Healing in the Country Side witha Baby Dragon - CHAPTER 9 (Gochujang, Samgyeopsal, Bibimbap)

A truly bizarre scene unfolded at the village hall.

The locals were practically ignoring the meat, focusing entirely on shoving massive handfuls of lettuce into their mouths. Yet, with every single bite, they couldn't stop showering it with praise.

"Wow, this is unbelievable."

"Seriously, how can plain lettuce taste this good?"

It seemed the crops I grew with the help of the earth fairies were an absolute hit with everyone.

"It’s incredibly fresh, of course, but the actual aroma and flavor are on a whole different level."

"Right? And the texture is so crisp!"

"I know, right?"

Since I ate this fresh lettuce every single day at home, the novelty had worn off for me, but I suppose this was their very first time experiencing anything like it. Well, to be fair, I had been just as shocked when I took my first bite. It tasted completely different from any ordinary lettuce I’d ever had in the city.

Of course, eating it by the basketful without anything else had eventually become a bit of a chore.

"I really should have paced myself and eaten more pork belly first. Right, Seol-ah?"

"Bam!"

But pairing the lettuce with 'samgyeopsal' (grilled pork belly) completely changed the game. Laying a thick, golden-brown slice of pork belly straight off the grill onto a crisp lettuce leaf, then topping it with a slice of garlic and a dollop of savory 'ssamjang'—that combination provided an infinite loop of culinary energy. The wraps practically disappeared down our throats without any effort.

Whenever my mouth started to feel a little dry from the rich meat, I would pick up a golden bell tomato that had been roasted in the rendered pork fat. The moment I bit down, sweet, refreshing juice burst forth and coated my palate. When cooked over the fire, the tomato's chewy skin softened, making the texture incredibly tender and rich.

"Wow!"

It was an entirely new flavor experience. At first, the village elders had thought it was a sacrilege to roast such beautiful, expensive tomatoes, but they quickly became completely obsessed with the roasted golden bell tomatoes.

To make things even better, every single side dish the grandmothers had brought from their homes was outstanding. They possessed a rustic, deeply mouth-watering flavor. The lively, warm atmosphere of the neighbors chatting and laughing together only heightened my appetite. I was so used to eating alone in a cramped, silent room that having dinner surrounded by all these noisy, cheerful people was genuinely wonderful.

"Young man, you’re absolutely sure you didn't harvest these from beyond the Great Gate?" 

Chief Ham Bong-seok asked, still completely fixated on the lettuce.

"Yes, Chief. It really is just a standard garden crop."

"Man, but how on earth does it taste like this?"

He seemed even more flabbergasted to learn that these weren't high-grade magical crops imported from beyond the dimensional Gate. He even took one of the roasted golden bell tomatoes, wrapped it snugly inside a lettuce leaf, and popped the whole thing into his mouth.

'Oof, now that’s a bit aggressive.'

Yet, even that bizarre combination turned out to be delicious. Chief Ham nodded in profound satisfaction, his eyes sparkling with a sudden intensity.

"This is a real, raw talent. Son, should you seriously consider farming full-time?"

"Farming?" I repeated, hesitating.

"Yes! Why let such a magnificent crop go to waste on just a personal garden?"

Ever since his very first bite, the chief had been insisting that I possessed a miraculous green thumb and should pursue agriculture in earnest. To be honest, it did make me think. Even if I didn't start a massive commercial farm, I still needed to figure out a sustainable way to make a living out here.

"Well, I don't plan on building a massive enterprise." I admitted. 

"But... is there a realistic way for me to sell whatever surplus crops I have left over?"

"Just the surplus?"

"It’s probably going to be pretty difficult to find buyers for small batches, right?"

But the chief's response was completely different from what I had anticipated.

"There is a way to do absolutely everything in this world." 

A wide grin spread across his face, his eyes gleaming like an eagle locking onto its prey. 

"Hey! So-yoon’s dad! I heard this young man is interested in setting up some small-scale sales!"

The chief called out to a kind-looking man sitting toward the end of the long table.

"Really?!"

The man rose and traversed the length of the table in an instant. 

