Healing in the Country Side with a Baby Dragon - CHAPTER 4 (Doenjang Jjigae and Lettuce Wrap)

Day Two of Country Life

“What is this?”

I stared out at my garden, which had somehow transformed into a vibrant, undulating sea of green.

The madness had actually started the previous night while I was busy organizing the items we had received from the villagers. From the veranda, Seol-ah’s eyes had caught sight of the crops the village chief left behind—lettuce, green onions, and chives—all waiting to be planted. Before I could even blink, my little baby dragon scooped up a handful of the plants with her bare hands, leapt off the porch, and landed right in the yard.

“Ouch.”

The landing wrinkled the lettuce leaves a bit, but she was fine. 

"Huff-"

Seol-ah waddled determinedly over to the garden beds on her tiny feet.

“Great Being, why have you come?”

The earth fairies eagerly rose from the soil to welcome her. Smiling brightly, Seol-ah held out the crumpled lettuce, chives, and green onions. She dug through the loose dirt with her small hands, buried them, and patted the earth flat with a deeply proud expression on her face.

I discovered what she was up to a bit late and burst into laughter.

“Seol-ah, you planted these yourself? That’s amazing!”

Although the lettuce was stuffed upside down and the green onions were buried sideways in the dirt, to my eyes, it was the cutest thing in the world.

“Our Seol-ah, are you going to grow up to be a master farmer?”

“Heh!”

Seol-ah puffed out her tiny chest, lifted her chin, and placed her hands on her waist. My praise clearly had her in a magnificent mood.

“Seol-ah, let’s eat dinner!”

“Huh!”

Hearing the good news, she abandoned her farming tools and dashed inside.

Later that night, while Seol-ah was fast asleep, I went out to the garden to properly replant her messy, upside-down crops. There was still a mountain of produce left over from the village chief’s gift.

“I’ll plant the rest later.” 

I muttered to myself. There was no rush to finish it all at once. Before long, I headed back inside, and both Seol-ah and I were sound asleep.

“Thump, thump, thump. The masters are finally asleep.”

“Thump, thump. Now, it’s our time.”

The real owners of the garden, the earth fairies, rose from the soil with mischievous laughter. In the dark night, their eyes sparkled beneath the moonlight. They were clearly planning something.

“Your Majesty is far too careless.”

“Thump, thump. Tomorrow, they will look upon our strength in absolute awe!”

The chattering earth fairies marched straight toward the crops Seol-ah had planted and I had straightened. Were they planning to eat it all? Not at all. Their intentions were far purer—and far stranger—than simply filling their hungry stomachs.

“Thump, thump, thump... Look at this lovely being's work.”

“Right now, right this second, I want to fill this land to the brim!”

The earth fairies breathed heavily as they stared at the lettuce, chives, and leeks. They wanted to scatter beautiful crops across every inch of the soil. They wanted to expand them, multiply them, and take over the entire garden!

The chives, lettuce, and green onions seemed to tremble, as if sensing the intense desire burning in the fairies' sparkling eyes. Holding hands, the earth fairies formed a wide circle around the crops.

Under the pale moonlight, they began a mystical 'Ganggangsullae'—a traditional circular dance. The little balls of fur fluttered and leaped through the air. In tandem with their prayers, glowing particles rose into the sky and rained down upon the crops tucked in the corners of the garden.

[You have planted crops in the garden!]

[Fresh crops have successfully taken root. Please raise them with love. If they receive enough affection, they might unlock special abilities!]

When morning came, the sight that unfolded before my eyes left me stunned. The garden was completely overflowing with green onions, lettuce, and chives.

“Thump, thump, thump. Great Master, are you amazed by our power?”

“If you leave crops out in front of earth fairies, you’re in big trouble!”

The earth fairies burst into tiny fits of laughter at the sight of my breathless expression. I truly was speechless. Seol-ah had only planted a handful of crops yesterday. How on earth had this happened overnight?

“How did you guys manage this?”

“Thump, thump. Are you curious about our secret recipe?”

“Is the Great Master intimidated by the agricultural prowess of the earth fairies?”

“You little rascals.” I chuckled.

They looked so funny fidgeting around that I poked them a few times with my finger, and they instantly spilled their secrets.

“We just ran around chasing the fresh crops!”

“The crops got startled by our wild movements and grew out of control!”

“The crops have fallen under the spell of the earth fairies!”

