They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 91

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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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91. A Gift (2)

I shook the water from my hands in the kitchen and looked up as Grandmother Myeong-ja burst through the shop door.

“Grandmother? What’s the matter?”
“Ji-gu! Take this!”

She thrust something toward me without preamble. I accepted it with both hands, blinking in surprise. It was an envelope that looked like an elegant invitation.

“You’re invited to our New Year’s party, Ji-gu!”

New Year’s party? Before I could even ask, Grandmother continued as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“We should gather for the new year.”
“Gather?”
“Were you planning to spend it alone?”

…I had intended to spend it as I always did. Quietly?

“Well… yes, I suppose?”
“Absolutely not. Not a chance. We’re spending it together.”

Grandmother settled into the counter chair and gestured for me to open the envelope.

“Ae-rim and Ae-hyuk decorated it themselves.”

I opened the envelope and unfolded the invitation inside.

[To President Ji-gu of Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop ♥
You are cordially invited to Myeong-ja’s Bakery!
Time: 8 PM!
Location: Myeong-ja’s Bakery!
Let’s listen to the New Year’s bell ring together!]

‘How precious they are.’

A neat invitation. There was no reason not to go. Of course I had to attend.

“You absolutely have to come. The Twins are looking forward to it!”
“Then I’ll definitely go. What time should I arrive?”
“Whenever you’re free in the evening~!”

Grandmother Hyang-suk spoke without even looking at me.

“If you have anyone you’d like to invite, bring them along~!”

Someone I could bring along….

“I do have someone, but I’m not sure if they’ll have time.”
“You do have someone?”
“Grandmother and I both have a neighborhood friend.”

Grandmother Hyang-suk looked at me with surprise.

“I thought you didn’t have any friends?”
“Well, almost none, right? I figured with you always working at the shop, how could you possibly make friends?”

I rolled my eyes sheepishly and changed the subject.

“Should I bring some dishes with us?”
“What kind of dishes?”
“How about braised short ribs?”

Grandmother Hyang-suk clapped her hands in approval.

“Braised short ribs sound wonderful!”
“Since we’re going anyway, the table should be abundant with good food.”

I wanted the table to overflow with dishes. We should eat our fill without any shortage, just as delicious as it is plentiful.

“See you then?”
“Yes. See you then.”
“But you still have Christmas decorations up?”
“The Twins put them up, and I couldn’t bear to take them down.”

Grandmother Myeong-ja laughed heartily and shook her head.

“The Twins will be so happy to hear this.”
“Go on in. I’ll see you this evening.”
“Sounds good!”

The moment I watched Grandmother leave the shop, I pulled out my smartphone from my padded jacket and sent a message.

◀[Lee Hae-ra, do you have time today?]
◀[Grandmother from Myeong-ja’s Bakery wants us all to gather and eat together for the new year]
◀[Let me know if you’re free.]

She hadn’t responded right after leaving work, so if I sent it now, she’d reply quickly, wouldn’t she?

My prediction came true in less than a second.

▶[I can go!!!!!!!!!]
▶[I can go!!!!!!!]

“Pfft….”

I didn’t expect her to respond this fast.

I chuckled softly at the screen filled with exclamation marks. Somehow, I could almost hear Lee Hae-ra’s voice. I sent a light reply.

◀[Then let’s go together]
◀[I’ll organize the date and time and let you know]

I added a message telling her to come when the shop closed. Immediately, a flurry of dancing baby duck emojis came flying in. Only after seeing her response did I slip my smartphone back into my pocket.

***

Braised short ribs….

Braised short ribs—a dish prepared during festivals and when entertaining guests even in the Joseon era. Originally, it was called gari-jjim because the ribs of cattle were separately classified as “gari.”

“What are you up to?”
“I’ve been invited to a New Year’s gathering, so I’m making braised short ribs.”
“Braised short ribs are braised short ribs, aren’t they?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”

Hae-tae’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“A New Year’s gathering?”
“Yeah. We’re meeting up at Myeong-ja’s Bakery.”

I opened the refrigerator and retrieved the short ribs I’d been carefully storing inside. Braised short ribs grew richer in flavor the more time you invested in them—there was no better dish for a party than this.

