Chapter 119

“You want to buy it?”

“I…”

Director Ko pondered for a moment before cautiously suggesting, “How about two million won…?”

Oh Seong-sil looked at him with surprise. “For one dandelion root?”

“It’s not just any ordinary dandelion root; it’s a mountain-grown variety aged thirty years, so even two million won is…”

Director Ko pursed his lips as he realized he had inadvertently admitted to trying to get a bargain. Kang Jin hesitated briefly and then shook his head.

“This was gifted to me by my boss, so I feel uncomfortable selling it.”

“Oh…I see.” Feeling disappointed, Director Ko reluctantly handed over the dandelion root to Oh Seong-sil, who gingerly accepted it now that she knew its value.

After receiving the dandelion root, Oh Seong-sil handed it to Director Ko.

“I can’t accept this as it’s too valuable.”

Kang Jin shook his head with a smile at her refusal.

“Well, I gave it without knowing its price, but you and your team members are my first customers. Please consider it a gift from me.”

“But…”

“Once my internship ends, please make many purchases from our store. Ah! And feel free to host any business gatherings there.”

Moreover, returning the item after already accepting it due to knowing its value seemed awkward.

“Oh… then… thank you very much, I’ll enjoy it.”

Considering that a single dandelion root could fetch between two to three hundred thousand won, Oh Seong-sil felt both grateful and apologetic for receiving such a generous gift. Additionally, Kang Jin didn’t seem concerned about impressing regular employees… From Oh Seong-sil’s perspective, it wasn’t bribery; he genuinely wanted to give it away.

From Director Go’s perspective, it wasn’t bribery but simply a gift given out of goodwill.

He then turned to Oh Seong-sil and asked, “Do you know how to eat these?”

“Can’t I just eat them as is?”

“You can soak them in soju or honey for about a week before consuming.”

Kang Jin looked at Director Go curiously.

“Honey?”

“That’s right.”

Kang Jin glanced down at his bag. “I do have some honey.”

“Honey?”

“I collected it from a cliff where there was stone honeycomb.”

“Stone honeycomb!”

Director Go’s eyes widened upon hearing Kang Jin’s words. “May I take a look?”

Kang Jin opened the bag containing the stone honeycomb. As Director Go peered inside, he marveled at its contents.

“Wow… This is exceptional! It looks incredibly fresh.”

“Do you consider this valuable too?” Oh Seong-sil chimed in.

Director Go turned to Kang Jin. “Could I perhaps try a small piece…?”

“Please go ahead.”

Director Ko carefully tore off a small piece of honeycomb, mindful not to waste such precious food, and quickly popped it into his mouth.

“Ooh…”

“Mmm…” Director Ko let out a soft moan as he savored the taste.

Kang Jin then offered the bag to Oh Seong-sil. “Would you like some…?”

Smiling, she also gently tore off a piece and placed it in her mouth. “Delicious. It’s very tasty.”

Hearing this, Director Ko glanced at Kang Jin again. “By any chance, do you sell these too?”

“No,” Kang Jin replied firmly.

Director Ko smacked his lips regretfully. “Well, I need to change clothes now…

“I’ll see you later.”

“Can I offer you some honey before you go?” Kang Jin asked with a smile.

Oh Seong-sil shook her head politely. “I couldn’t accept more gifts from you.”

“In that case.” With those words, Kang Jin stepped onto the descending elevator, carrying the bag of honey outside.

Director Ko observed this exchange between Oh Seong-sil and Kang Jin.

“By the way, is it appropriate for you to accept such an expensive gift from an intern?”

There was genuine concern rather than jealousy in Director Ko’s voice. Although it seemed like Kang Jin had given her the herbs simply to consume…given their high value, any rumors could cause trouble.

“Kang Jin doesn’t plan to become a full-time employee.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“She runs a restaurant.”

“A restaurant?” Intrigued, Director Ko asked as they exited the elevator together.

“Yes, she mentioned it briefly.” Oh Seong-sil provided more details while walking alongside him.

“So there’s a restaurant near the company?”

“Yes, indeed.”

As they continued talking, Director Ko hurriedly followed Oh Seong-sil out of the elevator.

“And…when do you plan to eat these herbs?”

“I received them to share with my team members, so I’m going to enjoy them now.”

Director Ko pursed his lips at her response. “Then just shake off some dirt and eat it raw. Ah! But be careful not to damage the blade with metal. Use a wooden knife or your hands… Wait, let me do it for you instead.”

“That sounds good.”

As Oh Seong-sil headed toward their department, Director Ko walked alongside her.

