***
Somehow, I woke up early at dawn.
Maybe it was because I slept in a place with good air, but my body felt light and I didn't feel tired.
When I ran to the fish trap, it was filled with two rockfish and a flounder overnight. Mongchi, who seemed to be unstoppable, hunted down another fairly large rockfish.
"You're amazing."
"Meow! Meow!!"
With this, the net was filled with three D-grade rockfish the size of my palm and 24 C~D-grade flounders.
It was a good harvest for the first day of an adventure.
"I should come here often. Next time I come, I'll prepare a few more fish traps."
I checked out a few more fish trap points. It seemed like I could get a lot of seafood with fish traps and fishing if I just learned how to fish properly.
After finishing my exploration of the beach, I hurriedly returned to the Sunflower.
Before I knew it, it was Sunday evening in reality.
"Meow~."
"Are you sleepy, Mongchi? If you're tired, go and rest."
"Meow."
Mongchi, who had been excitedly running and hunting on the beach of the Dimensional Farm, seemed tired. He went to the window, curled up into a ball, and fell asleep.
Hae-jun, who had become a little hungry, thought he should eat something.
Rockfish and flounder that had just been caught from the sea, then the answer would be rockfish sashimi, grilled flounder with salt, and a glass of soju. Just thinking about it made a big smile spread across his face.
"By the way, it's a little lonely to think about eating alone for the first time in a while."
When I was studying for the civil service exam and living in a study room, I was used to eating alone. In the morning and evening, I would just eat ramen in the study room, and for lunch, I would buy a pass at a Korean buffet near the academy and eat there. There were many days when I didn't say a word, like a monk practicing silent meditation.
However, since the Dimensional Farm opened and I started running the Sunflower, my life had changed 180 degrees. There were always people bustling around me, and I often ate meals together with them, chatting away.
'It's strange.'
Somehow, this loneliness had become strange.
I don't have any relatives or family.
"Oh··· I wonder if those guys are eating properly?"
Suddenly, the So-hye siblings who lived next door came to mind.
Hae-jun also had a time when he couldn't eat properly after his father suddenly disappeared. His mother was busy working, and although he was given school meals, the portions were always too small for a growing teenager.
So-hye and her brother seemed to be in a similar situation.
They were in a situation where they couldn't eat properly due to some circumstances.
He didn't ask them directly in case he hurt their feelings, but it didn't seem like they were from an ordinary, well-off family.
"Let's eat together. Just like last time, let's say it's a new menu test and eat."
Since there was high-quality sashimi and shrimp, it would be nice to grill the king crab with salt and make a proper sashimi out of the rockfish and eat it with soy sauce mixed with vinegar and wasabi...
"Hmm, is this menu too adult-like?"
Hae-jun scratched his head.
This was a menu for a glass of soju, so it might not be to the children's taste.
Fried food seemed to be more suitable for So-hye and her brother than sashimi or grilled fish.
"Then, should we fry the fish sausage?"
The thought of frying the expensive wild rockfish, which was also delicious as sashimi, made him laugh.
If Dong-sik had seen it, he would have definitely said, 'Boss! Are you crazy?'
"Well... I ate it grilled last night. I'm just eating it to my taste. It's less unfair if the kids enjoy eating the rockfish too."
Hae-jun, who had decided on the menu, approached the children.
As he thought, So-hye and her brother hadn't eaten yet. He told them to come and help in an hour after another new menu test, and then he returned to the store.
***
I referred to a fishing YouTuber's video on how to slice sashimi for the rock bream.
First, I removed the head and entrails, and then I cut the belly as closely as possible to the video. After slicing all three, I got 12 thick slices.
'I'll save the head, entrails, and bones and make a clear soup tonight.'
I changed the menu to fried food for the children, but I didn't give up the luxury of a glass of soju on a leisurely Sunday evening.
Just the rock bream broth would be enough to finish off a couple of bottles of soju.
After finishing the fish, I quickly started working on the crab.
First, I washed the shrimp thoroughly in running water and removed the legs.
I inserted a toothpick into the side of the shrimp's back and pulled it up, and the entrails came out like a thread. The entrails are the cause of the bitter taste, so it's good to remove them.