'What in the world are they talking about?'

I shook my head at their nonsense. What did spinning around and making 'wild movements' even mean?

“Don't say weird things like that in front of Seol-ah.” 

I warned, poking them again just in case it wasn't the best influence for a growing child. Of course, it was a very affectionate threat. I loved the soft, rustling texture of the earth fairies, so I kept rubbing them without realizing it.

'Huh? Wait, did that just get bigger?’

I noticed something peculiar. The morning sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting its golden light across the garden. It felt like the crops, which had clearly been mere sprouts a moment ago, were expanding right before my eyes.

'No way, is it just because the sun is rising?'

But as I watched in silence, the truth became undeniable.

“Oh! It 'is' growing!”

It was literally growing in real-time. A lettuce leaf that had been half the size of my palm just a minute ago had expanded by another centimeter.

An idea suddenly struck me. I rushed over, grabbed the yard hose, and sprayed a fine mist of water over the patch.

“Great Master, the earth fairies are drowning!”

“We’re getting swept away! Huft- huft-”

The dramatic cries of the earth fairies caused me to soften the water pressure, letting it spray gently in all directions. The water droplets caught the morning sunlight, sparkling like diamonds.

“Morning...”

Woken up by the early morning commotion, Seol-ah trundled outside, rubbing her eyes. But the moment she saw the dazzling scenery, she instantly flipped into 'dragon mode' and leaped into the fun.

“Kyaa—!”

“Little master! Save us!”

It was a chaotic, beautiful sight: a lush, magical garden, a tiny white dragon splashing water everywhere, and startled earth fairies screaming in playful terror. Suddenly, Seol-ah filled her mouth with water and sprayed it directly at me.

'Was that supposed to be a dragon breath attack?'

“Seol-ah! You stand right there!”

“Brrrrrr—!”

What started as watering the garden quickly evolved into a morning playground. After the two of us chased each other around for a while, the chaos finally wound down.

“My goodness, was it really that much fun?”

“Bam!”

With that, playtime was officially over. Even while I dried her hair with a towel, Seol-ah couldn't keep still. Her eyes, bright as the blue sky, sparkled with lingering excitement.

Right on cue—*Grumble—*

Our bellies let out a synchronized signal. We looked at each other and smiled. It was time for breakfast.

[Healing Life of a Beginner Farmer]

[Prepare a meal using the produce grown in your own garden. Enjoy ultimate health and flavor!]

“What should we eat?”

I pondered aloud, sitting side-by-side with the toddler.

I recalled the ingredients I had received yesterday, particularly the artisanal, handmade soybean paste.

“Breakfast is going to be soybean paste stew.”

The craving was irresistible. I set about washing the rice and prepping the stew. The combination was classic and simple: homemade soybean paste, zucchini, onions, tofu, a pinch of red pepper powder, and starchy rice water as the base. The basics were always the best.

Soon, a rich, savory aroma began to waft from the bubbling pot. Homemade soybean paste truly was in a league of its own; the scent was incredibly deep and perfectly aged. I scooped it up to taste with a spoon.

“Wow! This is it!”

I was floored. This kind of deep flavor could never be replicated by store-bought, instant paste. There was still a very faint, bitter edge to it, but fortunately, I had an entire garden of fresh green onions. I walked out and pulled a single green onion that had matured overnight.

[Your first harvest is a success!]

A system message popped up.

'I guess this officially counts as my first harvest.' I thought, but what followed next was even more shocking.

[Green Onion - Grade: C]

[Green onions grown overnight by earth fairies. They possess an exceptional aroma and flavor.]

'The green onions have grades?'

Then I remembered. In a world plagued by gates and monsters, combat wasn't the only profession. Production classes existed too. Among them were specialized farmers who grew and sold magical crops. I had heard that the taste, aroma, and prices varied drastically depending on the item's grade.

Naturally, I had never bought them myself because they were astronomically expensive. Word on the street was that obtaining a graded crop was incredibly difficult.

‘I read somewhere that you have to meticulously select the seeds, optimize the soil condition, and pour endless fertilizer and high-tier skills into them just to get a rank.’

I had researched it briefly before moving to the countryside but gave up immediately after realizing how impossible it sounded. If it was hard for professional production classes, it was out of the question for an ordinary person. Yet here it was, happening in a single day.

‘It’s only C-grade, but it’s amazing that it has a rank at all.’

