They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 62

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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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62. Kimchi-Making (7)

With a practiced smile, I picked up a business card from the shop.

“Of course. May I have your name and number?”

I nodded while jotting down the number the customer rattled off on the back of the card.

“And… when should I come back to pick up the delicious kimchi?”
“The day after tomorrow would be perfect. That’s when it reaches its peak flavor—after about two days of fermentation.”
“Then I’ll be back then.”

The regular customer, who had ordered five bundles of kimchi, bowed gracefully and left the shop. Only then did Lee Hae-ra snap back to attention, her eyes blinking rapidly.

“Um, boss… are you really getting that many reservations?”

I retied my apron strings with an unbothered expression and replied.

“Who knows? Maybe yes, maybe no.”
“B-boss?!”
“That’s shop business confidentiality.”
“B-business confidentiality…?”

The heart of any shop’s success is always keeping secrets.

“Shall we grab some food? Fresh white rice with homemade kimchi is absolutely divine. Or if there’s another side dish you’d like, just say the word. You can eat whatever you want.”

Lee Hae-ra’s eyes sparkled.

“Um… can I have the braised beef too…?”
“Of course. Eat as much as you like. It’s part of your employee benefits.”
“Thank you! I’ll grab the braised beef!”

Watching Lee Hae-ra quickly retrieve the braised beef from the side dish display, I opened the rice cooker.

‘I need to set aside some for Hae-tae too.’

I’d already filled Hae-tae’s bowl with rice and placed it on the floor—ready for whenever he slipped in to eat.

I arranged two bowls of steaming white rice and the freshly seasoned kimchi on the small table. It looked abundantly full.

“Wow… the aroma of chestnuts….”

Lee Hae-ra carefully brought over the braised vegetables and took her seat.

“Shall we try it?”

I placed a strand of the kimchi on top of the steaming white rice and rolled it up with my spoon. It crunched with a satisfying snap, and the crisp, refreshing kimchi flavor touched my tongue.

Then came the deep umami of the fermented seafood, filling my mouth, while the nutty sweetness of the rice gently balanced the spice.

“Wow…. Even though I made it, it’s delicious.”

Lee Hae-ra quietly couldn’t stop her spoon, piling a piece of braised vegetables with kimchi and stuffing her mouth full—her cheeks puffing out like a squirrel’s.

“Is it tasty, Lee Hae-ra?”

She nodded repeatedly while chewing, her brow furrowed, her expression answering before her words could.

“Eat slowly. You’ll get indigestion that way.”
“…Really, eating braised vegetables with kimchi is dangerous. You lose yourself and just keep eating….”

More than half the rice had disappeared, and it hadn’t taken long at all.

“Have some water. Water.”
“Y-yes!”

Watching Lee Hae-ra eat so contentedly, I felt a deep satisfaction.

‘This is what’s good about it.’

Having someone who enjoys the food I’ve made, and being able to see that expression right beside me.

That’s why I cook today as well.

“If you want more later, just let me know at dinner.”

I could always prepare another meal whenever needed.

***

Evening arrived. The sun dipped low, and darkness crept in before I realized it.

“Lee Hae-ra? It’ll be dark soon—would you like to leave early? It’s quite a walk to your home, isn’t it?”
“Uh… well…”

Lee Hae-ra’s eyes darted about before she pressed herself flat against the wall, staring at me.

“Would it… be okay if I watched the kimchi-making?”
“Watching probably won’t be very entertaining, though. Are you sure?”
“…Y-yes, besides, there’s nothing to do at home anyway, and it’s boring! I think watching would be more fun…”
“But if it gets too late, I’ll tell you to go home.”
“Yes! I’ll do that!”

I found it difficult to refuse any further. She must have been tense all day managing the shop alone.

‘I should show her the joy of kimchi-making too.’

That was when it happened.

*Ding-dong—*

“Ji-guuuu!”

Grandmother Myeong-ja burst through the shop door with a hearty voice, and the Twins followed right behind her.

“Hello!”

Song Ae-rim had even come prepared with rubber gloves for the kimchi-making.

