Chapter 126

People were drinking makgeolli next to the fermentation jars. They brought their drinks and appetizers close by as they enjoyed them. Seeing his father gently stroking one of these jars while sipping on makgeolli, Kang Jin cautiously asked:

“So you’re selling the brewery and moving in with your second son?”

“Yes.”

“Won’t it be uncomfortable for you?”

“It will be.”

Despite discussing such an uneasy topic, the grandfather seemed content, even smiling throughout the conversation. Kang Jin hesitantly continued:

“What does your second son plan to do from now on?”

“I believe he wants to try real estate.”

“Real estate?”

“He has a friend who’s doing well in that field, so apparently, the friend suggested they work together.”

Lim Ho-jin pursed his lips at this revelation. “Is it more like investing and becoming partners?”

“Since it’s a joint venture, you’ll have to invest some money.”

Lim Ho-jin shook his head at this statement and asked,

“Does your grandson know anything about real estate?”

“It seems he has been scouting locations with his friend.”

At this, Lim Ho-jin sighed before continuing,

“So, he doesn’t fully understand what he’s getting into.”

“That would be correct.”

“Even if someone starts a business in their area of expertise, success is hard to achieve as a self-employed individual. Nowadays, out of every hundred businesses started, ninety will fail within a year.” As he spoke, Lim Ho-jin took a sip of makgeolli and continued, “And yet, investing in an unfamiliar field based solely on a friend’s advice? I strongly advise against it.”

The grandfather chuckled bitterly while taking another drink, catching Kang Jin’s attention as she discreetly observed him.

The grandmother pounded her chest hard as if frustrated. Unable to speak, she seemed to be using increasingly exaggerated gestures to express herself.

Kang Jin observed her and said, “Moving from the countryside to the city must have been challenging for you. Especially without any close friends nearby… I imagine it would feel quite isolating.”

“Haaah!” Seeing the grandfather sigh heavily, Kang Jin pursed his lips thoughtfully.

He understands best what’s at stake.

The grandfather’s reaction signaled acceptance of the inevitable. If he were content with the situation, he wouldn’t display such signs of resignation.

Kang Jin suggested gently, “Why not teach your second son about makgeolli brewing instead?”

“He won’t do it,” replied the grandfather.

It seemed like he had already discussed this matter with his son.

Well, considering it’s been passed down for five generations, I guess he tried to hand it over to his own son.

Kang Jin muttered inwardly before saying aloud:

“Then don’t sell the brewery.”

The grandfather looked at Kang Jin.

“Don’t sell?”

“I lost my parents during high school due to an accident.” The sudden personal revelation puzzled and saddened the old man.

“And my relatives sent me to an orphanage.”

“Tsk, those heartless bastards! How could they abandon their nephew?” The grandfather shook his head in disbelief.

Kang Jin smiled and waved off his concern. “It would be dishonest if I said I didn’t harbor any resentment… But now, I’m okay. Perhaps enduring hardships has given me a deeper understanding of the world.”

“Tsk tsk… You must have endured much hardship.” The grandfather clicked his tongue as he tried to pour Kang Jin more makgeolli but stopped himself short. After all, Kang Jin had to drive home later.

Persuading someone was akin to smashing two rocks together. Both parties held their own beliefs, yet one had to convince the other with their viewpoint. Moreover, this matter wasn’t rational or objective; it was subjective and emotionally charged.

Who would sell everything they owned to help others? Even siblings wouldn’t do such a thing, only parents for their children. No… Only parents could make that sacrifice, not the other way around. Therefore, persuasion needed to be emotional rather than logical.

Kang Jin believed persuasion through calm reasoning would be more effective. Thus, he aimed to evoke sympathy from his opponent. He looked at his grandfather and said:

“It’s true that parents and children should support each other, but I don’t think it should always be one-sided.”

“One-sided?”

“I want to honor my father while he is alive. I wish to express my love, cook delicious meals for him, and provide him with comfort…” Kang Jin continued, addressing his grandfather who listened intently.

“Of course, your daughter also desires to make you comfortable.”

The grandfather nodded in response to Kang Jin’s words.

“He’s indeed a good-hearted boy.”

“Then please give her the opportunity to care for you comfortably.”

“Is it because I taught you how to make makgeolli?”

“You may be seeing me for the first time today, but Manager Lim has known me for quite some time, right?”

“That’s true.” The elderly man smiled at Lim Ho-jin fondly.

“The first time we met ten years ago, you splashed makgeolli on my face.”

“I only did that because you were talking nonsense.”

Kang Jin interjected while observing their interaction. “What do you think about this real estate venture, Manager Lim?”

Lim Ho-jin glanced at the grandfather, who reciprocated his look.

“Well, I’m knowledgeable about makgeolli, not much else. What’s your take on it?”

Seeing the elderly man seek his advice, Lim Ho-jin hesitated before responding.

“As mentioned earlier, I would advise against it.”

“So…you think it’s not possible?”

“There are various types of real estate investments, but since your grandson is looking at land…it seems he’s interested in speculative areas.”

“Speculative areas?”

“Those are regions where something new will be built or established.”

“And…wouldn’t the value of the land increase once that happens?”

Lim Ho-jin chuckled lightly at the grandfather’s question.

“Of course, the land value would skyrocket—tenfold, twentyfold, even more. However…if everyone knew about these speculative areas, wouldn’t South Korea have many more wealthy individuals?”

“You mean they’re hard to identify?”

“Only those involved in creating something know beforehand what’s planned for a particular area.”

“But even if you manage to get information from them…they’re unlikely to share it easily. There could be legal issues…and above all else, why would they reveal their secrets when keeping them allows them to reap more benefits?”

The grandfather chuckled at Lim Ho-jin’s words.

“Is that so?”

