Chapter 125

< Healer (6) >

***

Jeong Won-i refused formula.

They tried all sorts of brands and types, but after a few sucks, he’d push it out with his tongue. Jin Hyuk tilted his head as he watched the liquid drip down the baby’s chin.

‘Is mom’s milk really that good?’

Jin Hyuk, who couldn’t remember the taste, could only think that.

“Formula tastes yucky.”

Son Yoo-jin, the culprit behind the mom’s milk shortage, gave her review after tasting the formula.

They couldn’t just give the baby regular milk either.

All the family could do was watch pitifully as the baby sucked on a dry breast. Few scenes were as mysteriously heartwarming as a cute baby craving milk, but when that baby cried out in exhaustion, the whole family’s hearts sank.

– “Try boiling some snakehead fish and feeding it to him.”

That was Kim Soon-bok’s advice.

Kang Heon-chang’s wife also couldn’t produce milk, so she boiled snakehead fish, and it worked wonders. Ah, if only they’d taken Jo Il-hun’s advice and stocked up on a few small snakeheads. But it was too late for regrets.

Jin Hyuk and Kang Heon-chang felt along the walls of the old waterway that hadn’t been filled in yet. There was no way there’d be fish in the drained waterway, but snakeheads had a habit of burrowing into holes to live. Jin Hyuk held onto the hope that some snakeheads might still be in the damp areas.

“Jin Hyuk, found anything?”

Kang Heon-chang asked, but Jin Hyuk just shook his head with a gloomy expression.

There’s a saying that snakeheads cross mountains.

They probably moved downstream during the night when no one was around.

“Those marks on the bottom must be from snakeheads crawling.”

Kang Heon-chang pointed at the bottom of the waterway.

It looked convincing. Like the marks left by mudskippers on tidal flats, there were traces of bodies and pectoral fins. It looked like there were dozens of them.

“Let’s call it a day.”

The two men’s hunting ended without any results.

The rippling downstream lake looked as vast as the sea, and there was no way they could jump in to catch a snakehead that might pop out from anywhere.

‘It’s too big.’

They even thought about searching the reservoir on the way to Gobong Mountain. But the reservoir was wider than the lake, and the bottom wasn’t even. Plus, the walls were made of stone, making it impossible to stick your hand in.

If it were late spring or early summer when the water level was low, they might’ve tried something. But after the rainy season, the reservoir was at full capacity, and diving in was unthinkable. Besides, they didn’t have the tools or know-how to catch snakeheads.

“Uncle, let’s just go.”

They trudged back home.

When you’re busy, they say even a dog’s paw will do.

Jin Hyuk even tried pleading with Jang Gun-i.

“Jang Gun, can’t you catch some snakeheads for us?”

Woooor······.

Jang Gun-i pretended not to hear and just stared at the distant mountains.

Maybe he understood but didn’t want to get in the water. It was a reasonable suspicion given Jang Gun-i’s behavior, but Jin Hyuk decided not to dwell on it to avoid feeling bad toward him.

When they got home, they saw the baby filling its belly with barley tea. There were six rejected bottles lying around.

‘Does this taste bad?’

At first, it was curiosity.

Jin Hyuk shook the bottle and tasted a few drops.

Slurp-.

‘Not bad?’

It was bland but nutty and fragrant.

Munch munch-.

It came out slowly at first, but when he sucked harder, a decent amount came out.

As Yoo Jin said, it was a bit chalky. But still tasty?

Munch munch-.

“Hahaha-.”

Yoo Jin found it amusing to see her brother sucking on the bottle and picked one up herself.

Slurp slurp-.

“Mmm-. It’s good.”

Yoo Jin even lay down like a baby.

Ah, lying down makes it easier and doesn’t hurt your neck!

Jin Hyuk, feeling a bit mischievous, lay down next to his sister.

Crunch-.

Huh? Jeong Won-i, who had been in mom’s arms, waved his short arms vigorously while watching his siblings’ show.

The sharp mom didn’t miss the moment.

“Eeek-, should our baby lie down next to your sister too?”

Sensing a positive signal, Han Yu-young quickly laid the baby down and put the bottle in his mouth.

Slurp slurp slurp-.

“Oh my-!”

Hehe-.

Jeong Won-i, who had been sucking on the bottle, smiled brightly when he met his mom’s eyes. It was that heart-melting smile that made moms swoon.

Even sharp Jin Hyuk realized it was a crucial moment.

“What’s that formula? What’s in it?”

“Ah-, second from the left.”

Thankfully, mom had a good memory.

Otherwise, they might’ve had to taste-test each one. It’s hard to tell the difference with adult taste buds.

It was an unnecessary worry.