“Hello…”

Song Ae-hyuk looked particularly energetic today. A different determination shone through compared to yesterday.

“A customer stayed late today, so I arrived late. I was so worried you’d finish everything. Surely you didn’t already… season the kimchi, did you?”
“I only tried a few batches.”
“A few batches…!?”

I opened the kimchi container lid and showed her the freshly seasoned kimchi. The seasoning glistened between the newly coated cabbage leaves.

“It looks delicious…?”

Grandmother Myeong-ja’s voice rose an octave.

“I tasted it earlier, and it was delicious.”
“I should taste it myself. Let me try.”

Grandmother Myeong-ja naturally picked up a strand of kimchi with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The kimchi wasn’t fully fermented yet, so it was still crisp and crunchy.

“Oh, oh!”

Crunch. As the first bite sounded, Grandmother Myeong-ja’s mouth stopped moving.

“Yes, yes.”

Grandmother Myeong-ja chewed slowly and nodded.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
“The cabbage is crisp, but the seasoning isn’t too spicy—the flavor is just right.”
“It pairs perfectly with plain white rice, doesn’t it?”

The Twins, as if they’d been waiting, peeked their heads forward eagerly. Their lips smacked together—it was funny how badly they wanted to eat some.

“Each of you, one bite.”

The Twins each grabbed their chopsticks and rushed in. Song Ae-rim rolled a large cabbage leaf and popped it whole into her mouth, while Song Ae-hyuk carefully ate a fallen leaf from the side.

“Wow wow wow wow! It’s more delicious than Grandmother Hyang-suk’s kimchi!”

Song Ae-rim was the first to cry out.

“Really? More than our grandmother’s kimchi?”
“Yes! Really truly!”

Song Ae-hyuk also murmured with a serious expression.

“…It’s really delicious.”
“I can only eat sour kimchi normally, you know? But I actually want to eat this!”

We could season it just like this.

“I did spend a few hours seasoning it, after all.”
“Oh my, you did all that by yourself?”
“Yes, I did most of it alone.”

Though Hae-tae did handle sourcing the ingredients.

“Alright, now we need to get serious.”
“…Yes, if we start now, we might actually finish before dawn.”

Song Ae-hyuk was right. If we started now, we’d be done before midnight.

“We could use one more person, though.”

Grandmother Myeong-ja looked at Lee Hae-ra, who had been pressed against the wall watching us.

“…Oh, this is Lee Hae-ra, who came to help today. Grandmother….”
“Lee Hae-ra!?”

At Grandmother Myeong-ja’s exclamation, Lee Hae-ra straightened her back with a bow, startled like a rabbit.

“Ah, hello! I’m the part-timer Lee Hae-ra, n-nice to meet you!”
“Oh my… I can read faces, you know. Just looking at you, you seem like a very capable person. Ji-gu has a good eye, doesn’t she?”

At the sudden praise, Lee Hae-ra’s ears flushed red.

“…No, that’s not true! I made plenty of mistakes!”
“Mistakes? Those were probably Ji-gu’s mistakes. So are you heading home right away?”
“No!”
“Then let’s make kimchi together.”

Grandmother Myeong-ja already grabbed both of Lee Hae-ra’s shoulders and dragged her toward the backyard.

“Lee Hae-ra, since it’s your first day, I told you to just watch because it might be tough.”
“No way, watching alone isn’t fun at all. We should do it together!”

Song Ae-rim had already claimed her spot, waving rubber gloves as she spoke.

“That’s right! We should do it together! I don’t want my arms to be the only ones hurting!”

Song Ae-hyuk covered his sister’s mouth while speaking.

“…We should be making good memories.”
“Good memories haven’t started yet, have they?”

Grandmother Myeong-ja clapped her hands and distributed tasks to everyone.

“Lee Hae-ra, you don’t need to mix—just move the cabbage for us. Song Ae-rim will mix the seasoning with me. Ae-hyuk, you assist us. And Ji-gu, with the fastest hands…”

Grandmother Myeong-ja looked at me.

“Ji-gu will fill the insides. Got it?! Now, everyone stop talking and get moving!”

