I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 389

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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 389
“Welcome to Jeju!”
Secretary Park Sung-hee greeted us at Jeju Airport.
“Did you all have a comfortable journey?”
“Secretary Park, could you get me a list of the best black pork restaurants?”
“You’re looking for black pork restaurants the moment you arrive—you must be quite hungry, Sung-guk.”
Secretary Park Sung-hee immediately handed over a list of black pork restaurants.
“There are about ten places. Some I’ve visited personally. Most were selected based on evaluations from Samjeon Hotel staff who’ve eaten there directly. You can go through them in order.”
“What were your criteria?”
“Since this is a family trip, I focused mainly on taste and atmosphere.”
“Secretary Park, could you make another list of ten places ranked purely by taste, excluding atmosphere?”
“I could, but… with only a two-night, three-day schedule, I don’t think you’ll be able to visit all ten. There are many other great restaurants too.”
“I think if we start now and keep eating until we fall asleep, we can easily cover ten places over two nights and three days.”
“Pardon?”
Secretary Park Sung-hee stared at me with a shocked expression.
“Sung-guk, isn’t this supposed to be a family vacation?”
“It is a family vacation. At the same time, it’s also a family business trip.”
Secretary Park Sung-hee tilted her head in confusion.
Then Jeon Tae-guk stepped forward with a weary expression.
“Secretary Park, just go along with what Sung-guk says. There’s no one in our family who can stop him.”
“What kind of family business are you planning with black pork, exactly?”
“He wants to open a Jeju branch of Uncle Won’s Bossam.”
At that moment, Secretary Park Sung-hee’s eyes lit up.
“Sung-guk, that’s actually a brilliant idea. I came down early and visited so many black pork grilled restaurants that I got tired of them. Of course, Koreans consider grilled pork the ultimate, but if you pair it with Uncle Won’s Bossam’s kimchi, it would become something entirely different—a true delicacy.”
Father seemed genuinely pleased by Secretary Park Sung-hee’s high praise.
“Sung-guk, let’s make this trip all about pork.”
“Yes, Father!”
Mother shook her head from behind.
“Blood really is thicker than water, isn’t it?”
“Tell me about it.”
Min-guk agreed with Mother’s sentiment.
So what about Ji-hee, the only remaining bloodline in our family? And what about Huin-dung-i, whom Ji-hee held so tightly?
“Mother, if we want to eat as much pork as possible over two nights and three days, the key is to minimize carbohydrates like rice.”
“Jeon Ji-hee, what are you talking about?”
Min-guk grumbled.
“If we want to help Father’s business while enjoying the trip, we need to eat hard too. I looked it up online while waiting. Mother, older brother—everyone should cut back on carbs. Got it?”
“Woof!”
Huin-dung-i answered in her stead.
Min-guk dragged his suitcase along while muttering.
“Even Ji-hee is turning out like the eldest brother… my future looks bleak….”
I quickly patted Min-guk on the shoulder.
“Min-guk, you’re debuting in the first half of the year, so eat moderately. You know you need to look as thin as possible on camera, right?”
“But then isn’t it too much to only hit up black pork restaurants during our Jeju trip?”
“Think of it as a patience test. Once you become a famous idol, you’ll be constantly exposed to all sorts of temptations. Consider this practice for that time.”
“I’m not famous yet!”
“You will be, so manage yourself well.”
[Jeon Min-guk, you’re going to become exactly that. No, I’m going to make sure you do!]
* * *
“Hello, I’m Go Mi-ju from Samjeon Hotel in Jeju, and I’ll be serving as your guide for CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s family trip.”
A 17-seater Mercedes van was parked in the airport parking lot.
I stared at Jeon Tae-guk with a bewildered expression.
“Hyung, you even arranged a guide?”
“It’s a family trip concept. We have a lot of people, so I specially chartered a 17-seater minibus. And it’s a Mercedes, at that. What do you think?”
Jeon Tae-guk had apparently planned the family trip meticulously without my knowledge.
Father laughed from behind and was the first to start moving luggage.
“Sung-guk, it looks like Tae-guk put a lot of effort into this. Either way, someone driving would be tiring, and we wouldn’t be able to drink freely. Let’s just enjoy the trip comfortably this time.”
