They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 90

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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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90. A Gift (1)

Lee Ju-taek and Lee Yeo-ui emerged from the lower refrigerator, brushing frost from their clothes. The moment Lee Ju-taek’s eyes found me, his face broke into an immediate smile.

“Boss! Merry Christmas!”
“Yes! Merry Christmas to you too, Ju-taek!”

Lee Yeo-ui shook ice crystals from her hair and offered a light greeting. Lee Ju-taek bounced around the shop with exaggerated enthusiasm, spinning in circles.

“You’ve decorated the shop for Christmas!”
“The neighborhood kids did it for me.”
“Wow, they did such a great job!”

Lee Ju-taek hurried over to admire the tree up close.

“Oh, I forgot to say this—it’s been a while, boss.”
“It really has been since then.”

Lee Yeo-ui extended her hand, clad in white leather gloves. I grasped it and smiled warmly.

“Did you come to give me a gift?”
“Yes. The Divine Beings were insisting that Ji-gu should receive a Christmas present.”
“What kind of gift?”
“Well… they mentioned there was a scene they found particularly impressive recently.”

…There could only be one.

“You’re not talking about my flail threshing, are you…?”
“Bingo! Grandmother Hyang-suk did flail threshing before, but she wasn’t skilled at it from the start. It was more pitiful to watch, honestly.”
“…What?”

My mouth fell slightly open in a dumbfounded expression.

“Ji-gu was absolutely flawless.”

…*smack*.

“So, what exactly are you planning to give us for that threshing performance?”

Lee Ju-taek, who had finally finished admiring the shop’s Christmas decorations, approached and spoke.

“It’s a press!”
“…Pardon? A press?”

Was he talking about the machine used to make sesame oil and perilla oil?

“A press in this cramped shop would be quite difficult to manage, wouldn’t it?”
“It’s fine, boss. It’s a small machine but performs exceptionally well!”
“Could we see what kind of item it is?”
“Of course! Team Lead Lee Yeo-ui!”

At Lee Ju-taek’s call, Lee Yeo-ui stepped back slightly.

“Pardon me for a moment.”

Lee Yeo-ui slowly removed her white leather gloves. As her bare skin was revealed, fine, delicate scales became visible across the back of her hand. Then a crack formed, creating a small opening.

From the crevice, a press small enough to be cradled in someone’s arms emerged into view.

“This is the press.”

The moment Lee Ju-taek spoke, a status window appeared before me!

[Press Following the Primordial Design]
Grade: S
Description: A gift from the Divine Beings moved by the ‘threshing performance’
– Equipment crafted with ancient divine technology capable of extracting all ingredients at S-grade quality.

‘The press is quite beautiful?’

It was more compact than I expected. It was exactly the size to fit snugly into a kitchen drawer.

“The performance on this thing is absolutely outstanding!”

Lee Ju-taek retrieved sesame seeds he’d carefully brought in his padded jacket pocket.

“Allow me to demonstrate its performance for you.”
“This feels like a home shopping channel….”
“Ha! Isn’t it entertaining?”

It was entertaining, I had to admit.

‘Though I’m not sure about the threshing part….’

Lee Ju-taek poured the sesame seeds into the oil press with practiced movements and spoke.

“I’ve practiced extensively to show you how to use it. May I borrow a bowl for a moment?”

Lee Ju-taek retrieved a bowl and positioned it beneath the spout where the sesame oil would drip. He then pressed the start button.

Whirrrrrrr—!

The sound was surprisingly powerful for its compact size. Soon, a rich, nutty aroma filled the air as clear, golden sesame oil flowed from the press into the bowl. The oil collected there was remarkably transparent and pristine.

“Is the sesame oil and perilla oil that get delivered to me every time produced from this same press?”
“That’s right.”

Lee Yeo-ui answered. The rich, fragrant aroma of sesame oil wafting from the machine was almost intoxicating.

“Would you care to taste it?”
“Oh, yes!”

I poured a small amount into a shot glass and tasted it. The smooth, nutty flavor hit my tongue first, with a lingering aftertaste that persisted pleasantly.

‘…The flavor profile is completely different.’

Sesame oil that wasn’t heavy or cloying.

“What do you think?”
“…It’s delicious.”
“Quite the gift, wouldn’t you say?”

I couldn’t deny it. The moment I tasted it, a chef’s instinctive desire to possess this surged within me.

‘Truly, the human heart is as fickle as the wind….’

“Give me food, meow! Meow?”

Hae-tae strutted through the Back Door with an air of supreme confidence.

“What’s that sesame oil smell, meow?”
“Hae-tae’s here?”

Hae-tae was mid-yawn when he spotted Lee Yeo-ui and Lee Ju-taek, his eyebrows shooting upward.

“What’s this, meow?”
“They came to bring gifts.”
“Gifts from divine beings, meow?”

Lee Yeo-ui smiled as she spoke.

“You could say it’s a Christmas and New Year’s gift?”
“Divine beings don’t just give things away for nothing, meow!”

Hae-tae climbed up my leg warily and settled onto my shoulder.

“Why give gifts, meow? You’re not asking for something in return, are you, meow?”
“Aha ha.”

Lee Yeo-ui’s half-lidded eyes gleamed with sharp intent.

