Chapter 48

“Oh…”

Kang Jin frowned at Heo Yeonwook’s soft tutting sound.

Just get to the point.

Yoo Misun looked surprised by Kang Jin’s reaction and asked, “Is there something wrong with me?”

Heo Yeonwook shook his head and replied, “Mrs…no, Mrs. Kim Bokrae has a cold constitution. In traditional classification, she would be categorized as a ‘Lesser Yin’ type.”

“Lesser Yin?”

“As Lesser Yin individuals have a cold constitution, they don’t respond well to cooling medicinal herbs.”

“So is Ji-ji considered a cooling herb?” Lim Ho-jin, having grasped the implication, posed the question.

Kang Jin responded, “Ji-ji is effective for coughing up blood, nosebleeds, urinary bleeding, measles, and skin disinfection. It’s also used in treating cancer and leukemia. Additionally, due to its strong heart-strengthening properties, it benefits those prone to shock or patients with heart conditions, including those with severe anemia. Overall, it’s a valuable medicinal herb.”

Kang Jin paused briefly and looked at Yoo Misun before continuing, “However, Ji-ji is considered cold in nature, making it incompatible with individuals prone to yin energy imbalance. If you must use it, it should only be after regulating your yin energy levels; otherwise, consuming it directly increases the yin energy in your body.”

“Does that mean I have some illness?”

“Not yet, so please don’t worry.”

“Then, could I develop an illness later on?”

“If you continued taking it without receiving pulse diagnosis from me, it would indeed be harmful to your health. But now that you’re aware, you won’t consume it anymore, right?”

“Of course not.”

“That’s why there’s no need for concern.” Kang Jin reassured her as she nodded but then frowned slightly.

“But they said Ji-ji was good for me…”

“As explained earlier, it is a beneficial medicinal herb. However, it simply doesn’t align well with your constitution.”

“But you said it’s expensive. Is that not true?”

“It is indeed expensive. If I recall correctly, good-quality Ji-ji powder costs around 150,000 won for 300 grams.”

“Yes, quite pricey.”

Yoo Misun’s expression brightened, possibly thinking of it as a generous gift despite its costliness. Receiving a cheap present harmful to one’s health would have been more disheartening, but at least this was an expensive remedy.

“Even though it’s expensive, it doesn’t mean it’s beneficial for everyone. For Mrs. Kim Bokrae, using lacquer would be most effective.”

“Oh!”

The mention of “lacquer honey” puzzled everyone; they had never heard of such a product before.

“Is it a mix of lacquer and honey?”

“It’s honey collected from nectar of the lacquer tree.”

“What about Ji-ji?”

“You can mix it with honey and drink it…but there doesn’t seem to be any particular reason for Mrs. Kim Bokrae to consume it.”

“Should I give it to my husband then?”

Since it was expensive, they didn’t want to waste it. With this, Kang Jin turned towards Lim Hojin.

“Let me check your pulse first.”

Following Heo Yeonwook’s instruction, Kang Jin extended his hand.

“Please, Manager Kang.”

“I’m feeling quite nervous now.”

“Don’t worry; it’s just for fun.”

“But you correctly identified what Mrs. Kim Bokrae had taken earlier.”

“I couldn’t identify it immediately because it had been a while since I last performed a pulse diagnosis.”

Of course, Kang Jin’s words were based on Heo Yeonwook’s assessment. Initially, he suspected her body might have a cold constitution but found it more severe than expected upon closer examination, eventually sensing the medicinal properties.

“Regardless, you’re truly remarkable.”

As Lim Ho-jin spoke, he extended his wrist towards Kang Jin, who then took hold of it. Following that, Heo Yeonwook rechecked Lim Ho-jin’s pulse with his own hand.

“You seem to be under a lot of stress lately.”

“Stress is practically synonymous with being a working adult.”

“That may be true, but there appears to be significant inflammation in your chest area.”

While saying this, Kang Jin noticed Heo Yeonwook gently placing his hand on Lim Ho-jin’s chest.

“Press firmly with your finger,” instructed Heo Yeonwook.

Kang Jin followed suit, applying pressure at the spot indicated by Heo Yeonwook’s gesture.

“Ack!” Despite not pressing too hard, Lim Ho-jin let out a groan, prompting Kang Jin to quickly withdraw his hand.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Yes, it does.”

“But I didn’t press that hard?”

“It still hurts.”

Watching Lim Ho-jin press his hand on the spot where Kang Jin had touched, Heo Yeonwook explained:

“The pain is due to accumulated stress.”

To illustrate, he mimicked pressing on Director Oh Seong-sil’s chest, who was seated across from him.

“When I performed pulse diagnosis before, there wasn’t much stress buildup here. Pressing shouldn’t cause any discomfort for her.”

Kang Jin stood up and approached Director Oh Seong-sil, saying:

“Just a moment, Director Oh.”

“You want me to press here too?”

“Director Oh, you won’t feel pain because you have minimal internal stress.”

“Really?”

“Director Oh manages stress healthily through exercise.”

“Oh, indeed, I usually run to relieve stress.” As she leaned forward, Kang Jin pressed on her chest with the same force applied to Lim Ho-jin earlier.

Thump!

“How does it feel?”

In response, Oh Seong-sil glanced down at her chest and shrugged.

“It feels fine.”

She then looked over at Lim Ho-jin.

“Were you in much pain?”

Her question puzzled Lim Ho-jin.

“You didn’t feel any discomfort?”

Despite experiencing significant pain himself, he noticed that Oh Seong-sil showed no signs of discomfort.

“I don’t find it painful at all.”

“But it was quite uncomfortable for me.”

At Lim Ho-jin’s response, Oh Seong-sil glanced at Kang Jin.