I can trim it nicely and have a small piece myself, right? Surely she won’t stop me from having any.

Meanwhile, Oh Seong-sil gently held the dandelion root in her hand.

A thirty-year-old dandelion root… What a precious gift I’ve received.

During lunchtime, Kang Jin joined his team members at One Meal Restaurant, where they enjoyed ramen mixed with rice and kimchi.

“Kimchi really is perfect with ramen.”

“I agree. And this kimchi…it’s delicious!”

As Kang Jin watched his team happily enjoying their ramen and kimchi, he glanced at the dandelion root salad on the table. Noticing Oh Seong-sil’s hesitation to eat it, Kang Jin had invited everyone for lunch under the pretense of having some simple kimchi-based dishes. The mention of kimchi easily enticed them, as freshly made kimchi paired perfectly with rice, making even plain meals more appetizing.

Assuming it wouldn’t be too burdensome for Kang Jin, Lim Ho-jin readily joined in. Alongside today’s main side dish, the kimchi, was the seasoned dandelion root salad. Kang Jin prepared it this way to make people feel more comfortable consuming it.

However, there wasn’t much of the dandelion root dish left compared to what he expected. The ramen and kimchi were a great combo and tasted delicious, but the dandelion roots had a strong bitter taste, perhaps due to being overripe. If they thought of it as medicine, maybe they could stomach it, but it was too bitter for a side dish.

Kang Jin noticed Lim Ho-jin hesitating while eating the dandelion root stir-fry.

“You don’t like the dandelion root dish?”

“It’s quite bitter.” Choi Mina smiled apologetically at him.

Kang Jin explained, “This is canned dandelion root harvested from Gangwon Province, known for its health benefits.”

“Oh really?”

At Kang Jin’s explanation, both Lim Ho-jin and the male employees took a large bite of the dandelion roots, figuring it couldn’t hurt since it was supposedly good for their health.

“Please try some, you two.”

“It tastes bitter…” Choi Mina remarked with a smile.

“It’s supposed to detoxify your body and improve skin health.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

While there was no scientific evidence that dandelion roots were beneficial for beauty, it made sense that healthier bodies would naturally lead to better skin. With this reassurance from Kang Jin, Choi Mina and Kim Hyein hesitantly tried some as well. Not only did they hope for its beautifying effects, but they also didn’t want to waste food prepared with such care by Kang Jin.

Seeing their reaction, other team members followed suit, finishing off the dish. Kang Jin watched them eat the dandelion roots.

Whether they believe it or not, at least they’re getting some health benefits.

Although he wasn’t indebted financially to these individuals, he had learned much about human relationships through interactions with them, which he greatly appreciated.

“Avoid pork for a few days. I heard it doesn’t mix well with dandelion root.”

“I’ve heard that too,” agreed Kim Hyein.

“That’s correct,” Kang Seongsoo confirmed.

“But…at banquets and such, sometimes they serve both pork dishes and dandelion root salad together?” observed Kim Hyein.

“You’re right; I’ve seen that as well.”

“And occasionally, even at barbecue restaurants, you can find dandelion root salad on the menu.”

Despite knowing about the potential conflict, surprisingly, pork and dandelion root salad were often served together.

As their conversation shifted to discussing pork and dandelion root salad, Kang Jin turned on the TV. In truth, he wasn’t feeling particularly hungry. After spending the day making kimchi and working, his appetite had waned, not to mention he had indulged quite a bit the previous day.

Kang Jin suddenly increased the volume of the TV.

“[Breaking news. Kang Younggang, the perpetrator of the Suwon university student murder case, has been urgently transferred to Gangseo Hospital in Seoul. It appears Kang Younggang was assaulted by a group during exercise time…

“Meanwhile, at the prison where Kang Younggang is incarcerated…”

Upon hearing the breaking news, Lim Ho-jin exclaimed with satisfaction:

“That’s great, that bastard!”

Lee Sangsub turned towards the screen after Lim Ho-jin’s comment and said:

“The bad guys taking care of another bad guy.”

“I heard even fellow prisoners don’t tolerate rapists and pedophiles; looks like it’s true.”

“They mentioned he’ll need thirteen weeks for full recovery.”

“He must’ve taken quite a beating if it’s thirteen weeks.”

“He deserves more. That scum should suffer! Oww! Ouch!” Choi Mina emphasized her words with ‘Oww’ and ‘Ouch’.

In response, Lee Sangsub stated:

“He certainly did get beaten up, but I bet it was those prison guards who were the real problem.”

