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“It\'s time for dinner.”

Gio was preparing a meal.

“Not having to work and just eating and sleeping, can life get any happier than this?”

This was the so-called happiness of being unemployed.

“Only now that I\'ve become unemployed can I finally fulfil my role as a pig potato …. I\'ll have to sit at the dining table for three hours.”

Seo Gio was a gourmet and a glutton. The life of a teacher, who had to lead a regular, unobtrusive, proper and well-balanced social life, was too harsh for a cultured pig like him.

“I\'ve always wanted to enjoy my favourite menu alone at a time personally convenient for me.”

Seo Gio nodded his head with his characteristic blunt expression.

“This is exactly the life of returning to the countryside…”

Not sure if this really falls under the category of returning to the countryside, but anyway, it is what it is.

Contrary to his appearance, which seemed as if he had been carved out of Arctic ice, Seo Gio, who hailed from a mountain village in Gangwon Province, had been waiting for the right moment to return to the countryside ever since he moved to the city.

“To think that I would achieve my dream of a rural life only after losing my job and becoming a portrait, life really is a hurricane, isn\'t it?”

It was unpredictable and even fun. Though of course, an actual hurricane wouldn\'t be fun.

“So, for today, let\'s keep it simple….”

With a lantern that wouldn\'t go out even in the wind hung above, Gio took out the ingredients.

Sweet potatoes.

“….”

Large sweet potatoes.

Gio blinked twice as if planning the day\'s meal and soon came to a conclusion.

“… Maybe I\'ll try making honey sweet potato stir-fry.”

It was a dish he often made when the elders occasionally sent him sweet potatoes, requiring only a bit of honey and salt, sweet potatoes, and butter. Nothing else was needed.

Fortunately, all these ingredients were in the cabin. Like a tree well that existed even though he hadn\'t thought of it at all, the furniture and food ingredients inside the cabin were also piled up together.

In particular, the food ingredients that always maintained their best condition even after several days, perhaps due to characteristics of the painting world, greatly impressed Seo Gio.

“Hmm…”

Rattle.

Gio took out a jar of honey stored in the cypress-scented cupboard.

“… Are the dairy products in the basement?”

Dairy products like milk, cheese, and butter, as well as basically all food items that required refrigeration, were all gathered in the cabin\'s underground storage.

The storage, blocked on all sides by transparent ice, maintained a cool chill and served as an excellent refrigerator. Although one\'s breath could be seen upon entering, perhaps due to him evolving into a haunted portrait, he did not feel the cold.

\'Just cool enough.\'

Seeing that other ingredients did not freeze either, he wondered why breath would come out in the first place.

“It\'s a phenomenon that completely ignores the laws of physics… but it\'s funny, so it\'s alright.”

As he descended the stairs toward the underground storage with a small bowl and knife, the door made of cold heavy wood-like metal appeared before him.

Soon after opening the door, he saw a few small, clumsily arranged jars and a large shelf inside the ice cave.

\'Last time I checked, there seemed to be a variety of types.\'

He rummaged through the butter displayed on the shelf.

“I wish there was butter with a milder scent.”

Among ingredients that provide sweetness, honey was particularly strong in flavour. It would have been enough with just sweet potatoes and honey, but if the scent of the butter was too strong, it might be a bit overwhelming.

Seo Gio found a pale yellow butter among the various kinds and cut it into small pieces.

“Too much would make it greasy…”

Gio took only as much butter as needed for this dish, wrapped it up neatly, closed the storage door carefully, and went back up to the kitchen.

Seo Gio\'s cooking skills were excellent. Otherwise, he, a gourmet, would not have even thought of cooking for himself.

“Ah, so fresh.”

Gio skillfully cleaned the sweet potatoes. Then he pondered how to divide them.

“… Fo

After blinking twice, he divided the sweet potatoes into long rectangular shapes. They were the right length for sticks.

“… Since there aren\'t that many.”

Gio prepared the seventeen large sweet potatoes.

The small pieces of sweet potatoes on the iron plate went straight into the wood-fired oven. The preheated wood-fired oven quickly cooked the surface of the sweet potatoes.

