Chapter 124

Chapter 124

Each Person’s Circumstances

The second eldest aunt snorted.

“Bringing Taeseong Chemicals as bridal goods? Does that make sense as words?”

“No reason not to.”

“With what method? The meaning of seeing husband’s virtue or parents-in-law’s virtue eventually because can’t see maternal family virtue?”

The second eldest aunt clicked her tongue.

“Sister-in-law, surely not trying to ride on the child’s virtue this time too?”

“Ah, no. Such a thing.”

“What no. Even looking now would have secretly requested father putting the young child forward.”

“Yes? That is really a misunderstanding.”

“Then the matter of making the marriage with U-gwang fall through is also a misunderstanding? Know how awkward the two families became because of one sister-in-law? How many businesses entangled, how many people entangled.”

As the second eldest aunt looked down, mother bowed her head deeply.

“I just trying to eat one meal of dinner together as family······.”

“The sister-in-law is really good. Even without Seong-jun husband, father steps forward and takes care. I came together with maternal father because no person taking care.”

“······Sorry.”

I tightly held mother’s hand trembling finely again.

“Mom, why bowing head and apologizing even without committing a sin? Raise the head.”

“Jeong-hyeok.”

“What great crime is eating one meal together with grandfather.”

I tightly held mother’s hand.

“What’s wrong with seeing husband’s virtue, in-laws virtue? I hope our mom walks only flower paths thanks to me?”

“Jeong-hyeok, stop.”

“No need to see our mom so unsatisfactory. The Taeseong Chemicals said flew because of us? Bringing back is enough?”

I also snorted.

“Watch. Whether our mom brings back Taeseong Chemicals or not. Let’s argue again then.”

“Sorry, older sister.”

Mother bowed her waist.

“The child is still young so doesn’t know well and doing this. I will scold sharply later.”

Mother tightly held my hand and shook her head small.

At mother’s troubled expression, I swallowed the words rising up to the throat with a gulp.

Instead looked up at grandfather and argued with expression.

-Not controlling the second daughter-in-law?

Grandfather sighed with a very troubled expression.

“Everyone stop. Tired.”

Suddenly a question arose.

Felt even when eating rice cake soup on the first day of the new year last time, why doesn’t grandfather treat the two daughters-in-law strictly.

Because the love for the daughters-in-law is so deep?

Taking care of the daughters-in-law’s speaking rights like taking care of the children’s rice bowls?

“What’s so big about eating one meal together as family that raising blades?”

Grandfather patted my shoulder.

“Jeong-hyeok, go in first with mom. I have words to say with the in-law for a while.”

“Yes, you also go in first. The kids are hungry.”

The old gentleman lifted the fedora and greeted politely.

“Even if speaking so spitefully, not a child spiteful even inside. As you know, noisy inside and outside lately so the inside is noisy and doing so. Please understand, in-law.”

“Father.”

“Our child is running around in all directions lately to bring back Taeseong Chemicals. How much that I stepped forward.”

“Dad!”

“Know well that Taeseong Chemicals is a company the in-law cultivated with effort for a long time. Also know regrettable to miss like this, and know will lose forever like this if not stepping forward now. So made a big heart.”

The old gentleman smiled bitterly.

“Isn’t family living helping and relying on each other when difficult. Even if other things, if the work of bringing back Taeseong Chemicals, have to willingly lend one hand.”

“No, in-law. Taeseong Chemicals······.”

Grandfather expressed difficulty and closed his mouth.

An appearance of gauging how far to say.

“Thankful just with the words, but if Taeseong Chemicals, really no need to worry. As Jeong-hyeok said······.”

Ding.

The restaurant door opened.

A model-like man with a tall height and sophisticated black long coat, wearing a gray scarf.

“Dad!”

“Senior?”

Father discovered us and smiled widely.

“Jeong-hyeok. Su-jin.”

Father narrowed the distance in an instant with long legs and walked with big strides.

“Father, in-law elder, older sister-in-law and nephews also together.”

Father hugged me up with a whoosh.

I was surprised and tightly hugged father’s neck.

Father’s voice laughing low brushed the ear.

“Sorry for being late. Did everyone eat the meal deliciously?”

“We were in the middle of coming out after eating, the second’s is not yet.”

As grandfather answered, father took out the wallet.

“Nephews, today dinner uncle will take responsibility so order a lot of what want to eat. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“Uncle, no, younger dad! Can order cider too?”

“Mom keeps not letting eat saying bones melt.”

“Hmm, can calculate, but uncle also no confidence receiving permission from older sister-in-law.”

Father took out the bills in the wallet whole and put in the cousin older brother’s hand.

“Calculate with this, the rest do as your pocket money.”

“Nice!”

“Uncle, the best!”

“Said younger dad!”

The cousin older brothers liked punching the air.

“Why you calculating that? Naturally I have to calculate! The work of feeding my children!”

Grandfather also opened the wallet.

“I have more money than you too!”

“Father, yield to me this time. I also trying to earn a bit of points from older sister-in-law in this opportunity.”

“What matter of you earning points from the second’s?”

“Trying to request to see this person prettily from now on.”

“The sound of bribe?”

“What bribe among family.”

“If money and goods and requests came and went, bribe. Is bribe special?”

“Then consider it bribe.”

Holding me with one arm, and slightly hugging mother with the other arm, father smiled.

“Just buying one dinner for the nephews and older sister-in-law, seems no meaning arguing whether that is a gift or bribe.”

Father kissed my cheek making a peck sound.

“Jeong-hyeok, ate well deliciously?”

“Yes.”

“But why frowning so tightly? Stomach not good? Shall dad buy digestive medicine?”

