Heavenly Inquisition Sword - Chapter 1515



Only Krnovel

Episode 1515. The leaves fall and return to the roots.

Early March.

korea.

Incheon International Airport.

At about 3 p.m., two men walked out of the airport building.

The young man in his mid-twenties and the middle-aged man in his mid-thirties with glasses were Yeonjeokha and Gu In-hoe, the guide.

He kept looking around with curious eyes.

Korea is adjacent to China, but it seemed like a completely different world.

It was so big, splendid, and clean that it was beyond description.

I was amazed by the ten-character poem and the Hapbi, but Incheon was even more amazing.

“I heard that China is second in the world… …. Why does it seem like Korea is more developed?”

“Haha, that means the country’s competitiveness. You can think of it as being second in the world in terms of resources, military power, and economic power.”

“What about Korea?”

“It is a country without resources, but its military power ranks 5th in the world and its economic power ranks 7th.”

“Huh? Is that possible when you have no resources and the land is small?”

“Korea is a somewhat exceptional country. Because of the confrontation between North and South Korea, its military power is incredibly strong, and its people’s education level is also unprecedented in the world. The adult illiteracy rate in the United States, which is ranked first in the world, is 22 percent, and in China, it is 5 percent, while in Korea, it is 0.5 percent.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s also because the letters are easy.”

“Oh, Korean?”

“Yes, it’s the simplest letter in the world… … . The illiteracy rate of 0.5% is surprising. I learned it in a week. I think that’s because there are people who don’t have the will to learn letters from the beginning.”

“You learned Korean in a week? Is that possible?”

“Teacher Yeon, try it while you’re in Korea. You’ll probably be surprised at how much easier it is than you think.”

“Hey, but how can you learn another country’s characters in a week?”

“Haha! Then would you like to make a bet with me? Whether Mr. Yeon can learn Hangul in a week or not? I’ll bet on the yes.”

While the two were chatting lightly, an airport bus stopped in front of me.

Gu In-hoe, who had seen the bus, continued speaking hurriedly.

“If you take that bus, you can go straight to Chinatown. Let’s go.”

After a while, the airport bus carrying the last two people slowly started moving.

***

Incheon.

Chinatown.

At around 4 p.m., Yeonjeokha and Guinhoe got off at Chinatown.

Although they were traveling abroad, they looked like office workers at first glance because they were carrying briefcases.

Gu In-hoe said to Yeon-jeok-ha, who was looking around Chinatown.

“It’s smaller than you think. It’s because, unlike other countries, Chinese people have little influence in Korea.”

“Why is that so?”

“It’s not just that the Korean government has suppressed the Chinese… … Chinese and Koreans rarely mix.”

“aha.”

I thought of Du-uro, whom I met in the ten-character poem about love.

He used to mock Koreans by calling them “Goryeo stickmen.”

“Should we say that fire meets fire? You can think of it as an extreme confrontation without compromise, starting from food to culture and history.”

“Why is that so?”

“It is the result of China’s desire to lump Korea in as one of China’s ethnic minorities and Korea’s unique spirit of resistance.”

“Is there a solution?”

“It won’t be resolved until one side gives up.”

At that moment, an old man dressed in a suit approached the two people.

The recruiting committee bowed their heads first and pretended to know.

The old man, Joo Hyeon-sik, nodded briefly and glanced at the young man accompanying Gu In-hoe.

Gu In-hoe introduced Joo Hyeon-sik to Yeon Jeok-ha.

“Mr. Yeon, this is Chairman Joo Hyun-sik, who leads the Chinese community in Chinatown. Mr. Joo, this is Mr. Yeon, whom I am in charge of guiding.”

Joo Hyun-sik bowed his head first, even though his opponent was only in his mid-twenties.

“My name is Joo Hyun-sik.”

“I am in love with you.”

After the greetings between the two people were over, the recruitment meeting went straight to the main topic.

“Chairman, as I told you before, we are looking for the Yeons from Hap-bi. Has there been any progress?”

