Chapter 411
Chapter 411: First Meeting between the Families of the Bride and Groom (1) – Part 2
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It was Christmas Eve .
Gun-Ho put on a dress suit with a tie . He then wore a coat before leaving his condo . He didn’t forget to take liquor with him as a gift for Young-Eun’s father as advised by Artist Choi . He chose two bottles of Maotai and put them in his Land Rover . On the way to Young-Eun’s father’s home, Gun-Ho stopped by a bakery around the Sillim station and bought a large cake .
The condo where Young-Eun’s father was living looked old .
“She said his unit is on the sixth floor, right?”
Gun-Ho entered the elevator and pressed six . When he arrived at the door, he rang the doorbell . No one answered . Gun-Ho made a call to Young-Eun .
“Hi, it’s me . I’m at the door . ”
A second later, someone opened the door . It was Young-Eun . She was wearing jeans .
“What are these?”
Young-Eun looked surprised while taking two bottles of Maotai and a cake that Gun-Ho handed to her . While inside the condo, it looked simple . It was about 25 pyung large . Young-Eun led him to the living room and let him sit on a sofa .
“Is your father not here?”
“He is . ”
Young-Eun opened the master bedroom’s door and said to someone inside, “He is here, dad . ”
A man who looked like he was in his late 60s came out . He looked a bit slim .
“Hello, sir . ”
Gun-Ho stood up and gave a 90-degree bow to the man .
“Please have a seat . ”
“Yes, sir . ”
Young-Eun brought some green tea .
Young-Eun’s father looked shy for some reason .
“How long have you seeing my daughter — Young-Eun?”
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“It has been six months, sir . ”
“Are both of your parents alive?”
“Yes, sir . ”
Young-Eun prepared some fruits and placed them on the table . Young-Eun’s father said while picking up a piece of an apple, “Please take some apple . ”
“Yes, sir . ”
“So, you are running a business?”
“Yes . ”
“What kind of business do you have?”
“It’s a manufacturing company of automobile parts . ”
“Hmm, then you must have a factory as well . ”
“Yes, the factory is located in Jiksan Town in Cheonan City . ”
“Is Jiksan Town part of Cheonan City?”
“Yes, it is . ”
Young-Eun was carefully listening to the conversation between her father and Gun-Ho .
“How many employees do you have?”
“There are 250 workers in that location . ”
“250 workers?”
Young-Eun’s father looked surprised . Young-Eun’s eyes, who was sitting next to her father, widened in surprise as well .
“Hmm . It must be a big company . You said your last name is Goo?”
“Yes, sir . ”
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“Which area does your family name originate from?”
“It’s from Neungseong in South Jeolla Province . ”
“Hmm, I see . Our last name — Kim — is from Gimhae City in South Gyeongsan Province . ”
Young-Eun brought the cake that Gun-Ho bought for them and asked her father, “Dad, do you want me to put it on the table?”
“Oh, you bought a cake . It’s too big for us . I’m not sure if we can even finish it; there are only two of us . ”
Young-Eun said while pointing at the liquor, “Dad, he brought them too . ”
“What are those? Ohhh, they are Maotai . Those are very expensive liquor!”
“Oh, are they expensive?”
Young-Eun looked at the label of Maotai .
“Oh, I heard you went to college in China . Which school did you go to?”
“It’s Zhejiang University in Zhejiang Province . ”
“Oh, Zhejiang Province! What did you study there?”
“I majored in economics . ”
“Oh, I see . That’s why you are running your own business . You must speak Chinese very well . Can you read the words over there?”
Young-Eun’s father pointed a frame hanging on the wall .
“Yes, sir . It says, Yoo Deock Yoo Lin (meaning: there is a good neighbor where virtue is present) . ”
“How do you read it in Chinese?”
“It’s ‘you de you lin’ . ”
“You de you lin? I guess they read the last letter as ‘lin’ as we do . ”
Young-Eun’s father and Young-Eun seemed to be interested in Gun-Ho’s Chinese .
