Shop 35.1

Test

Chapter 35.1. A Girl In Love In The Wilderness

"I'm bored."

After selling katsu sandwiches in my room, I declared so.

"What's wrong?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? For breakfast, anything similar is fine, but I want a proper dinner."

"Aren't you having lunch at the company?"

"Yeah, I appreciate understanding the meals in this country, and the taste isn't bad either. But still, it's different. I want rice and freshly made side dishes."

"Rice. Will you conjure it with your ability?"

"Yeah, I'm going to try it from now on. If everything goes well, I plan to cook dinner myself."

"Oh, a man who can cook? Were you born in a restaurant? No, I heard somewhere that you were employed."

Hagg scratches his beard.

"If you live alone, you have to cook, right? It's a bit cheaper than eating out."

"Well, I don't hear much about living alone. Isn't it normal to live with parents or siblings?"

"...Ah, I see. I didn't think about that."

Being able to live alone might not happen unless the society is in a state of nuclear families and a capitalist economy. It's not about gender discrimination; it's probably normal here for homemakers to handle cooking as a cultural norm.

"Well, I've been living alone for a long time. I can handle simple cooking. I got good at filleting fish because I was forced to go fishing with my fishing-loving boss."

"Oh. Fish is easy to come by here. After all, this is a port."

Hagg seems a bit enthusiastic, thinking he can get fresh fish. I'm not planning to treat you, Hagg.

"You said you don't sell retail, but Cherina... the young lady. Maybe ask her if there's a store selling fresh fish somewhere."

Well, what I want to eat today is not fish, though. I had fish for lunch too.

"As for the fish I usually eat, salted is common."

"Oh, salted fish is a thing?"

"Yeah. I don't know if I'm eating fish or salt, but it's something like that."

"Well, now it's more about meat than fish."

When you see someone eating katsu sandwiches in front of you every day, you can't help but crave freshly fried tonkatsu. Tonkatsu bento is delicious enough, but it doesn't compare to freshly fried.

So, what I need to get is.

Rice (5 kg) = 1,872 yen

Pork loin (200 g) = 520 yen

Salt (1 kg) = 399 yen

Pepper (100 g) = 720 yen

Cake flour (1 kg) = 398 yen

Eggs (10) = 298 yen

Breadcrumbs (100 g) = 95 yen

Salad oil (1,300 g) = 295 yen

Tonkatsu sauce = 276 yen

Cabbage = 250 yen

Lemon = 72 yen

Frying pan = 3,900 yen

Pressure cooker = 4,800 yen

Chopsticks = 389 yen

Cutting board = 1,050 yen

Bucket = 560 yen

Knife = 3,200 yen

Chopsticks = 630 yen

Bowl = 988 yen

Alright!

Everything is approved!

I use a frying pan instead of a tempura pot because when I was in Japan, I used a frying pan. It's probably tastier with plenty of oil, but I'm frugal.

In addition to all the new items listed above, I need to buy water.

A total of 20,713 yen.

My remaining balance is 929,932 yen.

I hesitated a bit to use oil in the small room, but hunger won over.

First is rice.

I don't use a rice cooker when cooking rice. I always use a pressure cooker.

I don't know about ridiculously expensive rice cookers, but rice cooked in a pressure cooker is much tastier than what's commonly sold. I want everyone to try it. Plus, it's faster with a pressure cooker. Anyway, it cooks quickly.

Since washing rice is a hassle, especially in this small inn room.

For the sake of the test, I put one cup of rice and water in. Set it on high heat with a cassette stove. It boils quickly, so I simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. I turn off the heat, let it steam for 10 minutes, and it's done.

Hagg showed interest in the pressure cooker, but I told him not to interfere.

Next is the cutting board and cabbage.

I skillfully shred the cabbage and suddenly realize. I don't have a bowl. I thought I bought everything I needed after thinking carefully, so it's frustrating.

"Oh, right, Hagg. Ask the shopkeeper to lend us three plates. One of them should be big."

"Hmm? Well, alright."

Since Hagg stood up, I decided to use the top of the chair as a makeshift worktable to shred the cabbage. I bought a bucket. So I could soak it in water, but I'm not that passionate about cabbage's crunchiness. I won't say it's simply troublesome.

Let's cut the lemon too. It's a bit too much. But well, it can't be helped.

"Onii-chan, are you cooking?"

Oh, finally, I've been downgraded to onii-chan by a customer. Have I been called that a few times already? 

My memory is a bit unreliable, but the one who entered the room is Narnia, the signboard girl of this inn. Despite being 12 years old, she's already a reliable working woman actively contributing to the store's operation.