“That’s unfortunate. So, exactly where does it hurt? I tried to study up in advance before coming here.”
Professor Cha spoke calmly to the startled Kim Cheol-su.
“They say the cleft lip is very severe.”
“If it’s a cleft lip, could the patient… be a baby?”
“Yes, that’s right. There’s no way to live with that face… surgery is absolutely necessary. But no one has volunteered to perform the surgery because the cleft is so severe that there’s no guarantee it will be successful.”
Kim Cheol-su’s expression hardened.
What crime had the newborn baby committed?
He couldn’t just abandon a child with a disfigurement when there were so many days ahead for that child to live.
He resolved to perform the surgery flawlessly and declared,
“Don’t worry. I will definitely perform the surgery.”
*****
The village chief entered his modest yangban-style house proudly and asked,
“Is dinner almost ready? Let’s make something delicious.”
The grandmother responded,
“I was just about to make some potato pancakes. Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Hmm, it’s been a while, so I’d like to have some makgeolli with potato pancakes…”
“The doctor said not to drink alcohol.”
“That was a long time ago. It’s okay to have a little now. I’m all better and can walk just fine—see for yourself!”
The village chief joyfully ran around, speaking.
Previously, he suffered from osteonecrosis in his knee joint, specifically avascular necrosis of the femoral head, but now he was fine.
He could do the traditional yangban dance and walking was no problem.
This was all thanks to following Kim Cheol-su’s advice not to drink alcohol.
“Well, that’s good. They say the disease causes the bone to die. It’s fortunate you’re doing well.”
“Alright then, make me some delicious potato pancakes tonight! I’m starving.”
“Got it. I’ll make them tasty.”
The grandmother called out to the kitchen helpers and began cooking.
First, she carefully washed the dirt-covered potatoes in the water basin.
Then she peeled the potatoes and grated them on a rough grater.
The hard grater ground the potatoes finely.
“Here comes the potato starch. We have to discard this.”
To make crispy pancakes, the moisture content needed to be reduced.
After grating a mountain of potatoes, the grandmother peeled the onions and chopped them into uniform pieces.
Next, she mixed the grated potatoes with the onions.
Thinking of the family soon enjoying the delicious meal brought a smile to her lips.
She called the helpers again and increased her cooking pace.
Since fried pancakes in oil can be greasy, she decided to add some spice.
“Where’s the cheongyang chili pepper?”
She took three cheongyang chili peppers from the refrigerator, placed them on a wooden cutting board, and finely chopped them.
She mixed the small chili pieces into the potato mixture, added two generous tablespoons of pancake mix, and stirred it all together.
Finally, she sprinkled in salt and pepper to season it just right.
Now the basic batter was ready.
She carefully checked the heat of the stove, and once the pan was hot, she ladled the batter onto the frying pan and spread it out.
When it looked perfectly crispy and golden, she flipped the pancakes.
The golden pancakes looked delicious.
Sizzle, sizzle…
The smell of frying pancakes spread throughout the house.
Just then, Mrs. Pung Sang-hee, a neighbor passing by, was drawn in by the aroma and came inside.
She was the one who had treated Kim Cheol-su’s knee joint inflammation with acupuncture and large injections.
“What’s that smell? Grandma, are you frying pancakes?”
“Yes, I just finished a batch. Would you like to take some home?”
“Thank you so much. Oh, by the way, please have some of this. I just came from the city and brought some Hanwoo beef from the butcher.”
“Such kindness… I’ll enjoy it well.”
“I’m the one who should be thankful. Potato pancakes made from fresh potatoes, they must be delicious. My kids will love them.”
Cradling the basket of pancakes, Pung Sang-hee happily left the house.
Just then, she ran into Kim Cheol-su and greeted him warmly.
“Oh! Aren’t you the doctor? What a coincidence to see you here. Thank you again for treating my knee when I hurt it in the tomato field.”
“No, no. We’re just neighbors helping each other. Are you leaving now? Why not eat with us?”
“I’d like to, but my husband and kids are so hungry and making a fuss—I have to get back before they start looking for me. I left some Hanwoo beef for you. Enjoy it, okay?”
“Thank you.”
After Pung Sang-hee left, Kim Cheol-su smiled as the children clung to him.
The kids grabbed his knees and cheered,
“Wow! It’s Uncle Cheol-su!”
“Not uncle, doctor! Doctor Kim!”
“No, I’m right!”
As he gently tried to calm the squabbling Cheong-san and Cheong-a, Kim Cheol-su greeted the grandmother,
“I’m here, Grandma. How can I repay you for your kindness every day? I’ll help with grilling the meat. Please hand me the tongs.”
“No need. I’ll grill the pancakes after you’re done.”
“It’s faster if we do it together. Let me help.”
Kim Cheol-su ignored the grandmother’s protest and placed another frying pan on the stove.
He put the meat on the heated pan to grill.
It looked like a quality sirloin cut, and it looked so delicious that his appetite stirred.
“Beef shouldn’t be overcooked. This looks just about right to eat.”
Hearing his voice, the children and the village chief gathered around.
“Ah, it smells so good! Let’s eat quickly, everyone!”
“Grandma, Grandpa, thank you! Wow! How long has it been since we saw beef?”
