They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 8

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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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8. Opening (2)

This was a revolutionary sandwich for those concerned about diabetes. I could keep selling this without worry.

“Hae-tae, I’m going to put this salad between morning bread.”

Hae-tae’s tail shot up straight with anticipation.

“It’ll be delicious, won’t it?”
“Why didn’t Grandmother Hyang-suk ever make something like this for me?”
“Because it’s a menu only I can make.”

I retrieved the golden-brown morning bread I’d prepared earlier and split it open to check the interior. The outside was crispy while the inside was soft as a cloud.

“How did Grandmother Hyang-suk ever think to use morning bread?”
“When Grandmother didn’t have sandwich bread, she made it with morning bread instead—my favorite!”

Now I generously stuffed the prepared salad between the golden-brown morning bread slices.

“Perfect!”

I arranged the salad sandwich beautifully in a bowl and presented it to Hae-tae. Hae-tae pressed his nose into the sandwich and sniffed eagerly.

“…Meow!”

The savory aroma of bread mingled with the sweet-and-tangy scent of cabbage salad, and Hae-tae’s already-raised tail trembled with excitement.

After smacking his lips a few times, Hae-tae opened his mouth wide and took an enormous bite of the fist-sized sandwich.

How does food fit into such a small face?

‘Is this the mystery of feline physiology?’

“It’s so delicious, meow!”

Pleased with himself, Hae-tae’s tail lashed against my face with unbridled enthusiasm.

“Wait, wait.”
“Meow.”
“Ow!”

I turned my head and rubbed the spot where the tail had struck me. Hae-tae finished eating and lifted his head, regarding me with those round eyes of his.

“It’s delicious, meow!”
“It is, isn’t it? Once you break through the crispy exterior of the toasted bread, the moist interior and the crunchy salad burst on your palate all at once. Don’t you feel a symphony of textures in every bite?”
“Exactly, meow! The texture is absolutely incredible, meow.”

Hae-tae grasped my arm with his front paws and shook it, clearly asking for more.

“I want more, meow!”
“I’d love to give you more, but it’s getting late…”
“What time is it, meow!”

What time? It was already well past ten in the morning.

“It’ll be lunchtime soon.”
“Already, meow?”
“Yeah, let’s eat lunch later instead. Besides, we don’t have a single customer—just flies buzzing around, flies and…”

When I worked at the restaurant, customers never stopped coming. Seeing the shop so quiet now left me feeling oddly empty.

That’s when Hae-tae pointed outside with his plump front paw.

“Look outside, meow.”
“Huh? What is it?”

I followed Hae-tae’s gaze and looked out at the street. Directly across from the shop, in front of the shopping complex that was being decorated for its grand opening, a massive tour bus came to a slow stop.

“What? Why is a tour bus stopping here?”
“Who knows, meow. But maybe we’ll get some customers, meow.”

Moments later, as soon as the bus doors opened, an elderly woman descended as if she’d been waiting.

In her colorful hiking outfit and sunglasses, she looked like the picture of a stylish grandmother.

“Ah, it looks like the elders went sightseeing together.”

I was about to dismiss it as unimportant while observing the shopping complex, when she suddenly turned and began walking toward our shop.

‘Huh?’

I hastily rose from my seat to greet her.

“We have a customer~!”
“Welcome! This is Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop. What side dishes can we help you with?”

Her face was obscured by large sunglasses and a floral-patterned mask covering most of her features. Grandmother answered with a voice tinged with amusement.

“That’s right. I came to buy some side dishes. Owner, when did you open this shop?”
“We just opened today!”
“Today?! What perfect timing!”

At her remark about perfect timing, I instinctively glanced up, wondering if some sort of notification would appear above Grandmother’s head.

‘She’s not a pre-registered customer, though?’

Setting her bag down on the floor, Grandmother leisurely surveyed the shop with her arms crossed.

“Why does the shop look so dark?”

I carefully pointed at her sunglasses.

“That’s… because you’re wearing sunglasses!”
“Ah, that’s right! Of course!”

Grandmother removed her sunglasses and mask, then gazed at my face with tender affection, scrutinizing it carefully before exclaiming.