Even at the lowest tier, items harvested from Gates occasionally came with special stat options. The real catch, however, was how difficult they were to cultivate regularly. It was a miracle a C-grade green onion had appeared.

'Was it just a stroke of beginner's luck?'

To test my theory, I snapped a few more green onions. As expected, every single one had a grade attached. Intrigued, I plucked a leaf of lettuce that had grown larger than my hand.

[Lettuce - Grade: C]

[Lettuce grown overnight by earth fairies. It possesses a crisp texture and refreshing flavor.]

They were all graded. I immediately pulled out my smartphone to check the market prices for graded foods. But after a second, I slid it back into my pocket.

“Eh, forget it.”

Even in a peaceful, healing rural life, money was important. I knew firsthand that when you're broke, 'healing' just becomes grueling labor. But this was only our second day here. I didn't want to ruin the hard-earned peace we had finally found by stressing over finances.

‘I’ve got plenty of time anyway.’

I was going to live here permanently now, and thanks to the earth fairies, the garden was bound to thrive. Even now, tiny green sprouts were already pushing through the soil where I had just harvested the green onions and lettuce.

Right now, a bubbling pot of stew and a hungry Seol-ah were far more important. I had spent a lifetime chasing money, and I knew that the harder you chase it, the further it runs away.

I thinly sliced the C-grade green onions, tossed them into the pot, and tasted the broth one more time.

“Oh, that’s perfect.”

The slight bitterness vanished instantly, replaced by a subtle, clean sweetness and the vibrant aroma of the green onion. It was a magnificent breakfast.

The rice cooker whistled, signaling it was done. I set the low table and scooped the steaming black rice into bowls. This morning's menu was simple perfection: hot black rice, rich soybean paste stew, and crisp lettuce wraps.

Outside, clouds drifted lazily across the sky. Inside, sunlight flooded the room, illuminating our cozy country table set upon the wooden floor.

“Thank you for the food!”

“Huh!”

I hoisted Seol-ah onto my lap and began to eat. First, I mixed a spoonful of the savory stew into the rice, blowing on it gently to cool it down.

“Here comes the airplane! Ahhh—”

“Aaahm—”

Seol-ah took the first bite. As she chewed, her little shoulders gave a sudden shudder.

 'Is it too salty? Too spicy?'

I watched her anxiously.

“Mng, mng, mng!”

“Is it yummy?”

“Bam!”

Seol-ah nodded vigorously, cupping both of her chubby cheeks. She looked absolutely delighted.

Encouraged, I scooped up another bite, adding a piece of tender zucchini on top. Seol-ah happily accepted it, opening her mouth for a third, fourth, and fifth bite of the stew.

“Bam!”

“Alright, alright, here you go.”

Before I knew it, I got so caught up in the rich flavor of the homemade paste and the sweetness of the tofu and zucchini that I forgot to feed myself for a moment. Rice and soybean paste stew really were an unbeatable duo.

When my palate grew a bit heavy from the saltiness, I picked up a leaf of the fresh lettuce.

*Crunch.*

“...!”

I froze mid-chew. 

'Huh? Why does this lettuce taste like this? Was lettuce always this incredible?'

The typical bitterness was completely absent. Instead, it had a wonderfully crisp, refreshing crunch, leaving a clean, subtly sweet aftertaste in my mouth. I wrapped a spoonful of rice and stew inside another leaf and took a bite. Absolute bliss.

I rolled up a tiny, baby-sized wrap for Seol-ah and popped it into her mouth. Seol-ah’s eyes widened in shock, and she nodded rapidly.

'Right? It’s amazing, isn’t it?'

[You have prepared a deeply satisfying meal with home-grown produce. It was both healthy and delicious!]

[Having consumed a harvest grown in a high-density mana zone, Seol-ah will grow a little bit bigger!]

Reading the prompt floating in the air, I looked down at Seol-ah, who beamed up at me. Honestly, the system didn't matter. Right now, the clear blue sky, the warm morning sun, the gentle country breeze, and sharing a meal with Seol-ah were all that mattered.

Just as I thought I felt Seol-ah getting a tiny bit heavier in my arms, her sky-blue eyes flashed with a brilliant, mystical light.

But right as I was losing myself in that wondrous, magical moment—

*CRASH!*

“Ouch!”

A body came flying over the fence and crashed face-first into our yard.