Chapter 68: Banquet Noodles, Persimmons, and the Sunflower Wand of Winter

The elf village I visited in the afternoon was also bustling with winter preparations.

Autumn, when the forest was abundant with food, was a busy season for preparing for winter, and during such times, a hearty meal was essential to muster strength.

I spread out the ingredients I’d brought on the stall.

I no longer needed cypress seeds, but it was good to exchange affections with the elves who had acknowledged me.

As someone entrusted with the important role of cultural ambassador(?), my sense of mission was great.

Today’s menu was warm janchi guksu.

First, I put water in the pot and added radish, green onions, and onions, then placed it on the fire. 

I added dried kelp that Yujin’s mother had packed for me and soy sauce to enhance the umami.

Tak tak tak tak.

While the broth was boiling, I julienned zucchini and carrots to use as toppings and stir-fried them once. 

I also prepared a spicy seasoning sauce with kimchi and peppers to accompany it.

The elves gathered one by one in the plaza for a late lunch. 

After working hard, it was natural to get hungry.

“Wow! That smell is amazing!”

It was Uncle Gail.

“Welcome. Today’s menu is janchi guksu. On a chilly autumn day, a hot soup dish is perfect.”

“That sounds delicious. Give me a bowl of noodles, well mixed.”

“Yes! I’ll mix it deliciously for you!”

I drained the boiled somyeon noodles and placed them in a bowl. 

Then, I poured the clear, well-simmered broth over them and topped it with zucchini, carrots, and a bit of seaweed powder to complete the warm janchi guksu.

“Here, enjoy.”

The uncle took a sip of the broth.

Slurp.

“Wow! This is totally rich! It’s clear, yet the flavor is deep and the umami is alive!”

The deep taste of aged soy sauce and the umami from the kelp harmonized in a clean broth.

On top of that, the seasoning sauce with peppers and plum syrup added spiciness and sourness, making it truly moving.

“If it’s bland, eat it with kimchi.”

“This is the kimchi you sent before, right? Of course I have to eat it together!”

Slurp.

He sucked in the noodles along with a piece of kimchi.

With each chew, a content smile spread across his face.

Exclamations erupted from around us one by one.

“Yeah! This is the taste!”

“Wow! The broth is insane?”

“Try it with kimchi! It’s really amazing?”

Everyone alternated between kimchi and janchi guksu, moving their chopsticks without rest.

“Kyah!”

Uncle Gail drained the remaining broth in one go and let out a satisfied exclamation.

“Ah~ I’m full! Eating this makes me feel completely refreshed inside!”

Seeing everyone eat so deliciously brought a smile to my face.

Customers kept coming, and as I busily sold, the broth soon ran out.

“Whew. All sold out.”

“Good work. Before you go, I have something for you.”

Uncle Gail handed me a basket full of fruits.

“Thank you so much for sending the kimchi. It must have been hard to make, so I prepared this because I felt bad just receiving it. Take it.”

It was a fruit I’d never seen before.

“What is this?”

“This is a persimmon that grows in the eastern forest. It’s quite tasty.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

The orange-tinged fruit was plump on the sides, with a cute stem attached like a hat.

“By the way, why have you been so scarce lately?”

“Ah, I’ve started doing business in the beastkin village. So I probably can’t come as often as before.”

“In the beastkin village? I heard you promised Chief Balbo that, but did you really go to the beastkin village? I heard the relationship between humans and beastkin is quite complicated. Aren’t you suffering unnecessarily by going there?”

“It is, but thanks to Chief Balbo looking out for me, it’s not as bad as I thought. However, since the living environment is different, it seems I’ll need some time to get used to it.”

“Of course. Don’t worry, they’ll soon recognize your efforts. Once they taste the food you make, prejudices and all, they’ll come running with everything they have.”

Uncle Gail burst into hearty laughter.

“Then, I have to go because I’m busy. At times like this, manpower is short. Since I’ve eaten heartily, I need to work hard.”

Not just Uncle Gail, but the elves scattered throughout the forest.

I was about to wrap up and head back when I suddenly thought of Yujin’s family.

With the days getting colder, I was curious how Yujin’s family was preparing for winter.

Actually, it was time for me to think about winter preparations too, but now was also the time to check on each other and share warmth.

I arrived at Yujin’s house around evening as the sun was setting.

“Fabir, you’re here?”

“Have you been well?”

Yujin’s mother welcomed me warmly.

“Where are the kids?”

“They went out to help with village work.”

It seemed busy here too with farming.

“Come to think of it, about the kimchi you gave last time. It was really well-made and delicious. Much tastier than mine?”

“If you praise me too much, I’ll get embarrassed.”

“I’m praising because it deserves it. Who would believe you made it for the first time?”

“It’s all thanks to the good ingredients.”

I quickly changed the subject out of embarrassment.

“Mother, please take this.”

“Huh? Persimmons? Where did you get these?”

I took some of the persimmons I’d received and gave them to her.

“I got them as a gift, but there are too many for me to eat alone. Eat them with the kids.”