“That’s what I heard, too. The assault lasted twenty minutes, and when he disappeared from CCTV coverage for that long, the guards found him and took him away.”

“The guards have fathers, brothers, husbands… They probably turned a blind eye.” Kang Jin’s mumbled assessment earned nods of agreement around the room.

Though they weren’t experts on prisons, if not for some leniency by the guards, it seemed unlikely that the prisoner would’ve sustained thirteen weeks’ worth of injuries.

Lim Ho-jin nodded along. “Even if they got caught, their punishment wouldn’t be severe.”

“And since it happened to such a bad guy, management would go easy on them anyway.”

Kang Jin continued watching as his colleagues nodded along with him.

The team members returned to work after lunch looking quite content.

“The honey tea is delicious,” Kim Hyein commented.

Kang Jin replied, “Even those dark specks at the bottom are good for you, so make sure to suck them up through your straw.”

Lee Sangsub chimed in, “But isn’t this color too murky?”

He was referring to the blackish-brown hue of the honey tea. Kang Jin laughed and explained:

“I thought the same thing initially, but apparently, the darker it is, the better.”

“That’s right. Did you see the bee pollen earlier? It looked so authentic.” Lim Ho-jin seemed pleased. Although he wasn’t familiar with dandelion roots, he knew how valuable bee pollen could be.

The sight of the entire beehive was impressive as well.

“By the way, it’s been a while since I’ve had ramen with kimchi. It’s so good.”

“Don’t you have it at home?”

“Not anymore, ever since my wife moved in. She claims instant noodles aren’t healthy and won’t let me eat them. But there’s nothing better than kimchi-flavored ramen.” Lim Ho-jin looked content as he approached the elevator.

Jang Seong-tae caught up to him. “Manager Lim.”

Lim Ho-jin turned toward Jang Seong-tae, who appeared to have just finished lunch along with some other employees.

“You’re looking quite chipper,” noted Lim Ho-jin.

Smiling, Jang Seong-tae subtly nodded at Kang Jin. “I’m feeling much better thanks to our president here. Thank you very much.”

“But we’re at work now…”

“I only have a little bit left as an intern, right?”

“That’s true.”

Jang Seong-tae suddenly remembered something and added, “Oh! And thank you for the dandelion roots today. They were truly delicious. Since they’re such a rare delicacy, I feel like I should treat you to dinner sometime.”

“You enjoyed them?”

“Oh yes, but…about those dandelion roots… Do we really have to eat the dirt along with it?”

“The dirt?”

“I heard from Director Ko that these precious items taste best when only lightly brushed off, so I just wiped away some of the soil with a tissue paper…”

As Jang Seong-tae spoke, he smacked his lips. Perhaps because he didn’t wash them thoroughly, the roots tasted quite earthy while eating.

“Really?”

“Is that not how it’s supposed to be eaten?”

“Well, I simply…washed mine under water before consuming it.”

At Kang Jin’s response, Lim Ho-jin curiously interjected, “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t eat any dandelion roots either?” Jang Seong-tae asked Lim Ho-jin.

“Dandelion roots? Kang Jin made some stir-fried dandelion roots for lunch… I guess she gave you some?”

“Yes.”

“But why would you eat them with dirt?”

“That’s how people usually consume wild ginseng.”

“This isn’t wild ginseng; it’s dandelion root!”

“It was thirty-year-old dandelion root, though.”

“Thirty-year-old…dandelion root?”

Jang Seong-tae noticed Lim Ho-jin’s puzzled look and explained further.

“You weren’t aware?”

“I just thought they were regular mountain dandelion roots…”

“Wow… Director Park said these could fetch at least three million won each.” The other team members, including Lim Ho-jin, stared at him in disbelief.

“Three million won per dandelion root?”

“I heard even ginseng can’t compare to dandelion roots over thirty years old,” Jang Seong-tae said.

Lim Ho-jin looked at Kang Jin after hearing this revelation. “What we ate earlier…could it be?”

“It was two thirty-year-old dandelion roots.”

“Two of them?”

“The yield from one wasn’t enough for everyone.”

Upon hearing Kang Jin’s explanation, Lim Ho-jin and his team members instinctively placed their hands on their stomachs. Had they just consumed six million won worth of dandelion roots?

Oh man! If I knew it was that valuable, I would’ve eaten more.

Did I eat much? I think I only had a few bites.

I might have finished off an entire plate of dandelions… Ha-ha-ha! Honey, wait for me.

The team members’ faces showed mixed emotions—joy or disappointment depending on how much they’d eaten.