The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 70

“Soojung, let Grandpa eat in peace. Go play with Yujin over there.”

Unexpectedly, Hong Gijun stepped in as Cheon Gil-ryong’s relief pitcher.

“I like being with Grandpa. He looks like our Grandpa.”

“Ohoho-. Is that so? Then stay here.”

Cheon Gil-ryong had no choice but to eat all the ham.

It would have been uncomfortable to eat with Son Gwang-yeon and Hong Gijun watching, who had joined the table because they said they were eating with the elder, but thanks to Hong Su-jeong, the atmosphere was amicable.

Cheon Gil-ryong finished his meal, watching Hong Su-jeong, Son Yu-jin, and Balbari running around happily.

“Thank you. I unexpectedly received a precious treat.”

Son Gwang-yeon and Hong Gijun cleared the table, and Yu Se-ra brought out Korean melon for dessert.

Cheon Gil-ryong sat on the porch, observing the men. He nodded with a smile. When he looked at Yu Se-ra, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Han Yu-young brought out sujeonggwa [a traditional Korean cinnamon punch] on a tray and said,

“If you have any good words, please share them. Don’t hold back.”

Cheon Gil-ryong’s eyes lit up at Han Yu-young’s words.

‘How did this young wife see into my heart?’

As far as Cheon Gil-ryong had observed, people these days no longer trusted divine powers. Even in this remote countryside, a church had been built, and everyone flocked there. Even the village chiefs no longer came to ask about village matters. Of course, the reason for the loss of trust was also due to the fraudulent shamans who only said what people wanted to hear and cheated them.

Anyway, the world had come to a point where people were hesitant to hear presumptuous words in the name of blessings. It was time to step down as an old man in the back room.

“Living long doesn’t make one wise, and being young doesn’t make one foolish. What words could I possibly have? Hehe-”

“Still, I like hearing those kinds of stories.”

Han Yu-young, who didn’t even go to church, would offer tea to the pastor when he visited and ask for good stories.

She had the power to sway the heart of the Gae-maeul Gandalf [a playful nickname for Cheon Gil-ryong, referencing the wise wizard from ‘The Lord of the Rings’] like a cute youngest daughter.

‘Well then, since I’ve been fed, should I say a little something?’ Cheon Gil-ryong stroked his beard.

“It’s nothing special. What would I know? Take Son, the company president, for example. In the old days, among farmers, the words of the elders were like the sky. Isn’t that right?”

Son Gwang-yeon smiled and nodded. He kept his hands respectfully clasped in front of him.

“Looking at the sky and recalling the memories etched in their wrinkles, the elders had to teach when to till the land, when to sow and cover the seeds, and when to harvest. But this company president farms by looking at people, not the sky or the land. He reads the human world. He has wisdom. So, he can’t help but succeed. They say the future is the age of knowledge, but if you have knowledge and can’t use it, it’s worse than dog poop. The age of wisdom will come when people who go beyond knowledge and turn it into wisdom will succeed. In that sense, Son, the company president, is several generations ahead.”

Although he didn’t show it, Son Gwang-yeon felt a chill run down his spine.

He had thought of him as an old man living on a high hill surrounded by mudflats, but he was speaking as if he were looking down on the world.

“Before I turned eighty, I used to meddle and act like I knew everything.”

A cool breeze passed through the shade of the zelkova tree. Without anyone saying a word, everyone closed their eyes and took a deep breath. It was a refreshing feeling that was not easily enjoyed.

Cheon Gil-ryong took a sip of the sujeonggwa and exclaimed, ‘Ah, that’s good.’

“One day, I looked in the mirror and saw a stubborn old man. That’s when I realized. Ah, I should have been talking to the mirror. I should have said to the mirror what I was telling others to do. The saying that people should learn until they die, and that they should be humble, should also have been said to the mirror.”

Son Gwang-yeon and Hong Gijun listened to Cheon Gil-ryong’s teachings with humble attitudes.

It sounded like he was saying not to try to teach others or find fault in them, but to focus on cultivating oneself.

Cheon Gil-ryong turned his gaze.

Jinhyuk was walking down the road from the bus stop towards the house.

