Chapter 128

Chapter 128

No, This Gentleman?

The evening meal seat where the family all gathered.

Grandfather didn’t pick up the spoon even once.

While the wife and children ate dinner, grandfather drank alone.

It was raw soju.

“The U-gwang affiliates brought from the Blue House luncheon. What will you do?”

“If U-gwang Automobile and heavy equipment, naturally will acquire merge to Taeseong Automobile and heavy equipment?”

“Oh my, older sister. What are those words? Surely the sound of eating the table father set for free?”

“Sister-in-law, words a bit so? Eating for free? Then playing U-gwang Automobile and heavy equipment separately leaving Taeseong Automobile and heavy equipment?”

“Is there a law that only the eldest brother-in-law takes charge of automobiles and heavy equipment?”

The two daughters-in-law smiled cutely and subtly urged.

“Father, I’m really hard lately. Will help?”

“Why is the eldest son the eldest son. Please help, father. Yes?”

Only our mother the youngest daughter-in-law bowed her head deeply bewildered.

Grandfather put down the soju cup making a tak sound.

“You guys why only all business talk as words to say while eating rice? I called to the restaurant, when called to the conference room?”

Grandfather is almost emptying one bottle of soju already.

“Father also. Where is there a more important problem than this now that saying so?”

“A problem where Taeseong’s future is at stake. Where is the opportunity to swallow U-gwang’s affiliates common?”

“Speak comfortably. What so important announcement that dragging so long? Unlike father.”

“Called only us separately before calling Taeseong Group executives?”

Grandfather tilted the soju bottle again and poured alcohol into the soju cup with a pour.

“The last cup. Let’s empty only this. Can’t even wait that?”

A voice where a complicated mind is felt unlike usual.

The two daughters-in-law stepped forward saying this is the time.

“What will you do with Taeseong Chemicals? Because of U-gwang fire casualties the union striking, protesting, public opinion not good. Chaos.”

“This is why a person has to enter the house well. Pointlessly flying only the fine chemicals. Aigu!”

“Please entrust to our husband. Maternal father also helps so can solve the problem cleanly.”

“We don’t hope for much. If only acquire merging automobiles and heavy equipment······.”

The aunt put down the chopsticks making a tak sound.

“Really can’t watch. Having only greed. If someone sees, will think the new older sisters are Taeseong Chemicals owners?”

“Why? The young lady also interested?”

“Don’t know Taeseong Chemicals was originally Seong-jun’s share?”

“The youngest husband already gave up. Then now ownerless?”

Grandfather clicked his tongue tsk.

“Said stop business talk at the family meal seat?”

Only then becomes quiet.

Everyone silently ate only rice.

Every time the eldest uncle tried to open his mouth with an awkward hollow cough, the eldest aunt poked the side.

The second eldest uncle only watched eyes nimbly, the aunt dug the side dishes pouting lips whether dissatisfied, father was originally taciturn.

“Gathered sitting saying eat rice as family after a long time, seems no particular words to say to each other if excluding business talk.”

A hollow laugh burst out naturally.

“This is the result of my patience. So I deserve to hear curses. As expected better living as Chairman Cha rather than trying to do father role clumsily.”

Grandfather looked down at the soju cup for a long time.

“Did I tell why I took your names from ‘great vessel takes time’?”

“Know. Why wouldn’t know that.”

The eldest son Cha Dae-jun answered smiling.

“Said in the difficult and harsh times obtained us and determined ‘I okay not eating and suffering so let’s feed well and raise well at least my children!’ and named.”

“Yes, then know why I made the grandsons’ names ‘benevolence righteousness propriety wisdom trust’?”

“Said if living okay, shouldn’t forget even the basics of being a person. Live humbly.”

“So. But seems I thought wrong somehow. Rather should have named ‘family harmony everything succeeds’, no, ‘cultivate self regulate family govern country pacify world’.”

Grandfather sighed small.

“A gourd that leaks inside also leaks outside. The words intended to request not to behave so no sprouts outside, but actually I myself am a gourd that leaks inside.”

The eyes looking at the children and daughters-in-law sank low.

“No face to see your dead mother.”

A word tabooed in this family popped out.

The children all at once looked at grandfather and grandmother sitting next to him.

