Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Today's Taste (2)
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"Ugh... It won't work..."
- What's not gonna work?
"Oppa is gonna live with Yoon-seul!!"
- You little acorn! You saying Oppa can't get married?
"Hiiing... But with Yoon-seul..."
- Then let Oppa get married, and Yoon-seul can just live with him. At Oppa's house.
"Eee...! It won't work...!"
I pick up Yoon-seul and hug her tight.
Her lips pout out like a duck's,
and her cheeks puff up like steamed buns.
I've teased her too much.
"It's okay, Oppa's gonna live with Yoon-seul. No marriage."
"Hing... The grandma said she's gonna make Oppa marry someone!"
"She said that? It's okay, it's okay. Gotta keep rUnnieng the restaurant with Yoon-seul. Right?"
"Yeah! Right away."
Even as I hold her close and pat her back, she stays sulky.
She seems really upset.
Her rough, huffy breaths tickle my ear.
- Heh heh heh... Sorry, Joo-hyun-ah. I teased the kid too much.
- You old hag, Yoon-seul's gonna cry at this rate.
- But how can I not when she's so cute like that?
The butcher shop grandpa, who's been quietly slicing meat beside us, chimes in.
Usually, when customers come, grandma takes the orders, and grandpa slices the meat.
He cleans every bit of flesh off the bone without waste—his skill is no joke. Even from a quick glance, his knife work looks precise.
"Yeah, grandma, that was too much. If Yoon-seul really cries, everyone in the market'll come storming to the butcher shop to yell at you. Isn't that dangerous?"
- Ha ha ha! Right, right, Yoon-seul's our market star, a star! Sorry~ Grandma was wrong.
She laughs heartily and apologizes. Yoon-seul, still firmly upset, buries her face in my neck and won't let go.
It's no wonder Yoon-seul reacts so dramatically. I've met the butcher shop's daughter once.
From what I know, she's 42.
A gold miss who missed her chance to marry?
When an Auntieie grandma the age of your parents says she's getting married to your Oppa, even a five-year-old would be shocked.
- So, Joo-hyun, what'd you come for today? Pork neck?
"No, just eight jin of pork belly, please."
- Joo-hyun's great 'cause you buy a ton each time.
"Pretty much all for the business."
Eight jin is 4.8 kg.
Should get at least 30 servings out of it.
This butcher shop has good meat quality, and the couple are generous.
- Grandma almost made Yoon-seul cry today, huh?
"Yeah... Yoon-seul didn't cry."
The Santa story from last time must've worked—she's just grumpy, not crying.
As I pat her back, she seems a bit better and listens to grandma.
- If you accept grandma's apology, I'll throw in a little extra meat for Oppa.
"Really?"
- More, yeah.
"Ah! Accept the apology. Yoon-seul's okay now."
Quick turnaround.
That's one of Yoon-seul's charms, flipping attitudes like that.
- Ha ha ha! Kid's so cute... Here, won't charge for one jin of meat. On the house.
- Ugh... Meat slicing's over here, but extras are over there! Sigh... Gonna slice meat all sad now?
- Old man, you stingy with regulars? Don't you know they come to our shop all the time?!
- Who said stingy! Take it, on the house!
Both well up in years, but they get along great.
I smile awkwardly and take the sliced meat.
Nearing 5 kg, it's got some real weight.
Can't carry the meat and Yoon-seul at once, so I set her down.
She takes interest in how heavy the meat is.
She lifts the bottom of the black bag with both hands, furrows her brow, and looks serious.
Muttering to herself softly.
"Yoon-seul can't lift it 'cause she's a kid..."
Her realizing she's a kid is so cute. I bite my lip to hold back a laugh.
"Aigoo, Oppa's got one hand free—should hold hands with Yoon-seul? Hands are cold."
"Hm? Then Yoon-seul'll hold it."
"While Oppa carries the meat, if a suspicious person comes, Yoon-seul's gotta guard, right?"
"Leave it to Yoon-seul!"
She sticks right by my side and grips my index and middle fingers tight in one hand. Carrying the meat bag is still too much for her, so I ask her to escort instead.
Ever since watching [Desperado of the Wasteland] last time, our five-year-old house beast has gotten a bit wilder.
She even does finger guns—bang bang!—at regular customers.
Those invisible bullet barrages send them into a daze mid-meal.
Back at the shop, I prepped for lunch service as usual.
Planning to sell gochujang pork belly separately, I wrote [Today's Menu: Gochujang Pork Belly] on the shop's front chalkboard.
Open the doors, and tables fill up two or three groups at a time. Some come in thinking today's menu looks tasty, others hooked on pork stir-fry or eggplant fries.
Customers filling up like this has become routine, but checking the bank balance lately, I feel like I need to treat them even better.
"Today's taste buds craving spice? Gochujang pork belly's selling like hotcakes."