Just as Jeong Won-i, who had emptied one bottle, licked his lips as if wanting more, Yoo Jin offered him the one she’d been drinking, and the baby started drinking without refusal.

“Jeong Won, is your sister’s milk tasty too?”

It seemed like it’d take Yoo Jin some time to learn informal speech. She resembled her mom not just in looks but in speech too.

Anyway, Han Yu-young was greatly relieved. She thought she could finally sleep easy from today.

“It wasn’t that he’s a picky eater······.”

“He must’ve just preferred breast milk.”

Han Yu-young nodded at Jin Hyuk’s words, resenting her milkless breasts.

“Soo-jung’s mom said her milk comes out well.”

But she’s too far away to ask Yoo Se-ra for milk.

They even tried pig’s trotters after hearing they help, boiling them into a rich broth. But there was no sign of any effect.

“But at least now we can relax.”

“Well······.”

Han Yu-young tilted her head.

“Why?”

“It might only be temporary. Eun-mi, Eun-jeong’s younger sister, was like our Jeong Won.”

Meaning that drinking formula was just a temporary solution because he was hungry.

If that’s the case, they can’t rely on formula forever.

Jin Hyuk called Jo Il-hun, the walking encyclopedia.

Usually, it’s better to visit adults for requests, but Jo Il-hun was rarely home, so calling was faster.

“It’s Jin Hyuk-.”

– Oh my- Seong-.

“Ah, stop it-.”

He could hear giggling on the other end.

Jo Il-hun was deeply into playing the younger brother with Jin Hyuk. Even though he was the younger one, he didn’t seem to mind.

“How do you catch snakeheads?”

– It’s hard if it’s not spring. Sometimes they come out with a fishing rod, but mostly it’s carp.

“No other way?”

– You’d have to drain the reservoir or use a net, but snakeheads don’t get caught in nets easily. You’re better off with carp.

“Carp are easy to catch?”

Jin Hyuk remembered the many carp they’d released into the new waterway.

– Just throw a fishing line for a few days, and they’ll bite. Carp are like that.

A few days would be doable during the vacation.

– But if you want the medicinal effect, you need one over eighty centimeters. A female one-.

There wasn’t a special way to catch females, but it was said to be good for postpartum recovery.

Jin Hyuk mentally organized Jo Il-hun’s explanation.

First, they needed to prepare various baits.

Boil potatoes the size of ping-pong balls, hide fishing hooks in them, and attach them to a reel.

Thread boiled corn onto hooks.

Mix bran and rice cake bait with yellow clay, shape it firmly, and hide hooks like with the potato setup.

– Westerners use ox-eye daisies for fly fishing, but I doubt that’ll work in the reservoir. The fishing rod’s too weak.

Of course.

Jin Hyuk had only seen fly fishing in the movie “Like Flowing River.”

Jin Hyuk moved to the earthen house and filled the cauldron with water.

He put in potatoes and corn and lit the fire under the stove. Boiling the corn reminded him of last year’s vacation with Jo Seol-chan. Jo Seol-chan couldn’t come this year because he had to help his grandma. Jin Hyuk missed him too, but Jo Seol-chan occasionally called his mom to check in.

Now, while the bait was boiling, he needed to prepare the fishing rod.

Freshwater reel rod, reel, sinkers for line fishing-, and he needed to mix the bran dough-. Muttering-.

“Jin Hyuk, what are you doing?”

Min Yong-rak called out to Jin Hyuk, who was muttering in the old house’s storage.

“Trying to catch carp.”

“Carp?”

“Yes. For mom’s health.”

Jin Hyuk kept rummaging through the storage without looking back. Who took the harpoon? What’s this bow? He kept chattering nonstop.

“Jin Hyuk, I know you’re busy, but can you come out for a sec?”

“Sure.”

Only then did Jin Hyuk come out of the storage.

And he nearly fainted.

Two snakeheads were flopping on the hard ground. They were about 30 centimeters long but quite thick, well-fed.

Behind them, Hong Si and Cheon-ma, soaked wet, sat quietly, waiting for praise. These clever creatures seemed to have deliberately not shaken off the water to show how hard they’d worked. Water dripped from their wet fur.

‘Ah, Jang Gun-i must’ve sent them since he hates water.’

The saying “it’s obvious without seeing” came to mind.

Jang Gun-i, who acted like the boss, seemed to have reached a level where he could command his underlings.

“Where are Jang Gun-i and Gwang-ma?”

Just then, Jang Gun-i’s voice answered Jin Hyuk’s question.

Woof woof! Arrrr-!

Squeak-.

It came from the lawn.

Following Jang Gun-i’s bark, Gwang-ma’s frightened yelp was heard.

