They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 22

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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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22. The First Day Off (1)

[Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop]
Regularly Closed!

After hanging the sign, I stepped inside and pressed the settlement button on the register.

“Three hundred thousand won….”

At this rate, I’d easily surpass five hundred thousand won in daily sales.

I’d maintain the same quality consistently, boldly remove poorly-selling dishes, or offer steep discounts on them.

The only way to increase daily sales further would be to expand the variety of dishes….

‘Once the shop stabilizes, I can hire part-time workers later.’

That should work.

While regular customers mattered, it would be wonderful if Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop became renowned.

Busy, so busy.

Well then, first things first.

“…Let me clean the shop.”

I cleaned regularly, but a deep clean was something else entirely.

***

As I wiped away the dust clinging to the display refrigerator, the shop gleamed brilliantly.

Was that all?

‘I still need to clean the kitchen….’

I pulled on rubber gloves and reached for the sink first. As I scrubbed away the grease with a brush, a satisfying squeak echoed through the space. The stainless steel countertop came alive with a silvery gleam only after vigorous rubbing with a damp cloth.

I wrung out the mop and swept it across the floor, erasing the oily marks. The fluorescent light glided across the remaining moisture like a mirror.

“Ahhh! This feels wonderful!”

Indeed, the brilliance of the shop begins with cleanliness.

“…meow.”
“Hae-tae?”

I froze, mop in hand. Hae-tae was padding across the floor, his fur completely drenched and dragging like a drowned rat.

“What happened in the Dimensional Space?”
“It’s raining, meow.”
“Raining?”

I retrieved a towel from the kitchen and gently dried Hae-tae, wrapping him in its warmth. The damp heat transferred to my fingertips made me tilt my head in wonder.

“So it rains in the Dimensional Space too….”

It sounded like it would be beautiful.

“If you want to see it, go look, meow.”

Hae-tae’s eyes narrowed with amusement as his tail swished. I cradled him in my arms and stepped into the Dimensional Space.

Pitter-patter-patter—

The sharp sound of heavy rain pierced my ears. Torrential sheets of rain fell from the dark sky, drumming against the earth below.

“Ah!”

Even the scent was different. A fresh, summery fragrance rode the wind in undulating waves.

“Wait, meow.”
“Hmm?”

Following Hae-tae’s words, I stood motionless like a scarecrow, waiting. Then a strange disturbance rippled through the Vegetable Garden, and the lush vegetables began vanishing as if uprooted wholesale.

“Hae-tae! The vegetables in the Vegetable Garden are disappearing!”

I cried out in alarm.

“It’s the act of pulling everything out before the season changes, meow.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll see for yourself, meow!”

Following Hae-tae’s gaze toward the Vegetable Garden, I understood immediately. The soil began undulating like waves, dancing in mesmerizing patterns. I bent down, squinting in disbelief to get a closer look.

“…How adorable?”

The earth swelled upward, and plump little earthworms emerged one by one. Their glistening bodies writhed as they methodically tilled through the Vegetable Garden.

Then one broke away from the group, lifted its head, and our eyes met.

‘I’ve never seen an earthworm up close like this before…’

– Hoom?
“Hoom?”
– Hoom hoom hoom!

Did that earthworm just ask “hoom?” These creatures can actually speak.

“They’re asking who you are, meow.”
“Who I am?”
“The granddaughter of Grandmother Hyang-suk, owner of Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop. Nice to meet you.”
– Hoom! Hoom!

The earthworms gathered to either side, swaying their bodies as they began to dance, as if bestowing blessings. Like puppets dancing in the breeze.

– Hoom hoom hoom!

But why do these earthworms’ eyes look like that? Their pupils sparkled like stars, nothing like the ordinary round eyes I’d normally expect.

“You’re quite cute-looking.”
– Hoom! Hoom!

The earthworms’ heads turned red, as if they understood the praise.

“Are they embarrassed?”
“Seems like it, meow.”
– Huff huff! Whoooosh!