Song Ae-rim had already pulled her rubber gloves up to her elbows, her determination evident. Song Ae-hyuk silently approached the cabbage and began draining its brine.

“Initiating cabbage production line….”
“Hey, you haven’t even started working in society yet.”
“My heart’s already there.”

Lee Hae-ra, gloved hands ready, transferred the drained cabbage toward the seasoning station. Then Grandmother’s gaze fixed on me.

“Ji-gu.”
“Yes.”
“You’re the main force today. You know what that means, right?”

I pulled on my red rubber gloves with determination and nodded firmly.

“I’ll work like a machine today.”

***

After about two hours, everyone’s hands had grown accustomed to the work, and we were performing well. Without anyone directing us, our hands moved instinctively, and without orders, the sequence flowed perfectly.

“Napa cabbage coming through!”
“Yes. Ae-rim, come in!”

Song Ae-rim scooped up the seasoning paste with a wet sound and pushed it inward, methodically coating each leaf one by one.

“Is this right, boss?”
“Yes, just keep going like that. You’re doing great, Ae-rim.”

I took the cabbage from her and went through it once more, ensuring no hollow spots remained. As I filled the inner layers with seasoning, I used my fingertips to apply extra paste where needed, then folded the outermost leaves neatly to shape it properly.

Once the finished kimchi was laid into the container, another napa cabbage slid toward Song Ae-rim.

“Next one!”

When Song Ae-rim called out, I passed it along.

“Ji-gu, here.”
“Yes!”

When Grandmother Hyang-suk handed one over, I received it.

‘Lee Hae-ra’s doing well too.’

Beside us, Song Ae-hyuk moved the heavy cabbages one by one, closed container lids, and kept the workspace clear.

“Wow… my hands have gone completely numb…”
“That’s the pinnacle of kimchi-making.”
“I didn’t want to reach that pinnacle!”
“Do you even know what pinnacle means?”
“I have no idea!”

While Song Ae-rim and Grandmother Hyang-suk bickered, we’d already passed the hundred-cabbage mark.

‘We’re moving fast already.’

Thank goodness Grandmother Hyang-suk had her old kimchi containers. Otherwise, I would’ve had to run to the Neighborhood Mart to buy more.

“Ah, my nose is itching!”

Just as Song Ae-rim suddenly felt an itch beside her nose and reached to remove her rubber gloves, it happened.

Thunk.

The seasoning bowl Song Ae-rim had been lifting got knocked by her elbow and flew in a perfect arc, splattering across my pant legs.

“Oh, oh! Boss! I’m so, so sorry!”
“It’s fine. This happens all the time when making kimchi.”
“But still!”
“It’s my fault for not wearing boots. That’s on me.”

Song Ae-rim’s brows furrowed. She started to approach me with her gloved hands to deal with the seasoning-stained pants, but stopped herself, worried the seasoning might splatter again.

“Don’t come over here now, or it’ll get worse.”
“I won’t move!”

Song Ae-hyuk quietly brought over a kitchen towel and handed it to me.

“…Boss, wipe yourself off.”
“When did you grab that?”
“I got splattered earlier too….”

It seemed he’d gotten seasoning on his pants while moving the cabbage.

“Ah, so we’re in the same boat?”
“…Yes.”

I patted and wiped my pants with the towel.

“Isn’t this the perfect timing?”

Grandmother Myeong-ja slapped her thigh with her palm, making a meaningful remark.

“Perfect timing for what?”
“Boiled pork.”
“The one we put in earlier should be done right about now. We need to eat it in the middle of making kimchi to keep our strength up!”

Everyone’s eyes widened considerably, as if they’d been exhausted.

“Boiled pork! Boiled pork!”
“…with pork and kimchi on top….”

Even Lee Hae-ra jumped in.

“Shall I set the table?”
“That would be perfect for me!”
“I’ll hurry to the Side Dish Shop and get everything ready!”

I stared at them in bewilderment, my mind reeling.

“Wait… were you all hungry?”

All four of them nodded at me in unison, as if performing a synchronized chorus.

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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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