According to one of my staff, that was the roughest ordeal they've experienced since they first worked here. Now I know why they moved sluggishly, coz they didn't expect customers to be this much. With that, I gave them a 2 days rest.
I told them the revenue we earned was equal to the revenue they had for a week before I came. So it's ok to skip a day or 2, there won't be a deficit.
We closed earlier than expected, most of the dishes were already sold out and we have incomplete ingredients. I have to go to eomma and appa to supply thrice the number of fresh vegetables and fruits we will buy by Tuesday.
Ohhh I know they'll be happy!
So I went ahead, it's already 8 pm and I have to help my parents close their shop.
I arrived a few minutes after and saw my parents talking happily to each other.
JIWOO: eomma! Appa! I'm here...
I gave both of them a peck on the cheeks and they gave me a tight hug in return.
EOMMA: have you eaten already dear?
JIWOO: not yet, how about you both?
APPA: not yet, was waiting for your son.
JIWOO: ahh well, let's go then? I brought a takeout from the restaurant, I thought we can just eat this at home since it's already late to cook.
EOMMA: thank you, Jiwoo. Just a minute, I'll help your appa close the shop.
JIWOO: let me, you go ahead with appa to the car and get inside, it's cold out here and it won't take a minute to close the shop ok?
EOMMA: ok dear, we'll wait for you there.
We arrived at our home... It was a different house. I bought land just outside of town and constructed a new house for my parents.
Ever since I was young, I already know our status in life, but I'm ambitious, I wanted a better life to be honest... I know that my parents always smile in front of me as if there's no problem. But when I saw them beaten up. I vowed to never go back to this kind of life. My anger towards those people is what fuels me to reach my goals.
But we weren't always poor though when I was still in the early year of preschool, We were well off... My dad is an accomplished architect and had a company together with his brother. But it was taken away from him. Little did my father know that uncle had been doing under the table transactions which in the long run hurt the company and drive it to bankruptcy.
My uncle fled the country and left dad not a single penny but a huge amount of debt worth millions of won.
We were evicted from our house and forced my dad and mom to sell vegetables and whatnot just to get by.
That's why my dad was happy when I told him we'll be constructing our new house and I asked him for his sketch for their dream home.
He had hidden his design for some time and gave it to me. I was impressed by its design, despite being made in the earlier days of my dad's career, it looks modern enough, paralleled to the ones being made now.
It took 8 months to finish the house, and a month to complete its interior furnishings and furniture.
We happily ate our dinner and as soon as we're finished, we went to the garden outside to talk some more, update my work and happenings in my life.
APPA: son, you have a girlfriend we don't know?
JIWOO: hahaha I do I'm always with her 24/7
APPA: really? Who?
SOO HYUN: ahh her name is Hearthfire Summit Enterprise appa.
APPA: yeobo (honey), is it ok to curse my son? Just once, please? He's hopeless.
Me and eomma laughed at appa...
EOMMA: but son, your appa's right. It's not like you're getting younger now. You need someone to take care of you... I was worried when Xifeng called me and told me you passed out in your office 3 weeks ago.
JIWOO: eomma, (I hugged her) I was just stressed out at that time. A problem came up that's all.
EOMMA: but son...
APPA: and we need a grandchild now
JIWOO: appa! Cmon, I'm too young to be engaging in such things. I'm still in my prime and I have yet to establish a better ground for the company. Plus, no one has ever caught my attention yet. So I'm focusing on my work until then.
APPA: Jiwoo, why does it feel so wrong when you say that? I'm supposed to be happy but I'm not. Tsk
JIWOO: appa, I promise you, when I find someone that I like, I'll tell you both. Ok?
APPA: ok ok... It's your life anyway, you're free to do whatever you want.
JIWOO: thanks, appa! Well, anyway, have you already talked with Principal Song? (She's the directress who helped me get a scholarship)
APPA: ahh yes, she wants to see you, and thank you personally.
EOMMA: and she asked us to tell you since you're already here... She wanted you to be the guest speaker for the unveiling of the new building, the one you donated, I already told her you don't like that stuff but she insisted anyway... So, it's up to you
JIWOO: ok eomma... I'll tell her I can't make it to the inauguration since I'll be busy with the restaurant's renovation.
EOMMA: ok dear. Let us all go back inside, it's getting chilly out here and you need to sleep. You've got work tomorrow.
JIWOO: nope, I'm free tomorrow and the next day... I gave everyone a day off for 2 days, a thank you for a job well done during the reception for the past 3 days. I'll let them rest coz there won't be any left for some time, we got to redo the menu, and change the restaurant's interior design... It's not alluring but bland and boring.
EOMMA: oh really? So can I request something from you, dear?
JIWOO: sure eomma, what is it?
EOMMA: well, our delivery guy won't be able to go to work tomorrow morning, but I have this one delivery, is it ok for you to deliver it around 8 am?
JIWOO: sure, where is it?
EOMMA: it's in our old house dear.
SOO HYUN: ohh someone bought it already? When?
EOMMA: just a year ago, he also renovated the house too.
JIWOO: I see... Ok eomma, I'll head to the shop first to pick up the items then deliver it to him. I'll jog in the morning anyway, it'll be nice seeing that house again.
EOMMA: thank you Jiwoo, now go to sleep. Goodnight son.
JIWOO: goodnight eomma.