Chapter 375: Yorang Submits Her Resignation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 375: Yorang Submits Her Resignation
"It’s finally over!"
Yorang let out a triumphant shout, tossing the mountain of documents in her arms high into the air.
She was in an exceptionally good mood.
She had just finished clearing the massive backlog of paperwork that had been piling up, having stayed awake for three days and nights straight to get it done. A profound sense of accomplishment swelled within her chest.
Even for someone like Yorang, who possessed a transcendent physique, maintaining constant focus for three days and nights was an incredibly difficult feat. Just like physical stamina, mental strength was bound to wear thin eventually.
Yet, she had accomplished that very difficult task. How could she not feel a sense of pride?
‘Now, I’m going to sleep! Nobody better try to stop me!’ she thought.
It was time to give herself a well-deserved rest. Ever since her monthly salary negotiations, she hadn't taken a single day off. The more she was paid, the more her sense of responsibility grew.
But now, the work she had been grinding through day after day was finally finished. She could afford to play for a few days.
Yorang marveled at her own diligence. Surely, if Sun-woo were here at the Tang Clan, he would have patted her head and told her she did a great job.
‘...But Sun-woo isn't here.’
Yorang felt a pang of regret as she thought of Sun-woo, who hadn't sent a single word despite nearly six months having passed. When he was around, he was always teasing and bullying her, but his absence left a hollow void. She found herself wishing he would return soon.
‘Well, I’m sure he’ll be back eventually.’
Rattle.
Having finished her thoughts, Yorang opened her desk drawer. Inside were several pieces of tang-gwa wrapped in paper. She picked one up and began to lick it.
Lick, lick.
"Mmmph..."
Yorang let out a sigh of pure bliss. The sweetness spreading across her tongue provided a surge of intense pleasure.
"Life is so bitter that these sweets taste like heaven," Yorang mused.
She truly felt that the hardships of life made the tang-gwa taste all the sweeter.
Lick, lick.
As she continued to enjoy her treat, Yorang slowly stood up. Since Sun-woo wasn't around, she intended to find the Great Matriarch and ask for some head pats.
Thump, thump.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Yorang’s brow furrowed. An inexplicable sense of dread washed over her.
"Pavilion Head, it’s Tang Gam. May I come in?"
"Don't come in! I'm busy!"
Sensing immediate danger, Yorang blurted out a lie.
"It’s a very urgent matter. Could you spare just a moment?" Tang Gam pleaded earnestly.
"Say it from there!"
"That’s... it’s something difficult to put into words..." Tang Gam replied, his voice laced with hesitation.
"............"
Lick, lick.
Yorang continued to lick her tang-gwa, weighing her options. She debated whether or not to let him in.
"Fine... come in."
As she granted him permission, she prayed and prayed again. She hoped, with all her heart, that it wasn't anything serious.
"Pavilion Head, these are the settlement documents for this quarter!"
Thud.
Tang Gam walked in carrying a massive stack of papers and slammed them down onto Yorang’s desk. The documents were so heavy that even a gentle placement sent a significant vibration through the room.
Lick, lick.
".........."
Yorang, still licking her tang-gwa, stared blankly. She had hoped it was nothing, but it seemed the heavens were ignoring her prayers.
"Hey," Yorang said, looking at Tang Gam. "Do you want to die?"
"Wh-what’s the matter?"
"You said it was hard to put into words!"
"I thought showing you the stack of papers would be more effective than a hundred words."
"You wicked man!"
Yorang raised her voice, shouting in frustration. She felt utterly betrayed.
"If I had told you I was bringing paperwork, you wouldn't have opened the door!"
"That doesn't mean you should lie!"
"It wasn't a lie!"
"Oh? Getting cheeky, are we? Maybe I should just eat you whole!"
Yorang threatened him with a murderous glint in her eyes.
"Please, spare me, Pavilion Head. It’s an emergency, I had no choice."
