They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 34

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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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34. Diet (1)

Lee Hae-ra stood at the threshold, her expression bewildered as she took in the scene before her, and her mouth fell open.

“D-did someone d-die?”

I shook my head vigorously in haste.

“He just collapsed suddenly.”
“H-he’s not dead…!”

Lee Hae-ra sank to the ground, catching her breath. I quickly checked whether the male student was breathing.

“He’s breathing… he’s alive, so I should call 119….”

As I reached for my phone to call 119, the twins stopped me.

“Boss, he just collapsed because he’s hungry.”

Song Ae-rim spoke as if this were routine.

“Hungry? A student?”
“Yes. It’s probably anemia?”

Various words flashed through my mind before one crystallized clearly.

“Is he on a diet?”
“…He did mention recently that he’s been dieting pretty intensely.”

Now that I thought about it, when I’d caught the male student, I’d felt how light he was.

“He’ll wake up soon. He faints from anemia pretty often.”
“Shouldn’t he go to the hospital then?”
“I suppose so?”

First, I carefully hoisted the collapsed male student onto my back.

“Boss, you’re really strong!”
“I am strong, but this guy is surprisingly light.”

Hearing the faint breathing from behind me, I tilted my head in confusion.

‘How did he end up dieting so hard…’

He was taller than me—probably around 190 centimeters. Lee Hae-ra followed along and watched us from the shop’s doorway with a worried expression.

I laid the male student on the wooden platform bed and prepared some honey water. His name was Jung Cheon-ru?

“Why did he get anemia?”
“He said it was because of a photo shoot he’s doing.”
“A photo shoot?”
“Yes! He’s a model.”

That explained his height.

So the male student had pushed his diet too hard and collapsed from anemia. And of all times, right after smelling the delicious side dishes? He really gave us a scare.

“Ae-hyuk, could you lift Jung Cheon-ru’s head for a moment?”
“Sure.”

Song Ae-hyuk supported Jung Cheon-ru’s head. I held the cup of honey water in my hand and slowly brought it to the student’s lips.

“Come on… take a sip?”

Jung Cheon-ru’s throat moved slightly as he swallowed the honey water. His eyelashes trembled faintly as he gradually regained consciousness.

“Hey! You’re coming to?”

Song Ae-rim gently patted Jung Cheon-ru’s cheeks to wake him.

“Where… where am I… Is this heaven?”

His eyes, still slightly out of focus, blinked toward me.

“This is paradise….”
“Not paradise—just Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop.”
“Huh!?”

Jung Cheon-ru regained consciousness and pushed himself up on his elbows, glancing around.

“Um… why am I here? Did I cause an accident?”
“You just collapsed.”

I answered him.

“Like some madman. You caught a whiff of the side dish shop’s aroma and just keeled over.”

Song Ae-rim exchanged a glance with Song Ae-hyuk, who withdrew his supporting hand.

“…Yeah, that’s right. I do remember that.”

I set the paper cup of honey water on the table and studied Jung Cheon-ru intently. His complexion remained pallid, but his eyes gleamed with renewed clarity.

“Since we’re all here anyway, would you like to have a meal?”

Especially since Jung Cheon-ru looked famished. At once, everyone turned to look at me.

“Boss! Right now!?”
“Yes. You’re all hungry anyway, aren’t you?”

I turned to Lee Hae-ra and asked her as well.

“Would you like to join us for a meal, Lee Hae-ra?”
“…Me too?”
“Of course. Were you planning to leave? That would be disappointing.”
“W-well then, I shall. Though it’s shameless of me to impose….”
“Then wait here on the bench for me.”

Lee Hae-ra lowered her head shyly and settled onto the bench.

“Um, boss… I don’t need to eat!”
“Why?”
“I’m on a diet, so I don’t eat much.”
“But you just collapsed from anemia?”
“Yes? Yes….”

Jung Cheon-ru seemed to have an aversion to eating in general, waving his hand in refusal.