There are many recipes for fried shrimp.
There's the Japanese style of mixing ice water and tempura flour in a 1:1 ratio and frying it until crispy, and the method of coating it with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs in that order, like pork cutlet. Hae-jun decided to fry the shrimp using the second method, which goes well with Western-style dishes.
'Let's finish preparing the ingredients first.'
I removed the shell from the shrimp’s body after taking out its intestines.
I made a cut in its stomach so that its back wouldn’s arch when I fried it, and I cut out the triangular water sac in its tail, which contained a lot of moisture, to finish the preparation.
After seasoning the rockfish and the prepared shrimp, I coated them in batter and dropped them into the heated sunflower seed oil.
The ASMR of frying is always pleasant to hear.
Sizzle-
Crackle-
Twelve pieces of fish sticks the size of Dong-gu’s palm. And huge shrimp tempura that was clearly different in size and thickness from the commercially available frozen shrimp that was only as big as a finger joint were complete.
‘Tartar sauce would go well with the fish sticks, wouldn’t it?’
I made the sauce while draining the oil from the fried food on a paper towel.
I was able to make enough tartar sauce with the ingredients I had. Finely chopped onion, pickles, olives, and boiled eggs mixed with mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
The refreshing aroma of the sauce made my mouth water.
‘Now all I have to do is plate it nicely.’
I carefully arranged the food on the plate.
Dong-gu, who eats a lot, had four pieces each of rockfish and shrimp tempura, along with a generous serving of salad and rice, and So-hye, who likes vegetables, had two pieces of tempura with a variety of vegetable salads and bread beautifully plated.
“Oh! It actually looks good? It’s good enough to be a menu item.”
Hae-jun smiled in satisfaction at the decent visual.
The quality was considerable for a menu item that was made in a hurry for the children who wouldn’t have eaten properly on Sunday evening when everyone was eating out.
Good enough to be modified a little and put on the regular menu.
‘For now, the problem is getting the rockfish and shrimp···.’
I’ll think about the headache later, and for now, I’ll serve the food to the little customers waiting in the hall.
I took out the plate of fish sticks with steam rising from it.
“Wow~! It looks delicious.”
Dong-gu, who was the best at reacting, exclaimed in admiration.
“The shrimp tempura is as big as my forearm. Uncle.”
“Be careful eating it because the shrimp’s head is sharp.”
“Yes~!”
Dong-gu’s first choice was the shrimp tempura.
Crunch-
Crackle-
“Wow~!”
Dong-gu’s nostrils flared as he ate half of the large shrimp tempura in one bite.
The shrimp disappeared in his mouth as if he hadn’t even chewed it. The crispy texture and the slightly sweet flavor that spread gently on his tongue as he swallowed it were top-notch.
“It’s delicious.”
It was the best compliment a seven-year-old could give.
Dong-gu, who had chewed up everything except the tail, quickly put a piece of fried rockfish into his mouth.
Chew, chew-
The unique chewy texture of white-fleshed fish could be felt between the soft texture.
The harmony between the crispiness of the fried coating and the chewy texture of the fish was truly exceptional.
It was the first time he had tasted something like this in his seven years of life.
This time as well, Dong-gu’s evaluation was,
“It’s delicious!”
Along with two thumbs up and repeated exclamations of “It’s delicious!”
Just by looking at the child’s expression, one could tell how delicious Hae-jun’s food was.
Hae-jun gently stroked Dong-gu’s head with a satisfied expression and smiled like a father. Then, he looked at So-hye, who was moving her mouth.
“So-hye, what about you?”
“Me too. It’s so delicious.”
The savory taste of the fish was so good.
The flesh melted in her mouth, and the more she chewed, the more the unique savory oil of the fish flowed out and clung to her tongue.
‘It’s delicious.’
Dong-gu might not remember it, but So-hye had a vague memory of it.
Fried fish that she had occasionally eaten when she followed her father, who enjoyed fishing as a hobby. Her father would slice sashimi and eat it with soju, and he would fry fish for the young Dong-gu and So-hye.
-So-hye, is it delicious?
-Yes, it’s so delicious. Dad.
