The next morning at eight, Eun-chae waited for Grandma in the yard as she put on her shoes.
“Gran, are you all ready?”
Grandma came out of the main house and stepped into the yard, leaning on her cane. Her steps looked much lighter than before.
“All ready. Let’s go.”
It took twenty minutes to walk into town. Eun-chae slowed her pace to match Grandma’s, shortening her stride more than usual.
“Gran, tell me if you get tired. We can take it slow.”
“I’m fine. Maybe it’s because I’ve been walking a lot lately, but I feel much better.”
“Still, don’t push yourself. I can’t relax unless you stay healthy.”
Grandma stopped for a moment and looked back at Eun-chae.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Nothing. It’s just... Your knee’s been bothering you lately, and I keep worrying about it. I still have so much to learn, so you can’t get sick.”
Grandma gave a faint smile at that and started walking again.
“Don’t worry. I’ve been doing less work in the kitchen garden lately, and you’re taking care of everything, so I’m feeling much better.”
“Really? You’re not overdoing it, are you?”
“I’m telling you, it’s true. I went to the hospital last week, too, and the doctor said I’d improved a lot.”
Eun-chae felt relieved. She hadn’t known.
“Why didn’t you tell me you went to the hospital?”
“It was nothing. Just a routine checkup.”
“Still, tell me next time. I should know, too.”
Instead of answering, Grandma nodded. The two of them walked side by side toward town.
When they arrived at the seed and plant shop, the owner greeted them warmly.
“Mrs. Kim, it’s been a while! How have you been?”
“My granddaughter takes care of everything now. I can finally take it easy.”
The owner smiled at Eun-chae.
“So you’re the granddaughter. Everyone’s heard that you inherited the guesthouse.”
“Yes, hello. I came to look at some herb seedlings. Rosemary and mint.”
“Come this way. These varieties do well in this area’s climate.”
The place he led them to was lined with all kinds of herb seedlings. Eun-chae examined them one by one, checking their condition.
“Gran, what do you think of this one? The leaves look sturdy.”
Grandma inspected the seedling beside her and nodded.
“This one’s good enough. The roots are nice and strong, too.”
They chose three rosemary plants and two mint plants. As they finished paying and headed out, the owner added one more thing.
“Mrs. Kim, your knee must be doing a lot better. You look much more comfortable walking.”
“It’s all thanks to my granddaughter.”
Those words made Eun-chae’s heart tighten for no particular reason.
After leaving the seed and plant shop, the two of them headed toward the town market. Walking beside Grandma, who carried a shopping bag, Eun-chae asked,
“Gran, what do we need to buy today?”
“We need to pick up a few things to bring to the kimchi-making gathering. The napa cabbage and radishes will come from the fields, but we have to buy the salted seafood and red pepper flakes here.”
“What are we supposed to bring to the gathering?”
“Everyone brings a few ingredients, and we make kimchi together. Splitting it up makes it less of a burden for everyone.”
The market was bustling with people even though it was still morning. Grandma headed toward the salted seafood shop with practiced steps.
“Oh, Mrs. Kim!”
The shop owner greeted her happily.
“It’s been a while. How have you been?”
“I’m running the guesthouse with my granddaughter. We came to look at some salted seafood.”
“Oh, so this is your granddaughter. I’ve heard so much about her. I saw pictures of the guesthouse, and it’s really beautiful.”
Eun-chae was startled.
“You saw my pictures?”
“My daughter showed me that Instagram thing. The pictures of your kitchen garden and the dog running around were so healing.”
Eun-chae felt flustered, but pride welled up inside her, too. It was amazing that her social media posts had reached even this rural village.
“Thank you. I’ll keep posting often.”
“Good. We’ll keep checking them out, too.”
After choosing the salted seafood, Grandma headed to the red pepper flake shop. They received similar reactions there as well. As Eun-chae was greeted again and again, she felt herself slowly becoming part of the village.
On the way home after finishing their shopping, Eun-chae took the heavy shopping bag from Grandma.
“Gran, I’ll carry this. Give me anything heavy.”
“I’m fine. This isn’t much.”
“No, really. After hearing about the hospital, I’m even more worried about you.”
Grandma handed over the bag with an exaggerated air of reluctance.
“Are you taking care of me too much these days?”
“Of course I am. You have to stay healthy so I can stay here for a long time, too.”
