Nngh!

The spirits carefully picked the crops and carried them away.

Even produce far larger than their own bodies posed no problem as they hoisted it up and plopped it into baskets.

The earth spirits were especially strong, capable of lifting even fully loaded baskets and carrying them to the designated spot.

But all the spirits were doing their share, including the life spirits, who had the least physical strength.

Even the ones that normally did nothing but roll around on the ground were enthusiastically pitching in.

“Whew, that’s everything. Good work, everyone.”

Oh Hyunseong clapped his hands as he spoke.

It would have been quite a lot for him to handle alone, but with the spirits helping him harvest, the entire job was finished in just a few minutes.

He handed out snacks to the delighted spirits, loaded the produce onto his truck, and moved it into the storeroom inside the house.

Things got a little hectic while I was expanding the strawberry field, but the crops I planted before have all established themselves now.

Several days had passed since he had first sown a variety of crops.

Before he knew it, Oh Hyunseong’s field had begun to look like a proper farm.

Newly planted crops were growing where others had already been harvested, mingling with those that had yet to be picked and still flaunted their lush abundance.

The apple trees, which had only been saplings, had also grown considerably. They had yet to bear fruit, but at this rate, apples would begin appearing within a few days.

Considering that it normally took two or three years after planting a sapling, their growth was astonishingly fast.

Seeing how the empty, hopelessly crude plot he had cultivated with his own hands had transformed filled him with pride.

It gave him an inexplicable sense of abundance.

Of course, more than anything, he owed it to the spirits’ help.

“Finally... The dinner I’ve been waiting for.”

For the first time in ages, Oh Hyunseong stepped into the kitchen and began to truly cook.

The first thing he started was the rice cooker.

He took out the rice that had recently come back from the mill after being harvested from the paddies he had cultivated himself.

Then he brought out his secret weapon.

He set a container of red chili paste down on the counter with a thud.

Over the past few days, he had made fermented soybean blocks from the beans he harvested.

He had even acquired a special dryer because they needed to be dried quickly. The entire process had been a goddamn ordeal, but he had no choice but to make them himself.

Fortunately, a few seasonings, such as salt and sugar, had not declined much in quality compared to the past.

Humanity had also developed a variety of intensely flavored sauces, allowing people to at least attempt to mask the taste of the ingredients. Yet no one had managed to produce a proper fermented paste.

This experience taught me just how important soybeans are to Korean cuisine.

Red chili paste, fermented soybean paste, and soy sauce.

They were the very foundations of Korean cuisine. Without them, it was nearly impossible to reproduce the original flavors of most Korean dishes.

That was why he had endured repeated trial and error to make fermented soybean blocks. The ingredients were not perfect and his methods had been somewhat improvised, but he had somehow succeeded in making red chili paste.

With that, all his preparations were complete.

He took out potatoes, onions, chili peppers, garlic, and other ingredients and began cooking before proudly setting the finished meal on the table.

...At last.

Pure white rice sent wisps of steam curling into the air.

Even its color was nothing like that of dull factory-made rice.

The glossy white grains gave off an aroma intoxicating enough to make his head spin.

Unable to resist any longer, Oh Hyunseong raised his spoon, scooped up a heaping mouthful of rice, and shoved it into his mouth.

“Mmm...”

He closed his eyes and savored the taste.

An indescribably profound sense of happiness spread through his mouth.

Yes... This is rice... Not that bizarre lump of clay. This is real rice.

It had been made with freshly milled rice from the new harvest.

Its chewiness, its softness—everything was perfect.

But that was not all.

He turned his head slightly, and the well-simmered red chili paste stew greeted him with its vivid crimson color.

One spoonful brought a sharp, fiery heat accompanied by the sweetness extracted from the onions. He ate it with the rice, picked out chunks from the stew, and helped himself to the stir-fried potatoes served as a side dish. Without even giving himself time to think, he emptied the entire table in moments.

“Whew...”

Only when his stomach was filled to capacity did Oh Hyunseong finally stop.

It had been a genuinely satisfying meal.

Almost unbelievably so.

How long has it been since I felt like this...? I could die right now without a single regret.

Moving to the countryside and taking up farming truly had been the right decision.

If he had stayed in the city, he would have spent the rest of his life stuffing dull factory products into his mouth until the day he died.

A powerful surge of motivation soon welled up inside him.

It wasn’t easy, but the result was a complete success. I may have squeezed everything I could out of a limited selection of ingredients... but now I’ll keep expanding the menu!

Even if he were told he had to eat this exact same meal for the rest of his life, he would have been happy.

Forget stews or stir-fried dishes—even this single bowl of rice was a luxury that not even a head of state could enjoy in the modern era.

But with the path now open before him, there was no reason not to reunite with the countless dishes of the past that awaited him.

He had found his most compelling goal since moving to the countryside.

But there are a few things I’ll need to do first.

His private property extended down the hill below the house.

Unlike the completely concealed area higher up, this was vacant land without a barrier around it.

Oh Hyunseong intended to construct two buildings there.

The first would be a warehouse.

The storeroom attached to the house was already packed with seeds alone.

He had nowhere to keep his harvested produce, and he would need a space that could serve a variety of purposes in the future.

Even the dryer for the fermented soybean blocks took up a considerable amount of room. He also planned to acquire a home rice mill, and as more equipment accumulated, even this enormous house would eventually be unable to accommodate it all.

The other building would be a decoy farm.

He had already told the people around him that he intended to start farming, and now that he had even begun conducting business, he could not leave the land sitting empty.

To avoid arousing suspicion, he planned to build a moderately enclosed indoor farm whose interior could not be seen from outside.

Doing so, however, would cost a substantial amount of money.

