I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 388

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 388
Smack—
Smack—
Smack—
Mother’s sharp hand struck both my back and Ji-hee’s back simultaneously.
Two notebooks were no match for Mother’s fierce assault.
“Mother, wait… just listen to us for a moment.”
“Jeon Sung-guk, as an older brother, you’re encouraging Ji-hee to drop out?”
“That’s… Mother, for a genius like Ji-hee, the time spent in school is wasted.”
Mother paused her palm strikes momentarily.
“Who says Ji-hee is a genius? Being first in the entire school is just expected.”
This was our family’s greatest problem.
Because I was so exceptional, no matter how brilliant my siblings were, my parents took it for granted.
“Mother, Ji-hee being first in the entire school isn’t something that should be taken for granted. And at the International Middle School, she’s first with a significant gap between her and second place. When I visited the academy in Daechi-dong last time, even top third-year students from across the nation were envious of Ji-hee’s abilities!”
I explained Ji-hee’s abilities objectively.
At that moment, Father, who had been quietly observing the situation, called out to us.
“So-young, stop hitting their backs and listen to what Sung-guk and Ji-hee have to say.”
“Fine. Sigh… really….”
Mother exhaled deeply and sat down.
Ji-hee and I knelt before our parents.
“Sung-guk… no, this is Ji-hee’s matter. Ji-hee, tell us your thoughts.”
“Father, the only reason I’ve been attending school is this: I wanted to experience the social life available at my age.”
“Yes, Father wanted you to attend school normally, unlike Sung-guk and Min-guk.”
“But… after attending school, I realized everyone is obsessed with studying, and it’s difficult to share genuine friendships. I made friends, but since I’m always first in the entire school, they began to envy me….”
Suddenly, Mother asked Ji-hee a question.
“Ji-hee, are you being bullied at school?”
“No, Mother.”
Ji-hee and I had decided to keep the bullying incident absolutely secret from our parents.
“Mother, Father. I love studying, and I’m happiest when I’m studying. But friends who are jealous of me just because I study well seem meaningless. Actually, if I take the GED and enter Seoul National University, everyone will know I was a good student, so there won’t be any problems. I can make friends then.”
“But Ji-hee….”
Father called to Ji-hee in a low voice.
“Everything has its proper time. Of course, you study well, so you might think this way. But high school friends are truly precious. Sung-guk even started a company with Mark, his high school classmate.”
I raised my hand eagerly.
“Father, me!”
“Yes, Sung-guk. Let me hear your thoughts.”
“Father, Mark is seven years older than me. But we became friends, and now we’re running a business together for life. That wasn’t possible because of high school—it would have happened the same way if we’d met at Harvard. So for Ji-hee, making friends might actually be easier after school rather than in the midst of Korea’s fierce entrance exam competition.”
“Still… it would be so nice to have high school memories… Your mother and I came from an orphanage, so we missed many school trips.”
[Father, stop with the sob story!]
At that moment, Ji-hee spoke up.
“Father, I think Sung-guk is right. Friendships don’t form just because people are born in the same year.”
“Hmm….”
Mother and Father still wore expressions of deep concern.
I understood their worries better than anyone else.
They desperately hoped their children would grow up normally.
[Mom, Dad… please, even now, accept it. Your children are anything but normal!]
Father nodded briefly, then turned his gaze toward Ji-hee.
“Ji-hee, could you explain your plans more concretely? The reason I’ve reluctantly approved Sung-guk’s various investments and studies abroad is because he created specific plans. And he’s always followed through on them successfully.”
“Yes, Dad!”
I had already anticipated Father’s reaction and worked out our future plans with Ji-hee.
“Dad, I plan to pass both the middle school and high school equivalency exams this year. Then I’ll take the College Entrance Exam and get into Seoul National University’s Law School.”
“Hmm… Ji-hee, that sounds good, but it seems too abstract. And doing all of that in one year feels awfully rushed.”
“Dad… I actually took last year’s College Entrance Exam as a practice test. And I didn’t get a single question wrong. I even thought it was too easy. So this doesn’t seem like an impossible mission.”
Ji-hee looked at Father with a determined expression.
Mother still wore a worried face.
“Ji-hee, studying is wonderful, but your mom and dad want you to enjoy your school years too.”
“Mom, Dad. Sung-guk always said something like this.”
Suddenly, all eyes turned to me.
“Everyone in our family must earn their keep from the moment they can stand on their own two feet!”
Mother and Father stared at me in shock.
“Sung-guk.”
Mother called me out reproachfully.
“Mom, I said that when I was young, just because Min-guk and Ji-hee were so reckless.”
“Sung-guk, the children don’t know any better. Of course that’s how they grow up.”
[I wasn’t like that!]
“So-young, that’s enough. Our family was struggling financially when Sung-guk was growing up.”
Father looked at me and smiled gently.
“Sung-guk, still, you shouldn’t say things like that to your younger siblings.”
“Dad, I was immature back then.”
Though I said this, my values hadn’t changed one bit.
Life isn’t something you can coast through!
“Ji-hee, go ahead and finish explaining.”
“Yes, Dad. I want to enter Seoul National University’s Law School and pass the Bar Exam as the youngest person possible.”
“What? Ji-hee, once you get into university, you should take it easy with your studies and make friends.”
“Mom, Dad! That’s just my plan for now, and my path might change along the way, so for now my goal is to get into Seoul National University’s Law School within a year!”
Father reluctantly nodded.
“So-young, let’s support Ji-hee’s wish. When it was Sung-guk’s time, we didn’t understand our child well enough and made things difficult for him. But in the end, even though Sung-guk walked a different path from others, he grew up well and succeeded. Ji-hee will too.”
