Farming Druid - Chapter 63



Only Noblemtl

063. What about salad greens?

Choi Gyu-seop early in the morning.

After being served breakfast by the tree.

Headed to the scene of the Dong-A Land accident.

Vroom—

As I drove, I thought back to the story the tree had told me this morning.

“Try to find out the environment or location where killer whales live. And if you’re at it, it might be a good idea to check out records of activities by marine life conservation groups related to killer whales.”

‘Living environment and location. And it’s a protection group… ‘

Choi Gyu-seop said that the killer whale incident was a coincidence, but he felt that something big would happen afterward.

* * *

After Choi Gyu-seop went up early in the morning.

Haneum was playing tug-of-war with Abel.

It was almost to the point where Haneum was being dragged around.

Abel was ‘aware’ that Haneum was a ‘doctor’ who healed animals.

So I was ‘playing’ with the tug by pulling it with just the right amount of force to make sure Haneum wasn’t hurt.

The tree clicked its tongue as it watched the sight.

“Friend—friend. Are you playing with the dog or are you being played with by Abel while he watches you?”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“Abel is pulling you with just the right amount of force to keep you from getting hurt, you idiot.”

For a moment, Haneum looked at Abel.

Abel, who was swiping his snout with his forepaw and making a fuss.

“Ahhh— Abel was playing with me? Then I won’t do it. Why should I let go? That’s enough.”

Haneum threw the tug far away and shook his hands.

“Abel, you play by yourself.”

Kkiing―(Oh, oh― this is not it.)

Abel looked up at the tree and barked softly.

Woof-(Guardian.)

The tree clicked its tongue inwardly at Abel’s hazy gaze.

“Friend, I’m being careful not to hurt your arm. Abel.”

“huh?”

In response to the tree’s words, Haneum pulled and rubbed Abel’s glutinous rice cake-like cheeks.

“Was that so? Our Abel?”

Abel felt very good under the touch of his guardian friend.

Hehehe―

The guardian and his friends also play with him.

Because we were working together in the fields and rice paddies.

“Abel—I’m excited.”

The tree also agreed with Haneum’s words.

It was like a movie, with a huge body running around and playing with cats.

“Ah—that’s right.”

The tree was looking around the field.

I remembered the email I received yesterday.

I took off my gloves and called Manager Yoon, my former boss.

“Ah, sir. What is this salad vegetable delivery from [SeeYou]?”

Haneum pricked up her ears when she heard the tree say [SeeYou].

‘Are you talking about [SeeYou] near Korea University Hospital?’

The tree hung up the phone, sighed, and ran a hand through its hair.

After that.

I took a quick look at the field.

‘It’s okay because there is an abundance of land, so even if you plant vegetables, they will grow quickly and be harvested… … .’

Manager Yoon hung on the tree almost as if he was begging.

When we contacted the farmers who were doing each field farming, we were told that they were all dealing with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation and that it was difficult to connect them to Yoon Food for direct transactions.

There is even talk that it is difficult to even match the quantity.

‘It must be a bit difficult for Manager Yoon. Getting scolded by Yoon Foods and the manager above him… Tsk.’

It seemed like the tree would have to go to the nursery.

at that time.

Haneum sat up from her seat after watching the cats working in the field.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“There’s a place called [SeeYou] near Korea University Hospital. They have a salad kit among their meal kits, and it’s because of the salad vegetables that go into it.”

“Oh? There?”

“You know? It’s a hard place to get to. Have you ever been there?”

“Oh. I was introduced to it by a hospital colleague. When you were hospitalized, I went there with Bora and Saimdang and it was okay.”

“Is it delicious?”

“Oh, I guess today’s menu is different every day.”

At Haneum’s words, the tree swept its face.

“Is Team Leader Joo Ha-yoon there by any chance?”

“Huh? Oh—you’re the server?”

ha-

Before the tree quits the company.

I met Team Leader Joo Ha-yoon once while working in the food ingredients department.

Although he was younger than the tree, he made people nervous with his sharp words.

“what’s the matter?”

“I might have to meet Team Leader Joo Ha-yoon soon.”

“What? [SeeYou] You’re going?”

“No―. I think I might come down. I might visit to check on the condition of the fields and things like that before the delivery of salad greens is confirmed.”

“Really? If Chef Kang Si-hoo comes with you, you should learn some Korean cooking. I heard from a colleague that he won all the Korean cooking awards in high school.”

“I know―. I heard that it’s not just about cooking that you’re good at. I heard that when the female employees at my previous job were bored, they would go to [SeeYou] to eat food and then come back and brag about it.”

And here’s another rumor I heard.

I’ve heard that he has an incredibly neat personality and is even said to be ‘obsessively neat’.

Although I had never seen him in person, I could guess what kind of person he was from the chatter of the female employees.

‘What happens if you look at the condition of the field and call out ‘Out?’

The opportunity just flies away.

According to Manager Yoon, the amount of money supplied to [SeeYou] is higher than that of Nonghyup.

In the case of fields where crops are grown on a large scale, it is common to sign a contract with an agricultural cooperative, harvest the crops, deliver them to the agricultural cooperative, and then sell them at auction to each mart and deliver them to consumers.

I heard from an elderly neighbor that when my grandmother was alive, they made a special contract with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation and then delivered the product.

‘It looks like Grandma took some action against Nonghyup. Since Nonghyup hasn’t said anything, well, there is a little income coming in through direct transactions with consumers… ‘

For direct sales on crop platforms, trees needed a business operator.