“On New Year’s Day itself?”
“Want to come with me?”
“What would I do there?”
“I’ll sneak you food.”

After all, you could just perch on my head and enjoy a quiet food show, couldn’t you?

“I’ll think about it.”
“Huh?”

Hae-tae lowered his head without objection, curling his body into a ball.

I placed the short ribs on the cutting board. I tied my apron strings securely and drew out my knife sheath.

“What kind of knife is that?”
“An old blade I used to use.”
“What about the other knives you had before?”
“Those are the ones I use occasionally for vegetables and prep work.”

The moment I drew it from the sheath and gripped it, the familiar weight settled perfectly into my palm. I smiled faintly at the lingering patina on the wooden handle—this had been the blade I wielded every day when I cooked constantly.

“I’ve never seen that knife before.”
“This one?”

I held the knife up into the air and continued speaking.

“I only used this knife on important days.”
“It looks pretty old, meow.”
“Yeah. It’s the first knife Grandmother gave me. She had it custom-made to fit my hand.”

I wiped the moisture from the blade with a kitchen towel and examined the ribs once more. I slid the knife along the spaces between the bones with a smooth, effortless motion. The blade glided through without requiring much pressure at all.

“These are already cut ribs, aren’t they, meow?”
“They’re cut ribs, but I need to score them so they’re easier to eat.”

I made shallow cuts across the ribs to help the sauce penetrate better.

“…Your prep work is fast, meow.”
“Cooking and side dishes are different things. Why? Are you surprised?”

Hae-tae watched me work through the meat with swift, practiced movements, his mouth slightly agape.

“You’re skilled at butchering too, meow?”
“Yeah. I learned from Cha Seop.”

‘That’s worth being surprised about.’

I’d never shown him this kind of knife work before.

I placed the ribs in cold water to remove the blood.

“Where are you going, meow?”
“To get the carbonated water.”

I retrieved the carbonated water from the front of the refrigerator and poured it slowly over the ribs that were draining. This would soften the meat’s texture.

Ssshhhhh—

A faint sound accompanied the bubbling foam. Tiny bubbles burrowed between the meat fibers. The carbonation lifted away the blood and unwanted odors.

I rinsed the clean ribs in fresh cold water and placed them in the pot.

“Mm.”

The ribs had become noticeably more tender than before. There was no more tough resistance.

“Timer.”

I spoke to my smartphone.

“Five minutes.”

I poured an appropriate amount of water into the pot and added the onions and green onions I’d cut into large chunks. I brought it to a rolling boil—a blanching technique, brief and purposeful. Once the deep, gamey scent clinging to the meat dissipated, I would stop.

“It already smells delicious, meow!”
“Want to taste it?”

I tore off a piece of short rib that was slightly protruding and placed it in Hae-tae’s mouth.

“How’s the gaminess?”
“Gone, meow!”

At the confident answer, I nodded in satisfaction.

I turned off the heat and rinsed the blanched meat in cold water. Then I set the prepared meat aside and began making the seasoning sauce for the short ribs.

All I needed was dark soy sauce, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, pepper, sugar, green onions, and minced garlic to create the soy-based marinade.

But was the seasoning sauce truly the most critical element?

For braised short ribs, tenderizing the meat was paramount.

“Tenderizing…”

For proper tenderization, I retrieved the blender and ground pear, onion, and radish together. As the firm ingredients transformed into a thick, fragrant juice, a smile bloomed across my face.

“It already smells so delicious, meow…”
“Doesn’t it?”

I stopped the blender and examined its contents. The subtle sweetness of pear, the moisture from onion, and the refreshing quality of radish—all were quietly essential to the braised short ribs.

I transferred the blanched short ribs to a large bowl and poured the freshly ground tenderizing juice evenly over the meat.

“Gently.”
“Gently, meow!”

I flipped the ribs with my hands, rubbing the marinade into the cuts I’d made earlier. I needed to let the ribs soak in the seasoning.

“Timer. Thirty minutes.”

I wrapped the ribs in plastic wrap and placed them in the Refrigerator, resting my hands on my hips. The marinade could wait now.

Perhaps if there was time….

