They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 23

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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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23. First Day Off (2)

Thunk—

I drove a stake into the ground beside where the stem had sprouted.

The tomato plant embraced the stake eagerly, as if greeting an old companion, stretching its stem with enthusiasm.

The stem climbed slowly upward along the support, forming a perfect shape.

Hae-tae pressed his pink-tinged nose against the tomato stem, sniffing intently.

“It’ll start flowering now.”
“Already!?”

Drawn by those words, I gazed at the tomato. Fine lateral branches sprouted from the stem, and soon verdant leaves unfurled in abundance.

Shortly after, flower buds formed in various places. That was the moment.

The cherry tomato pruned its own lateral branches, preparing to bear fruit.

“…!”

How adorable.

“You’ll see a tiny sphere beneath the flower buds.”
“Mm.”
“That’s pollination happening.”

So this is pollination….

“Now it truly begins.”

Like witnessing a grand festival of magnificent blooms.

Plink, plink, plink, plink—

Tiny fruits formed on the yellow-tinged flower buds, swelling like balloons being filled with air.

“…!”

The cherry tomatoes, brimming with summer’s fresh vitality, quickly deepened into a rich verdant hue.

“They’re ripening, meow.”

Just as Hae-tae said, the cherry tomatoes that had been gradually turning green soon ripened into a brilliant red.

The cherry tomatoes, having absorbed abundant nutrients from the fertile soil, gleamed so plump and taut that they seemed ready to burst at the slightest touch of a fingertip.

“How delicious must they be….”
“You’ll know once you taste one, won’t you, meow?”
“I can eat them?!”
“Why would I plant them if we weren’t going to eat them, meow?”
“Right, of course!”

I grasped one perfectly ripe cherry tomato with a faint gleam and twisted it gently to the side, plucking it free.

[Exquisite-Tasting Cherry Tomato (A)]

When are vegetables most delicious? Right after picking. I wiped the cherry tomato clean with my gloved hand, then—not to my own mouth—

“Here.”

I offered it to Hae-tae first.

“What’s this, meow? You’re giving it to me first, meow?”
“The master of the Dimensional Space should eat first.”

Hae-tae gazed at the cherry tomato for a moment, then opened his mouth. The instant I popped it in, I caught the faintest lift at the corners of his mouth.

‘It’s delicious!’

Now it was my turn. I immediately picked another cherry tomato and tasted it.

[Cherry Tomato Infused with Solar Essence (S)]

I examined it as it was, and the moment I placed it in my mouth, I couldn’t help but be astonished.

“Mmm!”

Indeed, there was no competing with a cherry tomato bursting with juice.

The instant my teeth pierced the thin skin of the cherry tomato, juice exploded in all directions, bursting across my palate.

Swiftly following came a bright, tangy acidity layered with a subtle sweetness that awakened every salivary gland in my mouth.

‘This insane tomato!’

Just how much happiness did this Dimensional Space truly grant to humanity….

“Do you think these vegetables are happy too? I’m this happy right now.”
“They will be, meow.”

Hae-tae spoke with certainty.

“Why would they be happy?!”
“They don’t experience stress, meow.”
“How so?”
“Wait and see, meow.”

Hae-tae’s brow furrowed as a front paw gently tapped one of the cherry tomatoes. The fruit hanging from its stem swayed back and forth.

“Here, they absorb sufficient nutrients and ripen deliciously without any struggle, meow.”
“…Ah! So they don’t have to endure stress!”

Hae-tae nodded as if confirming the right answer.

“Without any effort required to become delicious, how happy must they be, meow?”

I see. There’s something I’m curious about.

“Do the vegetables here wish to be eaten?”

Hae-tae looked up at me with a pitying expression, as if questioning why I would ask such a thing. His tail swept across the floor twice before he spoke slowly.

“I don’t expect the vegetables to have a mission, meow!”

The way he used the word “mission” was adorable.

“If it’s a mission, then I should make them delicious, right?”
“That’s right, meow. If you make them delicious, the vegetables will find meaning in it, meow.”

In that case, I wanted to eat another one here. But it seemed like it would taste even better if I prepared it differently….

