episode_0090

[Episode 090] Empty Things

I was extremely busy from dawn.

Since I had been slaughtering deer all day the previous day, I was so tired that I didn’t do any cleanup and just came down.

I had to go back up the mountain early to bury the fat and clean the blood on the ground so that wild animals wouldn’t be attracted. I also had to clean the parts separately, gather the byproducts, come down to the village to sell the leather, visit the pharmacy…

As I went on and on, it was already well past lunchtime.

“Oh my, Sang-ah! What kind of meat is all this?”

“Ah, Gil-yong ajae! A deer got caught in the trap I set a while ago. So I did some work after a long time. Wasn’t I lucky? Let’s grill this together for dinner.”

Returning home somewhat exhausted, I met Gil-yong ajae in front of the gate, surprised to see a cart full of meat.

He must have stopped by the house briefly during lunchtime and was on his way out for work.

Even though he came home late last night and went back up the mountain after a short rest, he didn’t have time to mention that he caught a deer.

“Why do you look so gloomy when something good happened? By the way, your mother-in-law said you took the new baby up the mountain briefly yesterday. Was there any issue then?”

“Oh, it’s just about an old house matter that collapsed. Heesun came back fine, so what could be the problem? I’m just a bit tired. I usually laze around the house and suddenly working made my body a bit…”

“Oh, I can tell that’s not it!”

Oh, Gil-yong ajae…

Usually, he lacks awareness and gets scolded by his mother-in-law, but at times like this, he’s surprisingly perceptive.

“Oh really. I was so busy today. I woke up early, did the cleanup, sold the leather… Oh! I left the deer skin and bones at the pharmacy to make medicine. Find them later and have one each with your mother-in-law and ajae. Unfortunately, it’s past autumn, so the deer antlers are not velvet, but… hmm… since it was a special deer, maybe the medicinal effect is better than velvet?”

“Medicine? Umm… alright, forget it, son! Don’t get too carried away being kind like a fool… If you have such things, you and the baby should eat them, why give them to us old folks?”

Oh my… His tone goes up and down like that?

“Since ajae always complains of side pain, shouldn’t you take care of such things? Also, pregnant women can’t take strong medicines. So don’t just dismiss it, use it to boost the energy of ajae and your mother-in-law.”

“Haha, alright, I got it, I got it. Thanks, Sang-ah! Ah, this exceptional guy! There’s no one like him… Oh dear! Look at me! I’m late to go to the office… That’s why when you’re old, you should die… Hey hey! I’m in a hurry, so I’ll go first? See you at dinner! Even if you don’t know what’s going on, cheer up, my child! I’m off! If there’s a problem, I’ll handle it, so don’t hesitate to ask for help if you can’t do it alone! I’m off!”

Oh, that generous man…

Hurriedly, ajae left, and I don’t know how time passed afterward.

After greeting my mother-in-law, I calmly explained to Heesun and Sari how the deer situation unfolded, and as we talked about the upcoming harvest festival, before I knew it, it was already evening.

Thankfully, thanks to Heesun and Sari, my spirits lifted, and by evening, we all happily gathered to grill and enjoy conversations.

I pondered how to eat the deer meat we brought, and in the end, grilling seemed to be the best option.

No matter what anyone said, a barbecue party it is!

Of course, everyone found it quite unfamiliar at first.

Especially when my mother-in-law waved her hand saying people curse while eating, insisting she would eat separately…

Who’s watching here! It’s better to eat together for it to taste good, Aunt!

Fortunately, Heesun and I kept urging Aunt to stay together, even using the appearance of a puppy Sarri to make Aunt laugh and unable to resist, so eventually Aunt joined us with a smile.

When we served steak made in Western style with sirloin and rump, accompanied by secretly extracted sauce, everyone’s eyes widened as they enjoyed it so deliciously….

Perhaps because it was Sun-ki’s meat, the quality of the meat was no joke.

Especially during his growing years, our Hyun-soo really ate well.

Saying it was so delicious all the time, there must be a reason for having such a pretty sister-in-law, the little kid would boast, making me shrug my shoulders for no reason.

Of course, he said he dreamed of being a hunter, claiming that he would hunt and get a pretty wife like his sister-in-law, so I gave him a stern warning, but…

What kind of nonsense is a hunter eating grass, Hyun-soo? You’ll become a high-ranking official if you work hard.

Huh? There was a saying like this in your hometown, sir!

‘If you go to college, you’ll get a girlfriend.’

It’s no different here! Study hard. Pretty wives will naturally follow.

Hmm..! Still, I thanked him for eating deliciously and let it slide with a stern warning.

The highlight of that day was the deer’s most precious part, the tenderloin.

It’s a part rumored to be hidden by hunters and eaten only among themselves, unknown to others.

Since only a small piece comes out even from a large deer’s body, everyone was excited when I explained that not everyone could eat it.

I had to meet those expectations, right?

So I lightly grilled the deer tenderloin to show a bit of pinkness and let them taste it slowly….

“Oh my goodness..?”

“Wow…! Hey Sang-ah, were we just eating tough old meat until now?”

“It, it’s delicious. Sir!”

“Yum!”

The firm yet tender texture danced on the tongue a few times before melting away.

