They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 97

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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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97. Stir-Fried Aralia Shoots (2)

I glanced toward the room.

‘An Evil Spirit….’

Well, walking around wearing someone else’s grandmother’s face certainly qualifies as being an Evil Spirit.

“Why?”

I whispered the question softly, and Hae-tae frowned as if telling me not to speak.

“As long as it doesn’t lose its purpose for existing, it’ll probably keep wearing Grandmother Hyang-suk’s face, meow.”
“…?!”
“I saw it long ago, so I don’t quite remember if that’s accurate, meow.”

I furrowed my brow and tilted my head in confusion.

“It appeared to Grandmother Hyang-suk in your face before, meow.”
“…!”

Ah.

“There were two of you, meow.”
“….”

I nodded in understanding.

“Still, it has a purpose, so it won’t carelessly torment or kill you, meow.”

Hae-tae’s tail curled into a neat circle.

“The reason it came to this shop is probably because of the side dishes, isn’t it, meow?”
“That’s true….”

Before I could stop myself, I answered aloud, and a voice came from the room.

“Ji-gu. Are you awake?”
“No!”

Oops. The moment I pressed my lips shut, Hae-tae shook his head.

“Ji-gu. Sleep.”
“Okay.”

It was Grandmother Hyang-suk’s very gentle voice.

“She’s an Evil Spirit motivated by money and purpose, but she’s not a bad Evil Spirit, meow.”

Hae-tae curled into a ball and lowered his head.

“You can sleep for now, meow.”

Since she said I could sleep, I surrendered to the sofa and closed my eyes. This time, for real.

***

When I cracked open my eyes, the morning looked no different from any other. Except for one thing—I could sense activity in the air.

From the Kitchen came the sound of soup simmering. The lid trembled slightly with a dull thud, and the aroma of soybean paste pricked my nose.

‘It’s been so long since I felt this….’

I cradled Hae-tae in my arms and rose. In the Kitchen, the fake grandmother stood with her sleeves rolled up, peering into a pot of soybean paste stew.

“Ji-gu, you’re awake?”
“Yeah.”

I answered briefly and rubbed my eyes with my hand.

“What do you have in your arms, Ji-gu?”
“Oh, a cat. I’m raising it.”
“Meow?”

Hae-tae opened her eyes slightly and gazed at me.

“She’s adorable.”
“Really cute.”

I gave a brief response and pulled my chair back before sitting down. A rice bowl and soup bowl were already set in front of me.

“Why so much food….”
“She woke up at dawn to prepare it. Grandmother did.”

Grand…, mother.

‘That’s a speech habit Grandmother Hyang-suk used to have often.’

Does she remember that too? She said she only met Grandmother Hyang-suk briefly.

“Here’s Grandmother’s miso stew.”

The fake grandmother ladled the miso stew into the soup bowl and set it before me. Steam rose up toward my face in a warm wave.

“Mm, yes.”

Hae-tae sniffed eagerly at the stew, apparently finding it appetizing. The miso stew was generously filled with tofu and zucchini. It truly looked delicious.

“You made it well.”
“Ji-gu, eat.”

I gazed down at the bowl, lost in thought.

‘…It’s exactly the same as what Grandmother Hyang-suk made.’

What is this? It’s not like she’s gradually synchronizing with Grandmother Hyang-suk….

“Ji-gu, eat.”
“Yes. I’ll eat.”

For some people, a simple meal can stir up memories. For me, that moment was now.

I picked up my spoon and scooped the miso stew. The broth was clear and clean. So I poured a little over my rice and took a spoonful.

“…Sigh.”
“Ji-gu, is it delicious?”
“Y-yeah.”

It’s so delicious. The savory depth of the miso spreads across my tongue, and then the sharp, pleasant heat of the chili pepper rises up in a wave.

“Ji-gu, how is it?”

The fake grandmother asked. Her voice carried a note of longing.

“It’s delicious.”
“Ji-gu, really?”
“Yes. Not a single lie in that.”
“Ji-gu, eat quickly.”

How irritating.

‘Did she really need to replicate our grandmother’s heavy hand with salt too?’

That’s why I always ended up eating more rice. Here, grandmother would….

“Ji-gu, is it too salty?”
“….”
“Ji-gu, is it too salty?”

That’s as far as I’d go. I didn’t stop my spoon and kept eating, scraping the broth from the rim of the bowl with my spoon until it was spotless.

