Poor Chang Hee, life sucks for him. Whenever he’s shown onscreen, I want to cuddle this boy and tell him that everything is going to be fine. *passes him a cookie* The kids are a joy to watch but the adults are a pain because they keep stalling in one place, not making any relative move to propel the plot forward. I feel like this is the pattern for the next 5 episodes, until the adults take over in episode 9.

Episode 3:

At the Jang’s residence, the kids coincidentally gather there for a house party. While Kang San and Hae Joo bow respectfully to Butler Park, Il Moon treats him with condescension, ordering him to plate what he wants to eat and go somewhere to sit. His rude attitude raises the brows of Kang San and Hae Joo but it’s Hae Joo who says, “Even if you’re the house owner’s son, you shouldn’t treat adults like that.” True words sting like a bee and it renders Il Moon speechless. He glares at his sister, In Hwa, “Ya. Where did you bring this girl beggar?” and moves to throw a glass of water at Hae Joo’s face.

Raising his voice, Kang San warns, “Do you want to die?!!”

Hae Joo: “I’m NOT A BEGGAR!”

“What you did just now is the behavior of a beggar, girl!”

“I got permission from your mom. Being rude to adults is what true beggars do. It was getting hot so thanks for pouring the cold water on me.” Ha. I like her. 😀 Having seen enough of his friend’s crappy attitude, Kang San flips the over the table of food, but Hae Joo chastises him for wasting food like that. Chang Hee, the poor boy, can’t withstand this scene anymore, he rushes away with heavy steps.

Kang San follows, only to complain at Chang Hee’s inaction when his father is being insulted, “I thought you were great since you study well!” Chang Hee tells him to mind his business since he doesn’t know the whole story but Kang San is relentless in his supposed pursuit of maintaining pride. Boiling with different kinds of emotions, Chang Hee barks, “What’s so different between you and Il Moon? Ignoring people, acting as you like, and not even pretending to know people’s feelings. You wouldn’t even realize it because you would still be able to live and eat well. So don’t place any lame pity on me.” Well, that shuts up our cheeky Kang San because the words ring true to his ears. What Il Moon did to Chang Hee is the behavior that Kang San displayed towards the little minions. Both only cares about their feelings.

In the mean time, carrying a bag of wonderful snacks for her little sister, Hae Joo heads home and sees her father – not working and in a distraught mode. He’s been called home because Young Joo’s missing. Just like that, the stepmother beelines her way towards Hae Joo and smacks her, moving closer to pull her hair with the failed intervention of Hong Chul. At last, her venomous words and abusive action is stopped with Young Joo’s voice from behind them. Apparently, this little girl can sleep anywhere and has been sleeping in the small shed.

Tears make their ways to Hae Joo’s eyes as the sinking feeling of not being loved and treasured by her mother crushes her. She runs away towards the mountain where she consoles herself by watching the boats in the shipyard down below. After she has calmed down, she notices a company – no one else but Chang Hee, also there for his personal therapy. I shall call this place their breeding ground. heh.

He thanks her for standing up for his father, and she waves away the unnecessary words, blaming her quick temper. He then wonders why she’s sad since she confessed that watching boats makes her forget the bad things in life. She avoids the details, “It’s nothing. But oppa, why are you here like this?” He replies that he’s here for the ships too, but not to simply watch them – he desires to own everything in the shipyard. Not privy to the deeper meaning behind his words, Hae Joo merely observes that he seems greedy just now, “For me, one boat is sufficient.” He smiles, (or is that a smirk?) at her simpleton.

Walking restlessly along the road, Hong Chul meets a grumpy-looking Butler Park. The two relocate their conversation to a beautiful scenery – facing the ocean. The source of Butler Park’s grumpiness is Hong Chul’s allowance of Hae Joo to wander around the Jang’s residence. He thinks Hong Chul has learned the truth from someone; grabs his collar and tells him to spit everything out. Perplexed with Butler Park’s violent behavior, Hong Chul knocks the man to the ground using his own head. Butler Park repeats himself, “Leave with Hae Joo or you’ll both die!”