Grandma stopped walking for a moment at those words, then slowly started forward again. Her expression remained calm, but a faint touch of emotion passed through her eyes.
“Then I suppose I’ll have to hang in there a long time, too.”
“Of course. You have to stay by my side and nag me for years and years.”
Grandma gave a short laugh and lightly patted Eun-chae on the back. The two of them walked side by side along the road back to the guesthouse.
When they returned, they set the shopping bags down in the kitchen, and Eun-chae headed straight for the kitchen garden. She was going to plant the herb seedlings they had bought earlier.
“Gran, should we make the herb section today?”
“It’s best to plant them today, before the roots dry out.”
Eun-chae took a hand trowel and went to the empty space beside the lettuce bed. She dug into the soil and carefully transplanted the rosemary seedlings. Dirt clung to her fingertips again.
“Gran, how much space should I leave between them?”
“About the width of two fists. If you plant them too close together, their roots will get tangled later.”
Following her instructions, Eun-chae measured out the spaces and planted the three rosemary plants one after another. When she began planting the mint, Grandma stopped her hand.
“Plant the mint separately. In that flowerpot over there.”
“Why?”
“Mint has aggressive roots. It’ll take over everything else. You have to keep it contained in a pot.”
Eun-chae looked as if she had just learned something new.
“I didn’t know. I was just going to plant everything together.”
“See? You learn something new every time you plant.”
Eun-chae brought an empty flowerpot from the shed and transplanted the mint. She patted down the soil and gave it a thorough watering.
When they finished, the two of them stood looking at the completed herb section. Three rosemary plants and the mint in its pot sat neatly side by side.
“Gran, this is good enough to post on Instagram, right?”
Eun-chae immediately took out her phone and snapped a picture. The afternoon sunlight glittered as it settled on the herb leaves.
“Today, we welcomed some new members to the family 🌿 Rosemary and mint have found their place in one corner of the kitchen garden.”
After uploading the post, Eun-chae brushed the dirt from her hands and climbed onto the veranda. Grandma sat down behind her and said,
“They’ll start giving off a scent in a few weeks.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Maybe I could make something like a breakfast tray scented with rosemary.”
“That sounds nice, too. But don’t get too ambitious. One thing at a time is plenty.”
Eun-chae nodded. Even she had noticed that the list of things she wanted to do kept growing lately.
“Gran, I keep getting ideas these days. At my old company, I had to force them out, but here, they just come naturally.”
“That’s because they’re things you truly enjoy doing.”
Eun-chae turned those words over in her mind as she looked at the kitchen garden. The lettuce, and now the newly planted herbs. It felt as though this small patch of land, slowly growing larger, was expanding her heart along with it.
“You’re right. It feels so much better to do what I really want instead of forcing myself to do everything. Even when it’s equally hard, it feels different.”
Eun-chae spoke as she hugged her knees. Grandma listened quietly, then nodded.
“That’s true. The hardship may be the same, but if the reason you endure it is different, then it becomes something completely different.”
“Right? At work, being tired just meant hanging on. But here, when things are hard... it feels like something’s building.”
“Building is exactly the right word. In the end, it stays with you.”
Eun-chae looked at the herb section again. The rosemary and mint she had planted that day were still small and delicate, but soon they would take root and grow.
“Gran, do you remember when I first came here? I was completely drained.”
“I remember. There wasn’t even any focus in your eyes.”
“But now... I find myself looking forward to each day. I naturally start wondering what I’ll do tomorrow.”
Grandma gave a faint smile and lightly tapped Eun-chae on the shoulder.
“That’s what recovery is. The fact that you’ve realized it yourself means you’re doing much better.”
Eun-chae’s heart warmed at those words. She could truly feel how different she was now from when she had first arrived.
As evening approached, the two of them sat side by side on the veranda, gazing at the sky stained red. In the kitchen garden, the lettuce and newly planted herbs sat neatly beside one another.
“Gran, I’ll be able to do a good job at the kimchi-making gathering tomorrow, right?”
“Of course. Everyone in the village recognizes you now.”
“Really?”
“Everyone greeted you while we were out shopping. You’re already famous.”
Eun-chae laughed. From the far side of the yard, the evening breeze rustled through the herb leaves as it passed.
Author’s Note I wanted to capture the moment Eun-chae finishes the herb section and realizes for herself that she’s recovering. Next chapter, we’ll continue with the kimchi-making gathering episode I mentioned. Thank you for staying with me this far.