-You can’t buy this even if you pay for it. It’s incredibly expensive and can only be eaten here. Hahaha. If you tell people that you fried and ate this, they’ll say you’re crazy. Is it delicious?
-Give me more. It’s so delicious.
-Just wait a little bit. My daughter. Dad will quickly catch another one and fry it for you.
They had been really happy back then.
At some point, her parents’ fights had become more frequent, and her mother had not returned home since the day after a big fight.
They had moved from the apartment where the family of four had lived together to this place, and her father had gone to the provinces, saying that he was going to work.
Her father returned home once every one or two weeks, and that was how Dong-gu and So-hye came to be left alone at home.
***
“Did you eat well?”
“Yes.”
“How was it? Do you think it would sell well if I put it on the menu?”
So-hye nodded her head.
“Here you go.”
While Dong-gu, who had finished eating, went out to the yard to chase butterflies, So-hye approached Hae-jun hesitantly and shyly handed him a card.
Hae-jun tilted his head after seeing the card.
“Hmm? What is this?”
“It’s a Dream Tree Card.”
The Dream Tree Card was a card that supported children from economically disadvantaged families who could not eat school lunches by allowing them to eat outside.
Ha-jun knew what the card was, but he didn't know why So-hye was handing it to him.
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"I know you lied and said it was a test, but you packed me lunch. You may have only scratched off 5,000 won, but please accept it. Then I'll feel better."
He was a little embarrassed that his lie had been found out.
He thought that a nine-year-old kid would believe him if he just beat around the bush, but it seemed like the world had turned So-hye into an adult a little faster than Hae-jun had thought.
Hae-jun hesitated for a moment before accepting the card.
He knew that clumsy sympathy could actually hurt So-hye's feelings.
Instead, he thought that accepting the money would relieve So-hye's discomfort.
"You caught me? Okay. I'll take it."
Ha-jun scratched off 10,000 won from the card terminal and returned the card with the receipt.
Now, So-hye and her brother had each paid 5,000 won, which was fair.
It meant that he wasn't showing pity to the poor kids in the neighborhood.
That's why Ha-jun was able to make a suggestion to So-hye.
"In return, will you be my meal buddy?"
"Meal buddy?"
"Actually, it's pretty lonely eating by yourself. I don't eat well when I'm alone. So from now on, let's eat together on Sunday evenings. Like today."
Since we're friends, you don't have to pay.
However, he thought it would be nice if the kids came over whenever they wanted, even on days other than Sunday.
"Instead, if you want to eat my pork cutlet on weekdays, you can come over anytime. I'll charge you for the meal then. It's usually a little more expensive, but I'll give you a special discount since you're my meal buddy. What do you think?"
"O, okay."
"Good. Then let's do that."
"Yes."
So-hye smiled shyly.
Ha-jun couldn't help but smile back when he saw the child's pure smile.
***
The next day.
Ha-jun asked Min-ju to write a notice.
"80% discount for customers with Dream Tree Cards?"
Min-ju opened her eyes wide as if she had never heard of it before and asked,
"Do you remember the young siblings who came in before?"
"Oh, the cute kids who tested the children's menu?"
"Yeah. Actually."
Hae-jun explained to Min-ju what had happened.
Min-ju's eyes became moist after hearing the story.
"That happened? Then I'll write it right away!"
“Yes. Thank you.”
Hae-jun wrote what she had asked for on the blackboard in beautiful handwriting that was full of artistic emotion, and soon after, the lunch business began.
As always, it was packed with customers.
People wandered around taking pictures of various parts of the store, and of course, the phrase <Dream Tree Card Holders Get 80% Discount!!> was also captured.
“The owner here does a lot of good deeds. I should take a picture and upload it.”
The customer who took pictures of the store’s interior and food also uploaded the phrase that Hae-jun had written to Instagram.
#Sunflower #PorkCutlet #TodayToo #Delicious #Successful #NotOnlyDelicious #ButAlsoAcceptsDreamTreeCards #TheOwner’sPersonality #Awesome
-Is there a reason why business is so good?
-He doesn’s skimp on ingredients or human kindness. That’s why it’s a popular restaurant.
-Shouldn’t a boss like this be lonely?
-Let’s go cheer him up! ㅋㅋㅋ
***
Somehow, I woke up early at dawn.