Cheon Gil-ryong smiled slyly and continued,

“Isn’t it funny? I realized the ‘heart’ I read about in my youth when I was eighty years old. When you think about it, it should be called a mirror (鏡) instead of a scripture (經).” [The characters for ‘mirror’ and ‘scripture’ sound similar in Korean, creating a wordplay.]

Han Yu-young also listened with a serious face. Yu Se-ra, with a frown between her brows, had a look that said, ‘What is he talking about?’

Cheon Gil-ryong smiled at Yu Se-ra.

“Just because an old man says something doesn’t mean it’s right, so filter it and listen carefully, and no matter how right and good the words are, you should first nag yourself, Madam of Seoul.”

“Ah, yes…”

Only then did Yu Se-ra smile awkwardly. She muttered, ‘It was Korean,’ to herself.

“This person can think this way, and that person can think that way, but when you try to melt others and pour them into your mold, fights break out. It would be easier not to see each other, but they insist on adding a word and creating animosity. It’s up to each person to cultivate themselves and gain wisdom. Look at that guy over there. How amazing is he?”

Cheon Gil-ryong’s pipe pointed in the direction of Jinhyuk, who was entering the yard.

He had changed his great fortune, saved many lives, and was a person who could change the world in the future. Yet, he didn’t covet anything and just lived day by day.

He asked Jinhyuk, who was bowing his head in greeting,

“Did you find many mushrooms? It’s not the season yet, is it?”

“There are many in places where feet can’t reach.”

Everyone was surprised inside, wondering how he knew he had gone to pick mushrooms, but Jinhyuk was calm. He thought the old man would know that much.

When Jinhyuk opened the black plastic bag, it was full of bright yellow mushrooms. They were golden chanterelle mushrooms, which grew on rotten trees in the back mountain of the house, and were chewy and fragrant. They could only be harvested in the fall, but Jinhyuk had saved them because Hong Gijun’s family liked them, and he would pick them whenever he came down.

Cheon Gil-ryong made a circle with his mouth and smiled.

“Look at this. It’s up to each person. Living, doing anything.”

Cheon Gil-ryong said he would stop talking nonsense and stood up. He carefully looked at Jinhyuk’s shoulders, head, and feet. Then, he frowned, clicked his tongue, and smacked his lips.

“Elder! Please don’t do that-”

Yu Se-ra called out urgently.

“Why is that?”

“Could you please read my face or something?”

Yu Se-ra, who had never been interested in such things as fortune-telling or compatibility, saying they were superstitions, was strangely drawn to Cheon Gil-ryong. Was that what they called divine power?

Cheon Gil-ryong sat down again. He couldn’t refuse the Seoul Madam, who was suddenly asking him to read her face, because she was as cute as a late-born daughter.

“Let’s see.”

Cheon Gil-ryong carefully examined Yu Se-ra’s face and hands. In particular, he looked closely into her eyes. In her black and large pupils, the image of an old man with a white beard smiling with curiosity was reflected.

Jinhyuk also sat next to Cheon Gil-ryong and stared intently at Yu Se-ra. Well, he didn’t know anything by looking, but it was a pleasant face to look at. He also found a difference from Hong Su-jeong. Hong Su-jeong had reddish-brown eyes, while Yu Se-ra’s were completely black.

Yu Se-ra, who met Jinhyuk’s eyes, chuckled and asked Cheon Gil-ryong in a polite tone,

“Should I tell you my date of birth?”

“That’s what amateurs and swindlers look at. They look at that and fit it into phrases. If that were true, how many people would have the same destiny?”

Yu Se-ra nodded, thinking that was probably true. There was no reason to argue, and she didn’t have the knowledge to do so.

Cheon Gil-ryong pointed at Hong Su-jeong and said,

“That princess over there, who looks just like you, must be your daughter, and where’s your son?”

“Pardon?”

Yu Se-ra’s big eyes widened even more, and her hands trembled as if she had been electrocuted.

‘A son? Who would misunderstand if they heard that?’

Yu Se-ra narrowed her round eyes. She began to suspect that this old man might be a charlatan. Even if he was an elder, wasn’t he being too casual and throwing out words so freely on their first meeting? She also felt a sense of displeasure.

“Madam of Seoul, your face has changed. A person who was like an ice block has changed like a spring breeze. Your husband will know what I mean.”

