Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Belated Apology

Without realizing, eyes flashed open.

“Tore all these for free?”

“Th, that······.”

Grandfather closed eyes tightly and shouted.

“Not all for free, ahem!”

“Then received at a cheap price. Said demand with stocks?”

“No, how did you know that?”

Grandfather opened eyes round.

“Isn’t it natural? Have to fill the subordinates’ bellies thickly with U-gwang, but the eyes of the media and the people are all focused on U-gwang.”

I grinned.

“U-gwang is a company doing business world ranking 9th even looking like this. If the regime attaches and puts out scattered, how would it look in people’s eyes?”

“Ahem. Well what······.”

“The government is advocating a clean government hanging the banner of eradicating corruption. So can’t openly tear U-gwang and distribute to the close aides.”

Only then grandfather nodded obediently.

“Yes, hit right. Said demand with stocks.”

“Because there is no method that can blind the eyes and money launder more cleanly and certainly than that.”

“This smart guy.”

Grandfather smiled broadly and tightly hugged me.

“Where did such an intelligent guy come out? All this is Seong-jun’s fortune, Taeseong’s fortune. Hahaha!”

“Grandfather, I want to see this a bit.”

My eyes turned to the golden light documents grandfather took out.

Golden light flashing without resting, no way eyes wouldn’t turn.

“Okay, yes. Look to your heart’s content.”

“Eh?”

U-gwang Shipbuilding, U-gwang Automobile, U-gwang Heavy Equipment, U-gwang Chemicals, U-gwang Hospital, U-gwang Pharmaceutical, U-gwang Research Institute.

Surprised looking at the words scribbled roughly with a fountain pen.

‘Not only the documents golden light but the letters are more popping golden light!’

Grandfather stroked my head with a swipe and informed.

“His Excellency wrote directly.”

Somehow!

‘The letters His Excellency scribbled with his own handwriting themselves are no different from a guarantee check so flashed like this!’

Suddenly a question flashed.

“Grandfather, but why are U-gwang Securities and U-gwang Construction missing?”

“His Excellency said change that with heavy industry.”

So automobiles and heavy equipment entered here?

“Not curious that shipbuilding entered first there?”

“Well if grandfather, would have asked for shipbuilding first.”

“Ha······!”

“Naturally to appeal deciding to jump into defense industry, even if other things, shipbuilding had to be mentioned necessarily.”

“No separate fortune teller. Even if entered my inside and came, couldn’t point and say so tightly. Aigo, this clever thing!”

Grandfather lifted me up with a whoosh again.

“Yes, as you said, to fill the close aides’ pockets, would have to be torn thickly. Still compared to when bought at the proper price in the market, can be said a cheap price.”

“How much stocks decided to put out?”

“50%. However, said just eat what is specified in the contract.”

“Then the sound that chemicals and automobiles, heavy equipment are all my share?”

Grandfather couldn’t say no and instead made a groan sound.

“Will take care my share of the remaining affiliates separately too?”

This time too only groaning sounds flowed.

“At least fortunate.”

“What’s fortunate? Stripping grandfather to the bones?”

“The 15 billion sponsorship money. Thanks to that if a person saying will dispose of the stocks right away comes out, can give back money and buy.”

“······.”

“If can buy stocks and management rights with money, have to buy.”

What is important in a company no matter what is stocks and management rights.

“Let’s eat first before strict guys snatch the affiliate stocks obtained for free with effort.”

“Jeong-hyeok, as you also know, the meaning of putting out with stocks······.”

“In short the sound that ultimately because of money laundering?”

I poked my chest with the index finger.

“What did I establish for the purpose of money laundering?”

“Investment company!”

Bingo.

“Went well? Thanks to that even reduced one of grandfather’s worries.”

“Know what my worry is?”

“Said leave the work of persuading Taeseong’s executives and family to grandfather?”

Grandfather promised me last time.

-Take it, the management rights!

-The work of persuading the family and Taeseong Group executives?

-Leave to me. Does it seem grandfather can’t even solve that level?

-Thank you, grandfather.

-However, for safety, not permitting putting you to the front. Exercise the management rights detouring your investment company.

I hugged grandfather’s arm and smiled brightly.

“As promised, will exercise the management rights detouring the investment company. How? Just right?”

Whether grandfather’s mouth was blocked tightly, dropped his mouth open.

