Chapter 120: Ma’s Family Land
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Earlier that day Ji-Won went to visit the place Jung Seok had mentioned in his concept list.
The inn, named 'Ma's family land', was a family owned business. The owners were a middle-aged couple who used to live in Paju, where they owned a farm. Once their daughter married a businessman in the city several years ago, she decided to move her parents to Seoul. Her husband was the one who helped the older couple in finding the plot of land and establishing their new business.
'Ma's family land' was located in a remote area, but in a couple of years it became very popular. Being fun and rather on the cheap side compared to other hotels, the place quickly caught momentum among families. Especially those with small children who were in need of a break from the city air.
Later on, with the help of a few young bloggers the place received a fresh influx of customers, especially young students.
Once they reserved a room, regardless of their age, people could spend a few days in a clean environment, with fresh air and little to no modern distractions.
The morning menu included a standard breakfast that was cooked by the staff. You could choose what you wanted, but the ingredients usually ranged between soup, rice, eggs and vegetables.
As for the rest of the meals, customers had access to the outdoor kitchen, as well as being allowed to use the grill. So, after picking the ingredients from the vegetable garden or catching fish in the pond outside, they could cook the meals themselves.
This system allowed for both intimacy and freedom, and many people liked its novelty, as opposed to the traditional hotels.
But on the off chance that someone didn't want to spend time cooking lunch or dinner, they could ask the indoor kitchen staff to have the meals ready using the very ingredients those customers had picked during the day.
Of course, this service was offered in exchange of a fee added to the price of the room, but the sum wasn't unaffordable. Which meant that people who chose to visit 'Ma's family land' rarely asked for such a service. In truth, they all preferred to spend time with their loved ones, running around the garden, fishing and cooking together.
Parents were happy to teach their children the meaning of growing food with your own hands, while youngsters who had been raised in the city could experience something only seen in the more rural areas.
After seeing the place with his own eyes, Ji-Won was even more convinced that they had chosen the best idea for their proposal.
At first, he was still a little bit skeptical. Going for a more family oriented concept meant that the places they could choose from were limited.
Luckily, Jung Seong had provided them with a perfect location. 'Ma's family land' could appeal to both young and old, making it possible for their proposal to be more varied than they initially thought.
Apart from the business perspective, Ji-Won had also been impressed by the warmth and happiness such a place could provide to people.
After returning to the office, Ji-Won immediately started putting together a proposal to present to the owners of the inn.
The documents he was scribbling when Seo-Jun had burst inside were part of the ideas he came up with.
After taking a seat, Seo-Jun continued to watch his friend carefully.
Ji-Won's forehead was scrunched up in concentration and his mouth was set in a straight line. His eyes glided across the papers, stopping from time to time as his hand reached to make several annotations.
To an outsider, Ji-Won must have seemed focused, perhaps even a bit displeased. But to Seo-Jun's keen eye, Ji-Won's current appearance was rather that of someone who was enjoying his work. There was definitely a gleam of thrill inside Ji-Won's dark eyes as he perused the documents.
Several moments later, seeing that Ji-Won was still keeping quiet, Seo-Jun finally puffed out a chuckle.
"Upon my word, did you like the place that much?"
Ji-Won's hand froze while holding the pen.
"Is it that obvious?" he asked without looking up.
"Please, you always look constipated when you're happy about something." Seo-Jun waved a hand dramatically.
"You…"
Ji-Won's eyelids twitched. His eyes fell on the pen he was holding and for a split second he had half a mind to hurl it at Seo-Jun's face.
Imagining the mess it would make, though, he ultimately gave up on the idea.
Taking a couple of deep breaths, Ji-Won finally calmed down enough to speak.
"I think the place is great for our concept. Jung Seok was right. It can be a perfect spot for both families and groups of youngsters to enjoy a retreat over the weekend."
"Then what's the problem?"
Just as easy as flipping a switch, Seo-Jun reverted to a more serious demeanor. He leaned back into his chair, crossing both arms in front of his chest. His gaze sharpened as he continued to watch Ji-Won, looking like a general waiting for the King's orders.
"The problem is that I have promised the owners of 'Ma's family land' to present a business plan by tomorrow evening."
"Aha, so it's numbers you need help with. Got it!" Seo-Jun threw Ji-Won a playful wink.
Ji-Won still had his eyes lowered, scanning the documents, but he could easily pick up the teasing note in his friend's voice. It made his skin crawl.
"It's not numbers I need help with, it's ideas." He retorted through gritted teeth.
"Come, come, show me what you've got so far." Seo-Jun chuckled, then added with a self-deprecating laugh. "I may be a bastard son, but I am still part of a large financial group family, so I should be able to handle a few numbers in Jung Seok's absence."
Hearing Seo-Jun's words caused Ji-Won's mouth to twitch.. He showed a grimace, but despite the clear dissatisfaction with his friend's attitude, he still handed Seo-Jun the documents.
