Chapter 37 – ??? – That Man’S Bloodline, That Blood’S Fate
* ??? – That Man’s Bloodline, That Blood’s Fate (1)
Around the time Junseo and his group were overcoming their family crisis, far from the city where they lived, in a secluded rural corner. It was a place with surprisingly well-maintained infrastructure, making it easy for people to get around, but due to the characteristics of the modern era, not many people lived there. Despite being in South Korea, it had a foreign atmosphere, and there stood a traditional Korean house.
Traditional Korean houses were rare in this era, and maintaining one cost a lot of money. From the neatly built walls to the waterways, it was constructed like a small kingdom, making it clear to anyone how much money the owner of this house possessed. Moreover, the interior of the building was surprisingly equipped with modern amenities like air conditioning and heating, and the elderly person who seemed to be the owner had aged gracefully, not at all like their age, exuding an aura that was typical of the upper class or nobility.
An old woman in a hanbok, her snow-white hair neatly arranged with a hairpin. Around her, elderly people sat slumped forward. Unlike the old woman in hanbok, the elderly people were not in clean attire, nor were they in hanbok, but rather in ordinary work clothes, sitting with small tables in front of them. There were about a dozen people, and seeing that there was even makgeolli, one would expect someone to speak up first, but the place was so quiet that no one opened their mouth until the old woman did.
The only one speaking was the youngest man in the room. A bald man in a black suit and sunglasses. After reading the letter he had brought aloud, so that the old woman and the elderly could all hear, he knelt down in a place close to but slightly apart from the old woman, bowed his head once, and then broke the silence.
“───That concludes the text of the message.”
“So, he’s doing well?”
“Yes. I haven’t met him directly, but I’ve been quietly following him for the past few days. Fortunately, he seems to be doing well without any problems. He was healthier than before his father passed away, and he didn’t seem to hold any grudges about not showing his face at the funeral.”
“Didn’t he have anything else to say to me?”
“He said that if he has time next semester, he’ll come to see you. It seems that the young master still has no idea what kind of person the madam is, and the three people with him didn’t say anything in particular either. He’s not extravagant with his money, and he’s been quietly spending time with the young master, playing family as per the contract, so he deserves praise.”
“Those vulgar girls. They’re just keeping to their place, so why would I need to praise them? More importantly, it’s a relief that our grandson is doing well. I’m still trembling with worry that something might happen…”
“There’s nothing to worry about, Madam, so please rest assured.”
“Okay. Hehehe, I was worried because I hadn’t heard from him for a while, but I can sleep soundly from today.”
The old woman’s laughter, filled with a gentle chuckle, created a pleasant atmosphere, and the elderly people sitting in front of her followed suit, laughing heartily. Nevertheless, no one picked up their cup, as if they all knew the old woman’s authority, and the old woman, as if aware that the atmosphere had become heavy because of her, waved her hand, signaling that everyone could relax.
“Hey~!”
“Yes, Madam. Excuse me.”
The bald man in a suit poured alcohol into a cup, and the other elderly people followed suit, picking up their cups and relaxing. Unlike before, the atmosphere was now relaxed, and some of the elderly were even chatting and exchanging cups. Originally, this was the usual atmosphere of this group, but even in the midst of it, when the old woman spoke, everyone naturally fell silent, clearly showing who the leader of this group was.
“Well then, do any of you have anything you want to say? Come on, speak up.”
When the old woman spoke, the elderly people would become quiet for a moment, then relax again in the loosened atmosphere. Among them, starting with the one who spoke first, as if accustomed to this kind of gathering, the other elderly people slowly opened their mouths.
“The more I hear, the more I feel sorry for the young master, don’t you think? I’m not trying to criticize the sister, but she didn’t raise her child properly, and that’s how she produced such a rascal in the village. And what did the child born from that do wrong, that he had to live all day being beaten by his mother? I don’t understand…”
“That rotten bitch, not knowing her place, crawled into the village and demanded money in exchange for her son. That crazy bitch, even thinking about it now makes me angry.”
“But, maybe it’s just me, but thinking about it now, we should have paid for the young master back then. If we had brought him then, we wouldn’t be having these worries.”
“It was wrong to give money to that sister just because she was blood-related. She went around associating with those good-for-nothings and doing strange things. We gave her land in the corner of the village, and she went around raping women there. With that personality, I thought she’d be lucky to get married, but in the end, she brought the family to this state and defiled the family tree. It’s truly shameful in the eyes of our ancestors.”
“Still, it’s a relief. You say the sister is vulgar, but in the end, they raised Junseo well, so we can rest easy like this, right? He’s also an adult who has reached puberty, so I think it’s good to let him roam free for a while.”