“Jung Cheon-ru.”
“Yes? Yes! What is it?”
“In my shop, refusing food is not an option. Eat.”
“I haven’t had much appetite lately….”
“Still, once you see the food, you won’t be able to refuse, will you? Don’t regret it—look at the meal first before you say anything. I’ll make it diet-friendly.”

Leaving Jung Cheon-ru to his continued protests, I headed into the Kitchen and retrieved the leftover cabbage from yesterday.

‘He mentioned a diet, didn’t he?’

Perfect. Then I’ll prepare cabbage wraps that are both diet-friendly and delicious.

I pulled the leftover cabbage from the Refrigerator. After removing the core, I placed it on a steamer along with bean sprouts.

As the warmth of the water spread, steam rose slowly and brushed against my face.

In the meantime, I gathered the ingredients to accompany the wraps.

“Duck meat… tofu, tuna, onion, carrot, scallions… that should do it.”

The sink counter was soon filled with ingredients.

“Now then….”

I looked at the cabbage and cried out inwardly.

‘Tip!’

[INGREDIENT TIP!]
Target Species: Human OR ■■ OR Divine Being
Consumption Method: Any dish made with steamed cabbage
Effect: 80% diet effectiveness upon consumption

“…This is seriously amazing?”

I’d confirmed the effects.

I turned my attention back to the cutting board.

“First things first.”

I set aside the fatty duck meat for later and used the flat of my knife to crumble the pristine tofu into fine pieces. I scattered thinly sliced scallions over it, then sprinkled a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. After drizzling a light circle of soy sauce to enhance the umami, I stir-fried everything over low heat until fragrant and golden.

The tuna—I drained it of oil and set it aside on standby. The onions and carrots I sautéed gently in olive oil until they turned translucent and tender.

Sizzle, sizzle—

The pan sang out, and an aromatic fragrance bloomed through the kitchen.

‘Looking at these ingredients, this is basically Vietnamese spring rolls.’

When steam began escaping from the steamer, I lifted the lid. I removed the cabbage leaves one by one and laid them flat on the cutting board.

And there was one essential finishing touch I couldn’t forget: almonds. I planned to crush them with the flat of my knife and sprinkle them in.

“Perfect. Now let’s assemble instead of cooking further.”

I began layering ingredients onto the translucent, gleaming cabbage leaves one by one. Golden tofu and duck, duck and tuna, tuna and bean sprouts—I paired them thoughtfully to create wraps. Then I scattered the crushed almonds inside. My hands moved swiftly, and the wraps accumulated in moments.

“Hmm.”

When I came to my senses and counted the cutting board, there were exactly fifty.

‘…They’re at an age where they eat heartily. This should be fine, right?’

I shook the water from my hands. I pulled out a bowl and beat an egg. As the yolk and white blended smoothly together, I dipped the cabbage wraps into it.

I checked the pan’s temperature and placed the cabbage wraps draped in a golden egg coating onto the heat.

Sizzle—

With a gentle sizzling sound, the aroma of golden-brown cooking spread through the air. The cabbage wraps, delicately coated in egg, took on a beautiful golden hue as they cooked.

‘When you’re dieting, you always crave that crispy texture.’

I focused on crisping the outer surface to preserve the texture. Finally, I portioned everything into bowls and headed out to the wooden platform.

“Why is everyone sitting like that?”

They each had their spoons and chopsticks ready, sitting in respectful posture.

“Lee Hae-ra, you’re doing it too?”
“The kids asked me to….”

Watching Lee Hae-ra answer with an awkward smile, I set the bowls down on the wooden platform.

“Wow… wow!”

Their mouths were already open, eyes gleaming with anticipation as they gazed at the dish.

“Behold—what I call the Divine Being’s Egg-Coated Cabbage Wraps. Inside, I’ve used light, unburdensome ingredients, coating them just lightly in egg so you get a crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and soft.”

The egg-coated cabbage wraps steamed gently, their thin, crispy exterior giving way to a soft, moist interior.

The savory aroma of egg, the subtle sweetness of blanched cabbage, and the mingled scents of tofu, tuna, and fresh vegetables all spoke of deliciousness.