Hong Chul trudges to the shipyard, and along the way, images of the past events keep flashing in his head. His eyes sparkle, piecing the details together when he sees Jang Do Hyun making a business trip around there. He asks an older worker nearby about a missing baby back then and finally gets his answer – Butler Park lost the baby to the sea years ago. Seeing a clearer picture now, he wonders why Butler Park handed him the baby.

Next scene we see Butler Park successfully buying another piece of land from the villager there. Jang Do Hyun wants the pear orchard land owned by Yoon Hak Soo but was given to the villagers before he died. Therefore, he assigned the job of persuasion to Butler Park because the villagers are on friendly terms with him (knowing that he’s Hak Soo’s buddy).

Kang San’s grandfather, Kang Dae Pyung/President Kang, picks up Yoon Hak Soo’s younger brother, Yoon Jung Woo, and parks his jeep before the orchard land. He figures that Jang Do Hyun’s planning on buying all the land in this area and build his own shipyard. Being the big boss in the shipbuilding industry, he naturally dislikes competition and wants Jung Woo’s help in defending the land. Jung Woo sees through Dae Pyung’s motive and says as much. Dae Pyung defends himself, “Where in the world do you see a business man with no greed? But Jang Do Hyun is different. He’s capable of using any means to achieve the ends. His greed is endless.” Jung Woo contemplates the theory with growing concern.

Afraid of going home by herself, Hae Joo sits by the banks to wait for her father. He promises to protect her but once they’re home, the stepmother wants her to get out, “I don’t want to see you, wench!” Father screams his way into the conversation and that’s the end (for now anyway.)

Cooking rice for the family, Hae Joo relaxes into a chair, her face filled with today’s sadness and mother’s harsh words. Hong Chul stops by and tries to comfort her but she claims that mother’s pregnant so she’s more grumpy than usual. She says all this with tears threatening to fall. Until they stride down her face, she adds, “But afterwards, she still doesn’t feel better…” Hong Chul watches her cry in denial.

Trying his best to do his homework, Chang Hee is distracted with the scenes of humilation his father has went through. He stabs the pencil with all the strength he can muster onto the book, snapping its head. Butler Park comes in and calls him out for dinner, “Madam has made a lot of food so there are a large amount of leftovers. Come eat.” Er, father, you’re ruining your brilliant son emotionally! Chang Hee stands up suddenly, knocking the chair down with his forceful movement. He wants to move out of this place, “Anywhere! It couldn’t be worst than enduring all the humiliation here!”

Tears form in Butler Park’s eyes but he’s adamant with sticking by Jang Do Hyun’s side, wanting Chang Hee to get the man’s approval and surpass Il Moon. Incredulous with his father’s plan, Chang Hee mutters, “Those people….they don’t even think of us as bugs!”

Chang Hee leaves the room. Standing outside Jang Do Hyun’s house, where the sounds of raucous laughter can be heard, he watches on intensely. Oh dear, someone save this boy!

Next morning, Hong Chul sneaks around the Jang’s residence. He pulls Butler Park aside for another collar-gripping conversation. He reveals how much he knows about Hae Joo. THIS IS WHERE Butler Park should’ve unveiled the truth but he doesn’t, and instead speaks of material gains, “How much do you want?” That earns him a good punch of Hong Chul, “Bastard! You think I’m doing this because of money? Because you left her to me, she has been suffering endlessly when she could’ve been served like a princess in that rich house!!”

They grapple back and forth like that – one wanting to know why, while the other one refusing to let him into the secret. Butler Park: “If you can’t kill me, then leave this place!”

Feeling all sorts of negative emotions about his uselessness, Hong Chul lashes out Hae Joo for picking up mud fish and making herself dirty for the family’s sake, “Why are you like this? Even if you don’t do this, I’m not going to let you starve, so why are you suffering like this?” He smashes the barrel carrying the fish to the ground and Hae Joo hastily tries to put them back. Then it hits him – he’s unreasonably blaming Hae Joo for his own incompetency and quickly apologizes. The two make up and crouch over to save the mud fish.

