Asian Addicts Anonymous

Well, Hae Joo proves that she is better than the rest of her family and Dal Soon proves that she really does care for Hae Joo. The biggest problem is the whole thinking Hong Chul cheated on her, but this episode really shows that Dal Soon does care. I don’t think she keeps the girl just so her and her kids can survive. Gi Chul looks like he really wants to hurt Do Hyun when he badmouths Hong Chul, but the only reason Do Hyun is trashing him is thanks to Gi Chul’s lies. Got to love it. I also love how Geum Hee is Jang’s achilles heel. She can get him to act somewhat like a decent human being at times. Oh, and speaking of Jang, I have never met a bad guy who was so obviously underhanded in business dealings. Most businessmen in these shows put on the good front at the office and do the underhanded things on the downlow—Jang eschews this and openly promotes illegal activities in the office! And Geum Hee gives him the benefit of the doubt when Jung Woo complains? Tsch.

So we open with Geum Hee coming into the hospital room, catching Hong Chul’s attention. He tries to get out that she is Hae Joo’s birth mother, but can’t muster the strength to do so. While Hae Joo is distracted, Hong Chul passes on. Geum Hee notices this and seeing her reaction, Hae Joo quickly turns around. She pleads with her father to get himself together and wake up, but to no avail. She starts wailing and crying and her friends waiting outside understand the worst has happened. Geum Hee comes out and has Chang Hee find the rest of the family to let them know and asks Gi Chul to help arrange the funeral as she doesn’t think the family will be able to do it themselves. Gi Chul is still in a state of shock. I guess he can’t believe he successfully ended up killing his former friend. Go figure.

Gi Chul shakes as he lights the incense and places Hong Chul’s picture at the alter. He seems really guilty as the disbelieving Dal Soon wonders what she can do with the three kids and one in her stomach now that their provider is gone. Good. He should feel guilty. Things did not have to play out this way, but this is the decision he made. In Hwa sits helplessly as Hae Joo breaks down and leans on Chang Hee for comfort and support. San shows up at this moment. Looks like he finally learned the news as well. In Hwa tries to comfort him a bit as he is hurting for Hae Joo as well. It’s a big scary event that not many kids, thankfully, have to go through often. Although, San has already lost both his parents…yet another commonality with Hae Joo.

Jang wishes to know what happened and Gi Chul lies and said that Hong Chul had already taken the money. Jang then says a punk like Hong Chul couldn’t have been punished better. How dare he try to blackmail Jang after killing an innocent child? Gi Chul seems angry and guilty and gives one of his vicious looks, but whatever. It comes to nothing usually in the end. You know, his character actually has to be the worst in this series. Jang is at least openly evil. Gi Chul snivels and allows his life to be dictated by Jang and he does underhanded things to try to save his own skin regardless of who else gets hurt. Anywho, Jang does give him one last order on the Hong Chul front—find the yellow sweater of Yoo Jin’s.

The Chun family are wearing their morning clothes and all are sobbing their hearts out. Hae Joo recalls all the recent memories with her father and bawls as she scatters his ashes. While this is going on, Gi Chul is desperately searching Hong Chul’s room. He finds the cell number and bank account of the goons. I think he’ll pay off the debt out of guilt since he had the money to do it anyways. Of course, he can’t find the sweater and then the Chun’s arrive. Sang Tae wants to know why Gi Chul is there acting like a thief. Hae Joo scolds her oppa for his careless words when Gi Chul even helped prepare the funeral for them. More guilt on him. Good. I hope he chokes on it. Dal Soon also says that there is nothing worth stealing anyways. True.

Dal Soon goes to lie down and Hae Joo comes with food. Even if her mother doesn’t wish to eat, she needs to do so for the baby. Hae Joo tears up as Dal Soon complains about her words coming true. Hae Joo tries to comfort her—they all know the words were said in anger and weren’t meant at all. The police then come and Hae Joo reveals the truck swerved to miss her and hit her father instead. This, of course, enrages Dal Soon and she packs Hae Joo’s things and sends her packing—the girl is no longer part of the Chun family. Hae Joo tries to plead, but Dal Soon just cannot accept that the daughter Hong Chul doted on was the one who lead to his death. Okay. Mini-break.

In kpop music videos, FT Islands for “Severely” in particularly, he jumped in front of a car to save his girlfriend after she was already cleared of the car’s path (sure the car may possibly have swerved and managed to hit her, but still, she  was already safe when he made his move). In the last episode, Hae Joo actually wouldn’t have been in any danger of getting hit accept Hong Chul thought she was in danger and jumped into the path of the speeding truck which swerved to miss him and then swerved again to miss Hae Joo, thus nailing Hong Chul. Sigh. I don’t get it.

