Episode 48: Resident Relocation
When they arrived at the flower wholesale market, Jin Seon-ah was waiting.
She looked quite bright in a white blouse and black skirt.
“Why are you waiting here? Your legs must hurt.”
“I was just looking around at the flowers, and time flew by. Was it difficult to get here?”
“No, no. The transportation was fine. Shall we look around first?”
“Sure.”
Lee Chang-jin, who joined Jin Seon-ah, headed straight towards the Maljukgeori site.
The flower complex was about a 20-minute walk from the wholesale market.
“It’s right here.”
“It’s farther from the flower market than I thought.”
“Yes, because of that, there shouldn’t be many complaints from the flower farmers.”
“That’s actually a good thing.”
Although the distance might be a bit inconvenient, Lee Chang-jin thought it was for the best. Raising tens of thousands of chickens in a densely populated area would inevitably lead to complaints about the odor from the surrounding regions. Especially, the noise from the laying hens would be a significant issue, so maintaining a certain distance was much better.
Lee Chang-jin inspected the site again. In the middle of the site, greenhouses were scattered here and there. Many greenhouses, which had collapsed due to heavy snow, were left damaged, but some surprisingly intact warehouses could be seen. As Dong-geun inspected the greenhouses carefully, he muttered to himself.
“I thought it would be a total wreck because they said it completely failed, but it’s not that bad. There are quite a few intact greenhouses and warehouses.”
“Yes. It seems the residents have already done some repairs. Shall we go inside?”
Since the original owner had fled, there was no manager inside the house. Entering a greenhouse with a “No Entry” sign, they found lettuce and various vegetables growing instead of flowers. Seeing this, Jin Seon-ah sighed again.
“It seems the residents planted these.”
“Yes… We’ve tried to stop them several times, but they keep planting illegally. People just don’t listen.”
Even if someone planted crops on the land without permission, the crops would belong to the planter once they grew, according to the consistent logic of the Supreme Court. This was intended to protect the crop owners due to the short cultivation period, even at the expense of the landowner, but it was not a welcome situation for the landowners.
“More importantly, where do the residents live?”
“Do you see those saplings over there? They all live in the greenhouse at the very end.”
After leaving the greenhouse, Lee Chang-jin headed straight to where the residents were said to be gathered.
As they moved quickly, an old man pulling a cart full of scrap paper appeared in front of them.
Lee Chang-jin stopped and asked politely.
“Hello. Do you live around here?”
The old man, seeing the strangers, immediately showed signs of wariness.
“Who are you?”
“I’m from Daese Corporation. We need to discuss the relocation of residents with the village chief. Is Mr. Go Bawu at home?”
“How should I know? What would an ignorant person like me know? I have nothing more to say, so leave.”
The old man, who answered gruffly, turned his head away as if annoyed.
With a smiling face, Jin Seon-ah asked.
“We had an appointment with Mr. Go earlier. We’re not here without a reason.”
“I never made such an appointment, so stop talking nonsense… Leave before things get rough.”
“Please, don’t be like that. We’re not bad people.”
Jin Seon-ah took out a bill from her wallet and forced it into the old man’s hand.
The old man’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the red bill.
The old man, who reconsidered, spoke hesitantly.
“Well, this is difficult… The elder clearly said not to let anyone in…”
“If it’s difficult, just say we forced our way in. Come on, quickly.”
Receiving another bill, the old man cleared his throat and led the group to the front gate.
In front of the unauthorized temporary residence greenhouse, a shabby iron gate was installed at an angle, and barbed wire was set up outside to make it difficult for outsiders to enter. A large dog was lying in front of the house.
“Willy! Come here!”
As the dog barked at the strangers, the old man threw a large bone from behind the cart. Leaving the dog, which was now preoccupied with the bone, behind, Dong-geun looked around the greenhouse and murmured in admiration.
“They’ve blocked it off quite thoroughly. How do we get in?”
“Wait a moment…”
“Oh my, what are you doing?”
Surprised by the old man’s sudden action of taking off his pants, Jin Seon-ah covered her eyes.
The old man, who took out a key from his bulging crotch, grinned, showing his yellow teeth, and Dong-geun frowned.
“Isn’t that uncomfortable when you walk?”
“The world is so rough, it’s inevitable. Even the most disrespectful person wouldn’t search an old man’s underwear.”
As the door, secured with multiple padlocks, opened with a creak, the inside of the greenhouse was revealed.
Inside the greenhouse, about six old men were gathered in groups, playing janggi (Korean chess).
“Hey, the youngest is back?”