“Not indigestion.”

“Then fever?”

Father brought his forehead to my forehead.

Then rubbed the forehead small and smiled gently.

“Because sleepy?”

At the same time, felt the cousin older brothers’ pupils sticking toward me.

Envy and surprise, and a bit of sullenness and bitterness.

The youngest among the three brothers older brother Shin-hyeok lowered eyes and muttered small ‘Jin-hyeok is good.’

The first older brother Ye-hyeok poked the youngest’s side with the elbow and whispered ‘Not Jin-hyeok but Jeong-hyeok said.’

“Thought the in-law bachelor was a wooden stone with no room for a needle to enter, seems I saw wrong until now.”

The old gentleman who was looking at our three family blankly made a warm smile mixed with a bitter smile.

“Family being harmonious is very good to see. Hehehe.”

The second eldest aunt looked at father with a peculiar expression.

“Young Master, no, husband not unfair either?”

“Unfair? What?”

Father looked back at us.

“Ah, living separated from Su-jin and Jeong-hyeok was a bit unfair. Because the passed time is too regrettable.”

Father smiled as if troubled.

“If the words regarding Taeseong Chemicals, that is entirely my fault so just sorry.”

“Nonsense! Are you Taeseong Group head? The person who decided to hand over to U-gwang is me!”

Grandfather pushed father and mother’s backs.

“Would be tired so go in now. Won’t go far.”

“Yes, then we will go in first.”

“Will go first. See you next time.”

Bowing greeting and turning the body, father suddenly stopped steps and looked back at mother.

“Wait a moment.”

Father untied the gray scarf wrapped around the neck and wrapped around mother’s neck.

Only after tightly wrapping so cold wind doesn’t enter, held mother’s hand and put into his pocket with a whoosh.

“Cold outside. Catch a cold.”

At the affectionate words, mother smiled small.

“Jeong-hyeok······.”

“Then I’m dad’s scarf!”

I tightly hugged father’s neck.

Sophisticated and heavy male perfume flowed in with a whoosh.

What caught in the shaking field of view over father’s shoulder was the second eldest aunt standing like a longing wife stone on the spot silently looking at us.

A complicated expression.

Ding.

We went out of the restaurant door like that.

The midwinter night wind brushed the tip of the nose coldly and passed.

Meeting the severe frost after being in a warm place, I trembled without realizing.

That seemed the same for mother too.

“See. Said cold.”

“Couldn’t even imagine it would be this cold because the restaurant inside was warm.”

“Let’s go quickly. Will turn the heater full.”

Like that how many steps walked to the parking lot.

Met two people getting off from a luxury sedan.

“Shh.”

The second eldest uncle raised a finger and blocked his lips.

He was hugging a young woman with long straight hair heavily made up.

“Just said let’s go to the hotel restaurant. Really certain more delicious than Taeseong Hotel steak?”

Disordered attire, lipstick marks stamped on the crumpled shirt, torn woman’s stockings.

From afar, cheap woman’s perfume smell blew terribly riding the wind.

Suddenly the information processed in one line in the Taeseong Group report floated up.

Taeseong Group 2nd generation head Cha Gi-jun’s private life is disorderly so known that family discord is severe······.

* * *

The car inside was warm with the heater turned full.

Back warm and belly full so without realizing began nodding off sitting in the back seat.

“Senior, how did you come up to there?”

“Seems Secretary Kim contacted, I was out on the site then so confirmation was a bit late.”

Father and mother’s voices came like a lullaby.

“What happened? Suddenly even ate dinner with father.”

“So. I also don’t know how it became.”

Mother said fiddling both hands.

“Father apologized.”

“Hmm?”

Mother began speaking the matter that happened gently.

Occasionally laughter sounds mixed so like song sounds.

“Amazing. Seems never thought regrettable. Listening to father’s words, tears welled up without realizing.”

“So?”

“Father said will visit our parents too and ask for forgiveness and persuade. Our marriage.”

“If forgiveness, I have to beg. Persuasion too, marriage permission I will receive.”

Mother tightly held both hands and said as if whispering.

“When running out of the house. I defied parents for the first time since born.”

“You?”

“Yes. Saying can’t see the appearance of ruining my daughter’s life like this so rather abort the child. I defied saying even if dying can’t give up our child.”

“······.”

“Said bring senior right away, but couldn’t.”

Father sighed low.

“Should have called me. Would have run barefoot.”

“Heard when receiving the money envelope. Senior got engaged with U-gwang Group’s daughter. If the marriage breaks, the joint business will also fall through. Don’t cause discord in others’ family and just leave.”

“Should have said. Looking at my face directly. Should have questioned.”

“So went to find secretly.”

A finely trembling breath sound.

A voice trembling more than that.

“Every day. Went back and forth in front of the school and senior’s house and waited all day.”

“······Didn’t know. At all.”

“Knew later. Senior went to the army.”

“Ah, volunteered urgently saying avoiding the engagement ceremony. Left a letter, didn’t receive?”

“Letter?”

“Didn’t receive.”

A brief silence flowed.

“Thought senior was deliberately avoiding me. Then got caught.”

Because of morning sickness.

The words mother added.

“An unmarried virgin got pregnant so trying to drag to the hospital right away. Too surprised and ran out in training clothes.”

Father held the steering wheel with the left hand, and tightly held mother’s trembling hand with the right hand.

“Even though mother called ‘Su-jin, don’t go!’ from behind, even though the younger sibling clung to father’s pant leg and wailed, I caught a taxi avoiding the father running······.”

Before long moisture mixed in mother’s voice.

“Still don’t regret. Because wanted to protect even if throwing away everything, our child.”