“My goodness, you look just like our Hyang-suk! I can’t believe how much you’ve grown.”

Hyang-suk?

“You know our grandmother?”
“Well, I suppose I should introduce myself then?”

Grandmother chuckled warmly as she introduced herself to everyone present.

“I’m Kim Myeong-ja, an old friend of Hyang-suk’s.”

Hearing this for the first time, my mind went momentarily blank.

“Our grandmother’s… friend?”
“You probably saw me once when you were very young. It’s only natural you don’t remember. Since we’re hometown friends, we didn’t see each other often, and I was away traveling for several months. That’s why I couldn’t make it to the funeral. I’m sorry about that.”

Ah… so that’s why I’d never met her before.

“No, please. Grandmother would be happy just that you came.”
“You’ve grown up so well.”

Kim Myeong-ja reached out and gently stroked my hair.

“Oh… thank you.”

Up close, Grandmother Kim Myeong-ja was anything but ordinary. Her lean yet muscular frame bore the mark of discipline, and her hands and forearms were remarkably firm.

‘So this person is our grandmother’s friend…’

Something about her presence was subtly overwhelming, and I found myself straightening my posture. An unexpected desire to do my very best for her suddenly welled up inside me.

“If you ever need any side dishes, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll prepare them right away!”

At my words, Grandmother Kim Myeong-ja waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh my, how much help I’ve received from Hyang-suk over the years—I should be the one taking care of you. But did she not mention anything special to you?”

Grandmother Kim Myeong-ja asked, glancing around the shop.

“What do you mean?”
“Hyang-suk contacted me separately before she passed. I thought she would have told you everything, but it seems she didn’t?”
“I… I’m hearing about this for the first time.”

At my response, Grandmother’s expression grew wistful.

“I think I meant to tell you earlier but didn’t get the chance. Your grandmother Hyang-suk asked me if I could help her granddaughter a bit. She said when you came back to the neighborhood after so long, she worried you might feel lonely, and that your grandmother’s absence would leave a big void—could I help fill it even a little? You know how it is in a neighborhood like this.”
“Ah…, Grandmother said that?”
“Of course. You know better than anyone how meticulous and thoughtful your grandmother is, don’t you?”

I wondered just how much of her warmth she had left behind before departing.

“…I do know. Thank you so much for coming all this way!”

I felt grateful simply that she had remembered her promise to my grandmother and made the effort to visit.

Grandmother Kim Myeong-ja gazed at me with a satisfied smile.

“See that shopping complex across the street? I’m opening a bakery there. We’ll be able to see each other often now. My siblings were supposed to come with me, but they’re all busy, so I came ahead first.”
“A bakery?”
“Yes, right across there.”

I casually turned my head and glanced across at the shopping complex. Electrical wires still lay scattered on the ground from installing new signage, and through the glass windows, workers bustled about moving display shelves.

“So that place being renovated is your bakery?”
“Myeong-ja Bakery—it was quite famous back in my hometown. I’ll bring you some bread once the shop opens.”

We chatted pleasantly about the bakery. Then Grandmother Kim Myeong-ja clapped her hands and asked.

“Ji-gu. Do you have any side dishes already prepared? I’d like to take a look.”
“Yes! I do!”

I guided my grandmother to the refrigerator where I had arranged the side dishes in advance.

“Here they are.”

Grandmother let out a brief exclamation as she examined the side dishes.

“Oh? These side dishes look delicious.”
“Is there a particular side dish you enjoy?”
“I loved anything your grandmother made. Whenever I came this way, I’d buy some, and Hyang-suk would send them to me regularly. After she fell ill, I couldn’t get her side dishes anymore… you have no idea how much I missed them.”

Though she spoke matter-of-factly, her voice trembled slightly at the end. Feeling my own eyes grow hot at that tremor, I quickly spoke in a bright tone.

“Grandmother’s touch with food was truly exceptional. Please, take your pick!”

Grandmother selected the seasoned soybean sprouts, shredded radish, and seasoned fatsia shoots, cradling them in her arms.

“With these, I can make bibimbap when I get home~! And I’ll get to see a bit of Hyang-suk’s granddaughter’s skills, won’t I?”
“If you want to see my skills, I should prepare one more side dish. Let me give you one more as a service!”