“Yes, sir. I’m back.”
“Who are those people behind you?”
“They are guests of Mr. Go, the village chief.”
“What, the village chief’s guests?”
Jin Seon-ah bowed her head politely and greeted.
“Hello. I’m Jin from Daese Corporation, who contacted you earlier. This person here is the one who will be purchasing the land.”
The old men murmured at her words.
“Daese Corporation? Aren’t they loan sharks? Now they’re sending a young girl?”
“Right. Do they think we’re fools to send such a youngster?”
The old men spoke harshly right in front of her.
Feeling awkward, Jin Seon-ah gave a forced smile.
“Please, calm down. It’s not like that.”
While Dong-geun tried to calm the residents’ anger,
An old man with his hands behind his back quietly appeared from the inner room.
He was none other than Go Bawu, the representative of the villagers.
“What are you all arguing about? Are you going to let the guests stand there? Invite them in immediately.”
At his words, a short old man frowned.
“Sir! What are you talking about? Are you really going to negotiate with these people?”
“We should at least hear what they have to say before deciding. Are we just going to avoid them every time?”
“Sir!”
The old man, who seemed to be about to argue, was silenced by Go Bawu, who picked his ears nonchalantly.
“Stop making a fuss! I’ll handle this, so don’t cause unnecessary trouble and go outside.”
The remaining people hurriedly folded the janggi board, trying to pacify the old man who couldn’t agree.
“Alright. Didn’t we agree to leave these matters to the village chief? Let’s step aside for now. Let’s go.”
“Sir, we absolutely refuse to leave. Talk among yourselves.”
The old men, who grumbled for a while, left with the janggi board.
The group, left in the now empty greenhouse, hesitated.
Seeing them, the old man gestured.
“What are you doing? Come inside quickly.”
The inside of the greenhouse was more dilapidated than expected. The torn wallpaper and the ceiling frame were in poor condition.
The environment lacked proper water supply, and the greenhouse covered with a tent was far from comfortable.
The so-called bathroom was a makeshift portable toilet, and there was no separate kitchen or refrigerator. They appeared to cook with briquettes.
The greenhouse, used as a residence, had a faint smell of pesticides here and there.
As they went inside, a musty smell wafted in the humid interior.
The only tool to cool off was a rusty fan.
The old man spoke nonchalantly.
“It’s a bit shabby, isn’t it? This is how we live.”
Lee Chang-jin’s eyes were drawn to a wood-burning boiler in one corner.
“Is that a wood-burning boiler? It seems dangerous to use in a place like this with sparks flying…”
“It may be dangerous, but we have no choice. The insulation is poor, and it’s terribly cold in winter. If we don’t use it, we’ll freeze to death.”
On the walls of the greenhouse, where it was hard to even straighten one’s back, were faded black-and-white photos and medals hanging.
“What are those? Did you use to play sports?”
“Ah, not me, but my son. He used to be a promising cyclist. Once, he even won a national competition.”
“That’s impressive.”
“He was naturally athletic. I used to be a PE teacher. My son was very diligent. He never cut corners and rode as if his life depended on it. I encouraged him to give it a try. Those were good times.”
In fact, in the 60s and 70s, cycling was a popular sport. During the Japanese colonial era, cycling was a tool to express the resentment of losing the country, reaching its peak in the 30s. This trend continued after the Korean War, and in the 60s, Korea was known as a strong cycling nation.
Lee Chang-jin looked around slowly. In one corner of the shabby room, there was a bed with a middle-aged man lying as if dead.
The man, who seemed to be skin and bones, was emaciated. The old man, with a bitter smile, spoke.
“That’s my son. Some bastard hit him with a car and ran away while he was coming back from training with the industrial team. I spent all my savings on his surgery. His wife ran away, saying she couldn’t take care of a cripple. We had no choice but to return to farming, but it completely failed. After wandering around, we ended up here.”
As they listened to his lament, two children, their faces dirty, came holding chipped coffee cups.
“Sir, have some coffee.”
The cups smelled sour, but Lee Chang-jin drank the coffee without showing any reaction.
After quickly finishing the coffee, Lee Chang-jin took out his wallet.
“Thank you. This is for running the errand. Buy some snacks.”
“Thank you.”
The children’s faces turned red as they received the money.
Jin Seon-ah, patting their heads affectionately, smiled.
“Are they your grandchildren? They look very cute.”
“They are cute. Raising these grandchildren is my only joy. Now, let’s get to the main topic. Okay, kids, go inside.”
After sending the children inside, the old man straightened himself and spoke solemnly.