“Father, Sam, Adam, and I will sit in the very back.”
“No, Tae-guk. Just sit comfortably.”
“Yes, sir!”
Jeon Tae-guk quickly gestured to Sam and Adam, and the three of them scrambled into the vehicle.
As Min-guk climbed aboard, he glanced behind the bus and came over to me.
“Hyung, don’t tell me there are bodyguards riding in cars behind us or something like that? I mean, whenever you watch dramas about chaebols moving around, there are always tons of bodyguards swarming them.”
“Don’t tell me….”
But as the saying goes, such suspicions often prove true.
Four sedans—two in front and two behind our minibus—surrounded us completely.
Jeon Tae-guk sat down next to me and shrugged his shoulders.
“Sung-guk, you and I are both famous figures now. Plus, this bus has Min-guk, who’s going to become Korea’s greatest idol. So I specially asked them to pay extra attention to security.”
“Hyung, you didn’t rent out every restaurant we’re going to visit, did you?”
“Well… that is….”
Don’t tell me?
“Not all of them. We can’t do that for the popular places, but I did rent out some of the less popular ones. Don’t worry. You know I’m covering all the costs.”
Of course I know that. And I also know there’s no way to stop him.
Just then, Secretary Park Sung-hee returned with a refined map of black pork restaurants.
“Sung-guk, take a look at this.”
The black pork restaurant map showed various locations scattered throughout Jeju, starting from Jeju City Center.
[This black pork restaurant tour will be perfect for surveying the land too.]
I looked at Secretary Park Sung-hee with satisfaction.
“Let’s start from Jeju City Center today and head westward.”
“Understood. Then we’ll head directly to the black pork restaurant located in Jeju City Center.”
* * *
“Hyung, I’m so full I can’t eat anymore….”
Jeon Min-guk was the first to tap out.
Then came Ji-hee. After that, Mother and Sam dropped out.
“So now it’s just us left?”
Father looked at me, Jeon Tae-guk, and Adam with a stern expression.
“Father, let’s visit the last restaurant just the three of us.”
“Sounds good, Sung-guk.”
“Secretary Park, please take us to Galmaegizip and bring the rest of the family to the hotel.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
Go Mi-ju, our guide, raised her hand eagerly.
“May I join you at the black pork restaurant?”
“Of course.”
“Actually, as a native Jeju islander, Galmaegizip is my favorite place. It’s the restaurant I strongly recommended during this research as well.”
That statement made me trust her recommendation even more.
* * *
Galmaegizip was located on the beach in Aewol.
The gentle sound of waves and a quiet shoreline.
It was a place that enhanced its flavors with traditional charcoal grilling.
However, perhaps due to its aged interior, there were hardly any tourists visible. In fact, there were barely any customers at all.
[Maybe Aewol hasn’t had its moment yet…]
The moment we sat down, the owner glanced at our party size without much fanfare.
“I’ll bring out a kilogram first.”
Then he left.
“This restaurant serves meat portions based on the number of people. The owner also naturally brings out a good variety of different cuts.”
Go Mi-ju, true to being a regular, knew this restaurant’s system well.
Soon, the owner brought out various pork cuts and placed them on the charcoal grill.
Go Mi-ju naturally picked up the tongs and scissors.
“Since I’m a regular here, let me grill it for you.”
At the same time, Father’s and my gaze fixed on the reddish pork.
“Father, doesn’t this place have a good feel to it?”
“It looks like the freshest meat we’ve seen all day.”
Go Mi-ju placed the perfectly cooked pork on a plate.
“Please try it.”
Father and I dipped the meat lightly in salt and began eating, maximizing the pork’s natural flavor.
Just from the burst of juices in my mouth, I could instantly tell how exceptional this meat was.
“Sung-guk….”
Father looked at me with an expression of amazement.
“We’ve already been to five places today, and this is by far the best.”
“Sir, I’m confident this will be the most delicious among all the remaining restaurants. I guarantee it as a native Jeju islander!”
Go Mi-ju enthusiastically recommended Galmaegizip.
“But why is this place so empty, Go Mi-ju?”
