Chapter 80 – Devoted Couple (1)

“What is this?”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked as he reflexively received the envelope the man handed him.

“It is money.”

“What? Money? What money?”

“I do not know if it will help, but please put it toward Sang-cheol’s mother’s treatment costs. I felt that if I gave it to Sang-cheol’s mother directly, she would not accept it, which is why I am delivering it to you.”

The man spoke with a calm expression, then stood up nonchalantly.

“Sir, wait a moment!”

Kim Ji-hyuk urgently stopped him.

“Do you have something to say?”

“No, doing this without any explanation… At the very least, I need to know what this money is to decide whether to deliver it or not, wouldn’t I?”

“It is not bad money. So you can deliver it without any worries.”

“No. Still, you must tell me the source…”

“It is the money earned from selling wild honey.”

The man said with a gentle expression.

At that moment, something came to Kim Ji-hyuk’s mind. Was he talking about the wild honey that Sang-cheol had tried to gather from the mountain not long ago?

“If it is wild honey…”

“Yes. That is right. It is that honey.”

Kim Ji-hyuk, understanding the trailing words, nodded with a small smile.

“I chased away Sang-cheol, who was trying to gather that honey. Because of that, Sang-cheol hurt his leg. Is that not what you are trying to say?”

“Hmm, yes. According to what I heard from the villagers, it is a honey you treasure dearly…”

“That is correct. It is a honey that is like a child I raised with great care.”

“But then why?”

Kim Ji-hyuk’s doubts still did not clear. Could it be that he was doing this because he felt sorry that Sang-cheol got hurt? No, if that were the case, it did not make sense. If he were a person who would give away the money from selling the honey so easily, he would not have chased the boy away in the first place. Then what was it?

Kim Ji-hyuk frowned slightly.

“This honey must be like a child to Sang-cheol as well.”

The man offered an enigmatic answer.

‘Honey like a child? What does that mean?’

Kim Ji-hyuk grew even more puzzled.

“Could you explain in more detail?”

“What more is there to explain? In other words, this honey is something Sang-cheol and I raised together.”

“…”

“Hmm, was it about three years ago…”

The man sighed deeply, then recalled the past.

After a short while.

“Ah! So you are saying Sang-cheol came to find you?”

“Yes. That young fellow said he would help me. Even though the neighborhood kids are busy running away the moment my shadow appears.”

“I see.”

“In any case, wild honey is not obtained by chance. Every day, you have to harvest the honey left over by the bees little by little. You must chase away the hornets that attack the bees, and carefully look after them so they do not get hit by rain, wind, or snow. It is a mysterious panacea that cannot be obtained without perseverance.”

“Are you saying Sang-cheol looked after that?”

“Yes. That is right. With those tiny, fern-like hands. So, while it is my child, it is also Sang-cheol’s child.”

“But then why?”

“Haha, you wonder why I chased him away that day? You must be curious about that?”

“…”

Kim Ji-hyuk nodded silently. From the sound of it, the connection between the man and Sang-cheol was quite special. There seemed to be some story behind it.

“Everything has its time. It is the same for this honey.”

“Could it be that you chased him away because Sang-cheol tried to gather honey that was not yet ripe?”

“Well, that is true too, but there is another reason.”

“What is it?”

Kim Ji-hyuk blinked his eyes. The man laughed heartily at Kim Ji-hyuk, then lowered his voice and spoke.

“Right now is exactly the time when venomous snakes wake up and emerge from hibernation. It is a period when their venom is at its peak. Furthermore, the place where the honey Sang-cheol tried to gather was located is a deserted area swarming with venomous snakes. If you get bitten, your survival cannot be guaranteed.”

“Ah!”

Only then did Kim Ji-hyuk realize the man’s intention.

So it was not because the honey was too precious, but because he yelled out of worry that the child would get hurt?

“In the past, I was also bitten by that snake once. I hovered between life and death before barely surviving.”

“So that happened.”

“Yes. If it had been just a little later, I would be a dead man by now.”

The man wore a faint smile on his lips.

“That was a close call.”

“Yes. Perhaps I survived after going through all kinds of hardships because I knew a day like today would come.”

Kim Ji-hyuk and the man nodded at the same time.

“By the way, did Sang-cheol not know that?”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked in a much more relaxed voice.

“Of course he did. As the saying goes, a school dog recites poetry after three years, so Sang-cheol must have known well how dangerous it was. He must have done it out of worry because his mother is sick. Even though I had warned him so.”

“Oh. So that was it.”

“No matter how early a child matures, a child is still a child, after all.”

“…”

Kim Ji-hyuk nodded. His expression showed that all his doubts were now resolved.

“The envelope of money looks heavy…”

And Kim Ji-hyuk turned his gaze back to the envelope of money. Even if it was highly prized wild honey, he thought that honey was still just honey. If various banknotes were mixed together, it could be quite thick.

However.

“If you go to the high mountain regions of Turkey, there is a honey called Centauri honey, and a single 2.4-kilogram bottle can buy a hundred bags of rice.”

The man smiled.

“Gasp, a hundred bags would be around 400,000 hwan? I did not know honey could be that expensive. What on earth does it taste like?”

“If you knew, it would make even less sense. Despite being such expensive honey, the color is dark and murky, and far from being sweet, it is even bitter.”

“Is that so?”

“Fufu, indeed. Does it not seem very similar to our lives? Just as what we see with our eyes is not everything.”

