Chapter 116

<The Special Mission Called Family (3)>

Even when catching loaches, it was the same.

When Jin-hyeok picked up a shovel and stepped into the rice paddy, the neighbors would also appear, wandering around.

Not that they were following Jin-hyeok’s lead, though.

“Am I some rural influencer or something?”

You know how it is.

People who show up and do similar things when you’re doing something.

“Whatever.”

Seeing people crouching in the distance picking wild greens, Jin-hyeok awkwardly lowered his head.

Two SSS members were out with their dad, and one was probably keeping an eye on the house where their mom was staying in the molehill. Jin-hyeok called it the Hobbit Bunker, but the agents called it the molehill. Well, it probably meant a mole’s house. If the mom came out, they’d follow her like shadows. Since Jin-hyeok had Moon Seok-il assigned to him, the SSS was focusing on the other family members.

One of them had gone out in a car, saying a new family member was coming. It was someone sent by Vice Chairman Hong Ki-jun, probably someone Jin-hyeok had requested. Since it was an internal personnel move, Jin-hyeok didn’t bother trying to get information about the person. Whoever came, he was confident he could use them appropriately.

The remaining four SSS members had naturally gone to the house in town for some rest after work.

“It’d be nice if Uncle Moon Skill could help.”

Moon Seok-il had gone to the bear den and hadn’t come back, saying he was playing badminton with the village elders. Kang Heon-chang had gone on a business trip after being called by Yook Seong-chan’s dad to help with some work.

“Is Auntie Inven’s mom doing okay?”

Kim In-rang had taken a leave because his mom wasn’t feeling well.

He thought having more people around would be helpful in many ways, but since everyone had their own things to do, he couldn’t force them to come and work.

“Ugh—”

Jin-hyeok stood up, straightened his back, and shook out his tingling legs.

Mi-kyung, the teenager, was skilled with the hoe, and her hands picking shepherd’s purse were as precise as a hunter’s. She lifted the roots with the soil intact, then picked up the shepherd’s purse and tapped off the dirt. It was a skill that couldn’t be mastered in just one or two tries.

Jin-hyeok’s mouth, open in admiration, resembled Son Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young’s perfectly.

“Mi-kyung, you’re good at this.”

“It’s what we do around this time. Until March.”

Ah, I see.

Nodding, Jin-hyeok examined Mi-kyung’s outfit.

Rubber-band pants, also called mom pants, a plain checkered shirt, a sun cap that didn’t match the season, and a commemorative towel from some grandfather’s 70th birthday party that covered her neck. It was the perfect outfit for a country woman.

“No wonder I didn’t recognize her in this outfit.”

A friend who used to pick wild greens with his mom, Kim Soon-bok, every year around this time.

Since she wasn’t a threat to Jin-hyeok’s family, he hadn’t paid much attention and hadn’t realized it until now.

“They’re most delicious when they’re small like this.”

As Jin-hyeok absentmindedly watched his childhood friend’s hoeing, Mi-kyung chattered away.

Seems like she’s been left alone too.

“If you do this all day, your knees, shoulders, and ankles will ache. So unless you’re selling them at the market, you only pick enough to eat.”

Her way of speaking is starting to resemble her mom’s.

But Jin-hyeok would have to pick until sunset, right?

Since he had to give some to the chef as well as his mom.

“When they get bigger, they’re worth more money, but the flavor weakens. They use up nutrients to grow.”

Ah, I see.

They say even dog poop can be used as medicine, and even a thug can learn how to fight. If there’s something to learn from Mi-kyung, it’s probably wild plant ecology.

“If you leave them too long, they get tough and lose their flavor.”

Her voice, not sharp but clear, was pleasant to listen to.

Using her chatter as background music, Jin-hyeok resumed his hoeing.

“It’s funny when you think about it. When you’re picking them, it feels like you’ve picked every single one you see, but when the butterflies start flying around, they bloom white flowers like they’re saying, ‘I’m still here!’ It’s like they’re teasing you. By then, you can’t even eat them.”

It was a story that made you nod along. Not just shepherd’s purse, but even dandelions are like that. When you’re desperately looking for them, they’re nowhere to be found, but after May, they grow tough and show off their white flesh everywhere, as if daring you to eat them.

Jin-hyeok stopped hoeing and stared at his friend.

When had he last seen that bright red mouth moving non-stop like a bird’s beak?

“Ah, I saw her in Seoul.”

The image of Mi-kyung as an adult briefly flashed through his mind.

Mi-kyung, now a married woman, would often talk non-stop whenever she met Jin-hyeok, as if letting off steam. When they parted, she’d apologize for talking so much, but her face looked too relieved for someone who was supposed to be sorry.