Maybe it was because I slept in a place with good air, but my body felt light and I didn't feel tired.
When I ran to the fish trap, it was filled with two rockfish and a flounder overnight. Mongchi, who seemed to be unstoppable, hunted down another fairly large rockfish.
"You're amazing."
"Meow! Meow!!"
With this, the net was filled with three D-grade rockfish the size of my palm and 24 C~D-grade flounders.
It was a good harvest for the first day of an adventure.
"I should come here often. Next time I come, I'll prepare a few more fish traps."
I checked out a few more fish trap points. It seemed like I could get a lot of seafood with fish traps and fishing if I just learned how to fish properly.
After finishing my exploration of the beach, I hurriedly returned to the Sunflower.
Before I knew it, it was Sunday evening in reality.
"Meow~."
"Are you sleepy, Mongchi? If you're tired, go and rest."
"Meow."
Mongchi, who had been excitedly running and hunting on the beach of the Dimensional Farm, seemed tired. He went to the window, curled up into a ball, and fell asleep.
Hae-jun, who had become a little hungry, thought he should eat something.
Rockfish and flounder that had just been caught from the sea, then the answer would be rockfish sashimi, grilled flounder with salt, and a glass of soju. Just thinking about it made a big smile spread across his face.
"By the way, it's a little lonely to think about eating alone for the first time in a while."
When I was studying for the civil service exam and living in a study room, I was used to eating alone. In the morning and evening, I would just eat ramen in the study room, and for lunch, I would buy a pass at a Korean buffet near the academy and eat there. There were many days when I didn't say a word, like a monk practicing silent meditation.
However, since the Dimensional Farm opened and I started running the Sunflower, my life had changed 180 degrees. There were always people bustling around me, and I often ate meals together with them, chatting away.
'It's strange.'
Somehow, this loneliness had become strange.
I don't have any relatives or family.
"Oh··· I wonder if those guys are eating properly?"
Suddenly, the So-hye siblings who lived next door came to mind.
Hae-jun also had a time when he couldn't eat properly after his father suddenly disappeared. His mother was busy working, and although he was given school meals, the portions were always too small for a growing teenager.
So-hye and her brother seemed to be in a similar situation.
They were in a situation where they couldn't eat properly due to some circumstances.
He didn't ask them directly in case he hurt their feelings, but it didn't seem like they were from an ordinary, well-off family.
"Let's eat together. Just like last time, let's say it's a new menu test and eat."
Since there was high-quality sashimi and shrimp, it would be nice to grill the king crab with salt and make a proper sashimi out of the rockfish and eat it with soy sauce mixed with vinegar and wasabi...
"Hmm, is this menu too adult-like?"
Hae-jun scratched his head.
This was a menu for a glass of soju, so it might not be to the children's taste.
Fried food seemed to be more suitable for So-hye and her brother than sashimi or grilled fish.
"Then, should we fry the fish sausage?"
The thought of frying the expensive wild rockfish, which was also delicious as sashimi, made him laugh.
If Dong-sik had seen it, he would have definitely said, 'Boss! Are you crazy?'
"Well... I ate it grilled last night. I'm just eating it to my taste. It's less unfair if the kids enjoy eating the rockfish too."
Hae-jun, who had decided on the menu, approached the children.
As he thought, So-hye and her brother hadn't eaten yet. He told them to come and help in an hour after another new menu test, and then he returned to the store.
***
I referred to a fishing YouTuber's video on how to slice sashimi for the rock bream.
First, I removed the head and entrails, and then I cut the belly as closely as possible to the video. After slicing all three, I got 12 thick slices.
'I'll save the head, entrails, and bones and make a clear soup tonight.'
I changed the menu to fried food for the children, but I didn't give up the luxury of a glass of soju on a leisurely Sunday evening.
Just the rock bream broth would be enough to finish off a couple of bottles of soju.
After finishing the fish, I quickly started working on the crab.
First, I washed the shrimp thoroughly in running water and removed the legs.
I inserted a toothpick into the side of the shrimp's back and pulled it up, and the entrails came out like a thread. The entrails are the cause of the bitter taste, so it's good to remove them.
