Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 707

It was about five minutes after leaving home, having seen off his father and mother.

Yunsu, who was sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly called out to Hyunsung in a loud voice.

“Hyunsung!”

Hyunsung, who was driving, was startled and looked at her.

In her hand was the envelope her father had given her when they left the house.

Hyunsung asked immediately.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Look at this.”

Yun Jisu took something out of the envelope and held it out to Hyunsung.

It was money.

Hyunsung asked, stating the obvious.

“Didn’t your father just give it to you?”

“Yes, that’s right. But the amount of money…”

Yun Jisu took out a white piece of paper from the stack of bills she was holding and shook it. It was a check.

That meant her father had given her a check along with the cash.

“That’s a check, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s right. My father gave me a check along with the cash. But the amount is…”

Yun Jisu couldn’t finish her sentence, so Hyunsung asked immediately.

“Why? How much is it for?”

“One million won [approximately $750 USD].”

“How much?”

Hyunsung doubted his ears.

When Yun Jisu first shook the check, he thought it would be for 100,000 won [approximately $75 USD]. But it was for a million won.

Of course, it was true that his father’s financial situation was completely different from his previous life. But even so, it was an absurd amount of money to give for lunch.

His wife, Yun Jisu, seemed just as surprised.

She continued, “What should we do with this money?”

“What do you mean, what should we do? We should just take it. It’s not like your father put it in by mistake; he probably gave it to you on purpose. Don’t you think so?”

His surprise was only temporary, and a smile was already spreading across Hyunsung’s face.

People don’t give material things if they don’t have feelings.

That meant that Yun Jisu, as a daughter-in-law, occupied a large place in his father’s heart.

That was why Hyunsung was smiling.

“Jisu must be happy. Your father thinks so much of you.”

“Still, this is too much money. Is it okay to really accept this?”

“Just accept it with a good heart. That way, your father will be even happier.”

“Well, even so, this is…”

Yun Jisu was still hesitating, holding the check in her hand.

After a moment of hesitation, Yun Jisu took out her cell phone as if she had made up her mind.

Hyunsung asked immediately, “Why?”

“I don’t think I can do this. I think I should at least call my father to thank him.”

With that, Yun Jisu started making a call.

Father and Yun Jisu.

Two people who had never even seen each other’s faces in their previous lives. Now, those two have such a precious relationship.

It was another sense of happiness that only Hyunsung could feel.

Swish.

Hyunsung turned his head and looked at Yun Jisu, who was talking on the phone.

She was smiling brightly as she talked. He could also feel the joy in his father’s voice coming from over the phone.

He could hear laughter from time to time.

A smile was still spreading across Hyunsung’s face.

Brrr!

Hyunsung stepped on the accelerator.

The car carrying the two of them sped towards Gangneung.

***

A sundubu [soft tofu stew] restaurant in Chodang, Gangneung.

Hyunsung’s mother-in-law and Yun Jisu’s mother, Ahn Youngsoon, was moving more busily than when she was running the restaurant.

She was busy preparing food.

The main recipient of the food was none other than her son-in-law, Hyunsung.

She was giving up her dinner business to prepare food for her son-in-law’s visit.

Ahn Youngsoon turned her head and looked at the clock.

“It’s already time…”

The clock was already past 7 o’clock.

Her daughter and son-in-law would be arriving soon.

Ahn Youngsoon’s hands began to move even faster in the kitchen, where all the employees had left.

After a while, a Jeep entered the restaurant parking lot.

The two people got out of the car.

Hyunsung asked Yun Jisu, “Jisu, is the restaurant closed today?”

“I don’t think so. The day off is Monday…”

Yun Jisu tilted her head as she answered. The reason was that usually at this time, the parking lot would be full of cars because it was dinner time, but today, strangely, the parking lot was empty.

“That’s strange. Why aren’t there any cars?”

It was then that a woman walked into the parking lot. The woman was Yun Jisu’s mother, Ahn Youngsoon.

“Jisu!”

“Mom!”

