Chapter 28
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Episode 28. Scoundrel
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As Taeseo scowled at the words "someone else's woman," the convenience store door opened and the scenery seemed to cry out. Yuna, who came outside, placed the bottle she was holding in front of Taeseo. She glanced at Jaeseop and added words Taeseo hadn't asked.
"Water. Thank you for helping me when I went to the hospital last time."
Taeseo put down his intention to argue, "Why is she your woman?" as he tidied up what he was eating and watched Yuna's back as she went into the convenience store. It seemed like a better thing for Ahn Yuna's peace of mind.
Jaeseop watched Yuna as if monitoring her, then stubbed out his cigarette and went upstairs.
The weather felt gloomy, and then thunder rumbled from between the clouds.
From the moment I stepped outside, I felt it was a day with a high discomfort index, and now Taeseo's mood had become truly unpleasant.
Was it because of the cattle thief who called Ahn Yuna his woman, or because Ahn Yuna, who had approached him to eat together, was now backing away while watching the cattle thief?
Raindrops began to fall, coloring the asphalt a deep shade.
Taeseo drove towards the Village Head's house. The Village Head was already waiting for Taeseo in front of the gate.
As he parked the car, the Village Head got into the passenger seat. His muddy shoes dirtied the passenger seat mat, but on a day like this, keeping a car clean in the countryside seemed nearly impossible, so he let it slide.
"Is Director Woo Hyunwoo not coming today?"
"Yes. Director Woo has to stay at the site office and submit reports."
Taeseo drove towards Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim's house. Raindrops fell on the dusty car, creating reddish stains.
"He's really weak to alcohol. Did I tell you I saw someone pass out after just three drinks?"
"Indeed. I wonder how he'll manage in society with such a tiny tolerance."
"Director Kwon, who works with him, must have a lot of trouble. He probably has to drink for Director Woo's share too."
Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim's house gate began to appear ahead.
Taeseo, who was about to say that such drinking sessions were rare, stopped himself and parked the car in front of the gate.
Even when he knocked on the iron gate, there was no response from inside. After knocking a few more times, Taeseo raised his voice and called out to the owner.
"Excuse me. Is Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim home?"
With a creaking sound, the gate opened, and Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim looked out, holding the gate.
"This is Namgyeong Development."
Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim, spotting Taeseo under his umbrella, scowled fiercely.
"I told you not to come."
It was a dismissal before he even stepped inside the gate. Seizing the moment, the Village Head chimed in.
"Elder."
Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim, spotting the Village Head appearing behind Taeseo, relaxed the tension in her wrinkled eyes. Seeing someone she knew, her wariness subsided.
"Village Head, what brings you here? And with such a scoundrel?"
"I came to hear what the people from Namgyeong Development have to say. If it's good news, I'll agree, and if it's bad, I'll chase them away."
The Village Head subtly sided with Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim, and the elder eventually opened the gate.
Taeseo and the Village Head stepped inside the gate. The old house, with only the roof and walls repaired, still preserved its outer and inner wooden floors.
As the Village Head sat at the end of the inner wooden floor under the eaves, Taeseo took a seat beside him.
"It seems Yunho's Father is home today too."
The Village Head's gaze fell on the shoes below the inner wooden floor. They were old sneakers, dirty with mud.
"He came home drunk yesterday and passed out."
"Oh dear, I hope he becomes a proper person. What will he do, drinking like this during the busy farming season?"
Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim responded curtly to the Village Head's words.
"Don't you dare badmouth my son. Farming requires fields to farm. He's doing this because he has nothing else to do after selling all his land."
"If he has no fields, he should at least work for others. It's a busy season with plenty of work."
"Who are you telling to work for others? Our family, though living like this now, was once the most prominent family in this village. Without land, people are useless. It's all because of the land."
Taeseo listened to Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim's words with half an ear, his gaze fixed on the door inside the wooden floor.
Hearing that Ahn Yuna's uncle was sleeping in there, he felt it was good he had come to the house today. It had been a long time since sunrise, so even if he had drunk himself into a stupor, his ears should be open.
If he dropped hints about compensation, Ahn Yuna's uncle, being money-hungry, would surely come looking for him.
If he himself had approached Ahn Yuna's uncle and tried to make him a negotiation partner, he would be criticized for attempting to buy land from someone who couldn't even function as a human being. But if the uncle came to him, he could avoid such criticism.
Taeseo intended to resolve the land issue, even if it meant using Ahn Yuna's uncle, who was famous for being a scoundrel.
"There's no rule that a person must only work in the fields."
