Chapter 4: First Encounter

The sky was a dull gray, with snowflakes drifting down. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, passing each other in a rush.

Park Sang-hae and Lee Yun-jae stood face to face. Before entering the café, Park Sang-hae had only glanced at Lee Yun-jae casually, but now he took a closer look. The ten-year-old boy in front of him was indeed very cute.

His bangs half-covered his eyes, and his chubby little face had a pair of bright, spirited eyes. He wasn't exactly handsome, but he was more on the cute side.

"Little boy, do you know who I am?" Park Sang-hae squatted down in front of Lee Yun-jae, pretending to ask.

Lee Yun-jae looked at him solemnly and said, "My mom told me you are her first love, and she wants me to follow you well!"

At that moment, Park Sang-hae staggered, almost falling onto the wet ground. He quickly said, "Let's not mention the term 'first love' anymore, okay! Remember, you must never say those four words! Do you know what your mom is going to do?"

"My mom said she's going to a very far place and can't take me. She said if she left me with my dad, the stepmom would bully me, so she asked you to take care of me!" Lee Yun-jae said, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Park Sang-hae sighed inwardly, thinking that this was the same lame excuse used in all TV dramas when adults leave children, but it was quite effective.

"Yes... your mom has gone to a very far place and will be gone for a long time. So during this time, you will live with me!" Park Sang-hae patted Lee Yun-jae's little head, his face showing a gentle smile.

The snow in the sky grew heavier, and Park Sang-hae held Lee Yun-jae's small hand as they walked down the street. He first went to a nearby bank to check how much money was in the two cards.

To his surprise, the two cards together had a total of 700 million won. Of this, 500 million won was for Lee Yun-jae's living expenses and other costs for the next ten years, and 200 million won was the compensation from Han Yeon-jung for taking care of Lee Yun-jae.

700 million won was an astronomical amount for Park Sang-hae. In his hometown, he only ran a small cake shop, earning about 15 million won a year. After deducting the annual expenses, he could only save about 8 million won. For him, 700 million won was an unimaginably large sum. Even if his whole family didn't eat or drink, it would take them 47 years to earn that much.

"Uncle, what's wrong? Why are you shaking? Are you cold?" Lee Yun-jae looked at Park Sang-hae's slightly trembling body and asked with concern.

"No... no, I'm fine!" Park Sang-hae forced a dry laugh, feeling embarrassed that he was so shaken by 700 million won. But it was understandable; for an ordinary, honest baker, suddenly having 700 million won was enough to keep him awake at night.

"It's okay, let's go! We're going home... Yun-jae, tell Uncle what you want to eat tonight, and I'll ask Aunt to make it for you!" Park Sang-hae held Yun-jae's small hand and asked.

"Hmm... I want chicken wings... squid... and big crabs!" Lee Yun-jae thought seriously and said.

Park Sang-hae laughed and said, "Alright, let's go to the market to buy the ingredients first, and then we'll go home, okay!"

"Ye! Okay!"

Seeing the happy smile on Lee Yun-jae's red, cold face, Park Sang-hae's previous gloom disappeared. He had always wanted a son, but his wife's womb was not cooperative, and they had a daughter instead. Now, Lee Yun-jae seemed to fill that void. Looking at the smiling Lee Yun-jae, Park Sang-hae felt that this might not be a bad outcome, as long as he could get his wife's approval...

Park Sang-hae's home was in the suburbs of Anyang, which could also be called a village, in a place called Gyeongdo-ri (a fictional place, who knows where it is). Although it wasn't as bustling as the city, it was a picturesque village with small bridges, flowing water, fields, and flowers. However, the current beauty was hidden by the wind and snow, and it would surely be very beautiful in the spring.

In the taxi, Lee Yun-jae pressed his face against the foggy window, looking at the vast fields outside, feeling very curious. He turned to Park Sang-hae and asked, "Uncle, what is that raised thing?"

Park Sang-hae glanced and smiled, saying, "That's a greenhouse. It's used to grow some off-season vegetables and fruits..."

Lee Yun-jae nodded, seemingly understanding.

The taxi drove on the main road for a while, then turned onto a smaller road. After driving about a hundred meters, it entered a village. Following Park Sang-hae's directions, the taxi turned several times in the village and finally stopped in front of a two-story house.

Lee Yun-jae got out of the car and looked around. The two-story house looked quite old, surrounded by a wall about a meter high, which was now covered with a thin layer of snow.

The taxi drove away, and Park Sang-hae carried a black plastic bag full of groceries. Thus, the big and small stood at the gate of the wall.

Sigh... Park Sang-hae took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself, and pushed open the gate. Lee Yun-jae followed him into the yard.