“Grandmother, that was delicious.”
“Ji-gu, did you enjoy it?”

The fake grandmother lifted her head and looked up at me.

“Yes. It was delicious.”

I stood up and headed toward the Bathroom. It was time to wash up before heading downstairs.

“You okay?”

Hae-tae walked over from the doorframe and spoke to me.

“This feeling is strange.”

Very strange indeed. Seeing my grandmother in this fake one….

‘Can I even enjoy this?’

I stood before the sink and turned on the water. I splashed my face with the cold stream, forcing my thoughts to still. Eyes closed, I rinsed again and again.

As I finished washing, I opened my eyes to meet my reflection in the mirror. Water dripped steadily from my face as I stared back at myself.

“That’s enough.”
“Meow?”
“It’ll be fine.”

No point dwelling on it. I dried my face with a towel and changed into fresh clothes.

“Hae-tae, let’s go.”
“Meow!”

Hae-tae padded over and nestled into my arms.

“Are you heading out, Ji-gu?”
“Yeah, I’m going to the Side Dish Shop.”

The fake grandmother approached me after finishing the dishes.

“Ji-gu, wait a moment.”
“?”

The fake grandmother brought a scarf and wrapped it around my neck.

“Ji-gu, it’s cold out.”
“Oh… thank you.”

I touched the scarf, blinking. Hae-tae made a soft sound and burrowed deeper into my embrace.

“Will you stay here, Grandmother?”

The fake grandmother said nothing in response.

“Ji-gu, I’m heading out.”
“Okay.”

I slipped on my shoes and turned around.

“Grandmother Hyang-suk.”
“….”
“I’ll be back soon.”

I opened the door and stepped outside, shaking the lingering moisture from the ends of my hair as I looked down toward the stairs.

Shin Yeop-baek had insisted something good would happen, yet an Evil Spirit appeared instead—it was utterly absurd.
But then again… to face Grandmother Hyang-suk’s face like this, someone I thought I’d never see again, and share a meal together—was that what he meant by something good?

The snow that had fallen overnight was melting away. Thin rivulets of water traced the edges of the stairs. I descended carefully.

“So, what do you think?”
“Doesn’t seem like a malicious Evil Spirit. Though I was surprised by the taste of the miso stew.”
“The taste?”
“Yeah. It was exactly the same as Grandmother Hyang-suk’s.”

Had it spent the night studying Grandmother Hyang-suk’s recipe notebook? I entered through the Shop’s Back Door and unwound my scarf from around my neck.

“Meow.”

Hae-tae slipped out of my arms and leaped onto the counter.

“It’s cold, meow.”
“Just wait a moment.”

Shivering at the eerie chill, I turned on the Kitchen fire first. I checked inside the Refrigerator.

“It’s here.”

A side dish order form I hadn’t seen before lay on the bottom of the Refrigerator, marked with white feathers.

“A side dish order has arrived.”
“Meow?”

Hae-tae came down with curiosity, eager to see what was happening.

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[Side Dish Order]
Requester: ■Evil Spirit
Ordered Side Dish: Stir-fried Dried Gourd Strips
Reason: Gratitude to Grandmother Hyang-suk
Required Condition: 1) Must use ‘S’ grade dried gourd strips harvested directly.
Reward: Good Karma ‘2’ Points
===========

“Gratitude? To whom?”
“Meow~?”

I lowered my head to meet Hae-tae’s eyes. I couldn’t make sense of what this meant.

“It says gratitude, though?”
“Gratitude, meow?”

Hae-tae didn’t seem to remember either.

“I don’t know what gratitude this is about, meow.”
“You don’t remember?”
“Never even heard of it, meow.”

Even Hae-tae didn’t know about this gratitude. So that’s why the Evil Spirit came wearing Grandmother Hyang-suk’s face.

“But it’s a kind Evil Spirit, right?”
“…That’s strange, meow.”

I lifted my head again.

“Then I can relax about that, at least.”
“Meow!!”

The fact that it had to stay on the Second Floor kept nagging at me. I had no idea what it might do at home.

“Should we start preparing for business?”
“Meow.”

Hae-tae yawned and curled into a ball. I unlocked the shop door and raised the shutter. After unfolding the sandwich board and positioning it outside, I looked up to see Grandmother Myeong-ja waving frantically at me.

“Did you sleep well?”
“Ji-gu~.”
“I did too!”

I grinned and waved back at her.

