Farming Druid - Chapter 60



Only Noblemtl

060. Pork belly on a pot lid.

Haneum listened to the tree’s words and understood.

‘If we broadcast the story of the killer whale without revealing its abilities, people will know about it and marine life conservation groups will take action… ‘

It was a plan that Haneum thought was a good one.

Choaaaak―

“Are you going to come out later?”

“Oh. Take your medicine and go to sleep quickly.”

The tree, who had discovered a small icebox behind Haneum’s seat, had a dumbfounded expression.

“… Look at that beer you brought in with an ice pack. Do you plan on drinking it when I get in?”

“Uh―. Hurry― Hurry― Patient, go in, take your medicine, and go to sleep.”

“That damn bastard.”

Haneum shook the beer like he was teasing a tree.

After the tree that was taking his feet out of the bath splashed hot spring water all over his feet.

Han-eum watched the back of the tree as it entered the shower room.

“You’re upset… … .”

* * *

The next morning.

When I opened my eyes, it was later than my usual waking up time.

Knock knock-(Are you awake?)

“Yeah― I guess I was a little tired so I slept in… … .”

I looked at my watch and it was showing 6 o’clock.

It was still dawn, but it was bright outside.

Haaam―

The tree that came out into the yard shook its head while sweeping with a bamboo broom and listening to the chirping of a family of magpies (feat. nagging and conversations between family members).

Mrs. Park greeted the tree, and the tree accepted her greeting.

Among the animals in the back mountain.

An endangered owl flew in and reported to Abel what had happened the night before.

Boo Boo Boo Boo Boo (Then I’m going to sleep!)

Woof woof (Good work. Good night.)

After receiving the ‘Druid’ inheritance from my grandmother.

Thanks to Chief Jo’s introduction, poachers’ traps are laid on the back mountain.

After removing the trap with the wildlife rescue center.

The animals were running their own surveillance team.

When humans set traps, they report it to Abel, who then tells me, and I ask the wildlife rescue center to remove the traps.

“Abel—. Aren’t there any traps on the mountain behind?”

Woof woof – keueuuung – (There aren’t any on our side, but I heard there are a lot in other places.)

Listening to Abel’s words, I felt truly sorry for humans.

The selfishness and greed of humans who catch animals suddenly felt uncomfortable.

Huh? But… … .

What do you do with large animals?

As soon as the thought crossed my mind.

The tree’s hand that was sweeping the yard stopped.

I was reminded of the stuffed animals with large deer faces hanging from the walls, like those seen in dramas and movies.

Hey, no way.

Could something like that happen in your country?

The tree immediately moved its hand.

Thwww— Ssaaaak—

Knock knock-

“Aren’t you tired? You wake up so early. You.”

Haneum built a magpie nest.

He said, looking up at the tree with swollen eyes.

“I slept late today. I guess I was quite tired yesterday.”

“I see. Oh, I’ll wake up and go for a walk around the neighborhood.”

“Okay. If you’re going to do it, please go to the cat house and clean up the cats’ toilets.”

“… When you come down, you are treated very well.”

“Oh, you don’t feel like eating rice cooked in a cauldron in the morning?”

At the sound of the tree’s sound, Haneum entered the house again.

The sunlight was shining through the leaves.

It was a peaceful feeling that made it feel as if yesterday had never happened.

Haa – good.

The air and sunlight felt good to the trees.

As time passed and breakfast was finished.

The tree sent a text message to Choi Gyu-seop, the general producer of [Is the world like this?].

[You know about the accident that happened after the Dong-A Land killer whale show, right? I’ll give you a report on the scene of the accident.]

Less than three minutes after the tree sent the text, Choi Gyu-seop called.

“Yes, I have one.”

– Oh my, why can’t I contact you?

“I’ve been busy these days due to the busy farming season, so I’ve been putting my phone down.”

-I see. But. What about the Dong-A Land accident…?

