Chapter 6

"Phew, I think this is enough for today."

"Got it."

After finishing the harvesting, we were faced with a container packed full of long eggplants.

"The sight of so many eggplants lined up is quite impressive."

"Yeah, I must say I've grown some fine, glossy eggplants."

Harvesting can be a hassle when there are a lot of them, but seeing so many eggplants lined up is quite satisfying.

Still, having extra hands around really makes a difference in the work speed.

Serum is a beginner in agriculture, but having been a knight in a different world, he has both physical strength and mental fortitude.

He didn't complain at all during the long hours of work and performed beyond my expectations.

I had some reservations about hiring and housing a person from another world who doesn't know the norms, but his work ethic alone makes it worth it.

"What are you going to do with these eggplants?"

"We need to sort and adjust them. Once that's done, we'll pack them and take them to the direct sales store. After that, the delivery company will take them to the market, and they'll end up in the local supermarkets."

"Ah, I see?"

I explained the shipping process, but for Serum, who still doesn't fully understand this world, it must be hard to visualize.

"There's still work to be done, but let's have lunch first."

"Alright!"

He must have been hungry. When I told him we were stopping for lunch, Serum looked delighted.

We wrapped the harvested eggplants in freshness-keeping bags and set them aside.

At that time, I took some misshapen or slightly damaged ones for lunch.

Those won't sell, but they're still edible, so there's no problem using them for our own consumption.

As soon as we got home, Serum asked excitedly,

"What are we having for lunch?"

"Since we just harvested them, I thought I'd make a dish with long eggplants."

"Great, I'm looking forward to it!"

However, we had just had fried eggplants in a simmered dish yesterday. Making the same thing again would be boring.

What should I make?

I checked the fridge to see what ingredients were left. There weren't many.

While I was at it, I checked the cupboard and saw pasta and a can of tuna.

"Alright, let's have tomato penne with long eggplants and tuna."

It's a simple recipe that uses leftover ingredients and is easy to make.

Let's go with that.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

As I was taking out the ingredients, Serum asked, looking eager.

"You've been saying that since yesterday."

"I can't just sit around and wait. Let me help with something."

"Alright, then, take off the stems of the long eggplants and peel the skin in four places with a peeler."

"Huh? A peeler?"

I handed him the peeler, and Serum looked puzzled.

It seems this tool doesn't exist in his world.

"You just apply the blade like this and pull down, and the skin comes off."

"Wow! This is convenient!"

I showed him an example, and once he understood the principle, Serum was able to peel the skin on his own.

While he was doing that, I took the tuna out of the can and prepared a frying pan on the stove.

"…I thought the same thing yesterday, but you're really good at cooking for a man, Jin."

"Well, I've been living alone for a long time. In your world, do men not cook?"

"Of course, some can, but usually, it's left to women. There was a tendency to think it was unmanly for men to cook unless they were professional chefs."

It's a mindset from the early Showa period.

Nowadays, saying something like that would get you in trouble.

"Jin, what do I do with the peeled eggplants?"

"Ah, cut them into large diagonal slices, please."

"Diagonal slices?"

Hmm? Is this also a cutting method that doesn't exist in his world?

No, it's probably just a different name. It's not a difficult cut.

"Diagonal slicing means cutting the ingredients at an angle like this."

"Ah, I see… that's how you do it."

I demonstrated with a knife, and Serum nodded in understanding.

Then, when I handed him the knife, he gripped it tightly.

"Wait a minute."

"Huh? What is it?"

"What's with that grip? That's dangerous."

"Ah, sorry. How should I hold it correctly?"

Hearing Serum's question, I realized I had overlooked something.

"…You've never cooked before, have you?"

"Embarrassingly, as a knight's family, I was trained in swordsmanship and horseback riding from a young age. I have no experience with cooking."

"…You should have said that sooner."

It makes sense why his movements in the kitchen and his grip on the knife were off.

"Sorry. I thought if I said I had no experience, I'd be kicked out of the kitchen… I just wanted to try cooking once."