“By the way, is she planning to marry that banker again this time?”

She had said that her brother, Tae-yang, and her husband didn’t get along.

Tae-yang adored his sister, but her husband didn’t like meeting her family. Her parents, living in the countryside, understood since their children were working in Seoul, but Tae-yang couldn’t understand why he couldn’t see his sister.

“Well, it’s her fate.”

Jin-hyeok wasn’t the type to meddle in his friend’s marriage.

Even if he lived another life, that wouldn’t change.

Then a different thought crossed his mind.

“Since she’s also part of my family, can’t I nag her a bit?”

If she gets annoyed and tells me to stop, I can just stop then.

Maybe it was because the hoeing had stopped and Jin-hyeok was staring at her, but Mi-kyung gave him her signature provocative look and chin gesture.

“What—”

“Who are you going to marry?”

Oh, this idiot. Asking who she’s going to marry out of nowhere.

Jin-hyeok clenched his teeth in frustration as soon as the words left his mouth. Embarrassed, he even closed his eyes tightly.

Mi-kyung let out a thick, mocking snort.

“Why? Are you proposing to me? Come on. Are you scared of that Su-jeong girl and just drooling over me?”

Mi-kyung almost brought up Son Jin-hyeok’s impotence rumor.

She had heard from her mom that it was a false rumor spread by someone with bad intentions.

Mi-kyung had also been furious, asking who the nasty woman was who spread such a rumor. She even defended the source, saying it probably wasn’t intentional and just came out somehow.

“Mi-kyung, that’s not what I meant…”

“Shouldn’t you be asking about my ideal type?”

“Ah, right. Ideal type.”

As expected, Mi-kyung was a thug but a smart teenager.

She even had the ability to correct a misguided conversation.

Mi-kyung stopped hoeing and let out a sigh. Her hollow appearance resembled Grandpa Cheon Gil-ryong.

“Hmm? I don’t like scholars.”

Mi-kyung shook her head and grabbed another shepherd’s purse.

The girl who said she didn’t like scholars ended up marrying that banker who looked like a gigolo.

People really can’t be judged by their words alone, and words once spoken aren’t always kept.

“You’re something else, asking all that.”

“Don’t marry a scholar.”

“Ah, I won’t—”

Mi-kyung smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

With no more nagging to do, Jin-hyeok shut his mouth. How could he, who had never even dated, coach someone on nagging? It was a linguistic disaster.

“You should take a break. If you stay in this position too long, you won’t grow taller—”

“Ah, I’ll go home for a bit.”

Whoever was worried about whose height, Jin-hyeok decided to follow Mi-kyung’s advice.

He had been thinking about bringing Yoo-jin, who had fallen asleep with a persimmon, back into the house.

Yoo-jin, like a country kid, slept anywhere when she was tired. She was curled up on the edge of the field, hugging a persimmon.

***

Min Yong-rak had landed in a strange world.

When he got off the bus, a tall man in a pesticide hat appeared, took his suitcase out of the bus’s side compartment, and even opened the door of a luxury sedan for him, telling him to be careful. It was the first time he had ever received such special treatment.

Welcoming him to the family, the man patted his back so hard that Yong-rak felt his intestines rise to his throat.

“But why is this guy dressed like that? Does he carry a shovel in the trunk?”

He had heard that the place he was going to work was in the countryside.

But this was a bit much…

“Why am I picking shepherd’s purse?”

While clumsily hoeing, Yong-rak reflected on the time that had flown by.

The molehill, as they called the lodging, was impressive.

All the walls except the entrance were covered in earth, providing excellent insulation. The interior was finished with wood and yellow soil, and the faint smell of wood and earth seemed to relax his body.

The cook was a man named Jang Jin-nam, who was happy to have someone new to live with. He wasn’t a cook but had the build of Hulk Hogan.

“That thing looks like shepherd’s purse, but it’s not shepherd’s purse?”

Holding multiple questions at once, Yong-rak’s pupils were unfocused.

The owner of the mansion was away, so he greeted the lady of the house first. The lady was sticking out her stomach even though she wasn’t pregnant.

Yong-rak had seen his sister do that when she was pregnant. It was probably a posture to make the baby more comfortable. It would also be easier on her back.

“Let me give you some gloves. Your hands are getting dirty.”

The lady handed him some sweet rice drink, saying she looked forward to working with him.

It was sweet and delicious.

Then he was dragged out to the field by the student he would be working with.

“No, this isn’t a field; it’s the edge of the field.”

Shepherd’s purse grows randomly here and there, he was told.

It was new knowledge he had just acquired.

