A few days ago, my firstborn flew a kite out of nowhere..
' Dad looks like the person in the book..'
I've always been that way..
Even when it comes to other people's stories, I don't really care until they finish telling them.
So..
' Is he a good person..? '
' Yes..that's what it seems like..'
' Who is he..
' I can't remember well..'
' When you remember, tell me then..'
A few days passed..
I was watching City Fisherman at home when my firstborn came up next to me and curled up on the sofa.
' Dad..do you know Heo Seong..? '
' Heo Seong..? '
' Yeah..that's right..
' I knew him..from school..'
' Dad..Heo Seong looks like you..'
I vaguely remember learning about it in middle school, but..
I can't remember where I read it.
Anyway, I have to pretend I know, so..
' Is that Heo Seong who lives in Mookjeokgol..the poor yangban with a clear runny nose..right..? '
'(He looked surprised and said) ' Yes..that's right..'
That was all I could think of..
But he turned around and went back to his room with an expression that said, "Really, Dad?"
After my daughter left..I tried hard to remember who Heo Seong was..
But I couldn't remember anything at all.
So I decided to use the internet and found this:
Heo Seong lived in Mookjeokgol. His two-room thatched hut couldn't even block the wind and rain.
Heo Seong only liked to read books, and his wife barely made ends meet by selling other people's sewing.
One day, his wife was starving and asked him why he kept reading books instead of doing something practical.
Heo Seong said that he wasn't good at anything else yet
and asked her to let him keep reading for a while longer. When she refused, she told him to steal something.
Heo Seong was initially determined to read for ten years, but he felt sad about giving up after seven years and left the house.
Heo Seong went to Seoul and found Byeon, the richest man in the city. He asked him for a loan of 10,000 nyang.
Byeon lent him 10,000 nyang without even asking his name. When Byeon's son and guests asked why he did that,
he replied that Heo Seong seemed to be a man of great integrity and ambition, so he wanted to test him.
Heo Seong used the 10,000 nyang he borrowed to go to Anseong. There, he bought all kinds of fruit and sold them at ten times the price because there was no fruit in the market.
He then went to Jeju Island and bought all the western-style saddles. Soon after, the price of saddles skyrocketed tenfold.
Heo Seong met an old carpenter and asked him about a habitable deserted island. Heo Seong and the carpenter traveled to the island together.
Although it was small, the island had fertile land and good water.
Heo Seong went to the leader of a group of over 1,000 thieves in the surrounding area and promised them money if they stopped stealing. He then told them to bring one woman and one ox per thief.
Heo Seong brought all the thieves to the deserted island.
The fertile land yielded a bountiful harvest, and Heo Seong stored enough grain for three years. The rest was loaded onto ships and sold in distant markets.
There was a severe famine at the time, so he made a fortune selling grain.
Heo Seong sighed and said that he had gathered 2,000 people on the island. After making his fortune, he wanted to establish a small country.
However, because the island was small and he lacked virtue, he decided not to pursue this dream and left.
Heo Seong gathered all the literate people on the island and set fire to their ships. He then burned the rest of the ships and left the island.
As they sailed away, he threw 500,000 nyang into the sea.
Heo Seong traveled throughout the country, helping the poor and destitute. He still had 100,000 nyang left.
When he returned the money to Byeon, Byeon was astonished and said that he would only accept interest.
Heo Seong refused, saying that he wasn't a merchant.
The next day, Byeon went to Heo Seong's house to return the money. However, Heo Seong said that having a lot of money was only a worry and asked him to make sure he had enough food.
From then on, Heo Seong enjoyed his drinks while his sense of justice grew stronger every day.
Five years later, Byeon secretly asked Heo Seong how he had made so much money.
Heo Seong warned that if the government followed his methods, it would make the country sick.
Byeon urged Heo Saeng to take an official position, but he refused it.
Byeon was originally well-acquainted with Lee Wan, the Minister of Justice, and when Lee Wan became the Commander of the Royal Guards at that time, he hoped for talent recommendations from Byeon.
Upon this, when Byeon told him about Heo Saeng, the commander quickly said they should go find him.
When the commander explained to Heo Saeng the reason the country was seeking talent, Heo Saeng presented three strategies.
When the commander said it was difficult to implement all three of Heo Saeng's methods, Heo Saeng became greatly enraged, drew his sword, and attempted to stab the commander.
The commander was startled and quickly fled.
The next day, when he went to find him again, the house was empty and Heo Saeng had disappeared.
My daughter said I resemble Heo Saeng
It seems somewhat correct..
For one, Heo Saeng is a scholar who reads books, and my daughter must have noticed that I am an intellectual of the highest caliber in the 21st century..
He is said to be unsubmissive and confident
If it weren't that my father doesn't earn much money, if I just set my mind to it, I could earn tremendously..
And he endeavored to help the common people and sought to reform thieves
The great benevolence of borrowing ten thousand nyang and returning one hundred thousand nyang..
The courage to draw a sword against anyone, no matter their status, if they do not align with his principles..
And even the matter of disappearing silently
It seems somewhat correct..
But what is it..
The statement that his character is outstanding is not explicitly stated..
The reason for leaving the island
The point that there is no mention of it being because women were fighting while pulling each other's hair
is slightly different from me..