Not even one o'clock yet, and already twenty bowls of gochujang pork belly sold. Even before Yoon-seul ate.
Using Chef's Intuition info has led to stuff like this often.
"A little tickle's worth it. So useful for business."
Especially the merit of using almost exactly the planned amount of ingredients without leftovers.
Means less food waste and fresh ingredients used.
"Oppa, Yoon-seul's tummy's empty empty."
"Five minutes, then rice'll be ready."
"Pork belly rice?"
"Yep."
"Ooh yeah~!"
Even that cheer she picked up from the movies.
Not all good effects, though.
Separate from other orders, I'll make Yoon-seul's gochujang pork belly less spicy.
Too much gochujang for adult tastes could hurt her stomach or intestines. Spice is basically pain receptors, after all.
In the sauce, ease up on gochujang, add soy sauce for depth, mix in sugar.
"Mm! This should be edible."
Taste test—spicy enough for Yoon-seul.
Heap onions and green onions thick on the pan first. Pork belly goes on top.
Put sauced pork belly straight on pan, and sugars burn it black like charcoal.
"Let the steam from onions and green onions cook it, infusing deep flavor."
Score the pork belly finely, coat thoroughly with thick sauce. It seeps into slits, deepening the flavor.
Place on onions and green onions, medium-low heat—cooks quick.
At the bar table end, Yoon-seul waits with spoon in one hand, Edison chopsticks in the other. I serve pork belly and white rice.
Table side has gas burners, so half-cooked pan goes there usually.
But for Yoon-seul, I finish cooking and plate it.
"Gonna eat well~!"
Hoo— hoo—
Nom!
"Mm... so tasty..."
Yoon-seul looks blissful eating pork belly.
An uncle two seats over, silently watching, looks my way.
- Boss, that looks a bit different from what goes to customers.
"Kid's only five—too spicy's no good. Tweaked the sauce a little."
- Mm... I see. Boss, could you make me one too?
"Uh... Not hard. But didn't you finish your rice?"
Customer's table has eggplant fry bowl with just sauce spots left.
Rice bowl beside it scraped clean.
- Seeing that, I wanna eat another bowl.
"That's what ordering's for—boss's job at a rice house."
- One bowl, please.
"One serving, got it."
More work than burner half-cooked, but gotta for add-on orders.
Sure enough, starting with him, several gather watching Yoon-seul eat. 'Yoon-seul Effect' still strong.
Lunch boomed more than usual for various reasons, and morning's market pork...
"Only three jin left?"
Usually dinner outsells lunch.
"Gotta hit the market again later."
Earn while earning.
Two jin more should sell out perfect.
Heading out with Yoon-seul for market rerun, a familiar face enters the shop.
Red hat screaming Marine Corps vet—style unchanged.
"Red Hat Uncle!"
"Yoon-seul still remembers this big Oppa. Almost two months since we met."
"Hmm... Nope."
"Nope what?"
"Oppa's here."
She tugs my pant leg poke.
That side's uncle.
Omitted, probably.
Ho-yeon Hyung smiles awkwardly, points to table side.
"Mind if I sit? Looks like break time now."
"Psh, why ask? Of course."
Ho-yeon Hyung grabs a table seat.
Yoon-seul and I make eye contact.
"Cider?"
"Yeah, shall Yoon-seul bring Oppa a cider?"
"Yeah!"
Straining, she opens fridge door, grabs a can from bottom shelf. Brings to Ho-yeon Hyung.
"Whoa? Thanks."
"What brings you by?"
"Gotta have a reason? Just checking if you're doing well."
"Grateful you check. Helped tons at opening. But isn't today not your shop's day off?"
Ho-yeon Hyung's been in meat forever—today wasn't his rest day.
"Ah, shop needs three days interior work—notice on door. Ugh, damn."
"Hm... Vent duct broke again?"
"Bingo."
Grilling meat indoors inevitably smokes up. Most barbecue joints need vent pipes to suck it out.
Foreign objects clog 'em, headaches to fix.
If here for construction leave, probably not special business—just caring if biz good.
Might as well get his take while here.
"Joo-hyun-ah, what's that outside? 'Today's Menu' or something?"
"Chalkboard's new—change menu daily, add one each."
"Huh? Change menu every day?"
"Yeah, better response than expected."
Ho-yeon Hyung squints disbelievingly.
Arms crossed, tilts head.
Get his reaction somewhat. His constant advice: fixed menu to hook regulars for long-term biz.
That's why starting pork biz—no big menu changes needed if quality holds, he'd say.
"Yeah? Lunch was grilled pork belly?"
"Yeah, gochujang style."
"Whoa... Selling well?"
"Want sales proof?"
Two guys' eyes go to POS.
Seeing it, Yoon-seul pipes up.
"Today... drank pork belly rice..."