Chapter 41

: Translator: – – Editor: – –
With a puzzled look, the old man asked,
Who are you?


Me? I’m Kang Sungwon from the general affairs team.

The old man obviously didn’t know him, and that was not important to him.
What really mattered at that moment was that the person laying bricks was not Hyunwoo.

I didn’t ask about your name. Where is the young man who was laying bricks here, and why are you here?


Oh, the team manager directed me to do this…

Staring at Park, the old man approached him fast, shouting with a shrieking voice,

What are you trying to do now?


What are you talking about?

As if he didn’t understand what the old man said, he opened his eyes wide.

Why did you change the person assigned to this job in your own way? Why are you having a young man do goraeduk?

Park felt a prick in his conscience. Though he did not understand what ‘goraeduk’ meant, it seemed like a very important job when he heard the old man’s explanation.
However, he couldn’t apologize to the old man because he was upset. He was browbeating Park as if he was talking to his subordinates, which made the dispatched employees look at them out of curiosity. However, Park could not lower his head to him because that meant that he was surrendering to a manual worker out of timidity.
Also, the old man reeked strongly of alcohol. Park felt as if he had gotten drunk.
Then, it was the old man who had to offer apologies first, not him.
Park said fairly,
Well, giving assignments is my job as the general supervisor, not your business. You just take care of your own work, sir. Why did you leave here without my authorization? Are you here to play?

The old man’s voice became louder at that,

I just left the place to buy a cigarette pack for a minute. Also, did you say that it was none of my business? It’s you, not me who is meddling right now. I have to tear down all the goraeduk because of you!


I think your words are too harsh. It’s me who is responsible for the construction here. And did you say that you were going to tear down the bricks? Why?


Why? Because I don’t like it,
the old man yelled suddenly.
He then kicked and tore down the bricks Hyunwoo and the young man had laid diligently.
Park felt as if he had kicked him in the face. He had egg on his face when his subordinates gave him the nickname ‘crazy dog,’ and he had now suffered further insults because of this old man.

Just rebuild the bricks,
said Park, pointing toward the broken bricks.
But the old man was not an easy man to deal with. Because of his bad temper, he had been kicked out of a construction company specializing in flooring rooms with flat stones.

Don’t tell me to do this or that. If I feel like doing it, let me lay the bricks again, and if I feel like breaking them, let me break them.


I’m the boss here. Lay the bricks again!


If you really want to, you do it.

Park was embarrassed. How dare such a weird old man come here for this job, he thought.

Sir, you’re here for a paid job, so you have to follow my instructions.


Do you think I can’t stop this if you say that? I came here because you guys wanted me so much, and now you’re treating me so badly.

Then, the old man packed up his stuff and walked out of the place.
Park and the dispatched employees were looking at him blankly.

What are you doing? Just get back to work,
shouted Park, venting his anger on them.
Only then did they begin to work again. However, they could not continue because they didn’t know what to do next, including Park. He was just at a loss at what to do regarding the specific instructions.
To make matters worse, the yellow clay dough was getting stiffer as time went by.
What if we can’t use that dough? Park suddenly got scared at that thought.
He felt that he had to lower his head again to the old man to save the contruction.

Hey, dude,
Park said to Kang Sungwon with the general affairs team.

Run to him and get him back here.


What are you talking about?


I mean that old man! He must not have gone that far. You have to bring him back here by all means.

Stunned, Kang ran to chase the old man, but he was gone already.
Kang came back empty-handed.
Park said,
Just call him then. Please tell him I will forgive him. Just ask him to come back.

Kang found out the old man’s mobile phone number to call him, but the old man strongly resisted.
Park demanded,
What did he say? He said he won’t come back?


He says that unless you’re replaced as the boss here, he won’t come.

Suddenly, Park felt some pain in the back of his head. Without the old man, it was impossible to continue the construction, but he could not accept his request to have him replaced. Suddenly, Park felt as if his uncle was telling him, ‘You’re fired! You’re fired!…’
What should I do? Park kept thinking.
He had to find a replacement as soon as possible.
However, he was just pessimistic. There was no other way than to visit the president and quit his job as the supervisor of the construction site.
Damn it! What an embarrassment in front of my employees. Since I got reassigned here, I just keep running into troubles.
After some hard thinking, Park feebly stepped outside.
At that moment, he heard a voice say,

Let’s move, everybody. We have to lay the bricks before the yellow clay dough gets stiff. Someone should make more dough.

