Chapter 29
New Year’s Eve Night
The two of them stayed like that for about two ke (roughly four hours). When the grandmother, bored, went to look for Gogyo, she unexpectedly found the two of them writing characters in the room.
She didn’t go in, only peeking from the doorway. It was red paper.
The grandmother immediately understood what they were doing.
“Are you writing spring couplets? Well, it is about time. This is when they should be written—don’t leave it any later. When you’re done, call me.”
It was truly a beautiful misunderstanding. In truth, Soyukrang had intended to write spring couplets on the red paper, but it had been delayed because Gogyo had started practicing her writing.
Because of the grandmother’s words, Soyukrang got back on track and began writing the spring couplets again.
“I’ll cut the paper!”
Gogyo set down her brush and went into the room to look for scissors.
Inwardly, she shouted, Auntie, thank you for saving me! If she’d kept practicing calligraphy like that, her fingernails might have been completely ruined.
Looking at the red paper in front of him, Soyukrang felt a faint sense of nostalgia.
Gogyo neatly cut the paper and placed it beside him. Soyukrang picked up his brush again and made several sets of spring couplets.
“Write a few for Eung-hyang as well.”
At that moment, the grandmother reminded them of the existence of their guest.
The grandmother liked Seol Eung-hyang very much. Of course, she liked Gogyo too, but she didn’t say it out loud.
Still, Gogyo could tell whether others felt goodwill or ill will toward her, so she more or less understood what was in the grandmother’s heart.
The deep malice Seol Eung-hyang had harbored when she first met Gogyo had now completely disappeared.
The grandmother’s fondness for Seol Eung-hyang was different from her affection for Gogyo. If she liked Gogyo as family, then her feelings toward Seol Eung-hyang were the affection shown to a junior.
To be honest, Seol Eung-hyang was a decent guest—someone she thought would be nice to have visiting often.
At the grandmother’s words, the two of them finally remembered Seol Eung-hyang and her letter. An awkward look flickered across their faces.
They had no idea what Seol Eung-hyang might be thinking as she waited for them in the main hall…
After two ke, Gogyo went to Seol Eung-hyang’s house, carrying her letter, the spring couplets personally written by Soyukrang, a plate of matang (sesame taffy), and a plate of chestnut cakes.
“Why is there so much?”
Seol Eung-hyang asked in surprise.
But Gogyo couldn’t bring herself to say it was to apologize for the delayed reply.
“The New Year’s coming soon, so Auntie told me to bring these. The spring couplets are for you, Sister, and the chestnut cakes and matang are for your son and mother-in-law.”
Seol Eung-hyang accepted them and expressed her thanks.
“About earlier…”
Gogyo hesitated for a moment, then decided she should explain things properly.
But Seol Eung-hyang gave her a sly smile, her eyes saying that she already understood everything.
Seeing that look, Gogyo bristled inwardly. What do you think you know?!
Seol Eung-hyang, being experienced herself, could easily guess. A young couple had stayed in the same room for a long time—what else could they have been doing? Before seeing or hearing anything she shouldn’t, she had quietly left.
“Just… next time, lock the door properly. Auntie’s still in the house, you know.”
Seol Eung-hyang whispered softly.
She’s clearly misunderstanding something…
In the end, Gogyo changed the subject and conveyed the contents of the letter.
The letter from Seol Eung-hyang’s brother-in-law said that he had earned a small merit at a border checkpoint and had been promoted to wuzhang (leader of a squad of five). He had also received a reward of ten taels of silver. He sent all the bestowed items to Seol Eung-hyang, asking her to take care of their mother and his son while not working herself too hard.
He also said that he would earn more money in the future, so she didn’t need to scrimp.
He seemed to be a pretty decent person.
When Gogyo asked if she would write a reply, Seol Eung-hyang shook her head. Everyone had gone home for the New Year, so even if she wrote one, there would be no one at the relay stations to deliver it.
Gogyo handed over the gifts and returned home. Seol Eung-hyang accepted all the food, but took only one set of spring couplets.
She said they were too expensive. Gogyo explained that they hadn’t been bought—that Soyukrang had written them himself—but Seol Eung-hyang insisted that the paper itself was costly.
The red paper had been a gift from Pungnim, so Gogyo didn’t know its price.
When she asked Soyukrang, he said that paper used for spring couplets was several times more expensive than ordinary paper.
“It’s not usually that expensive. The price only goes up around the New Year.”
“Then… Pungnim’s family must be fairly well-off?”
Soyukrang thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“I’ve never asked, but… not really.”
Pungnim’s family circumstances were only a little better than Soyukrang’s had once been—hardly something you could call wealthy. You could tell just by what he normally ate and wore.
However, when it came to treating Soyukrang, he was always generous. The red paper he’d brought this time was the same—each sheet cost several dozen mun, and he’d given more than ten sheets. That was nearly half a tael of silver.
Yet on ordinary days, he ate nothing more than pickled vegetables and dumplings at the academy.
Toward evening, snowflakes began to fall again from the sky.
Pungnim was alone at the academy.
He was reading in the dormitory room. One oil lamp wasn’t quite bright enough, but he begrudged lighting a second.
A cold wind slipped through the cracks in the door, making him shiver. Still, he didn’t light a fire. Of course, the academy didn’t allow it—but more than that, he simply felt it would be a waste.