Ok, segue done. I was impressed that Sang Tae sort of stuck up for Hae Joo. Why blame her? Blame the idiot who hit Hong Chul (regardless of him swerving to miss Hae Joo). When that logic didn’t work, blame the bicycle—go out and destroy that instead. LMAO. It was nice, but that boy… So Hae Joo goes out to the rocky seaside and cries while standing in the pouring rain. She’s very sorry to her father, but, like I said, it wasn’t really her fault.

For whatever reason, Geum Hee is really thinking of her deceased daughter again. She quickly hides Yoo Jin’s picture when In Hwa bounces in to announce that Aunt Bong Hee has arrived. Bong Hee is out in the living room teasing Il Mun like crazy. It’s quite cute. Why can’t Il Mun stay this nice like when he is with his family? I loved it when he said he’d never want to be mistaken for his aunt’s boyfriend. Why not? She’s too much like a man. LOL. LOVED it. In Hwa comes out and says her mother is sick and won’t see anybody. This concern’s Bong Hee. What’s wrong with her sister? Jang then takes her to his study where he asks about the death anniversary and Geum Hee not being right since. Bong Hee then tells him that Geum Hee did meet with Jung Woo at the cemetery. Great. Like Jang needed another excuse to hate Jung Woo other than the fact he is Hak Soo’s baby brother.

Gi Chul goes back to the Chun house and find the Chuns cleaning up Hong Chul’s clothes. As he is about to ask after Yoo Jin’s yellow outfit, Chang Hee and San run up with a very sick Hae Joo on Chang Hee’s back. Dal Soon tells them to get Hae Joo out as she is no longer part of the family. Chang Hee and San are shocked. San then declares they will take Hae Joo to his house to treat her and then they will turn Dal Soon in for child abuse. Hae Joo then weakly asks to be set down and Chang Hee obeys. Both San and he are shocked when the sick girl pleads with her mother to take her back. She’s really sorry for what happened and will treat her mother well. She then passes out and Dal Soon has the boys take her into Sang Tae’s room where San gets jealous of Chang Hee being next to her and constantly touching Hae Joo’s face to monitor her temperature. San then has to butt in and do the same. It was really cute even though it was a serious moment. I do like how Chang Hee and San bawl Sang Tae out for not protecting his little sister when he knows his mother was wrong.

Gi Chul warns his son to stay away from the Chun house as he needs to concentrate on his studies. Yeah, we all know its more to do with Gi Chul’s guilt and I think his awareness that Chang Hee might be getting attached…or he might not be picking up on this as whenever Chang Hee tried to praise Hae Joo Gi Chul wasn’t in the right mental state.

That night Hae Joo envisions Hong Chul by her side. He tells her that she must get up as she is prettiest when she is strong and bouncing around the place. Hae Joo says that she doesn’t make everyone happy. Hong Chul then points out that while Dal Soon may be mean, she doesn’t hate the girl. He then points out that she even made Hae Joo porridge. The vision ends and Hae Joo sits up to eat the porridge, crying and telling her father that it was very delicious. Yes, Dal Soon does have a heart—too bad she lets her negative emotions take over so often. Hae Joo gets better enough to help Dal Soon deliver a healthy baby girl. Sang Tae went to get help from a grandmother, but was deterred by a viciously barking dog.

Jang gets the rundown that he owns 60% of the orchard land while Kang owns 20% and the other 20% still hasn’t been sold. What about the town? They will send out notices for the people to move. Jang gets angry as that will only stall out his plans. He then, in front of all of his employees, tells them to get the demolition crews banging down the doors without notice. This is rather illegal and its pointed out, but that just angers Jang more. Omo. I still can’t believe people would willingly work for a man who openly does illegal things to get his own way. Gi Chul tells him the outfit is gone and he is then charged with helping with the demolition.

San goes to visit his grandfather at the shipyard. Kang reminds him that after learning welding, the next step is painting. San quickly puts this aside and asks for money (they are now on the summer holidays). Kang asks him how much as is shocked when San roughly asks for 1/10 of a million dollars. San starts to explain about the death of Hae Joo’s father (awww, how sweet…but what was he going to do with that amount of money?), but men from the prosecutor’s office shows up. Looks like Kang has been turned in for underhanded business methods and I think tax evasion or something like that. Kang is enraged and is then threatened with being arrested for obstruction as he tries to stop his books and important documents from being taken.

