Heo Jun episode 7 Digging Herbs with Tigers

Ooooh things are getting nasty! Heo Jun’s petty workmates resent even more when he’s promoted to herb digger. They are not happy about taking him with them. But the Joseon mountains are a dangerous place full of tigers and bears, so can Heo Jun trust his more experienced workmates to keep him safe in the mountains? Absolutely NOT. He sets off still unaware that his sweetheart Da Hee is in the village looking for him. His mum finds out though but she doesn’t want them to be together and asks Da Hee to leave before he sees her 

Do Ji is angry with his father for causing him to fail the medical exam. He repeats in disgust how the doctors in Hanyang told him to remain a doctor in the countryside all his life. He cries in frustration as if it’s the biggest insult he could ever get. (But if he really just wanted to be a doctor surely he wouldn’t mind where he worked?)

Do Ji cries in frustration in front of his father blaming him for failing the medical exam

Koo Ilsu tells Heo Jun that a dodgy bloke (possibly a policeman) is looking for him. Heo Jun even sees the stranger in the distance but doesn’t recognise his friend. At the clinic he also doesn’t realise that Da hee is in the bed right next to him. (Come on Heo Jun, get a grip!)

But now for an announcement that will INFURIATE Heo Jun’s workmates: Heo Jun is to become a herb digger. The others can’t believe it. (But if I were him I wouldn’t want to go up into the dangerous mountains with those nasty men 😉 ) . He’s given a two-pronged wooden weapon to protect himself against any TIGERS (yes TIGERS) he meets along the way. And the men are warned to look out for bears too. (BTW Tigers are extinct in South Korea now. The last tiger that was seen here was in 1922. There were several cases of people getting attacked by tigers. And so tigers had to be hunted. See more about tigers in Korea here).

Heo Jun is promoted to herb digger and given a ‘weapon’ to fight off the tigers!

Da Hee, who is still in the hospital recuperating, tells Ye Jin that she is looking for the man she will marry! Meanwhile Heo Jun and the team set off into the mountain. As predicted they DON’T want him with them and send him off to collect asparagus in a dangerous area of the mountain where the tigers live – even though asparagus is readily available everywhere! So while he struggles alone late into the night in dangerous terrain, the rest of the gang finish early and relax with food and alcohol in the safety of a cave.

Exhausted, Heo Jun tries to rest when (what looks like) a wolf comes towards him. By now Heo Jun is weak and collapses trying to run away. Next morning he wakes up still in one piece, just stiff, and the animal is gone. But he’s hungry and gobbles down some of the herbs he’s collected from the mountain. Next thing we know he’s doubled over in pain. (must have eaten some dodgy herbs ..)

Heo Jun wakes up in a cave where two kind men bring him some food. But when he see they are lepers, he’s afraid and pushes the food away. The monk (Dr Yoo’s friend) appears and scolds him for being afraid of sickness. How can he ever be a doctor if he’s afraid of the sick? The monk points out that the reason herbs are medicine is because they are also poison – it’s important to eat the right ones to treat your condition. The monk laughs when he hears that Heo Jun was only looking for asparagus in this dangerous area. Heo Jun realises that he’s been fooled by the other workers. 🙁  He makes it back to meet the others while they are deciding what to say to the boss as to why Heo Jun is missing! They scold him for getting lost and making them waste their time looking for him!

Heo Jun is tricked by his workmates into going into the dangerous part of the mountain

Yang Tae finally finds Heo Jun’s mum. But she is not pleased to see them. She doesn’t want Heo Jun to see Da Hee – their marriage would be very inappropriate because of their different social classes. Heo Jun’s mum goes to the hospital and tells Da Hee that as she herself is of lowly birth she could never be Da Hee’s mother-in-law. Even when Da Hee pleads with her pointing out that she has given up her noble status, it’s no good. Mum doesn’t believe you can just give up social status. And Heo Jun’s life will be in danger if they are together as he is more likely to be noticed and caught. If Da Hee leaves Heo Jun alone, he and his mother can lead a quiet life. Mum even lies saying that Heo Jun has already forgotten about her and Da Hee seems to accept this. In the background Ye Jin listens intently to their conversation.

Heo Jun’s mum is not pleased to see Da Hee and tells her to leave Heo Jun alone!

At the clinic Do Ji staggers home drunk after another night out. He is still in a mood over failing the exam. His father looks at him in disgust and marches off to the hospital with Ye Jin and Oh Gun right behind him. Ye Jin catches his eye but doesn’t say anything. Dr Yoo kindly treats Da Hee who wants to leave the hospital even though she is not completely better. She doesn’t want to be a burden to Heo Jun. Before she leaves she gives Ye Jin two rings as a thank you for treating her…..

Ye Jin is unimpressed with Do Ji but seems intrigued with Da Hee’s situation

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The irony is that the more his workmates bully him, the more Heo Jun learns and the stronger he becomes. He had a good lesson in the cave from the monk and the lepers and  he’s starting to toughen up and realise that his workmates don’t care if he lives or dies. The episode also emphasises how little he knows. He doesn’t know about the mountain or what herbs are good for him and which ones are poisonous. And he’s afraid of the monk’s patients in the cave. He has a lot to learn. 

I didn’t like his mum in this episode. OK she only wants to protect her son, but sending Da Hee away without them seeing each other is a bit harsh. On the other hand it’s probably better if he doesn’t marry her anyway. But I personally wouldn’t want other people making decisions on my behalf as to who I should and shouldn’t see. 😉 I don’t quite see why Ye Jin is paying so much attention to all that’s going on though. Do Ji is still acting like a spoilt brat with no charm whatsoever. Get over yourself Do Ji.