CHAPTER 62: THE TASTE OF RECOGNITION

Seo Sowoo was eating slowly tonight.

His eyes kept wandering to the other people’s chopsticks, watching where they moved.

When he saw someone reaching for the sauerkraut duck, he beamed with delight.

Unfortunately, the sauerkraut duck wasn’t as popular as the braised duck.

Even Im Beomhyeon—who had been fixated on the newly pickled sauerkraut all day—joined the others in devouring the braised duck first.

Only when that was nearly gone did he pick up a couple bites of the sauerkraut duck—and even then, he mostly ate the pickled cabbage.

While handling the hunted prey today, many cuts not suitable for long-term preserved meat had been set aside and used for tonight’s meal.

As a result, the table was overflowing with various meat dishes and the braised duck had outshined all of them, completely overshadowing the sauerkraut duck.

Bok Taejin noticed something was off about Seo Sowoo’s expression.

He gave up on the other dishes and focused entirely on the sauerkraut duck.

The sauerkraut had been fermented exceptionally well—crisp, tangy, and rich from absorbing duck fat.

The duck meat in the sauerkraut dish was a bit drier than the braised version, but it had a satisfying chewiness, offering a completely different flavor experience.

Compared to the other dishes, the flavor of the sauerkraut duck was indeed a bit more bland, so it was no surprise that the others didn’t particularly favor it.

Seeing Bok Taejin steadily polishing off the sauerkraut duck, Seo Sowoo’s face lit up with growing joy.

After the hearty meal, Seo Sowoo leaned in beside Bok Taejin and gave him a cheeky wink. "Isn’t the sauerkraut duck tasty?"

Bok Taejin asked tentatively, "You made it?"

Seo Sowoo beamed even brighter and gave him two enthusiastic thumbs up. "Yup! I made it! Honestly, I’m not even qualified to cook yet. I just got the chance tonight because we had a big menu and everyone saw that I helped hunt the duck. So they let me give it a try."

There was a touch of pride in his tone.

It was clear that being allowed to cook was already a big recognition from the kitchen crew.

But Seo Sowoo’s cheer didn’t last long.

He lowered his head, looking slightly dejected.

"Taejin, did I mess up the sauerkraut duck? Brother Im wanted to eat it so much before, but tonight he barely took a few bites. If you hadn’t been at our table, I’m afraid the sauerkraut duck would’ve ended up as the only leftover dish."

Bok Taejin knew for sure that Seo Sowoo was overthinking it.

Leftovers? In Hwayang Village, there was never such a thing as leftovers! The only difference was whether something got eaten fast or slow!

"It’s because the braised duck was just too good," said Im Beomhyeon as he walked over, picking his teeth. "Do you really think you can compare your cooking skills with Second Uncle’s?"

Seo Sowoo shook his head dumbly. "I can’t."

"Exactly! The braised duck was made by Second Uncle!" Im Beomhyeon didn’t hesitate to flick Seo Sowoo on the forehead. "Make it again tomorrow. If those kitchen guys dare not let you, just tell me—I’ll beat them up for you!"

Heo Taegeon glanced over with a side-eye. "Hey now, Im Beomhyeon, why so fierce? When did we say we wouldn’t let Seo Sowoo cook again?"

Im Beomhyeon just snorted and said nothing.

Heo Taegeon waved him over. "Come on, let’s go find Second Uncle and have him write a shopping list. We’ve been busy marinating meat all day, and we’re almost out of spices. And it just so happens tomorrow is market day. You and Taehyeon go buy the stuff. Each of you take a cart—that should be enough to haul everything back."

Bok Taejin was tempted.

He’d never been to such an old-style market before!

He quickly asked, "Can I come along tomorrow too?"

Heo Taegeon frowned, just about to say no, when Im Beomhyeon casually replied, "If you’re not afraid of walking the mountain road and ending up too sore to move, then go ahead and come."

Heo Taegeon could only try to persuade him. "Taejin, the mountain path isn’t easy to walk. Beomhyeon and Taehyeon are on a tight schedule tomorrow. They won’t be able to slow down for you. You’ll have to keep up with their pace—it’s going to be exhausting."

But Im Beomhyeon didn’t let him keep talking. He was already urging them to go find Second Uncle.

Seo Sowoo chuckled and said, "What’s there to be afraid of? It’s just one day of walking. I believe Taejin can do it! Didn’t I insist on going along too when I was a teenager? I made it to the market just fine!"

Heo Taegeon glared at him. "You rode the cart back that time!"

"What’s with all the talk!" Im Beomhyeon kept pushing Heo Taegeon along. "Hurry up and go find Second Uncle already!"

Heo Taegeon looked back uneasily, still wanting to persuade Bok Taejin further.

Im Beomhyeon suddenly turned around too, but only to remind Bok Taejin to go check the fire under the goose and radish stew.

Seo Sowoo eagerly volunteered to go with Bok Taejin. With someone experienced like Seo Sowoo there, Im Beomhyeon was more than happy to leave without looking back.

By now, quite a few people had gathered around the small stove, all drawn over by the delicious smell.

The large firewood burned slowly, and with people already keeping an eye on it, there wasn’t much for Bok Taejin to worry about.

He relaxed and chatted with Seo Sowoo.

Seo Sowoo stirred the embers in the stove a bit and said with admiration, "Honestly, I think Im Beomhyeon is pretty amazing."

"In our whole village, only Second Uncle and Im Beomhyeon can read and write. No one else can. When I first got here, I was still a kid and went to lessons with other kids from the village at Second Uncle’s place. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t read the characters."

What he said shocked Bok Taejin. "No one else in the village can read?"