‘Besides, I have to work until dawn anyway, right?’

“Hae-tae, should we make a tomato and cucumber salad?”
“Right now, meow?”

It was past midnight.

‘It’s fine to have a late-night snack.’

I gently rubbed Hae-tae’s chin as I spoke.

“Besides, I have tomorrow off anyway, right? And I’m craving it too, right?”

My hungry stomach seemed to be wandering in search of side dishes. That was the most important thing. I wanted to eat right now.

“You’ll eat some too, won’t you?”

Hae-tae’s eyebrows shot up as if to say it was obvious.

“I’m not giving you any, meow!”
“You didn’t say anything, so I thought you weren’t eating.”
“Hmph, meow.”

Then Hae-tae opened his mouth and gently bit my hand so as not to hurt me.

“Should I make a lot?”
“A lot, meow.”

Hae-tae still answered with his hand in his mouth, dangling from me.

‘Why is he so skinny?’

I need to feed him more.

“Our little cat needs to eat plenty, doesn’t he?”
“Meow meow!?”
“What, what.”
“Don’t call me ‘our little cat’ in such a vulgar way!”

I quickly reached out and picked several cherry tomatoes.

“Then? What should I call you?”

Hae-tae spoke firmly.

“I am Divine Being, meow!”
“Yes, yes. Please try these cherry tomatoes, Divine Being.”

I polished the freshly picked cherry tomatoes on my clothes to make them shine, then placed them in Hae-tae’s mouth.

[Cherry Tomato – Normal Quality (B)]
[Cherry Tomato – Exceptional Flavor (A)]
[Cherry Tomato – Normal Quality (B)]

After picking nearly all the cherry tomatoes, I turned my head slightly. There, a long cucumber awaited me.

“Absolutely… a perfect cucumber….”

The tips for selecting a good cucumber were simple.

“Deep green color with a glossy surface, and…?”

When I held the cucumber firmly in my hand, I appreciated its firmness that didn’t yield to my grip and its solid feel. Soft, mushy cucumbers taste bitter.

“The right size with a straight, linear shape tastes the best.”

After picking only such cucumbers.

[Cucumber Infused with Clear Spring Water (S)]
[Cucumber Infused with Clear Spring Water (S)]

I had just obtained an S-grade rating.

But who in the world created this status window appearing before my eyes?

“Hae-tae, I just thought of something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“That status window that appears every time I harvest vegetables. Who wrote it?”

I pointed at the cucumber’s status window displayed before me as I asked. Hae-tae’s tail drooped slowly. The lively energy that had been swishing about moments before vanished without a trace.

“The Divine Being created it.”

It was a simple answer, but….

‘How strange.’

There was an inexplicable weight to Hae-tae’s voice.

“So the Divine Being wrote the status window descriptions directly?”
“That’s right.”

Sensing that learning more might be dangerous, I decided not to press further. There seemed to be secrets hidden deep within Hae-tae’s eyes that I was not meant to know.

***

To make a cucumber and cherry tomato salad, I quickly retrieved a cutting board.

“The current time….”

It was just past midnight. The hour wasn’t as late as I’d feared….

“Make it quickly.”
“Got it. I’ll make it for you right away.”

I rolled up my sleeves and rinsed the cherry tomatoes and cucumber under running water, then placed them on the cutting board.

I started by halving the cherry tomatoes with a light, swift stroke. Cutting them too small would rob the salad of the pleasure of biting into them.

With salads, the sensation of chewing was everything. It’s what made the satisfaction last.

A simple meal that wouldn’t weigh heavily on the stomach.

The perfect dish for days when rich, heavy food felt overwhelming.

I glanced over at Hae-tae, who sat on the Kitchen floor, and nodded lightly as I observed his protruding belly.

‘…He looks hungry.’

Next, she peeled the cucumber and cut it into cubes.

Tak-tak-tak-tak—

The cheerful sound of the knife striking the cutting board echoed through the Kitchen.

Soon after, I placed the cherry tomatoes and cucumber into a stainless steel bowl.

“Hmm?”

Something was missing.

