chapter 43
gulp.
My salivary glands exploded, but I held it in.
Thinking of the fermented sashimi that I will eat after a while.
I brushed off my thoughts and headed to the other side of the cruise ship…
“If you’re lucky, you’ll meet a porpoise… I haven’t seen a thousand won today. So everyone stays and goes.”
“!”
I saw.
Sangdol and Sangsoon followed me again in the morning.
But, this time it’s not just one or two.
It seems that they brought the families of porpoises around here in groups.
I think I saw the captain now.
Excited, he stuck his head out the window and yelled loudly.
“Oops! The dick came this way. Now a group of porpoises have appeared. Wow.
The people who were eating sashimi rushed to the opposite line.
There is even a person who brought a plate of sashimi with vinegar on his face in the captain’s torch.
“and!”
As the three porpoises soared to the surface at the same time, people took out their cameras and pressed the shutter. I groaned like a child.
Obviously, the Sangdol family was right.
People busy taking selfies with Sangdol’s family performing tricks and their neighbors in the background.
‘Sangdul, Sangsoon-ah. thank you. you can stop now There are a lot of people.’
The family of Sangdol who never forgets grace.
Moisture began to build up in my eyes without even realizing it, thinking that I was a hundred times better than a person who unknowingly puts a dagger in the back of the other person without knowing grace.
As if reading my mind, the Sangdol family led another group of porpoises and disappeared into the distance.
I prayed and prayed that dozens of porpoises would not leave the West Sea without any harm, protect the healthy sea, and live well in good health.
When I got off at the cruise ship dock, Park Hong-shik was there to pick me up.
Did you hear the whispers of the disembarking people?
“Wormhawk, have you seen a porpoise here?”
“Yes, it wasn’t three this time. Relatives, neighbours, they brought them all.”
“What day is it? Even with a tourist stamp for viewing porpoises, the days when you see them are rare. you’re a b*tch stomach.”
“no.”
“Come on, let’s wash up at my house and go to grandma’s house. You’ve got a big outfit.”
“Yes, yes.”
I’m already salivating. Already.
skates…
Park Hong-sik’s house was halfway between the grandmother’s shop and the abalone farm.
It was a typical old country house with a water tap in the spacious yard beyond the stone wall.
The yard of Park Hong-shik’s house was like a children’s playground.
Mini slides, mini pools, mini soccer goals, mini cushions, and many other dolls were placed at the center and edges of the yard.
Food containers and pet supplies that appear to be those of a cat were also seen.
Gumballs, who were busy playing in the yard, and Mango, including Kkandoli Kkansuni, started running at me as soon as I entered the yard.
“Dad~”
“!”
What surprised me was the two bright children who seemed to be Park Hong-sik’s children.
“Oh, my newcomers, were you having fun?”
“yes.”
“Guys, what are you? Ippudang. Mango, Greumi, and Dunduni. Ipo..”
5-year-old female twins who are now speechless.
“My late-born twins, whom I gave birth to when I was in my 50s.. I was told to live alone.
“You did a good job. It’s so nice to see you look happy.”
It is Park Hong-sik who married a genuine Vietnamese woman through an international marriage center in Mokpo to live with her elderly mother.
“Even so, there are many blessings for people out there.
They are really bloody things that don’t seem to hurt even if you put them in your eyes.
How could it not be lovely?
Come to think of it, Park Hong-sik’s actions also had a grumbling characteristic of Jeolla-do, but it seems that he was overflowing with happiness.
“Do you have a wife or daughter?”
“Yes.. you are here.”
Park Hong-sik’s wife, dressed in an elegant outfit, came out of the building with quick steps.
“Is the butterfly still Golgoldi? How are you?”
“I don’t think I have any more energy because I’m old. It’s much better now. I think you can take it out now. What about meals?”
“You guys had a hard time chewing gum.. First of all, you should wash up and go out to eat.”
“Thank you for your hard work today. My father loves it and my kids love it too.”
“Ah, what have I done?”
“Follow me. The bathroom is inside.”
