was brought in.
Hwiyeom opened the discussion with a cute sparkle in his eyes.
“Grand Madam, the truth is I have a gift I would very much like to present to you.”
“Hmm? A gift? From the young master, for me?”
“Yes!”
“My goodness… how intriguing. What sort of gift could it be?”
The Grand Madam smiled, her wrinkled eyes creasing with fondness for Hwiyeom, who was young enough to be her grandson.
“It is a cosmetic I have newly devised.”
“A cosmetic? Made by the young master himself?”
At that, both the Provincial Governor and the Grand Madam looked instinctively toward Dang Un-sang, who nodded.
“It is true. Without anyone’s help, this child alone conceived and formulated these precious ointments.”
“My, how remarkable!”
As the Grand Madam brightened with interest, Hwiyeom drew out the prepared boxes and set them in a row upon the table.
They were of fine rosewood, carved with cascading snowflakes, the recessed lines filled with mother-of-pearl and powdered coral so that the blossoms seemed to scatter on the wind whenever the light struck them. The Grand Madam and the Provincial Governor both stared, eyes gleaming.
“This… the box itself is a treasure.”
“The craftsmen of the Dang Family are second to none under heaven.”
“Mm. I remember how your predecessor took such pride in them. Hyoseon is gone, but it seems the Dang artisans have lost none of their skill.”
Whether the men talked of such things or not, the women and Hwiyeom were too busy squealing over the boxes to notice.
“Here—open the lid like this, and inside is the contents. I’ll apply a little to the back of your hand so you may try it.”
With the affectionate manner of a doting grandson, Hwiyeom scooped up a bit of Three-Day Snow, took the Grand Madam’s hand, and smoothed it on with careful devotion.
It was a salesman’s trick, of course—using a child’s natural closeness to lower psychological barriers.
The vaseline base, infused with aloe and cucumber juice, carried a cool, refreshing fragrance all on its own. Spread upon the skin, it left a chill and a deep, dewy softness as it sank in.
The Grand Madam’s eyes went round.
“What a true treasure this is. That these old, rough hands of mine could grow so soft…”
“Eh? What are you saying, Grand Madam? Your hands, rough? They’re so white and fine—if you go around saying such things, people will scold you.”
“My word, the young master has quite the silver tongue.”
The flattery was transparent, but not unwelcome; the Grand Madam laughed aloud.
“So what ointment is this, then?”
“It is called Three-Day Snow. It soothes and moistens the skin. When winter cracks and chaps the skin, when too much sun brings heat-poison, when one is burned, or whenever the flesh feels hot and stinging—it is excellent. After washing the face, when the skin pulls tight, it is wonderful as well. Used steadily, it does the complexion as much good as a tonic taken over a long course.”
“Good heavens, to create such a treasure… truly splendid, young master. And the scent is so clean and pleasant. The feel of it is wonderfully cool.”
Even plain vaseline left a slick, moist richness that lingered for some time; with aloe and cucumber added, the greasy stickiness was lightened, leaving only a fresh sensation as if it clung lightly to the skin.
Seeing the Grand Madam thoroughly satisfied, Hwiyeom opened the next item.
“This is called Lash Ink. One paints the lashes and brows with it so the eyes look larger and the gaze clearer… Mother?”
“I wore it today.”
Eun Seol-ran blinked her large eyes and smiled, and the Grand Madam nodded.
“I was just admiring Lady Eun’s thick, long lashes and neat brows and thinking how lovely they made her. May I try some as well?”
“Of course—shall I help you?”
“Mm. If you would.”
Hwiyeom dipped a cotton swab in the Lash Ink, lifted the Grand Madam’s lashes, traced lightly over her brows, and held up the silver mirror from the vanity case. She smiled with deep satisfaction.
“I look a full ten years younger.”
“There is one more.”
When Hwiyeom brought out the Undying Rouge and opened it, the Grand Madam gave a slightly awkward smile.
“Rouge? At my age, won’t people call me a foolish old woman putting on airs?”
“Come now, Grand Madam—you barely look older than my own mother. What old woman? If you keep saying such things, people really will scold you.”
“There is truly nothing this young master will not say.”
The flattery was blatant, yet being told she was pretty was not unpleasant—or perhaps she simply found him as dear as a grandson. Either way, the Grand Madam laughed merrily.
“Still, this shade is too vivid. A little much for me to wear. I shall have to gift it to my daughter.”
“Then what of these colors? I commissioned painters to create them specially.”