Soon let out a low hollow laugh.

“Yes, just right. Fits so tightly so no words to add. Yes, take all with skill.”

Then was startled and looked back at me.

“Surely Jeong-hyeok you, already looked ahead up to here then?”

Honestly speaking, was thinking of eating U-gwang Securities and U-gwang Construction, didn’t know would get to eat automobiles and heavy equipment.

But it is right that it was a method recalled while worrying how an eight-year-old me can exercise shares and management rights.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

At the sudden applause sound, looked back, Secretary Kim nodded with an admiring expression.

“As expected the Young Master had all plans!”

Thanks to Secretary Kim’s expression full of conviction?

Grandfather also hit his knee with a thud.

“As expected so! Yes, I knew it would be so! Of course so! Hahaha!”

Only Manager Go made an absurd expression and dropped the car key he was holding with a thud.

“Is everyone doing this sincerely?”

“Of course.”

“Natural sound!”

Manager Go shook his head as if completely unable to understand.

Whether so or not.

I whispered small in grandfather’s ear.

“Grandfather, thinking of taking care Taeseong Chemicals as our mother’s bridal goods as promised.”

“Yes, yes! Jeong-hyeok your share so do as you want. Shall I look into gifting?”

“Those words mean, if treating our mother regrettably, if marrying into another place not Taeseong, Taeseong Chemicals will roll into another family the sound.”

“What?”

Grandfather put on a serious face.

“What is all this sound now?”

“Since grandfather hasn’t kept the promise until now, what choice.”

“Where didn’t I keep the promise? At least even handing over shares like this obediently as your share?”

“Forgot? There was a condition I put while exchanging with the cut three pages of the U-gwang Construction bribe ledger.”

“So I brought your father from the Middle East, and even wrote a memorandum instead of Taeseong Construction stocks?”

“Apologizing for insulting our mother, and permitting the marriage?”

“······.”

Grandfather coughed hollowly.

“Household registration cleanup already all finished matter. Moreover I also publicly recognized you mother and son as Seong-jun’s pair at the year-end night?”

“Trying to wipe the mouth clean of the matter of giving a money envelope to our mother and trying to separate from father?”

This is what grandmother did.

“And pretending not to know the matter of giving an apartment and one building and saying remarry leaving me?”

This is what grandfather did.

“Is household registration cleanup all? Wounds made with words also fester and rot if left. Goes for life.”

So the older sisters-in-law lit eyes and picked flaws.

Did I forget that from the first day of the new year, in the seat where all Taeseong’s executives gathered, tried to scold mother?

“Even grandmother didn’t even show her face at the rice cake soup eating seat on the first day of the new year? Openly slighting.”

“No. That is circumstances······!”

“Never explained those circumstances to mother, never asked for understanding?”

“Ahem!”

“Even not even a formal meeting, never stopped by the maternal family and showed face once. Thinking too much while taking in as a daughter-in-law?”

Grandfather lifted me up with a whoosh.

“Yes, let’s apologize! Have to apologize!”

Then walked with big strides toward the entrance door with tragic steps.

“Formal meeting, wedding, greeting to the in-laws house! Of course will do! Natural sound! Ahem ahem!”

* * *

“Daughter-in-law, sorry! Please forgive!”

“Puhup!”

Mother who was sitting on the living room sofa drinking coffee spurted.

Because as soon as entering the house, grandfather suddenly bent his waist 90 degrees and shouted.

“I said bad words to you! Giving real estate saying remarry leaving Jeong-hyeok was also wrong.”

“Father?”

“Even not looking at the in-laws saying household registration cleanup all finished carelessly is all my fault!”

“Just scold saying I committed a crime to die!”

Mother was greatly alarmed and knelt from the knees.

Whether in the middle of organizing album photos, even Polaroid photos fell on the floor with a rustle.

“I···, what wrong did I do how much that doing this.”

“No! You did nothing wrong!”

Unable to watch, I ran with a whoosh and clung to grandfather’s leg.

“Our mother is surprised! Who told to shout loudly and scare?”

“No, I wasn’t trying to scare······ Ahem, ahem ahem!”

“Really doing this?”

“If you also sit in my age, my seat, will know!”

Grandfather muttered ‘When was the last time I did an apology.’

Then with the back of the neck reddened, refined the throat with a hollow cough.

“Daughter-in-law.”

