By Zephyria “Are you going to keep frowning like that?”
“Why should I be beaming like this is some great occasion?”
“Then get out. Secretary Yoon, pull over.”
At Lee Mi-ran’s words, the secretary in the driver’s seat glanced nervously. As if wondering if she would really stop, Chairman Choi waved his hand, telling her to ignore it and just drive. The car soon arrived at the village entrance, where a large Village Guardian caught Madam Lee’s eye. Seeing it, she lowered the window and exclaimed in wonder.
“Honey, look at that. They still have those these days.”
“Indeed. I only saw those when I was a kid.”
“Ah, the air is so fresh. When you retire, shall we come and live in a place like this?”
“People should live in the city as they get older. We need to live close to hospitals to be prepared for emergencies.”
“I think accepting fate and living according to the natural order isn’t so bad either.”
No sooner had Madam Lee finished speaking than the navigation announced their arrival at the destination. The car stopped in front of a house, and the two got out one after the other. Chairman Choi, who had been holding Madam Lee’s hand, made eye contact with Kim Yi-eum’s father, Kim Chun-sam, who was watering the lawn, and immediately frowned.
Kim Chun-sam approached with a displeased expression, while the secretary took out various gifts from the trunk. Kim Chun-sam, who had been about to say harsh words, noticed Chairman Choi with his wife and softened slightly.
“Hello, how have you been?”
Madam Lee greeted him warmly and then pointed to the red roses blooming profusely in the parking lot as she entered, exclaiming in admiration.
“Oh my, the house is so beautiful. Did you cultivate it yourself?”
“Yes, well, something like that. But what brings you here?”
“We were just passing by and thought we’d stop by. I was wondering where the Madam was. I wanted to see her and say hello while we were here.”
At the word “Madam,” Kim Chun-sam was about to say something unpleasant, but just then, Kim Yi-eum’s mother, Shin Young-hee, came out from inside. She looked puzzled at first, but then belatedly recognized Choi Won-joon’s parents and approached them with a smile.
“Hello. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Yi-eum’s mother.”
“It’s nice to meet you too. Honey, come here and say hello. We’re Choi Won-joon’s parents. We didn’t want to come empty-handed, so we bought this, but I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
As she handed over the carefully wrapped bouquet, Shin Young-hee’s face lit up.
“Oh my, it’s so beautiful. Thank you. Please, come in.”
Kim Chun-sam didn’t like Chairman Choi and his wife, but he didn’t have any real reason to stop them. Once inside, Madam Lee saw the golden statue on one side and exclaimed in admiration.
“Oh my goodness. What is this?”
“It’s a gift the children gave Yi-eum for his seventieth birthday.”
Shin Young-hee’s face looked slightly embarrassed as she answered, and Madam Lee soon understood why. The date her husband was arrested for Kim Chun-sam’s achievements was prominently engraved on it. Chairman Choi, curious, came closer, and Madam Lee quickly grabbed her husband and steered him towards the sofa.
“You sit down first.”
As Madam Lee pushed her husband’s back to move him away from the statue, Shin Young-hee subtly went and turned the statue in the opposite direction. Then, she headed to the kitchen to prepare for the guests, but Madam Lee quietly followed her in.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“No, it’s okay, please sit down.”
“Your house is so beautiful. And the garden is so charmingly cultivated.”
“There’s not much to do living in the countryside. I tend the garden and grow crops in the field, but not in large quantities.”
“Give it to me. I’ll do it. I wondered who Kim Yi-eum inherited his good looks from, but he takes after his parents.”
“Haha, thank you. President Choi is no slouch when it comes to looks either. When he first came to our house, I was so surprised, I thought he was an actor.”
The two exchanged compliments and prepared refreshments, but in the living room, a suffocating battle of wills was unfolding between the fathers. Madam Lee, after putting down the refreshments, sat down and nudged her husband’s leg. She signaled him to stop, and Shin Young-hee also gestured to Kim Chun-sam to restrain himself.
“Hmm, the tea smells lovely.”
“A neighbor shared it with us, and it’s very fragrant.”
“Indeed. You should have some too.”
