Chapter 1: The Ugly Ger of Haengbok village!

Jeon Jungkook looked at his reflection on the gleaming surface of the water in dazed. There is an image of an emaciated and ragged face with a red mole between the eyebrows – the symbol of gers in this world. The mole was faintly visible on the face densely covered with pimples.

That’s right, he is no longer the original Jungkook but the one from a modern, post-apocalyptic world who has the same name as this body. He has been in this world for five days. He was both happy and afraid during this time. He was happy because he was reborn and have a chance to live again. He was afraid because he would have nowhere to go when the original Jungkook returns. So, he has been living these past few days feeling worried. When he first got here, he couldn’t help but feel a bit silly. It seems that he now really has a new life.

He was an orphan in the previous world. He just graduated from college and was planning to find a job, struggle in society, and give back to the orphanage when the apocalyptic arrived suddenly with zombies roaming rampantly. He worked hard to go back to the orphanage later, but it was to no fruition. The orphanage was utterly destroyed. In order to survive and find his former partner, he joined a team. By chance, he awakened his spatial ability and gained a certain position in the team; he was no longer a useless member. While gathering supplies, Jungkook and his teammates separated unfortunately. He lost his way, ran into a hoard of zombies, and the rest is history.

Coincidentally, the original Jungkook was also an orphan. His parents died a few years ago. He didn’t have any other relatives. Jungkook felt relief; he no longer has to face the possibility of being exposed. On the other hand, he has a toothache when he looked at the forest of pimples on his face, the reason he’s called the "ugliest ger" in the village.

They called the original Jeon Jungkook “the ugly one.” So, when his parents built this house, they chose the foot of the mountain to distance themselves from the rest of the village. The house is about ten minutes from the edge of the village. It is the only house in the area.

Except for some memories of his parents, the original Jungkook’s memory was poor, and he had only hazy recollections of the people in the village and almost no knowledge of the outside world. The original Jungkook also had an inferiority complex as a result of years of being called "ugly", so he never went out and had no friends. He had never played with other children or gone to the market; his life was completely closed off.

He was very pitiful. Jungkook touched the red bumps on his face. Despite the fact that this body was tormented by pimples like these, Jungkook believed he had gotten a good deal. On the other hand, he felt complicated when he looked at the red mole between his eyebrows mirrored on the water’s surface. According to the memory of the original Jeon Jungkook, his Appa was a strong man and his Eomma was a ger with a red mole between the eyebrows. Except for the body being feminine than that of a man, gers could give birth. There were only two genders in this world – men and gers – without any women!...

Although Jungkook liked men, giving birth or whatever was something really unacceptable for him. Jungkook stood up, patted his worn-out cyan colored garment, turned around, and walked back towards the clay house at the foot of the mountain, not far from the river. When he got home, he looked back at the river in the distance. The river flowed from the back mountain behind the house in the north to the village in the south. The village was called Haengbok village. There were more than 50 households in the village, except his. Haengbok village was located between Gil-sang village and Ahn-rae village. The gers and the men in the village basically married those from the three villages.

Jungkook, who had experienced the end of the world, felt the long-lost happiness and comfort from watching the emerald green scenery and the smoke rising from the distant village. Jungkook turned around and looked at the thatch-roofed four-room house. The walls were mostly made of mud; the house was surrounded by an adult-height wall made of both mud and stone. Even though it was costly, Appa Jeon built this towering wall for the safety of the family and also to prevent the livestock from being eaten by the wild animals since the house was at the bottom of the mountain.

Jungkook entered the courtyard and closed the gate. He would never leave the door open when he was home. It was a habit from living in dangerous times. The courtyard was quite large; there were big, empty spaces both in front and back of the house. The path from the gate to the main house was paved with stones collected from the river by Appa Jeon. They were not only useful for preventing slippage when wet but also very decorative. It was Eomma Jeon’s request. It seems the Jeon parents were quite affectionate.

There is a well on the left side of the yard by the kitchen, and a small storage room in the corner. A door connected the kitchen to the main room. On the right side of the main room is the entrance to the two bedrooms – one was Jungkook’s and the other was of Appa and Eomma Jeon – stacked under the eaves behind the house.

