“Oppa, there are three morning sets and four set meal orders.”
Min-ju shouted towards the kitchen, quickly hanging up the order slip and empty plates before disappearing.
“Okay. Tell them to wait about 10 minutes.”
“Yes!”
“Dongsik hyung, can you wash the dishes?”
“Yes, boss!”
The hall and kitchen were as busy as ever.
Min-ju scanned the fully-occupied seats, checking if there were any customers who needed service.
‘No one.’
The customers were too busy taking pictures, uploading them to Instagram, and eating their food to notice anything else.
Normally, a part-timer would watch the boss’s every move and slack off in a corner. However, Min-ju was different.
She went straight outside to check the number of customers waiting in line.
‘There’s about 15 portions of food left, so…’
Even at a glance, it seemed like the customers at the end of the line wouldn’t be able to eat.
It was unfortunate, but in times like this, they had to deliver the bad news as soon as possible. It would be worse if they waited to eat and were cut off right before their turn.
Min-ju took out a piece of paper from her apron and started taking pre-orders.
The result was as expected.
“I’m sorry, but we can only take orders up to the customer in front of you. Please visit us again next time.”
“Oh~ Really?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
Limited sale.
Anyone who had used Sunflower knew this fact, so they turned away with regret.
And then, there was one person who clenched their fists in joy as those who couldn’t make the cut left.
“Yes! I barely made it!”
It was So-eun, the lawyer’s office worker.
“Tsk! Unnie, don’t you like it too much?”
“Yeah. As long as it’s not me.”
“But you can only buy one portion, unnie.”
“That’s okay. I’ll just lie to the lawyer and say I couldn’t buy it, and eat it myself.”
“Wow~ You’re so shameless.”
“Hmph. I have to live too. Life is lonely by nature.”
“I learned something new. Hehe.”
Min-ju and So-eun had become quite close since the fat sandwich, which could only be eaten if one waited in line, was sold at least three times a week.
Even though they had become close, they couldn’t sneakily give So-eun extra fat sandwiches, but they did exchange light greetings and a few words of conversation.
After waiting for about 10 minutes, it was their turn.
They ordered the last portion and waited.
“You’re here again? Here’s your fat sandwich set.”
Hae-jun personally brought out the last order, which was a set menu.
“It’s so delicious that I think about it all day long.”
“Thank you. Hahaha. Oh, wait a minute.”
Hae-jun, who had been scratching his head with a bashful smile, suddenly went back to the kitchen.
And a moment later, he came out with another bag in addition to the food they had ordered.
Inside was a rather special salad.
“Wow! What’s this?”
“It’s a special service for regular customers. Ham salad.”
“Unnie. I tried it this morning, and it was delicious.”
“Really? Oh~ Boss, you’re a genius!”
Hae-jun had tried ham when he went backpacking in Spain.
He remembered that the taste was quite good when he and his friend, who insisted on going, visited a ham factory and ate it.
He had intended to buy some as souvenirs, but he couldn’t buy many because it was more expensive than he thought.
“Isn’t this really expensive?”
“Well… Don’t worry about it. I made it with something I received as a gift. Please eat it as soon as possible.”
“I will.”
“And this too.”
“What’s this?”
“It’s pork belly.”
“Pork belly?”
“It’s black pork belly, and it tasted good when I grilled it.”
He wanted to thank So-eun for helping him with his business, and since she was his first customer and a regular, Hae-jun gave her a generous portion of food.
Still, he didn’t feel bad about it. He was particularly fond of her.
‘Is it because she was my first customer?’
“Why are you only giving it to unnie and not me?”
“Yours is in the fridge. I packed it because you said you were going to a team-building event today.”
“Yay!!”
“Take it when you leave work.”
“Thanks, oppa.”
“Don’t forget yours, Dong-sik hyung. Take it home and grill it. It’ll be delicious.”
“Thank you, boss. My wife and daughter are coming over to visit today, so I’ll have to grill some pork belly.”
“Oh, really? Then I should pack more for you.”
Hae-jun opened the refrigerator and packed more pork belly for Dong-sik.
