Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Greatest Treasure (1)
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One day, a god suddenly descends,
lays all the things of this world before me,
and tells me to erase the most unnecessary ones, one by one.
After a long, very long time, at the final moment,
what remains before my eyes in the end will be Yoon-seul.
After hearing Dal-nim's words, I made a small decision.
Peeking into others' memories might not be the most proper thing to do, but for my little sister, I would.
Sure, consideration for others is important, but Yoon-seul comes first. If there's some secret hidden about my sister, it's only right that I, as her guardian, know about it.
[Me: For now, let's start by feeding Trigger Food only to our regular customers and observing the results.]
Looking back at what happened so far, it wasn't a particularly risky choice. Uncle Kang and Brother Ho-yeon both had glowing reactions after eating the Trigger Food.
I just had to make it satisfying for the other customers too.
"It's plenty possible."
A heart that cherishes others' memories and feelings.
Hands and techniques that can create delicious dishes.
If I just keep doing what I've been doing with those, it'll be fine.
[Me: Tell me how I can access other people's memories.]
**
The most reassuring time of the day.
Nothing beats break time after finishing evening prep—it's pure peace of mind.
I sit in the chair and lift Yoon-seul onto my lap.
I set the fan to medium, far enough away, and close my eyes.
The breeze brushing my hair ends feels nice.
It's not quite air conditioner weather yet.
A single fan is enough to keep things comfortably cool.
Yoon-seul, sitting on my lap, bonks her head against my chest like a woodpecker, then lets out a sudden "Oom!" of realization.
She jumps down to the floor.
She rummages through the bottom drawer of the kitchen cabinet and pulls out a picture book we borrowed last time from Uncle Kang's used bookstore.
Then, standing right there.
"Oppa, this one."
She holds the book high and waves it at me.
It means, Read this for me.
"Come over here, missy. I'll read it to you."
"Hee-heeng—"
She giggles happily and toddles over—dodo-do—to me. She stops in front of the chair and spreads her arms at a 45-degree angle.
I scoop her up under the armpits and settle her back on my lap.
The book Yoon-seul brought is titled.
"Bandit's Treasure?"
"Treasure!"
It looks like one of the picture books she picked out last time.
A picture book for kids featuring a bandit? Bold choice.
"Read it, Oppa."
Yoon-seul flips open the cover of the picture book.
The first page spreads out.
The story begins with the usual phrasing. The cover's a bit worn, so it's probably an old publication.
"Once upon a time, a long, long time ago..."
[A bandit who loved taking other people's things lived there. Every day, he came down from the mountains to the villages and stole people's precious belongings. Thanks to that, his house was always full of treasure.]
"Huh? Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"What'sa bandit?"
"See the picture? He's happily stealing people's stuff."
"Yeah. He's laughin' all evil-like."
"Bandits back in the old days were people who used force to take things from the weak."
"That's too mean. If a bandit comes to Oppa, Yunseul-i'll beat 'im up."
[But one day, the bandit's only daughter fell ill. The bandit, who loved his daughter so much, tried to cure her. This time, he went down to the village and stole all the medicines from the doctor's place.]
"What if Oppa, and Yunseul-i gets sick?"
"Oppa'll make sure you wash your hands well and dress warm before you can get sick. Then you won't."
"Ooh...! Oppa smarter than bandit."
The praise doesn't quite land.
[But those medicines couldn't cure his daughter's illness at all. So the bandit asked the doctor. What must I do to cure my daughter's illness? The doctor replied. Go west. The doctor at the westernmost edge is the greatest physician.]
"What'sa greatist?"
"The doctor who heals best."
"Like smart teacher?"
"Yeah."
"Then if Oppa gets sick, we'll go to the greatist doc. Yunseul-i'll drive Boong-boong No.3 and take ya."
"I'll count on you then."
"Yunseul-i's the best."
[The bandit crossed mountains and rivers, arriving at the western edge of the land. There lived a renowned physician in a small hut. The bandit asked for a medicine to cure his daughter. But the physician refused. Because the bandit had done so many wicked deeds.]
"Oom... So the bandit's daughter still sick and hurtin'. He din't take good care of her."
Thanks to all the recent picture book reading, Yoon-seul's actively engaging with the story.
[What must I do to get the medicine? the bandit asked. The physician replied. Return everything you've stolen so far to the villagers. Then I'll make it for you.]
Turning to the next page shows the bandit bowing his head low to the villagers, like he's apologizing.
[The bandit hesitated. Gathering those treasures had been incredibly hard work. They were precious to him too. But not as precious as his beloved daughter. So the bandit went back to the village and returned the treasures one by one.]
The next page shows the treasures gone, the bandit's house empty.
And inside that house!
Not the daughter, but the physician grinning ear to ear.
