[4] Talking about His Marriage!..

Chapter 4: Arranged Marriage by Government!?

"Why do I feel as if I forgot to buy something..." Jungkook buckled the door of the courtyard. He was pulling his heart. He just wanted to habitually stretch out his hand and scratch his head, but what he touched wasn't the familiar short hair, but the cold bamboo hairpin. "I'm still not accustomed to long hair," he murmured and reluctantly pulled out the new "accessory" from his head with his hands, and then walked towards the kitchen with a little satisfaction.

After tending to the fire in the stove and

adding some dry firewood, he scooped the

lukewarm water from the pot into a basin for

washing his face later. Then he poured enough

water for cooking into the pot from the fresh

water he brought in earlier, covered it with a

wooden lid, and went to find a knife from the

utility room before heading out to pick

vegetables.

This time, he didn't go to the back of the house

where he found vegetables yesterday. There

was only some ginger, garlic, and greens there,

and he had been surviving on greens for the

past few days, fearing that the original owner would return to find nothing to eat.

A few steps to the right side of the house, all of

Jeon's vegetable pots were located. Finding

vegetables was easy, and so was growing

them. That's why Jungkook only partially closed

the door when leaving, as the vegetable pots

could be easily seen from the entire house,

eliminating any worries.

From a distance, he could hear the faint

laughter and playful voices of children in the

village. Jungkook glanced in that direction

feeling a tinge of sadness in his heart.

"It's so lively. I wonder when lll have a real

home in this world." Jungkook immediately felt that something was off and his cheeks flushed.

"What am I thinking!" He angrily patted the back of his head, then hurriedly walked towards the vegetable pots.

"I bought some fatty pork today, but unfortunately, I can't eat anything too spicy because of my face." Jungkook felt a twinge of

regret. He could give up anything except his

craving for spicy food, but here, the dense acne left by the original owner prevented him from indulging. Even with the occasional healing of the spiritual spring, his face wouldn't fully recover so quick. In order to enjoy spicy food in the future, he had to endure!

At that moment, Jungkook completely forgot that when he asked the shopkeeper at the market for chili powder, he was told, "Young man, I have no idea what this 'chili' is. How does it taste? l've been running this shop for so many years and l've never heard of such a thing." There was no chili in this world! But he had been too optimistic!

Jungkook wandered around the plot of land with

limited vegetables. In the end, he picked a

bunch of bitter chicory for a cold chicory salad,

a few celery stalks for stir-fried celery with

shredded meat, and finally decided to pick a

few Bae-keu-Chae for a clear soup. Content

with his choices, he headed back. Even though

he was alone, he still had to live a good life. Jungkook firmly closed the courtyard gate, feeling somewhat relieved. Let them have their fun, he also wanted to have a lively meal today!

He placed the vegetables by the well, washed

his hands, and returned to the kitchen to

check the water. It had just started boiling. He

poured the cleaned corn into the pot and

added some firewood. Then he leisurely went

to the well to wash the vegetables.

"Today, I spent 650 wen on the piglet, 60 wen

on three pieces of cloth, a total of 15 wen on

seasonings, and the fatty pork was 20 wen. As

for the seeds.." Jungkook stopped washing the

baby cabbage and suddenly jumped up.

"I forgot to buy seeds!!"

Jungkook felt a bit frustrated as he looked at the

two vegetable pots that sprouted yesterday in

the yard. He felt like crying without tears. "How

could I forget!"

"Sigh, it looks like l'Il have to go to the market

again in a few days." Jungkook felt a bit

bewildered. He noticed that his memory

seemed to have declined. He could handle

several tasks at once in his previous life, but

now Jungkook was struggling. Perhaps, he

speculated as he scratched his messy hair with

damp fingers, it was due to the condition of

the original owner's body?

Thinking about this possibility, Jungkook quietly

assessed the physical qualities of his original

body and the current one, which immediately

lifted his mood.

"It must be because the original owner has

aged in this world. It's the ancient times, after

all. Haha." With his newfound understanding,

Jungkook happily picked up the unwanted

vegetable leaves and fed them to the little pig

that had just arrived in this unfamiliar place.

Then he returned to the kitchen to prepare

lunch.

Jungkook placed the clean bitter chicory in a large bowl and poured in some lightly salted water for soaking. He set it aside. Next, he sliced the fatty and lean parts of the cleaned pork belly. The fatty portion would be used for rendering oil later, while the lean part would be stir-fried with the sliced celery. Anticipating that the rice would be ready soon, Jungkook scooped it onto a plate and set it aside. After washing the pot clean, he added firewood and waited for the steam inside the pot to dry.

Taking advantage of this moment, Jungkook drained the soaked bitter chicory and placed it

in a large bowl. He added a little garlic paste

and a pinch of salt, stirring it well before placing it on the dining table. Bitter chicory, also known as bitter vegetable, had various benefits such as antibacterial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and eyesight-improving effects. It was beneficial for the red bumps on Jungkook's face, and he also enjoyed its slightly bitter taste.

The steam in the pot had dissipated, and Jungkook assessed the temperature by placing his hand in the air above it. He poured the previously set-aside fatty pork into the pot.