For someone from the modern world, looking at this house, he would have felt it was cramped, ugly, and shabby, but in Haengbok village, most of the dwellings are made of thatch. Only the village head Lijong and a few other households had mud houses. Appa Jeon was a hunter. The Jeon family had three acres of paddy fields and four acres of vegetable farmland. Appa Jeon usually sold game meat, and the family occasionally got to eat meat as well, which was better than many villagers who could rarely afford to eat meat in a year. Unfortunately, a few years ago, Eomma Jeon felt ill and died suddenly. Appa Jeon followed his wife not long later. There was only fifteen-year-old Jeon Jungkook left. Now the original body was twenty, which was considered old for marriage in this world.

Jungkook did not know how he came here, and the original body had no memory of why he disappeared. However, after these few days living in fear, he finally relaxed. No matter what, it was good to be alive.

Ancient people said that with mountain in the back and water in the front, it was an absolute Pung-su treasure. Jungkook took a bucket of water from the well, walked briskly to the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves, and cleaned the pots skillfully. Five days were enough time for him to quickly get used to these appliances. Although there was no electricity and lighter, as long as he was alive and had fresh air to breathe, he was already very satisfied.

After cleaning the pot, Jungkook poured the water in, and covered it with the wooden lid. He then scooped a bowl of rice from the utility room and washed them. It was whole rice grains with the hulls, but still good and should not be wasted. Although the rice left by the original body was very different from that of the modern world, it could still fill the stomach. During the end of times, there were people who would eat everything.

Jungkook walked to the stove, rubbed the flints for a few times. When there was a spark, he put it under the stove along with the firewood. After a short while, the fire started. Then he added a few more pieces of dry wood. Jungkook took a sickle and went to the small field behind the house to grab some green vegetables and garlic sprouts. After digging a few pieces of tender ginger, he went back to the well and cleaned them.

The money used in this world is also the same gold, silver, and copper as in ancient Korea. The exchange ratio was 1:10:1000, and a penny is worth a dollar. The Jeon parents left 30 silver taels to the original body. In the past few years, in addition to paying taxes and spending some more to buy vegetable seeds, the original body still had 25 silver taels left. A household with a family of three could get by with only 5 silver taels a year if they spend sparingly. Although the money left seemed substantial for others, it was still not that much to do things Jungkook had in mind. He was still grateful that the original body didn’t like to go out, otherwise these 25 taels would have been gone already.

After washing the vegetables, Jungkook went back to the kitchen, removed the wooden lid, poured the grains into the boiling water, and put the lid back on. He then opened the cupboard next to the stove and took out the frozen pork belly he brought out from the space this morning. He rinsed it with water a few times to defrost the meat and set it aside. Next, Jungkook picked up the vegetables, plucked the leaves from the stem, and cut the garlic sprouts. While waiting for the rice to cook, he squatted in front of the stove and added more firewood.

Jungkook felt compelled to enter his space after thinking about it. So, he closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he saw a blue sky with white clouds. His spatial ability had risen to level four before he left. In his space, he had a five-acre plot of land where living creatures could exist, and the space could keep food fresh. There was a spring well in the middle of the land. Although the spring water could not bring back the dead, it could strengthen the body. As of now, there was no produce growing on the land; just the supplies that the team gathered were scattered about: a bag of rice and some two hundred catties [A/n: 1 catty is equal to 0.5 kilogram, so, 200 cattie equalsto 100 Kilogram.] of frozen pork. There used to be more, but when the new female spatial ability superstar joined their team, the captain asked him to move most of the things from his space to hers, leaving only rice and pork, but it was better than nothing.

Jungkook walked to a black box and placed his 25 taels inside. After all, it was not safe to leave the money at home or on his body. When he went back outside, the rice was ready. He removed the pot from the stove and replaced it with a clean pan. He then cut the pork belly into different slices – thin and thick –, set the thin slices aside, and put the thick slices into the pan. When the meat began to turn golden brown, he put the garlic sprouts and ginger in together with the rest of the meat, seasoned with salt, stirred with a wooden ladle, and added some water. He tossed the vegetables into the boiling water and scooped them up when they were done.

He could finally have a meal in peace. Looking at the white rice and golden pork belly with fresh vegetables on the wooden table, Jungkook was full of accomplishment. He likes cooking. He enjoys making delicious and fragrant meals. If the villagers saw him, they would definitely scold him, “How could it not be fragrant with so much oil and meat? What a prodigal!”

