Chapter 43: Before Dawn, a Promise

For now, I looked around the Rice Paddy a bit more with Naru.

Because it might just be the spot we were looking at.

I had held onto a small hope for a brief moment.

Of course, it was futile.

‘So every area is like this.’

I didn’t know exactly how many thousands of pyeong it was.

But the fact that this vast land was all rotting away was quite shocking.

“How long do you think it’s been?”

“About 3 years.”

3 years.

It matches perfectly with the time Grandfather passed away.

Was it a coincidence?

“There’s no way.”

The time when the Hyeon Siblings’ The Field started to collapse little by little, and the time when Mister Dusik’s Rice Paddy began to fail.

Those periods matched perfectly.

‘Grandfather was helping with the farming in Hahyeon County behind the scenes without anyone knowing.’

To the question of how that was possible, the answer was, naturally.

Because it was Grandfather, it was possible.

After taking one more look at the Rice Paddy, I headed toward Mister Dusik’s Home.

“Mister, are you there? It’s Chansung.”

When I spoke from the entrance, the door opened slowly.

Mister Dusik, who was smoking inside the room, exhaled a long trail of smoke.

“Oh, Chansung, you’re here? Did you go see the Rice Paddy?”

“Yes. The condition seemed very bad.”

“Anyone can see it’s in a bad state.”

As if his mouth felt bitter, the Mister even took a drink of the soju he had placed beside him.

Looking at him now, he was the picture of a broken man.

Naru, seeing Mister Dusik like that, slunk deeper into my arms.

I patted Naru’s back and went over to Mister Dusik’s side.

“Mister, there’s a child here, so could you put out the cigarette?”

“Right, sure. I’m finished anyway.”

It was a long cigarette that he had clearly just lit.

However, as if it wasn’t a waste, Mister Dusik immediately crushed it out in the ashtray.

It’s because of things like this that Mister Dusik is called a manly man.

Mister Dusik pushed the liquor bottle aside and leaned back against the wall.

It seemed he was trying to keep the bad things as far away from the child as possible.

‘He is a good adult.’

In my past life, in the city.

I couldn’t easily find such good adults.

But in Hahyeon County, there were many such adults.

That’s why I wanted to help him properly.

“Mister Dusik, that Rice Paddy turning out like that. It’s been about 3 years, right? It probably became prominent last year. The signs would have shown before that.”

“…… Right. How did you know?”

“Just a hunch.”

“Your hunches are quite something.”

Mister Dusik let out a few laughs and waved his hand.

“It’s just as you said. It got that severe starting exactly last year. I managed to hold on somehow, but I can’t anymore.”

“Is it very difficult?”

“Have you heard the saying that if you see this year’s farming, you’ll know next year’s?”

“No.”

“If the Rice Paddy is in that shape now, you have to use chemicals to save the rice somehow. And strong ones at that. Then what do you think will happen? The land gets ruined. Then do you think it’ll be fine next year?”

It would only get worse.

In that way, the cycle of a vicious curse continues.

Mister Dusik looked at the crushed cigarette and said.

“If there were a good way, it would be to just overturn the Rice Paddy and give it a fallow period. But for someone who earns for a year and lives for a year, would that even be feasible?”

Investment for the future is ultimately like putting a knife to one’s own throat right now.

That was what Mister Dusik’s words meant.

“When you talked to Mister Sanghyun, did he say anything else?”

“He told me he’d lend me some other land to farm on. But that’s easier said than done.”

“Since it means you’d have to give up on the current farming anyway.”

“Right.”

From Mister Dusik’s perspective, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

Exhaling a long sigh, Mister Dusik waved his hand.

“The situation being what it is, I’m a bit frustrated. Understand even if my temper comes out a bit rough.”

“It’s not like Mister Dusik being like that is a day or two’s occurrence.”

“This brat? Are you throwing a gas can at someone who has a fire in their chest?”

“Gas can? I was just throwing facts.”

Leaving those words to the Mister, I stood up with Naru.