It’s commonly known that earthworms emerge from the ground when it rains. When water saturates the soil, oxygen becomes scarce, and they risk suffocation underground.

“Why are the earthworms in the Vegetable Garden coming out?”

Hae-tae pressed her plump rear firmly against the ground and swayed her tail leisurely as she spoke.

“It’s time to fertilize the Vegetable Garden, meow.”
“Fertilize?”

…Wait. A sudden realization flashed through my mind like a lightbulb igniting.

“So they’re fertilizing the Vegetable Garden with rainwater?”

Hae-tae nodded lightly.

I had always wondered how the Vegetable Garden in the Dimensional Space thrived so well….

“May I watch?”
“You may, meow.”

I bent my knees and observed the earthworms at work, fertilizing the Vegetable Garden.

The earthworms burrowed into the damp soil, their bodies moving diligently to blend the rainwater and earth together.

Left and right.
Right and left.
Left and right.
Right and left.

“Left and right! Right and left!”

As they continued this rhythmic motion, something remarkable began to unfold.

The parched earth gradually began to shimmer, as if awakening to newfound vitality, its surface taking on a lustrous, oily sheen.

The earthworms, having worked the soil once over, regarded the dried earth with what seemed like pitying amusement, letting out soft chuckles.

– Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

From the gradually glistening soil, the essence of life began to rise.

The vegetables that had completely vanished were now sprouting from tiny seeds, bursting forth with a soft pop.

“Ah.”

I could feel it once more—the beauty of the moment when life takes root.

– Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The earthworms approached Hae-tae and spoke as if delivering a report.

“Is that so?”
– Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
“If it’s good, then it’s good.”

What were they saying?

“They’re saying the soil quality this time is the best ever.”
“Why is that?”
“When soil is rich in nutrients, vegetables absorb those nutrients as they grow, which is why they’re calling it the best ever.”

How much better could it possibly get?

“Then was the soil good when I harvested in spring?”

Hae-tae’s expression darkened.

“It wasn’t good.”
“Why wasn’t it good?”
“Vegetables are similar to humans.”

My eyes widened.

“Vegetables wither and choose death for themselves when they realize they’re no longer needed, you see.”
“…!”
“Since Grandmother Hyang-suk stopped visiting the Vegetable Garden, the vegetables understood they’d become useless and refused to absorb the earth’s nutrients, you see.”
“…I see.”
“So the earth also stopped giving nutrients to the vegetables, which is why they never reached a good grade, you see.”

I watched Hae-tae speak, then fixed my gaze ahead.

“But things must have changed now that I’m here, right?”
“It’s fortunate that you came, you see.”
“A place where I’m needed….”

‘This feels good.’

I couldn’t fathom how much the simple fact of being needed again elevated a life that had been so utterly desolate.

“Nature must coexist with humans to some degree, you see.”

Just then, the heavy rain that had been pouring down gradually began to ease, then stopped entirely.

– Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
– Whoosh, whoosh!

“Time for you to go now, you see.”

Hae-tae waved his front paws dismissively. The earthworms’ spotted eyes glistened with tears of reluctance.

“We’ll see each other again, you see.”
– Whoosh! Whoosh!
“Let’s meet again then, you see.”

I waved my hand at the earthworms as well.

– Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The earthworms happily shook their heads left and right before disappearing back into the earth.

In the now-quiet Dimensional Space, I slowly drew in a breath.

Clean, pristine air.

“Ahhhh~.”

I lost myself in the untainted breath of nature.

I spread my arms wide and continued inhaling deeply, determined not to forget this air, when Hae-tae shook his head disapprovingly.

“That’s enough breathing now. You have work to do, you know.”
“Me? What kind of work?”
“You’re going to grow tomatoes.”
“You’re giving me the chance to plant something?”

I couldn’t contain my delighted expression.