After a satisfying meal, Jungkook cleaned up the kitchen. He then proceeded to the utility room, grabbed a shovel, and walked to the front yard, where he would plant vegetables in two plots. It would be a waste not to grow anything on such a big space. He excavated the ground and planted the seeds that the original body purchased. It was almost spring, the ideal season for cultivating and growing vegetables. He planned to go to the market the next day to buy seasonings and additional seeds. He also intended to get a couple of piglets and chickens.

People living on base had to produce and rear livestock during the apocalypse, so he was no stranger to these tasks. Thinking that what he grows would all be his, Jungkook was full of enthusiasm.

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[A/n: This author announces a new novel featuring a Dominant Tae & Submissive Kook characters, prepared specially for readers. The story, inspired by a heartfelt hololonovels tale, may have similarities with other works but is unique. This author, who studied Korean, hopes for a positive response and encourages readers to engage with the story.]

Chapter 2: Park family in Neighborhood...

After a busy afternoon, Jungkook finally finished

tidying up the vegetable garden in the courtyard. He divided it into two plots, one on the right and one on the left of the courtyard gate. The vegetable plots were enclosed with dense bamboo strips in order to protect them from mischievous chickens. "Speaking of which, I don't even know what happened to the original owner. They didn't even keep the most common farm animals like pigs and chickens."

Jungkook cleaned up the scattered debris in the

courtyard and threw them under a large banyan tree outside. He then returned to the kitchen, scooped some hot water from the pot he used to cook lunch, and poured it into a wooden basin. Carrying the basin, he walked to a wooden face-washing stand not far from the well. He placed a rectangular cloth on the side of the basin and splashed the water onto his face. To his surprise, he felt a slight stinging and itching sensation on his face.

"Tsk, it seems quite serious." Jungkook carefully rinsed his face with water and gently wiped offthe water stains with the cloth. It was not easy for a guy to wash his face like this, but he had to do it slowly to avoid worsening the condition. The original owner neglected his own face and even hesitated to wash it sometimes. This was unacceptable for Jungkook, who loved cleanliness.

After pouring the water from the basin into a small drainage ditch, Jungkook went back to the

kitchen and fetched another basin of hot water. This time, before washing his face, he held his slender hand above the basin. Soon, two streams of water flowed out from his index and middle fingers. This was the spiritual Spring water in the space. Due to the accumulation of toxins on his face for a long time, it needed gradual adjustment. It also prevented the villagers from noticing his rapid changes.

Therefore, he only used a small amount of the spiritual spring mixed with hot water to wash his face.

After washing his face, Jungkook put away the

basin and cloth, then returned to the kitchen to heat up some water. After a busy day, even though it was late winter, he was sweating. When he finished his shower, it was already pitch dark outside. He carefully extinguished the oil lamp and stir-fried the leftover garlic sprouts with rice to make a simple fried rice dish. When he finished cleaning up and lay down on the bed made of corn husks, covered with a patched bedsheet, it was probably around 9 o'clock at night. In ancient times, there were no entertainment activities at night, and since he was single, he simply went to bed early.

"Tomorrow, I'll go to the market to get a little piglet and some chicks. I also need to buy a few more clothes and maybe get a puppy to guard the house…" As Jungkook thought about these things, he hugged the quilt tightly around his body and soon fell asleep. It was the most comfortable and peaceful sleep he had ever experienced in this new world.

When the faint light of dawn seeped into the room, Jungkook yawned and got out of bed, braving the slight chill outside his covers. He quickly put on a pair of dark blue clothes, the only outfit without patches that belonged to the original owner. After tidying up, he started the stove, filled it with water and corn, and prepared to cook corn porridge. Then he went to the well and fetched the willow branches that had been soaked in a wooden barrel yesterday. These willow branches served as his simple mouthwash tool, based on traditional Korean culture. He soaked the willow branches in water, and when he needed to use them, he would bite open the branches, and the willow fibers inside would spread out like tiny wooden bristles, making a convenient toothbrush. After rinsing his mouth, he used a mixture of spiritual spring and water to wash his face. Feeling no more discomfort like yesterday's stinging sensation, he enjoyed a good breakfast with a cheerful mood.

Jungkook locked the courtyard gate and headed towards the village in the south. He couldn't find the way to the market, so he had to go find Park Imo.

