I Became the Eldest Daughter of a Fallen Family - Chapter 76

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 76. An Upgrade (1)
The construction was completed exactly five days after Ju Ha-yun’s visit.
One day to lay the roof. Four days to build the walls. One day to fit the window frames and apply waterproofing plaster over the properly laid brickwork.
And so, when So Yeon-hui finally opened the door to the newly finished Kitchen for the first time, she stood there for a moment, quietly taking in the space around her.
First, the number of hearths had increased to four. What’s more, two of them were large cooking stations capable of holding massive cauldrons.
All of them had been laid with firebrick by hand and finished with clay, so they were impossibly smooth and sturdy.
The overall layout had been completely rebuilt to match the workflow for making Tofu and Fragrant Sauce.
The Kitchen was divided into zones so that the area for preparing ingredients, the area for managing fire, and the area for cooling finished products wouldn’t overlap, while a central counter in the middle made collaboration seamless.
And most of all.
“Ah, it’s really beautiful.”
So Yeon-hui, lost in rapture, caressed the Island Cooking Counter sitting squarely in the center.
Shim Family Second Son had built it over four days after laying the roof.
It looked like nothing more than a large table at first glance, but beneath it was a massive storage unit for holding Tofu Molds, Food Trays, and other vessels.
“Truly…… I’ve wanted something like this so badly.”
So Yeon-u tilted his head beside her.
“Isn’t it just a big table? With storage space underneath.”
“That’s the thing about you boys. This is the romance of every woman. Do you have any idea how much difference having one of these makes?”
“I don’t.”
“Then learn. That’s how you’ll be loved by your wife.”
At So Yeon-hui’s words, her mother Jang, who had been watching from the side, quietly nodded in agreement.
She had never seen a Kitchen of this style before, but she too had instinctively grasped it.
How this one Island Cooking Counter had organized the workflow so very conveniently.
“On this side we can make Fragrant Sauce, and on the other side, Tofu and Yuba.”
“Exactly. Fragrant Sauce is smoked outside so it doesn’t need fire, but Tofu and Yuba both require it, so we installed the millstone stand near the hearths for that reason.”
If worst came to worst, they could still use the Simple Brazier remaining in one corner of the courtyard.
But with four hearths already, would there be any need?
So Yeon-hui, looking thoroughly satisfied, walked around the Kitchen once more with her mother and grandmother.
That afternoon, people began gathering in the So Household’s new Kitchen one by one.
It was time to formally start operating the So Household Factory.
The two women and the men from the Shim Household. Combined with the So Household members, the already spacious Kitchen felt quite crowded.
So Yeon-hui stood at the center of that space and, looking around at the people gathered before the counter, opened her mouth to speak.
“Before we begin, I have something important to tell all of you who will be working with us.”
“What is it?”
Song asked, her eyes bright with anticipation and curiosity. So Yeon-hui’s expression grew very serious as she answered.
“The Hygiene Protocol.”
“Hy…… giene?”
“Rules we’ve established to make all our food in the cleanest environment possible.”
Having said this, So Yeon-hui continued her explanation, counting off on her fingers.
“First, before entering the Kitchen, you must shake the dirt from your shoes and enter with clean hands, free of dust.”
“Every single time?”
Yu asked cautiously.
“Yes, every time. Once dirt starts accumulating on the floor, there’s no end to it. Especially with Tofu, which uses so much water—imagine the floor becoming a muddy mess. Would you even want to eat food made in such a place? It’s horrifying, isn’t it?”
For this reason, So Yeon-hui had pushed herself to lay Tile on the Kitchen floor despite their tight finances.
Surely the expense had to be worth it.
“Second, wash your hands before touching ingredients. Even if you’ve washed them when entering the Kitchen, you must wash them once more with purified Water.”
Yu raised her hand gently again, seeming to find So Yeon-hui’s words somewhat harsh.
“Do we really have to go that far? If you’ve already washed once, your hands are clean. Why wash again? It seems strange.”
But So Yeon-hui was firm.
“You absolutely must wash.”
She explained how much dirtier the water actually was than it appeared, and had them imagine washing their hands in water where fish corpses floated and then using those hands to prepare food.
Besides, the villagers washed clothes and bathed in the stream, so how could anyone trust that water at all?
Perhaps because she had never thought about it in such a way before?
Yu gasped and said, “You’re right, now that you mention it, I feel rather queasy. Understood. I’ll wash my hands once more in the clean Water you’ve left in the Kitchen.”
Once even Yu, who had objected several times, nodded in agreement, So Yeon-hui felt somewhat reassured and drove home the final point.