Tang Gam spoke with a groveling expression. It wasn't that he didn't understand Yorang’s plight. In fact, he understood her suffering better than anyone else in the Tang Clan. After all, he was the one who brought her work every single time.
"We agreed that the other kids would handle the quarterly settlements from now on!" Yorang snapped, her voice rising in anger.
It had been clearly settled that the new recruits of the Jaegyeong Pavilion would handle the quarterly settlements starting this term. So why on earth was he bringing them to her now?
"They quit."
"What? Why would they quit? The pay is so good!"
Yorang spoke as if she couldn't comprehend it. The Tang Clan had poured a massive amount of money into this recent recruitment drive, offering a monthly salary more than double that of other industries. Why would they run away?
"They said they didn't want to die."
"Die? Why would they die?!"
"After joining the Jaegyeong Pavilion, they were forced to work overtime every other day. That’s when they said it."
"That means they got to rest every other day! Why are they complaining about dying over that?! I only sleep once every three days!"
"My thoughts exactly."
"Damn it, this is why those soft, desk-bound types are a problem! They have no grit! No grit at all! Why would they turn down a place that provides meals, overtime pay, and even death benefits if you die on the job?!"
Yorang fumed, blaming the lack of grit in the younger generation.
"............."
Tang Gam kept his mouth shut. He wanted to argue, but he didn't want to further provoke her while she was this furious.
"So, you're saying I have to do it all?" Yorang asked, seeking confirmation.
"Well, yes."
"Can't you do it?"
"Pavilion Head, this stack has already been divided equally among the six remaining members of the Jaegyeong Pavilion."
"Wait, we hired over twenty people, and only six are left?!"
"Regrettably, yes."
Tang Gam nodded with a look of pity.
"This is so annoying!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In a fit of rage, Yorang began to pound on her desk. She was livid. The mass exodus of the new recruits meant her own workload had just skyrocketed.
‘I was finally going to rest! I was finally going to rest! I was finally going to rest! I was finally going to rest!’
Yorang’s mind screamed with a sense of injustice. She had truly intended to rest as a reward for her three-day marathon. But the unexpected desertion of the recruits had shattered her peace.
Twitch.
Yorang’s face contorted. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't calm down. And then, a thought occurred to her.
Was staying with the Tang Clan truly her path to happiness?
Sun-woo wasn't here. While there were people she was friendly with, she was so busy with work that she hardly ever saw them. In such a situation, was there any point in staying?
‘Couldn't I just live somewhere quiet and come visit the Great Matriarch, Geum Jeok-hwa, or Tang Seo-yoon once in a while?’
Yorang pondered. Wouldn't it be better to set up a home in a peaceful place and just drop by for fun?
The Tang Clan paid her an astronomical salary, but she wasn't happy. Money was meant to be spent to bring happiness, but the crushing workload at the Tang Clan didn't even give her the chance to spend it. The money she earned just piled up in her quarters, decorating her room without providing any actual enjoyment.
Besides, she mostly spent her money on snacks anyway. Did she really need more than she already had? She had already worked like a dog for months and earned enough to eat tang-gwa every day for the rest of her life. More money was meaningless.
‘Let’s leave.’
Yorang made up her mind. She would leave right now. When she thought about it, there was no reason to stay.
Thump.
Yorang quickly sat down.
Rattle.
She pulled open a drawer and took out a single sheet of paper.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
She picked up a brush and began to write fluently.
Resignation Letter
I, Yorang, Head of the Jaegyeong Pavilion, resign as of today. Thank you for everything.
I’ll visit from time to time.
Having scribbled down the brief note, Yorang tossed the resignation letter at Tang Gam.
"Pavilion Head?! What is this?"
"A resignation letter."
"A resignation letter?!" Tang Gam asked, stunned.
Resigning out of the blue? What on earth was she talking about?
"Yeah, I’m quitting as of today, so don't try to stop me. You can be the Head of the Jaegyeong Pavilion!"
Yorang nodded decisively and stood up from her seat.
