Healing in the Countryside with a Baby Dragon - Episode 4: Doenjang Jjigae and Lettuce Wrap (Part 2)

As we sat side by side, thinking, I remembered the ingredients we received yesterday, especially the homemade doenjang.  

“Let’s have doenjang stew for breakfast.”  

I couldn’t resist.  

I got the rice going and prepared the stew: homemade doenjang, zucchini, onions, tofu, a pinch of red pepper powder, and rice water.  

A simple but perfect combination.  

There’s a reason why the basics are the best.  

As the stew boiled, a rich, savoury smell began to fill the air.  

Homemade doenjang is just different—it has depth and a strong, earthy aroma.  

I took a taste with a spoon.  

“This is it!”  

I couldn’t help but exclaim.  

This was a flavour you could never get from instant packets—the richness and complexity were unmistakable!  

Though there was a slight hint of bitterness, it would be perfect with some green onions from the garden.  

I picked one that had grown overnight.  

[You’ve made your first harvest!]  

A message popped up.  

Was this really my first harvest?  

The next surprise came quickly.  

[C-Grade Green Onion.]  

[Green onions nurtured overnight by the earth spirits. They have a good aroma and flavour.]  

The green onion even had a grade.  

Well, in a world with gates and monsters, it wasn’t just fighters and warriors who existed—there were also plenty of people in production roles, including those who grew crops for a living.  

I had heard that the flavour and fragrance of crops could vary dramatically depending on their grade.  

They were expensive, of course, so I had never tried them myself.  

But I also heard it was difficult to grow crops of this quality.  

‘You have to carefully select the soil, seeds, and fertiliser, plus use all sorts of skills to get even a single crop graded like this.’  

I had thought about it when moving to the countryside, but quickly gave up after realising how impossible it would be.  

Even for people with specialised skills, it’s hard to achieve. For regular people? Forget about it.  

But now, it’s happened in a single night?  

‘Even if it’s just C-grade, it’s amazing that it has a grade at all.’  

Sure, it’s the lowest grade, but still—the fact that the crops I grew in the garden had any grade at all was incredible.  

I’d heard that some crops grown in gate-related fields occasionally received special attributes, though they were usually much harder to cultivate.

The fact that C-grade green onions came out is already a surprise.

Or was I just lucky?

I tried picking other green onions, and it was the same.

They all had a grade attached.

How about the lettuce? I picked a leaf from the lettuce, which had grown larger than the palm of my hand.

[C-grade Lettuce.]

[Lettuce grown overnight by the earth spirits, with great aroma and taste.]

Again, it had a grade attached.

I took out my smartphone to check the price of graded produce.

“Tch, forget it.”

I stopped myself.

Of course, even in the countryside, a healing lifestyle, money is important.

I know that if you’re poor, healing quickly turns into labour.

But it was only my second day here. I didn’t want to ruin the peace I had found by worrying about money already.

‘There’s plenty of time.’

After all, I’d be living here from now on, and with the earth spirits, the garden crops would continue to thrive.

Just look now.

In the spots where I had picked the green onions and lettuce, new sprouts had already appeared.

Right now, the bubbling doenjang stew and a hungry Seol-ah are more important.

I had chased money before—too much, in fact.

The more you chase it, the further it slips away.

I sliced the green onions and added them to the stew, tasting the broth again.

“Oh, that hit the spot.”

The lingering unpleasant taste had disappeared, replaced by a subtle sweetness and the scent of green onions.

This was perfect for breakfast.

Just in time, the rice was ready too.

I set the table with black rice, doenjang stew, and lettuce wraps.

The clouds moved slowly overhead, and there on the open veranda, the rustic breakfast was spread out.

“Let’s eat!”

“Bya!”

I held Seol-ah in my arms as we began the meal.

First, I mixed the rice with the stew and blew on it to cool it down.

“Here comes the aeroplane. Aaaaah-“

“Aaah-“

I gave Seol-ah the first bite.

As she chewed, her little body shook.

Was it too salty? Too spicy? I watched her nervously.

“Bya! Bya!”

“Is it good?”

“Bya!”

Seol-ah clutched her cheeks and nodded. She seemed to love it.

Next, I gave her a bite with zucchini.

Seol-ah quietly accepted it, chewing contentedly.

I took a bite of the stew myself—one, two, three, four bites.

“Bya!”

“Alright, I’ll give you more.”

Without realising it, I had gotten caught up in the rich taste of the homemade doenjang, tofu, and zucchini, forgetting about Seol-ah for a moment.

Indeed, doenjang and rice are an unbeatable combo.

When the saltiness became a bit too much, I picked up a piece of lettuce.

Crunch.

“…!”

I was taken aback.

Wait, why does this lettuce taste so good? Was it always this delicious?

It wasn’t too bitter, the crunch was refreshing, and a subtle sweetness lingered, leaving my mouth feeling clean.

I wrapped some of the rice and stew in the lettuce for another bite.

It was incredibly satisfying.

I made a small wrap for Seol-ah too and fed it to her.

She looked at me in surprise, and we both nodded in agreement.

Tasty, right? Delicious!

[A satisfying meal made with homegrown produce. You’ve captured both health and flavour!]

[Seol-ah might grow a little after eating her first harvest from the farm.]

I smiled, locking eyes with Seol-ah as the message flashed in my mind.

What else could matter? Right now, under the blue sky, with the morning sunlight filtering in and the gentle countryside breeze, sharing a meal with Seol-ah was the best thing in the world.

Just as I was thinking that Seol-ah felt a little heavier than usual, her bright blue eyes shimmered with a mysterious glow.

As I found myself captivated by that strange sparkle…

Thud!

“Ouch!”

Someone fell into the yard.