* * *
The owner of the whale guesthouse looked at me with startled eyes.
It was because he came into the dorm with Min Yo-han.
I greeted the guest house hostess with a smile.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han said to me before entering the room.
“Would you like to have dinner together later? There is one of my favorite restaurants nearby.”
“Okay, see you in the evening.”
There was time until evening.
I went for a walk to cool off. While following the beach, the phone rang.
It was Baek Min-seok.
“Have you met Min Yo-han?”
he asked at first.
“I did meet you.”
“It’s good, I was worried when I heard that I couldn’t contact you. Have you ever talked about whether to work with us.”
“I have spoken.”
“Unlike you, your voice has no power. Are you unresponsive?”
“I said well, but I don’t know yet.”
“It’s hard to say right now. By the way, why did Min Yo-han leave the company?”
“There must have been.”
Baek Min-seok seemed to be concerned about the reason for his resignation.
I was curious too. It was not information that could be known by inquiring.
There may have been a disagreement with Mark Lester, the founder of Plant Factory, or there may be other circumstances.
“I decided to talk with Min Yo-han again in the evening.”
“Yeah, good talk. And while you’re away, I’m going to tell people about hydroponics. Are you okay?”
“Very good, I hope my colleagues will also be interested.”
“I already told Han Ki-tak. showed great interest. He said he had grown crops before.”
I remembered the crops I saw at Han Gi-tak’s house. Everyone was dying.
“It’s good news, Gi-tak senior showed interest.”
“I will tell my other colleagues. Go back to Jeju Island after a good job.”
“You work hard too.”
We drank phone calls and walked on the beach.
Looking at the cool scenery, I felt my heart swell. After walking for a while, we went back to the guest house.
Soon the sun was setting. The sky was beautifully colored with the sunset.
A man appeared in front of the guest house.
it was a folk song It seemed to be waiting for me.
“You went for a long walk.”
“Did I keep you waiting?”
“No, it’s my fault that I didn’t set the exact time.”
As he said, he didn’t set a time while making an appointment for dinner.
“Are you in my car?”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han’s expression brightened. His attitude had also changed to be kind.
“I am going to a restaurant called Eorong. The grilled octopus is excellent.”
“I love octopus grilled too.”
“That’s good.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han smiled brightly.
Eorung was a small restaurant near Seogwipo Market. It was more of an atmosphere for locals than tourists.
“Auntie, here are two Okdom set meals.”
“You come alone every day, but today you have a guest.”
Said the woman who seemed to be the owner of the moorong.
“We have guests, so please take care of the side dishes.”
“I’ll take care of you, so don’t leave anything behind.”
“Yes, Aunt.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han had a pretty cute side.
It seemed that if we got to know each other, we would be able to live without flaws.
As he said, the grilled octopus was amazing.
“It’s delicious.”
“Am I right?”
“But do you know that?”
“what?”
“You look like a completely different person from the first time I saw you.”
“Actually, when I first saw Kim Deok-myeong, I was suspicious.”
“Doubts?”
“Because they said they heard my story from a plant factory person.”
He seemed to have a story.
“Anyway, it turned out that I had some suspicions.”
“I don’t know what it is, but I’m happy.”
“I even spoke to Little Hans. Recently, my phone broke and I was having a hard time. I found out through Little Hans. What kind of person is Kim Deok-myeong?”
“What kind of person did I say?”
“In a word, they said it would be sorted out.”
“A word?”
“A farmer like a forest.”
“Are you a forest farmer?”
“Yes, I am a farmer who becomes a forest together.”
“It’s overrated.”
It was followed by a friendly atmosphere.
During the meal, Min Yo-han complained about the phone. He said that if it had not been eaten, there would have been no doubts.
“But why did you doubt me?”
“I’m done eating, would you like to go outside?”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han drove to the beach.
We went into a small coffee shop.
“I have to tell you why I left Plant Factory.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han looked out the window for a moment.
He looked like he had a lot to say.
union of key members
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han was an early member of Plant Factory. As a botanist, I studied the optimal environment for growing crops.
We were together from the beginning of the company to the time of growth. He left the company in the process of receiving a large investment.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yohan asked me.
“Have you ever met the founder of Plant Factory?”
“Yeah, I met Mark Lester at the last fair.”
“How did you feel?”
“I felt like a challenging person. They seemed to take the idea seriously.”
“That’s right, Mark is an idea man.”
I remember what Mark Lester said to me. He said that if a solution can be presented in relation to vertical cultivation, a technical partnership can be formed.
“At first, I also liked Mark’s sense of challenge. But as time went on, I realized that it wasn’t for me.”
“What didn’t fit?”
“The world Mark dreamed of was not what I wanted.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han looked out the window. The waves were crashing and hitting the rocks.
“Mark wanted to mechanize all the facilities. Even managing the crops.”
“Then what do humans do?”
“It’s about hiring at least manpower to grow crops. We wanted a minimal number of engineers to grow the crop. Mark wished he wasn’t even there. It was his dream to automate everything.”
“There are no humans growing crops that humans eat?”
“That’s right, the machines take care of everything. Complete automation.”
“Is that why you left the company?”
“Not a decisive reason, though.”
“What was the decisive factor?”
“It was because of Mark’s arrogance. Only a few people with brilliant ideas were valued. Others considered it worthless.”
“It didn’t look like that…”
“It’s a fact that only the core members, including myself, know. There are only a handful of people that Mark Lester has confided in.”
“Then why did you doubt me?”
When I heard Min Yo-han’s story at Plant Factory, he was wary of me.