Park Hong-sik introduced me to my wife, and I immediately went inside, where my wife guided me, and washed off my sweat before leaving.
Although the exterior has the structure of a country house, the inside has been improved in a modern style, so there is no inconvenience.
“Ha ha ha ha ha.”
The reason why I laughed right away was because the two twins sitting together with mangoes were so cute.
‘I like mangoes too. Seeing you sit still.’
Still, the mother of the twins took the children away from Mango to avoid stressing him out.
‘He’s very considerate of the animals’ feelings.’
The children understand their mother’s words and soon dance and run around the yard.
Gum-tack and Kkan-dol Kkan-suni follow after him.
It’s only been a few hours since we met, but seeing how well they follow them, it seems that even the chewing gum knows it. That the twins, no, the people of this family are good and good people.
“Once you’ve washed up, how are you going? Grandmother prepared food and waited for me. The wives and the children… they’re having a bit of a mess.”
“It should be. Bye. Don’t drink too much.”
“Oops,, Graz..”
“Put…”
While answering, he winked at me and laughed.
‘You mean to eat a lot.’
“I’m coming.”
When I greet Park Hong-sik’s wife, she bends down more than me.
Park Hong-shik’s mother entered the yard with a mobile cart loaded with things.
It looked like a skate fishing line (needle) that I saw at my grandmother’s house.
The children rushed to get the cart handed over.
“I caught all the rats…”
“yes. Mamni, why are you the owner.. I feel very relieved..”
“hello.”
“Thank you. thank you.”
Park Hong-sik’s mother’s hands, which were holding mine, felt rough.
I felt respect for the hands like proof that I had been doing the rough fishermen’s work here all my life.
“Don’t worry guys.. eat a lot and live comfortably..”
“thank you. thank you.”
I looked at them while leaving the yard with Park Hong-shik, but they are calm.
I have experience raising a cat and I have twins who follow me well, so I went out without worry.
As I was walking to my grandmother’s house, I heard about the line that my mother brought. The length of a line in one washbasin is about 100 meters.. About 450 needles are hung here.
When I said that it was too little to receive 4,500 won when I sewed it by hand, I said that the elderly do not have such a pastime at this time.
4500 won..
Tonight, while we drink, Park Hong-sik’s mother and daughter-in-law will bend over and weave hundreds of needles.
Thinking of the movements of her hands to weave hundreds or thousands of needle noses, she came to understand the importance of money and the reason for her mother’s rough hands.
#
At Grandma’s restaurant, fishermen and fishermen were gathered today.
I really liked this space, like a neighborhood love room that was old and smelled of people.
When I entered, the eyes that were wary of strangers from yesterday turned into interest as if they were dealing with a young man residing in this neighborhood.
“Did you have a hard time today?”
“Hey, come in.. I don’t know.”
“Ajumae, what are you doing with a guest?”
“Done. You rotten bastard, hang on.”
“Hongshik worked hard. It’s better for an hour or so.”
“Yes, thanks to the concerns of the elders, all of my worries have been resolved. I’m paying for it today, so eat as much as you want.”
When I sat down with Park Hong-shik at the table in the cement container, a Korean table of fermented skate was served with side dishes prepared by my grandmother.
“wow.”
In addition to the raw skate in the center, Obong is full of side dishes and foods that are different from yesterday’s Baekban.
Grandpa with arm sleeves sat down in front of us, and Park Hong-shik was busy serving small portions of the food in front of us to the villagers sitting at the table next to us.
“You worked hard.. If it’s hard to eat, roll it up… I’m going to serve you tenge fermented skate..”
“Ah, I understand. Thank you for caring me.”
In fact, I had never eaten skate.
I remember going there to eat it on a rainy day during a dinner party, but I sneered at it because it didn’t taste that strong.
Looking at the concerns of the grandmother, I thought that it would be more intense than the taste of yesterday and then.
I’m looking forward to it and excited about what kind of taste it is.
Concerned by the owner’s grandmother, Chon-ro at the next table scolds her.