They said the ones growing in the field were easier to pick, but Yong-rak insisted on the edge of the field. The field’s soil was soft and stuck to his shoes, making his feet heavy quickly. Still, the people here were kind and didn’t force him to do anything, which he appreciated.

“They’re most delicious when picked in February.”

The girl with pitch-black eyes and hair was quite cute.

She kept chattering away, and before he knew it, he felt brainwashed.

Still, her voice reminded him of his younger sister in college, and it was pleasant to listen to.

Yong-rak diligently picked shepherd’s purse as the girl had taught him.

The cook, Jang Jin-nam, also joined in with a small pickaxe-like tool, saying it was used for digging clams. But even though the weather had warmed up, it was still winter, and he was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt. Was this a village full of monsters? Ah, Jang Jin-nam had also come from Seoul.

“Will I become a monster like that if I live here?”

While clumsily hoeing, Yong-rak kept an eye on everyone.

The girl was too cute, Jang Jin-nam’s muscles were grotesque, and Son Jin-hyeok was quiet.

“Is that guy the one I’m supposed to work with?”

Vice Chairman Hong Ki-jun had definitely instructed him to discuss things with the owner’s son, not the owner himself.

When he first saw him, he thought he was one of the bodyguards because of his build. But that wasn’t the case.

“He’s the only one not wearing a pesticide hat.”

You can’t fool my sharp observation skills!

Even Jang Jin-nam wore a pesticide hat outside, so not wearing one must mean he’s special. Yong-rak had also put on a green pesticide hat as soon as he arrived.

Vice Chairman Hong Ki-jun had told him to gather the materials he received by fax and ask for that guy’s opinion. He said not to ask directly but to find a way to bring it up casually. How was he supposed to do that?

“Has the Vice Chairman gone crazy since becoming Vice Chairman?”

Aren’t chaebols like a different species? Hong Ki-jun was definitely up to something strange.

“Uh, Mi-kyung?”

“Yes? Hohoho—”

Mi-kyung laughed so hard her eyes disappeared at Yong-rak’s call.

“How long do we have to pick shepherd’s purse?”

“Until the day’s work is done.”

Day’s work…

Germ de Rock?

It sounded like a mix of French and English. It must mean bacteria clinging to a rock. So, you have to work long enough for bacteria to grow on a rock.

But do they teach second languages in middle school these days?

Yong-rak just nodded, thinking it must be something like that.

His knees hurt, but there wasn’t much else to do.

“Yong-rak, since you’re part of our family now, try to adapt to life here. It’ll be more fun than living in Seoul.”

Jang Jin-nam’s way of speaking didn’t match his build.

Even as he spoke, his hands didn’t stop picking shepherd’s purse. It was more like harvesting with a tractor than picking.

Jang Jin-nam shook his dirt-covered gloves and asked,

“How old are you, Yong-rak?”

“Twenty-six.”

“You’re young, so young. Have you been to the military?”

“I was exempt.”

Anyway, it’s resolved. Jang Jin-nam nodded.

Yong-rak glanced at the silent Jin-hyeok.

The corners of his mouth were definitely smiling, but he was too quiet.

“He looked surprised when he first saw me.”

Was I mistaken?

Yong-rak couldn’t forget the moment Son Jin-hyeok’s half-closed eyes widened when he saw him. They closed again quickly, but he couldn’t miss that momentary change.

“He’s a mysterious person.”

Thud thud—.

Yong-rak’s shoulders twitched involuntarily. Jin-hyeok, smiling while swinging the hoe as if he had a grudge against shepherd’s purse, was eerily terrifying.

Then Jin-hyeok, who had crawled closer, whispered,

“Can you help me with something?”

Yong-rak wiped his nose with his dirt-covered hand.

He was already helping by picking shepherd’s purse, so what more did he need help with?

Even if it wasn’t hoeing, he had come with the special mission to help Jin-hyeok.

“What do you need help with?”

“How long would it take to investigate all the passenger ship companies in Gunsan?”

It was a random question, but how long could it take?

He could complete the task immediately by making a few calls and getting a fax.

“Can you get me a list of the companies? There’s a place I need to find.”

Jin-hyeok’s eyes were serious, so Yong-rak nodded silently. His first task, picking shepherd’s purse, was still ongoing, but he had already received a second task. He must have already gained trust!

So that’s what the Vice Chairman meant.

– “He’ll sometimes say things that sound like sleep-talking. You might find out the reason later, but most of the time, you won’t. Just bear with it.”

If he succeeded in building trust, he’d get a promotion by summer.

If he could get a special promotion, he could even dig up wild ginseng.