Chapter 3: Misfortune and Wealth Come Together

Time slowly passed. The northwest wind blew away the heat and irritability, leaving no trace. The cunning sun tried to erase its sins on earth through the cold wind. The wind blew away people's memories of the heat, but it could not change the cracked land and the withered trees. It was powerless against those who resisted to the death. Compared to the harsh nature, humans were so small and pitiful. They could only roar and then silently endure, forever enduring...

On December 1, 1996, the cold wind howled, and it was a bitterly cold winter. At three in the afternoon, the sky was overcast, and it started to snow early. Park Sang-hae took a taxi to the city. Perhaps due to the cold, the usually bustling city center was much quieter than usual.

The taxi stopped in front of a café. Park Sang-hae got out, tidied his clothes, and rubbed his eyelids, muttering, "Why is my eyelid twitching so much..."

He walked forward, and when he reached the café entrance, he saw a boy around eight or nine years old with a small backpack, reaching out to catch the falling snowflakes, playing alone and enjoying himself.

"Such a child!" Park Sang-hae sighed inwardly. To the boy, something ordinary to adults seemed very new and exciting. In the next moment, he pushed the door and entered the café. There were not many people inside, scattered here and there, with soft music playing. He looked around and saw a woman waving at him from the left side, so he quickly walked over.

"Yeon-jung, what's the rush to see me?" Park Sang-hae asked as soon as he sat down.

Han Yeon-jung laughed lightly and said, "Can't I just see an old friend? Are you afraid of your wife?"

"How could I be! Who am I... I wouldn't be afraid of my wife!" Park Sang-hae immediately countered, then signaled the waiter for a coffee. "To be honest, we haven't seen each other since graduation. It's been so long, and you suddenly call me, I'm still a bit taken aback! How have you been these past few years?"

Han Yeon-jung glanced out the window, seeing the boy playing by the door, then turned back and said, "I got divorced..."

What! Park Sang-hae exclaimed, drawing disapproving looks from the other customers. His heart raced, and he felt at a loss in front of his first love.

Anyone in this situation would have the same reaction as Park Sang-hae: "Why is she coming to me? Does she want to get back together? No way... I'm already married, and my child is 11 years old!"

Seeing Park Sang-hae's strange expression, Han Yeon-jung chuckled, "Don't misunderstand... I didn't come to get back together with you! I won't be a third wheel, and... I don't want to be a mother to two children!"

"What... you have children? And you still got divorced? Are you crazy!"

Park Sang-hae exclaimed again, drawing more disapproving looks. Han Yeon-jung frowned, "Can't you be less dramatic! It's like you want everyone to know! Be quiet, don't be so dramatic!"

"How can I not be surprised! You're only 27 years old. You married early and had a good husband, many people envied you. Now, you have a child and are getting divorced. What are you trying to do!"

Han Yeon-jung sighed, looking much older, and rubbed her forehead, "The first few years were good, but as you know, every couple has a seven-year itch. If you get through it, you might last forever; if not, you break up. I've been with him for ten years! From the initial passion to the current boredom, he's tired of me and started looking for women outside, even keeping mistresses. I'm tired of it too. It's better to divorce while I'm young and get a settlement!"

At that moment, Park Sang-hae felt that time truly was a ruthless killer, not only changing the woman's appearance but also her personality, mindset, and way of handling things, making her seem very unfamiliar.

"What about your child?" Park Sang-hae asked.

Mentioning the child, Han Yeon-jung looked outside. Park Sang-hae noticed her gaze was not on him and turned to look behind him. His face tightened, and he turned back, "Don't tell me that's your son...!"

Seeing Han Yeon-jung nod, Park Sang-hae couldn't help but scold, "The child is already so big, and you two are still getting divorced. Do you know how much this will affect him? At your age, doing this is too irresponsible. You two might feel relieved, but what about the child? Have you thought about him?"

Park Sang-hae spoke until his mouth was dry, drank a few sips of coffee, and sighed, "You're crazy... really crazy... Even if your relationship is bad, you shouldn't divorce for the sake of the child!"

