Chapter 53

After taking a brief rest, Kang Jin started moving dishes towards the kitchen. On one side of the kitchen, unwashed dishes were piled up like a mountain. He had been so exhausted from serving food that he hadn’t even considered washing the dishes.

“It’s good I bought these dishes beforehand.”

Kang Jin was glad he’d purchased fifty bowls earlier as he began to wash them one by one.

Shhhk! Shhhk!

As Kang Jin diligently washed each dish, his back began to ache.

“Ahhh!” While stretching his back, he noticed Bae Yongsoo standing nearby. The man carefully inspected the dishes Kang Jin had cleaned. Of course, Yongsoo couldn’t touch anything and could only observe from above.

“Why are you just watching while our president works so hard?”

“Clean dishes is one of the most basic requirements for any restaurant. Would you want to eat here if there was red pepper powder on your spoon?”

“Hmph! It’s fine.”

“How can it be fine?! The cleanliness of the dishes reflects the quality of the establishment.”

“But some restaurants use burnt dishes.”

“Burnt dishes? Do you mean stone bowls used for bibimbap?”

“No, I’m talking about the plastic dishes at samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) restaurants. They tend to have burnt marks all over them.”

Bae Yongsoo nodded as he understood what Kang Jin meant.

“Well, when you go to a meat place, their side dish containers often have burn marks everywhere.”

“Does that reflect the quality of such establishments?”

“In a way, yes. How else would those dishes get burnt unless they were doing brisk business?” Sung Yongsoo replied with a grin.

Of course, these dishes got burnt due to good business.

However, it was simply due to being placed near the grill and getting charred over time.

“Shouldn’t we replace them? When plastic dishes get heated, they release harmful environmental hormones, you know.”

Bae Yongsoo hesitated momentarily before frowning at Kang Jin’s remark.

“Well, regardless, make sure everything is cleaned properly.”

“I’m already doing that.” Sighing, Kang Jin muttered as she continued wiping dishes, “Tonight, could you handle this for me?”

“Why?”

“My back hurts; I need some acupuncture. Strangely, Heo Yeonwook’s treatments always feel so refreshing and effective.”

“Suit yourself.”

Klack! As Kang Jin engaged in conversation, her attention shifted towards the opening door.

She keeps criticizing him for taking too many photos.

Kang Jin peeked out and noticed a middle-aged couple entering the restaurant.

Then Kang Jin noticed Oh Soon-young smiling towards them. Her face had transformed from that of a young lady to an elderly woman’s visage.

“Oh my! My child is here! Look how thin you’ve become… Is work tough these days?” Oh Soon-young beamed while inspecting the man closely. Despite her attention, the man continued browsing the store without acknowledging her presence. It seemed only ghosts or shamans could perceive Oh Soon-young’s actions.

Child? Does she mean her son?

The term felt odd but clearly implied a familial relationship. Observing this exchange, Kang Jin addressed the couple:

“Are you here for dinner?”

Normally, he would have informed them about closing time and asked them to leave, but since they were related to Oh Soon-young, it was different.

The man glanced around the store and replied to Kang Jin’s question.

“It seems like you’re closed for the day… Can we still get Sunji hangover soup?”

“Sure, why not? Manager, could you please serve us…no, make it two bowls.”

Kang Jin briefly looked at Oh Soon-young before responding, “I’m currently doing dishes, so you’ll have to wait a bit. Is that okay with you?”

“We can wait,” assured the middle-aged couple.

Nodding, Kang Jin continued washing dishes while Oh Soon-young hastily entered the kitchen.

“Don’t overdo it; bring out the food quickly first.”

In response, Kang Jin pointed at the pile of dishes.

“But cleaning up is important too.”

“Do it later! Our child is hungry.”

As Oh Soon-young rushed inside, Kang Jin glanced at her and asked, “Is it the president of that hangover soup restaurant?”

“Yes.”

“He arrived earlier than I thought.”

“You expected him to come here?”