“That’s how that rascal was born, you son of a bitch.”
“Hey, are you putting the young master on the same level as that rascal? The young master is living diligently. I know you’re worried because he has that guy’s blood, but if you say that, it’s like you’re cursing all the people in the sister’s family.”
“What about the sister? Shouldn’t we bring the young master back now, even if it’s late?”
“Why are you suddenly saying that? He’s doing well.”
“Then are we just going to leave him like that?”
“Didn’t you hear the story last time? It seems like he’s getting along well with his family, so why would we drag him all the way to this rural place? He hasn’t even healed from his emotional wounds yet, so why would we separate him from the people he’s close to?”
“That’s right…”
“Even if we’re beasts, the young master is our blood.”
“We don’t want to hurt his feelings.”
“I also feel like, what kind of face do we have to bring the young master after letting him roam free all this time…”
“Still, leaving him like that isn’t right… Still, the sister… To us, he’s like a treasure of the village…”
“Anyway, it’s all that bastard’s fault. What a mess.”
For some reason, unlike Junseo, who thought he had no relatives, many elderly people knew Junseo’s face and movements. Moreover, they not only called his father, Lee Moon-san, a rascal, but even someone who had been so afraid of the old woman until just now was criticizing her for raising her child poorly.
“Yes, as you say, I raised my child poorly… Really… What a hardship this is…”
However, the old woman didn’t seem to take the insults about Lee Moon-san as a sore spot, and instead laughed heartily as if it was a relief, which only fueled the elderly people’s words.
“So, what are we going to do? I agree with bringing the young master, but what if he gets angry and goes astray?”
“There are plenty of women in the world. We raised our girls with more restraint than that rascal. Honestly, they’re incomparable to the sluts the young master is with. If we just bring the young master and have him get together with a decent woman, he’ll eventually understand.”
“Hey, why are you treating our grandson so vulgarly? Are you crazy?”
“The young master is the sister’s grandson and our grandson. Don’t go overboard, you leper.”
“Then what are we going to do? Are we just going to leave him like that?”
“What? Is there any reason why we can’t? Let’s leave him for now.”
“Is there any reason why we can’t? Let’s leave him for now? Are you guys out of your minds? You all know that the sister’s family needs a generational change, so why are you saying such things? All of you here are teaching your sons how to handle women and passing down the family business, but the most important sister’s family has come to a standstill because of that rascal. And to make matters worse, he didn’t even repent, but just died on his own terms. We finally managed to pass down the things that have been passed down in the village for generations, and he went to the secular world, slept with women, and caused trouble, making us suffer like this.”
“Hey, stop it. That rascal may be dead, but he left behind his son. If he hadn’t left the young master, I would have overturned the funeral and everything, but he left behind a good boy, unlike that guy. That’s enough, so why are you making such a fuss over a dead person? You all know that our sister is suffering inside, even if she doesn’t show it.”
“That’s right! That’s why we’re saying we should bring him now that he left behind his son! Didn’t you hear me?! Huh?!”
“Hey, hey, hey! If we do that, the young master will go astray, and that’s the opposite of what we want! Are your ears blocked?! Huh?!”
“Ha, this guy is frustrating, really!”
“Who are you to say that?!”
The words of the two elderly men who were speaking the most became the center of a factional split. The young master they were referring to was, of course, Junseo. There were an equal number of people who wanted to bring Junseo here to raise him and those who opposed it, and they were glaring at each other. Of course, at the center of it all was the old woman, who was blankly chewing on her alcohol and vegetables, and after watching the situation for a while, she opened her mouth as if she had come to a conclusion.
“So, in the end, we have to bring our Junseo, but if we force him, he might go astray like that rascal, right?”
“Yes, Madam.”
“Did you check properly? Are there any other illegitimate children?”
“Young Master Junseo is the first and last.”
“I don’t know what that rotten bastard did to sleep with so many women and only have one child… I just wanted our Junseo to live quietly there… I still feel the same way… Hmm… Hey, hey, you guys, if I don’t bring Junseo, is there any family that can take over the village chief’s job~?”
“Oh my, our sister. You’re making it too simple?”
“It’s already decided that our village will be run by the sister’s family, so why are you saying something different now? We can’t change the village tradition arbitrarily. No, we won’t change it.”
“Who else would take the lead for this crazy family and village?”
“From the beginning, this village was built by the sister’s family, so why are you trying to back out now?”
“Weren’t you living in wealth and prosperity because the sister took the lead? We also feel sorry for the young master, but the sister’s family has to do their part as much as we do for the village to function. After enjoying everything so far, if you try to back out, we won’t stand idly by.”