'Whoa, how did he move that fast?'

"I’m Kim Sang-do, So-yoon’s father." he introduced himself warmly, extending a hand. 

"Are you looking to sell your leftover lettuce and tomatoes?"

"Yes, it’s just far too much for me and Seol-ah to eat by ourselves."

"That is a wonderful idea! Truly fantastic!"

He looked so genuinely thrilled by the prospect that he might as well have been launching his own business. I wondered briefly why he was taking it so personally.

Chief Ham chimed in, clapping the man on the back. 

"So-yoon’s dad here is an absolute expert when it comes to websites."

"Websites?"

It turned out that Mr. Kim worked professionally in web design. In his spare time, he had been teaching the village elders how to navigate the internet and had even built a local e-commerce platform to help the residents facilitate small-scale transactions.

"Homegrown crops and artisanal goods like homemade soybean paste or red pepper paste are incredibly popular online these days."

Mr. Kim explained. In fact, a significant portion of the local residents made their living through that exact platform. 

"Just leave the setup to me. I’ll handle everything."

He promised his unconditional support for my venture.

"How much will the design and hosting cost?" I asked, reaching for my wallet.

"You don't owe me a single dime. I've already been paid in full."

I blinked. An entire website build for free? And what did he mean by saying he had already been paid? My confusion was answered almost immediately.

"So-yoon, come over here sweetie." Mr. Kim called out gently.

A little girl approached hesitatingly from behind the adults. I recognized her immediately—she was the daughter from the house I had visited yesterday afternoon. But she looked remarkably different now. For starters, she wasn't wrapped tightly from head to toe in thick clothing to hide herself. Although faint, grayish scars still lingered on her hands and face, the severe, weeping inflammation from her skin condition had almost entirely vanished.

'Huh? Wait... no way.'

"Her skin disease has improved dramatically since she ate those tomatoes last night." Mr. Kim said, his voice trembling slightly with emotion.

"It's all thanks to you."

"Thank you so much."

So-yoon whispered, bowing politely beside her father.

I had simply hoped the mana-infused crops would give her some relief, but seeing it actually work so miraculously filled me with immense joy. Both Mr. Kim and his wife, who had joined him, brightened beautifully at my happy reaction.

"Bam!"

Seol-ah waddled over proudly, tilting her head. So-yoon smiled, reaching out a timid hand to gently stroke the baby dragon's smooth head.

"Baek Seol-ah." I introduced her.

"I’m Kim So-yoon."

"Sho-yoon?" Seol-ah chirped, mimicking the sound.

"Yeah, So-yoon."

"Sho-yoon!" Seol-ah cheered, stamping her little feet.

The surrounding villagers all burst into warm smiles, watching the two of them hit it off so splendidly. I turned back to Mr. Kim, who looked so profoundly moved that tears were welling in his eyes.

"I'm so glad to hear that. Please, let her eat as many tomatoes as she needs until her skin is completely healed."

"Thank you... truly."

"Don't mention it. It’s for the children, after all." 

I smiled warmly at the couple, who continued to express their deep gratitude. 

"So-yoon can come over to our house and pick them fresh whenever she likes. That way, she can play with Seol-ah, too."

"Is that really okay?" So-yoon’s eyes went wide.

"Of course."

"Wow! Thank you so much!"

"Bam!"

I genuinely meant it. It would be wonderful for Seol-ah to have a friend her age in the neighborhood.

Right then, a bright blue notification chimed in my vision.

[You have successfully shared an abundant harvest!]

[You shared your hard-earned crops with the villagers, bringing joy to everyone. Feeling the happiness around her, Seol-ah has grown a tiny bit!]

Just as the quest message stated, we concluded that unforgettable evening with a magnificent, heart-warming dinner.

The next day, our peaceful routine resumed.

"Chives." I spoke clearly, pointing at a picture book.

"Chu—" Seol-ah mimicked, her tongue tripping over the syllables.

"Lettuce."

"Lettuce—"

"Tomato."

"Thomas, Thomas, Thomas."