When the strong heat made the surface crispy but the inside was still raw, Gio took them out of the wood-fired oven.

And those sweet potatoes with the outside cooked and the inside still raw went onto the large wok.

“Here are the butter and salt.”

He maintained a low heat to prevent the butter from burning and sprinkled a little salt over it. The sweet potatoes, cooked slowly over the gentle fire, were coated with butter and emitted a sweet and savoury scent.

“And put in ….”

Sizzle―

“… A little honey.”

Gio drizzled the spooned honey gently and quickly flipped the wok. The honey and butter, mixed with the strength as if making fried rice in a Chinese restaurant, settled right on top of the sweet potatoes.

“….”

It seemed about right.

“Nice.”

Gio turned off the fire and flipped the pan a few more times. It was to help the butter and honey blend together without being out of place.

If this process was not done, the butter would separate and drip, and the honey would taste unpleasantly sticky.

\'It might be delicious, but… .\'

Obviously, when it comes to cooking, one must pay attention to the texture as well. Even with the same taste, the texture alone can make it a completely different dish.

“… Done.”

Gio placed the finished honey sweet potato stir-fry into a bowl, and immediately soaked the dirty wok in water.

\'No matter how foolish humans may be, I will not repeat the same mistake.\'

The dried, buttery honey stuck onto the pan was like the devil\'s spirit, testing the patience of a good person like Seo Gio.

Anyway, this was his dinner menu today.

“Nice.”

Honey sweet potato stir-fry is not only easy to cook, but it also makes an excellent dish for both snacks and meals.

Sitting at the wooden table, Gio picked up a sweet potato stick with a fork. It looked like sweet potato candy with a shiny surface, with the smooth honey coating added with butter, it gave off a rather complex scent.

Seeing how easily the fork sank softly into the sweet potato, it seemed to be very well cooked. Gio put the sweet potato straight into his mouth.

Chew …

He came to a conclusion.

“Dewiciouws.”¹

It was ordinarily delicious.

\'I prefer this over sweet potato candy. Grandma did too…\'²

Unlike sweet potato candy, which can sometimes poke the roof of one\'s mouth while eating, this honey sweet potato stir-fry had a tender exterior. The mixture of honey and butter only added a smooth and soft texture.

It was a dish that provided a different kind of pleasure from sweet potato candy, which has a somewhat crunchy texture.

\'Indeed, sweet potatoes and honey make a good combination.\'

And it was a set that went well with both butter and salt.

The addition of butter to the potentially simplistic honey aroma gave it a different kind of savoury flavour, and a little salt that was added prevented the dish from being too greasy or sweet.

“Seems like it would be okay to add a bit of herbs on top.”

If it\'s a commonly used spice like pepper, parsley, or rosemary, seemed like it would be fine to add some.

“But then the scent might become a bit strong. It might be hard to enjoy it lightly.”

Gio liked it just the way it was.

\'The texture is just to my liking.\'

The surface of the sweet potatoes, which had lost moisture in the wood-fired oven, still maintained their crispness even after being rolled in honey and butter.

On the other hand, the inside of the completely raw sweet potato seemed to have become moistly cooked, thanks to the honey and butter coating.

\'The moisture inside must have been trapped by the strong heat of the wood-fired oven. I did a good job of baking the outside until crispy first.\'

It was fun to eat it by cutting it into long shapes, and it has a variety of textures.

Eating too much might feel greasy, but with this amount, it was enough to enjoy a pleasant meal. Gio was a person who ate a lot anyway.

Gio thought as he looked at the bowl with only a faint trace of honey butter sauce left.

\'Sure enough, I\'m a cool potato.\'

He didn\'t want to eat too much right before going to sleep, but it was just the right menu.

“I like it.”

The lantern light placed on the dining table emitted a soft glow. It had a profoundly analogue sentiment, and quietly observing it made him feel a sense of nostalgia, even though this wasn\'t his hometown.

“It would be perfect for camping.”

In a peaceful sense of fullness that seemed to encourage sleep, Gio remained like that for a while. Feeling the idleness of an empty but not lacking bowl, and the lulling lantern voice that softened the air around ….

