They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 59

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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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59. Kimchi-Making (4)

Grandmother Myeong-ja tilted her head in confusion.

“Alone?”
“Yes.”

The bright Kitchen lights overlapped in my vision—a memory from when I first started at the Restaurant.

“When I first walked in, the staff must have thought I was a contract worker. So they probably assumed I’d leave soon anyway….”

I steadied my breathing and continued.

“No one helped me with my work, and whenever I asked questions, all I heard was ‘figure it out yourself.’ So I learned everything by reading the room—how to prep ingredients, what materials to use, the workflow—all on my own.”

Grandmother Myeong-ja’s face contorted with sympathy.

“That must have been incredibly difficult no matter how you look at it.”
“It was very hard. But I managed. After all, I went there to learn. I believed that if I worked hard enough, I’d eventually earn their respect.”

I smiled softly.

“So after that, working alone actually felt easier. I preferred just quietly doing my job without complaint. Though there was an incident later that finally made them listen.”
“Made them listen?”

I nodded at Grandmother Myeong-ja’s question.

“One staff member suddenly got food poisoning and was absent for a day. I had no choice but to fill that gap. Even while enduring three months of constant disrespect, it was a blessing that I’d learned by watching the cooking with my own eyes. I’d take home what I saw and practice replicating it after work—everything from ingredient prep to cooking techniques.”

Remembering those days, I’d lived with fierce determination.

“That’s what did it. They seemed amazed that I’d learned something no one had taught me on my own. After that day, everyone started helping me.”

I’d endured as much as I could bear. After all, I had somewhere to return to, and more than anything, I wanted to succeed.

‘I wanted to succeed and come back to see Grandmother’s smile.’

I exhaled a breath that was neither laughter nor a sigh.

“I really need to break this habit of mine.”
“Pardon? My habit?”
“This isn’t a Restaurant. I hate watching you struggle alone like that. Working together is so much more efficient—why do you insist on carrying everything by yourself?”
“I did change that habit after I moved to a different Restaurant later.”
“Still!”

Grandmother Myeong-ja’s tone was brisk yet warm. I lowered my gaze and smiled quietly to myself.

– Figure it out yourself.
– You don’t know that much?
– If your hands are slow, move them faster.

In the end, I’d survived by relying only on my own methods. It made sense that the habit still lingered.

So even now, I naturally tried to do everything alone. I’d forgotten how to lean on anyone at all.

“I understand why you wanted to prepare two hundred bundles of kimchi by yourself. I really do. But listen, Ji-gu.”

Grandmother Myeong-ja gripped my hand firmly.

“This isn’t a battlefield where you have to survive alone. I’m here, the Twins are here, and everyone in the Neighborhood is here. You just have to do it together.”

…Something feels strange.

“Yes. I’ll do my best.”

Grandmother Myeong-ja laughed heartily.

“Effort, my foot! Just put people to work when they’re around! That’s what living is all about.”
“Grandmother, you’re such a villain…!”

Everyone burst into laughter at Song Ae-rim’s words.

***

The next morning, as dawn broke and sunlight gradually illuminated the sky.

I ventured alone into the Backyard to inspect the two hundred bunches of napa cabbage. My heart raced with anticipation as I rubbed my palms together until they burned.

“Well then… shall we see?”

I lifted the first bunch and flipped it over. The pickled cabbage’s outer leaves had settled moistly in place. Overnight, saturated with brine, they had softened luxuriously.

When I pressed with my finger, it yielded softly with a gentle give, then slowly sprang back.

‘It’s pickled beautifully.’

The second bunch, the third bunch. Each time I flipped them, the leaves settled downward, and when I lifted them, their weight settled into my palm. The subtle aroma of pickled cabbage lingered at the tip of my nose.

I tore off a single leaf, placed it in my mouth, and chewed.

‘Hmm?!’

With each bite, the cabbage was crisp yet its natural sweetness bloomed across my tongue. Kimchi becomes flavorless if the cabbage is pickled too heavily.

“Phew…”

One bunch, then another.

Bending and straightening my waist repeatedly, delayed muscle soreness crept through me from my lower back to my calves. My protesting muscles seemed to cry out.

‘…I was right to ask Lee Hae-ra to help with the work.’

Otherwise, I would have been bedridden with muscle aches and body pain.

“What are you doing?”

A familiar voice and warm body heat approached from behind. Hae-tae strode over and climbed up my leg. Naturally, he settled himself on top of my head, resting his chin there.

“Hey, you’re heavy.”
“Heavy? There’s no animal in this world as light as me.”

Despite what he said, Hae-tae carefully tapped my head with his front paws.

“…I was just doing it.”
“Just doing it? You’re not expecting anything in return, right?”
“Even when I treat you well, you’re like this!”

I’d thought Hae-tae was baking bread in the back yesterday and sleeping, but apparently not….

‘Had they been listening the whole time?’

A laugh escaped me as I wondered just how pitiful I must have sounded for them to resort to actions they normally wouldn’t take.

“Thank you.”

In that moment, a brief silence fell. I felt their hind legs flailing above my head as they struggled to maintain balance.

“Huh? Hae-tae?”

I called out when Hae-tae didn’t respond.

“…Thank you? How about some rice instead?”
“Ah, now we’re back to talking about food again.”

I gently lifted Hae-tae from my head and set them down on my shoulder.

“I saw you eat one of the pickled cabbages earlier.”
“I was just tasting it!”
“That’s what you call tasting?”

In the corner of the backyard, only a fragment of cabbage remained. It wasn’t a single bite left behind—it was the aftermath of nearly an entire head of cabbage being devoured whole.