Even without considering all the incidental expenses, erecting buildings on undeveloped land would inevitably require a major investment.

Ring!

Just then, the phone in his pocket rang.

The call was from Yoo Seungsu.

“Hyunseong! Hyunseong!”

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

“They’re going ahead with the percentage we negotiated! The department store called and said there won’t be any penalty over this incident!”

His breathless voice made it clear just how excited he was.

“Haha, that’s great. What did I tell you? I said it would work out, didn’t I?”

“I can’t believe it! They were so adamant that I thought there was no chance... Oh, right! You got the manager’s contact information from me last time. What on earth did you do?”

“I just happen to know someone at that department store. I told them someone was being treated unfairly and asked if they could take another look at the matter.”

“Y-you even have connections at Hangyeong Department Store?”

“It’s nothing that impressive, so don’t get the wrong idea. They didn’t reverse the decision just because of me. All I did was ask them to review it. The accident was unavoidable, and the department store decided internally that your farm would be valuable to them in the long run.”

“Hyunseong... I... I really can’t thank you enough...”

Yoo Seungsu’s choked voice came intermittently through the phone.

Seeing how sincerely happy he was made Hyunseong happy as well.

He had received a great deal of help with farming recently. Doing this much for him was the least he could do.

“It means they recognize the value of your farm, so keep your spirits up.”

“Thank you so much... If you ever need anything from me, just say the word! I’ll drop everything and come running!”

“I told you not to go overboard.”

After ending the call, Oh Hyunseong chuckled.

Still, there was no chance the department store had acted simply to help one person who had been treated unfairly. There was always a reason when circumstances changed so abruptly.

“Looks like... the response is finally starting to come in.”

It was a rather unusual strategy for setting themselves apart.

Hangyeong Department Store’s food hall had a section devoted to naturally grown food. Although advances in selective breeding had recently created a sizable consumer base for such products, they were far from mainstream in the premium market. Compared to high-end synthetic crops, they occupied a pitifully small amount of shelf space.

Naturally grown crops had always been subject to public prejudice and possessed an image far removed from luxury.

For Hangyeong Department Store to create a separate section for naturally grown food in one corner of its food hall had therefore been a remarkably bold plan.

Even now that the section had become somewhat established, it could hardly be called large.

It was merely a small area tucked into the farthest corner of the food hall.

And the space Oh Hyunseong had managed to claim within it was devoted to just one product: strawberries.

Yet that single product had caused an enormous sensation.

Only a few days had passed since the strawberries from Oh Hyun Farm first went on sale in the food hall.

They had become a phenomenal success and sold out almost instantly.

Every morning, customers lined up and competed to get their hands on them.

Compared to the genuine crops Oh Hyunseong grew, these strawberries were an inferior version in flavor, aroma, and texture.

Yet even that inferior version possessed a sense of vitality unlike anything previously available.

Their flavor fell short, but to people accustomed to factory-made products, even that imperfect taste struck with overwhelming force.

“Remarkable. To be honest, when you first proposed launching the naturally grown food section as a trial, I had very little faith that it would succeed.”

The executive seated across the desk nodded as he spoke.

“What incredible foresight. Who could have imagined that one new variety of strawberry would cause such an uproar? Our department store’s name is being mentioned everywhere, and it’s already proven far more effective than hiring dozens of viral-marketing firms.”

Supply was limited, while demand was exploding.

Reviews from those who had tasted the strawberries set social media ablaze, sending public interest soaring.

People who smelled an opportunity to make money had even begun reselling the strawberries, and the phrase “strawberry crisis” had started appearing in online news articles.

The story would soon be featured during prime-time news broadcasts on major television networks.

Even word of mouth ordinarily required time to spread, yet the department store had never carried a product like this in its entire history.

Of course, the limited supply meant that the revenue from the strawberries themselves was not particularly impressive.

Compared to the enormous sales volume of a department store, selling a small quantity of strawberries amounted to child’s play.

What mattered, however, was the attention they generated.

That attention drew customers into the store, increasing sales throughout the entire building.

Even the other naturally grown products displayed beside the strawberries were selling out completely.

“At this rate, your promotion is practically guaranteed, and my position should be secure for the next few years as well.”

“Th-thank you, sir.”

“Now, there’s something else. I heard a rather strange rumor. Apparently, there’s no additional stock lined up... What kind of absurd story is that?”

“Well... Our contract only covered the first shipment. I’ve already called the farm owner dozens of times, but he simply won’t answer...”

Park Jeongtae broke out in a cold sweat.

He had never anticipated an uproar on this scale either and had been too overwhelmed dealing with the chaos to think straight.

“Fine. So you’re telling me that this product, which has become such an enormous success, has no contract for further shipments and is simply going to disappear? And if Daeseong Department Store manages to secure the contract, all of this will fall right into those bastards’ hands?”

The executive’s twisted expression turned vicious.

“Get out there right now and secure that contract, whatever it takes!”

“Oh? You came all the way out here, Mr. Park.”

Oh Hyunseong spoke when he saw Park Jeongtae standing in front of his house.

For some reason, Park Jeongtae was drenched in nervous sweat. After considerable hesitation, he finally managed to speak.

“Well... I came to continue our discussion from last time...”

“About the strawberries, right? Perfect timing. I was just looking for somewhere to deliver my next shipment.”

“P-please sign the contract with us!”

“Of course. I wanted to continue supplying Hangyeong Department Store too—as long as we can agree on the terms.”

Oh Hyunseong grinned.

“Oh, and you know the unit price starts in the triple digits, right?”

“Y-yes...”

Park Jeongtae could only nod dejectedly.

Chapter 13

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