Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Entering the Central Plains, Yet Everything Feels Foreign (3)

He opened his eyes to find a beauty seated right beside him. Bang Jin-bo's face flushed crimson instantly. Amused by his reaction, Mun Su-gyeong let out a peal of laughter.

"Ho ho ho!"

Bang Jin-bo, feeling awkward, scratched at his head with his finger for no reason.

Mun Su-gyeong struck up a conversation.

"You seem to know a great deal about cooking, young one."

"Well… I like it…"

"Impressive. How could you identify the ingredients from just a single taste?"

At Mun Su-gyeong's praise, Bang Jin-bo's face reddened further. His pure, unaffected demeanor only deepened her good impression of him.

"Then you must be a good cook as well?"

"Just a little."

"I would love to taste a dish you make someday."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo took it as a mere polite compliment. He gave it no further thought.

He looked up to see Dam Ho eating in silence. Even with such a strikingly beautiful woman right beside him engaging him in conversation, Dam Ho simply continued to eat. That was so very Dam Ho.

Even if lightning struck right beside him, he would not bat an eye. That was simply who Dam Ho was.

Mun Su-gyeong's voice reached Bang Jin-bo's ears once more.

"Are you perhaps also heading to the Red Cliff Manor?"

"No."

"Then where?"

"To East Lake."

"Why East Lake?"

"There is someone I wish to meet there…"

"Is that so? East Lake is a place I have never been able to visit."

For the first time, a look of envy appeared in Mun Su-gyeong's eyes.

Mun Su-gyeong had spent her entire life in Gansu Province. Though she was content with life in Gansu, that did not mean she lacked curiosity about other regions.

East Lake was a place where countless poets and scholars made pilgrimages, a destination of enduring allure. Mun Su-gyeong too had always longed to visit.

At that moment.

"Sister, cease your idle chatter."

Jwa Sang-cheon's voice cut through her reverie.

A look of displeasure was plain on Jwa Sang-cheon's face. He resented that Mun Su-gyeong was chatting so amicably with a mere fat boy.

Bang Jin-bo, sensing the tension, addressed Mun Su-gyeong.

"Well then, enjoy your meal, miss."

"Thank you. I am sorry for interrupting your meal. Eat well."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo returned to his meal with renewed focus. He had even forgotten that he had been conversing with Mun Su-gyeong, and devoted himself entirely to savoring the food.

In the meantime, the roasted duck and Bamboo Leaf Wine arrived at Mun Su-gyeong and Jwa Sang-cheon's table. Mun Su-gyeong paid Bang Jin-bo no further attention.

Though not as demonstrative as Bang Jin-bo, Dam Ho too was savoring the food fully.

At last, the long meal came to an end.

"Wow! That was delicious."

Bang Jin-bo set down his chopsticks with a satisfied look.

"How was it for you, brother?"

"It was good."

"Really delicious, right? How do they make it like that?"

"But the food you make is still better."

"Brother?"

A look of deep emotion welled in Bang Jin-bo's eyes. He had never expected Dam Ho to say such a thing at this moment.

"Thank you, brother. Even if it is just words, to hear you say that…"

"I do not say things I do not mean."

"I know."

Bang Jin-bo broke into a wide smile.

"Brother, may I stop by the market tomorrow? I want to look around, and if I find good ingredients, I want to buy them. Is that all right?"

"Yes."

Dam Ho nodded and rose from his seat. Bang Jin-bo followed behind him, still smiling.

'Heh heh! I wonder what ingredients Lanzhou has to offer?'

Already he was curious and excited.

Even after entering their room, Bang Jin-bo could not sit still. He studied his father's cookbook by candlelight through the night. In the end, Bang Jin-bo spent the night without a wink of sleep.

***

The following morning, Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo left the inn and headed for the market. Bang Jin-bo's eyes were bloodshot red from following Dam Ho. But the moment they arrived at the market, his face suddenly regained its vitality.

"Wow!"

Lining the main road were countless shops. From freshly butchered meat to dried strips of jerky and fish caught from nearby lakes—an abundance of ingredients lay spread before them.

To Bang Jin-bo, it was a vision of paradise. Forgetting even that Dam Ho was at his side, he dashed headlong into the shops.

Bang Jin-bo held up a piece of dark jerky from a stall to the shopkeeper.

"What kind of jerky is this?"

"It is jerky made from lamb."

"You can make jerky from lamb too?"

"Of course! With our shop's secret recipe, we eliminate the gamey taste, and it tastes even better than beef jerky."

"Really?"

"Would you like to try a piece?"

"Wow! May I?"

"Of course."

The shopkeeper smiled and tore off a small piece of jerky for him. Bang Jin-bo chewed it thoughtfully, savoring the flavor.

"It is truly delicious."

"Right?"

"Yes! It is the best jerky I have ever tasted."

"Heh heh!"

When Bang Jin-bo gave a thumbs-up, the shopkeeper beamed. He could feel the sincerity in the boy's words.

"I will take two pieces, please."

"Very well."

The shopkeeper smiled and rolled the lamb jerky in paper, handing it over. Bang Jin-bo paid and tucked the paper-wrapped jerky under his arm.

"Come again."

"Yes!"

With a hearty reply, Bang Jin-bo headed for the next shop.

On the stall's display were twenty dark objects of unknown identity, lined up in a row. Each was the size of a child's fist and shriveled so completely that their true nature was unrecognizable.

"What is this?"

"It is dried sea cucumber."