Yun Jisu approached Ahn Youngsoon and took her hand. Then she asked immediately, “Mom, why aren’t there any cars in the parking lot? Isn’t this the busiest time of day?”

“I’m not doing business today.”

“What? You’re not doing business?”

Yun Jisu’s voice grew louder without her knowing it. She had clearly said that she would be doing business today when they talked at lunchtime. But now she says she’s not doing business. What on earth is going on?

“Mom, you said you were doing business today at lunchtime, didn’t you?”

“I only did lunch business and closed in the afternoon.”

“What? Why?”

From Yun Jisu’s point of view, it was hard to understand.

Her mother always said that business is a promise to customers.

So she said that she must keep her promise to customers.

She said that the basis of that was keeping regular holidays.

In other words, she had to open the store no matter what happened on days other than regular holidays.

Why did her mother, who had been like that, do this?

Yun Jisu asked again, “Mom, did something happen?”

“Nothing happened… Nothing like that. It’s just because Kim’s coming.”

Ahn Youngsoon grabbed Hyunsung’s hand next to her and continued, “Kim, you’ve worked hard to come here.”

“No, I had a great time coming here. But did you really close the store today because of me?”

Hyunsung couldn’t help but be surprised.

Ahn Youngsoon had been seriously ill a few months ago. She couldn’t even eat properly.

Even then, she didn’t close the store and stayed until the end of the dinner business.

She was that thorough about the store.

So, Hyunsung couldn’t help but be surprised that she closed the store because he was coming.

“Our son-in-law, who is a welcome guest, is coming, so shouldn’t his mother-in-law prepare something to eat? So I just closed it without hesitation.”

Whack!

Instead of answering, Hyunsung hugged his mother-in-law, Ahn Youngsoon, with both arms.

What more was needed?

The person who runs the business gave up the business and prepared food for him during that time.

Hyunsung had also been in business for over 20 years.

What does it mean for a business person to give up the business for the day?

People who have been in business will know that it can’t be done with just any heart.

But his mother-in-law, Ahn Youngsoon, made that difficult decision.

Hyunsung tightened his arms around her.

“Mother, let’s go in!”

Hyunsung took Ahn Youngsoon’s hand and went into the restaurant. Then Yun Jisu followed behind with a smile.

After a while.

“What is this?”

Hyunsung and Yun Jisu, who had gone into the house, bowed deeply and held out a basket wrapped in cloth, and Ahn Youngsoon looked at Yun Jisu and asked, “Mom, open it yourself.”

“What is this…”

Ahn Youngsoon muttered and began to untie the golden wrapping cloth.

“Huh? This is?”

Ahn Youngsoon looked at Hyunsung and Yun Jisu as soon as she checked the contents.

“Why ginseng?”

“Hyunsung bought it for Mom to eat.”

Yun Jisu deliberately emphasized Hyunsung’s name.

The reason was that something grateful had happened to him at his parents’ house during the day.

When she bowed deeply and handed over the ginseng basket, her mother-in-law had asked, ‘Why ginseng?’

Then Hyunsung had said, ‘This person bought it for the two of you to eat.’ Then, of course, her parents-in-law’s eyes turned to her.

To be honest, she felt a little embarrassed but also good.

Of course, it doesn’t matter who bought it. After all, they are a couple.

But she couldn’t help but feel like she was being treated better by her parents-in-law because of her husband’s words.

So, she emphasized to her mother a little while ago that her husband had bought it. People’s hearts must be the same.

“Kim, thank you!”

Ahn Youngsoon grabbed Hyunsung’s hand and expressed her gratitude. Then Hyunsung glanced at Yun Jisu next to him.

He had a feeling when his wife mentioned his name a little while ago that she was doing it on purpose.

Hyunsung smiled slightly. Then Yun Jisu also smiled as if she knew what it meant.

“Oh, look at my mind. We have to eat dinner.”

Ahn Youngsoon got up from her seat at the end of her words and headed to the kitchen. Then Yun Jisu followed behind her.

After a while, various dishes were laid out on the table like a painting.

“Mother, what is all this?”

Hyunsung couldn’t help but be surprised.