He fed the farm family so much pork belly that they were stuffed.
And there was still a lot left, so he brought it back to the real world to share with Dong-sik, Min-ju, and So-eun.
Thanks to that, most of the pork belly was consumed, but the tenderloin and sirloin were still stored in the ice cave. It didn’t spoil easily because it was much more efficient than a refrigerator. Or rather, one could say that the taste became richer the longer it was aged.
“I’ll eat well.”
“I’ll eat it deliciously, oppa. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Yeah, be careful on your way.”
Hae-jun sent Min-ju, Dongsik, and Soeun off with a generous amount of food, just like a mother packing a lunch for her children before they went on a trip.
Sunflower felt somewhat empty after all the customers and staff had left.
Hae-jun, who had finished cleaning up, sat down on a chair in the yard like he was lying down and felt the warm sunlight.
‘Ah… This is nice.’
It was a very peaceful Saturday afternoon.
Hae-jun, who had been feeling the sunlight with his eyes closed, had one last concern on his mind.
‘But where can I use the rest of the meat?’
He suddenly had an idea and took out his smartphone.
He typed <pork dishes> in the green search bar and pressed the magnifying glass icon.
Dozens and hundreds of search results were generated, but 99% of them were restaurant viral advertisements.
He quickly moved his thumb down the screen. Among the dozens of images and advertisement posts related to business startups, there were a few pictures of menus.
“Hmm…”
Pork belly with gochujang, stir-fried pork, bulgogi, kimchi jjigae, sausage, stir-fried pork, braised pork ribs, bossam, pig’s feet, and pork cutlet were among the dozens of dishes that were searched.
They were all dishes that made one’s mouth water.
They were all menus that would be a hit if they were made and sold, but he was short on ingredients.
“If I could get Korean seasonings from the farm, these are menus that I could sell right away.”
There were also a few registered recipes, and he was confident that he could quickly gain popularity if he had the ingredients.
However, the only thing he could make with the ingredients he had right now was…
“Ah! Maybe this could work?”
Hae-jun’s eyes were fixed on one menu.
***
“Whew… It’s hot.”
The sunlight on the farm was unusually hot today.
So hot that even Mongchi, who usually stuck to Hae-jun’s side like a piece of gum, was hiding in the shade of a tree.
Hae-jun, who had been hoeing the ground, took off his sweat-soaked shirt. His forearms and face were tanned, and thanks to the hard work in the fields, he had gained some muscle in his arms and abs. And also in his obliques.
‘I feel like I’m working out.’
He hadn’t exercised separately, but just farming was enough to give him the benefits of exercise.
If he went to a swimming pool like this, women wearing sunglasses might glance at him.
He smiled to himself at the pointless fantasy and continued his work.
“Hae-jun!”
Neri called out to Hae-jun in a loud voice from the entrance of the farm.
Come to think of it, today was the day the merchant would come to the village. The trader said that he traveled around the continent and various villages on a ship, buying and selling necessary items.
“The ship has arrived!”
“I’ll be right there. Just wait a moment.”
Hae-jun finished what he was doing and headed to the harbor with Neri.
The small harbor in the southern part of the village was crowded with people.
According to Neri, the trader visited this village once every three months.
Every time he came, he would bring the items that the merchants in the village shops wanted and also buy the items they had requested.
Hae-jun helped Neri carry 20 pieces of ham.
“Hmm, the quality of this ham is overall very good.”
The person in charge of food items, Kita, said as he carefully examined the ham.
The quality of the ham that Hae-jun had aged in the cave was also good, but the ham that Neri had worked on for two years was also top-notch.
The trader would probably continue to place regular orders since it maintained a quality above a certain level.
“Here is the balance. I added a little extra. Consider it a bonus for the good quality of the ham.”
Kita handed Neri a heavy bag of gold.
I was worried about asking for a penalty, but a bonus? This was all thanks to Hae-jun.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll need the same amount on my next visit.”
“I understand. I’ll prepare it as a top-quality product.”
It wasn’t just a matter of money.