At Choi Gyu-seop’s words, the tree thought for a moment and then opened its mouth.

“I was thinking of meeting you at home… … You know the house, right?”

I thought it would be better to see the tree in person and talk to it, so I invited the broadcasting station PD to my house.

* * *

Choi Gyu-seop saw a really welcome text message.

[You know about the accident that happened after the Dong-A Land killer whale show, right? I’ll give you a report on the scene of the accident.]

As soon as I saw the text.

Choi Gyu-seop had a vision of the sound of rising viewer ratings and a big explosion above his head.

I ran straight into the quiet editing room, closed the door, and made a phone call.

-Yes, I have one.

“Oh my, why can’t I contact you?”

We started keeping in touch by texting each other every day, starting with checking in on each other.

Didn’t they say that if you have the intelligence, you can move heaven?

Finally, I got a call from Hannamu.

“Yes? You want me to come home?”

Choi Gyu-seop felt bad for a moment.

‘Who are you to tell people to come and go?’

But at the words that followed, Choi Gyu-seop’s mood instantly soared to the heavens.

Because I heard that the ratings were rising.

“Huh? The person involved in the Dong-A Land killer whale accident is Mr. Namu?”

In the surprised Choi Gyu-seop’s head, thoughts about how to structure and create the broadcast were already coming to mind.

“Yes, yes – then I will come see you this afternoon. No – no – that’s fine.”

After hanging up the phone, Choi Gyu-seop clenched his fist.

[What the world is this?]

There was also talk of having a meeting about the risks of orca performances and the animals.

By the way, the person at the center of that incident is coming out?

“This is a jackpot… … .”

In addition, the rural atmosphere where Hannamu lived had a certain charm that attracted people.

I’ve always wanted to go there again.

Ahem—

What I accepted was not because I wanted to feel that forest-like atmosphere again.

I’m going for a broadcast.

Yeah, that’s it.

Gyu-Seop Choi’s hands were already packed with a camera bag to meet the tree, and he had applied for a reporting trip.

I headed to the parking lot.

* * *

“What did you say? Are you coming?”

“Uh―. He said he’s coming this afternoon?”

Tiing – Again –

The tree looked at the clock.

It wasn’t even 8 o’clock yet.

I checked outside the front door.

Two high school students were standing.

Dulkerdang-

The front door opened and the high school students who came in were wearing their school uniforms.

“What are you doing not going to school?”

Hong Saimdang answered the tree’s question with a smiling expression.

“I stopped by on my way.”

“As far as I know, the school is close to your house. Isn’t it a bit far from my house?”

“Sir, I came to check and see if everything was okay.”

Phew—

It was Haneum who burst into laughter at Bora’s words.

“Why are you laughing, Teacher?”

“Don’t worry, I’m here for you. I’m the ‘doctor teacher.’”

“ah-.”

Bora’s expression was something to behold.

A high school student’s plan to look at the tree one more time by putting forth the proposition of worry.

Haneum thought with a smile.

‘Youth… so fresh. So fresh.’

The tree also noticed Bora’s thoughts and handed them a cup of Donggulle tea from the refrigerator.

“Drink and go to school. Then come home after you finish. When you talk to the broadcasting station PD, I think it would be better if you, who were at the scene of the accident, talk.”

“Huh? The PD from the broadcasting station is coming today?”

“huh.

[What the world is this?]

“The PD will come.”

“Ah! I guess you’re the team that filmed the scene where they removed the trap and broadcasted the mother bear.”

The tree nodded at Hong Saimdang’s words.

“Look—let’s go to school quickly.”

“Uh- yeah. Sir, you drank well.”

“Okay, ride your bike safely and have a nice trip.”

Let Bora and Hong Saimdang ride their bicycles.

Abel followed the children, seemingly excited.

“Abel—come back now.”

Haneum was smiling at the tree’s actions.

After coming down to the countryside.

It was a really welcome change.

That evening.

