Healing in the Countryside with a Baby Dragon - Episode 4: Doenjang Jjigae and Lettuce Wrap (Part 1)

Day two of living in the countryside life.  

“What is this now?”  

The vegetable garden was full of greenery.  

—

It all started last night.  

While Jin-sol was sorting through the items given to him by the villagers, Seol-ah, watching from the porch, spotted the lettuce, green onions, and chives left behind by the village chief.  

With her tiny hands, she grabbed a few of the plants, jumped off the porch, and landed in the yard.  

“Bya!”  

The lettuce got a little crushed, but oh well, it’s fine.  

With quick little steps, Seol-ah headed to the garden.  

“Oh, great one, what brings you here?”  

The earth spirits greeted Seol-ah warmly, and with a bright smile, she handed them the slightly crushed lettuce, chives, and green onions.  

She then gently dug into the soft soil and planted them.  

After covering them up, she looked incredibly proud of her work.  

Jin-sol, who noticed Seol-ah a little later, couldn’t help but burst out laughing.  

“Did you plant these yourself, Seol-ah? That’s amazing!”  

Though the lettuce was upside down, the green onions sideways, and the chives practically buried, Jin-sol found it all endearing.  

“Seol-ah, are you going to become a great farmer one day?”  

“Byaaa!”  

Seol-ah, proud of the praise, put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin.  

She seemed in high spirits.  

“Seol-ah, let’s eat dinner!”  

“Bya!”  

After running off in joy, Seol-ah went to sleep. That night, Jin-sol quietly went to the garden and replanted everything properly.  

There was still a lot left that the village chief had given him, but…  

“I’ll plant it later.”  

No rush.  

And so, Jin-sol and Seol-ah both fell asleep.  

“Thump thump thump, finally the masters are asleep.”  

“Thump thump thump, now it’s our time.”  

The true owners of the garden, the earth nymphs, rose with sly smiles.  

In the dark night, their eyes gleamed under the moonlight, as if they had something planned.  

“The master was far too careless.”  

“Thump thump thump, by tomorrow, they’ll be shocked by our power.”  

The nymphs chattered among themselves as they approached the crops Seol-ah had planted and Jin-sol had straightened.  

Were they going to devour them?  

But no, their intent wasn’t so simple.  

“Look at these fresh things!”  

“We want to fill the land with them right now!”  

The nymphs panted as they stared at the lettuce, chives, and green onions.  

They looked like they wanted to scatter the plants all over the garden, filling every inch of space.  

The plants seemed to tremble under the nymphs’ hungry gaze.  

The nymphs held hands and surrounded the crops.  

What were they up to? Some sort of gang attack?  

Not at all.  

“Oh earth, oh sky, hear our wish.”  

“Grow, grow, grow!”  

“Spread far and wide, covering the land!”  

Under the moonlight, the earth nymphs began to dance.  

Their small, fluffy bodies swelled up, and they bounced around.  

In response to their fervent wishes, tiny particles floated into the air and attached themselves to the crops planted throughout the garden.  

—

“I’ve planted crops in the garden!”  

“Fresh vegetables have taken root. Take care of them with love, and they might just show you something special.”  

The next morning, my eyes were met with a garden full of green onions, lettuce, and chives.  

“Thump thump thump thump. Master, are you in awe of our power?”  

“Leave the crops in front of the earth spirits, and you’ll be in for a surprise!”  

Seeing my shocked expression, the earth spirits burst into laughter, clearly amused.  

And yes, I was surprised.  

How could the few plants Seol-ah planted last night multiply like this in just one night?  

“How on earth did you do this?”  

“Thump thump thump, do you want to know our secret?”  

“Is the master afraid of the earth nymphs power?”  

“You cheeky little things.”  

I pressed down on their heads with my fingers in amusement, and the spirits squealed and gave in.  

“We surrounded the fresh crops and danced wildly!”  

“The plants, startled by our vigorous moves, multiplied rapidly.”  

“The crops were no match for our magic, and they grew like crazy!”  

What nonsense were they talking about?  

I shook my head at their incomprehensible words.  

Danced wildly? What were they on about?  

“Please don’t say things like that in front of Seol-ah.”  

Concerned it might be bad for Seol-ah’s education, I warned the nymphs.  

Of course, I didn’t forget to threaten them with a few more finger presses.  

I kept poking them, enjoying the feel of their earthy bodies, when I suddenly noticed something.  

‘Wait, did that just grow?’  

The morning sun was now up, casting light over the garden.  

The crops, which were mere sprouts earlier, seemed a little bigger.  

Their shadows had grown longer.  

Or was it just because the sun had risen?  

As I stared intently, I realised something.  

“They’re growing!”  

I could see the plants visibly sprouting.  

The lettuce, which was just the size of my palm moments ago, had grown about 1cm already.  

I quickly grabbed the garden hose and started watering them.  

“Great Master! The earth nymphs will wash away!”  

“We’ll be swept away! Hrrrk!”  

The earth nymphs shrieked, so I turned down the water pressure and gently sprayed the garden.  

The sunlight scattered through the morning dew, making the droplets sparkle.  

“Bya?”  

Seol-ah, rubbing her eyes as she emerged from sleep, looked wide-eyed at the scene.  

Then, suddenly, she transformed into her “dragon state” and dashed excitedly into the garden.  

“Byaaaaaa-!”  

“Little master! Spare us, please!”  

Seol-ah was splashing around in the water, chasing the frantic earth spirits.  

As she gulped a mouthful of water, she turned to me and spat it out—Dragon Breath style.  

“Baek Seol-ah! You come here right now!”  

“Byaa!”  

What started as a simple morning garden watering turned into a full-on game.  

It wasn’t until we had run around for quite some time that things finally calmed down.  

“Did you have fun?”  

“Bya!”  

Our morning garden party was over.  

Even as I dried her hair with a towel, Seol-ah couldn’t sit still. Her sky-blue eyes sparkled with excitement—it must have been a blast.  

Just then, our stomachs rumble in unison.  

A sign that it was time to prepare breakfast.  

“A healing life for the beginner farmer.”  

“Prepare a meal with the crops you’ve grown. Capture both health and taste!”  

“What should we eat?”