“Ah, Monsori. If a man came to Hongsando, would it be bitter if he didn’t eat fermented skate that blows his nose up?”
They are villagers who laugh and sympathize with each other.
Grandmother waved her hand as if to stop, and Park Hong-sik poured Takju.
“The color is darker than yesterday.”
“Graj, yesterday I just sold Takju. This is because my grandmother made it herself. Is this only for guests?”
It is Park Hong-shik who speaks in my ear slightly.
“Oh, thank you.”
Park Hong-sik got up again and passed a glass of rice wine that he said he made himself, and then bumped the glass against me.
“You worked hard today, thank you. Talk about a lack of hunger.”
“Yes yes”
“Kya!”
Takju, which was said to be handmade by the owner’s grandmother, was astounding.
“and.”
“What happened?”
It was poisonous, rich in taste, and pungent in taste.
“The pungent taste is good to go down the throat.”
“It’s big. I’m going to do a branch tank today..”
Everyone laughed at the words of Chonro, who was sitting next to him.
Park Hong-shik wiped his mouth and Grandma smiled and opened her mouth.
“I should have added honeysuckle and arrowroot juice… This isn’t alcohol, it’s medicine.”
“Is the liquor aged?”
“Warmma, you know the young man well.”
“This sake is aged for about a month. Herbs should also be decocted.”
no wonder.
I had steamed red fish as a snack.
It melted in your mouth and added a mild flavor.
It was different from yesterday’s simple red pepper paste and soy sauce seasoning.
“Is it different from yesterday’s steamed skate?”
“Hey, I know you well. Add soybean paste and steamed bran. Then, season the bran with Cheongyang pepper, crushed garlic, and onion on top. That’s why there are ants in it.”
“..ant..yo?”
“Yag-yeo, it tastes savory.”
Park Hong-shik said he spoke in a dialect and translated.
Seonghwa by the side
It means to eat skate quickly.
Beside the skate, well-cooked pork meat was steaming up.
It was moist, but the light color and well-ripened old rice cake were very tasty.
Now I’m going to fill the speed with steamed skate.
The preparations are over.
Secretly, I took a deep breath and poured grandmaepyo rice wine, which was no different from medicine, into them.
Then, put the meat and aged paper on top of the skate and put it in your mouth.
Once, twice, three times, the unique scent of fermented skate hit my nose every time I chewed it.
“Ugh…”
Suddenly, my nose went blank, my head started pounding, and tears came out of my eyes.
“eww…”
The villagers laughed and continued talking.
“That tidying up medicine… learning to skate while the roof of your mouth is dry.”
“What? Shall I give you some less fermented chaff?”
However, after swallowing it in one gulp, I feel fine as if I had never done that before.
“no. Is it delicious? That’s really fine. ha ha ha.”
Park Hong-sik asked back if he was sorry for his red eyes.
“Are you really okay? The most delicious part.. Mulko.”
“Yes, Thank you. That’s why the taste of tender and chewy meat is really delicious. are you okay. One more drink, please.”
“Oh, it feels good to go out to hear that the young man from abroad is delicious…”
After receiving a cup of takju from Park Hong-sik, I drank it and ate another piece of skate to confirm that it was really okay.
“Ugh..”
Again, the same scent as the first one bothered me, but it was fine if I ate and swallowed it.
“Delicious. yes, it’s delicious ha ha ha.”
“Hongsan Island’s skates aren’t that good.. They need to be fermented more.. If you want to eat properly, you have to go to Yeongsanpo, Naju..”
“Geuljwii, fermented skate in a jar must lose moisture and the lean meat must be so thick that it won’t go in even if you press it with your hands, so fermented skate is complete..”
The villagers are giving out knowledge about skates, but they haven’t heard of them.
Still, the reason why people are looking for it is probably because of the pleasure of taste.
“So it must be expensive. It takes a lot of work…”
“Although it’s written, skates in Heuksando tend to stay in one place for a long time.. That’s why skates in Heuksando stay fat and plump.. That’s why skates in Heuksando are expensive and sought after.”