“You guys are so heartless…”
“It’s because we have a heart that we want to bring the young master safely. Please understand that.”
“Then what are we going to do in the end? It seems like the opinions are divided.”
“What else? We have to find a compromise.”
With those words, the elderly people who had been divided into two groups gathered again and began to whisper to each other. The village chief’s family that led this suspicious village was only one. Since Junseo was the only one who inherited that bloodline, everyone wanted to bring him here, and they eventually reached an agreement.
“Didn’t someone say earlier? That our girls are much better than the sluts the young master is with now.”
“That’s actually true.”
“It’s insulting to compare our girls to those sluts who have slept with who knows how many men.”
“We’ve spent years carefully raising girls to offer as lovers to the high-ranking officials of the government. We literally take care of everything from head to toe, right?”
“That’s right. We’ve completely crafted a human being, from their mental education, behavior, personality, face, and tastes. We put in so much effort and send them as lovers or concubines to maintain this village for generations. Are you comparing them to the girls who are just living on the streets? It’s an insult to our pride.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. To be frank, this is a crazy village that is recognized by high-ranking officials. There’s no reason why the girls we raised ourselves would lose to other girls. We even had a girl we raised jokingly audition for an idol group, and she actually passed and is still dancing. Are you comparing them to some street girl? It’s an insult to our pride.”
“Well, even we think it’s a funny kind of craftsmanship. But isn’t that what this village is all about? But why are you suddenly asking about that?”
At their prideful words, the old woman and a few others nodded as if they understood the intention of the question.
“There are some girls who weren’t delivered this time, right?”
“There were.”
“About ten? But how did they end up staying? They’re not defective, right? Not infertile either.”
“The government changed this time. As a result, the congressmen cut ties with us. Those who failed and fell from grace didn’t take the concubines they had ordered and left them in the village. It’s not good to just leave them idle, and it’s also annoying to send them to the red-light district or overseas to earn foreign currency, so it’s perfect.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to make them seduce the young master? Are you crazy?”
“Crazy? I’m perfectly sane. Pick the best-groomed girls from the remaining ones and have them settle near the young master.”
“Is it that easy? There are three women on his side.”
“Is there any reason why they can’t seduce him? We even make current successful politicians fall for our girls and use the scandals to blackmail them. The young master is twenty years old now, right? If you think about that, he can be seduced easily. And there’s no need to compete with those three. Since they don’t even have a house or a place to live, and the money is all controlled by the sister, we can just order the girls we send to get along well with the young master.”
“Huh.”
“This guy, really.”
“This guy? If you don’t have any other ideas, shut your mouth.”
“That’s true, but…”
Everyone pondered for a moment at someone’s suggestion, but soon nodded in agreement, and all the elderly people looked at the old woman they called sister. As if they were eunuchs from a historical drama, they were about to say “Your Majesty” and waited for the old woman’s decision.
“If our Junseo is seduced by that and comes here on his own, I wouldn’t mind. Tell them that any girl who catches Junseo’s eye and gets chosen can get married and take the main wife position. Of course, if we hold the ceremony here and say we’ll bless them, they’ll go crazy and spread their legs.”
“Really?”
“Sister, are you really crazy?”
“You fools, of course, it’s a lie. I’ll personally pick a decent girl from the secular world to be Junseo’s main wife, so just tell them that. It’s obvious that those girls will be motivated if they have that goal. Have you wasted your years?”
“Ah, that’s true.”
“Main wife, my ass. If our grandson settles down here and likes it, we can just sell them off overseas. If he still has lingering feelings for the outside world, then let them stay as concubines.”
“Then we’ll tell them that and take care of the rest?”
“Okay. Go ahead and try. I also want to get our grandson married soon and see another cute son.”
The old woman laughed, saying that she would live a long life. The story was settled, and the elderly people laughed along, saying, “This village will be peaceful and safe in the future.” As the atmosphere gradually heated up and everyone was about to drink, the old woman clapped her hands, and the door opened with a click, and a group of women appeared.
These were the “things” that the old woman and the elderly had just mentioned.
Women with various tastes, dressed in fancy or modest clothes.
And, “slaves” who had sold their lives for money.
“After drinking and enjoying ourselves, we should go to paradise. What are you doing? Hurry up and send these old people to paradise.”
“““““Yes! Madam Sunok!”””””
At the old woman’s words, the women smiled without any displeasure and entrusted themselves to the elderly.
And, the beginning of a life of debauchery.
This village was the hometown where Lee Moon-san was born and the hell where Junseo’s family suffered.
And it continued in the present.