Park Imo was the one who often helped the original owner with seedlings. He was from Gil-sang Village and married into the Park family

from Haengbok Village. He had a ger-son the following year but unfortunately didn't have any more children afterward. However, without in-laws, their life was relatively better.

Last year, their only son got married and moved to the town, causing envy among the unmarried young gers in the village. If they had known, they would have chosen to marry into the town. Park Imo's house was the first one Jungkook saw on his way from his house to the southern village. It was a rare house in the village, made of green bricks and large tiles, consisting of three rooms. The exterior was also surrounded by stone walls, although not as tall as the walls around Jeon's house. This was thanks to Jungkook's Appa's help, and their family had the best relationship with Park Imo's family

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Who is it?" A rough male voice sounded.

"Quick, go open the door. It should be Jungkook-ah coming for seeds," a softer voice replied, giving the impression that the person was easygoing.

"It's me, Jungkook-ah," Jungkook replied somewhat uneasily. "I, Jungkook-ah," he really wasn't used to it.

After a few rustling sounds behind the courtyard gate, the door opened. "Hey, Jungkook-ah, come in quickly. We're just having breakfast!" Park Samchon was a tall man, almost 1.80 meters in height. Not only did he have a booming voice, but he also had a sturdy physique, not at all like someone in their forties.

"No need, Park Samchon. l've already eaten. I just wanted to ask if you're going to the market today," Jungkook looked at Park Samchon's height and then thought about his own feminine frame, feeling a bit disheartened.

"Jungkook-ah, come inside. There's no need to stand out here for so long." Park Imo also walked up to the courtyard gate and directly pushed Park Samchon aside, heading straight to Jungkook's side. He warmly took his hand and led him into the courtyard. Park Imo was probably around 1.77 meters tall, with a slightly slender figure and gentle features that made people feel at ease. Jungkook felt a bit embarrassed, but he didn't refuse Park Imo's affectionate gesture. "You really ate? Don't try to fool Imo, or I won't spare you." After Jungkook repeatedly assured him, he finally let him off and they began to have breakfast.

There were no strict rules for meals in rural households. Park Imo's family ate in the main room, but many families, due to having too many people, ate in the courtyard. "You want to go to the market? That's a good thing. Young people should be active! l'll tidy up shortly and take you to get familiar with the way."

Upon hearing that Jungkook wanted to go to the market, Park Imo quickly finished his breakfast and grabbed a basket. Inside the basket were eggs they had saved at home, which he planned to sell at the market. "No need to the rush, Park Imo. There's no hurry."

Seeing Park Imo's anxious appearance, Jungkook

found it amusing and felt an inexplicable sense

of warmth. "Why not hurry? The sooner we go,

the more we can explore. Come on, let's go. The head of the household, you won't go today. Jungkook-ah and I will go and explore!"

"Alright, go ahead. Be careful on the way."

"Goodbye, Park Samchon."

"Go on, have a good time exploring!"

Park Imo's house was located at the end of Haengbok Village, so there was a fork in the road next to the path Jungkook had just taken. They could directly bypass the village from there and head straight to the market. Those who lived closer to the village's end took this route, while others who lived closer to the village's entrance took the other road. The distances of two routes were similar. Jungkook and Park Imo took the forked road towards the village's end. It was still early, and there weren't many people on the way. They encountered a donkey cart that specifically transported people halfway. It cost 3 wen per person to be taken to the market. It took about half an hour, or an hour, to walk from Haengbok Village to the market. Three wen was a good deal. Jungkook's fare was forcefully paid by Park Imo, and he didn't argue. He only thought of repaying the other person's kindness in the future and not losing their bond.

"You're Jungkook-ah from the Jeon family, right?" The man pulling the cart was from the neighboring village, surnamed Lee. People usually called him "Lee Samchon."

"Yes, Lee Samchon, how do you know me?" Jungkook pressed Park Imo's hand, signaling him not to get too excited. Park Imo thought Lee Samchon would say something never-ending when he heard him mention Jungkook, so his emotions were a bit agitated. "Your father and I have some acquaintance. He used to mention you often."

"Oh, really? That's quite a coincidence." Jungkook smiled slightly. Despite his thin and acne-covered face, although he didn't appear outstanding, his dark and sparkling eyes added a touch of brightness to his face. Jungkook's smile caught Park Imo's attention, and his heart felt somewhat heavy. How could such a good child...

