Seoul, Korea.
In a two-bedroom apartment in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, it is noon on Saturday, November 15th in Asia.
This is a dinner party for Cheng Taixi's family.
Sung Tae-hee's hometown is in Busan. His father, Sung Hyun-ru, is a history professor at Pusan National University and has retired. The mother, Li Hezhen, is a typical housewife who worked hard to raise the three siblings, Cheng Taixi.
Sung Tae Hee also has two brothers. The eldest brother Sung Woo Hyo also teaches English at Pusan National University. The second brother Sung Woo Jung lives in Seoul like her and is a section manager at the Seoul factory of Ssangyong Motors, the sixth largest conglomerate in South Korea. According to the classification of positions in Korean companies, it is two levels lower than the director-level position in charge of a car factory. Compared with Sung Tae-hee, who was only a team leader one level higher than ordinary employees at Kia before, he is much better.
If there had not been this financial crisis, the whole family would have belonged to the relatively affluent middle class in South Korea.
Now, my parents came all the way from Busan on weekends for the sake of their children.
Kia went bankrupt in July. The old couple came once and asked their second son Cheng Yuzhong to take care of his sister. They also urged Cheng Tae Hee to find a man to be a housewife. At that time, they also hoped that Cheng Tae Hee would return to Busan. Her parents Help arrange blind dates.
Cheng Taixi did not agree.
Twists and turns.
Cheng Taixi found a place, but unexpectedly, the second son Cheng Yuzhong, who was considered the most promising in the eyes of his parents, faced career risks again.
The Ssangyong Motors factory in the west of the city where Cheng Yuzhong works has recently ceased production.
Compared with Hanbao, Kia, Jinro and other chaebols that have declared bankruptcy, Ssangyong Group has only gone through bankruptcy procedures. Now it is waiting for the Korean government to negotiate with the IMF to see if there can be a turnaround.
In addition, Sung Yuzhong's wife Han Yunxiu, who originally worked in a restaurant chain owned by Jinro, was also unemployed at home for several months due to Jinro's bankruptcy.
Together with her mother and second sister-in-law Han Yunxiu, they put the prepared meals on the table. The three women knelt down around the two men who were sighing at the TV. Cheng Taexi also looked at the TV that was playing the noon news.
"... Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lim Chang-yeol refused to disclose the progress of the negotiations between the two parties on the Hilton Hotel. However, according to sources, South Korea needs at least US$50 billion in funds to survive this crisis. To get this money, South Korea will Facing the fate of the economy being completely taken over by the IMF..."
"... The latest news is that Ssangyong Motor's Seoul plant announced a shutdown this Friday. A spokesperson for Ssangyong Group said that Ssangyong will not go bankrupt like Kia and is currently seeking emergency solutions... "
“… The National Assembly will hold an extraordinary meeting this afternoon to vote on the overseas capital investment reform bill submitted by the Blue House. The core of the bill is to relax the restrictions on overseas capital’s shareholding in Korean companies. The industry expects that the bill will be passed with a high probability and will be passed next Monday. Implementation. Hong Qizhi, President Kim Young-sam’s special economic assistant, said that the fundamental purpose of Cheong Wa Dae’s promotion of this bill is to attract foreign investment to protect employment and avoid more corporate bankruptcies leading to mass unemployment. At the same time, the authorities have not imposed restrictions on sensitive banking, insurance, military industry and other fields. I won’t let go completely…”
"... Thousands of Kia Motors employees gathered at the Blue House again today to demand that the authorities resolve the issue of Kia's ownership as soon as possible... "
"... There have been 29 suicides by jumping into the river on Banpo, Seongsu, Yeongdong and other Han River bridges since November. The authorities have strengthened patrol police on various bridges. At the same time, the Seoul regional government and major churches call on citizens to cherish life. If If you encounter difficulties in life, you can seek help from rescue agencies... "
When the family, who had no intention of eating and were watching the TV news, heard this, the adult mother Li Hezhen grabbed her second son's hand, with tears in her eyes: "Yuzhong, you must not imitate them. Otherwise, you and Yunxiu Take the child back to Busan with us. Your father and I still have savings..." He grabbed his daughter again and said: "...and Taixi, you also come back with us. Mom has recently seen a few good men and introduced them. for you."
When Cheng's father saw his wife like this, he also had a sullen face. He simply picked up the remote control and turned off the TV. He said to his wife: "Don't be like this. How can Yu Zhong be so fragile?" After speaking, he looked at his eldest son with a serious and thoughtful tone. : "No matter what, you have to think about Yunxiu and the two children. You are their backbone. Even if you have to beg, you have to live well. You can't stop thinking about it."