Jang then shows up and happily looks around Kang’s wrecked office. Kang is livid and Jang replies that he warned Kang not to start a fight, but the older man just wouldn’t listen. Why couldn’t he just live quietly and watch his grandson grow up? Kang won’t sit still and just take this lying down. Jang has pulled the tiger’s whiskers and should fear his wrath. Jang then points out that Kang’s media report about the orchard never came out—look who has the real power. But we all know Jang will lose in the long run…it just probably won’t happen until like the final episode. Small comfort. San has overheard this all. Jang then insults the boy by happily clapping him on the face (gently, he didn’t hit the boy) and belittled him by talking down to him as if he was a little child. I have a feeling that this moment San might decide to take a stand against Jang when he’s older as he really does treasure his blustery old grandfather.

Chang Hee visits the Chun house with a bag of rice and is amazed to hear that Hae Joo helped deliver her little sister all by herself. Hae Joo wishes to show the baby to Chang Hee, but can’t just yet. Sang Tae then comes running up with big news—a demolition crew is there to tear down the village! Chang Hee and Hae Joo go running. Bong Hee and Jung Woo stand at the front lines and Jung Woo condemns the workers for doing something illegal as most of the people living in the village have lived there for 20+ years, thus entitling them to compensation as they are rightful owners. The men refuse to listen and the machines advance. Jung Woo lies down followed by Bong Hee and Hae Joo. They are forcefully removed and Jung Woo is even beaten. Gi Chul then steps forward, all crazies, and threatens to kill everyone before he starts taking down a wall. He then collapses and starts crying. How…babyish. Chang Hee rushes over to his father and demands to know why he’s doing this.

Gi Chul takes his son to a place to have a private talk. Chang Hee cannot believe his father is with the crew destroying the village. Doesn’t his father know that the Chun’s just lost their father and have no other place to go—especially with a newborn baby? Doesn’t Gi Chul feel any responsibility since he was Hong Chul’s friend? Hae Joo then comes up hidden from view. Gi Chul demands that Chang Hee stay away from her and the Chun family as no good can come by associating with them. Chang Hee refuses and this earns him a smack from his father. Hae Joo witnesses this and is surprised. How much do you want to bet that she will try to keep her distance from him so as not to cause problems between father and son?

Jang is in his office looking at a map with different colored dots. Bong Hee then bursts in furious. Is her brother-in-law really behind the poison and demolition? Jang tries to play off that he isn’t, but Bong Hee isn’t stupid. How could he do such a thing to the land her dead brother-in-law gave away? How could he destroy the livelihood and simple dreams of the people living in the village? Jang gets all self righteous talking about his dream. He needs the land for a shipyard. He needs the shipyard to build oil tankers to drill out in the waters surrounding Korea. Bong Hee insists there is no oil in Korea, but Jang is certain its there under the water. Ok. So he has a dream. There is technically nothing wrong with that. However, when your own dream infringers on others’ and squashes them and their livelihood, what good is that kind of dream? Self righteous *enter long string of curse words that can never describe his true vileness* arse.

Jung Woo then pays a visit to Geum Hee. He’s smart. He plays the dead brother card. If Geum Hee ever loved his brother, she will put a stop to Jang’s blasphemy. Geum Hee is quite shocked. Surely Jang would never do that. Jung Woo then plays his dead niece card and Geum Hee is really affected. It’s cruel, but necessary as Geum Hee is the only one who can somewhat deal with Jang.

Hae Joo makes seaweed soup for her mother and makes Dal Soon eat so she can have milk for the baby. Dal Soon wonders where they got seaweed from and Hae Joo reveals she sold Geum Hee’s present. This really surprises Dal Soon. She also wonders what will happen to them now. Hae Joo vows to work in the same shop her father did. Will it still be there if the village is destroyed? Well then she’ll sell fish. If that still isn’t enough, then she’ll work as a maid. No matter what, she will see to it that the family is provided for. Dal Soon starts crying and Hae Joo tears up as well. Then baby girl (still unnamed at the moment) wakes up and cries. Hae Joo picks her up and comforts her. Dal Soon will feed her as soon as Dal Soon is done eating.