In the yard of Namune’s house, thick slices of pork belly and kimchi were placed on top of a large pot lid, sizzling as they cooked.

“Is it because I bought the meat at a department store? The color is really nice.”

The tree raised the corners of its mouth at PD Choi Gyu-seop’s words.

“This is pork I bought in town, and I’ll upload the department store meat next time.”

At the tree’s words, Choi Gyu-seop touched the back of his neck with his hand.

I was embarrassed.

“Is that so?”

Before Choi Gyu-seop visited Namune’s house.

I stopped by the butcher shop at the department store and bought a premium pork gift set.

Since I heard that trees can’t drink alcohol, I brought a car with me along with a few boxes of cans of soda.

Hong Saimdang and Yoon Bo-ra, who were sitting together, were sipping drinks and waiting for the meat to cook.

Oil collected in the center of the pot lid.

Everyone was swaying in the scent of kimchi fermenting in the accumulated oil.

“I’m hungry. Cook quickly. Meat.”

Hong Saimdang nodded as if agreeing with Yoon Bo-ra’s words.

When Gyu-Seop Choi visited, he was a little surprised to see high school students there.

I soon heard that high school students were taking care of the cats at Namune’s house.

“Are you the students who were at Animal Land before?”

Hong Saimdang and Yun Bo-ra agreed with Choi Gyu-seop’s words and started chatting.

While they were talking.

The tree and Haneum burn firewood.

After building a makeshift oven by stacking bricks in the yard.

I put out a camping chair.

And after moving the firewood.

I put the lid on the pot and started grilling meat on top of it.

“Okay, it’s all cooked. PD, please eat here.”

The tree handed over a bowl of rice.

The glossy sheen on the white rice looked really delicious.

“The rice will taste better because it’s cooked in a cauldron.”

“Cauldron rice?”

“Yes – there is an old house behind the main building here, and it has a country kitchen where they light a fire in the stove and cook rice in a cauldron, just like in the countryside, so it will be delicious.”

Haneum continued speaking while eating rice in response to the tree’s description.

“When I eat at this friend’s house, the food goes down really easily, and when I go back to Seoul and weigh myself, I gain 2-3 kilos.”

“Can we stop talking and start eating?”

Bora spoke while keeping her chopsticks in her mouth and looking around.

“Okay, let’s eat. Here, have some meat with it.”

“Ah― yes.”

Choi Gyu-seop put a spoonful of rice freshly cooked by the tree into his mouth along with a piece of kimchi fried in meat fat.

Ugh―

As soon as it enters your mouth.

The softness of the rice spread throughout my mouth, and the kimchi soaked in pork belly fat revealed its presence by wrapping around the rice grains.

‘This is crazy.’

Gyu-Seop Choi recalled the taste of food his mother made for him when he was young.

He also spent his childhood in the Chungcheong region.

A country house surrounded by rice fields.

Now I remember that in that country house, my mother would sometimes cook rice in a cauldron on the stove in the corner of the yard.

‘This… … tastes exactly like the food my mom made… … .’

Choi Gyu-seop’s childhood memories came back to him with a spoonful of rice.

Sniff-

Gyu-Seop Choi sniffled without realizing it.

“Why are you like that?”

“Ah. It tastes exactly like the food I ate in the countryside when I was young.”

The tree nodded at Choi Gyu-seop’s words.

“If you grew up in the countryside, you must have tried rice cooked in a cauldron.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Freshly cooked rice tastes good even with just a bit of kimchi.”

“That’s right. I realized much later that the taste of that rice was the taste of the farmer’s hands.”

Choi Gyu-seop felt curious even while eating.

Because the feeling I got from the young man in front of me was like nature itself.

I looked at others.

Their expressions were like they were so happy at this moment that they didn’t know what to do as they ate.

A little while ago.

I thought that perhaps the comfort I felt was coming from this young man’s actions.

“PD Choi.”

At the tree’s call, Choi Gyu-seop swallowed the food in his mouth and answered.

“yes?”