Woof... woof... woof...

As soon as Lee Yun-jae stepped into the yard, he heard a dog barking. Then a small dog quickly ran out of the house, jumped into Lee Yun-jae's arms, and affectionately nuzzled his head, licking Lee Yun-jae's face with its tongue.

"Haha... Magic Ball, stop it..." Lee Yun-jae laughed, tickled.

At that moment, a little girl, about the same age as Lee Yun-jae, ran out of the house, shouting, "Dog, don't run around..." When she saw Park Sang-hae at the door, she happily called out, "Dad, why are you back so late... Did you see a dog run out of the house?"

Park Sang-hae slightly turned his body, and the little girl saw Lee Yun-jae behind him, holding a small dog and laughing happily.

"Is this dog yours?"

Lee Yun-jae nodded and said, "Yes, its name is Magic Ball, and it's a Chihuahua!"

"Oh... so its name is Magic Ball... I'm Park So-yeon, I'm 11 years old, and you?"

"I'm Lee Yun-jae! I'm 10 years old!"

Ha... Ha... Ha... Hearing this, Park So-yeon immediately jumped up excitedly and said, "I'm one year older than you, so you have to call me sister, okay!"

Lee Yun-jae said "Oh" and felt quite curious about this new sister. He took out a chocolate bar from his pocket and handed it to her, saying, "Here, I'll give it to you to eat!"

"Ah... chocolate... I love it!" Park So-yeon happily took the chocolate. It was 1996, and chocolate was still a novelty for children in the countryside, with a great appeal, especially to girls! It was very delicious, and they wanted to eat it, but couldn't afford it.

Seeing how smoothly Lee Yun-jae and Park So-yeon got along and seemed to become good friends, Park Sang-hae smiled. This was a good sign.

Suddenly, Park So-yeon, eating a piece of chocolate, turned to Park Sang-hae and blinked, saying, "Dad, someone sent a lot of things to our house today, even a piano. Did you buy them? But I can't play the piano!"

Park Sang-hae rubbed his forehead and explained, "So-yeon, these things are for Yun-jae. Yun-jae will be living with us for a long time. Do you welcome him?"

Park So-yeon suddenly fell silent, looking at Lee Yun-jae and then at Park Sang-hae. She then smiled and said, "If he gives me chocolate often, I'll agree!"

Park Sang-hae helplessly patted his daughter, thinking that a few pieces of chocolate had already won her over. He was really worried that when she grew up, she might be taken advantage of by boys.

"Alright, let's go inside. I bought big crabs, chicken wings, squid, and pork belly today. Let's celebrate Yun-jae's first day with us!" Park Sang-hae lifted the black plastic bag, and Park So-yeon immediately jumped up happily. For most families, being able to eat pork belly was already quite good, and big crabs, chicken wings, and squid were only available during the New Year. How could Park So-yeon not be happy and excited?

"Great! It looks like after Yun-jae moves in, I'll not only get to eat chocolate, but my food will also improve a lot!" Park So-yeon thought happily. For a child, delicious food and chocolate were enough to satisfy her.

When the three entered the house, Park Sang-hae immediately saw a piano in the corner of the living room. He sighed in relief, thinking, "Thank goodness it's not a grand piano. If it were, we wouldn't have space for it!"

Next to the piano was a wooden guitar and four large suitcases, which probably contained Lee Yun-jae's clothes and shoes.

"Hubby, what are all these things... explain to me properly, these..." Park Sang-hae's wife, Choi Ji-ya, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, came out of the kitchen, shouting at Park Sang-hae. When she saw Lee Yun-jae, she opened her mouth wide, speechless, and hid the spatula behind her back, saying, "Hubby, who is this child?"

"Hello, Aunt! My name is Lee Yun-jae, and my mom is Uncle Park's... wu wu wu wu..."

Lee Yun-jae was about to reveal his background but was covered by Park Sang-hae's hand. Park Sang-hae was drenched in cold sweat, glaring at Lee Yun-jae fiercely. He had repeatedly warned him, but Lee Yun-jae still blurted it out.

"Wife, come, let's talk in the kitchen. I bought a lot of food, and we'll have a good meal tonight! So-yeon, show Yun-jae around the house and help him get familiar!" Park Sang-hae pushed Choi Ji-ya into the kitchen and handed Lee Yun-jae to Park So-yeon.

"Can I hold Magic Ball?" Park So-yeon blinked and asked Lee Yun-jae.

Magic Ball seemed to understand Park So-yeon's words and whined, as if it didn't want to be touched by a stranger. Lee Yun-jae patted Magic Ball, comforting it for the fear of the new environment, and then handed it to Park So-yeon.