Grandfather was looking down at the soju cup held in the hand, and grandmother pretended not to know and drank the soup with a slurp.

“I was busy earning money receiving one cement factory privatization and even making a construction company. Couldn’t even enter the house well working day and night. Delivering cement nationwide, running taking charge of local construction.”

Before long even the sound of the spoon hitting the bowl didn’t come out.

“Thanks to that your dead mother would have suffered a lot raising three children alone.”

Grandfather rolled the alcohol cup in the palm.

“Fought a lot too. If barely entered the house once a month, questioned me saying intending to become a money-earning machine, not doing father role. What to do with the children, said can’t live like this.”

The children closed their mouths tightly.

“Then couldn’t understand your mother. Suffering to death until now and now a bit breathing room opening, if running a bit harder soon will become livable, why not understanding.”

Grandfather sighed low.

“I raised my voice saying catching like catching a mouse for a not particular matter holding the person who earned money suffering bone-breakingly to death, instead of the sound of suffered, thank you, worked hard only criticism.”

Grandfather fiddled the soju cup held in the hand.

“Becoming a husband not even knowing the wife was so sick. Not even knowing raising the children alone with such a body.”

Moving the bitter mouth line, grandfather continued the words.

“Busy earning money. Saying doing business, will make the wife and children live well, growing the company large. All my greed.”

The children’s sighs also scattered low.

“Receiving the telegram that the children’s mother died and hurriedly coming up from the local area and seeing, only then the house appearance entered the eyes. No face. No words to make excuses, no shame to ask for forgiveness.”

A story never heard until now.

“Heard the twelve-year-old eldest son wiped the dead mother cleanly with a wet towel and covered with the prettiest clothes. Hearing the sound of bringing the younger siblings and making farewell greetings, the chest collapses.”

Grandfather looked at the eldest son with affectionate eyes.

“Said got burned largely while boiling ramen saying feeding the young younger siblings. Carried medicine saying taking care of the sick mother, soaked hands in winter cold water and washed the clothes the younger siblings wear, did dishes, washed rice and cooked rice······.”

As the voice began to tremble, grandfather gulped the soju cup in one go.

“Detached several thick affiliates as your share early. Supported company money every time, took responsibility for the grandsons’ tuition until now, and even put real estate and stocks so not envious of others occasionally.”

Grandfather looked down at the empty soju cup and made a bitter smile.

“If took care my children’s rice bowls that much, did all the duty as a father, comforted myself saying if taking responsibility for the backing so the children can do all wanted and live, enough.”

Tak.

“Yes, will acknowledge! Until now I raised the children wrong! Ashamed even in the children’s eyes, even in the grandsons’ eyes! I may have succeeded as a businessman but as a father, as a husband a complete failure.”

The reason drank raw soju today.

“The subject who couldn’t even properly take care of my family saying no subject to interfere this and that in the children’s families, just busy covering own children’s flaws anxiously. The result is exactly this state.”

Grandfather was tightly gripping both fists.

Grandmother silently held grandfather’s hand put on the table.

“Thought what if flying such Taeseong Chemicals a bit. My son met the woman he loves and wants to live happily, taking responsibility for the wife and children, thought a father can’t even achieve that.”

Grandfather looked at the children in turn.

“Believed you guys would also understand my heart. Thought would consider enough if the younger sibling becomes happy.”

The eyes grandfather looking at the children looked quite sad.

“Not even knowing giving eyes to the younger sister-in-law saying flew Taeseong Chemicals, doing sibling dog fights saying will eat even one more affiliate.”

The daughters-in-law obediently lowered eyes.

“Thought if family, cover flaws, understand with love and tolerance enough. But realized that is not the ability, even the order was wrong.”

No one opened the mouth.

“Yes, will acknowledge. Becoming a father couldn’t even properly catch the children’s manners, who to blame? All my lacking fault.”

From grandfather’s mouth a deflated laugh flowed.

“Taeseong is one family? Actually couldn’t even preserve my family, is there qualification to shout such a slogan? Even that ruined.”

Grandfather tightly closed his eyes.

“The worries until now groaning how to unravel and make understand as a father feel really useless and vain.”

A low sigh.

“As the sin of chattering money money without color until now, from now on will try doing Taeseong Group head role well instead of father role.”

“Yes?”