“Does it hurt when you’re stressed?”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin’s answer made Oh Seong-sil look worriedly at Lim Ho-jin. Although they were currently in different departments, Lim Ho-jin had been her deputy manager during their early days at the company. Naturally, she felt concerned for him.

“You need to take better care of yourself.”

“I’m quite taken aback too.” Lim Ho-jin gently pressed his hand on his chest. Stress is common among working professionals, and doctors often advise them first and foremost to manage stress. However, this situation was different. Despite causing immense pain when he touched his own chest, seeing Oh Seong-sil unaffected by the same gesture troubled him deeply.

It was evident from his own experience. Seeing this firsthand, she became concerned for him.

Lim Ho-jin pressed on his chest repeatedly. Yoo Misun watched anxiously before turning to Kang Jin.

“What should we do?”

Kang Jin responded based on Heo Yeonwook’s advice.

“It would be beneficial to make tea with jujube and licorice root.”

“Tea? Shouldn’t he take medication instead?”

“He is under considerable stress but not that severe. Oh! Both of you have constitutions well-suited to jujube and licorice root, so it would be good if you drink it together.”

“Really?”

“Jujube improves blood circulation. Since both of you have cooler body types, which can hinder blood flow, it will benefit you greatly.”

“It’s perfect for both of you to enjoy together.”

“Ah…”

“I also recommend partial baths for both of you.”

“Partial baths?”

“In China, there is a saying: ‘The rich take herbal remedies; the poor bathe.’ A warm bath acts as a free tonic without spending money.”

“Partial baths…”

As Yoo Misun nodded thoughtfully, Kang Jin raised his hand.

“Now, please don’t take these suggestions too seriously. I’ve just shared some amusing folk wisdom.” Smiling, Kang Jin stood up, and Yoo Misun watched him before bowing her head gratefully.

“Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome. Please come back again soon.”

“I will. By the way, what about ji-ji?”

“Is that true?” Kang Jin pondered Yoo Misun’s question before responding.

“It’s suitable for people with high body heat. Oh! Pregnant women should avoid it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, because Ji-ji has contraceptive effects which may not be good for the baby.”

“Thank you.”

As everyone started to leave the store, Lim Ho-jin turned back to Kang Jin.

“Could you press on it one more time?”

Kang Jin glanced at Heo Yeonwook, who pointed out the exact spot again. Kang Jin placed his finger there and applied pressure.

“Ack!” Lim Ho-jin grimaced once more but quickly asked, “Are you okay?”

“I can’t believe how stressful this is.”

Lim Ho-jin rubbed his chest and looked at Yoo Misun.

“Stress isn’t good for you.”

“I know. Go home and take a warm bath.”

“Got it.” Lim Ho-jin nodded at Yoo Misun’s suggestion and subtly gestured toward Kang Jin with his eyes.

Kang Jin understood immediately. The request to press one last time was…to demonstrate once more for Yoo Misun that he could become unpredictable if stressed.

Indeed…less stress would definitely help avoid any mishaps.

Kang Jin muttered internally as he escorted the guests out and returned inside the restaurant.

“Phew! That lunch rush felt like a war!”

Despite his part-time job experience, Kang Jin felt overwhelmed by the lunch rush. When serving ghosts, he only had to place food on the table; they would take care of the rest themselves. However, with multiple human customers requiring both service and food preparation, it was non-stop chaos.

Kang Jin quietly muttered as he glanced at the acrylic money box sitting on the counter. A smile spread across his face.

The box contained quite a substantial amount of cash. Over fifty guests visited during lunchtime today. Considering each bowl of hangover soup cost seven thousand won, selling fifty servings generated approximately five million won, not including additional revenue from soju sales.

“It’s worth all the hard work.” With a content expression, Kang Jin entered behind the counter and started counting money from the acrylic container.

Shuffle, shuffle.

Kang Jin smiled as he counted the bills.

“478,000 won… Nice.”

Smiling, he put back some ten-thousand- and thousand-won notes into the container, then stuffed the rest into his pocket.

Clack!

After placing the acrylic container back on the counter, Kang Jin checked the time. It was nearing three o’clock.

“Looks like Donghae isn’t coming.”

Despite instructing him to arrive today, it seemed unlikely given his absence so far. Kang Jin shook his head, dismissing thoughts of Choi Donghae from his mind.

Kang Jin didn’t have enough life experience to worry about someone who disliked him. Dealing with people who were nice to him was already troublesome enough; thinking of ways to retaliate against those who disliked him would only complicate matters further.

He entered the kitchen. Yoo Misun had done all the washing up, leaving nothing for him to do, but he still needed to reorganize - after all, this was Kang Jin’s kitchen, not hers. He began tidying and cleaning, placing dishes back where they originally belonged.

As usual, ghosts occupied seats at One Meal Restaurant past 11 PM. However, there were fewer tonight, as it was primarily maiden ghosts present. It had been a while since Hyeseon, Hanna, and the youngest member, Myunghee Jo, gathered here for drinks.

The difference today was there were fewer ghosts present. Only Virgin Ghosts had arrived.

Lee Hye-sun, Kang Hanna, and rookie Jong Myung-hee were drinking soju at the restaurant for the first time in a while.

“It’s been awhile.”

“Oh my! Did you miss us?” Lee Hye-sun asked with a smile.

Kang Jin nodded. “After seeing male ghosts every day, it feels good to have female company.”

“We certainly are pretty,” Lee Hye-sun replied with a grin as she glanced towards the kitchen.

“By the way…there is one ghost here.” At her words, Kang Jin looked over. In the kitchen, Oh Soon-young was preparing ingredients for Sunji hangover soup on Sunday.

Grandma ghost may also be female…but still no match for these virgin ghosts?