At that, Hong Gijun’s mouth naturally formed a circle.

It was because he knew that after he had searched for Son Gwang-yeon and joined the Sein Group, his wife Yu Se-ra had also become softer. Still, there was no hidden son…

Hong Gijun waved his hand silently at Yu Se-ra, who was glaring at him.

Even after making a statement that could cause a domestic disturbance, Cheon Gil-ryong was nonchalant. As if it were someone else’s business.

“Let’s see…”

Cheon Gil-ryong didn’t explain at length. But he wasn’t blunt either.

That was another difference from the fortune tellers in the city. Some of them even shouted while taking money. Compared to them, Cheon Gil-ryong was like a kind grandfather.

“Your face is very good. Just do whatever you want and live.”

As if she had never been displeased, Yu Se-ra grinned. Even if he didn’t get anything right, it was good that he said her face was good. She was already preparing to do what she wanted. Still, she wanted to hear a clear answer.

“What kind of work would be good for me?”

“You should do work that elevates your name. You shouldn’t be under anyone, and you shouldn’t have too many people under you. A tree with many branches is torn by the wind and cannot rest, but your face is like an orchid. An orchid should only take care of its own stem and be noble. Shining alone is the best.”

Kuhh-.

Yu Se-ra let out a melodious exclamation. A noble orchid. Could there be a more satisfying euphemism for someone with a desire for fame? She would shine alone in the history of Korean basic sports. Yu Se-ra’s eyes sparkled.

It was all about the interpretation, after all.

“Please look at this person too!”

This time, Yu Se-ra pointed at her husband, Hong Gijun.

Cheon Gil-ryong looked at Hong Gijun, smiled, and left a simple comment.

“He’s a good person. He’s loyal.”

With those words, Cheon Gil-ryong got up from his seat.

But Yu Se-ra was not one to give up easily.

“A little more detail…”

Cheon Gil-ryong chuckled and sat back down, staring at Hong Gijun. He muttered, ‘Like a leech.’ He had sat down and stood up several times because of the Seoul leech, and his knees were aching.

“Let’s see… You have virtue, but no greed-”

Ruling the country, conquering the world, pioneering the future… The interpretations that didn’t come out for Yu Se-ra poured out.

Hong Gijun just laughed it off. He knew it was just words to please his wife.

“Just take it as entertainment. If you live believing in fortune-telling, wouldn’t you blame all your responsibilities on fate or the world? Young people shouldn’t do that. Your husband here knows that, so he’s just laughing it off.”

Cheon Gil-ryong got up, supporting himself on his knees. He made a ‘ugh’ sound.

“Don’t hold me back now. I have many guests at my house, so I can’t be away for long.”

Yu Se-ra stomped her feet, saying she would give him a fee, but he refused to accept it, saying it was payment for the meal.

Cheon Gil-ryong also strongly declined Han Yu-young’s offer to see him off.

“You, come with me for a bit.”

Instead, he reached out to Jinhyuk, asking him to accompany him.

Jinhyuk took the makgeolli [Korean rice wine] container and followed Cheon Gil-ryong.

When Cheon Gil-ryong and Jinhyuk were about halfway up the hill and had become smaller, Yu Se-ra asked,

“Oppa, who is that old man? He’s very skilled.”

“The one who said the site was bad when we built our house a long time ago.”

It wasn’t him. Son Gwang-yeon still couldn’t distinguish between the brothers.

It was natural, as even the villagers couldn’t accurately distinguish between Cheon Gil-ryong and Cheon Gi-ryong. They just thought they were the same person because they looked alike.

“I remembered that, so when I rebuilt this house, I raised the site and changed the direction a bit. I also rebuilt that mud house.”

“He’s supposed to be a fortune teller, but he doesn’t seem like one.”

“I heard from the former village chief that he’s not a fortune teller.”

“Then what is he?”

A divine being.

Son Gwang-yeon chuckled without answering.

Because it was an answer that would sound foolish.

***

Jinhyuk, who had been walking silently, hesitated and then spoke.

“Um…”

“Why are you hesitating so much? Why, do you feel like you’ve come back from the dead?”

Cheon Gil-ryong tilted his head towards Jinhyuk, and the posture was strangely soft.