“The sound of no thought of being flustered taking care of family matters from now on. Decided to entrust family matters to your mother.”

What grandfather pointed was grandmother.

“Almost thirty years. Raised you more than double the years your dead mother took care of you so enough to hear mother sound. Don’t call Lady Jeong, call mother.”

“Chairman?”

“You also don’t call me Chairman from now on. Here not a company, and you never were our company employee. Many good titles like husband, honey, darling?”

Grandfather’s declaration.

“If don’t like, don’t. Won’t force but instead my will will change.”

“Will?”

“Said earlier. Will live as Chairman Cha instead of the unreliable father. If chairman, have to drop airs with money and shares like a chairman.”

The two daughters-in-law were greatly alarmed.

“Daughters-in-law, sorry for making suffer until now as the sin of not properly raising the children.”

“Father?”

“If really don’t like, okay to divorce and go out. Won’t stop now.”

“Di, divorce?”

“Yes, what to do when can’t fix and use people. Throw the trash in the trash can and go.”

The two daughters-in-law dropped their mouths open.

Because until now came making tear winds in front of grandfather with the sounds of ‘can’t live.’, ‘want to divorce.’, ‘hard.’ until the mouth wore out.

“Instead if wanting to stick and live in this family, have to do even the daughter-in-law role ignored until now besides wife role, mother role. Other house corners all live doing so.”

Grandfather looked at grandmother.

“You also do if wanting to make do daughter-in-law life without watching eyes.”

The daughters-in-law were astonished soundlessly.

Only grandmother smiled meaningfully.

“If behaving spitefully, even vent the temper. Okay to overturn the table, okay to grab the hair and shake, whether make kneel and hit water slap or not. Do as want.”

Grandfather didn’t stop there.

“As Chairman Cha will say the business talk you guys are so curious about. Youngest daughter-in-law.”

“Yes, father.”

“As promised will recognize Taeseong Chemicals as your share.”

“Yes?”

Mother was startled and shouted.

But that was the same for the other children and daughters-in-law.

“Yes?”

“Suddenly?”

“No, why?”

Grandfather said cutting sharply.

“Just rewarded because established merit.”

“Reward?”

“What on earth did the sister-in-law do how, handing Taeseong Chemicals with a whoosh?”

Grandfather struck the table with a bang.

“Company work. Do I have to receive your permission, convince one by one?”

“······.”

The children and daughters-in-law tightly closed the mouths trying to leak astonishment sounds repeatedly.

Mother looked alternately at the note held in the hand and grandfather’s face with roundly opened eyes.

No need to be surprised. If doing as Chairman Cha says, enough.

The note an anonymous sponsor saying helping Taeseong sends.

What I delivered through Secretary Kim.

Father looked back at mother then discovered the note and narrowed eyes.

“Decided to give up U-gwang Construction and U-gwang Securities included in the Taeseong Chemicals acquisition conditions.”

“No, why that?”

“His Excellency’s meaning.”

“What on earth did His Excellency say that······.”

“Company work. Am I a rank that has to report to you guys?”

“······.”

Completely different from the conversation shared at the table usually.

“U-gwang Shipbuilding, automobiles, heavy equipment, research institute, hospital, pharmaceutical. Not Taeseong but JH Investment’s share.”

“Yes?”

“Consider an agreement made between the government and Taeseong.”

“What is that······!”

Everyone opened eyes round and looked only at grandfather.

Hoped to explain more detailed circumstances, but no way.

“Ten years later. Thinking of handing over the head position.”

A bomb declaration.

“If Taeseong’s family, won’t distinguish status, origin, qualification. Will hand over to the one with ability to lead Taeseong.”

Grandfather snorted.

“Tear as much as ability, pull in as much as skill, try growing to the fullest.”

Grandfather stood up from the seat with a whoosh ending with those words.

“However, can’t give to the guy who forgets family. How trusting and entrusting Taeseong to the guy who points a knife at own family? Taeseong is one family!”

Grandfather walked with big strides without looking back.

“Father!”

“Father, wait a moment!”

The moment the startled children and daughters-in-law stood up with a whoosh urgently and tried to follow out.

“Forgot who summoned today, or ignoring?”

Grandmother summoned.

Grandmother was smiling coldly making a triangle attaching fingers.

“Do I look like X?”