How satisfying it was to see the faces of my family members change with delight after tasting it.

Now, there’s no need to hunt for a living anymore, but… it might be nice to occasionally hunt to treat my family to such a meat-eating gathering.

As the enjoyable dinner came to an end..

Glancing at how much meat was left, despite eating so much, there was still plenty of meat left.

Well, it shouldn’t be a problem for storage in winter, so there’s no issue.

I’ll have some sent to Dog Poop’s place, do some smoking, and if Aunt uses the remaining scraps for soup ingredients, that should be fine.

Oh! Come to think of it, I know that according to fate, the deer has become an ordinary deer, but previously it was definitely a strange talking deer,

I was worried that Heesun or Sarri might feel hesitant about eating deer meat before.

“Why? It doesn’t matter to me! Hehe.. I’m a fairy, a fairy! Who better than me can accept that this is just a deer? It all flowed according to fate, didn’t it? It’s no different from the soul of that man who was exorcised from the deer’s body. What.”

“I’ve lived as an outsider to these things, so.. just in case..”

“You have nothing to worry about, sir! Perhaps the meat we’ve been eating all along may have been retribution from someone in the past, or simply a natural occurrence. Have you ever distinguished between the two while hunting?”

“No? I just didn’t know about that fact. But can you distinguish?”

“No, that’s impossible due to karma. It’s impossible to distinguish. So what’s more concerning is that the man acted like a human in the body of a deer. There’s no problem with a deer caught by a hunter being eaten according to fate, right?”

“Yum!”

“Is, is that so..?”

Well, she’s a heavenly princess who’s sharp on matters like this more than me….

There was a moment when I felt like I hadn’t considered the two, but then I felt relieved.

I even thought about throwing it away or selling it, but I knew it was just a deer, so it was too precious to do that…

Fortunately, thanks to them, I was able to have a happy evening…

I poured some alcohol and bowed twice.

In front of me, there is a sheet of medicinal herbs that my mother used to drink from the pharmacy, and candies crushed with a mortar in case the medicine tasted bitter are placed together.

Yes, I thought about my parents all day today. That’s why I felt so drained.

How nice would it have been if Father and Mother could have had a delicious meal with us tonight and laughed together.

It was unbearable not to see them… I couldn’t bear the longing and yearning in my heart.

Heesun and Sari suggested going together, but do my women have to suffer needlessly on this cold day?

Just in case they worry about me being late, I said I could sleep in the old kitchen at home and brought a lot of alcohol as I climbed up the night road.

Sunlight is good… It’s so bright even at night like this…

Gulp….

Leaning against a wooden pillar, I pour alcohol into the glass I brought and drink it continuously, as if complaining to my parents about what happened.

“Mother, Father… I think I’m going to have a baby…. And, ashamedly, I’ve gained another wife. She always said she didn’t have enough clothes for me… You should have done this while you were alive, right? Haha… But back then, we didn’t have Heesun and Sari… Don’t be too… upset…”

Oh… I’m getting drunk.

Am I drinking too quickly?

Even on a chilly day, as I drink continuously from the glass, the alcohol warms me up and my body heats up.

“Mother… Mom… I really caught a big deer this time… So I bought the medicine I couldn’t bring before….”

“Father! Ugh… I’m sorry.. because of me.. it’s because of me.. I’ll do whatever I can to help…”

I’ll kill that tiger somehow and burn his family here…

I… will just… weaken for tonight.

It was a day I wanted to get drunk.

One by one, the glasses emptied.

When the glass is filled, I empty it… Fill it, then empty it…

At that moment….

Roar…!

Huh? What’s that?

Chills..!

A blue flame suddenly sprang from the air and flickered in front of my eyes…

To dispel my fear, I deliberately shouted loudly.

“What, what is it! Are you a person or a ghost! Reveal yourself!”

Roar~ Whoosh..!

Despite my shout, the blue flame disappeared in an instant, flickering around me.

Ugh.. What is this!

“Ma’am.. how annoying… I’m scared of this kind of thing…. Should I just go back to the village like this? Oh.. no.. yesterday, I went in late and the guards said something unnecessary… ”

I should just go to the kitchen..

In an instant, the taste of alcohol disappeared, and I just wanted to get out of here.

But what was that exactly?

After trying to express some emotions and get drunk after a long time…

Why did that eerie red fire suddenly appear… Oh? Red fire?

Ah! I definitely learned this when I was young… ? What was it…? In… inc… Right! Spontaneous combustion..!

That’s right! That! Wow.. I was really surprised, I thought it was a ghost without moving! It wasn’t a big deal after all!

But spontaneous combustion is said to occur due to the action of phosphorus in human bones and is often seen in graveyards….

So, did I sprinkle my mother’s ashes here? But when did I do that…!

Wait a minute… does that mean… it was really my mother…?

Is this also one of the stories?

Was there a story about meeting my deceased mother?

I don’t remember hearing such a story…

Still.. it would be really nice if there was such a story…

Perhaps my mother was right. She might have warned me not to fall asleep outside on a cold day after drinking for no reason.

“Oh… Mom..?”

Calling out to my mother in vain….

Only the chilly winter wind passes by, reddening my face flushed with alcohol.