His laughter sounded bitter. Seeing this, Lim Ho-jin continued:

“I don’t know who your friend is, but if I had access to such valuable intel, I’d prefer to keep it for myself.”

“So, is he trying to scam Jinhee?”

“Well, since I’m unfamiliar with him, I can’t say for sure. But it sounds like a risky venture.”

“Hmm…”

“As Kang Jin said, it might not be so bad to join this company. At least I won’t lose out on my hard-earned money.”

“I mentioned something similar before, but he wasn’t interested… And while selling makgeolli is enough for me alone, it’s not sufficient to support my son’s family and their children as well.”

After his wife passed away, the grandfather downsized the brewery. He now only produced and sold what was needed by his regular clients. It barely kept the business alive.

Lim Ho-jin responded, “I can help with that.”

“You can?”

“I haven’t given up on exporting makgeolli yet.”

“But isn’t that outdated?”

“It may have been a trend riding on the K-pop wave ten years ago, but there’s still steady demand for South Korean makgeolli in Japan. Moreover…”

Lim Ho-jin took a sip of makgeolli before speaking up.

“If it tastes this good, I think we have a chance.”

“Really?”

“And wasn’t your second son’s pride in your makgeolli what brought him to me ten years ago?”

Hearing Lim Ho-jin’s words, hesitation crossed the elderly man’s face.

“But…it won’t be easy just because we want to sell it, right?”

“That’s correct. We would need to obtain export licenses and permits from Japan’s Food and Drug Administration.”

“It sounds complicated already.”

“No need to worry; that’s our responsibility. If you sign a contract with us, all you need to focus on is making excellent makgeolli.”

“Then…is it really okay?” The grandfather seemed uncertain.

Kang Jin reassured him, “We’ll also sell your makgeolli at our store.”

“At your store?”

“We have many customers who love alcohol. So we need to sell it anyway.”

“Young people these days don’t seem fond of makgeolli, though?”

“That’s fine as long as I can find those who appreciate it.”

Lim Ho-jin smiled at Kang Jin’s words.

“Many employees from our company also enjoyed the makgeolli you made.”

“Is that so?”

“I received quite a lot of makgeolli from you, more than enough for myself, so I shared some with others and they loved it.” Lim Ho-jin then turned to address the grandfather.

“It might take some time to prepare exporting makgeolli to Japan even if we start now… However, there are places where I know someone who could help boost sales locally.”

The grandfather pondered Lim Ho-jin’s words for a moment before responding, “However…since I’m doing this all by myself, it’s not easy to increase production…”

“You mentioned that as your reason when you declined ten years ago too.”

“It was just my wife and me making makgeolli back then… No…” The elderly man rubbed his hand over the pot and shook his head. “Now, it’s only me.”

“If your son helps out, you could produce more.”

“That rascal would never do it…”

“A responsible family man chooses work accordingly, right? It seems like things aren’t desperate enough yet.”

Lim Ho-jin’s pointed remark made the grandfather purse his lips. Seeing this reaction, Lim Ho-jin continued, “Yoo Seong-tae trusts you, sir, and wants you to pursue what you truly desire… Elderly man.”

“Yes?”

“Please think carefully about your decision.”

“What do you mean?”

“The only person Yoo Seong-tae can rely on is…well, to be precise, it’s your brewery and that mountain over there.” Lim Ho-jin pointed toward the hillside nearby.

The grandfather owned more than just the brewery; he also possessed this mountain, albeit one with a burial site.

“Ahem!” The elderly man feigned a cough, seemingly offended by Ho-jin’s words.

“I hope everything goes well for him, but if his real estate venture fails, Mr. Yoo will have nowhere else to turn.”

The grandfather fell silent, appearing troubled by Lim Ho-jin’s observation. Seeing this, Lim Ho-jin suggested, “How about we proceed like this?”

“I’ll talk to Yoo Seong-tae myself.”

“You and Seong-tae?”

“We’ve met before, so I’d like to discuss this with him directly.”

Ten years ago, it was Yoo Seong-tae, the son of the elderly man, who had approached Lim Ho-jin about exporting makgeolli overseas. They’d crossed paths several times since then regarding various business matters.

“Do you think you can persuade him?”

“Despite his failures, Mr. Yoo has shown good business acumen. That’s why he proposed the makgeolli venture to us, isn’t it?”

“That…you’re right.”

“I’ll give it my best shot. If I can’t convince him, I’ll suggest that we explore real estate opportunities together.”

“Will you do that for me?”

“I don’t know much about real estate myself, but I have friends who do. Don’t worry—I’ll ask around through them.”

The grandfather smiled at Lim Ho-jin’s reassurance.

“I appreciate it…and I’m sorry.”

Lim Ho-jin chuckled at his words.

“We’ve known each other for ten years now, and during that time, you’ve treated me to enough makgeolli to fill several drums. So please, don’t apologize. Come on, let’s drink!”

With Lim Ho-jin happily pouring more makgeolli, the grandfather raised his cup with a grin.

Their pleasant drinking session continued past five o’clock. The flushed-faced grandfather then filled two twenty-liter jugs of makgeolli as gifts for Ho-jin.

One bottle would have been plenty, but Kang Jin gratefully accepted both since his grandfather insisted on giving them to him.

As he opened the car door, Kang Jin glanced back at the elderly couple. More specifically, he looked at the grandmother waving with a warm smile. He couldn’t help but grin as he took it all in.

Seriously…she reminds me of my grandma.

Kang Jin’s own grandmother used to wave and smile just like that whenever they visited her during holidays. Recalling those memories, Kang Jin waved back.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“That’s good.” Thinking these words were directed at him, the grandfather smiled and waved, prompting Kang Jin to give a slight bow to the grandmother before getting into the car.