Yokai Come to the Countryside Café

Chapter 41: Return Gift (1)

Sangje Palace, the place where noble beings known as the Heavenly Deities resided.

However, it was exceedingly rare for them to gather in one place.

Because the world changed too rapidly for those who governed all of creation, it was already overwhelming to fulfill their designated duties.

Even when they attended these sudden meetings, it didn’t mean their workload decreased, so the expressions on the gathered Heavenly Deities were far from pleasant.

In fact, this was already the second such meeting in recent days.

“Mago Granny, let’s be honest now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We also have eyes and ears. How long are you planning to keep hiding it? That person arbitrarily ascended a dragon and even brought it back to the mortal realm.”

“Cluck, the ascension happened through enlightenment, and I told him to come back down.”

“Do you truly not know what might happen when a being from the Heavenly Realm descends to the mortal world?”

“Descend, you say! He came unexpectedly, so I just told him to tidy up the surroundings.”

‘If you don’t make it a problem, it won’t become one.’

It was an argument bolstered by the weight and authority of the name Mago Goddess.

Having lived since long before these beings became Heavenly Deities, Mago Granny was someone they couldn’t defy by age or power.

However, the atmosphere stirred again with the shocking news that followed.

“I heard you even handed him crops from the Heavenly Realm. Was that also permitted?”

“What?”

“Then what in the world is this…….”

“A single elixir of immortality overturned a nation just two thousand years ago! Good grief!”

“I told you there was a problem from the start! He’s crossing between the Heavenly Realm and the mortal world, and you think he wouldn’t smuggle in a herb or two?”

-Tang. Tang.

At the crisp sound of Mago Granny’s staff striking the ground, everyone fell silent and turned their gaze toward her.

“That’s enough! If you’re going to blame a dragon for repaying a benefactor, then you might as well renounce your Heavenly Deity status and go sit as a judge in Yeomra’s Court.”

“Mago Granny, this isn’t a matter we can just let pass! Anything born and raised in the Heavenly Realm holds mysterious power. The mortal world won’t be able to handle it.”

“He’s right! Even you don’t know what could happen with something so precious, do you?”

“We should start the kimchi-making.”

“What did you say?”

“For a fox with such big ears, you sure don’t hear well. We’re making kimchi.”

“I didn’t ask because I didn’t hear! You’re saying you’re making kimchi with vegetables from the Heavenly Realm?”

“Yes, because it’s cabbage.”

“You must not understand yet, but even the most trivial items from the Heavenly Realm can bring chaos if mishandled in the mortal world. It’s already absurd that Yongman came back, and now you’re telling me you’ll make kimchi with Heavenly cabbage!”

“Still, it’s just cabbage imbued with Divine Power. It’s not much different from what we use for wraps at our café.”

“No, regardless of that, there’s a line—”

“We can’t just throw it away, can we?”

We didn’t just fill the car with it, we even borrowed Yongman’s hands to carry it.

And besides, wasn’t it the same cabbage that occasionally got called gold kimchi and saw its price skyrocket?

“Before it gets too late, I’ll swing by the market real quick. Ria, want to come?”

“Yes!”

“I’ll come too. I’m getting antsy just sitting in the café.”

“Then I’m coming too!”

“You need to stay and guard the café. What are you planning to do out there when you can’t even use transformation magic?”

“Same goes for you, Elder.”

“Huh? Why me?”

“There’s not enough space in the car for all the stuff.”

We had sixty heads of cabbage. Just the seasonings for the kimchi would be a tight fit.

“Alright then, we’re off.”

“See you soon!”

Ria and I got in the car and headed straight for the market.

Thanks to arriving near closing time, it didn’t take long to find parking.

“So, how do you actually make kimchi?”

“I don’t really know either.”

“Then what do we do?”

Ria asked with a puzzled expression.

“There’s always a way. You’ll see soon.”

This was a traditional market with decades of history.

Not just for kimchi—this place held the collective wisdom of countless culinary secrets.

There were likely as many seasoned experts as there were stores, who could teach us the kind of kimchi-making not found on YouTube or blogs.

And I was exactly right.

“Oh my, how adorable! Want a candy?”

“Is she a child actor or something?”

“Sweetie, how old are you?”

“Four!”

“My, she even speaks Korean so well!”

From the very entrance of the market, elders and shop owners greeted us warmly.

Elders especially loved children.

Not that anyone dislikes children, but in a market where their laughter was no longer often heard, Ria received even more love.

And I seized the moment, slipping in my real reason.

“I want to try making kimchi with this child, but I don’t know a thing. Could you maybe teach us?”

“Kimchi-making?”

“How many cabbages are you using?”

“We bought sixty whole heads.”

“Handsome young man’s got big hands! Did you buy all that just for the two of you?”

“We bought the cabbage, but don’t know anything else, so we just came to the market. I thought we’d learn by asking the elders.”

“How thoughtful! I wish my son had half your spirit. Now, kimchi-making is easy! Got a big tub and coarse salt? Just throw in three handfuls—”

“With sixty heads, three handfuls won’t cut it! They’re spring cabbages, so firm—you’ll need at least half a bowl, generously.”

“Oh, three handfuls or half a bowl, same difference.”