"You, young man, should get out and about more. The most important thing for a young man is to know how to live, not just rely on appearances to get by! It's all about character!"

Lee Samchon's hearty voice echoed, expressing words that Park Imo wholeheartedly agreed with. "That's right, that's right! Jungkook-ah here knows how to live. Those blind fools deserve to be deceived by appearances!" Jungkook stared in astonishment at Park Imo and Lee Samchon as they chatted animatedly occasionally gesturing with their hands and bursting into laughter when they reached a point they found amusing!

It seemed that Park Imo was not as calm as he

appeared. However, unexpectedly, he was very

friendly. Jungkook squinted his dark, shiny eyes, and he found himself smiling along with Park Imo and Lee Samchon. "During noon, I also work here as a cart puller. Just come here directly when the time comes."

After thanking Lee Samchon, Park Imo and Jungkook went to the street where vegetables were sold and found a spot to place their basket. They took out the eggs from the basket and placed them on a clean cloth, waiting for potential buyers to approach.

"Jungkook-ah, after Imo sells the eggs, we can have a good stroll around." Jungkook was busy

observing the market and, upon hearing this,

immediately replied, "No rush, no rush." He smiled and showed his white teeth to Park Imo.

This attracted the attention of the nearby vegetable sellers and buyers, who secretly glanced at him. "Tsk tsk, why is this young man's face covered in acne? What a pity.."

When Park Imo heard them, he glanced over, but they pretended to be minding their own business.

"Pay no attention to them. Jungkook-ah is the most handsome. They just have no taste."

Jungkook: "..."

With his height of only 175 centimeters, he was not only thin and feminine, but his face was also

covered in acne. Even if he didn't have acne, he

would only be considered an average-looking

guy with slightly larger, darker eyes. At most

he could be described as a fresh-faced young man. How could he possibly be considered "handsome"?

The market wasn't very big, but it was crowded. People from the three surrounding villages all came here to the market. So, there was a considerable flow of people. The sellers were mostly farmers selling their own produce. On the right side of the street were the vegetable sellers, and on the left were the chicken and wild game sellers. Oh, there was even a rabbit seller. Just a bit further ahead was the pork stall, where you had to pay. All in all, this market may be small, but it had a little bit of everything.

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[A/n: A naive and insecure Jungkook, ridiculed for his looks, dies and is reborn with a new soul. Armed with survival skills and Spiritual spring water, he embarks on a journey to transform himself, seeking self-improvement and a better life in a challenging world.

Join author on this journey of self-discovery and growth, as Jungkook blossoms into a stronger, wiser, and more compassionate soul.

"With every step, a new path's made,

From ashes risen, a phoenix displayed."]

...🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊...

Jungkook and Park Imo arrived early, but the

vegetable vendors on the street had also arrived almost at the same time. Rural people do not have the habit of sleeping in, and the families who pay attention to quality prefer to come early to buy fresh produce. The eggs from Park Imo were recently collected, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they were fresh and of good size. They were quickly bought by a customer, twenty eggs for thirty coins. For eggs to fetch such a good price, they had to be fresh. The usual price was twenty-five coins. Park Imo was in a good mood after making a good deal. "Let's go, Jungkook-ah, what do you want to buy? Let's go shopping!"

Jungkook was also infected by Park Imo's happy

atmosphere, and his voice unconsciously carried a hint of excitement. "| want to buy piglets, chicks, and..." "Alright, alright, take it easy. Follow me," Park Imo said with a kind look in his eyes as he observed Jungkook, who appeared thin and weak but had eyes that gleamed involuntarily. He held Jungkook's hand and took him to the place where piglets were sold.

"It's late winter now, and there are fewer piglets available. Let's try our luck. We'll buy the energetic ones, and if not, we can come back next time. Don't rush, there's still time. Ill negotiate the price. You're young and inexperienced, so observe and learn more. It's not easy to avoid being taken advantage of in the future," Park Imo advised Jungkook as they walked. Seeing Jungkook nodding like a little chick pecking at grains, Park Imo felt even more satisfied. This kid was a good boy.

Park Imo thought he should began thinking about matchmaking; Jungkook had really grown up. He should pay attention and see if there are any eligible bachelors who haven't found a wife yet, and maybe he can match them with Jungkook. Otherwise, when Jungkook turns twenty-one, it won't be good. Park Imo felt somewhat worried because in this world, when a young ger reaches twenty-one and a man reaches twenty-four without a spouse, they have to listen to the government and go for an arranged marriage. Those arranged marriages are not a good fate. People waiting for arranged marriages are either lazy men or have disabilities.