Serum looked like a scolded child.

"If you were a guest, I might have done that, but you'll be living here for a while. It's a problem if you can't cook at all. I'll teach you everything, so if you don't understand or can't do something, just say so."

"Thank you, Jin! I'll do that from now on!"

Serum smiled.

For now, I taught him how to hold a knife and how to cut ingredients.

He started cutting diagonally with the correct form, but his left hand movements were a bit clumsy. Maybe I should buy him a ceramic knife.

After finishing the diagonal cuts, I added olive oil to the frying pan.

I put the diagonally cut long eggplants and tuna that Serum had prepared into the pan.

The shapes were a bit uneven, but it's not a big deal since they're diagonal cuts.

"Can you fill that pot with water?"

"Ah, yes. I remember, you lift this lever to get water, right?"

Although Serum didn't know about faucets, he had seen me use them a few times and understood how to get water.

He cautiously lifted the lever and lowered it at the right time.

"It's done!"

"Good job."

It's a bit annoying to be praised so confidently, but since he successfully used something he had never touched before, I praised him. It felt like training a dog.

"Next, can you turn on the stove?"

After placing the pot of water on the stove, I assigned him another task.

Like the faucet, he would get used to it quickly with use.

"…Um, the thing that makes fire. I think you turn this knob to the right… right?"

"That's right."

I nodded, and Serum turned the knob to the right.

With a whoosh, the flame ignited.

"It's on!"

"Good job. Now, move the lever above the knob to the right."

"Wow! The flame got stronger!"

"Remember, you can adjust the heat by moving that lever."

"Being able to get water and fire with just these simple actions… the tools in your world are really convenient, Jin."

Serum looked at the flame in amazement.

As long as he can use the faucet and stove, he should be fine if left alone at home. With the ingredients prepared, he could cook something or eat instant noodles on his own.

While teaching him how to use the faucet and stove, the eggplants and tuna started to brown, so I added tomato sauce and sautéed them.

"Ah, it smells great already."

Serum, who was watching the cooking, relaxed and murmured.

After a morning of hard labor, the smell of tomato sauce and tuna was almost overwhelming.

I added dried herbs and basil and simmered the sauce on low heat.

While the sauce was simmering, I added penne and salad oil to the boiling water.

Once the penne was cooked, I added it to the finished sauce.

I added a little salt, tasted it, and adjusted the flavor.

After confirming it was fine, I piled the penne onto a plate.

"Alright, the tomato penne with long eggplants and tuna is ready."

"Wow!"

Serum brought the plate to the table.

I poured chilled barley tea into glasses, and we sat on cushions.

"Let's eat."

We clasped our hands, and Serum and I immediately reached for our forks and started eating.

"Delicious! The long eggplants are so juicy!"

"Right?"

The tangy and savory flavor of the tomatoes.

Most of all, the large, juicy pieces of long eggplant were amazing.

Even without meat, it felt like eating a big piece of meat, giving a satisfying feeling.

The subtle seafood flavor and fat from the tuna were well integrated into the tomato sauce, clinging to the penne.

The unique flavors of the dried herbs and basil cleansed the palate, leaving a refreshing aftertaste.

…It's delicious.

Being able to taste fresh ingredients right after harvesting is a privilege of farmers.

"Jin's long eggplants are really delicious!"

Serum said while eating the penne.

From his beaming smile, it was clear he meant it.

"That's how we make a living. It wouldn't make sense otherwise."

It wouldn't be valuable if anyone could make it. The value lies in the deliciousness that people are willing to pay for. That's what farming is about.

But, it felt good to hear that as a farmer.

When your vegetables are on the market or in supermarkets, you rarely get direct feedback.

Being able to hear someone say they're delicious right in front of you is a happy feeling.

"Itadakimasu."

While I was feeling sentimental, Serum's plate was already empty.

"You finished so quickly!"

"Jin's cooking is delicious!"

Despite the decent amount, he polished it off in no time.

It seems our female knight is also a big eater.