They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 18

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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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18. The Dish Theft Incident (2)

With only minutes remaining before nightfall, the Side Dish Shop was overflowing with customers. Yet the questions they asked had little to do with the taste of the dishes.

“My goodness! Boss, are those people moving dishes at that table new part-timers?”
“Oh… they’re just acquaintances helping out for a bit!”

To my eyes, it was simply a topknot-wearing scholar and a GS Company employee who had crawled out of the refrigerator. But to the human customers, the scene must have appeared entirely different.

“Hello, boss.”
“Oh Jong-hee! How was the seasoned bean sprouts you bought yesterday?”
“I ate them during overtime last night. The bean sprouts were so fresh and crisp. Truly, absolutely delicious.”

Oh Jong-hee adjusted his glasses with his middle finger and deliberated for a long while in front of the refrigerated display case of side dishes. Finally, he retrieved the braised meat.

“I’d like to try the braised meat today. But why is it so cheap?”

I blinked for a moment. Two hundred grams of braised meat for thirty-five hundred won—essentially standard pricing.

“It’s not cheap. That’s the thing about neighborhood business—we can’t just undercut everyone else.”

Online businesses can afford to sell at lower prices, but neighborhood commerce is different. With other side dish shops in the same area, if we alone sold everything at suspiciously low prices, it would only muddy the waters.

Business must flow like a steady heartbeat—at a measured, consistent pace—to endure. Indiscriminately slashing prices isn’t the answer.

“It’s not cheap…?”
“Goodness! You didn’t know?”

I carefully packed the side dishes into a paper bag, my eyes narrowing as I regarded him.

“Perhaps the dishes taste so delicious that the price feels inexpensive to you?”
“Ah… that does make sense. But you see…”

Oh Jong-hee’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Why are they staring at me like that?”

I followed his gaze and turned my head. The Pungsu Divine Being and Lee Ju-taek were watching us intently.

‘Why are they looking at me like that?’

The Pungsu Divine Being stroked his chin and murmured softly.

“Hmm… the price of the braised beef isn’t bad at all.”

Lee Ju-taek chimed in from beside him.

“Shouldn’t we also evaluate the taste? Pungsu Divine Being?”
“Quite right. We have every right to sample it as well.”

‘What do you mean, rights?’

Oh Jong-hee glanced at the two of them, his eyes widening. His already large eyes grew even rounder. He accepted the paper bag with a nod.

“Your relatives are quite entertaining.”

I forced a smile and replied.

“Yes, well… please enjoy it today.”

The moment Oh Jong-hee left, the Pungsu Divine Being stepped forward eagerly.

“Now then, it’s our turn.”
“Seriously? You’re actually going to taste the braised beef?”
“Divine Beings don’t lie.”

‘You look like you’re quite good at lying.’

I glanced down at Hae-tae, who was leisurely basking in the sunlight. As if asking for help.

“If you don’t give it, I’ll keep pestering you until you do, meow.”
“Did you say it was okay to give it?”

Somehow, giving side dishes to a Divine Being feels like I’m being evaluated.

The Pungsu Divine Being deftly picked up a pair of chopsticks and waited. I retrieved the braised meat and eggs I’d set aside from the refrigerator and placed it on the table.

“Hmm… the quality truly is different.”

The Pungsu Divine Being picked up a piece of the braised dish, narrowing his eyes as he placed it in his mouth and chewed slowly.

“Mmm….”

That low, resonant voice made me inexplicably tense.

‘I feel like I’m being judged.’

Beside him, Lee Ju-taek couldn’t contain himself and wielded his chopsticks eagerly.

“May I have one as well!”

He picked up a piece of meat and a quail egg, popped it into his mouth, and his eyes sparkled.

“I believe our Team Lead Lee Yeo-ui would enjoy this flavor as well!”
“A taste worthy of an ancestral offering table.”

I looked between the two of them, my ears growing warm.

“Ahem.”

