Chapter 116

When Kang Jin expressed his desire to eat ginseng, Manbok chuckled.

“Let’s go.”

As Manbok started walking, Kang Jin quickly followed behind him.

‘Ginseng… I’ve only heard about it, but now I’ll actually get to see one.’

Kang Jin muttered internally while briskly walking beside Manbok.

“Is there plenty of ginseng here?”

“Quite a bit, yes.”

“I’ll just follow you, hyung.”

Manbok glanced at Kang Jin due to his flattering remark.

“Oh! Should we also get some seokcheong?”

“Seokcheong? Is that honey?”

Seokcheong refers to honey produced from beehives nestled within mountain crevices. It was not only challenging to locate but also highly valued due to its frequent presence on sheer cliffs.

“You’ve never tasted it before?”

“Rustic… Well, I should show my country bumpkin sister something good today. Let’s go.”

As Manbok started walking, Kang Jin placed the dandelion roots into her bag and followed him.

‘A country bumpkin? This place is more rural than anywhere else.’

Despite being the epitome of a country bumpkin himself, Manbok referred to Seoulite Kang Jin as such.

While climbing the mountain, Manbok occasionally pointed out various herbs and dandelion roots, and Kang Jin collected them as instructed. Most of these medicinal plants were unfamiliar to Kang Jin. She only knew those used for cooking or ones Heo Yeonwook had informed her about; otherwise, she was largely ignorant of others.

Moreover, Heo Yeonwook had shown him dried or processed herbs from herbal medicine shops, which looked quite different from their natural form in the wild.

As Kang Jin filled his bag with medicinal plants following Manbok’s instructions, he asked:

“You seem to know a lot about these herbs?”

“How long do you think I’ve lived on this mountain?”

“That makes sense.”

If Manbok died at sixty-two years old, that would mean he was at least sixty years now. Despite appearing youthful, by ghostly standards, he could be considered a grandfather figure.

Kang Jin securely held the bag as they cautiously climbed the mountain.

“So, hyung, where can we find ginseng?”

“Let’s start with collecting some stone bramble first.”

“Oh.”

“Why? Eager to dig it up quickly?”

“I’ve never seen wild ginseng before.”

While conversing, Manbok suddenly stopped climbing.

“There’s some over there.” Manbok pointed to what appeared to be a sheer cliff with a crack on one side, which he gestured toward.

“Over there?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm…”

“But if it’s a bee hive, shouldn’t there be bees…? Is it safe to go inside without any protective gear?”

Manbok laughed at Kang Jin’s concern.

“Who said anything about going inside?”

Zip!

Manbok opened the bag Kang Jin was holding and took out several smaller bags. The bag given by Shin Su-jo contained multiple pouches within it. Among them, Manbok pulled out the largest black pouch and looked at Kang Jin.

“Stay away from that spot. It’ll get dangerous once the bees start flying around.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Kang Jin hastily moved away from Manbok’s command, he started entering the crevice of the cliff. Then…

Buzzzzz! Bzzzz!

A swarm of bees poured out like a cloud and began aggressively flying around.

Wow!

Kang Jin got goosebumps watching the frenetic bees darting everywhere like literal hornets’ nests.

I would’ve been dead if they were any closer.

While Kang Jin was startled by the sight, Manbok emerged from the crevice carrying a heavy-looking bag. Numerous bees clung to his hands holding the sack.

Is he okay?

Though it seemed unlikely that ghosts could be stung by bees, Kang Jin still worried about him.

Fwip, fwip!

Manbok waved his arms vigorously as if trying to shoo them away while hoisting the bag higher.

“Yes!”

“Great job, bro.”

“Head over there!”

When Manbok pointed at a location, Kang Jin cautiously moved towards it. Seeing Kang Jin’s movement, Manbok followed closely behind him.

Woooom! Woooom!

Just like bees following the Pied Piper, they swarmed around Manbok with each step he took. In response, Manbok dipped his hand into the bag and sprinkled honey all around.

Shwaaah! Shwaah!

As the honey spread, the bees gradually dispersed.

Whish-whish! Whish-whish!

Kang Jin approached Manbok, who was waving his hands to clear the area.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Here! Seo-cheong.” Manbok handed the bag to Kang Jin, who opened it wide, revealing astonishment on his face.

Inside the bag lay an entire beehive, dripping with thick, viscous honey.

“I’ve never seen honey like this before.”

“It might look rustic…”

Shhhk!

Manbok reached inside the bag and pulled out a honeycomb.

Drip, drip!