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“Well, let me see . We have a guest here today, Young-Eun . Let’s order some food . If you look at the refrigerator door, you will see the phone numbers of several restaurants . Call them and place an order of some roasted chicken and Jokbal* . ”
“You don’t need to, sir . I already ate . ”
“Well, in that case, Young-Eun, bring me some dried snacks from the dining table . Also, bring me two empty glasses from the cabinet . ”
As Young-Eun brought two empty glasses with some dried snacks, her father opened a bottle of Maotai .
Young-Eun’s father filled up one glass with Maotai and handed it to Gun-Ho . Gun-Ho took it with two hands .
“Hmm, this is very nice . ”
It seemed that Young-Eun’s father really liked the taste of Maotai . As he drank more and more, he seemed to feel relaxed and at ease . He started talking in a more friendly and informal way to Gun-Ho .
“Please drink it . Bottoms up . ”
Gun-Ho took the glass and turned his head slightly to the side before drinking it . He tried to comply with the manner and etiquette that he could think of in drinking with a person who was older than him .
“So, this is Maotai . Let me have a sip . ”
Young-Eun brought one more empty glass for her .
“Wow, it must be very strong liquor . I can literally smell alcohol!”
Young-Eun frowned as she took a sip . Young-Eun’s father became talkative once he drank several glasses of liquor . Young-Eun placed the cake on the table and lit candles . Young-Eun suggested singing a Christmas carol, and they sang together .
“I feel like I now have a son . ”
Gun-Ho thought that bringing liquor to Young-Eun’s father was a stroke of genius as advised by Artist Choi .
Young-Eun cut the cake into several pieces and placed three pieces on three small plates . She then placed them on the table with forks . They drank Maotai with a piece of cake . Gun-Ho thought that Young-Eun’s father was a naïve man even though he was in his late 60s . He sometimes asked some questions to Gun-Ho, which could be raised by children . Maybe, that was because her father spent most of his life with children in an elementary school by teaching them .
“When Young-Eun was in school, she was an excellent student . She never created any trouble . She was ranked first in her class . When Young-Eun told me that she would bring someone who she would marry, I felt mixed feelings . I was of course absolutely happy for her, but also sad that I had to let her go . You have my blessing . I want you to make a happy life together . That will make your parents and me happy . ”
“I will keep that in mind, father . ”
Without realizing it, Gun-Ho was referring to Young-Eun’s father as father .
Young-Eun’s father seemed to enjoy drinking liquor . Gun-Ho thought that maybe because he was living by himself after losing his wife, and he probably wanted to ease his pain and loneliness with liquor . Gun-Ho would turn 37 years old soon, and he was old enough to understand an old man’s life .
“What did your father do for a living before he retired?”
“He used to work in a small company in Incheon City . ”
“I think your parents were very able people since they supported your study abroad . They must be great parents . ”
“Thank you . ”
“I wish Young-Eun’s mother was here with us . Since her mother passed away while she was still young, she didn’t learn much about how to do house chores . Her aunt taught her some, but still, she is not good at it . I hope you understand . ”
“Don’t worry about it . ”
Young-Eun said while frowning, “Dad, stop drinking . You had enough for today . Mr . Gun-Ho Goo needs to go home . ”
“Oh, really? What time is it?”
Gun-Ho stood up and said, “Father, I had a great time today . Thank you for inviting me over . ”
Gun-Ho gave a deep bow to Young-Eun’s father .
“I will see you again soon, sir . ”
“It was nice meeting you, son . Young-Eun, show him downstairs . ”
Young-Eun walked down to the building entrance with Gun-Ho .
“Do you think your father liked me?”
“I think so since he drank a lot . ”
“I do like your father too . He seems very scholarly . ”
“Drive safe . ”
Gun-Ho extended his hand to Young-Eun to hold her hand and say goodbye . Gun-Ho walked off the building for a while and turned around . Young-Eun was still standing at the building entrance and was watching him leave . Gun-Ho waved at her and Young-Eun waved back at him .
Note*
Jokbal – Korean dish made of pig’s trotters with soy sauce .
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