Hae-tae, who had been quiet, cracked open one eye and flicked a chopstick with a plump paw. A piece of the braised dish arced through the air and landed perfectly in Hae-tae’s mouth. Chewing contentedly right there, he spoke with leisure.

“It’s salty—I need rice, meow.”

Anticipating this, I blew on the rice I’d already warmed in the microwave and handed it over.

“Here.”
“You know me well, meow.”

Watching Hae-tae eat the rice with relish, I suddenly lifted my head to check the wall clock. It was nearly time to close the shop.

“I think we’re ready to prepare for the offering now?”

The Pungsu Divine Being and Lee Ju-taek simultaneously wiped the sauce from their mouths and stood up.

“Then let’s begin.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll close the door!”

Closing a bit early today wouldn’t hurt. I flipped the open sign around and turned back into the shop.

“Let us commence.”

In the meantime, Lee Ju-taek withdrew a scroll from his breast and unfurled it across the floor. Patterns on the coarse paper gradually began to shimmer with ethereal light.

At the center of the pattern, the mugunghwa flower, clouds, and the silhouette of a small table materialized.

The atmosphere transformed in an instant.

The temperature in the kitchen remained unchanged. Yet the sounds of cars and voices from outside abruptly ceased.

A profound silence descended upon the shop, so complete that even breathing became audible.

“The essence awakens.”

The Pungsu Divine Being murmured softly.

Above the scroll, a table adorned with mugunghwa blossoms materialized, and a ceremonial vessel appeared.

Lee Ju-taek lifted his head with a smile, his mouth opening as sauce still clung to the corner of his lips.

“I believe we should place the side dishes upon this vessel!”

I pulled out several tissues and handed them to Lee Ju-taek while speaking.

“Which side dishes should we focus on?”
“Whichever ones you’re most confident about!”
“You have soy sauce on the corner of your mouth. Use this to wipe it.”
“Much obliged.”

I went into the kitchen and retrieved the side dishes from the refrigerator.

“Spinach seasoning, fatsia shoots seasoning… bean sprout seasoning….”
“Why is it only seasoned vegetables?”
“Oh! You startled me.”

The Pungsu Divine Being scanned through the side dishes I’d pulled out and asked.

“Why do you only make seasoned vegetables?”
“The shop is still new, so I haven’t made many varieties yet. Um, Pungsu Divine Being, I had a question for you.”

The Pungsu Divine Being looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

“What’s my name?”
“Yes. Is it alright if I keep calling you Pungsu Divine Being?”
“Then what? What were you planning to call me?”

I steadied my breath and spoke calmly.

“Humans have names… so I wanted to call you by yours.”

The Pungsu Divine Being leaned one hand against the sink and burst into hearty laughter.

“That’s right. Humans do have names. From a human’s perspective, that’s only natural.”

After laughing, the Pungsu Divine Being lifted his head and wiped away the tears glistening at the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Divine beings have no names.”
“Why not?”

The Pungsu Divine Being’s voice resonated low.

“A divine being like me shouldn’t have a name. That way, when someone calls out in the middle of the night or in despair, another divine being can answer instead of just me. A name is a shackle. Divine beings reject that shackle.”

There was something oddly divine about those words, if I had to describe it.

“That’s beautiful. If that’s the meaning behind it.”

The Pungsu Divine Being gazed at the side dishes I’d laid out without much concern. His eyes softened slightly as he licked his lower lip.

“These look delicious.”

Before I knew it, the Pungsu Divine Being had picked up chopsticks and was reaching toward the side dishes. I reflexively tapped the back of his hand.

“Please wait until we’ve offered them on the ritual vessel!”
“A divine being may eat.”
“Says who?”

The Pungsu Divine Being smiled leisurely and pointed at himself with his chopsticks.

“I do.”

‘This damned divine being.’

I swallowed a carefully composed curse and began arranging the side dishes one by one on the ritual vessel.

“All the side dishes are arranged. I think we’re ready to perform the ritual?”