“They want us to bring some side dishes from Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop. Apparently, they’re getting frustrated just watching all the time.”
“That’s absurd, meow. If they can take it, they can take it, meow?”
“Perhaps they have some pride, after all?”

Hae-tae let out a derisive snort.

“But!”
“What is it?”
“I don’t think we can give them side dishes made with premium ingredients. Everyone should be equal when it comes to food.”

Lee Yeo-ui spoke with a subtle smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

“Originally, they asked for every single side dish in this shop, but instead, I negotiated it down to this.”
“What? Everything?”
“Yes. That’s why I explained to them that if they took everything, it would be difficult for Ji-gu.”

I sent Lee Yeo-ui a grateful look.

After all, if the display case was empty, I’d have to remake everything from scratch….

“Still, the fact that the Divine Beings want to take everything is also a way of helping your business thrive. It seems they’ve taken quite a liking to Ji-gu for some reason.”
“…Why is that?”
“They said it’s entertaining, apparently. The Divine Beings favor humans who diligently accumulate merit. It’s not boring for them.”

Lee Yeo-ui trailed off and stifled a laugh.

‘I’ll never hear the end of this.’

“The Divine Beings are merchants too, so they know quality when they see it, meow.”
“Exactly.”

I sighed and laughed.

“Of all things, to catch the Divine Beings’ attention through sheer audacity….”
“That’s a good thing.”

I tightened my apron and grabbed several paper bags.

“You and Lee Ju-taek must be busy. Let me pack some side dishes for you. What did the Divine Beings ask for?”

Lee Yeo-ui seemed to have a predetermined list already. She didn’t even glance at the display case.

“They asked mainly for seasonal greens and recently made dishes. Especially buckwheat jelly stir-fry….”
“Of course.”

I opened the display case door and carefully stacked items into the paper bags, then looked at Lee Yeo-ui.

“And that includes the garland chrysanthemum and beef stir-fry.”

I went to the Kitchen and carefully placed the freshly made garland chrysanthemum and beef stir-fry into a side dish container. I wiped the lid to prevent any broth from leaking and placed it in the paper bag.

“Please tell them to eat it quickly since it’s freshly made.”

As I packed the side dishes, the bags multiplied—far more than I’d anticipated. There was no way I could carry all of them with just two arms.

“All done.”
“Thank you for your hard work, boss!”

Lee Ju-taek hoisted the bags with ease and bowed respectfully.

“We need to hurry—there’s been a call.”
“A call?”
“Yes. We’re getting contacted from other Seon-eop Shops as well.”

As he finished speaking, Lee Ju-taek opened the lower door of the Refrigerator. The Christmas decorations affixed to the display case trembled.

Icy mist billowed from within the Refrigerator, drifting slowly up to ankle height.

“We’ll be on our way now.”

Lee Yeo-ui nodded slightly.

“Merry Christmas, Boss Ji-gu! And may you have a blessed new year!”

Lee Ju-taek spoke with spirited cheer before vanishing into the fissure. Lee Yeo-ui’s white coat rippled in the icy fog as she opened her mouth.

“Merry Christmas.”

Then Lee Yeo-ui stepped into the Refrigerator. The ripples that had formed in the fissure dissolved, and it returned to an ordinary appliance.

Only the Refrigerator’s motor hum circled through the Kitchen. The Christmas decorations no longer trembled.

“It feels like I just had a dream.”
“There’s no time for that, meow.”
“Huh?”
“The display case is empty, meow.”

Hae-tae’s words snapped me back to reality.

“Right.”

I glanced at the display case. It wasn’t a dream. It was reality. I needed to restock the side dishes.

“I’ll make them tomorrow.”
“Why, meow?”
“Because today is—”

I reached up and lifted Hae-tae from my shoulder, bringing him to eye level.

“Christmas, meow?”
“Meow?”

I gazed at Hae-tae and smiled slowly.

“Merry Christmas to you too, Hae-tae.”

Hae-tae blinked his eyes blankly for a moment, then his mouth curved upward. His expression was softer than usual.

“Merry Christmas, meow.”

What does Christmas mean to a small business owner? Winter still reigned outside, and tomorrow would be hectic. But for today, I wanted to be happy.

“Should we go buy a cake?”
“Meow!”
“They had strawberry cake and chocolate cake—which one do you want?”
“Strawberry cake for Christmas, meow!”

I untied my apron and set it on the counter, then began turning off the shop lights one by one.

“Strawberry cake? Why not just get chocolate cake?”
“You don’t know anything, meow.”
“Don’t know what?”
“We should just buy both, meow.”
“Are you a genius?”
“I’m a genius, meow.”

I pulled on the padded jacket hanging from the chair and grabbed my wallet.

“Come into my arms!”

Hae-tae burrowed into the padding without hesitation. Seeing that adorable face peeking out from my embrace, I couldn’t help but smile. Before grasping the door handle, I took a moment to glance around the shop one last time.

“What are you doing?”
“Just… something feels strange.”

In the darkened shop, the Christmas decorations gleamed with a soft, subtle light. I absorbed the scene with my eyes before closing the door. Thus, the shop’s first Christmas celebration had come to an end.

***

New Year’s Eve, afternoon.

I was trimming spring vegetables while bathed in the gentle winter sunlight.

The shop door burst open with a harsh bang.

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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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