Episode 26: Uncle’s Request
That man was Dong-geun.
However, his actions were quite peculiar. He picked up a chick from a box, grabbed its legs like tweezers, spread its anus, and massaged its belly to remove a tiny bit of excrement into a disposal container.
Then, he gently touched the inside of the chick’s anus with his finger.
The chick chirped, but Dong-geun paid no attention.
He was so reverent, as if in deep prayer, that it seemed inappropriate to disturb him.
He was so focused that he didn’t even notice someone had arrived.
After watching for a while, Lee Chang-jin cleared his throat, feeling somewhat awkward.
“Ahem… Hey, Dong-geun.”
“Wh… Who is it?”
Dong-geun turned around slowly and was surprised to see Lee Chang-jin.
Dong-geun almost dropped the chick he was holding and then grinned, showing his yellow teeth.
“Well, look who it is! Isn’t it Changjin hyung? How long has it been?”
“Almost five years. How have you been, Dong-geun?”
“I’ve been doing well. But right now… It’s a bit embarrassing. Ah… I’m dressed like this.”
“Haha. You’re working, so it’s understandable. No worries.”
“I should at least offer you some tea… but I don’t have any.”
“No, it’s fine. I already had some tea at the community center. There’s no need.”
“But it’s the polite thing to do. Please wait a moment, I’ll get some hot water.”
A moment later, Dong-geun hurried outside and returned with a steaming kettle and a cup.
Dong-geun poured a warm cup of tea and handed it to Lee Chang-jin in a chipped teacup.
“It’s chrysanthemum tea. It may not look like much, but I picked and dried it myself.”
Lee Chang-jin waved his hand over the cup to catch the aroma of the soft chrysanthemum scent.
After taking a sip, Lee Chang-jin asked again.
“Thank you. But what were you doing earlier? You seemed very focused.”
“Oh, I was checking if it was a male or female chick.”
“How do you do that?”
“There’s a method. You press the large intestine area under the spine to remove the chick’s meconium, then check the anal protrusion. If it’s smooth, it’s a female; if there’s a protrusion, it’s a male.”
“Oh, but why remove the excrement like that?”
“Ah, if you don’t press the belly like that, you might get an unpleasant surprise during the examination.”
“I see. But can you really see such a tiny thing with your eyes?”
“Once you get used to it, yes. Believe it or not, I have 2.0 vision in both eyes.”
Lee Chang-jin was inwardly impressed that Dong-geun could see a reproductive organ the size of half a grain of millet with his naked eye.
“That’s impressive. But it’s the holiday season; why didn’t you come to the village hall? At least have a meal.”
Dong-geun shook his head, looking like he was fed up.
“It’s embarrassing. The elders keep asking if I found a job, and it’s annoying. It’s more comfortable here.”
“Really? I heard you got a job at a food company. It didn’t seem like a bad company…”
“Yeah, but I don’t think I’m cut out for the food industry. I was assigned to the food development department, and they made me eat over ten bags of snacks every day. After constantly eating, the roof of my mouth was all torn up, and I felt bloated all the time. Plus, there was constant overtime, and it felt like they were wringing me out. It wasn’t something a person should endure, so I left.”
Lee Chang-jin had an inkling of what he was talking about. Back then, snacks were often loaded with various synthetic additives and didn’t meet proper hygiene standards, making them unhealthy. For someone like Dong-geun, who didn’t like snacks, it would have been even more grueling.
“Hmm… If it’s not your calling, there’s nothing you can do. So, what are you planning to do? Do you have any thoughts on reemployment? I can help if you need.”
“I appreciate the offer, truly. But I’m taking my time to think it over. Actually, I’m preparing for an exam.”
“An exam? What kind of exam?”
“A chick sexer exam. If I become a sexer, I can earn as much as a college graduate.”
“Ah… I see…”
Lee Chang-jin finally understood Dong-geun’s actions earlier. Male chicks are less commercially valuable compared to females, so they are usually excluded at the breeding stage.
Male chicks can’t lay eggs, making them less commercially viable. Additionally, they are more active than female chicks, so they don’t gain weight as well. As a result, male chicks are often sorted out by sexers as soon as they’re born and then ground up to be used as animal feed.
While it may sound harsh, the creation of chick sexers was a result of the needs of commercial poultry farming and a business-minded approach. In Korea, industrial poultry farming began in 1961 under government initiative, and the government established the Korea Poultry Association to cultivate poultry farmers, publish specialized books, and conduct regular qualification exams once or twice a year.
Chick sexers were highly lucrative professional jobs. It was very challenging to distinguish between male and female breeder birds, but European and American sexers had a lower success rate than half of that of Korean sexers.
Thus, the monthly salary of a chick sexer dispatched to the USA was $1,000 at the time, and veteran sexers with around 40 years of experience earned twice the salary of a chief physician at a major German hospital.
Seeing Lee Chang-jin’s interest, Dong-geun excitedly pulled him along.
“Come, let me show you something. Do you want to see how I raise chickens?”
Dong-geun led Lee Chang-jin to a small artificial incubation room behind the barn. It was made from apple boxes lined with old clothes and covered in plastic. Inside, there were circulation fans, temperature controllers, waterproof sockets, light bulbs, transparent plastic cases, timers, and temperature and humidity gauges.
Lee Chang-jin looked around at the eggs being heated by a reddish light.
Inside the artificial incubation room, newly hatched chicks were chirping.
Seeing the newborn chicks, Lee Chang-jin muttered in awe.
“You made this all by yourself?”
Dong-geun scratched his head shyly under Lee Chang-jin’s gaze.
“Yes. I got the cables and waterproof sockets from the junkyard. Everything except for the low-speed motor was scavenged. It only cost me 300 won.”