“There are some. Since there aren’t many of them, I found them quickly.”

“Then please tell Mr. Yeon directly.”

The recruiting committee took a step back.

Joo Hyun-sik wet his lips with his tongue and spoke in a triumphant tone.

“So, Yeon Ga-ryang and her family from Hefei came to Chinatown 64 years ago in 1970. Yeon Ga-ryang first learned how to work at a Chinese restaurant called ‘Manbok-rae.’ Four years later, they opened a Chinese restaurant called ‘Seok-gyeong-jang.’”

My heart was filled with emotion at that moment.

The descendants still haven’t forgotten Seokgyeongjang!

You could tell they were his descendants just by their name.

“Is the stone mirror here?”

“That’s not it.”

“No? Then you moved to another place?”

“Yeon Ga-ryang and her family left Chinatown about twenty years ago when they became naturalized Koreans. I heard that Yeon Pond was originally Korean. I was impressed by the phrase “fallen leaves return to their roots” when they became naturalized.”

“Where did they go?”

“As the number of customers in Chinatown decreased, we moved the store to downtown Incheon.”

“Are you still running the restaurant?”

“Yes, I understand that Yeon-ga-ryang’s son has inherited and is currently running the business.”

“Please tell me where that place is.”

At Yeonjeokha’s words, Joo Hyeonsik took out a note from his bosom and handed it to her.

“I asked around and got the address. After Yeon-ga-ryang became naturalized, he stopped going to our Chinese community.”

“thank you.”

He took the piece of paper and put it in his pocket.

By the way, ‘the leaves fall and return to the roots’…

It felt strange because it seemed like he was talking about his current situation.

Joo Hyun-sik, who had given the address to Yeon-jeok-ha, opened his mouth with an expectant look on his face.

“We have an important guest from the mainland for the first time in a while. Would you mind if we prepared a welcoming ceremony?”

“No, I’m busy.”

When Yeonjeokha refused without any hesitation, Joo Hyeonsik did not ask her any further.

At that point, Gu In-hoe, who had taken a step back, quietly stepped forward again.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Please understand that Mr. Yeon is short on time. I will visit you separately before I leave the country.”

Only then did Joo Hyun-sik’s shadowy face brighten up.

“Okay, let’s do that. I would be grateful if only Manager Gu could come. Then I will keep that in mind.”

After a while, Joo Hyeon-sik said goodbye to Yeon Jeok-ha and Gu In-hoe and left.

Immediately after Joo Hyun-sik disappeared, Gu In-hoe asked Yeon-jeok-ha.

“Professor Yeon, would you like to go to Seokgyeongjang right now?”

“yes.”

“If you give me a note, I will explain it to the taxi driver.”

Yeonjeok readily took out the note and handed it over to Gu In-hoe.

Since the reporter may not know Chinese characters, he asked Gu In-hoe to be the interpreter.

The two took a taxi to downtown Incheon.

***

Juan-dong, Incheon-si.

As the sun was setting, a taxi stopped in front of Singi Market.

Soon after, two men got out of the taxi.

Yeonjeokha and Guinhoe come to Chinatown to find Seokgyeongjang.

After looking at the Shingi Market guide for a while, Gu In-hoe said.

“I think it’s inside here.”

“Let’s go and see.”

Unlike the quiet Chinatown, Singi Market seemed to be bursting with people.

In some sections, there were so many people coming and going that our shoulders were bumping into each other.

But as we continued to enter, the number of people gradually decreased.

Gu In-hoe, who was looking around, smiled awkwardly and said.

“Doesn’t it seem a little out of the commercial district?”

“It’s nice because it’s not crowded.”

“… … .”

At the unexpected answer, Gu In-hoe glanced at Yeon Jeok-ha’s face.

I’m curious to know if you’re serious or if you’re just saying.

But his expression was so indifferent that it was difficult to discern his true intentions.

Should I have walked for another 5 minutes in awkwardness?