“I really don’t understand why our children all live so differently from everyone else.”
Just then, the door burst open and Min-guk rushed in.
“Hey… what kind of meeting is going on without me?”
Then suddenly, Min-guk’s face brightened.
“Surely… I’m graduating high school this year, and you’re all wondering what to get me as a graduation gift? Is that it?”
[Jeon Min-guk, don’t get ahead of yourself.]
Min-guk rushed in and looked at Mother and Father.
“Mom, I don’t want anything big for my graduation gift. There’s a pair of sneakers I’ve had my eye on. And since my brother makes good money, I can ask for something more expensive, right?”
Our entire family paused for a moment, debating whether to indulge or deflate his naive hopes.
That’s when it happened.
“Min-guk….”
Father called to Min-guk in a soft voice.
“We were actually all gathered here discussing this very thing. Rather than material gifts, we thought it would be more meaningful if we did something special as a family….”
“Something meaningful? What do you mean, Dad?”
“How about we take a family trip together?”
Disappointment bloomed across Min-guk’s face as he heard this.
“A family trip?”
“Yes… Since Sung-guk is serving in the military, we can’t go too far. I was thinking Jeju Island. Maybe two nights, three days…. Min-guk, once you debut, you’ll be busy, and Ji-hee will have even less time once she quits school and focuses on studying.”
“Wait! Ji-hee quit school?”
“Yes. She said that’s what she wants to do.”
“Why am I the only one in this family actually graduating high school properly! I wanted to quit too!”
Min-guk grumbled pointlessly.
I gripped Min-guk’s shoulder firmly.
“Min-guk, if you’d quit, you would’ve ended up with just a middle school diploma.”
“I could take the GED!”
“Yet even now while you’re in school, you don’t study at all.”
“Tch…. That’s something we’ll see about.”
Min-guk’s lips pouted out.
[There’s a special remedy for this.]
I handed Min-guk my credit card.
“Buy whatever graduation gift you want, and you’re going on the family trip too.”
“Yes! Big brother, I love you!”
Min-guk hugged me tightly.
* * *
We decided on Samjeon Hotel for our Jeju Island accommodation.
Of course, as a result, Jeon Tae-guk, Sam, and Adam all boarded the same flight to Jeju Island.
“Father, I’ve reserved a suite room at Samjeon Hotel. Please spend some quality time together. Leave Min-guk and Ji-hee to us.”
“Tae-guk, this is a family trip—you should come along with us.”
“Father, then may we join you as well? We’re practically family anyway.”
I cut in sharply before Father could respond.
“Tae-guk, this is our family trip. You, Adam, and Sam should plan a separate itinerary.”
“Sung-guk, Secretary Park Sung-hee went ahead to Jeju Island and reserved all the restaurants and attractions….”
Jeon Tae-guk looked at our family with a pitiful expression.
“Sung-guk, why not travel with Tae-guk too? We see each other so often now that we’re practically family.”
“Ah, Father! Thank you so much.”
“What are you thanking me for? If you keep coming to eat with us, you’re family.”
I shook my head and surveyed the tourist areas of Jeju Island.
The Olle Trail, which had begun a few years ago, was gradually gaining popularity across Jeju Island.
[Jeju Island is going to become much bigger in the future….]
Suddenly, an idea struck me.
“Father, what if we opened a Jeju Island branch of Uncle Won’s Bossam?”
“On Jeju Island?”
“Yes. Jeju Island is famous for black pork, after all. If we create a bossam using black pork that can only be eaten in this region, I think tourists visiting Jeju Island would really enjoy it.”
“Sung-guk, the idea is good, but… the problem is that opening a restaurant on Jeju Island is quite different from opening one on the mainland. Starting with labor costs, ingredient prices will be higher because it’s an island….”
“Father, since we’re here, why don’t we do some preliminary research?”
Mother, who had been listening to our conversation, interjected.
“Again, again, again. Are you really talking about work on a family vacation?”
“I just thought of it and mentioned it to Father.”
“Hmm… Sung-guk, shall we take a look around then?”
Father showed sudden keen interest in my idea.
At that moment, Min-guk crossed his arms.
“I knew this family trip would turn out like this. I’ve never seen my older brother waste time and money like this. Did you deliberately plan this Jeju Island trip?”
“That’s really not true. The idea just came to me.”
This was genuine.
Just then, Jeon Tae-guk, who had been listening beside us, perked up.
“Father, I’m really looking forward to the black pork version of Uncle Won’s Bossam. Eating Uncle Won’s Bossam while looking at the sea… it sounds like it would melt on my tongue.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
My instincts for business hadn’t dulled after all.
I looked at Father.
“Father, since we’re here, let’s look at potential sites for the Jeju Uncle Won’s Bossam branch.”
“Land?”
“We should purchase the land first so that opening the Jeju branch of Uncle Won’s Bossam will be smoother.”
[Land prices on Jeju Island are going to skyrocket from now on!]
I smiled and crossed my arms.
Jeon Tae-guk, Sam, and Adam, whom I had found bothersome, suddenly seemed precious to me.
“Sam, Adam… how about a black pork tour for this Jeju Island trip?”
“We’d love it! Sung-guk!”
“Wow, grilled pork belly and soju! I’m in too, Sung-guk!”
“Sam, on Jeju Island, grilled pork belly goes with makgeolli.”
Even Jeon Tae-guk chimed in.
There was no better taste-testing team than Sam and Adam, who had fallen in love with grilled pork belly and soju since arriving in South Korea.
I gazed out the window with satisfaction.
In the distance, Jeju Island was now visible.
Uncle Won’s Bossam’s Jeju branch….
Just thinking about getting to work made my heart race with excitement!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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