A merchant’s life is credit. Moreover, in order to maintain a transaction with a large trading ship like the Mulberry Ship, it was most important to deliver the promised quantity on the set date, and thanks to Hae-jun, they were able to proceed without a hitch.
‘How can I ever repay this favor…?’
He felt a renewed sense of gratitude towards Hae-jun.
“That went well, ajusshi.”
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you. But you said you needed something too? Ask me now.”
Hae-jun approached Kita, who was giving instructions to the porters to carry the ham.
He was busy checking the documents and the items to be loaded onto the ship.
“Mr. Kita. Do you happen to have any garlic or chili peppers?”
“Garlic? Chili peppers? Hmm… Wait a minute.”
Kita scratched his temple as he looked through the list of items he had in stock.
“Hmm, there aren’t many people who look for strong-smelling spices, so I don’t have any prepared separately.”
“Is there no way to get them?”
“I could get them if I went to the eastern continent. However, we only go there once a year, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to bring them if you order them now.”
“Can I ask you to do that?”
“How much?”
“I don’t need a lot, but I’d like as many kinds as possible.”
If he grew them in the fields, he could quickly increase the quantity even with a small amount of seeds.
“Garlic, chili peppers, sesame seeds, perilla seeds, mustard seeds. I don’t care what it is.”
“You’re looking for something unusual.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. You’re the second person in this village to look for something like that.”
“The second person?”
“Yeah. There was a man like that before.”
‘Could it be my father?’
The moment he heard Kita’s words, Hae-jun thought that the person looking for those spices might be his father.
“Do you happen to remember who it was?”
“Well. I meet so many people that I can’t remember each and every one of them. However…”
“However?…”
“Hey, Kita!”
Just as Kita was about to tell him something important, someone on the ship called out to him.
Hae-jun followed Kita’s gaze.
It was a man standing at the highest point of the ship.
“Yes, captain.”
“Stop blabbering over there and check how the meals for the workers are going.”
At the captain’s urging, Kita hurriedly moved his body.
The captain, who was also the head of the trading ship, had absolute authority.
“I understand. I’m sorry. I’ll tell you the rest of the story later. For now, I’ve written down the items you need, so I’ll bring them when I get them. I don’t know when that will be, though.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kita.”
Hae-jun greeted Kita’s back as he hurried away.
‘A year, huh…’
The perfect pork belly was gone.
That was a joke, but he had asked for the seasonings that went into Korean food, thinking that he could create a new menu with pork if he could get them.
It seemed like he would have to give up on Korean food for the time being since it would take a year just to get the ingredients.
Still, it wasn’t a complete loss.
At least he had heard a story about someone who might be his father.
‘The fact that he looked for something that people here don’t usually look for makes it highly likely that it was my father.’
Maybe he had gone to a place called the eastern continent to get the seasonings himself.
That could be the reason for his disappearance.
As he was thinking about this and that, he left the harbor.
“What?! What do you mean?!”
The polite Mr. Kita was getting angry at someone.
“Why isn’t the meal ready?”
“I’m sorry. There was a mistake, so…”
“A mistake?”
“I thought the ship was coming next week.”
“You fool! Then make it right now. There’s still some time before the meal.”
“It’s impossible. How can I get the ingredients for that many people right away?”
“This is terrible. I’m going to get yelled at by the captain.”
Hae-jun approached Kita, who was fidgeting anxiously, and asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s you. The thing is, the meals for the workers aren’t ready because of a date error. I’m going to get yelled at by the captain.”
“Meals?”
If it was a meal, Hae-jun could help.
He prepared a large amount of food every morning, even now.
“If you don’t mind, can I make the food for you?”
“Food? You?”
“I can make sandwiches.”
“Sandwiches? How can you fill the workers’ stomachs with just that? That’s a snack. I’m ruined. I’m going to get yelled at by the captain.”
Hae-jun reassured Kita, who was pulling at his hair.
“Try it first, and I’ll make more food if you need it.”
“Can you do it?”
Hae-jun’s eyes sparkled.
He needed to do a mass experiment on the food he had been preparing to sell at Sunflower anyway.
“Yes, leave it to me.”