“I’ll be going now. I have something I need to do.”

“Pfft. Right. You’re probably busy too, and I’ve held you up for a long time.”

“No, it’s fine. More importantly, do you have time tomorrow at dawn?”

“Dawn? When?”

“Around 4:30? Or 5:00?”

“I should. Why?”

“Then please stop by the Tea House once.”

After properly picking up Naru, who still lacked Energy, I said to the Mister.

“I’ll give you a way to solve the Rice Paddy problem.”

***

On the way back to the first Home.

Naru rested her chin on my shoulder and asked.

“Mister, will a solution really be possible in just one day?”

“Wow, do you think it’ll be hard?”

“To be honest… yes.”

It was land that had been rotting for 3 years.

One must cut out the affected area, squeeze out the pus, and wait for it to heal.

Naru seemed to think that was the normal way.

“Trying to handle things too quickly could end up ruining it more. If done wrong, that place might become a land of death.”

“That’s true. But isn’t it already like that?”

Naru couldn’t answer my words.

Perhaps out of consideration for me and Mister Dusik, she hadn’t said it, but her attitude earlier showed it.

That land was already unsuitable for plants to grow.

“Even if you give the entire land a rest and plow it, it won’t be easy in a short period.”

“…… You’re right. That’s why I’m curious. How do you plan to revive that land, Mister?”

It seemed difficult even in Naru’s eyes.

But I could see one path.

And the carriage heading down that path as well.

“You’ll see when you get there. Now, let’s go in.”

When we entered the Tea House, Norani and Siu were playing and dancing.

The song was.

“Milk~ Milk-milk-milk~.”

It was Norani’s new original song.

The two were dancing excitedly and then laughed when they saw us.

“You’re back!”

“Mister, you’re here?”

“Yeah, Siu. Can you take Naru for me?”

“Yes? Oh, yes.”

Siu stepped forward and took Naru into her arms.

Only then did she seem to realize that Naru’s body was drained of Energy.

“……. Did something happen? It seems like Naru has used up almost all of her Energy.”

“We went to see the plants dying. Naru felt bad and couldn’t help herself, so she used a lot of power.”

“I see. Naru worked hard.”

Siu stroked Naru’s forehead.

Norani stuck close to her side and tapped Naru’s back.

“You can’t be sick!”

“Ugh, I’m sorry.”

“Sheesh. It’s heartbreaking if you’re sick.”

“Hee, I’m sorry, Norani.”

Watching Naru and Norani’s bickering, I quickly prepared the ‘Dawn of Green’.

Unlike the ‘Dawn of Green’ I usually gave to Naru, I added a few more herbs.

Instead of reducing the components that helped Naru’s growth, I focused on recovering her consumed physical strength.

‘Now that my understanding of the materials has increased, things like this are possible.’

It would still be a disaster if I made even a small mistake in the blending, but the time for making such small mistakes had passed a bit.

Having finished the Tea, I gave Naru the ‘Recovery-Focused Dawn of Green’.

“Drink it all slowly. You’ll feel energized soon.”

“Yes.”

“Siu, you can go home once you see Naru finish that. Thanks for helping out until late.”

“No, it’s fine. If it’s okay, I’d like to see Naru recover a bit more before I go. Would that be alright?”

“I’d be grateful if you did.”

I was simply thankful for Siu’s heart that cared for Naru.

Thanks to Siu’s warm heart, one of my tasks was lightened.

“Norani.”

“Ung?”

“Don’t disturb Siu and Naru, come here.”

“Hmph, I wasn’t disturbing them! I was nursing her!”

“Nursing isn’t done like that.”

If you put a towel that hasn’t even been wrung out on a forehead like that, she’ll get sick.

Norani pouted her lips like a duck and came over to my side.

“Chee, I hate you, Mister.”

“You hate me? Then I won’t give you any Tea.”

“I don’t hate the Mister who gives me Tea.”

A laugh naturally came out at Norani’s words.

I set down a Tea in front of Norani, blended with materials and a Moon fragment.

