Minjun said he had rested too long and left for Seoul early in the morning.
It’s time for me to focus on my original work again.
Heading toward the Peanut Field, tiny sprouts had already started to poke through the soil.
“Ahh. This is rapid growth for sure!”
As usual, I spoke encouraging words while watering them, and the peanut leaves fluttered as if dancing, expressing their happiness.
Next was the chili pepper field.
The small fruit had just appeared yesterday, but it had already grown over 3cm.
‘Faster than I expected? I was just thankful if they grew healthily, even if slowly, but they’ve already gotten this big?’
The chili pepper was about two or three finger joints long.
Since these weren’t Cheongyang chili peppers, they wouldn’t be spicy, but their deep green color suggested they would be delicious even at this stage.
I decided to harvest a small portion to taste and leave the rest until they grew bigger and turned red.
And, as always, the information about the crops popped up.
[Chili Pepper – A+]
A chili pepper grown luxuriously with great care.
Nourished by the power of the earth spirit in this fertile land and healthy chicken manure fertilizer.
Raised while listening to their owner’s kind words, so when bitten, they make a crisp sound that’s pleasant to hear.
“Wow, what? An A+ from the start?”
Because it was an A+ grade, there was no note about any shortcomings.
It was a good, marketable grade, but…
‘The stats didn’t increase. Why is that?’
Many conditions had changed compared to when I planted the peanuts.
‘The field is rich in nutrients thanks to the spirit’s power and fertilizer.’
The differences from before were, first, the addition of chicken manure fertilizer.
Second, no Guardian was born.
And third, no Communion Resonation alarm had sounded.
Since the soil was already rich, the fertilizer probably didn’t make much difference.
Maybe it just improved a bit.
‘Then it must be either the Guardian or Communion… So it’s Communion, right? Because Guardians are born from crops that have undergone Communion!’
Looking at the chili’s info, it was clear it had been lovingly nurtured.
If Communion hadn’t occurred, there must be another reason.
‘I wish Cassia were here now so we could ponder this together…’
But no matter how much I racked my brain, it wouldn’t be solved right now.
For now, I had no choice but to move on.
Leaving the chili field behind, I headed toward the Porti Field, which had been the biggest headache.
This crop was brought over from the Elf World to aid recovery by obtaining seeds directly.
“You’re still growing slowly. There’s a saying that ‘more haste, less speed’… but it can’t be helped. Just don’t rush and mess it up—grow healthy.”
Come to think of it, I wondered if the research was going well.
Some time ago, Baek Seonwoo, the granddaughter of Park, took two stems to study Porti.
I hadn’t heard anything since, so I was a little curious.
But no news is good news.
If they needed Porti for research, they’d surely contact me once results came out.
After gently caressing each crop, it was already lunchtime.
I stopped by the poultry house and refilled the feed, which was running low, until it was overflowing, then began preparing lunch.
I didn’t want a late lunch made complicated by multiple side dishes when eating alone, so I decided on something simple.
When keeping it simple, fried rice is the best.
Plain fried rice felt empty, so shrimp fried rice it was!
I took out three frozen shrimp that I had prepped and frozen all at once when making haemultang.
While thawing the shrimp, I poured cooking oil into the frying pan and sautéed garlic and green onions—ingredients beloved by Koreans—over low heat.
The scent of fragrant garlic oil and green onion oil wafted enticingly, making my mouth water.
Smaller shrimp would probably be better with rice.
I cut the thawed shrimp into pieces about the size of one finger joint and threw them into the pan.
Then I added the fresh eggs I had picked that morning and stirred them quickly like scrambled eggs.
Finally, I mixed in rice and one spoonful of oyster sauce—the secret finishing touch—and the shrimp fried rice was complete!
‘Good thing I bought plenty of shrimp at the market. They look thick and appetizing.’
Though simple, I was confident in its taste.
You can’t go wrong with oyster sauce in fried rice.
Hoo~
I scooped a steaming spoonful of fried rice and blew on it to cool it down.
The temperature was just right when I touched it with my lips.
I popped the spoon into my mouth.
Mmm, it was light because I hadn’t used much oil.
And the shrimp were plump, making for a satisfying chew.
Ah~ That umami must be thanks to the oyster sauce.
‘While I’m cooking, I might as well make some side dishes too.’