The two people who discovered the sign that said “Seokgyeongjang” stopped without saying who would go first.

Yeonjeok-ha stared intently at the signboard of Seokgyeongjang.

He built a stone market at the foot of a mountain to distance himself from the world, but who would have thought that his descendants would move into the market street!

The memories of Namgung Yeon, his daughter, and his grandchildren that had been buried came back to me vividly as if it were yesterday.

Gu In-hoe, who was looking at Yeon Jeok-ha standing there in a daze, asked cautiously.

“Mr. Yeon, would you like to come in? The Chinese restaurant closes a little earlier than other stores.”

“Oh, let’s do that.”

Yeonjeok, shaking off his distracting thoughts, walked briskly to the store.

The recruiting team tilted their heads at his unusual appearance, but soon followed him.

Chinese restaurant Seok Kyung Jang.

Yeonjeokha and Guinhoe went inside, but there was no one to welcome them.

It’s so deserted when we should be busy with dinner!

As Yeonjeokha looked around the empty hall, Guinhoe shouted in Korean toward the kitchen.

“Are you there?”

Then a middle-aged man hurried out of the kitchen.

“Welcome. Have you come to eat?”

At the man’s question, Gu In-hoe reflexively turned around.

“Are you going to eat?”

When Yeonjeokha silently nodded, Guinhoe quickly met the man’s eyes.

“Yes, you are doing business, right?”

“Of course. It’s a Chinese restaurant with 60 years of tradition. Just look at the menu and order.”

As Yeonjeokha and Guinhoe sat down in suitable seats, the man personally brought out teacups and tea water.

Gu In-hoe, who had been watching him busy, asked quietly.

“Are you running the business alone, sir?”

“Oh, yes. There used to be someone who served the whole place… … but he suddenly quit.”

“I see. You said it has 60 years of tradition. What is your specialty?”

“Everything on the menu is good.”

The middle-aged man was clueless and just kept talking about the menu.

Gu In-hoe, who had been touching his chin with an ambiguous expression, looked back at Yeon Jeok-ha.

However, Yeonjeokha also seemed to not know what to order.

That’s because I’ve only been treated well so far and I’ve never thought about the menu.

“Gu In-hoe asked, pointing with his finger to the faded Mala Tang billboard standing inside the hall.

“Can I have that spicy soup?”

“Well, um… … . That’s fine. I can do it if you want.”

It was an unsatisfactory answer, but the recruiting committee didn’t hesitate to give it to him.

It is rare to find a dish that is as delicious as mala-tang.

“Mr. Yeon, how about some mala-tang?”

“great.”

I didn’t know what the spicy hotpot was, but I nodded willingly.

Judging from the billboard, it looked like a spicy stew dish, and it looked like it would be quite tasty.

“Please give me the mala-tang for this portion. And do you also sell alcohol?”

I saw the word “soybean liquor” on the menu, so I asked to confirm.

“We have Igwadooju and Yeontaegolyangju.”

The recruiting committee looked back at Yeonjeokha once again.

“Mr. Yeon, would you like a drink?”

“I don’t drink anything unless it’s sweet.”

“Then, try some Yeontae Goryangju. It has a fruity flavor and is sweet.”

“Yeah.”

The lover did not refuse.

I don’t know what Yeontae Goryangju is, but as long as it’s sweet, it doesn’t matter.

“Please give me a bottle of Yeontae Goryangju as well.”

“All right.”

After a while, as the middle-aged man disappeared into the kitchen, Gu In-hoe spoke softly.

“I wanted to treat you to a meal, but… … I don’t think the atmosphere is conducive to cooking. I’ll take you to a proper restaurant later.”

The two of them poured tea into their teacups and drank it silently.

It’s not that I don’t understand the feelings of the recruiting committee.

Even during the busiest time, there were no customers at Seokgyeongjang, and the restaurant’s characteristically delicious smell was absent.

To be honest, I’m being patient because it’s a store run by his descendants. If it weren’t for that, I would have participated in the gossip.