"You can't do this!"
As Yorang rose, Tang Gam desperately tried to stop her.
"Why not?"
"The pavilion won't function without you!"
"That’s not my problem!"
"Pavilion Head, please reconsider!"
Tang Gam pleaded with her. From the Jaegyeong Pavilion's perspective, Yorang was an indispensable figure. She had the stamina to stay awake for days, a brilliant mind for calculation that allowed for zero errors, and the insight to analyze any document at a glance.
She was perfect in every way. It was as if she had been sent from the heavens specifically to handle administrative affairs. He couldn't let her go.
"You get a promotion, and I get my freedom! What a happy ending for everyone!" Yorang shouted at the man holding her back.
"I’m not happy at all! I’d rather quit myself than become the Pavilion Head!"
"Then you should quit too!" Yorang yelled back at the persistent Tang Gam.
"Please, reconsider! I’ll ask the Third Madam to raise your salary even more!"
"I don't need a raise! I’m leaving to find my happiness! So stay out of my way!"
"Absolutely not! Not even if you bury me in dirt!"
Tang Gam stared at Yorang with eyes full of unwavering determination.
"Really? Then I guess I’ll just have to bury you."
Yorang gave him a bright, beaming smile.
"Pardon?"
Grip.
Yorang grabbed Tang Gam by the hair.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Pavilion Head! That hurts!"
Drag.
She began to drag him across the floor.
Thud.
Approaching a large decorative flowerpot, Yorang shoved Tang Gam’s face directly into the soil.
"Gah... Pavilion Head!"
Tang Gam screamed as he felt the rough texture of the dirt against his face.
Thud.
"Is that enough?"
Thud.
"Still not enough?"
Thud.
Yorang slammed Tang Gam’s face into the dirt several more times.
"It’s enough! I’ve had plenty of dirt! Plenty!"
After being face-planted multiple times, Tang Gam shrieked in desperation.
"I think you need a bit more."
Yorang lifted him by the hair and asked with a suspicious expression.
"It’s enough! Really! Please believe me!"
"Is that so? Then you'll deliver my resignation letter, right?"
"............"
Tang Gam fell silent.
"I guess you really didn't get enough dirt."
Yorang spoke with a mischievous grin.
"No! I’ll deliver it right away!"
Tang Gam shook his head frantically. He knew that if he didn't answer now, his head would be back in the flowerpot in an instant.
"Good."
Satisfied with his answer, Yorang smiled and slowly let go of his hair.
Phew.
Tang Gam let out a sigh of relief as the pressure on his scalp vanished. It seemed he had escaped the crisis of being buried in dirt again.
Click, clack, click, clack.
Leaving Tang Gam behind, Yorang walked back to her desk.
Rattle.
She opened the drawer and began stuffing all the tang-gwa inside into her robes. Once she had secured every last sweet, she turned back to Tang Gam.
"Well, I’m off."
With that, she began to stride toward the door.
"Pavilion Head!" Tang Gam called out hastily.
"What? Do you want to eat more dirt?" Yorang asked with a refreshing smile.
"N-no! I just wanted to ask where you're going..."
Faced with her chilling words, Tang Gam spoke with a look of bewilderment.
"Where... where am I going..."
Yorang paused, looking deep in thought. She had decided to leave, but she hadn't actually decided on a destination.
"Anywhere is better than here."
Having reached a conclusion, Yorang looked at him with a bright smile. Tang Gam looked even more bewildered. How could she just leave without even knowing where she was going?
"I’m really going now. If you call me again, I’ll bury your whole head next time."
With that final warning to the meddlesome Tang Gam, Yorang walked out the door.
"..........."
Tang Gam wanted to ask more, but he kept his mouth shut. He was utterly terrified by her savage threat.
Click, clack, click, clack.
Soon, Yorang had completely vanished from the office. Tang Gam stared blankly at the empty doorway.
He knew one thing for certain: the Third Madam was going to kill him for this.