Seeing that his mother had begun to cry, Cheng Yuzhong held the old man's hand tightly and assured, "Dad, Mom, I'm really fine. I'm already looking for a new job. I have an interview in the afternoon."
"Okay, that's good," Cheng's father nodded repeatedly: "Your mother and I will stay here for a while. Don't worry, I won't disturb you. Taixi has an empty room here."
"Dad, whatever you said, it's all my fault. The house I bought was too small at that time. I was already looking at a big house some time ago, and I didn't expect to encounter this kind of thing."
"It's better to have a smaller house. You don't have a loan now, so you are the luckiest. I saw in the newspaper that recently many people can't repay their mortgages, and their houses have been taken away by banks," Cheng's father said here, and then He looked at his youngest daughter: "Taixi, how long does your mortgage payment for this house last?"
"Dad, I have a job now, it's okay."
"If you need help, you must tell your father," the adult muttered, and then turned directly: "Actually, your parents want you to get married as soon as possible. It will not be easy to have children later."
Cheng Taixi avoided his father's gaze with a guilty conscience and changed the subject: "Dad, and everyone, let's eat quickly, it's getting cold."
Cheng's father also knew that now was not the time to rush for marriage, so he nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, let's eat first."
Seeing that the whole family was picking up the dishes, Cheng Yuzhong's wife Han Yunxiu, who had been unable to speak, suddenly spoke and pointed to the watch on Cheng Taixi's wrist: "Taixi, your watch is from Patek Philippe, right?" Or is it new?”
Cheng Taixi didn't expect that his sister-in-law would suddenly ask about this, so he quietly retracted his wrist into the cuff, nodded slightly, and whispered: "Yes."
Han Yunxiu opened her eyes wide when she saw Cheng Taixi confessing: "I saw it in a magazine. If it is true, this one seems to be very expensive?"
Seeing that his daughter didn't want to answer and was still pursuing her, the adult father patted the table gently: "What are you talking about? Let's eat."
Cheng Yuzhong also glared at his wife.
Cheng Yuzhong was a very filial son. He fell in love with his wife and got married. After a few years, his career improved and he gave birth to a son, so he planned to buy a house. Because she mentioned that she hoped to bring her parents to live in Seoul more often in the future, the result was that my wife deliberately chose a small one-bedroom, two-living high-rise apartment in Apgujeong-dong that overlooks the Han River and has a great view. She bought it after she divorced her sister. This house is the same, but the price is more than double.
However, my sister lived alone, and they later had a son, making them a family of four.
It is conceivable that if the old couple wanted to stay for a while, there would be no chance of it, because the two were deeply in love at the time, and Cheng Yuzhong had no choice but to compromise after being told by his wife.
Fortunately, it is a small house after all. Both the couple have jobs and the mortgage was paid off three years ago. I was originally thinking about buying a second home as an investment, which has become very popular in Korea in recent years, and to prepare for two children in the future, but I didn't expect that I would suddenly encounter this kind of thing.
Cheng Yuzhong is somewhat fortunate now that the mortgage on his first house has been paid off and he hasn't had time to buy a second one yet. My wife has been taking credit for this recently, saying that if it hadn't been for her original choice, her family might have had their house taken away by the bank and lived on the streets.
In short, Cheng Yuzhong has always felt a little guilty towards his parents because of the house matter.
Both parents are loyal people and will not complain about anything, but it does not mean that the two old people do not understand the careful thinking behind the wife's deliberate choice of that house, and it is inevitable that they will have some complaints.
At this time, seeing his wife say these inexplicable words again, he became unhappy.
Cheng Yuzhong knows that his wife likes these luxury goods very much and is familiar with various brands. She often discusses with her best friends. In the past, when traveling abroad, she would go to various brand stores, so most of her own salary in these years has been Filling in this, it is basically Cheng Yuzhong's salary to subsidize various household expenses. Otherwise, the second house would have been bought long ago.
Anyway, now that both husband and wife have lost their jobs, is this still the time to talk about this
When Han Yunxiu saw her father-in-law scolding her and her husband glaring at her, she felt aggrieved. She gestured towards the Patek Philippe that Cheng Taixi had secretly hidden on her wrist and said, "I just want to say that if Taixi's Patek Philippe watch is real, it is worth 120,000 yuan." As for U.S. dollars, that’s just the foreign price, not counting tariffs.”