“Even after I left, Mark persuaded me. I thought I would quit after doing it a few times, but the robbery got stronger. I think I was moved by the fact that I knew the company’s secrets. In the end, it was an opportunity for me to come to Korea.”
“You made me so miserable.”
“When Kim Deok-myeong brought up the word hydroponics, I thought he was trying to convince him in a different way.”
That was the reason why Min Yo-han doubted me.
What was surprising was the hidden side of Mark Lester.
Do you think that people with creative ideas and technology rule the world?
It was far from the world I dreamed of.
“What kind of dream is Kim Deok-myeong?”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han looked at me and asked.
“Have you ever heard that rice grows by listening to the footsteps of farmers?”
“No, I’ve never heard of it.”
“It has multiple meanings. A farmer who farms means communion with the crop. It also means that the hard work of a farmer makes the crops grow. The reason I want to do hydroponics is because I want to relieve the hardship of the farmer and have a good relationship with the crops.”
“It relieves the hardship of the farmer and gives enough sympathy, which is a wonderful expression.”
“To put it bluntly, it means that we are afraid of the future of rural areas where only the elderly are left. The reason I want to do hydroponics is to reduce the intensity of labor. Whether you are old or young, hard work is poison. Like Mark’s dream, I don’t want to leave everything to the machine. I think the human part should be left alone. It is the grandmothers, not the machines, who see the condition of the vegetables best.”
“As Little Hans said. Kim Deok-myeong is a farmer like a forest.”
“That seems a bit exaggerated.”
“You’re humble, in fact, there are things I’ve noticed other than what I’ve heard from Little Hans. I heard that Kim Deok-myeong sells bees to people for free and even created a cooperative. They even shared the agricultural skills of masters with others.”
“Farming is not something you do alone.”
“Yes, I think so. I don’t think it’s something you can do alone.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han paused for a moment as if lost in thought.
I was looking into his eyes.
he opened his mouth
“I have a heart to work with Kim Deok-myeong.”
“thank you.”
“Actually, all the bees I was raising ran away and I was at a loss as to what to do.”
“I was lucky that the bee ran away.”
“So, I want to learn beekeeping techniques on condition that we work together. I have always been interested in bees.”
“You are welcome at any time under such conditions.”
“The reason I was tied to the guest house was because I was always ready to leave. I didn’t know if that would be Hadong.”
“If we work together, we will arrange a place for you in Hadong.”
“Would you mind giving me time to clean up? I think two or three days will be enough.”
“good.”
* * *
While Min Yo-han was cleaning up, he met Choi Gyu-sik of the local beekeeping association.
Choi Kyu-sik said with an apologetic expression.
“Then I looked embarrassed.”
“No, thanks to you, we became a good relationship.”
“You must have had a good affair with that man, didn’t you?”
“Yes, we are raising bees together.”
There was no need to tell Choi Gyu-sik about hydroponics. Choi Gyu-sik smiled brightly at the words of raising bees together.
“There will be no more visits to our association.”
“I don’t think that will happen.”
Choi Kyu-sik burst out laughing.
Soon after, he changed the topic and told a story related to advanced beekeeping. As he listened to the story, he burst into admiration.
“It’s amazing how you can control the temperature and humidity of the hive. When will the equipment arrive?”
“It will probably take a month or so.”
“But will it come before the spring when the flowers bloom?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there before then.”
“Can I visit Hadong once? I want to see the equipment and refer to it.”
“Actually, I came to tell you that. I would like to spread it to other regions as well. When you come, you are welcome to come with the presidents of other regions.”
“If that’s what you mean, I’ll be the liaison.”
That’s what I wanted to hear. Unlike other regions, the Jeju Island Bee Bee Association was managing native bees and Western bees by integrating them into one.
If he takes the liaison, it will be delivered at once.
“Even then, there was no damage because we got medicine from Germany. This time, you are helping people with advanced beekeeping.”
Choi Kyu-sik said with a smile.
“I think it’s more about living together than helping.”
“As expected, Kim Deok-myung has a big bowl.”
It was the moment I finished talking with Kyu-Sik Choi and left.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han got a call. I asked to meet him at the apiary. It was the place where I first met him.
I moved to the apiary in the forest.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han was looking at the beehive.
“I was renting an apiary. I met the owner today and ended the conversation. But I think I need to sort these things out a bit.”
I thought I knew why he called me.
There were beehives and equipment in the apiary.
“How about selling beehives and equipment to the association?”
“At that time, I had a blast, would you accept it?”
“I’ll tell the president well.”
“Yes, thank you.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han arranged the beekeeping tools and beehive as if it had been an hour.
While we were tidying up together, he asked me.
“I asked yesterday, but why did the bees disappear?”
“It could be due to hive migration and timing of medication.”
“It’s also my mistake.”
“It is just a possibility. It could be for a different reason.”
“What else?”
“It could be an epidemic or a problem with the hive. Bees have a strong habit of protecting their hives. Even when they die, they move away to protect the hive and then die.”
“I didn’t know there was such a habit.”
Little Hans was also afraid of the disappearance of the bees. The exact cause is unknown, but it is true that bad things happen to bees.
Gyu-sik Choi accepted the beehive and beekeeping tools.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Min Yo-han also asked Kyu-shik Choi to shake hands of reconciliation.
The two men laughed happily.
“Thanks to you, the arrangement was completed quickly, and I think I will be able to leave for Hadong tomorrow.”
He was staying in a guest house. There wasn’t much luggage.
All you have to do is pack your bag and go.
“Are you ever going to America?”
“Are you asking because of your family?”
“yes.”
He didn’t ask any questions about his family.
“I’m not going to America, I don’t know if it’s Africa.”