“Now then, third. You must always wear an Apron over your clothes. This prevents dust and grime from your clothing from getting onto the food, and these Aprons must be washed every day.”
At this, Song’s aunt widened her eyes in surprise.
“Wash every day? Winter’s coming soon?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Huh……!”
At So Yeon-hui’s question, Song sighed dramatically. She looked at So Yeon-hui as though she were a naive child and said, “Miss Yeon-hui. You’ll get frostbite. Do you have any idea how cold the Valley water is in the dead of winter? How could you wash them daily, and by hand at that?”
Ah, she hadn’t thought that part through.
So Yeon-hui’s expression faltered for a moment as she swallowed.
“Then, I’ll handle that part myself. The laundry duty falls entirely to the So Household. So you have no objections to wearing the Apron, yes?”
“Well, since it will be you suffering……”
The First Lady Hong, who had been standing quietly with her arms crossed, spoke with a slight pout.
“If anyone has complaints, feel free to find other work. We have plenty of people we can hire besides you.”
At those words, Song’s aunt hastily waved her hands in protest.
“Oh my! What are you saying? Of course I’ll follow the So Household’s rules. I was only worried that your hands might crack in the cold weather, miss.”
Song’s concern wasn’t entirely without basis.
Mangok Village was located on a mountainside at a slightly higher elevation.
Because of this, even in the height of summer, standing with your feet in the Valley water would make your teeth chatter.
And yet she was proposing to wash clothes daily in such a place? Especially as winter approached, when everything froze solid?
Any sensible person would have thought, “Does she want to die?”
But there was a solution, after all.
As everyone knew, So Yeon-hui had access to Jijang Market, and at Jijang Market there was…… surely some sort of manual washing device.
Of course, Hong had no idea about such mysterious machines, yet she quietly rolled up her sleeves and said, “I’ll make spare Aprons—two sets each. You’ll need that many if you’re washing them daily.”
So Yeon-hui’s eyes glistened with emotion as she cried out, “Grandmother, thank you! You really are the best!”
“Hmph! Making such a fuss over nothing.”
Hong gave a dismissive snort and turned her head away sharply. At her reaction, everyone present couldn’t help but smile—a small moment of warmth.
With preparations complete, So Yeon-hui finally declared in a voice full of energy, “Well then, shall we begin?”
She stood before the counter and pointed to each person in turn.
“Shim Family Second Son and Yi Bangsae. The two of you should work with our father on the Millstone and this Meat Grinder. The meat needs to be finely sliced and ground, and the beans need to be ground well, then the bean liquid strained and the Okara pressed out.”
At that, Shim Won nodded and gave So Yeon-hui a thumbs up.
It was the same gesture he’d shown her on the day the roof was laid—apparently he approved.
He made such enthusiastic use of this “thumbs up” whenever he wanted to say something was fine.
“Yu, you’ll take charge of stuffing the seasoned meat into Casings. It’s work that requires careful hands, so I’d feel at ease having you do it.”
Yu asked cautiously, “Are you going to season the meat separately?”
“Yes, that part requires balancing spices and other careful work.”
Yu swallowed quietly, then gave a small nod.
“I understand. It’s a family secret, so you should handle it directly. I wasn’t trying to steal the recipe or anything.”
“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I know your character, so…”
She was timid and exceedingly honest.
When she’d first been asked to work at the So Household Factory, she’d worried about whether she could really be trusted with making secret recipes.
But everyone knew that the Shim Household would never betray the So Household.
When So Yeon-hui looked at Song, Song stepped forward eagerly, her eyes bright with anticipation.
“Me? What about me?”
“You’ll be making Brown Sugar and Seasoning Sauce. I’ll give you the proportions, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. As long as you manage the Fire Control well.”
Song’s eyes sparkled.
“Leave that to me! I’m very confident in my Fire Control!”
Yu sighed from beside her.
“Sister-in-law, sugar is precious material. You absolutely cannot waste it. Understood?”
“Oh, don’t worry! There’s no way I’d mess something like that up!”
So Yeon-hui continued, suppressing a smile.
“Grandmother. Mother.”
Hong and Jang turned their heads at the same time.
“The two of you can work with me on the remaining processes.”
Making Coagulant, seasoning the ingredients for Fragrant Sauce. Boiling the bean liquid and setting it into Tofu and Yuba—the core processes.
Who else but the mistresses of the So Household could do such things?
Jang rolled up her sleeves with determination and answered, “Understood. Just give the word and I’ll do whatever’s needed.”
Just as So Yeon-hui was about to stretch, thinking the role assignments were complete—
“Sister! What about me?”
“Yeah! Why aren’t we getting any work?”
The twins suddenly raised their hands and lodged their protest.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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