I had realized that we couldn't just rely on our mental telepathy forever; Seol-ah needed to learn how to speak properly. Recently, I had been dedicating a significant amount of time to her Korean lessons, utilizing a collection of children's books that So-yoon’s family had kindly gifted us. For now, I was focusing on teaching her the names of common items found right around our house.

"Lettuce! Lettuce! Toma, Toma, Toma!"

Her learning speed was absolutely terrifying. As expected, our Seol-ah was an absolute genius!

"Why is our Seol-ah so incredibly smart? Good job, sweetie." I praised, rubbing her chubby cheeks.

"Blah, blah!" 

Seol-ah cheered, leaning into the compliment with a proud expression.

While the two of us were deep into our study session, a series of high-pitched, tragic cries echoed from the backyard.

"Heeeeeep! Master! Master! We are in terrible, catastrophic trouble!"

"Great Master! Please, you have to save us!"

It was the frantic voices of the earth fairies. I had strictly forbidden them from growing any more crops until our online store was fully set up, so I panicked, thinking they had accidentally triggered another agricultural explosion. I sprinted out to the garden.

"Huh? Wait, everything looks fine?"

The garden was perfectly peaceful. The sturdy tomato vines stood tall, and the rows of lush green crops basked quietly in the sun. No accidental jungle had overtaken the house, so what was the emergency?

"There’s a monstrous rock behind the garden!"

"It’s way too massive for our tiny bodies to move!"

Ah. The earth fairies had started expanding their territory into the undeveloped land farther back. There was still a sizable plot of property back there, but it was littered with massive, heavy boulders. It was the exact reason why this piece of real estate had been sold so cheaply in the first place.

"Oh, that area isn't part of the active garden." I explained calmly. 

"It's just an empty lot."

"An empty lot?! What do you mean?!" one fairy gasped, horrified. 

"To leave this vast, beautiful soil completely barren is a cosmic crime!"

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Clear the land!"

The earth fairies fell into an absolute frenzy at my casual response. If we actually wanted to convert that rocky lot into a functional field, we would have to hire heavy machinery to remove the boulders, which would cost a small fortune. Originally, I had intended to just leave it completely alone, but watching these tiny, fluffy balls of fur desperately straining their microscopic bodies to push a solid granite boulder made it hard to just ignore them.

'Maybe I can fund the land clearing using the profits from the Golden Bell tomato sales?'

Yeah, that sounded like a solid plan.

"Alright, earth fairies, gather around," I commanded.

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

"If you don't line up right now, I’m not moving a single rock."

"Assembled!"

In a fraction of a second, a dense carpet of white fur formed right in front of my feet. Dozens of wide, sparkling eyes stared up at me with overwhelming anticipation.

"I can't clear it right this second," I began.

"Mud, mud, mud, mud—"

"Hey, don't start crying before I even finish my sentence!" I scolded affectionately. 

"I promise I'll get it cleared out very soon. And once it's ready, we can plant entirely new types of crops out there."

"Is this the absolute truth?"

"Will the Great Master truly grant our deepest wish?"

The earth fairies stopped weeping instantly. Wow, those were completely fake tears. Before I could even call them out on it, they broke into a celebratory circle dance, singing and spinning around my boots in sheer ecstasy. The mere prospect of a brand-new field to cultivate was enough to send them over the moon.

"But remember, no secretly growing extra lettuce and tomatoes while you wait." I warned, narrowing my eyes.

"Uh... land?" one fairy squeaked, freezing. 

"We've been compromised."

"There is truly nothing that can escape the all-seeing eyes of the Great Master." another sighed dramatically.

The fluffy coats of the earth fairies drooped instantly when they realized their clever plot to secretly expand production under the guise of joy had been foiled. Watching them look so profoundly deflated, I realized I really would need to get the business running and expand the garden sooner rather than later. That way, these hyperactive little helpers would be happy and properly occupied.

"Wow, it’s already lunchtime."

Between teaching Seol-ah her alphabet and dealing with the dramatic antics of the earth fairies, the clock had sailed right past noon. My stomach gave a timely growl. What should we have for lunch today?

"Shall we make some pork belly bibimbap?"