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Earlier that day Ji-Won went to visit the place Jung Seok had mentioned in his concept list.
The inn, named 'Ma's family land', was a family owned business. The owners were a middle-aged couple who used to live in Paju, where they owned a farm. Once their daughter married a businessman in the city several years ago, she decided to move her parents to Seoul. Her husband was the one who helped the older couple in finding the plot of land and establishing their new business.
'Ma's family land' was located in a remote area, but in a couple of years it became very popular. Being fun and rather on the cheap side compared to other hotels, the place quickly caught momentum among families. Especially those with small children who were in need of a break from the city air.
Later on, with the help of a few young bloggers the place received a fresh influx of customers, especially young students.
Once they reserved a room, regardless of their age, people could spend a few days in a clean environment, with fresh air and little to no modern distractions.
The morning menu included a standard breakfast that was cooked by the staff. You could choose what you wanted, but the ingredients usually ranged between soup, rice, eggs and vegetables.
As for the rest of the meals, customers had access to the outdoor kitchen, as well as being allowed to use the grill. So, after picking the ingredients from the vegetable garden or catching fish in the pond outside, they could cook the meals themselves.
This system allowed for both intimacy and freedom, and many people liked its novelty, as opposed to the traditional hotels.
But on the off chance that someone didn't want to spend time cooking lunch or dinner, they could ask the indoor kitchen staff to have the meals ready using the very ingredients those customers had picked during the day.
Of course, this service was offered in exchange of a fee added to the price of the room, but the sum wasn't unaffordable. Which meant that people who chose to visit 'Ma's family land' rarely asked for such a service. In truth, they all preferred to spend time with their loved ones, running around the garden, fishing and cooking together.
Parents were happy to teach their children the meaning of growing food with your own hands, while youngsters who had been raised in the city could experience something only seen in the more rural areas.
After seeing the place with his own eyes, Ji-Won was even more convinced that they had chosen the best idea for their proposal.
At first, he was still a little bit skeptical. Going for a more family oriented concept meant that the places they could choose from were limited.
Luckily, Jung Seong had provided them with a perfect location. 'Ma's family land' could appeal to both young and old, making it possible for their proposal to be more varied than they initially thought.
Apart from the business perspective, Ji-Won had also been impressed by the warmth and happiness such a place could provide to people.
After returning to the office, Ji-Won immediately started putting together a proposal to present to the owners of the inn.
The documents he was scribbling when Seo-Jun had burst inside were part of the ideas he came up with.
After taking a seat, Seo-Jun continued to watch his friend carefully.
Ji-Won's forehead was scrunched up in concentration and his mouth was set in a straight line. His eyes glided across the papers, stopping from time to time as his hand reached to make several annotations.
To an outsider, Ji-Won must have seemed focused, perhaps even a bit displeased. But to Seo-Jun's keen eye, Ji-Won's current appearance was rather that of someone who was enjoying his work. There was definitely a gleam of thrill inside Ji-Won's dark eyes as he perused the documents.
Several moments later, seeing that Ji-Won was still keeping quiet, Seo-Jun finally puffed out a chuckle.
"Upon my word, did you like the place that much?"
Ji-Won's hand froze while holding the pen.
"Is it that obvious?" he asked without looking up.
"Please, you always look constipated when you're happy about something." Seo-Jun waved a hand dramatically.
"You…"
Ji-Won's eyelids twitched. His eyes fell on the pen he was holding and for a split second he had half a mind to hurl it at Seo-Jun's face.
Imagining the mess it would make, though, he ultimately gave up on the idea.
Taking a couple of deep breaths, Ji-Won finally calmed down enough to speak.
"I think the place is great for our concept. Jung Seok was right. It can be a perfect spot for both families and groups of youngsters to enjoy a retreat over the weekend."
"Then what's the problem?"
Just as easy as flipping a switch, Seo-Jun reverted to a more serious demeanor. He leaned back into his chair, crossing both arms in front of his chest. His gaze sharpened as he continued to watch Ji-Won, looking like a general waiting for the King's orders.
"The problem is that I have promised the owners of 'Ma's family land' to present a business plan by tomorrow evening."
"Aha, so it's numbers you need help with. Got it!" Seo-Jun threw Ji-Won a playful wink.
Ji-Won still had his eyes lowered, scanning the documents, but he could easily pick up the teasing note in his friend's voice. It made his skin crawl.
"It's not numbers I need help with, it's ideas." He retorted through gritted teeth.
"Come, come, show me what you've got so far." Seo-Jun chuckled, then added with a self-deprecating laugh. "I may be a bastard son, but I am still part of a large financial group family, so I should be able to handle a few numbers in Jung Seok's absence."
Hearing Seo-Jun's words caused Ji-Won's mouth to twitch.. He showed a grimace, but despite the clear dissatisfaction with his friend's attitude, he still handed Seo-Jun the documents.