As he watched the honey flow from the extracted honeycomb, Manbok turned to Kang Jin.

“Try it.”

Kang Jin eyed the honeycomb, but…

“It looks too dark?”

“The darker color means it’s aged well and of high quality.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, hyung brought back pieces deep within the hive. The outer layers have been made recently, but those deeper inside are matured, making them richer in flavor and healthier for your body.”

Taking Manbok at his word, Kang Jin hesitated no longer and popped the honeycomb into his mouth.

Munch!

Drip, drip!

With each chew, sticky honey spread throughout his mouth, tasting absolutely delicious.

It’s literally honey on my tongue.

Kang Jin smiled and gave a thumbs-up while chewing the honeycomb. “It really is delicious.”

“Isn’t it?”

Seeing Manbok’s grin, Kang Jin asked, “By the way, who taught you about this?”

“My hyungs did.” With a smile, Manbok continued walking, followed closely by Kang Jin.

As they climbed, Kang Jin discreetly tasted more honey by poking at the comb with his finger. Observing him, Manbok chuckled.

“Just eat as much as you want.”

“But can I have that much for myself?”

“We can harvest more on our way down.”

“Oh…”

With a laugh, Kang Jin pulled off another piece of honeycomb. It separated slowly, like sticky hanguo coated in syrup, before he popped it into his mouth and started chewing. As they ascended the mountain, Manbok kept an eye on Kang Jin.

“From here on, walk carefully.”

“Why?”

“There might be snakes.”

Kang Jin’s body froze at Manbok’s words.

“Snakes?”

“You afraid of them?”

“Of course.”

Manbok nodded and started walking again.

“As long as you follow me closely, they won’t bite.”

“Really?”

“They fear me.”

“So, ghosts scare snakes.”

“Let’s go.”

Following Manbok’s lead, Kang Jin walked closely behind him. After some distance, Manbok announced:

“We’re here.”

As he spoke, Manbok bent down cautiously, lifted a patch of grass, and extended his hand towards Kang Jin.

“Give me your hoe.”

“I can do it myself.”

“You’ve never seen wild ginseng before,” Manbok reminded him.

Surprised, Kang Jin looked intently at the ground.

“We’re digging for wild ginseng now?”

“You have to carefully extract every single root of the mountain ginseng.”

As Manbok spoke, Kang Jin attentively watched him meticulously dig up the soil. However, all she could see were grasses, unable to distinguish which one was the ginseng.

Would Guru Heo Yeonwook appreciate seeing this process?

Knowing how much Heo Yeonwook enjoyed observing medicinal herbs, Kang Jin thought he would be thrilled by witnessing the extraction of mountain ginseng, often referred to as the king of herbal remedies.

She turned to Manbok.

“I’d like to show this experience to someone special. Is it okay if I call them here?”

“What’s so great about it…?”

“It’s amazing! How many people can say they’ve seen mountain ginseng being excavated right before their eyes?”

“Really?”

“Absolutely!”

“Then…go ahead.” Manbok smiled as Kang Jin chuckled at his response.

‘Kids will be kids.’

Children often swell with pride when they hear compliments like “amazing,” “great,” or “well done.”

So, Kang Jin summoned Heo Yeonwook.

“Heo Yeonwook, Heo Yeonwook, Heo Yeonwook.”

Whoosh!

With Kang Jin’s call, Heo Yeonwook appeared beside him.

“Huh? Where am I?”

“It’s ginseng harvesting time.” Without further explanation, Kang Jin pointed to the ground, and Heo Yeonwook looked at him curiously.

“Ginseng?”

Kang Jin gestured towards Manbok, responding to Heo Yeonwook’s question.

“This is Boss Manbok.”

The mention of being called ‘boss’ brought joy to Manbok’s face, as it always felt good to receive such respect. Turning to Heo Yeonwook, he introduced himself:

“I’m Manbok.”

“Oh…” Upon hearing this, Heo Yeonwook briefly observed Manbok before bowing respectfully.

“My name is Heo Yeonwook. And I…will also go by ‘boss’.”

Kang Jin looked puzzled at Heo Yeonwook’s easy acceptance of being called “boss.” Noticing Kang Jin’s gaze, Heo Yeonwook smiled and explained:

“As ghosts age, their power grows stronger.”

“Ah!”

Realizing this energy shift, Heo Yeonwook had immediately bowed his head. As Kang Jin nodded, Manbok started digging at the ground.

“It’s wild ginseng here.”

Heo Yeonwook examined the spot indicated by Manbok and asked:

“I don’t see any leaves though?”