“Oppa, there are three morning sets and four set meal orders.”
Min-ju shouted towards the kitchen, quickly hanging up the order slip and empty plates before disappearing.
“Okay. Tell them to wait about 10 minutes.”
“Yes!”
“Dongsik hyung, can you wash the dishes?”
“Yes, boss!”
The hall and kitchen were as busy as ever.
Min-ju scanned the fully-occupied seats, checking if there were any customers who needed service.
‘No one.’
The customers were too busy taking pictures, uploading them to Instagram, and eating their food to notice anything else.
Normally, a part-timer would watch the boss’s every move and slack off in a corner. However, Min-ju was different.
She went straight outside to check the number of customers waiting in line.
‘There’s about 15 portions of food left, so…’
Even at a glance, it seemed like the customers at the end of the line wouldn’t be able to eat.
It was unfortunate, but in times like this, they had to deliver the bad news as soon as possible. It would be worse if they waited to eat and were cut off right before their turn.
Min-ju took out a piece of paper from her apron and started taking pre-orders.
The result was as expected.
“I’m sorry, but we can only take orders up to the customer in front of you. Please visit us again next time.”
“Oh~ Really?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
Limited sale.
Anyone who had used Sunflower knew this fact, so they turned away with regret.
And then, there was one person who clenched their fists in joy as those who couldn’t make the cut left.
“Yes! I barely made it!”
It was So-eun, the lawyer’s office worker.
“Tsk! Unnie, don’t you like it too much?”
“Yeah. As long as it’s not me.”
“But you can only buy one portion, unnie.”
“That’s okay. I’ll just lie to the lawyer and say I couldn’t buy it, and eat it myself.”
“Wow~ You’re so shameless.”
“Hmph. I have to live too. Life is lonely by nature.”
“I learned something new. Hehe.”
Min-ju and So-eun had become quite close since the fat sandwich, which could only be eaten if one waited in line, was sold at least three times a week.
Even though they had become close, they couldn’t sneakily give So-eun extra fat sandwiches, but they did exchange light greetings and a few words of conversation.
After waiting for about 10 minutes, it was their turn.
They ordered the last portion and waited.
“You’re here again? Here’s your fat sandwich set.”
Hae-jun personally brought out the last order, which was a set menu.
“It’s so delicious that I think about it all day long.”
“Thank you. Hahaha. Oh, wait a minute.”
Hae-jun, who had been scratching his head with a bashful smile, suddenly went back to the kitchen.
And a moment later, he came out with another bag in addition to the food they had ordered.
Inside was a rather special salad.
“Wow! What’s this?”
“It’s a special service for regular customers. Ham salad.”
“Unnie. I tried it this morning, and it was delicious.”
“Really? Oh~ Boss, you’re a genius!”
Hae-jun had tried ham when he went backpacking in Spain.
He remembered that the taste was quite good when he and his friend, who insisted on going, visited a ham factory and ate it.
He had intended to buy some as souvenirs, but he couldn’t buy many because it was more expensive than he thought.
“Isn’t this really expensive?”
“Well… Don’t worry about it. I made it with something I received as a gift. Please eat it as soon as possible.”
“I will.”
“And this too.”
“What’s this?”
“It’s pork belly.”
“Pork belly?”
“It’s black pork belly, and it tasted good when I grilled it.”
He wanted to thank So-eun for helping him with his business, and since she was his first customer and a regular, Hae-jun gave her a generous portion of food.
Still, he didn’t feel bad about it. He was particularly fond of her.
‘Is it because she was my first customer?’
“Why are you only giving it to unnie and not me?”
“Yours is in the fridge. I packed it because you said you were going to a team-building event today.”
“Yay!!”
“Take it when you leave work.”
“Thanks, oppa.”
“Don’t forget yours, Dong-sik hyung. Take it home and grill it. It’ll be delicious.”
“Thank you, boss. My wife and daughter are coming over to visit today, so I’ll have to grill some pork belly.”
“Oh, really? Then I should pack more for you.”
Hae-jun opened the refrigerator and packed more pork belly for Dong-sik.