“It won’t affect their sales since they only operate on weekends. But if people try our food before going there…they might get curious, so I figured he’d visit us eventually.”

“Anyway, stop fussing over dishes and serve the meal quickly.”

Kang Jin eyed Oh Soon-young’s anxious behavior. “Didn’t you used to hate him?”

“Hate who?”

“You wanted his business to fail, didn’t you?”

“That’s different. How can any mother truly hate her child?”

“Well…it certainly contrasts with how you were when we first met.”

“Oh, mothers can get mad at their children sometimes… But that doesn’t mean they don’t love them. No matter how badly behaved a child is, no mother could hate her own offspring.”

As she watched the couple with affectionate eyes, Oh Soon-young smiled warmly. Kang Jin sighed and took out two earthenware pots, noticing white residue on both. She wasn’t aware until recently that these pots shouldn’t be washed with soap. If soap seeped into tiny pores within the clay, it would release during boiling later. To avoid this, Kang Jin first rinsed the pots with water, soaked them in rice washing liquid, then scrubbed them again with flour.

This method effectively cleaned off grease while preventing soap from seeping inside. After rinsing with flour, Kang Jin placed the pot on the stove and poured boiling water over it.

As she took out side dishes from the refrigerator, Kang Jin sighed and looked at Oh Soon-young.

“We should make our best meal, shouldn’t we?”

“A mother always cooks her best for her child.”

Although mothers want their children to eat well, they can’t always afford the finest ingredients. So, they strive to prepare the best possible dish using what’s available.

Inspired by Oh Soon-young’s words, Kang Jin smacked her lips, put away the side dishes, and quickly started preparing cabbage. The best way to enjoy side dishes is freshly made…not prepared ahead of time.

As Kang Jin swiftly chopped the cabbage, she glanced at the pot on the stove. Once it boiled, she used tongs to remove the dish from the pot and drained the water. This process helps clean any residue clogging the breathing holes of the clay dish.

Kang Jin then placed the heated dish back onto the stove with Sunji hangover soup inside and let it simmer.

While waiting for the soup to boil, Kang Jin prepared the side dishes amidst Oh Soon-young’s constant nagging.

“A bit more fermented seafood…and add some sugar too.”

Although Kang Jin was skilled at making banchan, Oh Soon-young wouldn’t stop nitpicking, determined to serve her child a truly delicious meal after so long.

“If I put more here, won’t it be too sweet?”

“Our child loves sweet things.” With Oh Soon-young’s words, Kang Jin added more sugar with a teaspoon without further protest.

“That’s enough.”

Following her instruction, Kang Jin stopped adding sugar and started mixing the side dish. Quickly finishing, he transferred it to a plate along with some rice.

Boil, boil!

While he worked, the Sunji hangover soup came to a rolling boil. Kang Jin promptly removed the pot from the stove and served everything himself.

“Sunji hangover soup is ready.”

The woman scrutinized the soup intently upon hearing Kang Jin’s announcement. He chuckled at her reaction.

“People say you eat with your eyes, nose, and mouth…but staring at Sunji hangover soup like that might upset it.”

“Huh?”

“You’re scrutinizing it too intensely. Enjoy your meal.” Kang Jin bowed his head, returned to the kitchen, and quietly resumed washing dishes while addressing Oh Soon-young.

“By the way, Mrs. Lee, she seems quite spirited, doesn’t she?”

“Sigh! At first, she appeared sweet and gentle…”

“But her eyes didn’t suggest that, did they?”

“Well, despite being my son, he’s somewhat…a failure as a husband. His businesses always fail, and he squanders money borrowed from friends… If I hadn’t been earning well, we would have divorced long ago.”

“What about guarantees?”

“At least you didn’t guarantee any loans for him.”

“That’s good.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you had guaranteed his loans, it would’ve completed the trifecta of disgraceful failures as a man.”

“It’s funny to hear that…but even with just two elements, he caused enough distress.”