There was no more oil in the house, and he had planned to buy more meat today, but he was afraid it would raise suspicions from Park Imo, so he gave up on the idea. As for the meat and rice in his space, unless there were special circumstances, he didn't plan to touch them. After all, in these times, having a backup plan was essential in case of any disasters. It was a principle of surviving in the end times.

Soon, the distinct aroma of rendered oil permeated the air. Jungkook squinted his eyes and eagerly inhaled the fragrance with his small nose. Looking at the golden oil residue forming in the pot, he thought for a moment then took out another bowl from the cupboard and poured the oil into a container, leaving the residue in the bowl. He added a bit of salt, mixed it together, and created another dish.

The stir-fried celery with shredded meat and

the white cabbage soup were also skillfully

prepared by Jungkook, and he soon brought

them to the table. "Today, I spent a little over

700 wen, which is less than one tael of silver. It

seems like the remaining money will last for a

while. In a few days, I still need to pay Park Imo

for making clothes and for the chickens.."

While Jungkook calculated his future expenses

enjoying the flavorful oil residue, Park Imo, on

the other side, was eating the meal prepared

by his husband and talking about Jungkook.

"Jungkook-ah has really changed this time. He

used to keep his head down in front of us,

afraid to look at his own face. But today, on the

street, even with so many strangers around, he

could still smile."

"That's a good thing."

Park Imo, with a mouthful of cornmeal

flatbread, responded with a happy expression.

"But now there's a new problem." Park Imo's

face, which was just filled with joy, suddenly

drooped.

Park Samchon quickly swallowed the flatbread.

"What's wrong now?"

Park Imo glanced at Park Samchon, who had a

bewildered expression. "That child is almost

turning twenty-one! Just two more months to

go!"

"What's wrong with being twenty-one? He's just

getting older." Park Samchon thought it was not a

big deal. He picked up a flatbread and put it in

Park Imo's bowl first, then grabbed another one

and continued stuffing it into his mouth.

"I don't understand why you're so clueless!

After turning twenty-one, he'll have to be

assigned a spouse by the government on his

birthday! Tell me, what kind of future can a ger

who waits for an assigned spouse have!" Park Imo was frustrated, feeling suffocated. They

had been married for so many years, and he

was still so oblivious. Couldn't he see that he

was upset and couldn't eat anymore?

Ignoring his wife's scolding, Park Samchon took a big sip of porridge and smacked his own lips. "You're worrying too much. He hasn't reached

twenty-one yet, so why rush?"

Then he gestured towards the gate. "Don't you

see what day it is today? Those men who

finished their military service are coming back.

Aren't they enough for you to choose from for

Jungkook-ah? Those young lads could have

gotten married five years ago!"

The villagers in this village are not supportive.

If they had shown interest in Jungkook-ah all

these years, he wouldn't have been so isolated.

He has realized over the years that not all the

young gers in the village who are of Jungkook-ah's age are easy to get along with. Otherwise, the nickname "Ugly Ger" for Jungkook-ah wouldn't have spread and lasted for so many years.

"Oh, by the way, I asked Lyu Imo from my natal village to keep an eye on the situation there. I want to know a bit about the character of the

younger generation there and understand their family circumstances,"' Park Imo said as he

pulled out a jade-colored handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the corners of his mouth.

He recalled the matter he asked Lyu Imo to pay attention to at the market today.

"Alright, you understand this matter better

than me. But still, give Jungkook-ah a heads-

up, so that you don't confuse him. Don't say later that you meddled too much," Park Samchon

stood up and swiftly tidied up the table. In their small household, they didn't follow the traditional gender roles, with the man being in charge of external matters and the wife taking care of the household. Park Samchon cherished his wife and didn't want him to bother about others.

Park Imo wasn't angry and strolled leisurely

towards the inner house. "Jungkook-ah is not

that kind of person. I'll take the clothes over in

a few days and have a good talk with him." It

would be better to sew the clothes during the daytime--bright and easy on the eyes. Park Imo

needed to think carefully about the style. Jungkook-ah's mother passed away early, so

it's no wonder he doesn't remember how to

make clothes. Park Imo needs to teach him, or

else when he has a family of his own, he won't

know how to handle it.

Meanwhile, Jungkook had already packed his

things and headed towards the mountains

behind the house. There wasn't much food left

at home, and the meat they bought today

would only be enough for dinner. He wanted to

try his luck in the mountains. In the memories

of his original self, whenever his father went

into the mountains, he always returned with a

decent harvest. The resources in these

mountains were indeed abundant, but also

dangerous. The ordinary hunters in the village

only roamed around the outskirts of the

mountains and didn't dare to venture too far.

Even Jungkook's appa could only go in a little

bit.

That's because Jungkook's appa and the others

had hunting experience but lacked martial

skills. They couldn't defend themselves if they

encountered dangerous beasts. However, Jungkook, with his excitement, looked at a big white rabbit not far away. He had his space, and if there was any danger, he could hide in there.

Moreover, the Spiritual Spring could accelerate

wound healing. That's why he felt so fearless.

_______________________________________________♡

[A/n: The author expresses frustration, feeling neglected by readers who initially encouraged them to write the story. They emphasize the importance of the current part and request feedback through comments, also asking readers to correct any mistakes. The author ends with a warm tone, addressing readers as "my cuties."

"Sooner or later, he's going to marry,

And leave his bachelor days to wither and vary."]

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