“Boss!”

Song Ae-rim spotted me while scattering salt across the front yard and bounced excitedly. The salt crystals glimmered in the sunlight.

“Be careful!”
“Okay!”

Song Ae-hyuk stepped out briefly with his workbook and nodded at me.

“Take care, Ae-hyuk.”

I returned to the shop and switched on all the lights. I checked the display cases too!

“Setup complete.”

Now I just needed customers to arrive.

***

“…Sigh.”

The fake grandmother, whom I’d expected to stay safely on the second floor, was wandering around the backyard. She moved slowly through the yard, examining the flower beds, inspecting the walls, and even tapping the ground unnecessarily.

At least she hadn’t entered the shop itself….

“Ji-gu, what about lunch?”
“…Not yet.”
“Ji-gu, what about lunch?”
“…I should eat.”

As if some spirit had possessed her, the fake grandmother kept insisting I eat.

“Ji-gu is too thin.”
“She’s at a normal weight.”
“Ji-gu is too thin.”

The same tone, the same words repeated. It could hardly be called persuasion.

“Why do you want me to eat?”

The fake grandmother looked at me and broke into a radiant smile.

“I made plenty, so it’s fine.”
“Is Ji-gu fine?”
“I’m fine.”

If I show her, she’ll let it go. With that thought, I brought the spring vegetable skewers and broth I’d prepared in the kitchen right before her eyes.

“How about it? Doesn’t it look delicious?”
“….”

The fake grandmother gazed at the dish in silence. For quite a long time.

“Is it delicious to Ji-gu?”
“Huh? This?”
“Is it delicious to Ji-gu?”

Is it delicious…?

“I…”

It was delicious.

“Ji-gu, is it really delicious?”
“…Maybe.”
“Ji-gu, is it really delicious?”

The fake grandmother pressed with her finger, asking pointedly.

‘I’m not certain.’

That thought struck me first. My attitude was the problem. I had made this dish countless times and eaten it just as many. Yet I had never asked myself how it tasted.

‘To myself.’

Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten.

The dishes I created weren’t meant to taste good only to others—they had to taste good to my own palate as well.

“Grandmother, would you like to try this?”
“Ji-gu, will you taste it?”
“Yes. Grandmother, try it.”

I held out the spring vegetable skewer to the false grandmother. She stared at it intently, as if discerning whether it was safe to eat.

“You can eat it.”

The false grandmother’s gaze shifted to my face.

“Ji-gu, eat it.”
“Yes. I will.”

The false grandmother’s hand moved. She grasped my skewer. I released my grip and waited for her to eat, without rushing her. After a moment of studying the skewer, she brought it to her mouth.

“!”

The false grandmother’s eyes widened. Her face glowed with joy at encountering an unexpected flavor.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
“Ji-gu, it’s delicious.”

The false grandmother immediately glanced around. Her eyes searched for something.

“What? What are you looking for?”
“Ji-gu needs sauce.”
“Sauce? What kind of sauce?”

Yesterday, Hae-tae had rejected the sauce, so I deliberately hadn’t made any today.

“Will you make it for me?”
“Ji-gu, I need a sauce.”
“What kind of sauce?”

The fake grandmother furrowed her brow and opened her mouth.

“Ji-gu, I need a sweet and tangy sauce.”

I pressed the bowl I’d been holding into the fake grandmother’s hands.

“Don’t go anywhere. Stay right here.”
“Ji-gu will stay.”
“Yes, I’ll stay.”

I returned to the Kitchen and placed a pot on the stove. I poured in a little water, then added sugar and soy sauce first. All I needed to do was stir well until the sugar dissolved completely.

“What are you doing?”
“Hae-tae.”

Something clicked in my mind.

“Why was I trying to make such a strange sauce?”
“Meow?”

I paused for a moment. Before the pot came to a boil, I stared at it and laughed for a long time. Fried food needs sauce. That was obvious.

But I’d been trying to make it the hard way. I’d been obsessed with the idea that the sauce had to be something special.

‘That’s why….’

Yesterday I made something strange and got properly scolded by Hae-tae. So I shouted at Hae-tae.

“It was sweet and sour sauce!”
“Meow?”
“Fried food goes with sweet and sour sauce…!”

I found myself ridiculous for not catching on sooner.

“I’ve got it now!”

I smiled broadly, like someone who had stumbled upon wild ginseng while searching for something trivial.

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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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