“What’s wrong with them now?”

Jin Hyuk headed toward Jang Gun-i.

As Jang Gun-i bared his sharp teeth, Gwang-ma quickly disappeared toward the waterway, and a fish jumped out in front of Jang Gun-i.

‘A mudfish······.’

It was a small catfish, about the size of a palm.

He must’ve scolded them for catching the wrong thing. Jin Hyuk cautiously guessed Jang Gun-i’s mood.

“Jang Gun, two should be enough.”

Woof-!

The snakeheads caught by Hong Si and Cheon-ma were quite big, so it should be enough.

Jin Hyuk released the catfish into the pond. It’s a life too.

But getting the snakeheads wasn’t the end.

First, he washed them clean and soaked them in fresh water.

To remove the mud and waste from the fish’s body. It was like purging clams.

‘Let’s see, next······.’

Why can’t I think these days?

He thought he should start taking notes like Min Yong-rak.

As he pondered the next step, Min Yong-rak opened his notebook.

“Ginger, cinnamon, chives-.”

“Ah, right. Thanks.”

Snakeheads are cold in nature, so it’s good to boil them with ingredients that raise body temperature. He also got perilla leaves to remove the fishy smell. It was too little to send to the health center for juice, so he planned to boil it into soup.

‘Got the herbs too.’

While Jin Hyuk was bustling around, Min Yong-rak followed him closely.

This guy, he seemed to have something to say.

Min Yong-rak had been asking all sorts of things throughout the vacation, making Jin Hyuk want to go back to school.

But since he was like family, Jin Hyuk asked with a smile.

“What is it this time?”

“Can I······ have some corn?”

Jin Hyuk let out a deep sigh.

Min Yong-rak, his team leader, had been snacking all day. And then he’d get stomachaches.

He must’ve been tempted by the smell of the corn meant for carp bait, but with the snakeheads, it didn’t matter. The pot lid was rattling, releasing white steam.

“Go ahead. There’s potatoes too.”

Leaving Min Yong-rak sitting by the stove eating corn, he went back to the storage. Jang Gun-i had done a good deed, so he deserved a reward.

Wait, where’s the dried fish?

The one I set aside for Jang Gun-i is gone without a trace?

‘This dad, seriously······.’

Thinking of the obvious culprit made his head throb.

No matter how much you like it, stealing dog treats?

Shared secret storages are never truly secret with family.

***

It was the season for snacks.

The market was far, and there were no supermarkets in the neighborhood, so the Son family stocked up on snacks separately. Son Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young preferred natural snacks, while Jin Hyuk hardly snacked.

‘Guess I’ll have to steal.’

As autumn came, the nights naturally grew longer.

Yoo Jin fell asleep early but woke up at dawn.

Was it because she wanted to grow big like her brother? Her growling stomach kept her from sleeping long. Son Yoo-jin held her stomach and rummaged through the cupboard.

Clatter clatter-.

‘Weird. It was here somewhere, but it’s gone.’

Using a heavy dining chair as a step, she searched the cupboard and even the top of the fridge, but it was nowhere to be found.

Really weird. After mom’s milk started flowing, they must’ve put the formula here somewhere, but it’s completely gone.

Giving up the search, Son Yoo-jin sighed and opened the fridge.

She wanted juice, but drinking it now would upset her stomach. The bottle was heavy, and the lid was hard to open. Mom didn’t keep cola at home, saying it weakens bones.

The milk was all gone, drunk by her brother and Jang Gun-i. Like cows.

“Heeing-.”

Son Yoo-jin was sad.

She was too grown-up to wake mom up just because she was hungry.

Thinking she might as well suck her thumb, she put it in her mouth.

Just then, her brother came down from the second floor.

“Yoo Jin, why aren’t you sleeping?”

“······.”

Son Yoo-jin couldn’t say anything.

Instead, she trembled with betrayal.

‘Brother stole all the formula!’

Jin Hyuk, who had a formula can tucked under his arm, had white powder all over his lips. But he’d already been caught. Jin Hyuk casually wiped his lips with his sleeve and stared at his sister. She was precious, but at this moment, she was just a competitor for food.

Ah, what to do with delicious things.

Every spoonful of formula made him feel calm and healed. That’s how Jin Hyuk became an irredeemable formula addict.

Hong Soo-jung’s absence must’ve played a big part.

That’s why Jin Hyuk and Yoo Jin were silently at war over trivial things. Despite the age difference, they adored each other, but evolving into real siblings was a rite of passage they had to go through as humans.

In the dark, the siblings stood facing each other, glaring in silence, as a cool breeze blew between them. A cricket chirped from somewhere.

Autumn had come.

.