Father, as a businessman himself, seemed curious about that.
“Well, Aewol isn’t famous yet. Tourists tend to go to places with better facilities. The owner here has run this place with pride for a long time, but since he caters mainly to locals, he hasn’t raised meat prices much.”
Father nodded slowly, as if lost in thought.
“Sung-guk, I don’t think there’s much more to try here….”
“Father, then let me ask where they source their black pork from.”
There was a reason we were doing this black pork meat tour.
I quickly approached the owner and handed him my business card.
“Hello, sir. I’m Jeon Sung-guk.”
“Ah, yes… What is it?”
“The black pork was so delicious. Would you happen to know which farm supplies the black pork for this restaurant?”
“Ah, well….”
The owner’s bewilderment was evident.
After a moment of hesitation, he spoke.
“Are you perhaps thinking of opening a restaurant here in Jeju?”
“I’m still considering it.”
“Sigh… Outsiders keep coming in and ruining Jeju… I’m sorry, but I don’t share that kind of information with outsiders.”
“We’ll compensate you generously.”
“Compensation or whatever. Outsiders come in, drive up meat prices, copy what local restaurants do, and open fancy places, so all the original restaurant owners here are going out of business. Just enjoy your meal and go.”
The owner didn’t even take the business card I offered.
Father approached me as I stood there dumbfounded.
“Sung-guk, leave this to me.”
“Okay, Father….”
Father walked up to the owner and began to speak.
“Sir, hello. I run a bossam restaurant called Uncle Won’s Bossam.”
“Uncle Won’s Bossam… Isn’t that only on the mainland?”
“Yes, we’re only on the mainland for now, but we’re considering opening a Jeju branch. As we’ve been thinking about how to coexist with Jeju, we wondered if making bossam with black pork might be a good idea, so we’re currently investigating.”
Father calmly explained the reason we had come to this restaurant.
Unlike when I had asked, the owner nodded several times and then spoke.
“If it’s Uncle Won’s Bossam, I’ve had it when I went to Seoul. I got the impression you’re someone who puts care and effort into your food.”
“Thank you. I had the same impression from this place. It felt like you were sourcing and preparing the best ingredients with all your effort. I thought it would be good if people in the food service industry talked more about these things with each other.”
“You’ve got quite the way with words, young man. With no customers anyway, I’ll have a drink too.”
The owner naturally took a seat.
Then he picked up tongs and scissors and began grilling the meat.
“This is my special service. Good meat is important, but how you grill it is also crucial. But are you all family? I see there are foreigners, so I don’t think so….”
“This one is my son.”
“Your son?”
The owner’s eyes widened at Father’s words.
Father, in his mid-forties, looked younger than his peers.
That such an accomplished son belonged to him seemed unbelievable to everyone.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Our father got married quite young, you see.”
“So you’re the son. How old are you this year?”
“I’m 22, turning 23 this year.”
“Huh?”
The Restaurant Owner’s expression grew even more astonished.
He fished out a grilled piece of meat and muttered to himself.
“Your father looks incredibly young. And you look so much older….”
[Wait, what? Did he just call me old-looking?]
Then he glanced at Father.
“I’m envious. Handsome features, youthful looks… plenty of hair too… People would think you’re in your thirties if you went out. You’ve got it all.”
“My son is actually more handsome, but you have quite unique taste, sir.”
“What are you talking about? Someone who looks like a pretty boy like that—we don’t even count them as men in Jeju. A real man should look solid like this fellow here. This guy looks like a true Jeju man.”
Jeon Tae-guk laughed awkwardly at the Restaurant Owner’s words and picked up his soju glass.
“Sir, how much meat do you have left here today?”
“Well, business hasn’t been great lately, so maybe three or four kilos left. Why?”
“I’ll pay for all the meat, soju, and beer here today!”
“Ha ha, just as generous as you look, this guy.”
Jeon Tae-guk asked the Restaurant Owner casually.
“Sir, but what kind of face does a Jeju man have? Like Cha Seung-heon or Song Seung-bok?”
“No… you know Dol Hareubang?”
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone except Jeon Tae-guk barely suppressed their laughter and gulped down their soju.

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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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