‘It would be for gathering everyone.’

It was still only six o’clock, so I had plenty of time.

“Hae-tae.”
“Meow?”
“Are you going?”

Hae-tae opened one eye and looked at me without saying anything.

“So you’re going?”
“I’ll stay quiet, meow.”
“Alright.”

I washed my hands and took a lap around the Kitchen. Strange—when I wait, everything around me becomes crystal clear.

“Now then….”
“Now then?”
“Should I cook some rice?”

I had a feeling Grandmother’s house wouldn’t have any rice. Even if it did, it would probably be instant rice. I couldn’t accept that.

Braised short ribs needed proper rice, and who wouldn’t want rice soaked in that savory broth?

I naturally moved my hands and started cooking rice in the rice cooker. Time flew by as I worked.

Beep beep beep.

At the same time, my smartphone timer went off. I smiled and checked the ribs I’d left in the Refrigerator. They’d absorbed the marinade beautifully.

“Perfect.”

I placed a large pot on the gas range. I poured in the tenderized meat and the marinade I’d prepared earlier, bringing it to a boil. Medium heat—rush the cooking and the meat becomes tough.

“…The aroma smells delicious, doesn’t it?”

The sauce flowed between the meat pieces, pooling at the bottom of the pot. The broth gradually came to a boil, and the ribs came alive. When foam rose to the surface, I skimmed it away with a ladle and set it aside on the counter.

The pale ribs met the deep soy sauce and took on color. As they gradually absorbed the marinade, I covered the pot halfway.

Bubble, bubble—

Air bubbles popped in the marinade as a sweet, intoxicating aroma spread wildly through the kitchen. The broth grew thicker and richer, and the meat loosened gently.

The moment I saw this, I placed a griddle on the other gas range and turned up the heat.

“Are you going to grill the braised ribs on the griddle?”
“Yeah. Braised ribs, grilled. Literally.”

I waited briefly for the griddle to heat up. When I held my palm near it, heat rose up. Perfect. I picked up the ribs one by one from the broth and placed them on the griddle.

Sizzle—!
Sizzzzle—!

The broth and griddle met with a sharp sound. The marinade caramelized, forming a brown crust on the surface.

“The aroma is insane!”

I transferred the charred ribs to a serving dish. Surely eating these would make the umami burst on the tongue.

“Just one for me!”
“Alright, alright.”

I blew on the grilled rib to cool it and popped it into Hae-tae’s mouth. In an instant, Hae-tae spat out the bone.

“The umami is bursting on my tongue like crazy!”
“Really? Want another one?”
“Meow, meow, meow!”

Hae-tae chewed contentedly. His mouth corners went slack with pleasure.

“A nice way to wrap up the year, don’t you think?”
“Of course, meow…!”
“Eat slowly.”
“That ship has already sailed, meow.”

In the blink of an eye, the bones shot out again like a machine separating meat from bone.

‘…Should I keep doing this next time too?’

I smiled and flipped the remaining short ribs on the griddle. I could just keep repeating this.

That’s when it happened.

“Someone’s running over in a hurry, meow.”
“Who?”

Ding—

The shop door opened.

“M-ma’am!”

I tilted my head at the sound of Lee Hae-ra’s voice, which I hadn’t heard in a while.

“Lee Hae-ra? You came?”
“Yes!”

Hae-tae’s mouth moved before he leaped over my head.

“M-ma’am.”

Lee Hae-ra’s hands were heavy with bags.

“Why did you buy so much?”
“W-well, since it’s my first time visiting! I had to come with full hands!”

Lee Hae-ra set down the bags she was carrying and looked at me.

“B-boss, you’re still the same as ever!”
“Lee Hae-ra, you haven’t changed either.”

I chuckled and flipped the meat over.

“Ah, well! I did adjust my speech after joining the company, you know!”
“Hae-ra, I never said anything about that.”

Lee Hae-ra’s eyes widened before she let out a sheepish laugh.

“It’s my trademark, isn’t it… But what are you making?”
“Braised short ribs with a grilled finish.”
“Braised short ribs, grilled… really?”

Lee Hae-ra tilted her head as if hearing the dish for the first time.

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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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