Chapter 44
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Black and Glossy (2)
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“Oh, it's black!”
The fermented black bean paste, which had been a reddish hue right after making it, now gleamed with a deep black sheen after just a week.
It was finally ready to become chunjang.
Dominic scooped a bowlful of the paste from the jar and carried it into the kitchen, setting it on the counter. There, clam broth and a thick brown sauce he'd prepared in advance were already waiting.
“You said you were making something fun, right? Word's gotten around. Mind if we join in? My appetite's been off lately.”
“Ah, Old Lord! Welcome.”
The Old Lord and Ian, looking a bit pale—probably from their busy training schedules, as they hadn't been around much lately—had come to the kitchen together.
“What's this? More sauce?”
“Oh, that's caramel sauce. It's sweet and sticks right to your mouth. I'll make you a snack with it later.”
“Sounds good.”
Dominic poured the Old Lord a cup of tea and got back to preparing the black bean noodles.
Ian naturally sidled up to the counter, volunteering as his assistant.
Sizzle—!
When he mixed the caramel sauce, clam broth, and fermented black bean paste in the right proportions to adjust the thickness and added it to the cast-iron pot, it combined with the generous amount of oil, instantly filling the air with a savory aroma.
“Just stir this well. Since it's black, watch it closely so it doesn't burn!”
“Got it.”
Leaving the chunjang to Ian, Dominic filled another pot with plenty of oil and started prepping for frying.
'Jjajangmyeon without sweet and sour pork just feels incomplete.'
He'd specially prepared pork loin for its chewiness and marinated it ahead of time.
After thinly coating it in a potato starch batter, he dropped it into the oil. Plop!
Splatter—.
The frying sounded just like rain pattering down, stimulating his ears.
Even Dominic, frying the pork, kept swallowing hard.
'Frying sounds are just so aggressive.'
The sauce was already made.
Since they were eating outdoors and he planned to make other dishes too, he prepared the sweet and sour pork as an appetite booster.
And so, the tangy-sweet golden sweet and sour sauce was born.
“Looks like it's all stir-fried. What next?”
“Oh, could you fry the rest of this? All the pork and the chicken over there. You'll need to change the oil once for the eggplant, bell peppers, and potatoes, though.”
“...Right.”
As if it were no big deal, Dominic pointed to a mountain of ingredients piled up for frying.
'Can't just serve sweet and sour pork to guests by itself.'
Black bean noodles and sweet and sour pork were the unbeatable combo. But since about a third of the Fishing Cooperative uncles were addicts hooked on the spicy flavors Dominic had introduced, he also prepared ganpung chicken loaded with chilies and stir-fried noodles in chili oil.
Since everything started with frying the ingredients in oil, the sheer volume was staggering. He'd probably be sick of the smell of oil for a while after this, but Ian dove into the task without a single complaint.
'Well now. How do I even explain this?'
Watching from his tea-sipping spot, the Old Lord chuckled inwardly.
Dominic shoving all the tedious work onto Ian under the guise of politeness, and Ian clearly seeing through the ploy but unable to refuse and just quietly getting on with it.
'Come to think of it, he's gotten a lot more flexible since they started hanging out. That's a good thing.'
The Old Lord decided to leave them be for now.
**
“So, Dominic, this is...”
“...way too black... Is this really edible?”
“Smells good, though. Hmm.”
Black bean noodles made by stir-frying pork, onions, potatoes, zucchini, garlic, cabbage, and chunjang in pork lard to maximize the umami!
Thanks to the generous sugar, it had that addictive sweet-and-savory taste you couldn't stop eating.
But its overly black color made even the Fishing Cooperative uncles who'd helped with the fermenting hesitate unwittingly.
Just like when they'd first seen seaweed soup and balked at its dark green hue, they apparently still hadn't fully overcome their aversion to black food.
“Ugh, you uncultured bunch! Back in some coastal kingdom, they mix squid ink into pasta and eat it black as a delicacy. You gotta know stuff to eat it! Heh, Dominic! This is a dish for a worldly guy like me!”
The uncle who'd once wandered the continent as a wandering bard in his youth teased his comrades—“When are you country bumpkins gonna class up?”—and fearlessly shoveled the black bean noodles into his mouth.
“...!”
Smacking his lips, he took a big bite, and his fork movements sped up.
Slurp!
He face-planted into the noodles in seconds!
“Aigoo, brother. You wouldn't like this. Doesn't suit your taste. Go eat the fried pork over there. I'll take care of this for you...”
“Hold it. You little con artist pulling tricks again?”
“Eek!”
The bard uncle's prank—not a con artist, really—melted away the tension everyone felt facing the unfamiliar dish.
“If that guy's reacting like that, it must be pretty good.”