Later that night, the theme of Stepmother being eternal unhappy and selfish is reinforced. Regardless of what Hae Joo does to be on her good graces, she complains, nags, and curses. Since little Young Joo wants to eat meat, she suggests that Hae Joo catch more mud fish, sell them for money, and buy meat for the family. Dear god, let her give birth tomorrow so I can do evil things to this unreasonable woman.

Deep into the night, Hong Chul carries Hae Joo, who is sleeping under the sky, into the bedroom. He sits on the table outside and sighs. Evil Stepmother steps out and orders him to kick Hae Joo outside the room, she needs his help to resolve her cramps. He takes this chance and asks why she’s so harsh towards Hae Joo and she basically cites his infidelity as the source of her spiteful attitude. Yada, I say, you left your heart in the wilderness.

The next day, Kang San spots Hae Joo picking up buckets and baskets, and eagerly makes his way towards her, muttering excitedly that he needs to tell her something important. Arrived at the scene is spoiled brat In Hwa, so Hae Joo leaves the two and walks away. Hurriedly, he tags right behind her, warning In Hwa to stop acting like a piece of gum… ha.

The pot calling the kettle black, are we? 😛

While she’s cutting herbs, he hops right into her face, startling her. He wonders how much she’ll make picking those and offers to give her money instead. That ruffles her feathers and she waves her cutter at him.

Thinking up a great idea, Kang San goes to the markets and buys a basket of herbs. He then plants them nearby where Hae Joo excitedly gathers up the garden of plants before her eyes, unsuspecting of a Tarzan boy crouching from a distance. hehe He’s adorable.

Next stop: the mud fish. Diligently, Hae Joo digs and digs but the small of amount of mud fish disheartens her until she lands a jackpot in one hole. The camera pans ahead where Kang San is busy placing mud fish in the holes along the way she’s headed. He pokes his head up and that’s when she senses company, walking towards him. He claims that he’s caught all the mud fish in this barrel, proud. Together, they continue to catch mud fish and Kang San whines about his painful back.

Finally, it’s time to sell the goodies, except Hae Joo lacks the skills to invite buyers so Kang San dons on the blue basket, jumps onto a higher platform and sings his way into the people’s heart, complimenting his mudfish as L-A-R-G-E and nutritious for people of all ages. When they’re done he cheekily asks for his pay, she replies, “How much do I have to pay you?” and he smiles, “No money. Something else.”

Cut to the shipyard where Kang san wants Hae Joo to teach him how to weld acrylic, saying that he’s unskilled in using such cheap material. Hae Joo observes from his jumpy tendency that he’s afraid of fire and he confirms that he was burnt a long time. The sun is setting so Hae Joo has to leave but she promises to teach him tomorrow, telling him to call her “Master.”

Following Do Hyun’s order, Butler Parks continues to persuade the villagers, unfortunately, they heard from the spreading rumors that if they wait, they can make more money from the person who’s trying to build a shipyard. Butler Park is surprised they knew about the plan. Turns out it’s Jung Woo who has decided to come out and save his brother’s land.

Butler Park has a brief chat with Jung Woo, where the latter ponders why he’s working under Jang Do Hyun and doing dirty deeds for him. “Is it because you feel indebted to my sister-in-law for losing Yoo Jin?” Shaking his head, Butler Park warns Jung Woo not to bang heads with President Jang, claiming in a dark tone that the man is no longer the one they once knew. Determined to continue, Jung Woo replies, “I’m not going to sit and watch anymore.” He knows that Jang Do Hyun has ordered petrochemicals to be spilled on the orchard land, rendering it fruitless for the farmers.