There were fifteen side dishes alone. There was also seafood stew and short ribs.

Then Ahn Youngsoon came with a large plate.

“Mother, what is that again?”

“I got some sashimi during the day.”

The plate that Ahn Youngsoon brought was none other than sashimi [thinly sliced raw fish].

In the end, the table was too small, so some of the side dishes had to be stacked.

The three people sat around the table.

Hyunsung opened his mouth first.

“Mother, did you prepare all of this this afternoon?”

“I just did it…”

Ahn Youngsoon just smiled slightly.

Hyunsung had nothing to say as he looked at the table.

Even the king’s surasang [a lavish Korean royal cuisine meal] wouldn’t be this much.

It was then that a sound came from outside.

“Delivery is here.”

It was Ahn Youngsoon who moved at that moment.

After a while, Ahn Youngsoon was holding injeolmi [Korean rice cakes coated with roasted soybean flour].

“Mother, isn’t that injeolmi?”

“I heard that Kim likes rice cakes the most…”

When he came down last time, Ahn Youngsoon asked in passing, ‘What is your favorite rice cake?’ So he answered injeolmi.

In the end, she remembered those words from then and deliberately ordered the rice cake.

“Come on, eat it.”

Ahn Youngsoon held out one injeolmi to Hyunsung.

Munch munch.

Hyunsung began to eat the injeolmi that Ahn Youngsoon held out.

The injeolmi still had warmth in it.

The fact that it was still warm meant that it hadn’t been made long ago.

In the end, Ahn Youngsoon ordered the rice cake from the rice cake shop to coincide with Hyunsung’s arrival.

Hyunsung looked at Ahn Youngsoon and smiled, then said immediately, “Mother, thank you. I will enjoy the meal.”

It was then that Yun Jisu, who was next to him, opened her mouth first.

“Hyunsung, do you know that?”

“What? What is it?”

“You’ve been calling our mom ‘Mother’ instead of ‘Mother-in-law’ since a little while ago.”

“Huh? Did I?”

Even Hyunsung himself didn’t realize it. Come to think of it, he was using the title ‘Mother’ instead of ‘Mother-in-law’.

“Thank you, Kim.”

Ahn Youngsoon said, looking at Hyunsung. Her words continued.

“What’s the difference between mother-in-law and mother? But somehow I feel better when I hear the word ‘mother’.”

“Really?”

“I think that’s what it feels like when I actually hear it. I don’t have a son, so I guess…”

Ahn Youngsoon smiled slightly at the end of her words.

Hyunsung looked at her for a moment and called out to Ahn Youngsoon, “Mother!”

“Oh, yes.”

“Of course, no matter how hard I try, I can’t be your son. But I will pay more attention in the future and become a son-in-law who is as good as a son. I will fill the void of not having a son. So…”

“Hyunsung!”

Ahn Youngsoon suddenly called Hyunsung’s name and interrupted him. Then she continued immediately.

“Don’t say that. To be honest, even if I had a son, he wouldn’t be able to do better than you are now. It’s just my greed. I don’t envy ten sons even now. So don’t ever say that.”

“That’s right, to be honest, which house’s son could do better than Hyunsung?”

His wife, Yun Jisu, chimed in with Ahn Youngsoon’s words.

“Come on, eat quickly. The food is getting cold.”

“Yes, Mother. I will enjoy the meal.”

With that, Hyunsung wrapped the sashimi in lettuce and held it out to Ahn Youngsoon.

“Mother, say ‘ah’.”

“Oh, my…”

Ahn Youngsoon turned her head slightly as if she was embarrassed and ate the wrap that Hyunsung held out. Yun Jisu, who saw the scene, opened her mouth immediately.

“Someone must be happy, eating the wrap that her son-in-law gives her.”

“It goes without saying. Where in the world is there someone like our son-in-law…”

A smile began to spread all over Ahn Youngsoon’s face. Hyunsung and Yun Jisu, who looked at the scene, made eye contact for a moment and then smiled at the same time as if they had made a promise.

The three of them had a pleasant dinner together.