After taking a sip of the Tea, Norani made a face.

It seemed that no matter how many times she had it, the fact that it tasted bad didn’t change.

‘She must be drinking it because she can see herself growing.’

Despite it being tasteless, Norani endured and drank it all.

She seemed to believe that only by drinking this could she become closer to Siu and solve the problems that might arise in the future.

And, in fact, little by little, Norani’s power was becoming stronger.

“I drank it all!”

“Good job. Here’s some honey water.”

Yellow light powder flowed little by little from Norani as she smiled brightly and drank the honey water, and those particles were thicker and clearer than before.

It was just a pity that other people couldn’t see this beautiful sight.

I left Norani enjoying her honey water and headed to the storage.

Now it was time to officially start Mister Dusik’s anxiety-treatment project.

“Hmm. It looks like I’ll use quite a lot of materials.”

It might take some work to replenish the materials used from the Tea House.

But what could I do?

When it’s time to use them, you have to use them boldly.

‘There are many old ones.’

After tapping the walls of the Home, I gathered the materials and came to the kitchen.

The recipe I was making today was special.

It would probably take quite a long time.

“Norani, no. You can’t do that.”

“I’m gonna nurse Naru too!”

“I told you not to, Kkamak!”

… Let’s calm the kids down first.

***

4:00 AM.

An early hour when the sun hadn’t even risen yet.

Kang Dusik stepped out onto the street where darkness had settled.

It was much earlier than the time he usually went to the Rice Paddy.

“What am I even doing.”

Sucking on the cigarette in his mouth, he realized how ridiculous his actions were.

It wasn’t anyone else, it was Chansung.

That young fellow was someone who, despite being born in the countryside, had never done a day of farm work.

He only knew how to serve Tea, following in his grandfather’s footsteps.

But the fellow had said he would solve the problem with my Rice Paddy.

“It doesn’t make sense.”

This was no different from a newborn baby saying they would solve an adult’s problem.

There was no way any adult would take it seriously.

Kang Dusik clearly recognized that fact as well.

However, despite that, he was heading toward the .

“Am I that desperate.”

Had his situation become so pathetic that he was leaning on a fellow who didn’t know anything?

Thinking back on it, his mouth felt bitter.

His pride was thoroughly crushed.

Was that why?

Even after arriving in front of the , Kang Dusik could not easily enter.

It was while he was soothing his heart by smoking another cigarette.

Creeak.

“Oh, Mister Dusik?”

“Mister, what are you doing here? At this hour.”

A Porter pulled up beside Dusik, who was puffing on his cigarette.

In it were the two fellows who had recently risen as stars.

‘I heard the watermelon The Field is doing well lately.’

Only a month or two ago, they were the ones competing with him for first place in a “who’s suffering more” contest.

Saying they didn’t know if they were growing watermelons or pig feed.

Then a harvest had come to their The Field, and they had even secured a contract with Yuhan Distribution this time.

“I’m envious.”

He didn’t know how that was possible, but he was just envious.

As he silently watched the Hyeon Siblings, the sounds of reality, which had drifted away for a moment, reached him.

“Mister! Are you still asleep?”

“……. My eardrums are going to burst, you brat. I’m wide awake.”

“Then why are you ignoring what people say. It’s embarrassing.”

“I was just thinking. What are you guys doing here at this hour?”

“What else? We came to wet our whistles before going out to work.”

“At this hour?”

It was just past 4:30 in the morning?

“Chansung opens the Tea House for us.”

“Isn’t it the same for you, Mister?”

“…… It seems like it is, and it seems like it isn’t. I don’t know.”

He had come because he was called, but whether it was to give him Tea or for some other reason.

Dusik had no way of knowing.

The Hyeon Siblings looked at each other and smiled slightly.

“Just go on in.”

“Chansung called you, right? Then there must be a reason he called.”

“Do you guys know something?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Just, I have a feeling.”

The Hyeon Siblings spoke with one voice.

“That Chansung will solve everything.”