At Taeseo's words, the elder's face flushed with anger.
"What are you saying now?"
"Your granddaughter, Ahn Yuna, doesn't work in the fields either; she works at the convenience store and a factory. If that young child can work, then your son should too."
"That's nonsense!"
He had brought up the idea of working even without land to mention that there would be more jobs in the village once the golf resort was built.
However, Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim seemed to hate even hearing Ahn Yuna's name from Taeseo's mouth.
"How dare you speak Yuna's name with that mouth!"
"I wasn't trying to say something that only applies to Ahn Yuna."
"Enough! I know you're renting a room here, but if you even so much as flirt with Yuna, I'll rip your eyes out, so behave yourself!"
At her fierce demeanor, the Village Head intervened.
"Oh, Elder. Why are you speaking so harshly? Mr. Kwon here, as I know him, is not that kind of person. Besides, he's a decent person who even rolls up his sleeves to help with rural work when labor is scarce."
"Decent or not. Outsiders are not welcome, so don't take my words lightly. If you try anything foolish and get caught, I'll cut off your groin."
The fact that Ahn Yuna was friendly with an outsider man seemed to have triggered the grandmother's trauma from Ahn Yuna's mother's pregnancy and childbirth.
In any case, to get the deal done, he needed to clear up Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim's misunderstanding.
"Grandmother, there are plenty of women in Seoul who like me. I'm not interested in country women either."
Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim, who had branded Taeseo a scoundrel, did not believe his words.
"With that mouth, you can say anything."
"Oh, Elder, Mr. Kwon is not someone you can't trust. Please, listen to Mr. Kwon's story. He has a good proposal..."
At the Village Head's mediation, the grandmother pursed her lips with a sullen expression and looked at Taeseo.
"As the Village Head said, today isn't about land, but about what happens after the golf resort is built."
"......"
"Once the golf resort is built, there will be at least over a hundred jobs. Since few people will come from afar to work in this rural area, most of them will be hired locally."
"What does an increase in jobs have to do with our house?"
"Although it's a public golf course, Namgyeong will eventually regain operating rights. To minimize changes when the operating rights transfer, Namgyeong and the local government have agreed to consult on operations. It's possible to give priority to direct descendants of those who sold land to Namgyeong when hiring employees. Then, An Yunho and Ahn Yuna could also get jobs at Namgyeong."
The word "employment" seemed to soften the old woman's expression slightly. The Village Head, who was very interested in the village's development, seized the moment and raised his voice.
"I also slapped my knee when I heard Mr. Kwon's words. What a great idea! In a village with no work other than farming, jobs will be created, then restaurants will open, and more people will want to rent rooms. It's a hundred times better to sell the land at a good price and get Yunho a job, rather than having the land expropriated at a low price while doing nothing."
However, the mention of expropriating land at a low price should not have been made. The Village Head's words had once again touched Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim's nerves.
"Now I see, the Village Head is a lackey of Namgyeong."
"What?"
"Is Korea a communist country? What era is this, to expropriate people's land!"
As Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim's momentum shifted, the Village Head, flustered, tried to salvage the situation.
"No, Elder, I didn't mean it like that, but the law is the law. Namgyeong Development can't proceed with construction because of your land, and they're accumulating daily losses. You're not going to cover those losses, are you? This is a chance to sell the land to Namgyeong, and later think about getting Yunho a job at Namgyeong-"
"So the Village Head is also in league with them, thinking of buying our land at a low price!"
"No, Elder, it's not like that..."
Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim, barefoot, crossed the yard and picked up a sickle placed by the water tap.
"You damn bastards! I'll get a knife and rip all your mouths apart, you worthless dogs!"
"Oh dear, Elder, why are you suddenly picking up a sickle?"
Startled, the Village Head grabbed his shoes, still barefoot, and fled into the yard.
"You sons of bitches. I'll make sure you all perish today!"
At the grandmother's ferocity, Taeseo, without even putting on his shoes, fled next to the Village Head. He was also holding a pair of black dress shoes in his hand.
"It seems today is not the day. That elder, when she loses her temper, she sees nothing."
The Village Head grabbed Taeseo's hand and they ran out through the half-open gate.
As he was dragged out, Taeseo looked back.
From inside the wooden floor, the door opened, and Ahn Yuna's uncle, with disheveled hair, yelled towards the yard.
"Mom! Why are you making such a racket again!"
Thinking this was enough, Taeseo turned his head away without regret.
Through today's commotion, Ahn Yuna's uncle would have recognized him as the land acquisition representative.
Now, all that was left was to wait for him to come looking for him.