I opened the commercial refrigerator door. There was avocado, and red onion too.

‘I bought that avocado for myself.’

Well, a day like today was worth using it for.

I split the ripe avocado in half and gently twisted it open.

‘Perfect—it’s ripened just right.’

I gently pressed the avocado to remove the pit and sliced it into bite-sized pieces. I did the same with the red onion.

I added everything to the mixing bowl and retrieved the salad dressing.

Four generous tablespoons of olive oil, two tablespoons of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, a crack of pepper, and finally, I scattered parsley across the surface, letting a verdant green settle over it all.

‘Parsley isn’t strictly necessary, is it?’

Still, adding it made the dish look far more appetizing.

Clink, clink. Various vegetables collided within the mixing bowl, producing a crystalline sound. Each time I stirred with the spoon, the colorful ingredients blended together, creating what resembled a miniature parade of toys.

I dipped the tip of the spoon into the mixture and tasted it. A tangy, wholesome flavor bloomed across my palate. My tongue tingled with refreshing brightness.

Gazing at the finished salad, it appeared as though a child had painted it with crayons—a riot of vibrant hues.

I lifted the spoon and held the salad up to the fluorescent light. The vegetable pieces gleamed brilliantly in the glow.

“It was summer….”

If I were being greedy, adding pasta wouldn’t have been a bad idea either. It certainly would have made for a more substantial meal.

But since I couldn’t be bothered, I’ll pass.

“Is it done, meow?”
“Yep. Here you go.”

I scooped a generous portion of salad into Hae-tae’s personal bowl.

“Try it. When the perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes burst with their sweet-tart juice, the avocado will wrap your mouth in silky softness—it’ll be delicious. And then the crisp texture of the cucumber comes through at the end, while the red onion adds a sharp bite that brings out the salad’s clean, fresh quality.”

Hae-tae lifted his head to look at me before even taking a bite.

“You talk too much, meow.”

I deliberately ignored Hae-tae’s comment and continued.

“And finally, the harmonious blend of vibrant colors lifts the spirit and brightens the mood.”

The moment I set the bowl on the ground, Hae-tae’s appetite erupted, and he began devouring it voraciously.

In the blink of an eye….

“Huh?”

The salad I’d given Hae-tae had vanished.

“Want more?”
“Meow.”

I handed the rest over to Hae-tae, keeping only my portion.

I stood right there and ate my salad with a spoon, too impatient to sit down.

“Wow! Just as I said!”

The cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and avocado each maintained their distinct character while harmonizing beautifully. The olive oil, in particular, was doing remarkable work.

The olive oil coating had captured the fresh, grassy essence of the salad perfectly.

‘If I ate this with some crusty baguette, I’d be in paradise.’

Or rather, a utopia.

“Does Ji-gu like avocado too?”
“Yeah, I enjoy it in salads.”

After eating heavy foods for so long, I often prepare avocado dishes when I crave something fresh and tangy.

“I can grow it in the Dimensional Space.”
“Wait—you can cultivate foreign plants too?”
“Never grew them since no one was eating them.”

Growing avocados requires waiting four years for the tree to mature….

“The Dimensional Space doesn’t need to wait four years?”

Wow. The terrifying power of a Dimensional Space that bypasses four years of waiting.

“I’ll have to serve you loyally for life.”
“Me?”

Hae-tae thumped his chest with his front paw.

‘Huh?’

I gathered the scattered dishes from the floor and placed them in the sink.

Whoooosh—

Watching the water cascade down, I began washing the dishes.

“Spit it out already!”
“I should be loyal.”
“Loyal to whom?”
“To whom, you ask.”

The Dimensional Space. Hae-tae twisted his body bashfully.

“Ahem.”
“What?”

Hae-tae, misunderstanding my response, lightly tapped my calf with his front paw.

“Isn’t that it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“If you till the Vegetable Garden right away, you can harvest excellent crops. Apparently, many S-rank ones appear.”

I nearly dropped the dish in my hands.

“Really?”

Hae-tae nodded affirmatively. I immediately removed my rubber gloves, my expression turning resolute.

“I’m going.”

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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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