Chairman Choi reluctantly picked up his teacup, but his gaze was fixed on something. He quietly put down the teacup and stared intently at the display cabinet in the living room. Then, he slowly stood up. Before Madam Lee could ask what was wrong, Chairman Choi was standing in front of the liquor bottles displayed in the cabinet.
“Isn’t this… my Wild Ginseng Wine?”
At Chairman Choi’s words, Madam Lee quickly came and grabbed his arm.
“Why would your Wild Ginseng Wine be here? Come on, let’s go.”
“Look closely. The shape is exactly the same.”
“Wild ginseng is all the same. Why are you being like this, really? It’s rude.”
Reluctantly dragged away, Chairman Choi sat down, still looking suspicious. Then, he made eye contact with Kim Chun-sam, who had a mocking look on his face. Chairman Choi, feeling a surge of anger, raised his voice.
“You tell me honestly. Did my son bring that here?”
“Who are you calling ‘you’? You’re much younger than me!”
“Much younger, my foot. You’re seventy this year, why would I be much younger? My birth registration was late, but I’m the same age as you, you know?”
“I don’t want to know, so leave. Good riddance. Take that Wild Ginseng Wine with you. You asked if your son brought it? That’s right. Your son brought it here and begged me to accept him!”
“Don’t talk nonsense! What does my son lack!”
“How would I know! They say if the wife is pretty, you bow to the mother-in-law’s gatepost, so maybe that’s why!”
“What, you punk!”
As their voices grew louder, Shin Young-hee tried to stop them with a troubled expression, but Madam Lee went to the display cabinet, picked up the Wild Ginseng Wine, and slammed it down on the table. Everyone fell silent, and a stillness settled over the room. Madam Lee rolled up her sleeves and looked back and forth between Chairman Choi and Kim Chun-sam.
“Since it’s come to this, let’s have a drink and clear up all the resentment you’ve been holding in. We won’t interfere whether you two throw punches or pull each other’s hair. Right, Madam?”
Shin Young-hee quickly nodded. “Yes, please do. It would be good for you two to settle things once and for all.” Chairman Choi and Kim Chun-sam glared at each other, huffing and puffing, but neither of them backed down.
Madam Lee, watching, signaled Shin Young-hee with a wink. The two went outside and looked inside through the living room window, where Chairman Choi and Kim Chun-sam were glaring at each other without an inch of compromise.
Seeing this, Shin Young-hee looked worried.
“Is it okay to leave them like that?”
“Let them be. If we’re there, they’ll just put on more airs.”
“I’m sorry you came all the way here.”
“No, we’re the ones who barged in and caused this commotion. I was greedy because I thought the children’s relationship wouldn’t progress if we didn’t come like this. I’m the one who’s sorry.”
The two took a light stroll in a friendly atmosphere. The neighborhood was small and quiet, and the scenery was truly beautiful. As they chatted, they realized they got along quite well.
After taking a walk and even picking some freshly grown vegetables, the two returned home around sunset, and they couldn’t close their mouths at the sight that unfolded as soon as they opened the door. They had worried that the two might actually have thrown punches, but the liquor bottle was empty, and they had gotten drunk in the meantime and were dozing off on the sofa.
“Hey, Choi. I’ll only accept your son! I can never accept you as my in-law, even if I die.”
“What are you talking about? I’ll only accept your son! There’s absolutely no way I’ll ever call you my in-law. Do you understand?”
Even though they couldn’t open their eyes properly, they bickered back and forth until they both fell sideways and completely passed out. Seeing them snoring loudly in their sleep, Madam Lee shook her head and complained to Shin Young-hee.
“What should we do? They’re too drunk.”
“I’ve got a good idea.”
“What idea?”
“Shall we put the two of them to sleep together in the master bedroom?”
“Together?”
“Yes, to make them hug each other tightly while they sleep.”
Madam Lee chuckled. “That would be quite a sight. I can already laugh just imagining how much they’ll hate each other when they open their eyes.” She hurriedly called the secretary who was outside. The two were moved to the room and laid down side by side, and Madam Lee immediately took several photos of the scene and sent them to Choi Won-joon and Kim Yi-eum.