There are many recipes for fried shrimp.
There's the Japanese style of mixing ice water and tempura flour in a 1:1 ratio and frying it until crispy, and the method of coating it with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs in that order, like pork cutlet. Hae-jun decided to fry the shrimp using the second method, which goes well with Western-style dishes.
'Let's finish preparing the ingredients first.'
I removed the shell from the shrimp’s body after taking out its intestines.
I made a cut in its stomach so that its back wouldn’s arch when I fried it, and I cut out the triangular water sac in its tail, which contained a lot of moisture, to finish the preparation.
After seasoning the rockfish and the prepared shrimp, I coated them in batter and dropped them into the heated sunflower seed oil.
The ASMR of frying is always pleasant to hear.
Sizzle-
Crackle-
Twelve pieces of fish sticks the size of Dong-gu’s palm. And huge shrimp tempura that was clearly different in size and thickness from the commercially available frozen shrimp that was only as big as a finger joint were complete.
‘Tartar sauce would go well with the fish sticks, wouldn’t it?’
I made the sauce while draining the oil from the fried food on a paper towel.
I was able to make enough tartar sauce with the ingredients I had. Finely chopped onion, pickles, olives, and boiled eggs mixed with mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
The refreshing aroma of the sauce made my mouth water.
‘Now all I have to do is plate it nicely.’
I carefully arranged the food on the plate.
Dong-gu, who eats a lot, had four pieces each of rockfish and shrimp tempura, along with a generous serving of salad and rice, and So-hye, who likes vegetables, had two pieces of tempura with a variety of vegetable salads and bread beautifully plated.
“Oh! It actually looks good? It’s good enough to be a menu item.”
Hae-jun smiled in satisfaction at the decent visual.
The quality was considerable for a menu item that was made in a hurry for the children who wouldn’t have eaten properly on Sunday evening when everyone was eating out.
Good enough to be modified a little and put on the regular menu.
‘For now, the problem is getting the rockfish and shrimp···.’
I’ll think about the headache later, and for now, I’ll serve the food to the little customers waiting in the hall.
I took out the plate of fish sticks with steam rising from it.
“Wow~! It looks delicious.”
Dong-gu, who was the best at reacting, exclaimed in admiration.
“The shrimp tempura is as big as my forearm. Uncle.”
“Be careful eating it because the shrimp’s head is sharp.”
“Yes~!”
Dong-gu’s first choice was the shrimp tempura.
Crunch-
Crackle-
“Wow~!”
Dong-gu’s nostrils flared as he ate half of the large shrimp tempura in one bite.
The shrimp disappeared in his mouth as if he hadn’t even chewed it. The crispy texture and the slightly sweet flavor that spread gently on his tongue as he swallowed it were top-notch.
“It’s delicious.”
It was the best compliment a seven-year-old could give.
Dong-gu, who had chewed up everything except the tail, quickly put a piece of fried rockfish into his mouth.
Chew, chew-
The unique chewy texture of white-fleshed fish could be felt between the soft texture.
The harmony between the crispiness of the fried coating and the chewy texture of the fish was truly exceptional.
It was the first time he had tasted something like this in his seven years of life.
This time as well, Dong-gu’s evaluation was,
“It’s delicious!”
Along with two thumbs up and repeated exclamations of “It’s delicious!”
Just by looking at the child’s expression, one could tell how delicious Hae-jun’s food was.
Hae-jun gently stroked Dong-gu’s head with a satisfied expression and smiled like a father. Then, he looked at So-hye, who was moving her mouth.
“So-hye, what about you?”
“Me too. It’s so delicious.”
The savory taste of the fish was so good.
The flesh melted in her mouth, and the more she chewed, the more the unique savory oil of the fish flowed out and clung to her tongue.
‘It’s delicious.’
Dong-gu might not remember it, but So-hye had a vague memory of it.
Fried fish that she had occasionally eaten when she followed her father, who enjoyed fishing as a hobby. Her father would slice sashimi and eat it with soju, and he would fry fish for the young Dong-gu and So-hye.
-So-hye, is it delicious?
-Yes, it’s so delicious. Dad.