I planned to prepare side dishes in advance so they would be ready to eat during the meal.
First, I took two frozen crabs and shrimp out of the freezer.
I was glad I had frozen the leftovers from haemultang.
“Hheung~ heung~”
Perhaps because of the satisfying meal, I found myself humming happily.
While tidying up, I noticed green onion roots scattered on the chopping board.
‘Like haemultang, you really need a lot of green onions to cook.’
Of course, green onions are easy to buy, but since I had fields to plant in and I was the farmer, there was no real need to buy them.
Besides, wasn’t this called Patech?
They say green onions keep growing endlessly when planted.
Infinite green onions—sounds tempting.
It would be perfect to plant green onions while thawing shrimp and crabs.
‘How was I supposed to plant them again?’
I knew how to grow them simply in a plastic bottle, but I wasn’t familiar with planting them directly in a field.
Going outside, I grabbed my smartphone to look it up, and sure enough, the Internet was filled with countless tips.
There are really so many experts in the world.
“Make furrows and ridges in the field… plant with proper spacing in the ridges. Okay.”
I decided to allocate a small patch of land behind the peanut field for green onions.
I only planned to grow enough to eat, so I didn’t need a large area.
“Water thoroughly and cover with soil, done!”
Covering with soil finished the green onion planting.
As soon as I returned inside, I headed straight to the kitchen.
It was time to put into action the plan I had thought of during lunch.
Since I had seafood, I needed to use it before it got late.
On the chopping board sat a pretty bowl holding the thawed crabs and shrimp, ready to be used before the meal.
“Shall I make a ‘rice thief’?”
The reason I thawed shrimp and crab was to make soy sauce marinated crab and shrimp.
A side dish loved by all ages, salty yet sweet, with a rich texture in the meat.
Though it’s called soy sauce marinated crab, it’s not just crabs soaked in soy sauce—it requires many ingredients.
Okay.
‘Let’s make it delicious. First, for the soy sauce…’
I filled a large pot with soy sauce, added green onions, onions, garlic, ginger, and various natural seasonings, and boiled it.
Then I put the prepped shrimp and crabs into the marinating containers.
After straining the soy sauce to remove solids, I poured it over the seafood.
Of course, the soy sauce had to be cooled before pouring.
Soy sauce marinated crab and shrimp are made raw—they shouldn’t be cooked.
‘They’re completely submerged, so the flavor should penetrate well.’
That’s what soy sauce marinated crab is.
Always delicious and never boring, no matter how much you eat.
A kind of emergency food stored in the fridge for days without side dishes.
‘Sounds delicious. I want to eat it soon.’
Just working in the fields and cooking made the day pass quickly.
Though I wanted to take a break, I had family to care for, so I went back outside.
Until now, I had only worked and sent the chickens away when they wanted to play, but suddenly, I felt like spending some downtime with them.
Thinking of this, I got up and headed to the poultry house.
As soon as I entered, the chickens flocked around me.
“Hey guys, I’ve been so careless. I’ve just been feeding you without playing properly. I’m sorry.”
A few weeks ago, there weren’t many crops planted, so there wasn’t much to manage, and I had plenty of free time.
But lately, the number of crops has increased, and I’ve had places to go, so I’ve been busy.
The chickens tilted their heads.
(What are you sorry about!)
(That’s right!)
(We’re happy just seeing our owner! Always thankful!)
“Gah…!”
Their words almost made me choke up.
Those tiny chicks had grown and were now comforting me.
My babies, indeed.
I plopped down on the floor and stroked them.
So soft.
Even the ones farther away came running, wanting my touch.
“By the way, where’s Goldie? And the other rooster? I don’t see them either.”
The hen that had settled on my lap told me where the others were.
(It’s patrol time now.)
It wasn’t evening yet.
That meant Dakgong, the Guardian, was still asleep.
Goldie seemed to be patrolling until Dakgong woke up.
“Why are you patrolling when there’s nothing to steal here? Just rest.”
(We always patrol to keep safe! And don’t forget the other rooster! Though young, he follows on patrol because he’s fully grown!)
“I see. You guys aren’t having any trouble, right? If there’s anything uncomfortable or something you want from me, tell me, okay?”
(We’re so happy. Thanks to Goldie and the rooster, it’s a safe and happy laying life!)
