I Knew This Would Happen
“You mustn’t cut down the trees here.”
Yoo Eunhyeon refused to yield even an inch, his tone unyielding and high-handed. Won Il-chu’s face twisted in sudden fury.
The words from such a young man seemed so absurd that Won Il-chu first let out a string of hollow laughs, then began to sneer openly.
“You little brat don’t know how the world works. These trees aren’t needed for farming at all. If anything, they only block the sunlight that should be reaching the crops and hinder their growth. It’d be far better to cut down these useless trees and expand the orchard… Do you even know what you’re talking about before opening your mouth?”
Won Il-chu lectured at length, as if instructing a child. Yet even so, the look of dismay never left Yoo Eunhyeon’s face.
If we pull all these out by the roots, there’ll be chaos when the heavy rains come…
And for good reason: the thick, sprawling roots gripped the soil tightly, holding the slope firmly in place. They were so densely intertwined that if even one were cut down carelessly, a landslide would be only a matter of time.
A strange sense of unease washed over Yoo Eunhyeon, and he fell into thought for a moment. But only for a moment. He steadied his breath and spoke as if testing the other man.
“Then it would be better to plant peach trees here instead. They’d make far more money.”
“Of course. So you’ve finally come to your senses after acting so foolishly.”
Won Il-chu shot Yoo Eunhyeon an open sneer, as if asking why he was stating the obvious. His attitude was utterly confident and self-assured. Hearing that answer, Yoo Eunhyeon simply nodded once in silence.
This man… is a complete fraud.
Peach trees have shallow, widely spreading roots, making them particularly vulnerable on damp slopes. Once the ground softens even a little, the roots can’t hold the soil and are prone to collapse outright.
To call himself a farmer and not even know such a basic fact. He’d suspected as much, but confirming it with his own eyes left him thoroughly deflated.
Interpreting Yoo Eunhyeon’s reaction as having nothing more to say and simply backing down, Won Il-chu smirked as if he’d known it all along.
“Then stop your grumbling and get on with it! We need to cut the trees and expand the fields, so after felling them, dig up the ground and make sure to remove the roots thoroughly!”
Won Il-chu gave the order and turned away. The laborers one by one took up axes and pickaxes and approached the trees. At that moment, Mo Cheol-dong, who had been glancing at Yoo Eunhyeon, came over and spoke.
“Don’t look so down. That bastard’s way of talking has always been rotten.”
Mo Cheol-dong glanced once at Won Il-chu, who was still lying in the shade with his eyes closed as if asleep, then swung his axe at a tree as if venting his frustration.
“Even if he acts like that, word is he’s a skilled farmer. Seems he really does have the ability. So it’ll be fine.”
Looking up at the clouded sky, Yoo Eunhyeon let out a long sigh instead of answering. Then he simply lowered his gaze again and silently raised his axe.
“Well… I wonder if that’s true…”
Yoo Eunhyeon began swinging his axe once more.
The clouds overhead had grown even darker than before.
Swaaaah.
The next day. The sound of torrential rain pounding the roof woke people one by one. Mo Cheol-dong, the first to rise, flung open the door and looked outside, then twitched the corner of his mouth as he spoke.
“We’re screwed. With rain like this, today’s work is shot.”
At Mo Cheol-dong’s words, several people cheered. Some burrowed deeper into their bedding as if determined to sleep more. But Yoo Eunhyeon, regardless of what the others did, calmly changed his clothes and silently tended to his tools with a composed expression.
Mo Cheol-dong sidled over and sprawled out beside him.
“Take it easy, will you? We need days like this every now and then, don’t we?”
Mo Cheol-dong yawned widely and was about to doze off when—
Bang.
At the sound of the door opening, Mo Cheol-dong startled and turned.
“…Foreman Won?”
Standing in the doorway was none other than Won Il-chu. He must have run over in a hurry; his face was slightly flushed, and he was soaked through from the rain. Looking somehow anxious, he spoke urgently.
“Everyone get up. We’re going outside right now to start work.”
When Won Il-chu spoke in a low voice, everyone’s faces hardened at once. No one answered readily; they just stood there in silence. Seeing this, Won Il-chu barked again.
“What are you dawdling for! Move this instant!”
“Hold on! This is going too far! Can’t you see it’s raining outside? What work are you talking about on a day like this? Is it that urgent?”
Unable to hold back, Mo Cheol-dong stepped forward representing everyone’s opinion. When he shot off a barrage as if demanding an explanation, Won Il-chu let out a long sigh and furrowed his brow.