“…You’ve worked hard, so don’t you need some healing, you know?”
“Healing?”
“I’ve heard that humans these days find peace by tending to vegetable gardens, you know.”
“Where do you even hear stuff like that?”

Hae-tae walked past a puddle while speaking.

“From birds passing by, you know.”
“Still, that’s surprisingly trendy? In a way, you seem to know more than I do.”
“I wish I understood trends better, you know.”
“That’s a jab at me, isn’t it?”

Hae-tae let out a soft laugh.

“Here we are, you know.”

Hae-tae picked up tomato seeds from near the Vegetable Garden and handed them to me….

“Ptui.”

Why did it look like he was spitting something out?

“I have a habit of spitting things out when something tasteless touches my tongue, you know.”

You know, the Divine Being hasn’t spat out any of the food I’ve made so far. That means my cooking is actually delicious, doesn’t it?

“Hmm, I suppose so.”

I broke into a grin.

“Why are you reacting like that?”
“It’s nothing. Really.”
“Tell me.”
“No.”

I placed cherry tomato seeds and fully ripened tomato seeds in my palm as I continued.

“My food is delicious, isn’t it?”
“No. That’s not what I… meant.”

Watching Hae-tae respond like a malfunctioning machine, I laughed heartily.

“Pfft.”
“Stop laughing!”

Hae-tae’s wet tail swished indignantly as he pouted.

“Ah, sorry, sorry.”

I couldn’t help myself—the laughter just kept coming.

I wiped away the tears streaming down my cheeks and shook the tomato seed packet to show him.

“So I just need to scatter these tomato seeds in the ground, right?”

Hae-tae gave me a pointed look before reluctantly nodding.

“But Hae-tae.”
“What?”
“Usually, when growing vegetables in the Vegetable Garden, we use seedlings rather than seeds.”

That’s why there was a process of transplanting young seedlings to different locations.

“But can I plant seeds instead of seedlings?”

Hae-tae exhaled softly through his nose.

“These seeds carry life within them, you see.”
“Life?”

Hae-tae tilted his chin slightly, gazing at the Vegetable Garden.

“Didn’t you say the vegetables disappear when you till this garden?”
“They did…?”

I was so startled when they all vanished.

“Those vegetables that disappear transform back into seeds, you see.”
“What?”
“Plant the seeds and they’ll become young seedlings, and as they grow, tomatoes will flourish, you see.”

Curious whether this was truly the case, I hastily made holes in the soil.

“You know how to do that, you see?”
“Grandmother Hyang-suk taught me.”
“Grandmother Hyang-suk taught you well, you see.”

Whenever Grandmother Hyang-suk planted seeds, she always made holes first and told me to place the seeds inside. The soil would then embrace the seeds and provide nourishment for the sprouts to grow, she’d say.

I scattered cherry tomato seeds—tap, tap-tap—into the holes. And into other holes, I planted the seeds of fully ripe tomatoes.

“Cover them with soil, you see.”
“Okay.”

Gently, so the seeds wouldn’t startle.
So the soil could cradle them properly.

I gathered the soil tenderly and draped it over the seeds like tucking them beneath a soft blanket.

The nutrient-rich soil seemed to curl around in perfect circles, as if existing solely for these seeds.

“Look, you see.”

Hae-tae pointed at the seed with his front paw as if to say, “Look at this.”

“Now it’s sprouting.”

Hae-tae’s words proved true.

The tomato seed, brimming with nutrients, broke through the soil and sent forth a tender shoot.

A delicate sprout.

That fragile shoot gradually unfurled toward the sun, blooming like a flower in full splendor.

“Now’s the time!”

Hae-tae rushed over with a stake he’d left near the Vegetable Garden, clamping it in his mouth, and threw it to me.

“Because tomatoes grow so quickly, you must drive the stake into the ground immediately.”

Hae-tae spoke urgently.

As the tomato stem climbed higher and higher, the sprout began to tilt.

‘So that’s what he means—I need to act now.’

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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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