39. merchant & interpreter. 
+ junseo is the eldest son of the jungin boo clan, known for their extraordinary talents in the arts, which have garnered them a reputable image in society. however, during junseo's youth, his father accumulated an immense debt with various individuals. his father's debt still grows to this day.
+ he possessed a natural gift for singing, often regarded as one of the most promising voices in joseon. junseo utilized this talent to perform at various events and gatherings, aiming to earn enough money to settle his father's debts.
+ one of the creditors to whom his father owed money was a renowned merchant named hong. junseo was handed over to this merchant as a means of settling his father's debts. they embarked on journeys between joseon, qing, and japan for trade, involving both legal and illegal transactions.
+ initially, the transition was challenging for him, being only seventeen and accustomed solely to life in joseon. however, under the guidance of the merchant, he quickly adapted to the world of trade and the marketplace. raised primarily by the merchant from the age of seventeen onwards, he swiftly learned the intricacies of commerce.
+ for a decade, he worked alongside the merchant to pay his father’s debt and was subsequently allowed to be on his own. with the money he made for and with the merchant, he was prudent in his financial decisions. having grown up with the burden of debt, he was cautious about how he used his money. with a significant portion set towards paying off his father's debt, most of the remaining funds went to providing financial support for his siblings. unable to be there for them emotionally due to his absence from home, he felt a strong sense of responsibility to support them financially. he saved up the rest for himself.
+ during the time junseo spent traversing through different areas, he visited the e quarter in beijing and bought a woman for a night with all of his personal savings. he did not do anything to her and she asked his name. the night was filled with much conversation and he was so moved by her words, that they became acquainted. eight years later, when junseo was twenty-nine, the woman became the wife of a high-ranking bureaucrat in qing. after losing contact with junseo and finally finding him again, she gave him ten times of money he spent for buying her.
+ initially, junseo was reprimanded by the merchant for what was deemed as "foolish" spending of his savings. despite this setback, he persisted in working under hong's guidance, gradually accumulating savings for himself. by the age of twenty-eight, junseo had saved up enough with hong's support to venture into starting his own business.
+ junseo continued to spend his late twenties and thirties traveling and trading, doing what he knew best to provide for himself and his siblings. there was little reason for him to settle down in joseon for an extended period of time since he was so accustomed to being on the move and talking his way to great deals. additionally, staying away from his father was a preference he held dear, which further motivated the tendency to avoid settling down in joseon for extended periods.
+ thanks to his mentor, junseo had also involved himself in illicit trade which had made him a comfy sum. this money went towards opening an inn for merchants, as well as starting a commission agency for port trade, which primarily acted as an immediate between merchants from the mainland and jeju. partnering with a renowned female merchant from jeju, whom he had a close relationship with, they traded local specialties such as horsehair, seaweed, ear shell, ox bezoar, pearls, cloth, accessories, and cosmetics. additionally, they bought grain from the mainland and sold it to the people of jeju. using their combined knowledge and exploiting tax laws, they secured a monopoly on rice and salt, amassing considerable wealth in the process.
+ junseo's proficiency in mandarin chinese, kinsei nihongo, and korean led him to pursue a career as an interpreter for the government, especially when foreign embassies visited hanseong. while his motivation wasn't purely altruistic, he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the government and its workings. initially a part-time endeavor around the age of 35, his interpreting work gradually became more frequent as the years passed. with numerous connections to people in high and low places from various backgrounds due to his life's work, this new occupation appeared to be another stepping stone for him.

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boo, house of the goral.
originally from tamna, the boo family laid its roots in hanseong when famed painter, boo wonsik, became a royal court painter. the boos are known for their gifted abilities in the arts, which have earned them a reputable image in society. however, this image has been stained by wonsik's son, boo sukku, a respected artist who succumbed to addiction to gambling and drugs. while yangban families chase after them for their work, loan sharks hunt them down to collect their debt. even with their talent and hustle, they aren’t able to shake off the gold digging rumors. the consequences of sukku's actions have trickled down to his children, who have been forced to help pay off his debt since childhood with their respective crafts. despite the desire to sever the bond with their father, each child is held back for a reason of their own and a shared, dark family secret.