“Yeah. Has Dominic ever let us down with food? Personality, maybe.”
“Right?”
“Is that an insult or a compliment?”
“Hahaha!”
Slurp! Slurrrp!
With noodle-slurping sounds echoing everywhere, Dominic finally relaxed and started eating too.
Glossy black bean sauce dripping invitingly. On top, a half-cooked fried egg with crispy edges from the poured oil. Cucumber and peas julienned for the finishing touch.
'Old-school jjajang is the best. That fried egg from a Chinese place? Pure romance. Absolutely essential!'
Beside the black bean noodles, egg drop soup steamed invitingly, asserting its presence.
Gulp.
“Haa—.”
Burst the yolk, mix it into the noodles for a big bite, then finish with a soothing spoonful of egg soup.
Heaven on earth.
'Worth all the hard work.'
People really should eat what they crave.
'Yeah. So what if you're a noble or a millionaire. Nothing beats eating what you love, patting your full belly, and taking a nap.'
With his stomach full, Dominic's mind naturally eased too.
And he wasn't the only one thinking that. The Fishing Cooperative uncles, boiling extra noodles in the leftover sauce to share, wore deeply satisfied smiles.
“Dominic.”
“Huh? All done? Have more.”
“No, I've had plenty. But... um...”
Uncle Kallon hesitated unusually, struggling to get the words out.
“You're scaring me when you act like that, Uncle. Just say it casually.”
“Well... Could you maybe teach me the recipe for this?”
“Pardon?”
It was the last thing he expected.
“Ugh, forget it. I've got no shame. Sorry, Dominic. Pretend you didn't hear. Must be my age catching up. Haha! ...Really, sorry.”
But he immediately took it back, scratching the back of his head and turning to rejoin the others.
“I'll teach you. What's so hard about that?”
“...You serious?”
“Yes.”
Dominic nodded like it was nothing.
'Uncle Kallon doing Chinese food? It'd suit him. Heh.'
Chinese cuisine demanded more physical strength than expected.
With so much stir-frying, controlling a heavy wok tirelessly was key, and the strong flames and pungent spices put a lot of strain on the cook's body.
So for Uncle Kallon, whose strengths were his power and endless stamina, Chinese food might just be a perfect fit.
“You asking for the recipe means you're thinking of opening a restaurant, right?”
“Y-yeah. Once we can catch bigger game, we'll hunt meat too, but the village is growing, so I wanna try running a shop... But really, it's okay to give me the recipe?”
“Of course. Just use my chunjang only.”
“......”
Was the agreement too easy?
Uncle Kallon just stared at Dominic, speechless.
**
“I'm not sure if handing over the recipe like that is wise. Selling it to nobles or merchants could fetch a fortune.”
The kitchen emptied out, everyone gone.
Dominic was about to lie down in the yard for a rest when Ian spoke up.
“Who doesn't know that?”
“You knew you could sell it but gave it up anyway? Why?”
“They're family.”
“...Family. Didn't expect that from you.”
“That's an insult, right?”
“You're quick on the uptake.”
“Tch. Well, truth is, I control the key ingredient—chunjang—so it doesn't matter. More than that, our village lacks so much. It's grown a lot, but still short.”
Dominic smiled wryly.
“Only one way to develop fast?”
“Bring in outsiders to spend money here?”
Ian remembered the tourism concept perfectly from before.
“Correct. Good memory. So, what do you need to become a place people want to spend at?”
“You said it before. Become a symbol of what people crave. Leisure, rest. That sort of thing.”
“Correct again. Knight could've been a scholar. One more. What's most important to become that symbol?”
“......”
Ian was stumped for the first time.
'A symbol...? Beautiful buildings, tasty food? No, that's not it.'
No matter how he thought, it wasn't.
The Old Lord, who seemed content staying in Evergreen without plans to return to the castle or elsewhere, and dwarf craftsman Stonehammer surely had seen finer architecture and better food.
“People.”
Dominic gave the answer.
“That's why I'm building a school—no, an academy. To draw in talent that'll develop Evergreen. Teaching Uncle Kallon the recipe is the same idea. More skilled people means more appeal for this land.”
Ian bit his lip, looking shocked.
“Ah, not some grand imperial academy in the capital. Just basic learning for our village kids first. Things lower managers need, given the class restrictions.”
“......”
“Hearing Uncle Kallon today, we should add adult tech training too. Woodworking, pottery, construction, cooking... We need it all.”
“...Those are craftsmen's skills.”
“Not advanced stuff, just basics. Even that, and grads will have job offers lining up.”
“What if they leave for other villages?”
“Heh, guess I gotta teach a knight another life lesson.”
“What?”
Dominic grinned.
“Listen up. The world runs on blood ties, regional ties, and school ties!”