Park So-yeon seemed to really like the dog. She held Magic Ball and offered it a piece of chocolate. Magic Ball, although a small dog, seemed interested in the chocolate, licking it and taking a bite, whining as if to show friendliness. Lee Yun-jae didn't expect that Park So-yeon could win over Magic Ball with just a piece of chocolate.

"Come, I'll show you around my house!" Park So-yeon happily held Magic Ball, and Lee Yun-jae followed her. Park So-yeon first took him to the bathroom, then up to the second floor, to the master bedroom, and her own room.

In total, the house wasn't very big, and almost all the usable space on both floors was utilized. In front of Park So-yeon's room, there was a small wooden ladder leading to the attic.

While Park So-yeon was showing Lee Yun-jae around the house, the kitchen was filled with tension. Choi Ji-ya, holding a spatula, stared at Park Sang-hae with a fierce look. "My policy is to be lenient with those who confess and strict with those who resist. Tell me, where did that child come from?!"

Park Sang-hae looked at her helplessly. When he saw her fierce gaze, he knew he couldn't fool her. Besides, she would find out eventually. With the thought of "better to face the pain early," he said, "Wife, I love you!"

Pfft! Choi Ji-ya spat at him, saying, "Don't try that! Even if you call me grandma, it won't help. Tell me, who is this child? If you don't, you know the consequences. Don't think I can't find the washboard just because you hid it. I know your little tricks!"

"Yes, yes, yes... my wife is sharp and smart..."

"Enough! Don't try to confuse me with nonsense! Tell me, who is this child!" Choi Ji-ya said, word by word.

"Alright, alright... but you can't get angry! Swear it!" Park Sang-hae tried to prepare her, speaking solemnly.

Choi Ji-ya suddenly changed her expression, smiling slightly, and said, "Okay, I won't get angry. Tell me, I'm ready!"

Park Sang-hae's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back. They had been married for over ten years, and he knew his wife inside out. Even if she farted, he could tell if it was smelly or fragrant. Seeing her smile, Park Sang-hae immediately understood the calm before the storm.

"Alright... I'll tell you... it's like this..."

At that moment, Park Sang-hae told her the whole story. When he mentioned Han Yeon-jung, Choi Ji-ya pinched his waist hard. When he talked about Lee Yun-jae, her maternal love overflowed, and she said with tears in her eyes, "What a poor child... what a tragedy... what a tragedy!"

"Wife, that's the situation. Here, these two bank cards have a total of 700 million won. How to handle it is up to you! You've seen Yun-jae; he's very well-behaved and cute. I'm sure you'll take good care of him!" Park Sang-hae handed over the bank cards and tried to negotiate.

Choi Ji-ya glared at him, grabbed his ear, and said, "You scoundrel... don't you think this is absurd? Bringing your old lover's child home for your wife to take care of! Did you even consider my feelings at the time!"

"Ouch... wife, let go... it wouldn't be good if the children saw... I'm the head of the family, and I need to maintain my dignity!" Park Sang-hae shouted.

Upstairs, in Park So-yeon's room, which was covered with posters of singers, the two were sitting on the bed, and Park So-yeon was dividing Lee Yun-jae's chocolate. Lee Yun-jae seemed to hear some noise and asked Park So-yeon, "So-yeon, I think I heard Uncle's惨叫声..."

Park So-yeon waved her hand indifferently and said, "Normal, normal!! Mom must be scolding Dad again!"

"Oh... Oh... So-yeon, how do you learn math? Why do I only get one piece of chocolate, but you get two? That's not fair!"

Park So-yeon smacked his head and said, "Don't talk to me about math, okay? I don't like it!"

Lee Yun-jae rubbed his head and said, "Oh..."

In the kitchen, Choi Ji-ya had finally vented her anger, and Park Sang-hae was rubbing his ear, grimacing.

After venting her anger, Choi Ji-ya said, "The child looks pitiful, and it would be nice for him to keep So-yeon company. It's just one more mouth to feed."

Hearing this, Park Sang-hae's grimace turned into a smile, but before he could smile for long, Choi Ji-ya added a condition, and Park Sang-hae's face turned stiff.

"But... I can't let you off that easily! You have to agree to a few conditions!"

"Wife... tell me, as long as I can do it, I'll follow your orders!" Park Sang-hae patted his chest, promising.

"First, you need to solve Yun-jae's living arrangements!"

"That's easy... we have an attic, so I'll clean it up tomorrow, buy a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe, and set it up for him!" Park Sang-hae smiled.

Choi Ji-ya nodded and continued, "Second