Earlier that day Ji-Won went to visit the place Jung Seok had mentioned in his concept list.The inn, named 'Ma's family land', was a family owned business. The owners were a middle-aged couple who used to live in Paju, where they owned a farm. Once their daughter married a businessman in the city several years ago, she decided to move her parents to Seoul. Her husband was the one who helped the older couple in finding the plot of land and establishing their new business.'Ma's family land' was located in a remote area, but in a couple of years it became very popular. Being fun and rather on the cheap side compared to other hotels, the place quickly caught momentum among families. Especially those with small children who were in need of a break from the city air.Later on, with the help of a few young bloggers the place received a fresh influx of customers, especially young students. Once they reserved a room, regardless of their age, people could spend a few days in a clean environment, with fresh air and little to no modern distractions. The morning menu included a standard breakfast that was cooked by the staff. You could choose what you wanted, but the ingredients usually ranged between soup, rice, eggs and vegetables. As for the rest of the meals, customers had access to the outdoor kitchen, as well as being allowed to use the grill. So, after picking the ingredients from the vegetable garden or catching fish in the pond outside, they could cook the meals themselves. This system allowed for both intimacy and freedom, and many people liked its novelty, as opposed to the traditional hotels. But on the off chance that someone didn't want to spend time cooking lunch or dinner, they could ask the indoor kitchen staff to have the meals ready using the very ingredients those customers had picked during the day. Of course, this service was offered in exchange of a fee added to the price of the room, but the sum wasn't unaffordable. Which meant that people who chose to visit 'Ma's family land' rarely asked for such a service. In truth, they all preferred to spend time with their loved ones, running around the garden, fishing and cooking together.Parents were happy to teach their children the meaning of growing food with your own hands, while youngsters who had been raised in the city could experience something only seen in the more rural areas.After seeing the place with his own eyes, Ji-Won was even more convinced that they had chosen the best idea for their proposal. At first, he was still a little bit skeptical. Going for a more family oriented concept meant that the places they could choose from were limited. Luckily, Jung Seong had provided them with a perfect location. 'Ma's family land' could appeal to both young and old, making it possible for their proposal to be more varied than they initially thought. Apart from the business perspective, Ji-Won had also been impressed by the warmth and happiness such a place could provide to people. After returning to the office, Ji-Won immediately started putting together a proposal to present to the owners of the inn. The documents he was scribbling when Seo-Jun had burst inside were part of the ideas he came up with. After taking a seat, Seo-Jun continued to watch his friend carefully. Ji-Won's forehead was scrunched up in concentration and his mouth was set in a straight line. His eyes glided across the papers, stopping from time to time as his hand reached to make several annotations. To an outsider, Ji-Won must have seemed focused, perhaps even a bit displeased. But to Seo-Jun's keen eye, Ji-Won's current appearance was rather that of someone who was enjoying his work. There was definitely a gleam of thrill inside Ji-Won's dark eyes as he perused the documents.Several moments later, seeing that Ji-Won was still keeping quiet, Seo-Jun finally puffed out a chuckle."Upon my word, did you like the place that much?" Ji-Won's hand froze while holding the pen. "Is it that obvious?" he asked without looking up. "Please, you always look constipated when you're happy about something." Seo-Jun waved a hand dramatically. "You" Ji-Won's eyelids twitched. His eyes fell on the pen he was holding and for a split second he had half a mind to hurl it at Seo-Jun's face. Imagining the mess it would make, though, he ultimately gave up on the idea.Taking a couple of deep breaths, Ji-Won finally calmed down enough to speak."I think the place is great for our concept. Jung Seok was right. It can be a perfect spot for both families and groups of youngsters to enjoy a retreat over the weekend.""Then what's the problem?" Just as easy as flipping a switch, Seo-Jun reverted to a more serious demeanor. He leaned back into his chair, crossing both arms in front of his chest. His gaze sharpened as he continued to watch Ji-Won, looking like a general waiting for the King's orders."The problem is that I have promised the owners of 'Ma's family land' to present a business plan by tomorrow evening.""Aha, so it's numbers you need help with. Got it!" Seo-Jun threw Ji-Won a playful wink.Ji-Won still had his eyes lowered, scanning the documents, but he could easily pick up the teasing note in his friend's voice. It made his skin crawl. "It's not numbers I need help with, it's ideas." He retorted through gritted teeth."Come, come, show me what you've got so far." Seo-Jun chuckled, then added with a self-deprecating laugh. "I may be a bastard son, but I am still part of a large financial group family, so I should be able to handle a few numbers in Jung Seok's absence." Hearing Seo-Jun's words caused Ji-Won's mouth to twitch.. He showed a grimace, but despite the clear dissatisfaction with his friend's attitude, he still handed Seo-Jun the documents.
