THE FAMILY SECRET

[BAE]

I've been visiting other boards trying to figure out what the secret between the elders of the Chang family is but to no avail. So, I thought i'd ask what you guys speculate it could be. It's too early, I know. But it's still fun to think about these kinda things. ;D

[normabaylis51]

I don't think the boys are cousins I think they are brothers ;)But I don't know who is who's set of parents yet :-/I guess just like everyone else I will watch and see, thanks

[Lucy]

If they are brothers, my guess would be that Ki-woong's parents are the mother and father. But I don't see how that would have happened, unless the rich parents took Sukhyun to help out the poorer parents and he was given up because the poorer parents took pity on them because they couldn't have kids. That could explain why KW's mom is so resentful. But the rich father sure seems to think Sukhyun is his natural son. I don't have an alternate theory.

[Teresa]

I'm just speculating. Maybe Nara and Minsook were pregnant at the same time. Nara, her first time, Minsook, her second. They both go in labor at the same time with Grandma as midwife to both. Nara's baby dies. Minsook's lives. Grandma to Minsook: "Don't be greedy, you already have a baby, Nara and her husband don't, and now they might never be able to. Plus, you and your husband are poor and I told you you couldn't afford another baby right now." Minsook obeys her mother-in-law, unbeknownst to her husband and brother-in-law. Minsook is overwhelmed with the guilt of having given up her baby, but Nara controls her by impressing on her how devastated both husbands would be if she ever told the secret.

Wild speculation on my part... but, any good?

[ginnycat5]

Wow!! That's great-I think you explained everything! And Nara's personality explains why she doesn't appreciate her gift. She's arrogant and feels entitled to everything she wants.

[donilpark]

Teresa said:

I'm just speculating. Maybe Nara and Minsook were pregnant at the same time. Nara, her first time, Minsook, her second. They both go in labor at the same time with Grandma as midwife to both. Nara's baby dies. Minsook's lives. Grandma to Minsook: "Don't be greedy, you already have a baby, Nara and her husband don't, and now they might never be able to. Plus, you and your husband are poor and I told you you couldn't afford another baby right now." Minsook obeys her mother-in-law, unbeknownst to her husband and brother-in-law. Minsook is overwhelmed with the guilt of having given up her baby, but Nara controls her by impressing on her how devastated both husbands would be if she ever told the secret.

Wild speculation on my part... but, any good?

I think that's quite good.
I'm keeping pace with the show as it airs in Korea, but I still can't tell what it really is.
What you just said might be it, but it seems so strange that Nara should take the overbearing attitude and Minsook should assume a low posture.
After all, if you were given the baby, you should be thankful, not like the way Nara behaves.
And the husbands seem to know everything as well, whatever it is. (it's never been made clear so far though)
My little refinement on your story is that Nara's baby might have died because of some kind of mistake by Minsook. So because of that, as a 'repayment' she had to give her baby to Nara and still be guilt-ridden.

But then again, this doesn't fully explain the way Minsook was confronting Nara in that scene, where she said to Nara "How can you do this to me?" because if she was the 'debtor' in this whole thing, than I don't think she can even say something like that. Maybe she can, since giving away one's own child, even if it is as a compensation for killing someone else's child, must be really difficult and painful. But for now, I don't know.
Also the thing with the dream of conception... (did you get this far already? I won't discuss it any further if not)

[normabaylis51]

;D Wow!! All the summations are great ;)Teresa, I think you are right!I haven't heard of the conception dream yet,at least since MSMD . You guys are all so good at this.!!

[Soju]

It's very plausable, but Donilpark makes some good points. I think that is one of the good things about this drama; it keeps the audience guessing, while offering clues at just the right rate to keep us from quitting in frustration.

[dimples]

;D ;D ;D ;DI don't think Nara was ever pregnant. If you look at her bedroom scenes there are twin beds. This does not constitute a loving relationship between her and her husband. If you recall in one of the of the earlier epidsones when she took away his cell phone, his inner thought was "if you weren't so cold I would not have to look any place else". Plus the way she treats him. He definetly is not the one who wears the pants in the family . She is the controler. QQQQQQQQQ

[Teresa]

LOL, Dimples! I noticed the seperate beds too, but there was a reference by Jaemin, one evening when he went to make a move on Nara and was thwarted, about craving how it was when they were first married. Not that I condone his affairs, but Nara is one chilly woman... then again... NINE affairs?! I'm sorry, but I would've been serving Jaemin stew a long, long time ago.

(By the way, since I've started watching K-dramas, I think I've figured out the whole Korean formula for better relationships: bed sleepers = rocky marriages; floor sleepers = stronger marriages.)

[ginnycat5]

What was that look between Jae-ok and Min-sook when Jae-ok told her about the cake and flowers that Suk-hyun brought? Grandma said something about how attentive Suk-hyun is to his aunt, and the 2 younger women looked at each other strangely, I thought. If they were thinking that the gifts were really for Jong-nam and Grandma misunderstood, it seems like the look would have been somewhat amused, but it seemed secret and must-not-be-spoken. (?) Maybe Suk-hyun is Jae-ok's son?

[finejade]

For some reason, that look made me think of the family secret...IF it is true that Minsook gave up Sukhyun to Nara. I just thought that it was a look of pity/apprehension that Jaeok gave to Minsook because Sukhyun seems to be more attentive to his other aunt, instead of Minsook, the actual mother. But, I could be wrong and I might have read too much into it.

[BAE]

I think it was more of a "he gives flowers to one aunt and not the other" kind of look.

[Teresa]

Aah, now that makes sense BAE. Maybe Nara is concerned because he might be overly attentive to his aunt and it's out of character. My nephews MIGHT come over and fix the lawn mower if they knew I there was homemade lasagna at the finish of it. But to bring flowers and cake out of the blue? No way. I'd be compelled to ask them, "Alright. What's going on? What do you want me to sweet talk your mom and dad into?"

[ginnycat5]

It's hard to understand why Suk-kyun is so reluctant to face up to Jong-nam. Is he shy, embarrassed, arrogant? He seems like all of these at times. If the cake was an apology to her, why couldn't he give it to HER? He really made a mess of it. He's pretty inhibited for a rich good-looking guy. He's seeming sweeter by the day, tho.