Chapter 13
Back then, Jang Un-chu had not taken good care of herself.
After marrying her former husband, she was often beaten and rarely had enough to eat.
Naturally, the child in her womb had not been in good condition either.
Because Jang Un-chu's health was so poor, no one had questioned Gang Gye's "premature birth."
The fact that Gang Gye remained sickly as he grew older only seemed to confirm that he had been born before reaching full term.
Everything connected perfectly.
There had been no obvious flaw in Gang Jo-hang's plan.
The physician who examined Jang Un-chu back then saw countless patients, including many pregnant women.
How could he possibly remember one pregnant woman he had seen five years ago?
At the time, Gang Jo-hang and Jang Un-chu had done nothing suspicious.
They had simply visited a physician like any ordinary couple, had her pulse checked, and asked about the pregnancy.
The only thing they changed was the number of months they reported to the family after returning home.
That was exactly why Gang Jo-hang had always been certain the secret of Gang Gye's birth would never be exposed.
As long as nobody discovered the truth, there was no need to worry that someone else would later claim the results after the Gang family had spent years educating Gang Gye.
What Gang Jo-hang couldn't understand was why, after he had gone to such lengths, Jang Un-chu still insisted on giving up because of what he considered a trivial concern.
Thinking about the inexplicable sense of unease rising inside him, Gang Jo-hang made another decision.
He needed to prepare in advance.
If this dragged on for too long, his father might decide to send only Munsaeng to school.
With that thought, Gang Jo-hang headed toward his parents' room.
Old Master Gang looked up when his son entered.
"What is it?"
His head was already starting to ache.
He had always proudly said that the Gang family was one of the most harmonious households in the village.
The three brothers had a good relationship, and the three daughters-in-law also got along well.
Everyone in the Gang family usually worked together toward the same goal, and there had rarely been any serious conflict.
But if today's matter was handled badly, the relationship between two of his sons might grow distant from now on.
Old Master Gang sighed inwardly.
If only the third son's leg had never been injured.
If Gang Jo-hang were still working as an armed escort and bringing home that kind of silver, then perhaps, if the entire family tightened their belts, they might have been able to educate both children at once.
No.
If the third son's leg were still healthy, then even if the family decided to educate only Gang Gye, the second son probably wouldn't dare complain.
After all, Gang Jo-hang had always earned the most among the three brothers, and Little Six clearly had extraordinary natural talent.
In Old Master Gang's opinion, Little Six was the one who should study.
But Gang Jo-hang's injury had changed everything.
From now on, the third son would no longer be able to earn much money.
That meant most of the cost of educating a child would fall on the eldest and second sons.
Naturally, the second son would feel uncomfortable if his own child lost the opportunity to study while he was expected to pay for someone else's.
Gang Jo-hang went straight to the point.
"Father, I want to talk about Munsaeng and Little Six studying."
"I also know our family can't afford to fully support both children."
"Second Brother wants Munsaeng to study, and I can't give up Little Six either."
He continued,
"Then how about sending both children to school?"
"Half of each child's expenses can come from the family funds, and the other half can be paid by their own branch."
Old Master Gang hesitated.
"That..."
"If we do that, I'm not sure the second branch can afford it."
Gang Jo-hang calmly explained,
"If the common funds cover half, they should be able to manage for at least a few years."
"Second Brother can find outside work and earn money. Sister-in-law can also do embroidery. And Second Brother should have some private savings."
"Educating a child is certainly not easy, but I think this is the best solution for now."
"If either Munsaeng or Little Six is denied the chance to study, neither Second Brother nor I will accept it."
"So this is probably the only way."
He paused before adding,
"We can let both children study for a few years first and see whether they truly have the ability to continue."
Old Master Gang thought about it.
The idea did seem reasonable.
No one knew yet whether Munsaeng actually had much talent for studying.
Perhaps letting him study for a few years would allow the second branch to accept reality on their own.
And if Munsaeng turned out to be genuinely talented...
Old Master Gang stopped that line of thought for now.
If that happened, then later they could simply support whichever grandson showed greater ability.
Perhaps by then, Munsaeng himself might decide he no longer wanted to study.
With this arrangement, each branch would bear half the cost of its own child's education.
The burden on the common funds wouldn't be too great, while the family's chances of producing a scholar would increase.
It really was a good idea.
Old Master Gang nodded.
"Your solution is very good."
"Then let both families try for a few years."
Gang Jo-hang finally let out a breath of relief.
He believed that even if he hadn't come to speak with his father, Old Master Gang would probably have chosen Gang Gye over Munsaeng.
Still, having a definite solution now made him feel much more secure.
"But..."
Old Master Gang suddenly spoke again.
"For now, don't tell anyone else about this."
"I want to see how the second branch reacts."
Gang Jo-hang paused.
Old Master Gang's expression had darkened.
"I simply want to see what they intend to do about these two children."
Old Master Gang understood very well how tempting the chance to study was.
But this was something that required the whole family to work together and spend a great deal of money.
It wasn't something one person could solve alone.
Most of the cost would inevitably come from the common family funds.
And this wasn't an expense that would end after a few years.
At the very least, the family would need to support the child for more than ten years before seeing even a small result.
Sometimes, twenty or thirty years could pass with nothing to show for it.
A matter this important couldn't be decided merely to prove how much someone loved their child.
It had to be decided based on the interests of the entire household.
Of course, if someone could personally cover almost all the expenses, that would be another matter.
If the second branch refused to give up, then they needed to prove themselves.
They could show why Munsaeng was worth educating and persuade the rest of the family.
Or, like the third branch, they could propose a reasonable solution.
But simply remaining silent, offering no solution, and refusing to give up was unacceptable.
Wasn't that another form of forcing everyone else's hand?
Gang Gye had already shown extraordinary talent, yet the second branch still insisted on sending their own son instead.
If Gang Jo-hang's leg were still healthy, would the second son and his wife have dared act this way?
Absolutely not.
Old Master Gang knew that.