[The bandit returned home after apologizing and giving back what he'd stolen. Now no treasures remained in the house. But waiting for him wasn't his sick daughter—it was the physician from the west!]
A wild twist.
Sweat in my palms.
[The physician took off his hat and changed clothes, and suddenly the bandit's daughter stood there. The bandit couldn't understand. Daughter, what is this? he asked. She confessed everything with a smile.
It was all a scheme by her and the villagers. She'd disguised herself as the physician and waited in the west ahead of time. And she'd made her father return all the treasures.]
"Oom...?"
Yoon-seul tilts her head, not getting it up to this point.
"What's wrong, Yoon-seul? Something you don't understand?"
"Uh-uh... Nope."
I decided to keep reading for now.
[The bandit angrily confronted his daughter. Why did you do this? But she calmly persuaded him. I don't want Daddy stealing people's things anymore. I want you to be a good daddy.]
"Uuuh...!"
Looking down, Yoon-seul's face is about to explode? She seems mad for some reason.
I read to the end.
[The bandit reflected deeply on his daughter's words. He looked back on his actions. Why had he returned the treasures? It was simple. Because no treasure was more precious than his daughter.
Only then did the bandit realize his daughter was more important than gold or jewels. And if it was something she disliked, he vowed never to do it again.]
In the end, the bandit apologizes to his daughter and reflects on his past. The villagers forgive him, and they all live happily ever after.
It's got a moral, a twist, rich emotions—a masterpiece, right?
But why.
"Eeek!"
Is Yoon-seul mad?
She's kicking her short legs wildly in the air while sitting. That's serious frustration or anger.
"Yoon-seul, why are you mad?"
"Yunseul-i mad!"
"You're mad? Why?"
"The daughter so dumb!"
"The daughter's dumb?"
"Yeah!! If Yunseul-i was her, I'd buy tonsa stuff with what Oppa stole and eat it all. Then we'd live happy ever after."
I get why she's mad now.
She thinks it'd be better if the bandit just kept the stolen stuff and lived happily with his daughter—no need to return it.
In other words, the daughter should've schemed to stop him from giving it back!
That's her argument.
Is this 5-year-old really 5?
"What if Yoon-seul were the daughter and Oppa the bandit?"
"Then Yunseul-i wouldn't pretend to be sick. I'd make Oppa buy tonsa chocolate with the stolen stuff."
This 5-year-old is incredibly faithful to her desires.
Reading the picture book wore me out. I got too into it.
June's gentle air brushes my nose, and sleepiness hits hard.
40 minutes till evening service starts.
"Yoon-seul, Oppa's gonna nap a bit. You can wake me if I don't stir, right?"
"Yeah! Yunseul-i's the best."
"Then who else would Oppa trust but Yoon-seul?"
"'Course."
My sister thumps her chest, saying trust only her.
Just in case, I set an alarm on my smartphone and close my eyes.
**
"Oom..."
Snore—
Snore—
Song Joo-hyun snoring away.
Jang Yoon-seul watching him.
Watching her brother sleep with his face buried on the table, Jang Yoon-seul thinks.
"Free?"
She recalls the word "free" from somewhere.
A state with no restrictions on actions.
He's not awake scolding her or making her nervous or anything.
Still, seeing him sleep like that makes her chest feel light and relieved.
What to do?
Take Boong-boong No.3 out for a solo ride?
"Nah, can't do that."
She'd just get lost and tire herself out more.
Or maybe try cooking by herself?
"My hands can't reach..."
She can't reach the stove!
She could maybe move the step stool by the sink, but Oppa said it's built sturdy with the insides packed tight.
Meaning, super heavy.
She'd told him to trust only her and nap away, but.
She overlooked how bored she'd get!
"Oh no."
Jang Yoon-seul was extremely bored the moment Song Joo-hyun fell asleep.
No helping it.
Only one thing she could do—and wanted to.
"Gotta watch Oppa sleep~."
She struggles onto the chair next to the spot Song Joo-hyun's claimed. Then she tries standing on it.
'Yoon-seul, you gotta take off your shoes to stand on the chair.'
Oppa’s words pop into her head.
She kicks off her shoes and tosses them below.
"Ungh..."
The noise must've been too loud—Song Joo-hyun lets out a low groan.
Face buried on the table asleep, now he turns outward. One cheek fully exposed.
Seeing that, Jang Yoon-seul recalls the picture book Oppa read earlier.
"Treasure...?"
Just like the daughter was the bandit's greatest treasure.
'Oppa' was Jang Yoon-seul's greatest treasure too.
She thinks hard.
Thinks.
Thinks...
And a creative idea strikes.
"Treasures need a mark. So everyone knows it's mine."
She climbs down and heads to the counter.
Stretching her short frame to the max, she grabs the pen from the counter.
A black oil-based marker.