“…”

“Anyway, although it cannot compare to Centauri honey, it is still worth quite a bit. Even though the harvest is small, it amounts to about 200,000 hwan in that envelope. Will this be of help?”

“Of course! It will be of great help.”

Two hundred thousand hwan was a large sum of money, enough to cover not only the surgery costs but also hospitalization and living expenses.

Kim Ji-hyuk nodded and conveyed his grateful gaze.

“That is a relief. In any case, please deliver this money to Sang-cheol’s mother, Doctor.”

“But wouldn’t it be better if you delivered it directly?”

“As I mentioned just now, Sang-cheol’s mother probably does not have good feelings toward me. I am not good with words, so I might cause unnecessary misunderstandings while talking. Therefore, please just deliver it yourself, Doctor. It is a request, but please do not mention that I gave this money either.”

“Yes.”

“Then, I shall be on my way.”

Having finished speaking, the man stood up from his seat.

“Wait a moment! Still, letting you leave just like this is a bit… When can I see you again?”

Kim Ji-hyuk stopped his steps, feeling it was a pity.

“Well. Since I am in a state of wandering from this mountain to that, how could there be a promise, but what is certain is that I will return here.”

“Ah, I see. Will your work take a long time?”

“Who knows. If our fates align, we will meet again.”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked urgently. However, the man only wore a gentle smile.

“Then, if our fates align later, let us have a talk over a bowl of raw rice wine.”

“Yes. I understand.”

A few days later.

“Thank you so much, Doctor!”

Sang-cheol’s mother repeatedly bowed her head to Kim Ji-hyuk, expressing her gratitude.

The 200,000 hwan delivered by Cheon Sang-ho was a huge amount of money.

Combined with the money the villagers had gathered little by little, she now had the means to cover both her treatment costs and living expenses.

“Sister, I am so relieved. Now set your mind at ease and focus only on treatment. Please do not skip meals! If you collapse even one more time, you will really get it from me!”

Sang-cheol’s mother, who had been hospitalized for a few days to receive treatment for malnutrition.

She was now in a state where she could regain her strength.

“Yes. Thank you. I will receive treatment diligently.”

“Of course, of course. I will take good care of Sang-cheol, so do not worry.”

Nurse Park In-seon warmly held both hands of Sang-cheol’s mother.

“Do not worry too much. Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo is the best specialist in our country. As long as you receive treatment steadily, you will be able to make a full recovery.”

Looking at the two of them, Kim Ji-hyuk offered words of encouragement.

“Thank you so much, Doctor! I do not know how I should repay this kindness.”

Sang-cheol’s mother’s eyes welled with tears.

“What did I do? A benefactor fortunately appeared and provided the donation. It is all your good fortune, Mother.”

Kim Ji-hyuk kept the secret as requested by Cheon Sang-ho. However, he subtly hinted that it was a donation from someone.

“No. It is all thanks to you looking into it so hard for me, Doctor. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

In that way, after going through all kinds of hardships, Sang-cheol’s mother was able to go up to Seoul to receive treatment.

* * *

After Sang-cheol’s mother went up to Seoul, a brief peace came to the village.

The theater, the pride of Moeundong. As it was the era it was, it was a time when anti-communist films made up almost the entire mainstream.

Today was the release day of the spy movie, The Hand of Destiny.

Park In-seon, who had received invitation tickets, visited the theater together with Kim Ji-hyuk.

Buzz, buzz—

The people from neighboring villages flocked like clouds, forming a human sea.

Soon after, the movie started.

“Oh my!”

Nurse Park In-seon shrank back in surprise.

‘What? It is not even that scary?’

It was a dull movie in black and white, where even the people’s voices could not be heard well.

“Oh my! Doctor! Oh, what should we do? What is going to happen to that woman and the officer?”

The story of a female spy sent from the North and the South Korean military officer who loved her. Nurse Park In-seon, completely immersed in the movie, was even welling up with tears.

‘Wow! This is exactly like the movie Shiri?’

“Actress Lee Hyang! Her acting is so sorrowful and good!”

“…”

“It must have been destiny that she met Yeong-chul!”

She talked incessantly throughout the entire screening of the movie.

However, Ji-hyuk could not help but yawn.

As he gained some spare time in that way, Ji-hyuk was adjusting to this life by looking around the village, visiting the theater, the billiard hall, and the mining office to get acquainted with the villagers.

One week later, the clinic.

“Nurse Park, today is the day to give the elderly their vaccinations, right?”

“Yes. That is right.”

“Grandmother Kim Gan-nan and Grandfather Park Byeong-do must get them. Since both of them have severe diabetes, their immunity has dropped significantly. Especially, since Grandmother Kim Gan-nan has such poor lung function, it is a must.”

“Sigh, seriously, Grandmother Gan-nan is driving me crazy. She always vanishes like a ghost whenever it is time for vaccinations. I will definitely make her get it this time!”

Nurse Park In-seon clenched her teeth, burning with determination.

“Yes. We must definitely make her get it this time…”

It was right at that moment.

“Doctor! Doctor! Are you inside?”

With a clatter, the local mart owner entered the clinic while supporting a woman.

“Gasp! Sister Mi-yeong?”

At that sight, Nurse Park In-seon cried out in surprise.

‘Sigh, there is no time to rest! Another patient in less than a week!’

Whew, hearing Nurse Park In-seon’s voice, Kim Ji-hyuk sprang up from his seat.