Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Wind Always Blows from Unexpected Places (2)
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Bang Jin-bo sat on a large rock, gazing out at the horse pasture. Countless horses were leisurely grazing on the grass.
He had traveled to the Western Regions with the Silver Lotus Merchant Group, but he had never once seen a sight like this—so many horses gathered in one place.
Watching them frolic in the vast pasture made the lingering knot in his chest start to unravel.
His nose tingled as if tears might well up for no reason. Bang Jin-bo rubbed it with his hand and stood up.
For someone who had been bedridden with illness just a few days ago, his body felt surprisingly good. He tilted his head in puzzlement.
“Did big brother feed me something good?”
He asked Dam Ho, but there was no reply.
Scratching his head for a moment, Bang Jin-bo looked around.
The laborers were busily at work. Some were herding horses, while others were mucking out manure.
Not a single person here shirked their duties. Even as they toiled, they smiled brightly.
Seeing them, Bang Jin-bo thought he should probably do something himself.
Fortunately, he had a skill that set him apart from the others.
A smile crept across Bang Jin-bo’s face.
“Let’s see.”
He scanned the surroundings. Near the laborers’ quarters, he spotted several large hearths.
Bang Jin-bo headed toward them. At the well nearby, three middle-aged women were prepping ingredients.
These women handled meals for over thirty people, from the Golden Horse Ranch master’s family to all the laborers.
In the midst of their lively chatter as they chopped away, they looked at Bang Jin-bo with curious expressions.
“You were sick—should you really be moving around like this?”
“I’ve been lying down too long, and my body’s getting itchy. Is there anything I can help with?”
“What, you wanna cook or something?”
At the oldest woman’s teasing remark, the others burst into girlish laughter.
Blushing, Bang Jin-bo scratched his head.
“Yes!”
“Really? You know how to cook?”
“My father was a head chef. Thanks to him, I picked up a bit myself.”
“Well, I’ll be! The head chef’s right here.”
“Not quite a head chef...”
“Doesn’t matter. If you’re offering to help, we’re all for it.”
The women lit up with delight.
It was their daily grind, but feeding a crowd of thirty was no small feat. They could use every hand they could get, so Bang Jin-bo volunteering was a godsend.
“What should I start with?”
“You wouldn’t happen to know how to butcher pork, would you?”
“Pork’s the main dish today, huh?”
“Yeah! We slaughtered one, but we haven’t had time to break it down. Think you can handle it?”
“Leave it to me.”
Bang Jin-bo flashed a bright smile and dashed to his room. He rummaged through his belongings and pulled out his butcher knife and cleaver.
“Hehe!”
The familiar feel of the knife after so long put him in high spirits.
He raced back to the well in one go. There lay the large pig the women had hauled over.
“You sure you can do it?”
One of the women eyed him worriedly. Without answering, Bang Jin-bo stared at the pig.
A smile spread across his lips.
“Perfect! Just one pig today.”
“One pig? What’s that mean?”
The woman asked, but Bang Jin-bo didn’t respond. His focus was entirely on the pig.
He plunged the large butcher knife into the pig’s ribs.
Shlick!
The blade sank into the thick meat in an instant. Bang Jin-bo sliced downward along the ribs. The flesh parted cleanly.
Without pulling out the knife, he changed direction. The tip hit a rib bone.
Swish!
The knife traced a curve along the bone.
With a flick of his wrist, the rib detached from the carcass with a pop.
“Egad!”
The women gasped in awe at Bang Jin-bo’s near-magical knife work. But their amazement was just getting started.
Pop! Pop!
Ribs came off one after another, and the pig was dismantled piece by piece. The women watched, mouths agape, as his knife moved with the fluid grace of running water.
“Hehe!”
The butchered meat piled up on one side. The massive pig was broken down into neat portions in the blink of an eye.
Bang Jin-bo sheathed his knife and turned to the women.
“Mind if I handle the cooking too?”
“Uh... sure!”
“Great.”
The woman nodded in a daze, and Bang Jin-bo whooped, placing his cleaver on the hearth.
He lit the fire and sliced the meat chunks into bite-sized pieces.
Tap-tap-tap!
The cleaver danced merrily across the cutting board.
Finely chopped meat soon formed a heaping pile.
“Hmm-hmm!”
Humming a tune, Bang Jin-bo poured oil into the wok. Next went the prepped vegetables from the women, followed by the meat.
Sizzle!
Steam billowed up instantly. A normal person might have jumped back, but Bang Jin-bo leaned in closer and doused it with liquor. Flames shot up briefly, then died down.
“That takes care of the gamey smell...”
The result was hui ga yuk, the dish Bang Jin-bo was most confident in.