Soon after, Gio\'s gaze turned to the window where the spring breeze greeted him shyly.

After staring outside which had become dark since a while ago, Gio soon got up from his seat.

“… It would be better to prepare the medicinal ingredients in advance.”

It was to make medicine related to bleeding as the system had informed him before.

Although it didn\'t seem like the day to use it would come easily, making one piece at a time and accumulating them was also a pleasure for an artist. It was kind of a collection.

“First, let\'s wash the Goby fruits and lay them out. It will take quite some time to dry them enough to be powdered. Because of their size, seems like it will take longer than making raisins ….”

He almost fell asleep for a moment, but perhaps thanks to the sugar, his mind was working quickly.

“Let\'s start with about fifty pieces for later. Even if not much juice comes out because there are only three flowers, if I make a lot of powder, I\'ll be able to use it later anyway.”

After reaching a conclusion, Gio moved.

He washed the fruits cleanly with the drinking water he had scooped up in advance from the stream. The Goby fruit was quite an elastic fruit, and when it went into the water, the inside appeared faintly visible.

“… It kind of resembles gooseberries.”

Of course, the difference was clear with how the Goby fruit was completely filled with pulp on the inside.

Gio continued his idle thoughts as he washed all the fruits.

Scrub.

“Nice.”

The bright red, bead-shaped fruits soaked in the transparent and clean stream water. They made refreshing sounds while being scrubbed clean in Gio\'s hands, which was a more pleasant experience than expected.

After washing all the fruits, he placed the Goby fruits on the wooden tray.

“My mouth might get bored, so let\'s set aside some for a snack.”

Even though it was evening now, it was best to leave the fruit outside where it was well-ventilated and sunny to dry.

Gio placed the tray with the fruits spread out right in front of the cabin.

“And…”

After entering the house, he approached the wood-fired oven where the wood was stacked.

\'Now I need fire.\'

Crackle, swoosh.

Gio shook a round bulb attached to a grass.

Then, from inside the fruit, a small and dull noise rang out, and flames burst forth with a whoosh. It was a small but fairly strong fire, as the colour was blue. From there, a faint fragrance was gradually rising.

It was nice to look at, like a bonfire burning in winter.

Gio threw it onto the wood in the wood-fired oven to light the fire.

Bellflower

A flower that blooms with a black bulb instead of typical petals and is not edible. When the flower is still in bulb form before fully blooming, shaking it causes the stamen and pistil to collide and produce fire. However, since a strong up-and-down motion is required to spark the fire, natural ignition rarely occurs.

It means it can be used as a substitute for a lighter or matches.

“… It\'s light and pretty, so if this were sold on Earth, it would have been a huge hit as a trendy camping item ….”

With his blunt face, Gio muttered about worldly greed as he rummaged through the basket. Then he took out ten stems of Vaivamnil, which resembled orchids.

He also lightly washed them and placed them on a small tray, then hung a pot over the fire in the wood-fired oven and poured water into it. Then, he waited for it to boil.

“…This should be about right.”

After confirming that the water was bubbling appropriately, Gio added the Vaivamnil. The unique deep and sweet scent of vanilla wafted through the air.

Splash, splash—!

“Hmm…”

It would be good if it could be eaten the same way as vegetables, soaking it briefly and then taking it out, but these flowers are not vegetables. Moreover, if not blanched properly, it can remain poisonous.

\'It takes a total of ten minutes for the poison to disappear.\'

Gio faithfully followed the system\'s instructions. He ate the Goby fruits he had set aside earlier while waiting for the poison to drain from the flowers.

“Is it done?”

After checking the time with the system, Seo Gio stood in front of the pot again ten minutes later.

He placed the wilted flowers onto the tray with long chopsticks. Despite having been boiled for quite some time, their shape remained intact. He washed the blanched flowers with clean water and left them as they were for a while.

Gio did not extinguish the weakened fire in the wood-fired oven but only changed the pot on top. The water left after boiling Vaivamnil would still contain poison.

“I should dry this too.”

