15. Going to forest again

"Every time you make that face there must be a problem. What is it this time?" Mina smiled at Elder Kang that just huffed.

"You want to teach her more?" The recipes were actually a family thing and usually secrets.

Mina sighed. "I prefer to share the simple recipe then to see six children walk around the village or town. If she prepares food and they still do it because they don't wanna eat it, then I won't feel sorry not even a tiny bit. That's just spoiled. You have no idea how rude her children are towards her. Her daughters are just a few years younger then I am and don't even try to help."

Elder Kang sat down and drank the tea while thinking about it. "I fear that its not her failure. Actually, Ko Moe's family was quite rich. But their head that knew how to handle money died a few years ago and the children wasted money completely."

Mina just quietly sat down and looked up at the clear blue sky. "Things like that happen everywhere." Even her own family...

"Ko Moe is from the second branch and never lived a rich life. She is actually a good worker. Her family married her to the first person that asked her hand in marriage as they feared she would as for her part of the inheritance. She got some silver, silk and accessories and came with him here. But even tho her husband was working hard he had a problem."

Listening to Elder Kang's words she could already imagine what it was, and she was right.

"He became addicted to gambling, he was a heavy drinker and loved women. But seeing how hard she worked at home he never took a concubine. Maybe it would be better if he did. All the work was lying on her back. The worst, he would just bring random children back home as they had no children on their own." Elder Kang sighed deeply.

"Wait, all the children are adopted? But why do they treat her like a servant?'' It was unimaginable for her.

" As they are orphans both of them tried to give them all the love, but causing them to become rotting spoiled. The whole village felt sorry for them, at first at least, as they became too messy. Lately, no one in the village wanted them in their home. They are lazy and demanding. Who wants to help such children." She was done with tea and stood up. "Don't get to close to her. They might take action and try to hang on you."

Mina shook her head. "Elder Kang, I might seem like not too much, but one thing is for sure, I will not accept such rude behaviour around me. From my side to teach her a few things is to make sure that they won't have the right to say much. By the way, do you know anyone who can add some space on the side of my garden? I need space for chicken and pigs."

The garden was small and if she wanted to grow a couple of piglets, it will be hard to do so with this bit of space.

Elder Kang nodded. "My parents liked the small garden as there was not much to clean, but you will need a bigger space. My boys can come by and restructure the right side all the way towards the field. We can make it a bit bigger when we are already making. I can see you have some pots in your side room, do you want one more room?"

Mina nodded but then shook her head. "I plan to add two more rooms as I plan to adopt children in a few years. But not yet. The few silvers I have can't cover the costs. How much will it cost to make the new wall?"

Elder Kang started counting. "The stone was ready from before as I anyway planned to make the garden bigger. So you can pay them each a silver when they are done. For that money they will make a new wall, chicken coop, pig stall and if you have something else you want..."

Mina was bringing her to the gate and nodded. "I don't know do people on north dry their food. I need food drier. Like that, I can save much food for wintertime."

"Of course we do. It's easy to make. Good, I'll tell them to make food drier and smoker for you. You probably know how to smoke food." Looking at her nod Elder Kang felt happy and sad at the same time. "Your mother really prepared you for everything."

Mina's face became sad at the mention of her mother. "After being cheated by father, mother was afraid for my future so she taught me all kind of stuff. Some stuff was not necessary for me to learn, I thought so but look my life now. Who knows what the future might bring."

After Elder Kang was gone Mina realized she was still hungry. Looking at tasty food she just dug in and at to her full. The rest she left for the next day.

The head was cooked so she took off easily the skin of pigs head and cleaned all the meat. She cut it all thinly, including the ears and fried them until crispy red in lard. She took one pot and put the pieces and warm lard inside as she planned to have this as add to her meals.

The soup she put in another small pot and planned to make light soups for the next few days. Looking at the two pots she smiled contently. "This will be enough. Five days later I'll have meat flavoured dishes..." She went inside and checked her bags. Luckily she earned enough money.

The wall needs to be made, the rice will come and then meat, piglets and chicken... Luckily she still will have some money left before her handkerchiefs are done.

She was about to put it back into the box but felt uneasy. She remembered one loose plank under her bed but it could be moved just tiny bit and the box was too big to push it inside. She grabbed her small bag and stuffed the paper money inside and one more with all silver, dragged the bed aside, pulled carefully the plank up and slowly stuffed the money underneath. Then she pulled bed to stand right over that plank and left inside the box bunch of simple bronze coins not worth even one silver. She put it back into a small closet on the side and sighed.

The feeling that something might happen was so prominent this night and she had really strange dreams. Next morning she woke up even before first light and prepared herself with everything she needs. this time she planned to take the biggest back basket she could find and the hoe was already hanging on the side like she saw children hanging it.

She put some old simple clothes on. She was about to leave when she remembered the entrails she made the day before. She packed it in a clean cloth and stuffed into her side bag. With a smile, she heard a light knocking and opened the door in front of stunned eyes.

''Miss Mina, you are already awake?'' Choi Hyun looked at her smiling face as she nodded.

''Everyone here?'' She saw a few more children she didn't see before and two bigger girls from Ko Mea.

Choi Hyun could see her looking at girls and became serious. ''They need food and we are willing to show them a way how to survive. Let's go.''

This time they found wild purple vegetables and he told her it tasted quite good with herbs. ''This is Alak. If you dry it you can have tasty dishes whole winter long. Alak is good with meat and rice and with Salkmo. And strangely it tastes every time differently with different herbs. Mother mixes sometimes different herbs and it tastes a bit like meat after is rehydrated.''

''I understand. Then pick it. I still need some Salkmo. I'll take Alak later on. I plan to gather as many Salkmo as possible and see how long it can last in different places in the house. And I will try drying it.'' She already had a clear plan in her head.

As they walked through the forest she filled two-thirds of the bag with Salkmo and rest with Alak and mushrooms. They stopped at the river to refresh themselves as she remembered the entrails. She opened the cloth and pointed at it.

''This are ten times cleaned entrails, with seasonings, salt and honey. Fried in deep lard. Wanna try? Even Elder Kang ate it yesterday.'' She just took one piece and started munching on it.

Choi Hyun just shrugged. ''Mother told me that southern know how to prepare everything from a pig. I know you wouldn't offer me if it's bad.'' He took one and without even small bit of hesitation bit on it.

At first, he had strange expression but then his face lit with smiles. ''I was a bit curious about the taste. It tastes good.'' He saw children from Lee family hesitating but all the Choi children took one even the two girls. They already had that day before and felt ashamed and at the same time thankful to Mina.

With a deep bow, they smiled at her. ''Thank you.'' Other children might think that they thank her for the food but Mina knew what they meant so she just smiled.

''Life is long and there is no such thing as a perfect life. Just the best you can live. Let's survive well and do our best to live good enough.'' She patted their heads as she put to rest or entrails into Choi Hyun's hands and went to the water to drink it.

As soon she put hands into the water she knew that it was the Unpredictable and had an idea. ''Kids, what if I make sweets for you but you have to do something for me instead.''

They smiled brightly t her and nodded. ''We will just tell us, Miss Mina.''

''Today after going back home and eating some food, come back to me if you can and I will explain it to you.'' She had an idea and it will take some time for her to do it herself.

The children agreed and rushed back home while Mina with smile opened the door and was instantly inraged...