Park turned his head to one side, where Hyunwoo was giving directions.
He did not only give directions. He himself went into the working site and was stepping on the yellow clay dough again.
When Park heard Hyunwoo giving directions, it seemed like he had good knowledge on how to floor rooms with flat stones.

Have you ever done this kind of work before?


Yes, a bit. By the way, we have to hurry up. Otherwise, the yellow clay dough will get stiff soon.


Yes, you’re right. Let’s move now. Hey, guys, move! Please teach them how to do it, assistant manager Jang.

Park was now supporting Hyunwoo, who moved around here and there like a fish back in water.

Mr. Kang, break the bricks you laid before. You shouldn’t lay bricks like that. And Mr. Lee, come here and step on the dough. Ooops, I forgot to put in some glutinous rice flour.

Park looked at it with a curious look and asked,
Why do you use glutinous rice flour?


Because it makes them sticky.


The old man put in some salt, too.


The salt prevents the yellow clay from breaking apart after the dough gets stiff. Also, it keeps moths away.

Having heard Hyunwoo, Park felt like he was more than an expert.

Can you finish the work without the old man’s help?


As long as the dispatched employees cooperate, there won’t be any problems.


Oh, really?

Park grinned from ear to ear, feeling as if he had met his savior.

Tell me anything. Let me support you. Hey, guys, listen to assistant manager Jang! Just move, move!


Step on it. You have to step on the dough with your feet,
said Hyunwoo.
After giving them directions, Hyunwoo went to the goraeduk work site, where Kang was waiting for him after he had torn down all the bricks.
Hyunwoo taught him briefly on how to lay bricks.
Kang gave it a try as instructed and found that the bricks were set firmly but not on an even level.

Look here. You see the level of the bricks is not the same. If you leave them like that, the next layer of bricks are not stable, so you should keep the level even.

Hyunwoo taught Kang this until he was satisfied, and he then joined Kang.
In the meantime, Park had nothing to do, so he was sitting idle at the site.

Hey, assistant manager Jang,
said Park.

Yes, sir.


I’ve got some business to take care of, so let me know if you need to contact me.


Okay, don’t worry. Just go ahead and do your business.

Park disappeared with a light-hearted mind. Hyunwoo waited until Park disappeared from his sight completely, and he then stretched his back.

The manager left. Let’s take a break, everybody!

Then, the dispatched members made a perplexed look. Was Hyunwoo trying to curry favor with the manager by making them work harder? Only when Park left the site did Hyunwoo’s attitude change abruptly.

Don’t look at me like that! As you know, we don’t get any award money just because we build this earth house quickly. Just relax and slow down. Take a break here under the tree and get some soft drinks.

Hyunwoo brightly smiled, and he moistened his throat by drinking a cold drink.
Only then did they join Hyunwoo and take a break in a relaxed mood.

What the heck are we doing here in this sultry weather?
one employee complained.

You bet. A minimum allowance for our service here,
complained another.
Hyunwoo also complained like them to foster ‘comradeship’ with them, saying,

Me too. I joined the purchasing team, not the manual work team.


You’re right,
seconded another.
However, they could not take a break indefinitely. It was important for them to make some progress in the construction before they could get another comfortable break. However, Hyunwoo didn’t press them to work like before.

Okay, whenever you feel tired, just take a break. I think I have to go work right now because I have to finish laying the bricks before the dough gets stiff.

The dispatched employees looked at each other, reluctant to move because of the scorching weather. But when Hyunwoo moved, they also stood up one by one to get back to work.
With Hyunwoo as the construction site leader, they picked up the pace.
Hyunwoo didn’t give directions alone. Actually, he set the example by working as hard as they did. His workload was three times heavier than theirs, so they had no complaints whatsoever about him. Thanks to that, the construction was going faster and faster.
When Park came back to the site late in the afternoon, he praised Hyunwoo by saying,

Assistant manager Jang, you’ve done it excellently!


Actually, they all worked very hard.

The following day, Hyunwoo headed to the site. Though nobody from the purchasing team was supposed to be assigned this time, Hyunwoo was chosen inevitably because he was the only expert.
Park let Hyunwoo take charge of everything at the site, and he just rested there.
He then got a call from the president.
What’s the matter this time? Park thought to himself.
He then cleared the dirt off his buttocks and headed to the president’s office.
Park Daebong, the president, had a troubled expression, though.
Park asked, staring at him sharply,
So, you expelled that old man?