Park Imo looked at Jungkook, who was beside him, eagerly surveying the market, and his heart softened. He's already twenty but still acts like a child. 'I should talk to Jungkook-ah about this one day. I believe he must be thinking about the arranged marriage issue to make such a significant change and step out of the village.'

Unaware of what Park Imo was thinking, Jungkook was captivated by the various ancient buildings at the market. He had no idea about the tradition of arranged marriages in this world. Otherwise, he would have been restless and unable to enjoy the sight of these quaint and picturesque houses.

Fortunately, luck was on their side as there were a few energetic piglets available. Although they were small in size, with proper care and nurturing, they would surely grow into large pigs. The seller happened to be from Park Imo's maternal village, so there was some familiarity between them. As a result, the original price of 650 coins for the piglets was discounted to 600 coins..

While Jungkook was busy paying the seller, Park Imo seized the opportunity to pull aside the seller's wife, Lyu Imo. "Hey, pay attention to something for me. Look for honest and reliable men in Gil-sang Village who haven't been married yet. I want to find a match for my nephew!'" Following Park Imo's gaze, Lyu Imo noticed Jungkook, who was bowing his head to take out money. Despite his fair complexion, there were obvious red bumps on his face.. "Is he from the Jeon family?" Park Imo scolded Lyu Imo with a glare. "So what? Are you also as shallow-minded as those people with superficial judgments?"

"Hey, what are you saying! Leave it to me. Recently, many men who served in the military have returned to the village, and quite a few of them haven't found a partner yet!" Lyu Imo hastily reassured. "You just watch closely, and I'll handle it!" "Ok then, I trust you!"

"Park Imo, what were you talking about?" After

Jungkook finished paying and made an agreement with the owner (who happened to be Lyu Imo's husband) to come back for the piglets after buying other items, he noticed Park Imo and Lyu Imo huddled together, chatting incessantly.

"Oh, nothing much. It's just been a long time since I visited my mother's family, so I asked Lyu Imo to pass along a message for me, right?" Lyu Imo quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, young man, you go ahead and shop first. I'll tie up the piglets separately for you. Come and take them when you're done!"

Jungkook expressed his gratitude, even though he had already spoken to the owner. But with the boss' wife bringing it up again himself, he felt even more reassured.

"Why are you staring at their backs? Although

that ger looks a bit ugly, he's still a good kid," Butcher Lyu looked at his wife staring at Jungkook and the others as they left, puzzled. In return, he got scolded by his wife, "Yah, what ugly or not! Go away! You're annoying." Lyu Imo scolded his husband away while thinking about which man in the village had a more reliable character.

Led by Park Imo, Jungkook quickly bought salt and a seasoning similar to chili. While shopping for clothes, Park Imo grabbed Jungkook's arm and said, "Why buy clothes? We can make our own by cutting cloth. It's much better than buying." Jungkook was taken aback. He didn't know how to make clothes!

Seeing Jungkook's helpless expression, Park Imo found it amusing and said, "Cut the cloth, and Imo will make it!"

Jungkook hurriedly waved his hand, saying "That won't do, it's too troublesome." Park Imo insisted, "What's so troublesome? It's shop, selecting fabric that suited for gers." Jungkook hesitated and tugged at Park Imo's sleeve, saying, "If you make clothes for me, I have to pay you for your work. I won't let you do it for free." After Jungkook insisted repeatedly, Park Imo reluctantly agreed.

However, he planned to refuse Jungkook's payment when the clothes were done. While Park Imo was selecting fabric, Jungkook asked the fabric shop owner about the price of making clothes, so he had an idea in mind. He said, "Come, Jungkook-ah, take a look at these pieces of fabric."

Jungkook walked over and looked at the three

pieces Park Imo had chosen: deep blue, light purple, and pale green. He touched them and said, "Well, although it's rough cloth, it feels nice." He didn't want to buy any silk fabric. It would attract too much attention and wouldn't be convenient for work. He had experienced all kinds of hardships in the post-apocalyptic world and knew how to make economical choices. The three pieces of fabric cost a total of 60 coins, while buying a ready-made garment would cost 50 coins. It wasn't cost-effective. He said, "You understand, right? This money can't be spent recklessly. We have to be thrifty."

