So, he took a sip.
As soon as the porridge entered his mouth, a unique fragrance spread across his taste buds.
Bok Taejin furrowed his brows in thought before realizing that this must be the natural aroma of the rice itself.
There was no other explanation.
The village's porridge was clearly plain white rice porridge, with nothing added—so where did this rich flavor come from?
He took another two sips, and his furrowed brows slowly smoothed out.
Having eaten plain rice all his life and suddenly drinking this porridge—where the essence of the rice had been simmered into the water, forming a thick, almost paste-like consistency—was a novel experience.
The surprise gave way to a deep sense of comfort.
It was as if the moment the porridge touched his tongue, his body eagerly absorbed its nutrients.
There was still plenty of porridge left in the pot, and since he could fill his stomach with buns, he wasn't in a hurry to finish his bowl and get another.
Right now, what he wanted most was to savor the taste slowly.
But just then, Aunt Seo walked over, smiling warmly. "Taejin, you came with Beomhyeon, right? Didn't you say two days ago that you were going to plant white radishes? How's it going now?"
The villagers had naturally loud voices.
Aunt Seo was considered a gentle woman, but even she wasn't exactly quiet.
The villagers nearby who are overheard their conversation immediately gathered around, chattering all at once.
Some of them asked if he had found suitable land, the others asked if he needed help clearing the field… The flood of questions almost overwhelmed Bok Taejin.
Suddenly, a large hand reached in and forcefully parted the crowd surrounding him, creating a clear path.
Then, the owner of the hand stepped into the space and blocked it off again.
Im Beomhyeon who is holding his bowl in one hand and resting his other on his hip, scanned the crowd with a sharp, raised brow.
The villagers instinctively gave him more space, but they didn't disperse completely—they still wanted answers.
Im Beomhyeon let out a cold chuckle and said, "Now you all wanna act helpful? I already took care of everything for Taejin! Those radishes have sprouted, and they're growing beautifully! If you don't believe me, go check behind my house! Now get lost! Can't you see you're crowding him so much he's sweating?"
Bok Taejin hesitantly touched his forehead—no, it was dry.
Where was the sweat?
But the crowd really did scatter a bit, significantly easing the pressure on him.
Just then, Second Uncle walked over…
Bok Taejin's internal alarm bells rang.
Sure enough, as soon as Second Uncle spoke, he asked, "Taejin, did those white radishes you planted really sprout so quickly?"
Bok Taejin nodded his head, a little hesitant. "Second Uncle, do you want to go take a look?"
It wasn't that he didn't want to let him see—it was just that… he hadn't eaten enough yet!
"Of course, I want to," Second Uncle squinted his eyes with a smile. "You little rascal, don't make that face. Do I seem that unreasonable to you? Eat first and fill your stomach. We'll go take a look after that. No rush, take your time—eating well and growing strong is the most important thing."
Bok Taejin was utterly surprised.
Second Uncle didn't talk much with others.
In fact, Im Beomhyeon was probably the person he spoke to the most.
But the way Second Uncle usually treated Im Beomhyeon?
That was something else—glaring at him all the time, occasionally throwing firewood at him, waving around a ladle, and sometimes even raising a cleaver...
Since Bok Taejin had always followed Im Beomhyeon around and gradually familiarized himself with Hwayang Village, his most lasting impression of Second Uncle was his fierce side.
Yet, this behavior wasn't strange at all.
A person who could look at everyone eating happily with such warmth in his eyes—how could he not have a soft heart?
By this time, Im Beomhyeon had already finished eating.
He casually handed his bowl to a nearby cook who had also finished eating.
He then called out to Bok Taejin, "Today, just stick with Second Uncle, alright? Don't run around. If you get lost, no one's coming to find you."
Someone let out a mischievous laugh. "Beomhyeon is talking nonsense again. Even if you don't look for him, we will!"
Feeling annoyed by their comments, Im Beomhyeon waved his fist, and the laughter died down, replaced by quiet chuckles.
Bok Taejin didn't even need to ask before Im Beomhyeon explained, "I'm heading into the mountains for a hunt with them today."
Then, he suddenly bellowed, "Seo Sowoo! Where the hell do you think you're going?! Get your ass over here!"
Seo Sowoo, who had been sneaking off to the large kitchen at the back to help with cooking, drooped his head and shuffled over, replying weakly, "Got it, bro..."
Before he could even get close, Im Beomhyeon grabbed him by the collar and gave his head a few firm pokes. "You always slacking off!"
Seo Sowoo kept his head down, not daring to argue back.
Bok Taejin had initially wanted to speak up for Seo Sowoo, but when he noticed Aunt Seo standing nearby, only smiling and saying nothing, he wisely shut his mouth.
If his own mother didn't care, what was he supposed to say?
Eating was more important.
Meanwhile, the village hunting team was preparing to head into the mountains.
Im Beomhyeon, still a little uneasy, turned to Second Uncle. "Second Uncle, I'm leaving Taejin with you, alright? Make sure to keep an eye on him."
Bok Taejin took a big bite of his steamed bun.
He wasn't a 3 year old kid!
But then he heard Im Beomhyeon continue, "Don't let this little rascal grow up to be another useless troublemaker like Seo Sowoo! Always avoiding going to the mountains and hanging around the kitchen all day! Absolutely no future!"
Bok Taejin: … What the heck?!