Rouge in the Central Plains was made only in the traditional way, with safflower or cinnabar and other red dyes, so the shades were nearly all the same—the garish scarlet people in twenty-first-century Korea would have called “the color of a rat’s meal.” To Hwiyeom’s eye it looked hopelessly crude. Remembering how cosmetics of his former century came in every hue under the sun, he had specially hired painters and ordered pigments made to mix into the vaseline base.
With the enthusiastic support of his mother, Eun Seol-ran, and the aunts of the Dang clan, the result was rouge in dozens of colors. From among them he had selected several calm, elegant reds that would suit an older woman’s complexion without being gaudy, and brought those along.
“I never knew rouge could come in so many colors…”
“Flowers bloom in a hundred hues, and a woman’s beauty is a thousand purples and ten thousand reds—yet the paint at the eyes and the rouge at the lips alone have never varied. How can that not be a pity? Our Dang Family starts its innovations in places no one else thinks to look.”
“Innovation, is it…”
The Provincial Governor, who had been silent until then, gave a short laugh as if the word pleased him.
“Looking closely, the base ointment of all these cosmetics seems to be the same, changing its nature only by what is mixed in. Have I seen it right?”
“You have. As expected, Your Excellency’s insight is beyond all fame.”
“Have you made any for other uses?”
“Why would I not? Here it is.”
Hwiyeom drew out a medicine case carved in high relief with a tiger roaring powerfully from a rock and presented it to the Provincial Governor.
The Governor examined it and exclaimed in admiration.
“It is as if the tiger were alive.”
“Black ebony, with the tiger carved in high relief, its stripes inlaid in gold leaf. The eyes are worked amber, and the fangs are ivory cut small.”
“A black tiger roaring in the night—truly a precious gift.”
“I believe you will like the contents even better.”
“Mm. Let us see.”
The Provincial Governor opened the case. At once a wave of mint fragrance rose up, and he nodded.
“A most refreshing scent.”
“It is mint. Many medicinals go into this Hogol-go; among them mint disperses blood stasis and warms the body.”
“Hogol-go? You mean it contains tiger bone?”
“Yes.”
He had not lied. The Hogol-go given to the Provincial Governor truly contained finely ground tiger bone.
I wouldn’t put it in what other people use—but for the Governor, I didn’t lie.
Even his frauds, Hwiyeom conducted with meticulous care.
“Well then—what efficacy does this Hogol-go possess?”
“When the joints ache and sting, when the muscles knot and feel tight—spread it on and it is excellent.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Is there some place that troubles you?”
“I have spent so many years buried in official business that my right wrist has throbbed and the joints have ached for a long time. I shall try some.”
“Allow me to apply it thoroughly for you.”
“Ahem. Very well.”
Hwiyeom scooped up a generous amount of the tiger ointment and smoothed it carefully over the Provincial Governor’s right wrist. Like a grandchild showing off for his grandfather, he massaged with his small hands as well, working the balm in for a long while.
Doing so helped the medicinal force of the ointment circulate more quickly—but it was also a form of flattery only a child could get away with without looking awkward.
If an adult did it, both sides would feel uncomfortable. When a child does it, it’s just cute. And old people usually like children.
As expected, a smile began to tug even at the Provincial Governor’s stern face.
“This is wonderfully cool.”
“Please use it often, and when it runs out, simply say the word. I will bring more anytime.”
“Haha. Well then—thank you.”
The Provincial Governor turned to look at Dang Un-sang.
“To have an heir so clever and so full of charm to succeed the family—the Family Head must truly be a happy man.”
“Haha…”
“Un-sang.”
Until now the Provincial Governor had kept a wall between them and spoken only as an official dealing with the people. When he suddenly called Dang Un-sang by name with the same familiar warmth as when they had met in childhood with Un-sang’s father, Un-sang snapped fully alert.
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“When we are among ourselves, you may call me Uncle.”
“I—is that truly so?”
“It is. After all, you are as good as a nephew to me, are you not? After Hyoseon died, I was far too indifferent to the Dang Family. Buried in official work, I neglected you badly.”
“Ah—not at all. How could…”
“I hear the Dang Family’s standing is not what it once was. Ever since Hyoseon and his father passed…”
“…It is my own lack of ability.”
“Is there anything I might help with?”
The unexpected offer made Dang Un-sang tense.
Apart from the old friendship with his father, the Provincial Governor was a complete stranger to him. And within Sichuan Province, the man wielded power that even a king might envy. No matter how many times Un-sang had met him before, that cold, ironclad face had made it impossible to open his mouth and ask for help for the Dang Family. Pride was one reason—but more than that, he had feared that a single wrong word from the Governor could ruin the clan.
