Peninsula: 72 Hours of Blind Dates

underground garage.

Han Xijun asked Wu Haiyuan to input the navigation.

Fasten your seatbelt, and seeing that the navigation showed your destination as Kiseon, Gangwon Province, ask Oh Hae-won, "Shall the three of us go to Gangwon Province for dinner?"

Wu Haiyuan stammered, "Just follow the navigation."

Han Hee-joon then asked, "Aren't you going to pick up Kang Hye-won? She stayed in Cheongdam-dong last night. Oh right, why didn't she come with you? You could invite her over for a visit."

"She has something to do."

Han Xijun didn't hear clearly.

We set off by car.

At the same time.

Gangwon Province, Giseon, Unamjeong.

Early autumn, the weather is fine and sunny.

Under blue skies and white clouds, Gangwon Province is a bit cooler than Seoul. There's no smell of exhaust fumes in the air.

Taking a deep breath really gives you a feeling of exhilaration.

To the left of the ramp is an open-air parking lot.

The black sedan came to a stop.

A man and a woman got out of the driver's seat and the front passenger seat, respectively.

"Professor Han, please open the trunk."

"It's already open."

The man is Han Xijun's father. Today he is wearing a sharp suit and tie, looking very formal.

The woman is Han Xijun's mother. Today she is wearing a white short skirt and a white long-sleeved coat.

She cut her hair short to shoulder length and wore a pair of pearl earrings and a pearl necklace.

He walked to the back of the car and took two paper bags out of the trunk.

Han Xijun's father also came to the back of the car, carrying a bag without a logo. Inside was liquor—Wanxi Soju, a locally brewed liquor brand with a strong regional character in Busan. He had brought it all the way from Busan so that Wu Haiyuan's father could also try it.

After closing the trunk, Han Xijun's mother gently patted Han Xijun's father's shoulder, brushing off the dust, and said, "You absolutely mustn't lose your composure today."

Han Xijun's father said, "No problem, but Xijun said that Haiyuan's father has a high alcohol tolerance. Aren't these two bottles of soju too little?"

Han Xijun's mother said, "The atmosphere at the dinner table is more important. It's not good to drink too much. Please don't order any alcohol later."

Han Xijun's father nodded.

After all, it was the first time meeting and having dinner with Wu Haiyuan's parents, so I had to maintain proper etiquette and leave a good impression.

When you drink too much, your true self comes out, and you'll be a little different than before.

Even if Han Xijun's father, a university professor, was not bad, Wu Haiyuan's father, a local court judge, should be as well.

Let's go.

Half an hour before the agreed time, Han Xijun's parents arrived at Yunyan Pavilion first.

Five minutes later.

A silver sedan was also parked in the same parking lot. A middle-aged woman, also wearing a white skirt and a white long-sleeved coat, got out of the driver's seat, and a middle-aged man in a suit got out of the passenger seat.

"My outfit is no different from my usual work attire."

"Being more formal is never a bad thing."

"Yes, you were still wearing the jade bracelet. I thought you had lost it."

"How could that be? This was a gift you bought for me when we first went on our trip to China. Although you haven't bought me any other gifts in the past twenty years."

cough cough.

He coughed awkwardly twice, then walked to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and took out several bags.

The woman said, "Hee-joon's father can hold his liquor better than you, so don't try to be a hero."

He lifted the bag in his hand; inside were two bottles of ginseng-infused liquor, which had an alcohol content about 30 degrees higher than the liquor sold in supermarkets.

Wu Haiyuan's father said with a smile, "I never thought that the ginseng wine I made would be taken out so early. I also thought that I would drink it with Zhiyuan's boyfriend's parents. I didn't expect that I would drink it with Xijun's parents first."

Wu Haiyuan's mother closed the trunk and instructed, "Anyway, don't be reckless. Haiyuan said that Xijun's father can hold his liquor well, so it must be true."

All the information the two sides obtained came from Wu Haiyuan's oral account. In fact, Han Xijun's father didn't drink much on the day Wu Haiyuan went to Han Xijun's house for dinner; Wu Haiyuan asked Han Xijun's mother about his alcohol tolerance.

Normally, Han Xijun's father drinks more often than Wu Haiyuan's father. There are gatherings between professors and between professors and students every week, and they always drink until very late before going home.

If he could get home sober, his alcohol tolerance must be pretty good.

But Han Xijun's father's alcohol tolerance is at most two bottles of soju and three bottles of beer, and he still drinks for several hours.

Carrying her things, Wu Haiyuan's mother walked towards the entrance of Yunyan Pavilion, marveling at the beautiful weather.

It seems that in previous Mid-Autumn Festivals, there was always a light drizzle.

The good weather this year also foreshadows a good outcome for Han Xijun and Wu Haiyuan.

"Shouldn't we get there first?"

"How would I know? It's better if we get there first."

"Yes, it'll be less awkward if we arrive first and wait for someone."

The staff at the door warmly welcomed the two and led them inside.

I inquired about the reservation information. Strolling through the traditional Korean courtyard and passing through Unam Pond, I saw that the buildings inside were all ancient structures with a history of over 100 years, very similar to the Hanok Village in Bukchon.

TV drama crews used to film here as a location.

Wu Haiyuan's mother remembers that the TV series was about cooking, and she even learned a few decent royal dishes from watching it.

The overall rustic and tranquil atmosphere is perfect for the first meeting between the two families.

It must be said that this arrangement was very appropriate.

Wu Haiyuan's mother was proud, assuming that Wu Haiyuan had chosen the location.

Actually, all of these were arranged in advance by Han Xijun's mother.

Similarly, the reason for choosing this place was the environment, and also because Han Hee-joon's mother watched the drama "Gourmet" when it aired and learned a few royal dishes from it.

Housewives might be interested in the TV series "Gourmet".

Especially when she thinks about making royal cuisine for her husband, she feels a sense of anticipation.

That all happened a long time ago.

The waiter slowed his pace and pointed to a separate traditional Korean house building on the left, reminding Wu Haiyuan's parents that their reserved private room was there. It wasn't the main hall for royal cuisine, but a private room—that was even better.

Approach along the stone-paved path.

Two pairs of shoes were placed on the steps at the entrance of the house.

Wu Haiyuan's mother asked the waiter in a low voice, "Has anyone arrived in this private room yet?"

The waiter nodded and replied, "Yes, there were guests who arrived before you two."

Wu Haiyuan's parents exchanged a glance.

They planned to arrive half an hour early, but little did they know that Han Xijun's parents had the same idea.

These two pairs of shoes clearly belonged to Han Hee-joon's parents.

The two children hadn't arrived yet, but both sets of parents had already come.

We can't just not go in.

What needs to be faced will eventually have to be faced.

Wu Haiyuan's mother isn't the type to "avoid" things. After confirming, she thanked the waiter.

The waiter was very perceptive and left a message saying that if anyone needed any service, they could just press the service bell in the private room.

Wu Haiyuan's mother looked at Wu Haiyuan's father and said, "Judge Wu, let's go in."

Wu Haiyuan's father straightened his suit jacket, put on a smile, and nodded, saying, "Go in, I'm all ready."