As the heated debate went on and dusk settled, we finally got our hands on a proper kimchi recipe and carefully selected seasoning ingredients from the market.

“Heave-ho!”

“I said I’d carry it all.”

Though I said that, we were really short on hands.

The car was packed with ingredients, so much that I wondered if we had bitten off more than we could chew.

“Phew, now let’s go find the real deal.”

“The real deal?”

“We forgot the red pepper powder.”

“Oh right!”

Red pepper powder.

There’s even a saying that cabbage isn’t the main part of kimchi—red pepper powder is. That’s how important it is.

And it was also a matter on which I absolutely couldn’t compromise.

It was my first time making kimchi, and there was no way I would use inferior imported ingredients for its core component.

However, finding domestic red pepper powder was no easy feat, even in this traditional market that supposedly had everything.

Except for one place.

“Red pepper powder? Oh dear, there’s no domestic stuff these days. If you really care, you’ll have to buy a mix.”

“All the mills here use Chinese stuff. If someone wants the real thing, they grow and grind it themselves. Unless it’s Choi Halmi’s mill, maybe.”

“Ugh, don’t even tell them about that place. Prices are like a department store.”

“Still, that’s the only place selling domestic red pepper powder right now.”

“Where is it?”

“You really gonna go?”

“Even if it’s expensive, I want to make it taste good.”

“Then you have to say something specific.”

“Pardon?”

“Well, it’s this…”

After learning this mysterious ‘code’ of sorts, it wasn’t too hard to find the infamous mill.

【Choi’s Mill】

That was the actual name on the signboard. The very place that both vendors and customers warned us against.

It looked unassuming from the outside…

“Hello?”

“Oh my, what brings you here?”

The man who emerged from inside the mill was a middle-aged man with a warm expression.

“I’d like to buy some red pepper powder.”

“Here you go. The small one’s fifteen thousand won, the large one’s thirty thousand.”

His thick hand pointed to the red pepper powder displayed on the stand.

“Do you happen to have domestic?”

“Domestic? Ha ha, you must not know. It’s hard to find domestic red pepper powder in markets. If you bring it, I can grind it for you, but what can I do? Should I do that for you?”

“No. I heard the chilies from Okja Halmi’s place were here.”

A brief silence, then the man nodded deeply and picked up a red rotary phone to make a call.

“Were you sleeping? No, it’s not the rice delivery. There’s a customer here who wants to buy Halmi’s chilies. What should I do? Yeah, okay. I’ll take care of it. Alright, go rest.”

Only then did I understand why the elders insisted I name-drop Okja Halmi despite never having met her.

This place operated under a strict seller-dominant system.

Even at a retail-level mill, they wouldn’t sell without the supplier’s approval.

It seemed the elders had contacted Okja Halmi while we were on our way.

“Haven’t seen your face before, young man, but you know about Okja Halmi’s chilies. Whose son are you?”

“No one’s. I came through a referral.”

“Ha ha, the market ladies don’t even talk about it for fear they’ll run out for themselves. You’ll have to wait till tomorrow morning. If we grind it today, it’ll be ready by then.”

“Okay, should I pay a deposit?”

“Ha ha ha! Where else in the market would a handsome young man and a cute little girl like you be shopping? Just go!”

“Thank you.”

With that, the kimchi-making preparations were complete.

Though it had snowballed from simply asking for a construction company’s number.

The next day, at a construction site near Gyeonggi Province.

A scrawny worker was circling the nearly completed building, scolding the other workers.

“You lot, the formwork’s a month behind and the concrete’s ten days late! You gonna run your mouths and still collect pay?”

“Ah, Choi-Pro seriously needs to fix that temper. No way the DemoDo guys last more than three days. Like this, he can’t even be Foreman.”

“Come on, Foreman needs at least twenty more years of experience.”

“Still, we need to teach the kids so we can use them later.”

“No one to teach anyway. They’re all slick and bail the moment it gets hard. Tsk. Yongman, now that guy was solid. Still no word?”

“Phone’s still off. Not showing up at any other sites either.”

“Kid must have some story. Without one piece of paper, he can’t even be an official worker. Wonder if he’s at least getting fed.”

Even though construction work was often looked down upon, it was still a proper job. You needed verified ID to work.

Yongman’s shoddy, makeshift ID and documents wouldn’t have passed inspection, but the foreman accepted them without a word.

He knew he’d be responsible if things went south. But having seen the underbelly of life for years, he could tell Yongman was a genuinely pure soul.

And so, he had worked without complaint for eight years, assuming Yongman had some unspeakable reason.

That’s why he felt more worried than hurt when Yongman suddenly cut off all contact.

“What are those cars?”

“Where?”

“Over there.”

Lost in chatter about Yongman, the foreman had failed to notice the vehicles until another worker turned Choi-Pro’s head.

“What the hell? Are those mobsters? Why are so many black cars rolling in?”

“We’ve seen the building owner before, remember? That Halmae covered in gold rings.”

“Then who are they?”

The answer came soon enough.

Because the man who stepped out of a luxury sedan was a very familiar face.

Dressed in an expensive suit, flanked by several attendants, it was unmistakably Yongman.

“Hey! Yongman, you son of a—! Stay right there!”

“Come on now, no running on the site.”

The long-awaited reunion resounded with hearty curses.