Then Oh Soon-young glanced through the hallway at her son and daughter-in-law.

“My daughter-in-law must have endured much hardship.”

“I guess that’s why she gave him the restaurant.”

“Our other sons figured out how to make their own way due to hardships they faced when young, but this one…” Oh Soon-young paused momentarily before continuing while looking at her son. “As long as the food tastes delicious, a restaurant won’t fail. I thought he’d at least manage to survive.”

With a tender look on her son, Oh Soon-young left the kitchen.

“He eats well! Why didn’t he eat like this before? Should I bring out more side dishes?” Hearing the conversation outside, Kang Jin brought some side dishes from the kitchen.

As Oh Soon-young mentioned, the previous side dishes were already empty. After placing the new dish down, Kang Jin smiled and asked:

“How do you find it?”

The man nodded at Kang Jin’s question.

“It’s very delicious.”

“Thank you.” With a smile, Kang Jin bowed slightly and turned to pick up the empty dish when the woman spoke up.

“How did you make this?”

“With good ingredients…and a bit of heart.”

Kang Jin’s response made the woman squint suspiciously.

“Do you happen to know my mother?” The woman’s question prompted Kang Jin to glance at Oh Soon-young. Sensing his gaze, she turned away.

Of course, the woman couldn’t see Oh Soon-young standing there. Confused, she looked back at Kang Jin.

“Who do you mean by ‘your mother’…?”

“Oh, Grandma Oh.”

“Aha! You’re referring to your grandmother.”

Kang Jin didn’t deny knowing her; the woman’s eyes and demeanor showed certainty. She must have been familiar with the taste of food prepared by Oh Soon-young throughout her married life.

Seeing Kang Jin acknowledge their connection, the woman’s smile widened even more.

“I knew it—you do recognize her!”

“Yes, I knew her well.”

“Then this Sunji hangover soup, side dishes, and mixed rice dish, did your mother teach you these recipes?”

“How did you know? Yes, my grandmother taught me herself.” The woman’s eyes narrowed at Kang Jin’s words.

“You, aren’t you utterly heartless? How can you sell the very same Sunji hangover soup our mother taught you near our shop?” As she spoke, Kang Jin glanced sideways at the man. He had a grim expression while looking at the Sunji hangover soup. Observing his reaction, Kang Jin turned back to the woman.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“What problem? Look, if you learned cooking from our mother, the least you could do is open your business elsewhere. Did you start selling Sunji hangover soup after our mother passed away?”

“Did you start selling Sunji hangover soup because of her advice?”

As she spoke, Kang Jin looked from the woman to the man standing beside her. The man’s face was tense as he stared at the pot of Sunji hangover soup.

When Kang Jin’s gaze turned towards him, the woman nudged his foot with hers.

“You say something too! This person is using my mother’s recipe right outside our store!”

The man glanced between the hangover soup and Kang Jin before speaking up.

“To your mother…you’ve learned well.”

“Honey! What are you saying?” The woman gave her husband a pointed look.

He continued staring at Kang Jin while extending his hand. “I’m Jung Hyunsu. And this is my wife Lim Mi-hyang.”

Lee Kang-jin shook Jung Hyunsu’s hand as he introduced himself.

“Lee Kang-jin.”

“Could you…please bring me a bottle of soju?”

At Jung Hyunsu’s request, Lee Kang-jin retrieved a bottle from the refrigerator.

“Why are you drinking alcohol first thing in the morning?”

“You go to the store.”

“What do you mean by yourself?”

“Huh!” Lim Mi-hyang paused and then exclaimed, “Make it spicy! Spicy, or I’ll sue!”

“Go ahead.”

Lim Mi-hyang stood up, glanced at Kang Jin, and left the shop as instructed by Jung Hyunsu.

“Young man, that’s not how you run a business! You should appreciate people’s kindness.”

“I said, get going!”

With one last glare at Kang Jin, Lim Mi-hyang exited the establishment following Jung Hyunsu’s insistence.