“Oh, why give something like this. Thank you, we’ll enjoy them. I should make gotgam with these. The kids love gotgam so much.”

“Gotgam?”

“It’s drying peeled persimmons. You make gotgam and eat them over time. They say even tigers can’t resist gotgam. That’s how delicious it is?”

“Really?”

“When you want something sweet in winter, taking one out to eat is so tasty. There’s no snack like it.”

Listening to her, my mouth watered involuntarily.

“I should definitely try making it when I get home.”

“Shall I? The method is very simple, so I’ll teach you quickly.”

Scratch scratch.

***

Elenia took a piece of persimmon and nibbled it with her front teeth like a rabbit.

“Mm! This persimmon thing is really delicious!”

She must have liked the persimmon a lot, as Elenia beamed a big smile.

“While we’re at it, should I plant some persimmon seeds too?”

“Totally agree!”

I selected a large seed and buried it well in the orchard on the hill, then watered it generously.

On the plum tree, peeled persimmons were strung on threads and hanging in bunches. 

After enduring the cold wind, they would become delicious gotgam.

“Yum.”

I licked my lips in anticipation of the sweet gotgam.

The next day.

Squish squish.

“They say massaging the gotgam like this makes it even tastier.”

I gently massaged so the gotgam wouldn’t burst.

“That looks fun. Let me try too.”

Squish squish.

Elenia massaged the gotgam with her tiny hands.

“My, how fascinating. The crunchy persimmon becomes this soft.”

Elenia played with the gotgam like a toy for a while. 

It was like the clay she played with as a child.

“The seed we planted yesterday already has green sprouts.”

Looking beside it, the persimmon tree branch had already grown to waist height.

“Maybe I can harvest persimmons once more before winter?”

“That would be great. Then, let’s make more gotgam!”

Elenia, who loved sweets, was full of anticipation.

“Let’s do that.”

I went to the well, filled a basket with water, and sprinkled it on the persimmon tree.

“Did you hear the story earlier? Grow quickly and bear delicious persimmons.”

After watering, the leaves somehow looked fresher than before.

“It might be good to leave about half as hongsi.”

“Hongsi? That sounds good too!”

Elenia licked her lips as if already salivating.

Hongsi has a jam-like, meltingly soft flesh that’s sweet and a delicacy.

It would be incredibly delicious frozen as sherbet too.

According to Yujin’s mother, hongsi could be used usefully instead of sugar.

The fruits from the Floating Island had especially high sugar content, so no need for separate sugar.

Whoosh-

A cold wind brushed past my cheeks.

Shiver shiver.

Suddenly, the chill made my body tremble.

“Oh dear, the temperature is already dropping sharply.”

The plum tree in the orchard had long been turning yellow.

“The plum tree has pretty nice fall colors too.”

“The trees seem ready for winter sleep.”

Looking down from above, the mountains and fields painted in vibrant fall colors were a spectacle.

The plum tree’s foliage wasn’t as flashy, but it had an elegant charm. Perhaps because it was the plum tree I raised, it felt even more lovely.

As autumn ripened, the drying gotgam also ripened.

“I should start winter preparations soon….”

I had plenty of charcoal prepared, and the ice cave was abundant with harvested crops. 

I planned to buy various things from the beastkin village to warmly decorate the house.

“The issue is farming….”

In the early morning, cold dew formed, and in the morning, frost settled on the leaves.

They grew well without being picky about the environment, but when the temperature dropped sharply, the leaves would inevitably freeze.

I needed to maintain an appropriate temperature.

“What I need at times like this is a greenhouse… Floating Island, can you implement a greenhouse?”

Ding.

[Checking if a greenhouse can be implemented.]

[A greenhouse can be implemented.]

[Requires 1 growth point.]

[Current growth points: 1]

“Oh?”

It cost less than I thought?

If it required many points, I considered making one myself, but at this rate, there’s no reason not to.

“Implement the greenhouse.”

Ding.

[Implementing the greenhouse.]

Would a huge facility appear like the ice cave? Maybe something like a crystal cave made of glass?

I waited with inflated expectations.

Thud.

Something fell from the sky.

“…What?”

I approached it and picked it up. 

It was a stick with a sunflower-shaped object at one end.

“…Is this all?”

I thought a glass or vinyl greenhouse would be created, but just a small stick appeared, and that was it.

I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

Ding.

[‘Sunflower Stick’ has been implemented.]

[Absorbs sunlight to raise the temperature within a 10m radius.]

“Oh? So just sticking this in makes the surroundings like a greenhouse?”

I was disappointed it wasn’t a huge facility, but in terms of function, it was very simple and efficient.

Unlike a greenhouse with a fixed ceiling height, tall trees could grow without issue.

“I should stick this in the vegetable garden.”

The 10m radius was a bit small, but it should be enough for the vegetable garden.

With fresh vegetables growing in the garden even in winter, I could eat fresh and delicious food.

Thanks to the greenhouse, I no longer needed to worry about winter food.