“Look, even seeing me like this, you don’t realize it’s a big deal! Stop complaining and all of you follow me!”
Mo Cheol-dong still asked as if he had no idea what was going on, but Won Il-chu only repeated that they had to go to the site instead of explaining. In the end, everyone had no choice but to follow Won Il-chu through the rain with grim faces, like swallowing bitter medicine.
Won Il-chu led the people to the chestnut forest where they had been cutting trees for the past two days. Those who arrived could only stare blankly at the forest they had worked on.
“What in the world…”
The soil from the cleared area where the trees had been cut had washed down and covered the nearby chestnut orchard. It seemed to be a problem caused by the overnight downpour flowing down the mountain. Seeing the scene, Yoo Eunhyeon clicked his tongue so no one could hear.
I knew this would happen.
Originally, the chestnut trees before they were cut would have dispersed the water flow and held back the soil, but since they had all been felled… in a way, it was an inevitable result.
As the laborers just stared blankly at the devastated area, Won Il-chu roared.
“What are you just staring at! Quickly block the water channels and clear the collapsing soil! This is no time to be talking about whether it’s raining or not!”
As Won Il-chu’s shout indicated, it was no time to just watch. The water and soil were flowing down the cleared area in real time. If left like this, the situation would spiral out of control. Having no choice, Yoo Eunhyeon rolled up his sleeves and began helping with the work.
“Damn it.”
As Yoo Eunhyeon took the lead, the people spat curses and bent their backs. Of course, no one’s expression was good. It was only natural, since the work of the past two days had completely gone to waste.
“Start blocking from over there! Clear the rocks first!”
Won Il-chu pointed here and there, jabbing with his finger. Until now he hadn’t lifted a finger, but perhaps sensing the seriousness of the situation, he began directing personally. Seeing that, Yoo Eunhyeon wore an expression of utter disbelief.
That’s why you should have prevented this from happening in the first place. Didn’t they say he was a farming expert? If this is all he’s capable of, I’m disappointed…
Separate from his laziness, Yoo Eunhyeon had heard he had skill, so he was thoroughly disappointed in Won Il-chu as he moved his body. But only for a moment.
“I’m going to report this upstairs. You all stay and continue the work.”
Thinking he had finished giving instructions, Won Il-chu left only those words and departed. The laborers could only stare blankly at Won Il-chu’s receding back as they stood in the pouring rain.
“Wanna bet with me? I’ll bet one turn of dish-washing duty that he doesn’t come back.”
“I’ll bet two… no, three times.”
“Damn. Then it’s not a bet.”
A few people laughed hollowly as if they’d lost their minds, cracking jokes. They seemed to think Won Il-chu wouldn’t return no matter what.
“That damn bastard. Who’s suffering because of whom? How dare he run off alone?”
As time passed, the people’s discontent only grew. Working while being hit by the rain already piled on fatigue two or three times over. As their bodies got wet, their body temperature dropped, and the clinging clothes were enough to sour anyone’s mood.
“Aargh! I can’t take it anymore! I’ve put up with this long enough!”
After working for who knows how long, when the people were so exhausted they no longer even voiced their complaints, Mo Cheol-dong suddenly threw down his shovel.
His face was flushed red, and heat seemed to rise from his wet body as he fumed.
The gazes of the people who had been quietly clearing soil focused on Mo Cheol-dong.
“What are you trying to do? Don’t go looking for trouble and just get your hands moving.”
“Yeah. It’s not like this is the first or second time he’s done this.”
The others spoke as if it was nothing special, like “there he goes again.” But this time was different. As if his anger wouldn’t subside, Mo Cheol-dong huffed and puffed, then rolled up his sleeves and stormed out.
“Today I’m going to settle this once and for all. Is this any way for a person to act?!”
“…Huh? What’s wrong with that guy! No! Stop him!”
But Mo Cheol-dong, who until now had only talked and never acted, must have truly reached his limit, for he suddenly dashed out. The people startled and followed after him.
“Huh?”
Yoo Eunhyeon also stopped shoveling at Mo Cheol-dong’s charge and held his breath for a moment, staring blankly. He hadn’t expected that man to actually go this far. For an instant Yoo Eunhyeon wondered what to do, but since it felt odd to stay alone shoveling, he threw down his shovel and followed the others.
“Hey! Cheol-dong! Wait a moment!”
Mo Cheol-dong, as if drawing strength from somewhere, pulled far ahead at great speed. The people called after him desperately, but Mo Cheol-dong only huffed and puffed as he headed for the foreman’s exclusive quarters where Won Il-chu was staying.