Since she was Grandmother’s friend, it seemed fine to give her something free. But Kim Myeong-ja firmly waved her hand in refusal.

“What are you talking about! Makgeolli! Huh!?”
“Pardon?”

Kim Myeong-ja exclaimed in surprise.

“Why do you think I came here? I came to help you, not to receive anything. And you must absolutely charge your first customer! That’s how customers will come in droves like a string of candy beads… And this.”

Kim Myeong-ja held out a white envelope. It was unmistakably a cash envelope.

“No, that’s not necessary. Just the price of the side dishes is enough…!”

I waved my hand in refusal, but Kim Myeong-ja firmly tucked the envelope deep into my apron.

“Hyang-suk has helped us so much—we can’t pretend we don’t know her kindness.”

Warmth and determination mingled in Kim Myeong-ja’s voice. I bit my lower lip hard. Tears threatened to spill over.

“Now it’s our turn to help you. You’re not alone, Ji-gu.”

I lowered my head to hide the emotions surging hotly within me.

“This is something we’re giving you, but it also means that Hyang-suk is by your side. So don’t burden yourself with it.”
“Thank you. Truly, from the bottom of my heart….”
“There’s no need to thank us. If you need anything, call us anytime, understood?”

I looked slowly at Grandmother. Her face was filled with a reassuring and warm smile.

“We’ll spread the word throughout the neighborhood. Don’t worry.”
“Word of mouth?”

Kim Myeong-ja patted her chest with her palm as if it were obvious.

“Do you have any idea how terrifying word-of-mouth can be among the women in this neighborhood? They’ll be lining up to buy side dishes before you know it!”
“I was actually thinking about handing out flyers.”
“Flyers aren’t necessary. In a neighborhood like this, word-of-mouth is everything.”

My nose tingled slightly as I nodded. Her confident expression and tone somehow reassured me. Rather than clumsily distributing flyers and fumbling about, her words sounded like encouragement to visit the Vegetable Garden like today, harvest quality crops, and put even more effort into making side dishes.

“Let me pack up some side dishes for you!”

I quickly packed the side dishes into black plastic bags. For some reason, I couldn’t stop smiling.

“Thank you so much for coming today.”
“We all make a living together, don’t we? What time do you open?”
“Every morning at 8 o’clock!”
“Alright, alright. I’ll definitely stop by!”
“Yes! Please come back safely!”

I walked her to the door, bowed in farewell, and the moment I closed it, I let out a long sigh.

Just then, Hae-tae poked his face out from the kitchen.

“Did you get it?”

I quietly answered while touching the envelope that sat heavy in my apron pocket.

“Yeah. I got it.”

Hae-tae immediately sprang up and sat at the table.

“Why do you look so gloomy?”
“Me?”
“Your face says ‘I’m depressed.'”
“It’s just… I wish Grandmother could have seen all of this herself.”
“You mean Grandmother Hyang-suk?”
“Yeah. Grandmother used to tell me something all the time.”
“What did she say?”
“That kindness comes full circle. She always said that if you give to others, that kindness will eventually return to you.”

I stood up while putting the cash envelope into my apron pocket.

“It seems the blessings Grandmother Hyang-suk bestowed are coming back to me.”
“That’s a good thing, meow.”
“Right. So now I need to share the goodness I’ve received with others too.”

Hae-tae tilted his head curiously.

“How will you share it, meow?”
“By making delicious side dishes, of course! That’s what I do best, isn’t it? Hae-tae!”
“Ah yes, that’s right, meow.”

Hae-tae tapped my forearm with his left front paw as if urging me to follow. I was about to scoop him up into my arms.

Clang clang clang clang clang!—

An ominous sound erupted harshly from the kitchen direction. And it seemed to grow increasingly violent.

I froze, my eyes meeting Hae-tae’s in alarm.

“That’s the refrigerator making that noise, right?”
“It seems so, meow.”
“But something feels different from last time.”

My mind churning with confusion and dread, I rushed toward the source of the sound.

The moment I reached the refrigerator, the noise ceased abruptly. A chill hung in the air, and an inexplicable tension enveloped the entire kitchen. The silence was suffocating.

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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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