Gio carried the tray with the flowers outside again.

And as he opened the door.

Whoosh ….

A gentle spring breeze blew.

“… It\'s refreshing.”

The texture and temperature felt as if lukewarm clouds are gently enveloping his face.

It was a pleasant breeze.

\'Soft and cool.\'

Gio blinked his eyes slowly in the hazy wind that strangely heart-fluttering and made him slightly drowsy.

\'It would be perfect to fall asleep like this.\'

The wind, neither hot nor cold, was as soft as fine Korean paper or silk, tickling the tips of his fingers.

Gio, having savoured the unexpected small happiness, soon moved his feet.

“… I hope they dry well.”

Gio, who had placed the Goby fruit and flower trays side by side, returned to the cabin. There were already two trays in front of the cabin, but there were still more to be prepared.

This time, Gio had caught a transparent flower named Lulupu.

What should he do with this? As drowsiness crept in, his thoughts were not clear, so after pondering for a while, Gio asked the system for help.

“Refinement method.”

Refinement Method: Place the petals in warm, edible water and wait until they dissolve and the juice comes out. One must never interfere during the process. The produced juice can be used with various medicinal herbs.

Available Refinement Method: Excellent Blood Recovery Rice Ball Cake made with Goby Fruit and Lulupu Juice.

“Thank you.”

After expressing gratitude to the system, Gio poured water into the newly replaced pot.

The cold water entered the preheated pot, changing it to a lukewarm temperature. When he placed his hand just above the water, the gentle steam rising seemed quite warm.

\'If it\'s not hot water but warm water, this temperature should be about right.\'

Thinking so, Gio held the flowers he had brought from the spring in his hand.

The Lulupu flowers, seemingly made of water yet woven like silk and sturdy, emitted a clear and sweet fragrance, like dewdrops made of honey.

As he carefully placed it into the pot ….

The galaxy-like sparkle of the flower petals spread throughout the water in the pot.

“… Surely Lulupu\'s sparkle must be due to scattering the light from sunlight or lamps.”

Was it trapping the bright sunlight or the clear light of the lamps within itself? It felt like watching ice made of glitter melting in warm water.

“… Oh.”

Soon the sparkle subsided, and the water in the pot emitted a clearer fragrance.

The capitalist thought that it would sell well even if made into perfumes suddenly crossed his mind, but Gio scooped out the contents before the water completely boiled away.

\'I was almost late.\'

The scooped-out flower water went into a glass bottle he had prepared in advance.

“It doesn\'t look like much at first glance, but this can be used to make medicine.”

The Lulupu juice, though only dissolved in water, emitted a mesmerizing light as if it was a paint crafted by an artist who poured his soul into it. He wondered if it could really be made into medicine.

Well, there\'s nothing that can\'t be done if you try. That\'s just how life is.

“Even a perfectly living human can become a haunted portrait, so why couldn\'t I make a medicine with a strange colour?”

Having finished all the preparations, Gio went up to the second floor of the cabin. The drowsiness that had been tickling his eyelids for a while now encouraged him to sleep.

The wooden stairs that touched the soles of his feet felt warm. Despite being clearly made of hardwood, it strangely had a soft texture, and with how comforting the scent wafted from various places, seemed like it was made of good-quality wood.

The bed in the bedroom he climbed up to felt as soft as if it was made of water.

“Haa ….”

Thump—

He dove into the bed.

His eyes blinked a couple of times as if summarizing the day\'s events, before soon quietly closing, like a child being caressed in their parent\'s embrace.

Through the wide-open window, the wind carrying the forest\'s fragrance flowed in, and a delicate breeze passed cautiously over his body as if shy. Once across his forehead, once on his fingertips, once on his knees ….

In the pitch-dark view, the evening cries of birds faintly receded.

And with the soft singing of grass bugs as a lullaby.

Gio fell asleep.

¹: he was saying \'delicious\' while chewing so idk how to say it (마히따).

²: sweet potato candy looks like this ig, I think what he meant could stibby stabby mouth because it seems coated with sugar a little like tanghulu? not sure though never eat one.