He fed the farm family so much pork belly that they were stuffed.
And there was still a lot left, so he brought it back to the real world to share with Dong-sik, Min-ju, and So-eun.
Thanks to that, most of the pork belly was consumed, but the tenderloin and sirloin were still stored in the ice cave. It didn’t spoil easily because it was much more efficient than a refrigerator. Or rather, one could say that the taste became richer the longer it was aged.
“I’ll eat well.”
“I’ll eat it deliciously, oppa. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Yeah, be careful on your way.”
Hae-jun sent Min-ju, Dongsik, and Soeun off with a generous amount of food, just like a mother packing a lunch for her children before they went on a trip.
Sunflower felt somewhat empty after all the customers and staff had left.
Hae-jun, who had finished cleaning up, sat down on a chair in the yard like he was lying down and felt the warm sunlight.
‘Ah… This is nice.’
It was a very peaceful Saturday afternoon.
Hae-jun, who had been feeling the sunlight with his eyes closed, had one last concern on his mind.
‘But where can I use the rest of the meat?’
He suddenly had an idea and took out his smartphone.
He typed <pork dishes> in the green search bar and pressed the magnifying glass icon.
Dozens and hundreds of search results were generated, but 99% of them were restaurant viral advertisements.
He quickly moved his thumb down the screen. Among the dozens of images and advertisement posts related to business startups, there were a few pictures of menus.
“Hmm…”
Pork belly with gochujang, stir-fried pork, bulgogi, kimchi jjigae, sausage, stir-fried pork, braised pork ribs, bossam, pig’s feet, and pork cutlet were among the dozens of dishes that were searched.
They were all dishes that made one’s mouth water.
They were all menus that would be a hit if they were made and sold, but he was short on ingredients.
“If I could get Korean seasonings from the farm, these are menus that I could sell right away.”
There were also a few registered recipes, and he was confident that he could quickly gain popularity if he had the ingredients.
However, the only thing he could make with the ingredients he had right now was…
“Ah! Maybe this could work?”
Hae-jun’s eyes were fixed on one menu.
***
“Whew… It’s hot.”
The sunlight on the farm was unusually hot today.
So hot that even Mongchi, who usually stuck to Hae-jun’s side like a piece of gum, was hiding in the shade of a tree.
Hae-jun, who had been hoeing the ground, took off his sweat-soaked shirt. His forearms and face were tanned, and thanks to the hard work in the fields, he had gained some muscle in his arms and abs. And also in his obliques.
‘I feel like I’m working out.’
He hadn’t exercised separately, but just farming was enough to give him the benefits of exercise.
If he went to a swimming pool like this, women wearing sunglasses might glance at him.
He smiled to himself at the pointless fantasy and continued his work.
“Hae-jun!”
Neri called out to Hae-jun in a loud voice from the entrance of the farm.
Come to think of it, today was the day the merchant would come to the village. The trader said that he traveled around the continent and various villages on a ship, buying and selling necessary items.
“The ship has arrived!”
“I’ll be right there. Just wait a moment.”
Hae-jun finished what he was doing and headed to the harbor with Neri.
The small harbor in the southern part of the village was crowded with people.
According to Neri, the trader visited this village once every three months.
Every time he came, he would bring the items that the merchants in the village shops wanted and also buy the items they had requested.
Hae-jun helped Neri carry 20 pieces of ham.
“Hmm, the quality of this ham is overall very good.”
The person in charge of food items, Kita, said as he carefully examined the ham.
The quality of the ham that Hae-jun had aged in the cave was also good, but the ham that Neri had worked on for two years was also top-notch.
The trader would probably continue to place regular orders since it maintained a quality above a certain level.
“Here is the balance. I added a little extra. Consider it a bonus for the good quality of the ham.”
Kita handed Neri a heavy bag of gold.
I was worried about asking for a penalty, but a bonus? This was all thanks to Hae-jun.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll need the same amount on my next visit.”
“I understand. I’ll prepare it as a top-quality product.”
It wasn’t just a matter of money.