Never before had the Governor called him nephew in such a warm atmosphere. The golden opportunity had arrived far too easily.
I hoped things would go well, but I never thought they would go this well…
Just as he swallowed dryly and prepared to ask for help in rebuilding the Dang Family, Hwiyeom suddenly cut in.
“If Father calls you Uncle, then to me you are Great-Uncle, are you not? Great-Uncle! Please accept this grandnephew’s deep bow!”
Hwiyeom hopped down from his chair and promptly offered a full formal bow. Dang Un-sang lost his chance to speak, and the Provincial Governor and his wife both burst into hearty laughter.
“Haha, what a delightful child. So your name is Hwiyeom, is it?”
“Yes!”
“Yeom-ah, I am glad we have come to know each other like this, and I am pleased with your gifts. So this old great-uncle would like to give you a gift in return. Is there anything you want?”
Hwiyeom answered without the slightest hesitation.
“Nothing at all. I did not give the gifts expecting anything in return, and simply coming to know the two of you is already a gift beyond any price.”
“My, my—what a proper, upright child.”
The Grand Madam smiled with deep fondness, and the Provincial Governor nodded.
“Your words are right enough, but for an adult simply to receive and leave it at that is not proper either. Tell me what you wish for.”
“Well… since you insist… one thing does come to mind.”
“What is it?”
“I would be happy if you would, if only on faith, use the ointments I gave you steadily—especially the Hogol-go and the Three-Day Snow. Even the finest medicine can hardly be expected to work after a single dose, can it?”
“Is that all you want?”
When the Provincial Governor asked, Hwiyeom nodded.
“That great persons such as Great-Uncle and Great-Aunt would use something this humble grandnephew made is itself an honor. How can that be ‘all’? It is more than enough.”
“A single word from me could flood the marketplace with these goods. You know that, and still you say this?”
The Provincial Governor was a seasoned politician. And in politics, no gift came without a price. However charming the boy’s manner, and however much old friendship with the previous Dang Family Head led him to call them nephew and grandnephew, it was obvious their visit was not for free gifts.
Stop dancing around it and say what you really want—even under that blunt implication, Hwiyeom’s guileless expression did not change.
“Did Great-Uncle not just call my father and me nephew and grandnephew? What greater recompense could there be than that?”
“So you mean to trade on my name for business?”
You just certified that you regard us as kin—at Hwiyeom’s implication the Provincial Governor nodded. On reflection, that alone would bring the Dang Family ample profit.
But once again Hwiyeom slipped past his expectations.
“I am loath to say it, Great-Uncle, but I believe it best that our relationship remain secret. Should it become known, the world would sneer that ‘the Dang Family’s goods sell only on the strength of the Provincial Governor’s authority, and the quality is nothing special’—and I fear a stain upon Great-Uncle’s pure reputation.”
“Hoh.”
“My word—is the child’s thinking not remarkably mature, my lord?”
“Indeed it is, my lady. Then you truly want nothing?”
“If you insist—then to be invited now and then to share a meal like this would be a joy without equal.”
Hwiyeom’s words flowed like a mountain stream, and from the listener’s side they were no corrupt petition. On the contrary, his refusal of favors and concern for the other’s good name left the Provincial Governor, who had briefly doubted his motives, a little ashamed.
Dealing so long with greedy officials, I had forgotten what purity looks like.
Dang Un-sang, at first appalled that his son was throwing away a hard-won opportunity, soon understood and nodded inwardly.
No need to be greedy for the moment. Drawing closer to Uncle is what matters. Gaining a person is worth more than any immediate profit. The boy can see far—what a fine lad!
He believed Hwiyeom had sacrificed present gain for long-term advantage. He was mistaken.
Hwiyeom had not sacrificed profit. He had already achieved his intended purpose.
This is an age that doesn’t know what influencer marketing is. The effect should land beautifully.
Human psychology was simple. When a famous person used something, one felt the urge to use it too. The instinct not to fall behind the group created fashion, and in the twenty-first century the leaders of fashion had been celebrities—but famous businessmen and politicians served just as well.
There was that time a chaebol chairman called before a parliamentary audit was spotted using a cheap lip balm, and it became a sensation. People joked about how frugal the head of a giant conglomerate was to use a twenty-thousand-won stick—‘J Dragon’ jokes and all—and buying that balm turned into a trend.
And the celebrities of this age are ultimately high officials, renowned local scholars, virtuous women, royalty, and the imperial clan.
Imagining the day the marketing would take effect, Hwiyeom allowed himself a quiet, private smile.