"Dried sea cucumber? You mean dried sea slug?"

"That is right. A rare treasure indeed."

At the merchant's reply, Bang Jin-bo's eyes widened.

Sea cucumbers were creatures that existed only in the sea. They were treasures that could never be found in this deep inland region.

When sea cucumbers were dried carefully in the shade, they became dried sea cucumber. Properly dried sea cucumber possessed a flavor comparable to the fresh article and could be stored for long periods. But even so, finding dried sea cucumber in this inland region was by no means easy.

"Wow!"

An exclamation burst from him involuntarily.

Though his father Bang Woo-gwang had told him many stories, this was his first time actually seeing dried sea cucumber. When a treasure he had only imagined in his dreams appeared before his very eyes, Bang Jin-bo was beside himself with wonder.

Bang Jin-bo asked cautiously.

"It must be very expensive, right?"

"Of course."

"How much…"

"Five taels of silver for one dried sea cucumber."

"Gasp!"

A cry escaped Bang Jin-bo's lips involuntarily.

Five taels of silver was equivalent to several months' living expenses for an ordinary family. Young as he was, Bang Jin-bo knew this much.

Not daring to even contemplate buying dried sea cucumber, Bang Jin-bo turned away in dejection. But Dam Ho was standing right in front of him.

Dam Ho silently held out a banknote to Bang Jin-bo. It was a note for one hundred taels of silver.

"Brother?"

"Buy it."

"But it is too expensive."

"I have given you the money. Spend it as you wish."

Dam Ho did not even wait for Bang Jin-bo's reply before turning away. Watching Dam Ho's retreating back through the shop entrance, Bang Jin-bo clenched his fists.

"Brother!"

"Are you going to buy it or not?"

The merchant's voice came from behind.

Bang Jin-bo spun around.

"I will buy it. All of it."

His resounding voice echoed through the shop.

When Bang Jin-bo emerged from the shop, his face was radiant with happiness. He had never imagined that he would find such a treasure as dried sea cucumber in this deep inland region.

If he used dried sea cucumber well, he could attempt dishes he had never before dared to try.

The mere thought of it made Bang Jin-bo happy. This shift in emotion was reflected plainly on his face.

Bang Jin-bo was so easy to read. Dam Ho thought this as he turned away.

Before long, the street was filled with people.

Bang Jin-bo looked up at Dam Ho with sparkling eyes.

"I am hungry, brother."

Indeed, they had not eaten breakfast before setting out, so he was famished.

Dam Ho nodded, and Bang Jin-bo grabbed his hand and pulled him along with a wide grin. Now, Bang Jin-bo could read Dam Ho's intentions from his gestures and the look in his eyes alone.

Dam Ho did not speak many words. But his gestures and his gaze carried a wealth of meaning.

"On the way here, I saw a stall selling beef noodle soup. The aroma was incredible—it looked like it would be really delicious. Heh heh!"

Bang Jin-bo was already rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

He might have been dense about many things, but when it came to food, his instincts were razor-sharp. The moment he had entered this street, he had scanned the countless stalls and instinctively identified the one with the most promising fare.

Bang Jin-bo headed for the stall he had marked earlier, his face brimming with anticipation. But the moment he arrived, a look of confusion appeared on his face.

The broth was boiling vigorously, yet the elderly woman who ran the stall sat with a despondent expression.

"Grandmother, are you not open for business?"

"Open? I should be, but…"

"What is the matter?"

"My shoulder has been hurting so badly since a while ago."

The old woman massaged her shoulder. At her age, there was no part of her body that did not ache. Until earlier she had been able to endure it, but now the pain was simply too great. In this condition, she could not roll noodles.

"I prepared the broth since before dawn…"

The old woman sighed.

The weather was hot. If she did not use today's broth, it would spoil quickly. For an old woman who lived day to day, this was a devastating loss.

She needed to roll noodles and prepare various ingredients to run her business, but with her shoulder in its current state, it was impossible.

Having heard the entire story, Bang Jin-bo's expression darkened. Seeing the old woman's dejected face, he did not feel like a stranger.

After glancing back and forth between Dam Ho and the old woman, Bang Jin-bo seemed to make a decision and bit his lip.

"Grandmother."

"Yes?"

"I will prepare the ingredients and roll the noodles for you."

"You?"

"Yes!"

"Oh my! How?"

"I know a thing or two about cooking. If you teach me, I can do it."

"But still…"

The old woman hesitated.

Bang Jin-bo looked to Dam Ho.

"Brother, I want to help the grandmother. Is that all right?"

Dam Ho nodded silently, and a bright smile bloomed on Bang Jin-bo's face.

In the end, the old woman relented. In her current state, she would accept help from anyone, even a cat's paw.

Bang Jin-bo rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.

"What should I do first?"

"First, you need to roll the noodles."

"What about the dough?"

"If you lift the stall's cover, you will find a large jar underneath. The dough I prepared is inside."

"Wow! It is really chewy. It would not be this springy with flour alone."

"Right! I mixed in a little cornmeal."

"So that is why it has this color. I learned something new. How did you learn to do this?"

"You pick things up as you go. It is nothing that special."

Bang Jin-bo chatted with the old woman as though they were grandmother and grandson.

Dam Ho watched them in silence.

There was nothing for him to do here. He could only watch.

Under the old woman's guidance, Bang Jin-bo began to roll noodles.

His expression was vibrant, his eyes sparkling—as though light were radiating from his very body.