Lee Ju-taek lifted his head to examine the side dishes arranged on the vessel.

Lee Ju-taek raised his hands over the scroll and bowed respectfully.

“Now I shall present the offering.”

The moment those words left his lips, the shop fell into a silence so profound it seemed to swallow even breath itself.

Seized by inexplicable unease, I clutched Hae-tae tightly against my chest and watched Lee Ju-taek.

From where Lee Ju-taek’s fingertips touched the scroll, the mugunghwa flower bloomed outward, and translucent hands began to materialize across the table.

They were the same forms I’d glimpsed before on the praise stickers.

“Divine Being, please enjoy tasting these offerings!”

The translucent hands reached toward the braised meat, seasoned vegetables, and radish salad arranged on the vessel. And as if they’d been waiting, the food began to vanish, piece by piece.

‘They’re eating…!’

The translucent fingers took the food without a single spoon. The divine beings were unmistakably accepting my side dishes.

“Invisible though they may be, they are indeed eating.”

The Pungsu Divine Being hummed contentedly.

“You’re enjoying it, aren’t you?”
“Of course~ If you look closely at the translucent hands, they’re all different divine beings.”

Following the Pungsu Divine Being’s words, I narrowed my eyes and examined the translucent hands. Each one bore a different pattern. Scales like texture, delicate rice stalks, tiny cloud designs—all unfamiliar yet strangely familiar.

Lee Ju-taek staggered as he pulled his hand away from the scroll, then simply collapsed onto the floor with a vacant smile.

“Haha… I used too much strength. My legs have given out.”
“Would you like some water?”
“Oh! I’d be grateful to have some!”

Hae-tae snorted from beside us.

“Hmph-meow. How frail, meow.”
“You’re being too harsh, Hae-tae.”

I poured water into a paper cup and handed it over.

“Why apologize? Our Hae-tae only speaks the truth.”
“You two… you get along like you’ve lived together for years.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Now the translucent hands crept toward the remaining side dishes on the plate. This time, they collided directly over the braised meat and shredded radish, each vying to claim them first.

“Well, well?”

The Pungsu Divine Being shook his head watching the hands. The frantic collision of hands grasping at the side dishes looked like an all-out brawl.

Just to snatch a single piece of braised meat, another hand suddenly grabbed and yanked it away.

And then a strand of shredded radish went spinning through the air before falling straight down.

Of all places.

“Ah.”

It had to land right on my cheek.

“Pfft! A human covered in shredded radish—now that’s hilarious.”
“Oh, dear! Ji-gu! Are you all right? Haha!”

The Pungsu Divine Being and Lee Ju-taek doubled over with laughter, clutching their bellies. I peeled the shredded radish from my palm and spoke firmly.

“Quiet, please.”
“Is Grandmother Hyang-suk’s granddaughter all right?”
“Only Hae-tae matters.”

As the laughter subsided, the side dishes on the offering table neared their end. Translucent fingers lifted the last morsel of vegetables.

“It’s finished.”

The Pungsu Divine Being nodded and spoke. The Divine Being was right. Only empty dishes remained now.

“How about you bow once?”
“Me?”
“Then bow twice instead. Pour your earnest wishes into it—a plea for the Divine Being’s blessing.”

I clasped my hands together and pressed them to my forehead, bowing twice without thinking. The moment I lifted my head and looked forward, an unfamiliar sensation approached.

A translucent hand extended toward me and gently stroked my head. Though it felt like nothing more than a breeze, warmth and softness flowed through me.

‘It’s frightening, yet… it feels so good.’

My heart raced wildly at this strange emotion.

“Wh… what should I do?”

I froze, unsure how to respond. Then Lee Ju-taek clapped his hands and laughed loudly.

“It seems the Divine Beings enjoyed the meal!”
“Th… they did?”

The Pungsu Divine Being beside me rubbed his belly with his hand and spoke.

“Divine Beings are quite particular about their palates, after all.”

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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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