“…Boss, you make dishes like this too?”

Why did everyone look so surprised?

“I used to be a chef.”
“Really?”

In a moment of exasperation, I lightly pressed down on Song Ae-rim’s head as I spoke.

“How do you see me?”
“…Just as the owner of Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop.”

Even Song Ae-hyuk saw me that way?

“I got my chef’s license and worked as a chef, after all.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

I gave Lee Hae-ra a gentle eye signal to eat as well.

“Well, thank you for the meal….”
“There’s a proper order of respect. You should eat first, unnie.”

I chuckled watching Song Ae-rim show kindness to Lee Hae-ra without even brushing her hair back, simply lifting her head.

“Why don’t you show me that respect?”
“Oh, boss, we’re close, aren’t we?”
“I suppose so.”

I gently pushed the bowl toward Lee Hae-ra.

“Please eat plenty, Lee Hae-ra.”
“Y-yes! Okay!”

Lee Hae-ra took a moment to compose herself, then picked up a wrap with her chopsticks. Everyone’s eyes converged on her at once.

The cabbage wrap, thinly coated in egg, trembled slightly as she took a bite.

Crunch—

The moment the egg coating shattered on the surface, the juices burst forth. Then the cabbage inside tore softly, and I watched as the tofu and tuna within melted into her mouth.

“Mm, mmm!”

Lee Hae-ra’s eyes widened.

“T-this is delicious! The crispy texture tricks your tongue at first, but then the moist, tender filling contrasts beautifully with it!”

It was just as Jung Cheon-ru eyed the cabbage wraps with suspicion.

Crunch, crunch, crunch—!

The crispy sound continued in succession.

“…Egg? I guess you could call it that. It’s so crispy I can’t stop eating it.”

Song Ae-hyuk ate only the thin, delicate egg coating.

“I want some too!”

Once everyone started eating happily, Jung Cheon-ru was eventually swept up in the atmosphere. His hesitant chopsticks finally picked up a cabbage wrap.

“Gulp!”

He swallowed too hastily and choked, so I handed him some water.

“Eat slowly. You didn’t even have rice today, did you?”
“Y-yes!”

Jung Cheon-ru nodded while drinking the water. I pushed the sauce toward the center of the table and continued.

“You’ve probably been fasting, so your body might not be used to it. If your stomach feels uncomfortable, you don’t have to eat the sauce. The cabbage wraps are already seasoned at the base, so they’re delicious on their own.”

Jung Cheon-ru ate again.

“It’s delicious!”
“Dieting is fine, but do it in moderation. Diet is all about proper nutrition first.”

Watching them eat so happily filled me with quiet satisfaction.

That’s when it happened.

“Here~.”

A cabbage wrap suddenly appeared in front of me. Song Ae-rim was holding it with both hands, grinning mischievously.

“You should eat some too, boss.”
“Huh?”
“It wouldn’t be fair if you didn’t.”

Everyone nodded at her words.

“But… the person who made it has to taste it too…!”
“Heh…”

This was ridiculous. I let out a hollow laugh and accepted the wrap from her hands. The warmth of her fingertips was more comforting than the heat of the egg coating.

“Mm. I made this, and it’s delicious.”
“Right?”

Watching Song Ae-rim wear such a proud expression as if it were her own creation, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Should we eat now?”
“Yes!”
“…Thank you for your kindness, boss. We’ll eat well.”
“It’s been so long since we’ve had a proper meal.”
“…I-I’ll eat well too.”

The table filled with nothing but the sounds of eating. Chopsticks moved without pause, as if competing with one another. By the time we finished, one person had already emptied their plate first.

“Is there… is there any more?”

Jung Cheon-ru’s voice came out desperate.

“What do I do? There isn’t any left.”

Jung Cheon-ru lowered his head and muttered quietly.

“Cabbage wraps…”
“What?”

His voice was too soft to hear clearly, so I asked him to repeat himself.

“Could you… sell them…?”

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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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