Four people lived in the dormitory. On ordinary days, with his classmates around, it didn’t feel this cold, but now that he was alone, it felt as though every gust of wind pierced straight to his bones.
This was his first year spending time away from home.
He missed his parents and sisters, but he couldn’t go back. Partly because home was far away, but more because he wanted to save on travel expenses. Most importantly, he wanted to devote all his time to studying—he didn’t want to delay his learning even for a single day.
He was the third-generation only son of his family. To support his studies, one sister had married a widower as his second wife, and another was set to marry a merchant well past middle age.
His sisters had sacrificed their lives for him—how could he not work hard? He had to return home in glory.
Pungnim breathed warm air into his hands, wrapped the blanket tightly around himself, and buried his head back in his book.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sudden knocking startled him into looking up.
Strange. Who would come looking for him at this hour?
With the academy on break, everyone had gone home. Even the teachers were away celebrating the New Year. In the empty academy, he was the only one left.
“Could it be… a ghost?”
His face went pale as he clutched the blanket tightly.
“Wh-who… who is it?”
“It’s me.”
A familiar girl’s voice came from outside.
Pungnim threw off the blanket, put on his shoes, and went to the door. When he opened it, he saw a woman completely covered in snow. He almost thought it would have been better if she were a ghost.
This was the men’s dormitory—what was a woman doing here?!
“How did you get here? Did something happen to my sworn brother?”
He couldn’t think of any other reason. Without waiting for Gogyo’s answer, he grabbed a cloak.
“Where is my sworn brother right now?”
“He’s at home.”
Without another word, Pungnim immediately left the academy.
Watching his anxious back, Gogyo said calmly,
“There’s no carriage.”
With the New Year and the snowstorm, there wasn’t even a cart to be found.
Pungnim didn’t hesitate.
“Then we’ll walk! Hurry!”
“Ah… yes.”
With her good stamina, Gogyo had nothing to fear.
In truth, Pungnim’s stamina was worse than hers. If Gogyo was merely flushed and a little out of breath, Pungnim nearly collapsed several times along the way.
By the time they finally arrived, Pungnim felt as though his legs no longer belonged to him.
Gathering his last strength, he opened the door—only to freeze at the sight inside.
Soyukrang was sitting on a chair in the inner room, while the grandmother and Go Sosun were cutting window decorations. The atmosphere was so warm and cozy…
He couldn’t understand who was supposed to be sick.
“You’re here?”
Soyukrang greeted them.
“You’ve come! Sit down quickly!”
The grandmother welcomed Pungnim warmly as well.
Go Sosun usually didn’t think much of Pungnim, but today, he didn’t glare at him even once.
Completely baffled, Pungnim looked at Gogyo.
“No, I was sure my sworn brother—”
Gogyo spread her hands and shrugged.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“….”
Why had he never realized before how cunning this woman was?
Pungnim spent his first Spring Festival away from home at Gogyo and Soyukrang’s house.
He had thought it would be uncomfortable with Gogyo and Go Sosun—people he usually disliked—but surprisingly, it was harmonious.
Following village custom, Gogyo made dumplings, while Pungnim and Soyukrang prepared osmanthus rice cakes according to their hometown traditions. The moment the taste of home touched his tongue, tears streamed down his face.
Not because he was moved—
It was just too delicious!
Wasn’t this vicious wife from Cheongcheon Village? How could she make rice cakes this good?!
Pungnim cried the entire time he ate.
At first, the tears were purely because the food was so good. Later, they were because he missed home. He thought of his sisters and his aging parents.
He had no idea how they were spending the New Year back home.
Seeing him cry so miserably, Go Sosun shared her own rice cakes with him.
For Pungnim, and for everyone else, it was a truly lively New Year’s Eve.
In her previous life, Gogyo had always spent the New Year alone at the organization.
She only escaped the organization’s experiments after growing up, but even then, though the room changed, she was still alone.
Go Sosun had always spent the New Year with the Go family, but no matter how many people there were, no one ever paid him any attention. Even if he disappeared tonight, no one would notice.
The grandmother couldn’t remember how she had lived in her younger years, but that didn’t matter—she had spent this year happily, and that was enough.
She pasted couplets herself and even taught a fool like Go Sosun how to cut window decorations. Of course, what he cut was far inferior to hers, but her heart was at peace.
What’s more, she gave Gogyo five wheat cakes today instead of the usual two.
Soyukrang looked very calm. He was never one to show his emotions, but Gogyo sensed a faint loneliness emanating from him.
It seemed deeper than usual.
They stayed up until midnight to keep vigil for the New Year.
There were only three rooms in the house. Since they couldn’t leave the grandmother among so many people, Gogyo tidied Soyukrang’s room and let Pungnim stay there.
No matter how close Pungnim and Soyukrang were, he didn’t know that the two of them had never spent a night together like this before.
So Pungnim rested in Soyukrang’s room without worry.
Including the night at the inn, this was only the second time they had slept together. Gogyo’s bed was much wider than the inn’s, and the blankets were thicker.
Because it was New Year’s Eve, there was a custom of not extinguishing the lights, so the oil lamp on the desk still glowed faintly.
They each lay under their own blankets. Soyukrang had his eyes closed, but Gogyo knew he wasn’t asleep.
“Did you have a good year this year?”
she asked quietly.
Without waiting for his answer, she slipped her hand into his blanket. Her slender, small hand clasped his cold, stiff one.
“Next year will be even better.”