“······!”

Mother inhaled.

Grandfather met eyes and called ‘daughter-in-law’ for the first time.

Stopped.

Grandfather couldn’t take steps and hardened on the spot.

Unable to take eyes off the album and notebook fallen at the feet.

Jeong-hyeok prenatal notebook>, <​Jeong-hyeok album>, <​Jeong-hyeok newspaper scrap

The prenatal notebook fallen carelessly with the inside opened.

What stuck out was an ultrasound photo.

Grandfather silently squatted and picked up the prenatal notebook.

Jeong-hyeok, do you like silver pills and puffed rice by any chance? Today received from the market aunt and was surprised because delicious?

Strange. I’m a chocolate cake and chocolate cookie faction, why lately white rice cake and hotteok pricking the eyes.

Was chased out because rent was overdue. Thinking about it, couldn’t eat anything but hoppang and one soy milk for two days.

Will sell vegetables hard and next time necessarily buy double flower tea. Floating two eggs. So endure with soy sauce egg rice today?

Compared to the few ultrasound photos, mother’s diary was written densely.

‘Was there such a thing?’

I also seeing for the first time.

In the past, lost mother early from coal briquette poisoning, when held the funeral and returned, there was nothing particular of objects remaining in the house.

Of course father’s watch and notebook in mother’s jewelry box even the bankbook were all stolen.

‘Didn’t know if photos taken with mother remained.’

Unable to take eyes off looking at the photo of mother holding in young days was the same for me too.

‘Was sorrowful because there was no one photo.’

Struggled wanting to hold mother’s face gradually blurring in the memory.

Earnestly wished to meet mother at least once even if only in a dream.

In the days of wandering the back alleys, there was a time of picking up and eating bread with rat poison applied while rummaging trash cans because no food.

When the inside was emptied and the mind became distant, what recalled while dying was mother’s faintly tear-soaked face.

“Child, if no schedule today, won’t have lunch together?”

“Yes?”

Mother was flustered and stood up with a whoosh.

“Wa, wait a moment! Will prepare lunch soon and serve. If knew it would be like this, would have done the market······.”

“Enough. I will buy. Let’s go out and eat.”

At the sudden eating out chant, mother opened eyes round.

“Heard almost cut ties with the in-laws holding Jeong-hyeok too? There would have been no person to take care even one food wanted to eat when having the child. Today I will buy that.”

Grandfather sighed long.

“Would have been thrown into the world bare-bodied with nothing, would have properly taken care of meals.”

Mother dropped the photo she was holding with a thud.

It was the photo of our three family hanging on the Christmas tree, taken together.

“Actually when you first brought Jeong-hyeok out. Regretted that should have said the sound of suffering giving birth and raising Jeong-hyeok first rather than the sound of remarry.”

The three of us in the photo were putting faces together and laughing as if having the whole world.

“The thought came that should have fed one meal of rice heartily first rather than such coffee and sent.”

Looking down at the photo blankly, grandfather said.

“Rather than publicly announcing ‘you are our Seong-jun’s pair, Jeong-hyeok’s mother, and Taeseong’s daughter-in-law!’ in front of political and business figures, should have visited the in-laws first and persuaded to marry.”

Mother covered her mouth with both hands.

“If breaking the marriage with U-gwang, should have cleaned up the past wrongs first rather than cleaning up Taeseong Chemicals shares.”

“Ah, father.”

“Before asking where to send Jeong-hyeok to elementary school, should have asked first if there is thought of attending the university you had no choice but to quit again.”

Grandfather sighed low.

“I was this lacking. Shouting ‘Taeseong is one family!’ every day but actually put my family my family to the back. Deserve to hear the sound of a lacking father-in-law, lacking grandfather.”

Grandfather silently stroked my head.

From the trembling fingertips, gratitude and apology seeped.

So I also silently put my fern-like hand on grandfather’s wrinkled hand.

Pat pat.

Grandfather answered with a small smile to the small encouragement I handed.

The large and rough hand tightly covering my hand was large and warm.

“Soon I will directly visit the in-laws and ask for forgiveness.”

Grandfather bent his waist and picked up the Polaroid photo.

“Have to earnestly request to please give the precious daughter to our lacking son.”

An affectionate gaze.

“Jeong-hyeok, won’t go together with grandfather to meet the maternal grandfather?”