"If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have divorced! The woman he kept outside had a son for him. Could I just ignore it? In a fit of anger, I took a third of his assets and cut ties with him. He didn't even fight for custody of the child, leaving him to me...

I was blinded by love before, but now I see he's just another man who gets tired of old things and seeks new ones!" Han Yeon-jung's eyes flashed with resentment, and her hand trembled as she held the coffee cup, causing ripples in the coffee.

Sigh...

Park Sang-hae sighed deeply. After all, this woman was once his deep love. Seeing her in this state, he didn't know what to say. He wanted to comfort her, but the words stuck in his throat when he saw the child's back.

"You didn't just come to me to complain and use me as a listener, right? If you need something, just say it. We were once close, and if I can help, I will do my best!"

It had been 13 years since graduation. In those 13 years, except for the annual class reunion, Park Sang-hae and Han Yeon-jung hardly met. They kept each other's phone numbers but rarely contacted each other to avoid causing trouble. This time, Han Yeon-jung's sudden and urgent visit made Park Sang-hae realize she must need something.

Hearing this, Han Yeon-jung's face lit up, but she hesitated, the words stuck in her throat. After a long silence, she said, "I want to entrust Yun-jae to you, to take care of him!"

Pfft...

Park Sang-hae spat out the coffee in his mouth. If Han Yeon-jung hadn't dodged, she would have been covered in it. Ignoring the mess, Park Sang-hae widened his eyes, rubbed his ears, and asked, "What did you say? I didn't hear clearly, say it again!"

"I said, I want to entrust Yun-jae to you to take care of him. I don't trust anyone else in Korea as much as I trust you!"

Park Sang-hae was so shocked he couldn't speak, his eyes wide like red lanterns, staring at Han Yeon-jung in disbelief.

"Are you sick? Do you have a terminal illness? Are you going to die?"

Han Yeon-jung rolled her eyes, "Can you stop cursing me? Do I look like someone with a short life?"

"If you're not dying, why are you entrusting your son to me? Don't you know I have a wife and children?"

"You said you're not afraid of your wife!"

Park Sang-hae laughed in frustration, "Is that the same? If your husband brought a child from his first love home, how would you feel? You're a woman and have been married. Don't you know how sensitive women are to the term 'first love'?"

Suddenly, Park Sang-hae felt the world was crazy. Who would entrust their child to their first love, especially one with a happy family? Bringing him home would surely cause disharmony.

No... it would definitely make a harmonious family extremely disharmonious.

"Are you so traumatized by your divorce that you've gone crazy? How can you entrust your child to someone else? You're his mother! If you can't take care of him, you can give him to his father... Do you think his father won't take care of him?"

Han Yeon-jung sighed and shook her head, "I'm not afraid he won't take care of him, but I'm afraid he will be mistreated by that woman. There are so many news stories and dramas where stepmothers mistreat their stepchildren, treating them like enemies and tormenting them for their own satisfaction!"

Park Sang-hae nodded after a few seconds of thought. After all, it's not natural for a stepmother to treat her husband's child from a previous marriage well.

"Since you're not sick, why are you entrusting your son to me?"

"I'm leaving Korea, going to America..." Han Yeon-jung's eyes flickered, "To marry an American businessman."

"Say that again?!" Park Sang-hae felt a surge of anger, wanting to slap her. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Is that what a human being would say?!"

Outside, Lee Yun-jae seemed not to hear anything, looking up at the sky, his long bangs covering his eyes. Snowflakes landed on his bangs, melting into droplets.

"Sir, if you're going to argue, please do it outside. You're disturbing the other customers!" The waiter frowned and approached, speaking to Park Sang-hae and Han Yeon-jung.

"Sorry, I lost my composure!" Controlling his emotions, Park Sang-hae sat down, staring at the woman across from him, who now felt completely unfamiliar.