-You can’t buy this even if you pay for it. It’s incredibly expensive and can only be eaten here. Hahaha. If you tell people that you fried and ate this, they’ll say you’re crazy. Is it delicious?
-Give me more. It’s so delicious.
-Just wait a little bit. My daughter. Dad will quickly catch another one and fry it for you.
They had been really happy back then.
At some point, her parents’ fights had become more frequent, and her mother had not returned home since the day after a big fight.
They had moved from the apartment where the family of four had lived together to this place, and her father had gone to the provinces, saying that he was going to work.
Her father returned home once every one or two weeks, and that was how Dong-gu and So-hye came to be left alone at home.
***
“Did you eat well?”
“Yes.”
“How was it? Do you think it would sell well if I put it on the menu?”
So-hye nodded her head.
“Here you go.”
While Dong-gu, who had finished eating, went out to the yard to chase butterflies, So-hye approached Hae-jun hesitantly and shyly handed him a card.
Hae-jun tilted his head after seeing the card.
“Hmm? What is this?”
“It’s a Dream Tree Card.”
The Dream Tree Card was a card that supported children from economically disadvantaged families who could not eat school lunches by allowing them to eat outside.
Ha-jun knew what the card was, but he didn't know why So-hye was handing it to him.
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"I know you lied and said it was a test, but you packed me lunch. You may have only scratched off 5,000 won, but please accept it. Then I'll feel better."
He was a little embarrassed that his lie had been found out.
He thought that a nine-year-old kid would believe him if he just beat around the bush, but it seemed like the world had turned So-hye into an adult a little faster than Hae-jun had thought.
Hae-jun hesitated for a moment before accepting the card.
He knew that clumsy sympathy could actually hurt So-hye's feelings.
Instead, he thought that accepting the money would relieve So-hye's discomfort.
"You caught me? Okay. I'll take it."
Ha-jun scratched off 10,000 won from the card terminal and returned the card with the receipt.
Now, So-hye and her brother had each paid 5,000 won, which was fair.
It meant that he wasn't showing pity to the poor kids in the neighborhood.
That's why Ha-jun was able to make a suggestion to So-hye.
"In return, will you be my meal buddy?"
"Meal buddy?"
"Actually, it's pretty lonely eating by yourself. I don't eat well when I'm alone. So from now on, let's eat together on Sunday evenings. Like today."
Since we're friends, you don't have to pay.
However, he thought it would be nice if the kids came over whenever they wanted, even on days other than Sunday.
"Instead, if you want to eat my pork cutlet on weekdays, you can come over anytime. I'll charge you for the meal then. It's usually a little more expensive, but I'll give you a special discount since you're my meal buddy. What do you think?"
"O, okay."
"Good. Then let's do that."
"Yes."
So-hye smiled shyly.
Ha-jun couldn't help but smile back when he saw the child's pure smile.
***
The next day.
Ha-jun asked Min-ju to write a notice.
"80% discount for customers with Dream Tree Cards?"
Min-ju opened her eyes wide as if she had never heard of it before and asked,
"Do you remember the young siblings who came in before?"
"Oh, the cute kids who tested the children's menu?"
"Yeah. Actually."
Hae-jun explained to Min-ju what had happened.
Min-ju's eyes became moist after hearing the story.
"That happened? Then I'll write it right away!"
“Yes. Thank you.”
Hae-jun wrote what she had asked for on the blackboard in beautiful handwriting that was full of artistic emotion, and soon after, the lunch business began.
As always, it was packed with customers.
People wandered around taking pictures of various parts of the store, and of course, the phrase <Dream Tree Card Holders Get 80% Discount!!> was also captured.
“The owner here does a lot of good deeds. I should take a picture and upload it.”
The customer who took pictures of the store’s interior and food also uploaded the phrase that Hae-jun had written to Instagram.
#Sunflower #PorkCutlet #TodayToo #Delicious #Successful #NotOnlyDelicious #ButAlsoAcceptsDreamTreeCards #TheOwner’sPersonality #Awesome
-Is there a reason why business is so good?
-He doesn’s skimp on ingredients or human kindness. That’s why it’s a popular restaurant.
-Shouldn’t a boss like this be lonely?
-Let’s go cheer him up! ㅋㅋㅋ