After that, he whipped up various pork dishes using every part of the pig—hence the name, One Whole Pig.
“Wow!”
“Not an aspiring chef—you’re a full-on head chef!”
The women could only marvel as Bang Jin-bo churned out complex dishes in a flash.
Once the stir-fries using the pig’s head and other parts were done, he started on a stew.
He added the boned ribs to make stock, then tossed in pork and vegetables. Liquor cut the off-flavors, and spices went in next.
The huge pot bubbled away, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.
“What’s cooking today? Smells amazing!”
“Whoa, that scent is killer.”
The laborers came swarming at the smell. The women panicked. Most had cooked here for over a decade, but this was a first.
The workers glanced at Bang Jin-bo, murmuring.
“That kid made all this?”
“No way!”
“Look at that ladle and knife.”
“For real?”
Amid the commotion, Bang Jin-bo blushed and scratched his head.
“What’s all the racket?”
Someone pushed through the crowd of laborers. It was Geum Gwancheon, master of the Golden Horse Ranch. The workers bowed their heads hastily.
“Master’s here?”
“What’s going on?”
“Well, they say that kid made all this food!”
“Jin-bo did?”
Geum Gwancheon looked at Bang Jin-bo.
“Is it true?”
“Yes!”
“Your body’s barely recovered—did you really make all this yourself? And when did you learn to cook?”
Geum Gwancheon fired off questions. Bang Jin-bo looked flustered.
The women jumped in to scold him.
“The boy’s exhausted, Master.”
“Don’t bombard a kid fresh out of bed with questions.”
Geum Gwancheon looked a bit sheepish. But only for a moment.
“Questions later. I’ll eat here today too.”
“It’s not fit for you, Grandpa Master...”
“Nonsense! Smells too good for that.”
“Still...”
“No more chatter. Set a place for me.”
“Yes!”
Bang Jin-bo replied helplessly, and the women sprang into action.
“Master’s eating with us—let’s get ready!”
A mat was laid out by the hearth, and a table set. Meanwhile, Bang Jin-bo went to fetch Dam Ho.
Dam Ho sat alone under a large tree on the ranch’s outskirts.
“Brother!”
“What is it?”
“Dinner time. I made it.”
“Did you?”
Dam Ho stood.
“Hehe! You’ll love it, brother.”
Bang Jin-bo grabbed Dam Ho’s hand and pulled him along. Dam Ho let himself be led to the feast.
The laborers fell silent at Dam Ho’s arrival. They could sense the extraordinary aura about him.
Geum Gwancheon at least greeted him warmly.
“Ha-ha! Come join us. Smells divine. Let’s dig in.”
Dam Ho nodded and sat beside Geum Gwancheon.
Only then did Geum Gwancheon call out.
“Alright, everyone—eat up!”
“Enjoy!”
The laborers responded with vigor and began eating.
“Wow, this is incredible!”
“How’d he cook it like this?”
“Look at this tender meat. Wow!”
Their boisterous voices echoed around the mat.
Even Geum Gwancheon, tasting the food, nodded in admiration.
“Ha! Delicious. This rivals any top chef in the Central Plains.”
“Really?”
Bang Jin-bo’s eyes sparkled.
“Absolutely. Best thing I’ve ever eaten.”
“Woo-hoo!”
Bang Jin-bo cheered.
That was when it happened.
“So-hye wants to eat big brother’s food too.”
A small voice piped up from under the mat. Geum So-hye had come sniffing out the delicious smells.
“Of course! Come here, So-hye. Eat with us. Ha-ha!”
Geum Gwancheon scooped her up. He fed her some food, and Geum So-hye munched away happily.
“Yummy!”
Her eyes sparkled.
“Really yummy?”
“Yummy! I wanna eat only big brother’s food every day.”
The highest praise a young child like Geum So-hye could give.
“What does So-hye know?”
“Eat up, So-hye.”
The laborers chimed in one by one.
Laughter bloomed amid the lively hubbub. Bang Jin-bo watched with a happy smile.
‘Yeah! This is it. Making people happy with food. This is my path.’
Tears threatened to well up again.
With reddened eyes, Bang Jin-bo looked at Dam Ho.
Everyone else was chattering, but Dam Ho ate in silence.
His expression was as stoic and inscrutable as ever. But Bang Jin-bo knew. Dam Ho was genuinely savoring the food he’d made.
‘Thanks, brother.’
Without Dam Ho, he’d still be lost in grief over his father’s death.
He was grateful for Dam Ho creating all these opportunities.
Suddenly, Bang Jin-bo tilted his head.
Normally, cooking like this would leave him exhausted, but his body felt refreshingly light. His taste buds were sharper than ever, picking up nuances he’d never noticed before.
‘Did brother feed me something good?’