Jang gets home and asks after Geum Hee. Il Mun reports and then asks if they are going to forgo visiting his mother’s grave again this year. Now, this scene made me feel badly for him, just like the grade scene did. Jang throws a hissy. The only mother Il Mun has is who? If Il Mun ever brings up “that woman” again, he will no longer be Jang’s son. Omo. That’s rather…harsh. I really hate that man. Jang also wishes Il Mun to keep it from In Hwa that Geum Hee is not her real mother. I wonder what Il Mun will do to Chang Hee to let off steam this time? Jang seeks out his wife who asks him about the orchard and village. Jang denies everything, but Geum Hee insists that Jung Woo Samchoon wouldn’t lie. Jang blows it. Of course, Hak Soo was wonderful. But what about Jang’s dream? Why can’t anyone understand it? Geum Hee remains firm in her disgust at Jang’s hurting others and this drives him to offer compensation for all families living on the land up to 10 times the market value.

Hae Joo is sleeping outside still, but can’t seem to sleep. She puts on her shoes and notices her father’s boots. She holds them and starts crying. Enter Jung Woo. He says he just heard the news and gives her a pork hock to make soup for her mother for her milk. Hae Joo thanks him and Jung Woo wonders why she is sleeping outside when the morning dew will make her damp, plus rain is on the way. Hae Joo replies its because of the baby crying and Jung Woo invites her over. Hae Joo accepts the invitation. When they get to the house, Hae Joo’s stomach starts growling and Jung Woo gets up to make her ramen. She scolds her stomach for being rude. LOL. That’s Hae Joo for you. While Jung Woo is preparing dinner, Hae Joo picks up his books and a letter addressed to Yoo Jin from Hak Soo falls out.

Jung Woo brings in the food and Hae Joo eats it all up quickly. Jung Woo comments he should have made more and Hae Joo says she is quite full. She then asks who Yoo Jin is as she accidentally found the letter. Jung Woo asked if she read it. Hae Joo quickly says that she didn’t. Jung Woo then explains his hyung wrote it the day Hak Soo’s daughter was born. I think Hae Joo was kind of relieved that Jung Woo wasn’t a father. Does she have a teeny crush on her uncle? Jung Woo then gives it to her to read. What great irony. Hae Joo gets to read her birth father’s letter to her. The girl tears up and gives it back to Jung Woo. She can’t finish the letter—it’s too sad as it makes her recall her deceased father. She then cries more and says she was hungry, but her mother and siblings needed to eat, too. Jung Woo hugs her and comforts her and apologizes for not being there to help her sooner. It’s really touching and heartbreaking. I really do love the bond between uncle and niece here.

Bong Hee then comes in and wonders what happened. Why is Hae Joo crying? Jung Woo replies its nothing and Bong Hee says she has just come from seeing her unnie. Looks like their plan worked! Jang will now be offering compensation for the land over its original value. This makes Hae Joo and Jung Woo happy. Bong Hee then says she is awesome and flips her hair. LOL. I am sure Jang is displeased at having his wife being used against him. Sigh. You know hell will follow. I guess that’s partly why Il Mun does what he does—since his father does the same thing.

The next day the Chun family waits eagerly in line while Bong Hee and Jung Woo happily look on to see the people getting rightfully compensated. However, when the Chun family goes to get their money, they learn they are ineligible since they only lived there for a month. They had to live their for 20 years at least to be eligible. I knew it was too good to be true. So now what will happen to them? Oh, and Jung Woo and Bong Hee return to his house to see it being torn down. Jung Woo rushes up and demands to get his important books out, but he isn’t let through. He is told he is ineligible for compensation and then he is arrested for inciting violence. Bong Hee watches helplessly and Jung Woo yells at her to take care of Hae Joo and her family since they will be in big trouble without the compensation. Will she?

The Chuns have all their belongings in a cart and are going…nowhere as they have no place to go. Dal Soon tells her son they should be grateful to just be alive at this point. Rain starts pouring down and they huddle under a blanket before moving their belongings under a bridge. Young Joo complains of hunger as does the whiny Sang Tae (at least Young Joo has an excuse, she’s still very young, Sang Tae should stop acting like a sniveling brat). Hae Joo sets out to make rice, but there isn’t enough wood. She goes to send Sang Tae out, but he refuses since its raining—how can they find dry wood? Hae Joo then goes to leave to see if she can find anything and has her brother watch the food, which he knocks over and thus the entire family starts crying and Hae Joo is just helpless at this point.

What will happen? Looks like Hae Joo might end up a maid at the Jang household. There is chaos in the air with Jang and possibly Geum Hee learning that Hae Joo is really Yoo Jin. Plus, looks like a dressed up and angry Hae Joo is sticking up for Chang Hee again (to who this time—Il Mun or someone else?).