The other chickens listening nodded in agreement.
Just then, Goldie entered the poultry house.
Being a chicken, he wasn’t exactly a nobleman.
(Huh? The owner’s here? What’s up?)
“It’s nothing. I came to check if you’re all doing well. Sorry I haven’t been paying much attention lately.”
(No need to apologize. But there is something.)
“Something? What is it?”
(There’s a cat that’s often watching us, and recently it’s been coming with a white dog and watching more closely.)
“Is that lynx the one with black fur?”
(That’s right. It looks around like it’s searching for something, then leaves. So we’ve stepped up patrols.)
The cat Goldie mentioned was probably Heuknyang.
The white dog must be Hindungi.
Though I just named them roughly when I first saw them, there really aren’t better words to describe them.
“Have they ever attacked?”
(No, they don’t attack.)
“Hmm. Are they looking for me? I told them to come if they’re hungry, but I guess I haven’t paid attention to that either.”
(They’re not family, so they stay on alert.)
“Okay. Thanks, Goldie. And you too, Rooster.”
[The lieutenant among the communed chickens has been appointed and named. The chickens’ loyalty has increased.]
A Communion-related notification popped up for the first time in a while.
I didn’t have a proper word to call him, so I just called him “Rooster” like the hen did, and apparently that became his name.
Well.
Though the notification didn’t bring much, I felt a bit closer to the chickens.
Their eyes had shifted from affection to loyalty.
After a long chat with the chickens, I went outside.
Being able to communicate with the animals I raised made me appreciate the Soul Link ability even more.
Of course, there were some shortcomings.
‘I wish Heuknyang and Hindungi could understand me too.’
A sleek black cat with shiny fur that looked like a wildcat.
And a dog that wagged its tail like a propeller, happy just because I fed it once.
Though I wanted to keep them both, since they couldn’t communicate, I had no choice but to wait for their selection.
And to be chosen, I’d have to see them often.
So I decided to add feeding Heuknyang and Hindungi to my daily routine.
‘I’ll start today. I’ve even prepared a secret weapon.’
I took a tuna can from the kitchen cabinet and placed it where they had enjoyed it last time.
If they come by for dinner, they’d eat it happily.
After roughly eating cup ramen for dinner, I headed to the peanut field to meet Dakgong.
I decided to make today a check-up day.
After confirming the conditions of the crops and animals and taking necessary measures, it was time.
“Last stop: Dakgong.”
It was my turn to meet Dakgong.
Carefully taking step by step, worried I might disturb him.
“Master, have you been well?”
With a loyal salute, Dakgong leapt right at my feet.
Probably because he was lying on the ground like buried treasure, he was covered in dirt here and there.
Since Dakgong was only active at night, it had been quite a while since I last saw him.
Seeing him salute me brightly as if we had just met yesterday made me smile.
“You look bright. Nothing wrong, right?”
“Yes, Master! I’ve been thoroughly monitoring, but there’s nothing to report!”
“That’s a relief. Any discomfort? I’ll do whatever I can for you.”
“No discomfort, Master! The new peanuts are growing well, so I’m very happy!”
Such a positive mindset.
Talking to Dakgong always seemed to wash away my fatigue.
Wait, Dakgong is a Guardian, right?
Born from the peanuts I communed with.
“You were well aware of that from the start, huh?”
(Crops can communicate somewhat! What would you like to know?)
I planted chili peppers. I raised them with care, they ripened well, got a good grade, but recently Communion hasn’t happened.
Asking someone else about my own ability… pathetic.
Still, I should know best.
But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer, so I clutched at straws and asked Dakgong for help.
Surprisingly, Dakgong gave a clear answer.
(Are you sure they’re ripe?)
Uh… aren’t they?
Come to think of it, if they were a small variety from the start, then being two finger joints long would mean they were fully grown.
But the variety I planted grows larger than an adult finger.
So by harvesting before they were fully grown, Communion hadn’t been completed.
“I see. Hmm, how big do they need to be to be considered fully grown…”
While I was pondering, Dakgong answered like a meditating monk.
(When the time comes, you will naturally know.)
Well, now that I think about it, I’ve never forced Communion to happen.
It just happened naturally.
For now, I’ll stop rushing and keep thinking about it.
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