“Right! It’s going to taste amazing!”
Because they had been hungry from farm work, Kim Cheol-su joined them and took a bite of the red beef.
“Phew—delicious. Even though I grilled it, I did a good job.”
The taste was so incredible that cheers naturally erupted.
It truly was Hanwoo beef you can’t get enough of.
Kim Cheol-su thought it tasted better than the steak he had at the Shilla Hotel buffet before.
The rich beef flavor combined with a slight bitterness created a wonderful texture.
At that moment, the grandmother asked,
“Would you like something to dip it in? Sesame oil and salt? Or ssamjang?”
“Anything is fine. The meat Mrs. Pung Sang-hee brought is so good, it’ll taste great with whatever.”
“Then try dipping it in sesame oil and salt. The sesame oil is homemade from the neighbor next door. It smells wonderful.”
“Thank you.”
Dipping the Hanwoo in sesame oil, Kim Cheol-su felt the rich aroma tickle his nose.
The sesame oil smelled so good.
“I pressed sesame seeds myself to make this oil… how is it?”
“It’s wonderful. The aroma is so rich and nutty!”
Kim Cheol-su inhaled deeply through his nose once again and said,
“The sesame oil and salt bring out the rich, clean taste of the Hanwoo perfectly.”
He dipped the beef deeply enough to almost submerge the chopsticks, then quickly popped it into his mouth.
There was no rush—he simply couldn’t stop himself.
It was just too delicious.
At that moment, the village chief raised a cup filled with lively makgeolli and said,
“Let’s have a drink together. Try the potato pancakes too.”
“Of course, Chief.”
Kim Cheol-su sipped the slightly sour makgeolli and grabbed a piece of potato pancake.
It was absolutely fantastic.
The slippery pancakes melted in his mouth, filling it with flavor before sliding down his throat naturally.
You know the feeling when something disappears after just a few bites? That’s exactly how it felt.
Kim Cheol-su happily took another bite of the potato pancake.
“Wow—maybe because the potatoes are freshly harvested, these taste so fresh. I feel great! So delicious!”
“Heh heh, nothing compares to eating this in the village, right? Empty your cup quickly. I’ll pour some more makgeolli.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Kim Cheol-su received more makgeolli, he thought to himself.
Eating makgeolli, potato pancakes, and Hanwoo sirloin here in the vast nature of Hampyeong… it was incredibly healing and peaceful.
Honestly, he had worked hard during the farming season in August, and had done many surgeries in July.
But spending September 1st like this with the village chief’s family was so pleasant.
“Phew—the weather is getting cooler. Chief, summer is finally over.”
“That’s right, it’s all gone. Early autumn has begun. Soon the danpum will bloom, and it’ll be even prettier. Around then, you’ll see persimmons ripening on the persimmon trees. Hehe! Your jujube tree at home will probably have fruit too. Our jujube tree is famous for its large fruit; maybe you’ll get some from it too.”
“Of course. I’ll be the first to bring you some. By the way, what’s that flower blooming beside the crape myrtle tree over there?”
“That’s called ‘Baekilhong’—red crepe myrtle. It blooms for nearly one hundred days.”
All across Hampyeong, countless crepe myrtles still bore beautiful red flowers, defining the region’s image.
But since Kim Cheol-su spotted another flower beneath the tree, he asked about it.
The village chief smiled and said,
“Oh, that’s a hibiscus flower. It has pretty red petals too. We have some blooming in our yard; you should go see them up close.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. This flower is beautiful too. It’s like a room full of flower lanterns—like watching a graceful woman dancing in traditional dress. And it’s also red, so it matches the crepe myrtle well.”
“The entire hot spring area of Hampyeong will be painted with hibiscus flowers. When that happens, it will be like a true paradise. Look forward to it—it’ll be truly beautiful.”
*****
“Hampyeong really is a mysterious place. There are so many pretty trees and flowers… and so much food.”
Thinking once again that coming here was the right choice, Kim Cheol-su leisurely finished his makgeolli and stretched his shoulders.
He felt as if all the fatigue he had accumulated had completely vanished.
No matter what hardships lay ahead, he would remember this moment and overcome them.
He looked toward the mountain ridge where the sunset was spilling over the horizon and took a deep breath.
Clean air, beautiful nature.
There were more good things here than he had ever imagined.
Just then, he thought he spotted a roe deer in the distance and shouted,
“Wow! It’s a roe deer! Guys! It’s a roe deer! Look over there!”
“Where? Where? I can’t see it.”
“Wow! It really is a roe deer! Cheong-a! There’s a roe deer!”
“Really? Amazing—the roe deer is so beautiful!”
The roe deer nodded its head slightly as if greeting them before disappearing into the bushes.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but Kim Cheol-su didn’t want to lose this feeling.
Nature, food, people, animals… everything was wonderful.
Thud!! Wow!
Just then, a white puppy came bounding in excitedly through the door.
It was a perfect moment.
Filled with happiness, Kim Cheol-su smiled brightly and petted the dog’s head as it jumped into his arms.
“Haha! Where did you get yourself so wet? Did you play in the valley? Come on, let’s eat! There’s plenty of delicious food today!”
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