We happened to have a generous amount of fresh 'samgyeopsal' left over from the welcoming party last night. Making a massive bowl of bibimbap by dicing up the grilled pork belly and tossing it with a mountain of fresh lettuce sounded perfect.

First, I laid the thick strips of pork belly onto the indoor grill pan. Within minutes, the meat began to turn a beautiful golden-brown, filling the kitchen with a spectacular, sizzling melody. I snipped off a piece with my kitchen shears and popped it into my mouth to test it. Let's be honest—pork belly tastes best when eaten straight off the heat.

"Here, Seol-ah, try a piece. Say 'ah'."

"Ah—"

I fed a perfectly crisped piece to Seol-ah. She chewed happily, practically stomping her little feet in sheer delight. Lately, she had developed an absolute obsession with grilled pork belly. 

"Pork belly! Give pork belly!" she demanded clearly.

You could easily tell how deep her obsession ran by the fact that while all her other Korean pronunciations were completely muddled, her pronunciation of 'samgyeopsal' was flawless and crystal clear. It was only after the two of us had accidentally inhaled an entire row of grilled pork belly that I finally snapped back to reality.

"At this rate, we’re going to eat all the ingredients before we even mix the rice."

"Bam!"

I told her to wait patiently for a moment so I could assemble the actual dish. I scooped a massive portion of fluffy white rice into a large mixing bowl and topped it with the rest of the finely diced, golden pork belly. Then, I roughly tore up a generous amount of fresh lettuce straight from our garden and threw it on top. It looked like an absurdly large mountain of greens, but I knew the lettuce would wilt down beautifully once everything was mixed together.

Next, I added a drizzle of soy sauce, a spoonful of rich red pepper paste, and finally, the secret weapon.

"Wow, the aroma is incredible..."

I opened a bottle of pure sesame oil—a handmade gift from Chief Ham himself. The second the cap was removed, an intensely rich, nutty fragrance completely enveloped the kitchen. I poured a generous amount over the bowl and began tossing the ingredients together. The separate components uniformized beautifully, turning a vibrant, mouth-watering red.

Just as I was about to portion the completed bibimbap into separate bowls so we could finally eat—

*BOOM!*

A familiar, earth-shaking crash resonated from outside. Something incredibly heavy had just plummeted out of nowhere, landing squarely in our front yard right outside the porch.

I froze, slowly lowering the spoon I had been holding. 

'What on earth could it be this time?'

"Cough! Cough! Wheeze!"

Through the window, I watched a figure flat on the ground slowly push themselves upward. Their appearance was utterly baffling. The individual was far too short to be an adult, yet their face was adorned with a massive, incredibly bushy beard. They were dressed in rugged, ornate leather and metal armor—the kind of attire you only ever see in high-budget fantasy cinema.

'Wait... I've definitely seen a design like that before.' 

It looked exactly like the characters from that famous fantasy trilogy about carrying a magical ring to a volcano! A timeless staple of fantasy literature.

"A... Dwarf?" I muttered blankly.

The legendary race of master blacksmiths. But wait, why on earth was there a dwarf on Earth, let alone in my front yard?

"What kind of rude punk addresses someone's entire race so callously!" the dwarf roared, jumping to his feet and shaking a clenched fist toward the house.

Though he was short, his absurdly broad shoulders and thick, muscular build carried a terrifying weight of majesty.

"What are you staring at, boy?! Yeah, I'm a dwarf! What of it?! Is there a problem?!"

As I stared blankly through the glass at the screaming, bearded stranger, Seol-ah suddenly let out a booming cry from right beside me.

"Bam!"

She flashed a bright, radiant smile, completely interpreting the aggressive newcomer as an exciting lunch guest.

"What the... what is this little brat... wait... wait a minute..." 

The dwarf's voice trailed off as his eyes locked onto Seol-ah. His head tilted in sheer confusion before his pupils dilated to the size of saucers. 

"WHOA! IT'S A DRAGON?!"

He let out a terrified shriek, his fierce majesty evaporating instantly as he dived headfirst under our porch to hide.

And just like that, our second uninvited guest had officially arrived.