Now that the mission to obtain the land is much more difficult, Butler Park returns home and says as much to Jang Do Hyun. The angry man directs his anger at Bulter Park, yelling that he’s been playing instead of working hard. With the golf club in hand, he swings it several times at Butler Park’s legs, knocking the man over. What’s more terrible is that Chang Hee returns home from school and sees his father wincing on the ground, taking in the pain. With all his power, he controls himself from running in. The burning tears stride down his cheeks watching his father live like a dog.

This scene is hard to watch.

The whipping is over. Inside their own little shed, Chang Hee applies medicated liquor on his father’s wounds, all the while biting down his lips in frustration and pain. “Suffering like this, why..why do you insist on living here?” Before Butler Park can give another excuse, he’s wanted outside by Do Hyun.

Il Moon comes home from school and wonders why Butler Park’s limping. Chang Hee provides no answer, so Il Moon playfully slaps his face like he’s the house puppy.

President Kang (Kang San’s grandfather) reads the morning newspaper and discovers that Chunji Petrochemical Company, belonging to Jang Do Hyun, is preparing to build their shipyard. He fumes and Jung Woo offers to solve it under one condition: President Kang must offer three times the compensation money to the villagers. For a few moments there, he hesitates, but slowly offers to pay twice.

As promised, Hae Joo and Kang San come by the next day to practice welding. When Hae Joo takes off her outer wear, Kang San notices a scald mark on the back of her neck. She doesn’t know how she got the burnt and quickly realizes that he’s been checking out her body, and picks up a metal stick to hit him. He holds his head, “Ya! Do you know how precious this head is?” She doesn’t give a hoot. 😀

Busy mowing the lawn in his father’s place, Chang Hee doesn’t hear Geum Hee’s calling after him. She wonders why he’s doing this work, a young student like him shouldn’t get involved with hard labor. Nostalgia hits as she sees the burnt mark on his shoulder, the direct result of her carelessness 11 years ago. She slowly raises her hand to touch his face, admiring the boy’s rapid growth, he’s now a teen. Responding to the motherly touch, Chang Hee freezes, inhaling in the warmth of a mother’s hand.

Just then, a servant informs Geum Hee that In Hwa went somewhere and she sends Chang Hee out to fetch the little brat. WHYYYYY!!

At the harbor, Hae Joo marvels at a yacht, and soon finds out from In Hwa that it belongs to her father. Bragging about the interior design, In Hwa wants Kang San to come inside. He refuses on the spot until Hae Joo hints at him with her eye. Before they hop down the yacht, Chang Hee arrives, meaning to bring the little princess home. She says no so all of them descend into the boat…

This is a bad idea.

Kang San finds out that the key is still in the ignition, and In Hwa suggests he drives it so she turns it on. The yacht comes to life and Hae Joo’s nimble hands quickly grab the handle to steer it correctly. Everyone is impressed and encourages Hae Joo to drive around once. She worries about cost of the yacht but In Hwa demands her to continue, “It’s my father’s! So just do it!”

The excitement seeps into Kang San and In Hwa as the two cheer for Hae Joo to go farther. She pauses and Chang Hee agrees it’s dangerous, “We should head back. There might be an accident.” Oh boy, little does they know, the engine is being fixed by Hong Chul at bay. Gah!

Seeing how Kang San keeps complimenting Hae Joo, In Hwa wants to handle the steering wheel too but the moment she touches it, the engine stops working.

But they really panic when water floods the boat and they’re so far away from shore. As the three older kids fish bowls and bowls of water out of the yacht, In Hwa watches in horror.

Kap: o.o See kids, this is why you should only let Kaptain handle shipping and payment. 😉 I have the magic touch! As we know they’re the main cast, I’m not in a hurry to watch the next episode, knowing full well they’re all going to survive, and hopefully, this accident will bring the kids closer (no doubt the tension between the adults are going to rise).

If I were Hong Chul, the first reason why I think Butler Park gave the little girl away is this: She’s probably the result of his affair with Geum Hee. Disgusting but it explains logically why Butler Park’s abandoned her to a poor family (instead of letting her be raised in richness).

Since I chose broody boy as the cover, here’s a shot of sunshine Kang San.

😎