Park Imo looked at Jungkook with a pleased expression and joked, "Yes, I never thought there would be such a big difference between finished products and fabric. By the way, Park Imo, I want to buy some chicks and pork."

After Jungkook finished paying, he immediately remembered that he hadn't finished shopping. Park Imo replied, "The sun is already high, it's almost noon, and there won't be any chicks for sale. How about this? My family will have chicks soon, so you can come to my place to get them."

Upon hearing that, Jungkook smiled and looked at Park Imo playfully. He said, 'Then I'll buy them from you at the market price when the time comes; otherwise, I won't buy." Park Imo replied, "Alright, alright, let's do that."

Jungkook immediately made his request, saying

"I want fifteen little chicks!'" This surprised Park Imo, who asked, "That many? Can one person

handle it?"

Jungkook patted his slender chest and confidently said, "Of course I can. When they're fully grown, I'll give you one to taste!" Jungkook's demeanor amused Park Imo, and he chuckled "Then I'll be looking forward to it!" After saying that, Jungkook's face immediately lit up with a satisfied expression, and he continued to laugh joyfully.

Passersby were somewhat puzzled, saying "This young ger may be ugly, but his smile is quite sweet."

After Jungkook and Park Imo bought 1.3kg of pork belly and led the piglet, they hurried to the place mentioned by Lee Samchon. "Over here!" From a distance, they saw Lee Samchon looking at Jungkook with the piglet and driving the donkey cart towards them. "Lee Samchon, why are you the only one here?" Jungkook was confused. When he arrived this morning, there were many donkey carts parked here.

"Oh, Jungkook-ah, don't you know? Today is the day when the conscripts return to their hometown!" Park Imo thought Jungkook had forgotten, so he explained the reason to him, not realizing that the other person had no knowledge of it at all.

"That's right. The donkey carts have been running several times because of that. I also made several trips before I saw you here." Lee Samchon was in a good mood. He made some extra money from the trips today, so he could buy some delicious food for his wife and children to make them happy.

After putting the piglet on the donkey cart and settling down, Jungkook felt a bit guilty and asked Park Imo, "Park Imo, you know I don't usually go out. Who is the ruler of this dynasty?" Jungkook pointed his finger towards the sky. Park Imo didn't suspect anything and thought Jungkook had become more open-minded and lively. "We are in the Great Kim Dynasty. The Emperor is in his prime, and the taxes on us common people..." Jungkook realized that this "Kim Dynasty" wasn't the same as the ancient Korean Gim Dynasty.

"Then why is there conscription? Is the world not peaceful?" Jungkook became worried. He didn't want to be transported to a turbulent era. "It's not like that. It's a tradition that has been passed down through several dynasties. I don't know why either." Park Imo didn't know ordinary people. So he explained some the reason, but it didn't concern them as knowledge about conscription to Jungkook.

In this dynasty, there was conscription every five years, and every household had to send one male member. Families that had already sent someone to serve in the military were exempt from conscription for fifteen years. If a household had two husbands, only the one who had given birth to sons was exempt. The head of the household who had already served in the military could pay taxes instead. When Jungkook was born, his appa had just finished his military service and returned when Jungkook was five years old. Until Jungkook turned fifteen and his parents passed away, their family paid taxes every five years instead of serving in the military. Now Jungkook was already twenty turning twenty-one in two months. The conscripted men had also returned this year, so Jungkook finally felt relieved. He was alone, and moreover, he was a ger. It seemed that he had to find a way to make money for taxes.

Lee Samchon escorted them to the fork in the road they had taken in the morning. He helped Jungkook unload the piglet and their belongings. Then he mounted the donkey cart and returned home. After Park Imo put down their things, he helped Jungkook drive the piglet into his pigsty. Then he went back. Today, families in the village who had their children gone for five years due to conscription were full of joy as their sons returned home. By noon, smoke rose from the village as people began cooking Jungkook watched for a while, closed the courtyard gate, and prepared lunch.

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[A/n: This author apologizes for the late update, citing a busy schedule. Author assure readers that updates will continue on available dates. The author hints at the importance of Park Imo and his family, suggesting they will become significant allies for Jungkook in future episodes, and their bond will strengthen over time]. ]

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