“Well, you’ve seen our situation, so I’ll be honest. As you heard earlier, we can’t take a single step out of here.”
At his words, Jin Seon-ah spoke to the village chief again.
“Even if we offer relocation expenses? We are willing to support up to 300,000 won per household…”
“300,000 won, huh. That’s quite a sum. But what are we supposed to do with it? We’ll spend it all in a year. This place is the last refuge for us vagrants. We’re old and sick, and we have no way to earn a living. We can’t just starve to death. Just leave us here. We’ll quietly live by picking up scrap paper and planting some crops.”
Despite continued persuasion, it didn’t work, and Jin Seon-ah, slightly frustrated, hit a sore spot.
“Can you really make ends meet by picking up scrap paper? Let’s say you can. But what about your grandchildren? Are you going to keep them out of school? What did they do wrong?”
“Are you lecturing me now?”
“It’s not a lecture; I’m talking about reality. If you want to play the role of a head of household, do it properly.”
“Shut up! What do you know? What do you know!”
The old man, shouting in anger, continued.
“Do you think I don’t want to be a good head of the family? My son became a paraplegic and was kicked out of the industrial team, and we couldn’t even get compensation because we didn’t know the license plate number. People like you always trick us with promises of relocation expenses and then forget about it once the construction is done. Do you think we’re fools? If we get evicted from here, we have nowhere to go. We barely survive by picking up scrap paper and selling vegetables. If we get kicked out, how are we supposed to make a living?”
Feeling at a loss for words, Jin Seon-ah looked at Lee Chang-jin with a frustrated expression, hoping for a solution.
Lee Chang-jin, who had been listening calmly, finally spoke.
“If finding a place to live is the issue, we can solve that. And your living expenses too.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we can provide you with a place to live and jobs. We need laborers and security guards for the chicken farm anyway. It’s impossible to run such a large poultry farm with just a few people. If you agree to relocate, we will arrange separate housing for you nearby. If any residents are interested, we can offer jobs through our poultry cooperative.”
“Are you serious? You’re not joking?”
“Of course, it’s not free. You’ll be officially hired, so you’ll have to work hard, and you’ll have to pay a small rent regularly. If you agree, we will cover the costs for your grandchildren’s education and your son’s rehabilitation.”
“How can I trust you?”
“Haha. I’m not a man with time to waste. If I didn’t intend to negotiate, I would have called in the demolition crew first. You’ve moved around several times before, haven’t you? Have you ever talked directly with the landowners or buyers? Haven’t you only met with lower-level staff a few times? Am I wrong?”
Go Bawu remained silent. His silence was a sign of agreement.
As the silence dragged on, there was a sudden noise. Looking around, they saw children peeking from behind the curtain.
“What are you doing there? Isn’t it time to give your father his medicine?”
One of the children, gathering courage, spoke.
“Grandpa, I want to go to school.”
“Me too. I want to wear a backpack and meet friends, just like other kids.”
“Hey, be quiet. How dare you interrupt while adults are talking.”
“We’re sorry, Grandpa. But we really want to go to school.”
The group’s expressions turned solemn at the sight of the children about to cry.
With a deep sigh, Go Bawu finally spoke as if admitting defeat.
“Alright, alright. So, how much are you willing to pay for labor?”
“You must have a reasonable amount in mind. How much do you think is fair?”
“At least 30,000 won a month… Though we may be old, we are used to hard work. Odd jobs should be no problem.”
Although he said that, Go Bawu’s tone lacked confidence, as if he knew his demand was a bit high.
But Lee Chang-jin accepted without much thought.
“Alright. We’ll pay 30,000 won a month for labor. But you must ensure that each household provides a signed agreement. We’ll start paying wages from the day the agreements are signed. And during construction, we’ll arrange separate temporary housing.”
“Is that really true?”
“Yes. Bring the signed agreements, and we’ll deposit them with a notary. We’ll start with employment contracts. Will that be satisfactory?”
“If you’re planning to deceive us, it’s better to back out now. I’ve got nothing to lose. If you lie, I’ll come to your factory and set it on fire. We’ll all die together.”
“Haha, Mr. Go, we can worry about right and wrong later. For now, please help us proceed with the construction as promised.”
A few days later, Mr. Go came to the notary’s office with the agreements.
After stamping their seals, they exchanged employment contracts.
“Now, the employment contract is complete. You and all the residents are now members of our Daese Agricultural Cooperative.”
With that, Lee Chang-jin handed over an envelope he had brought.
To be continued in Episode 49…