Han Yeon-jung seemed prepared for Park Sang-hae's reaction, her face only slightly changing before returning to calm.

"What do you think of your son? Do you see him as a burden? Why did you even have him in the first place! When did you become so terrifying, so unfamiliar to me?"

Han Yeon-jung sighed deeply, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, "I have no choice! I grew up in a single-parent family, so I married at 17. Fortunately, he was wealthy and treated me well after marriage. But my mother died three years after my wedding. Now, I have no family left in Korea. I can't stay with Yun-jae forever. I met someone who treats me well and can give me happiness, so I have to seize this happiness...

He's an American businessman who came to Korea for business. We fell in love at first sight. A woman's intuition is very accurate, and he's a good man, so I can't give him up! But if I marry him, I have to go to America with him, and he doesn't want children, doesn't want to have any... So I can only entrust Yun-jae to you to take care of him!"

"You're crazy... really crazy..." Park Sang-hae shook his head, muttering. "He's just a ten-year-old child, how can you be so heartless to him!"

The soft music in the café continued, and the snow outside kept falling, the sky gray and overcast, full of gloom.

Han Yeon-jung looked at her watch; it was already 4:30 PM. Seeing Park Sang-hae's dazed expression, she took a credit card from her wallet and handed it to him, "The money in this card is enough for Yun-jae to live and study until he's 20. Here's his transfer certificate; I've already transferred him to the New Star Elementary School near your house.

This child has received elite education since he was young. Besides his studies, I've also trained him in piano and guitar, giving him more skills to compete in this competitive society! I've already had the piano and guitar delivered to your house!"

"What!!" Park Sang-hae exclaimed, "Are you okay... My house is so small, where can I put a piano! Besides, a piano in a rural home would look out of place! The school is transferred, the things are moved, you're well-prepared, planning to go all the way, have you thought about how long you'll be gone, at least three to five years, maybe ten. Yun-jae is young now and doesn't understand much, but what about later, when he grows up and realizes he's a child without a father or mother, won't you be afraid he'll hate you?"

Sigh...

Han Yeon-jung took a deep breath, her face turning pale, her lips trembling, "This child is destined to face many hardships. A master at Bulguksa Temple (the most famous temple in Korea, a UNESCO World Heritage site) once interpreted a fortune for him, saying he would face many hardships but would have a bright future if he overcame them... It's all destined!"

"Nonsense... Don't blame your mistakes on fate! If you didn't divorce, would this happen? It's all your doing!" Park Sang-hae said firmly.

Han Yeon-jung shook her head, "Anyway... I've made up my mind and won't change it... I'm flying to America this afternoon!"

"So, you're entrusting Yun-jae to me before you leave? You're really...!" Park Sang-hae was furious.

"I made a big decision to do this..." Han Yeon-jung's eyes reddened, tears welling up, her beautiful face evoking sympathy.

At that moment, Han Yeon-jung's phone rang. In the 1990s, most people couldn't afford a phone, let alone a mobile phone.

The phone rang a few times and then stopped, as if the caller was impatient.

Han Yeon-jung's face changed, and she said slowly, "I have to go... I hope you can take good care of him. This card is my compensation for you taking care of Yun-jae!"

With that, Han Yeon-jung took another credit card from her wallet and handed it to Park Sang-hae, then got up and left. When Park Sang-hae was still in a daze, she had already walked out of the café, squatted in front of Lee Yun-jae, said something to him, patted his head, and disappeared into the snow.

Park Sang-hae slapped his face, only now regaining his senses. Looking back, Han Yeon-jung was already gone, not even a shadow left. He looked at the two credit cards in front of him and then at Lee Yun-jae standing at the door, looking at him. He shook his head and laughed bitterly.

Before leaving, he had felt his left and right eyelids twitching. Now he understood, left eye for wealth, right eye for disaster, the old saying wasn't without reason.

The two credit cards were wealth, and Lee Yun-jae at the door was the "disaster." He wondered what kind of trouble this poor "little disaster" would bring to his family...

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