The family was stunned.
Seeing everyone stunned, Han Yunxiu continued to expose, pointing to the windbreaker on the hanger outside the restaurant: "Also, that Gucci windbreaker does not seem to be sold in China, and it is worth at least 8,000 US dollars. Also, Taixi's earrings, It’s a platinum red diamond from Bulgari, I just saw it in a magazine, it’s $26,000.”
Neither the two old men nor Cheng Yuzhong knew anything about luxury goods. At this time, after listening to Han Yunxiu's various introductions in a serious manner, it took a while for Cheng's father to react. Cheng's father asked indifferently: "How much is 120,000 U.S. dollars?"
Han Yunxiu accurately converted: "According to the current exchange rate, 240 million won, Tae Hee's house is now only 150 million won."
The family suddenly felt that they had learned a lot again.
A watch is more expensive than a house
Cheng's mother first took her daughter's hand: "Taixi, what Yunxiu said...is all true?"
Seeing that she couldn't hide it anymore, Cheng Taixi could only nod, hesitate a little, and said proactively: "Mom, and dad, these... are all gifts from my boyfriend."
Boy friend? !
The old couple suddenly became surprised again.
My daughter is finally getting married!
However, Han Yunxiu couldn't help but feel sour, and couldn't help but mutter: "What man can give such an expensive gift? He can't be the one who can't get married..."
Bang—
Before Han Yunxiu finished mumbling, Cheng's father had already slapped the table: "Yunxiu, how could you say that about Taixi!"
However, after scolding the father, he immediately looked at his daughter.
Although children are the treasures of their parents, the two old people are not stupid. Their daughter's age... Although they look a lot more beautiful when they meet this time, they are very happy to find a good man. If you give away so many good things at every turn, then... can you afford it
Cheng Taixi hesitated for a moment and finally made up his mind.
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It is better to admit it early than to tell countless lies to cover it up in the future. After all, since the last weekend and the conversation with Chen Qing on the return plane, she no longer thinks about anything else. Unless one day the man says he doesn't want him anymore and drives her away, otherwise, she is just a little kitten waiting for him to appear.
Thinking of this, facing the eyes of his parents, brother and sister-in-law, Cheng Taixi breathed out quietly and finally nodded: "Dad, mom, brother, my boyfriend will indeed not marry me."
This couldn't be more obvious.
Cheng Taixi admitted so straightforwardly, but the family did not know how to deal with it.
After a while, Mother Chen, who started wiping away tears again, spoke first, still holding her daughter's hand: "Taixi, how could you wrong yourself so much?"
Cheng Taixi quickly took the tissue and moved to her mother's side to help her wipe away her tears. She put her arms around Cheng's mother's shoulders and said, "Mom, I'm not wronged. I like him very much. You've also seen that he's very nice to me." .”
Cheng's father also said: "That can't be like this. If you don't get married, you don't even have a status. What will happen in the future?"
Cheng's mother then advised: "You still have a child, Taixi, but you already... you won't be able to have a child any later, at least you have to have a child. Can that person allow you to have a child?"
"What are you talking about? How can you have a child if you don't even have a status? Aren't the children going to be even more aggrieved in the future?" The father interrupted immediately and looked at his daughter: "And, um, no matter who it is, we don't want him if we break up with him." Thing, you go back to Busan with your parents and find a man you can marry, this is serious."
Cheng Taixi shook his head: "Dad, if you want to find a man to marry, I can find him a long time ago. I don't want to get married myself, so this is good."
"You are young… "
The father blurted out, then remembered his daughter's age and didn't know what to say, so he sighed.
Seeing that her mother was no longer crying, Cheng Taixi hugged the old man comfortingly, looked at her second brother and sister-in-law, and thought, "Dad, I actually want to say that I can help my brother and sister-in-law with their work. "
Han Yunxiu's eyes suddenly lit up.
Cheng Yuzhong understood how his sister could help him. It would be easy for a man who could easily give gifts worth a house to help the couple solve their work problems. However, compared to his wife's happy expression, even if he was moved in his heart, he did not show it.
When Cheng's father heard this, he immediately raised his voice: "Don't help them."
After speaking, he glanced at his son and daughter-in-law, then turned to his daughter, and his tone became softer: "You, alas, just look after yourself. Dad can imagine the man you know. With such a person, every minute of friendship will be lost. , don’t talk randomly, just take care of yourself, just take care of yourself.”