In the case of crop cultivation, it did not matter if there was no business operator, and it was also excluded from national income tax.

However, if you open a platform or internet homepage, you must have a business operator.

That was all taken care of at my previous job.

“Tree―”

Haneum was watching the cats moving around and working in the field.

I called out to my friend, who was thinking deeply, his arms crossed and his chin resting on his palm.

“Huh? Why?”

“Are you worried about the delivery of those salad greens?”

“Huh? That too, and I think I need to go to the seed store. Lettuce, perilla leaves, and chicory grow really fast. I don’t know about salad greens.”

The side profile of the tree looked like the face of a farmer pondering how to make his crops grow well.

Haneum was happy to see her friend changing in that way.

Meanwhile, the tree was thinking in its head about experimentally planting salad greens.

When I planted seeds and let them sprout in my grandmother’s magic shed in the winter.

I’ve seen it grow incredibly fast.

Thanks to this, perilla leaves, lettuce, chicory, spinach, and bean sprouts were growing well enough to make and eat vegetables every day.

Jiing— Jiing—

The cell phone that was in the tree’s pocket rang.

I checked the screen and it was an unknown number.

“hello?”

-Is this Mr. Hannamu’s cell phone?

It was a voice I heard for the first time.

“Is that so?”

– Oh, I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly. I’m Jang Min-ji, the older sister of Jang Min-jeong, the keeper who was involved in the recent killer whale accident at Dong-A Land.

“yes?”

I was a little surprised.

Why? He wondered why the zookeeper’s older sister had his number.

I could quickly see why.

– I found out Mr. Hannamu’s number. He said he got the contact information from the accident team. So I asked him and found out.

“Ah, yes. I did call the accident team to coordinate the schedule, but I didn’t know I would receive a call from the caretaker, Jang Min-jeong, who had the accident.”

The other person seemed to tense up at the cold wooden voice.

I heard an apology from her.

―I’m sorry about that. But I just wanted to say thank you for saving my younger sister, Minjeong.

Thank you very much. I should have met you first and said hello, but I am greeting you over the phone first.

I could feel the honesty and sincerity in the voice of the person who said she was the older sister of zookeeper Jang Min-jeong coming from the other end of the phone.

“Yes, I understand. But, what about you, zookeeper?”

I asked about the condition of the trainer who was hit by the killer whale and thrown upward.

―My younger brother’s surgery went well, but he’s still in a lot of mental shock, so he’s not talking… … .

“… Oh, that’s too bad.”

-Oh, but Dong-A Land is pushing for compensation for this accident, but it’s ridiculous. Have you heard anything about compensation, Mr. Hannamu?

“No, I haven’t met with Dong-A Land yet. I’m planning on meeting them sometime tomorrow.”

-Phew.

I heard Jang Min-ji sigh.

―I hope things work out well for us and for Mr. Hannamu. If you come to Seoul, please contact me. I really want to repay you for saving my brother.

The tree was a little taken aback by the idea of ​​saving someone and giving back in return.

My former college classmate, Jinwoo Bang, did that.

“I witnessed a traffic accident and helped the victim, but then he suddenly contacted me and asked to meet up to repay me. I felt awkward. Even though I told him several times that it was okay.”

Yeah, this is a sticky one.

From the tree’s point of view, it could have overlooked the accident, but it didn’t want anyone to die, so it intervened.

In the end, it was an act of self-satisfaction, but I was concerned about being thanked.

“It’s okay. When we discuss the compensation for the damage to Dong-A Land, I’ll meet you then.”

– Yes? Ah – Yes. Okay, I understand.

The other person thanked me several times and then hung up.

Phew―

He explained the situation to Haneum, who was looking at him.

“Aha. So that’s the person who called earlier.”

“Did you get a call too?”

“It seems so, but isn’t the last digit 9877?”

“Oh, right.”

Haneum also had a missed call from an unknown number.

Since I wasn’t working, I didn’t answer calls from unknown numbers.

* * *

In the hallway of the surgical ward at Korea University Hospital, a woman was loitering around, clutching a phone tightly in her hand.

It was because I received a call from a broadcasting station PD saying he was coming to cover an interview regarding my younger brother’s accident.

Tiring—

A notification sound came from the phone in her hand.

And let’s check.

She walked towards the elevator.

“Uh— over there… … .”

She called out to the man standing in front of the elevator.

“Ah—Ms. Jang Min-jeong’s guardian?”

“Yes―. [What the world is like this?] PD-nim?”

“Yes. Hello. My name is Choi Gyu-seop.”

Gyu-Seop Choi greeted me and handed me his business card.

She nodded, checking the business card Choi Gyu-seop handed her.

Gyu-Seop Choi took the zookeeper’s older sister to a quiet cafe and started talking to her.

Jang Min-ji began to tell the story of the day of the accident.

* * *

Trees and Haneum arrived at the town nursery to grow salad greens as a demonstration.

The two were surprised by the size of the seed table.

“Wow—you’re in the countryside, so you’re building a seed store this big?”

The tree was also a little surprised by Haneum’s exclamation.

“I know…….”

The two of them went into the seed shop.

The smell of dirt and fertilizer wafted through the air.

A middle-aged man carrying a large box of sprouts that were just beginning to sprout greeted the two of them.

“Come in. – What do you need?”

“Hello, boss. I’d like to buy some salad seedlings. What kind do you have?”

“You mean salad greens?”