A merchant’s life is credit. Moreover, in order to maintain a transaction with a large trading ship like the Mulberry Ship, it was most important to deliver the promised quantity on the set date, and thanks to Hae-jun, they were able to proceed without a hitch.
‘How can I ever repay this favor…?’
He felt a renewed sense of gratitude towards Hae-jun.
“That went well, ajusshi.”
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you. But you said you needed something too? Ask me now.”
Hae-jun approached Kita, who was giving instructions to the porters to carry the ham.
He was busy checking the documents and the items to be loaded onto the ship.
“Mr. Kita. Do you happen to have any garlic or chili peppers?”
“Garlic? Chili peppers? Hmm… Wait a minute.”
Kita scratched his temple as he looked through the list of items he had in stock.
“Hmm, there aren’t many people who look for strong-smelling spices, so I don’t have any prepared separately.”
“Is there no way to get them?”
“I could get them if I went to the eastern continent. However, we only go there once a year, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to bring them if you order them now.”
“Can I ask you to do that?”
“How much?”
“I don’t need a lot, but I’d like as many kinds as possible.”
If he grew them in the fields, he could quickly increase the quantity even with a small amount of seeds.
“Garlic, chili peppers, sesame seeds, perilla seeds, mustard seeds. I don’t care what it is.”
“You’re looking for something unusual.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. You’re the second person in this village to look for something like that.”
“The second person?”
“Yeah. There was a man like that before.”
‘Could it be my father?’
The moment he heard Kita’s words, Hae-jun thought that the person looking for those spices might be his father.
“Do you happen to remember who it was?”
“Well. I meet so many people that I can’t remember each and every one of them. However…”
“However?…”
“Hey, Kita!”
Just as Kita was about to tell him something important, someone on the ship called out to him.
Hae-jun followed Kita’s gaze.
It was a man standing at the highest point of the ship.
“Yes, captain.”
“Stop blabbering over there and check how the meals for the workers are going.”
At the captain’s urging, Kita hurriedly moved his body.
The captain, who was also the head of the trading ship, had absolute authority.
“I understand. I’m sorry. I’ll tell you the rest of the story later. For now, I’ve written down the items you need, so I’ll bring them when I get them. I don’t know when that will be, though.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kita.”
Hae-jun greeted Kita’s back as he hurried away.
‘A year, huh…’
The perfect pork belly was gone.
That was a joke, but he had asked for the seasonings that went into Korean food, thinking that he could create a new menu with pork if he could get them.
It seemed like he would have to give up on Korean food for the time being since it would take a year just to get the ingredients.
Still, it wasn’t a complete loss.
At least he had heard a story about someone who might be his father.
‘The fact that he looked for something that people here don’t usually look for makes it highly likely that it was my father.’
Maybe he had gone to a place called the eastern continent to get the seasonings himself.
That could be the reason for his disappearance.
As he was thinking about this and that, he left the harbor.
“What?! What do you mean?!”
The polite Mr. Kita was getting angry at someone.
“Why isn’t the meal ready?”
“I’m sorry. There was a mistake, so…”
“A mistake?”
“I thought the ship was coming next week.”
“You fool! Then make it right now. There’s still some time before the meal.”
“It’s impossible. How can I get the ingredients for that many people right away?”
“This is terrible. I’m going to get yelled at by the captain.”
Hae-jun approached Kita, who was fidgeting anxiously, and asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s you. The thing is, the meals for the workers aren’t ready because of a date error. I’m going to get yelled at by the captain.”
“Meals?”
If it was a meal, Hae-jun could help.
He prepared a large amount of food every morning, even now.
“If you don’t mind, can I make the food for you?”
“Food? You?”
“I can make sandwiches.”
“Sandwiches? How can you fill the workers’ stomachs with just that? That’s a snack. I’m ruined. I’m going to get yelled at by the captain.”
Hae-jun reassured Kita, who was pulling at his hair.
“Try it first, and I’ll make more food if you need it.”
“Can you do it?”
Hae-jun’s eyes sparkled.
He needed to do a mass experiment on the food he had been preparing to sell at Sunflower anyway.
“Yes, leave it to me.”