“At this time, even finding fruits can be difficult. Moreover, animals, aware like ghosts, often eat the leaves and fruits.”

As Manbok cautiously began digging, Heo Yeonwook leaned closer and queried:

“How did you locate it?”

“I often visit this place, so I know where everything is.” As he spoke, Manbok carefully started digging something out with his hands.

“That’s enough.”

What Manbok gently unearthed from the ground was…massive.

“Is this wild ginseng?” Kang Jin murmured, looking at Heo Yeonwook. However, Heo Yeonwook’s eyes were wide with astonishment.

“What’s wrong?”

“This is…” With amazed eyes fixed on the ginseng, Heo Yeonwook turned to Manbok. “It looks over…a hundred years old, right?”

“About that age, yes.”

“I’ve never seen such large wild ginseng in my life.” Heo Yeonwook began touching the ginseng gingerly. But whenever his hand reached for it, it merely passed through. Observing this, Manbok held up the ginseng prominently for him.

“Never seen one like this before?”

“I’ve seen eighty-year-old ginseng before, but never one this large.”

“They’re quite common here. This is just like digging up dandelion roots.” Manbok’s comment surprised Heo Yeonwook.

“Is it really…just on par with dandelion roots?”

“That’s right.” With that, Manbok handed the ginseng to Kang Jin. “Let’s go now.”

Heo Yeonwook hesitated. “Aren’t you going to search for more?”

“Why?”

“Ginseng typically grows in clusters. If there’s a hundred-year-old ginseng here, there should be younger ones nearby.”

Manbok shook his head as he watched Heo Yeonwook scanning the area.

“What would you do with all of them if you dug them up?”

“Pardon me?”

“Why dig up more ginseng?”

“Well, I…” Heo Yeonwook sighed instead of answering.

“I see.”

What would a ghost do with more ginseng? It’s not like it could sell them.

“You only need one root for boiled beef stew.”

“Boiled beef stew?”

“What kind of stew?”

Both Heo Yeonwook and Kang Jin stared at Manbok, puzzled by his response.

“Why?”

“Do people put hundred-year-old wild ginseng in their boiled beef stew?”

The surprise on their faces made Manbok tilt his head curiously.

“Well, I’m digging them up to eat.”

“That may be true…but isn’t using such ginseng excessive for a simple stew?”

“Why? Is it too precious?”

“Not so much precious as…it feels like using a sledgehammer to kill ants.”

It was indeed overkill—utterly unnecessary to add a hundred-year-old wild ginseng to boiled beef stew.

Upon hearing Kang Jin’s words, Manbok nodded and moved aside. He then started gently digging at the ground with his hoe again.

2. A 스 | A 스!

Kang Jin and Heo Yeonwook watched him intently.

“Ginseng.”

“This is also ginseng?”

As they observed Manbok carefully handling the plant, he eventually lifted it out of the soil.

“How old do you think this one is?”

“It seems to be around a hundred years old,” Heo Yeonwook replied, staring blankly at the ginseng.

Manbok glanced at Kang Jin after hearing this response.

“Here.”

“Huh?”

“You can have this.”

“Me…take it?”

“Yes, consider it from your hyung. Make sure to chew it well before eating.”

Kang Jin hesitated, eyeing the precious mountain ginseng.

“Why?”

“It’s too valuable.”

“Should I bury it back then?” At Manbok’s suggestion, Kang Jin hastily grabbed the ginseng root.

“I’ll gratefully eat this.” As Kang Jin carefully accepted the gift, Manbok detached some moss nearby and handed it to him.

“Wrap it with this.”

“Thank you very much.”

Pleased by Kang Jin’s gratitude, Manbok smiled as they started descending the mountain. Heo Yeonwook watched them enviously.

“A hundred-year-old wild ginseng… How fortunate!”

“I’ve never even tried cultivated ginseng before… A wild one, no less! Lucky indeed.”

“You’re going to eat it?”

“He told me to chew it thoroughly…so I should eat it.”

“You’re not selling it?”

Knowing Kang Jin’s usual tendencies, Heo Yeonwook found this surprising.

“I would prefer to sell it…but Hyung gave it to me. As a gift, I can’t bring myself to sell it.”

“You’re right about that.”

As they conversed, Kang Jin discreetly glanced at Manbok sitting ahead of them and whispered softly.

“So, how much do you think it’s worth?”

Smiling, Heo Yeonwook shook his head.

“If you knew its value, you wouldn’t accept it.”

“Really?”

“It’s almost winter, so please take it. With this, you won’t have to worry about catching a cold for several years.”