“…Aren’t you afraid of the vengeful spirit of the cabbage that ascended to heaven?”
“What are you talking about? I don’t understand!”

Hae-tae shrugged their shoulders confidently. Yet a piece of salted cabbage leaf clung to the corner of their mouth.

I tilted my chin up slightly as I spoke.

“I’ll mention it later if we’re short one head during kimchi-making.”
“Hmph! No evidence means I don’t know anything about it.”

I was in the middle of removing my gloves and brushing off my hands.

“Boss…!”

A bright voice rang out from somewhere. Looking through the shop window, I saw Lee Hae-ra rushing toward me, waving both hands enthusiastically.

‘It’s not even her shift time… and she’s wearing a crisp white shirt with black slacks?’

She looked like a human alarm clock announcing she was here to work.

“B-boss, I came to work my shift today…!”

I glanced at my smartphone screen with a tilted head.

“This early in the morning? I told you to come at eight o’clock.”
“B-but I was so excited I couldn’t sleep!”

Her eyes gleamed with even more anticipation than someone on their very first day of work.

“Come on in for now. Wash your hands first. And from now on, you need to come at the time I tell you to, understood?”
“Yes!!”

Lee Hae-ra nodded excessively and broke into a radiant smile. Her footsteps as she entered the shop were practically bouncing.

‘I understand that feeling well enough.’

There are times when staying home makes you feel listless, when you can’t breathe properly and need to move your body just to feel alive. Lee Hae-ra was clearly going through one of those periods.

Watching her, I shook my head and pulled out an apron from beneath the counter drawer.

“Here you go. I’ll teach you some simple things today.”
“…Y-yes! Thank you for having me!”
“I’m counting on you too, Lee Hae-ra.”

I guided her naturally while tying the apron strings.

“First, let me show you the kitchen. Cleanliness is the most important thing in any shop, you know?”

Lee Hae-ra followed close behind me, her body rigid with nervous tension. The fragrant aroma of sesame oil lingering from yesterday and the brilliant gleam of the polished stainless steel fixtures dazzled the eye.

“In truth, it’s rare for Lee Hae-ra to handle the kitchen herself, but you never know what might happen. It’s best to be prepared.”
“Yes!”
“We prep and organize vegetables here. The knives go there, and the cutting boards are color-coded by use—one for meat, one for vegetables, one for kimchi. I usually organize these, so don’t feel too burdened about it.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“If I happen to get busy and dishes pile up, just handle them right away, alright?”
“I’ll take care of them immediately!”

I suppressed a smile and moved toward the side dish display case.

“This is the most important display case in our shop.”

I gestured toward the translucent acrylic lids and the neatly arranged side dishes.

“Every morning, condensation forms on the surface, right? Start by wiping that off. Even fingerprints can make customers think we don’t maintain the place well.”

Lee Hae-ra nodded, taking notes on her smartphone.

“And the side dishes—I arrange them every morning, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
“Yes!”
“One more thing. When I finish making side dishes and set them out, just transfer them to the display case right away. I’ve already labeled them with stickers.”

I thought that would be the end of it.

“Oh.”

I pulled out Grandmother Hyang-suk’s notebook from my apron pocket.

“We have quite a few regular customers.”
“Yes, yes!”
“On Saturdays, students living alone come by frequently. So heavily seasoned, rice-stealing style dishes sell well—things like braised beef, stir-fried fish cakes, and spicy radish stew. You can move those to the front.”

Lee Hae-ra nodded quickly.

“And on Sundays, we don’t get customers.”
“Really? Seriously?”
“Even when they do order, they only pick soup. So Sundays are pretty relaxed. It’s a breeze.”
“Oh… I see….”

Lee Hae-ra’s eyes widened as she carefully took more notes.

“Are you getting a headache from trying to put in too much at once?”
“No! I actually like it even more!”

I tied my hair back once more and smiled.

“Then shall we get started? Today’s just a light first day, so I’ll put the side dishes in containers as I make them.”
“Yes! Thank you so much for today! Boss!”

As we entered the Kitchen, Hae-tae whispered.

“Think she’ll do well?”

I glanced at Lee Hae-ra, who was preparing to tie her hair back, and shrugged.

***

I poured the ingredients I’d been prepping for an hour onto the pan. The oil sizzled and crackled, the ingredients dancing and leaping in front of the flame. As I added the seasoning at last, the braised pork was complete.

“Lee Hae-ra, container ready!”
“Yes!”

Quick little footsteps hurried back and forth. As Lee Hae-ra opened a plastic side dish container, I tilted the pan and slid the dish in with a soft whoosh.

“This is braised pork! It’s hot, so let it cool before putting it away!”
“Understood!”

Lee Hae-ra received the container with both hands as if cradling a sacred offering. Her footsteps were so careful and measured, barely lifting her feet from the ground. She seemed almost to be holding her breath, terrified of dropping it.

“Lee Hae-ra, you can breathe, you know.”
“Oh, yes!!”

A laugh escaped me.

Next was seasoned spinach.

I shook the freshly blanched spinach with quick taps, then squeezed it firmly in my hands. A single drop of sesame oil, a pinch of sesame seeds. With a snap of my wrist, I tossed it together perfectly—it gleamed with a lustrous sheen.

“Lee Hae-ra! The spinach!”
“Oh! Yes! I’ll get the spinach container ready!”

This time, I offered the container far more nimbly than before—as if it might spring out the moment someone touched it.

“Oh? Your hands have gotten faster?”
“Ah, just now! When I watched the owner cook, I realized you use these plastic side dish containers!”

The rate of growth was absurd.

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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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