“What about the feed? Did you buy it from town? Feed costs must be quite high.”
“No way. Did you forget I graduated from an agricultural school? I can make feed anytime. Since it’s the countryside, I mix leftover corn and grains with rice bran, frogs boiled from the stream, and mix it all with some sesame meal. It’s nutritious.”
Lee Chang-jin found Dong-geun’s professional tone admirable.
But he was also worried.
“Can you properly prepare for the exam like this? As far as I know, chick sexing is a race against time.”
To become a high-level sexer, one must successfully sex 100 chicks in under 7 minutes with an accuracy of over 98% in five consecutive attempts.
In actual practice, experienced sexers can process 1,300 to 1,600 chicks per hour, sexing about 20,000 chicks a day. To earn their keep, they need to sex one chick every 3 seconds.
But in such poor conditions, it would be difficult to get enough practice.
Hearing this, Dong-geun sighed deeply, as if struck by the truth.
“That’s the real problem. To practice for the exam, you need chicks that are less than 24 hours old, but they don’t hatch every day. That’s the real issue.”
“As far as I know, there’s a specialized academy near Dongdaemun. Why not grit your teeth and attend for a few months?”
“You need money for that. How can I afford to go to an academy? Including practice fees, it would cost at least 300,000 won. When you add food, lodging, and transportation, it’s not even close to being feasible.”
“Have you talked to your father about it?”
“You know how stingy he is. Last time I asked for practice fees, he hit me on the head. I had to treat the wound at home because he didn’t want to waste money on hospital bills. If I ask him, he’ll definitely hit me again.”
Dong-geun showed the stitch marks still left on his head.
Seeing the clear scars on his head, Lee Chang-jin smiled awkwardly, feeling a sense of camaraderie from having worked his way through school himself.
But seeing how hard Dong-geun was trying, he suddenly felt like helping him.
“So, what level are you at now?”
“I can sex about eight or nine out of ten chicks accurately. It’s still not enough.”
“Then, can I help you out? If you want, I can support your academy fees and lodging in Seoul.”
Hearing this, Dong-geun’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Really, hyung? I’d be thrilled! I can leave as soon as tomorrow.”
Seeing Dong-geun’s eagerness, Lee Chang-jin added one more thing.
“But you need to get your father’s permission first.”
“What? Permission?”
Dong-geun’s excited expression turned sour.
“Were you just planning to leave without saying anything? If I take you, I need at least some justification.”
“Ah, hyung, that will be tough. Do you think my father will let me go to Seoul? He keeps nagging me to work at the factory.”
Seeing Dong-geun’s reluctant expression, Lee Chang-jin smiled and said.
“That’s something you need to handle. Have you had a proper conversation with your father recently?”
“Uh… not really.”
“What about before?”
“Not since I was in middle school, I think.”
“Then, have a serious talk with him. Your father isn’t that stubborn. You only have two sons; do you think he dislikes you? You need to talk to clear up misunderstandings. It’s uncomfortable for you to keep avoiding each other like this.”
“But will my father understand what I say?”
Seeing Dong-geun’s hesitant attitude, Lee Chang-jin gently persuaded him.
“I’m staying for a few more days, so take your time and talk to him. Your father, Mr. Dong-sik, is not trying to be mean. He worries about you because he cares. If you talk calmly, he’ll understand your thoughts. Tell me your decision before the holiday ends. I’ll take your answer then.”
Hearing this, Dong-geun’s expression turned determined, like a soldier preparing for battle. Clenching his fist, he muttered resolutely.
“Okay, hyung. Please wait. I’ll definitely persuade my father.”
“Alright, I believe in you.”
Though it was too early to judge, Lee Chang-jin thought Dong-geun had potential and considered mentoring him.
Who knows? This guy might have a knack for business too.
Thinking of a poultry entrepreneur who had been successful in a past life, Lee Chang-jin patted Dong-geun on the shoulder.
“Take care, then.”
Encouraging him with a pat on the shoulder, Lee Chang-jin quietly left Dong-geun’s place.
The night air was cold, and it was already dark.
Being in the countryside, nightfall came quicker than in Seoul.
As he hurried his steps, he saw a light flickering in the distance.
Curious, he approached and found his father holding a lantern in the middle of the road.
“Father, why didn’t you go inside? Why did you come out here?”
“It’s dangerous to trip in the dark. Did you talk to Dong-geun well?”
“Yes, I explained everything. Dong-geun has grown up well. Uncle doesn’t need to worry so much.”
“Really? Dong-sik worries too much. He treats his grown son like a child, always worried.”
“Haha, he’s always been a worrier. I reassured him, so they’ll talk things out. Let’s go inside, Father. It’s cold.”
Taking the lantern, Lee Chang-jin walked towards the house.
It was an old mud house his father had built when he was born.
Inside, his mother was waiting with the bedding already laid out.
“You must be tired from the long journey. Go to bed quickly.”
“Yes, Mother. Thank you.”
As he entered the room, the warm floor welcomed him, having been heated in advance.
The room was clean, and freshly laundered cotton blankets were laid out.
After washing up, Lee Chang-jin got into bed.
Perhaps because he was tired, he fell asleep within five minutes.
How much time had passed?
Lee Chang-jin woke up to sunlight streaming through the window.
Looking outside, the sun was already high.
“When did I sleep this long?”
Surprised, Lee Chang-jin muttered to himself, squinting at the sunlight.
He hadn’t slept in this late since moving to Seoul.
Feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep, he folded his blanket and cleared his mind.
Outside, he could hear the sound of a knife being sharpened and the savory aroma of beef bone soup.
-To be continued in Episode 27-
