Chapter 48
Kiss
“If you don’t return it, the magistrate will catch you and have you beaten!”
The villagers might not have seen Huya, but the magistrate would surely know him. The magistrate was a ruthless local lord, and all the villagers feared him.
Gogyo didn’t argue with his words.
Huya still thought he had a chance!
Gogyo asked him,
“How will you prove that this horse belongs to you?”
Huya was at a loss. How could he possibly prove it?
To sneak out, he hadn’t ridden his own horse but instead rode a bodyguard’s horse. He had even deliberately erased the markings of the Hu family from the saddle.
“The horseshoes! This is a military horse, different from the common horseshoes,” Huya finally found one piece of evidence.
But Gogyo came back with an unexpected reply.
“I’ve never seen a military horseshoe before. How would I know if this horse is yours?”
Huya was completely speechless.
It was like a scholar meeting a soldier—there was no way she could beat him, even with ten mouths!
Gogyo suggested a fair solution.
“Do this: go to the magistrate’s office and report it. If the magistrate confirms that the horse is yours, I’ll return it.”
Unless the magistrate risked his life, how could he dare claim that the horse wasn’t his? The only problem was how Zheng Anhou would go to the small county office to report it.
Didn’t the Zheng Anhou household have horses? Was it really so poor that a village girl could wrestle a horse from them?
Especially since this was an ordinary, not particularly expensive horse. Fighting over it would only damage one’s dignity.
Gogyo glanced at him and muttered,
“If you really want this horse, you can buy it. Hah, it wasn’t easy for me to find it either.”
What part of it wasn’t easy? Riding the horse saved energy, and she didn’t have to carry the wolf alone!
Huya was so frustrated with Gogyo that he felt like he might die from anger.
But he could barely walk anymore.
Even if he wanted a carriage, he would have to wait until he reached the county. From here to the county was at least thirty li. He could no longer walk for fear of breaking his leg.
“Fifty taels,” Gogyo said.
Huya bristled.
“How can a horse cost more than a wolf? You just raised the price on the spot!”
Gogyo replied seriously,
“The wolf wasn’t something you needed, but the horse is.”
What’s needed should cost more!
Huya’s anger made his stomach ache.
In the end, Huya paid fifty taels and bought the horse. Even though it was technically his own horse, who could he complain to?
When Huya returned to the mountain lodge, it was already evening. The golden remnants of the sunset fell on the eaves of the lodge, shining brilliantly.
He handed the horse over to the bodyguard and dragged his swollen leg into the house where the four family members lived.
At the doorway, he heard loud noises from inside. He furrowed his brow as he stepped over the threshold.
Most of the servants were out, hiding behind trees and flowerpots, too afraid to move or leave.
And downstairs, in a wisteria chair under the servants’ watchful eyes, lay his son, Goyom.
Beside Goyom stood Go Geunyu, white-faced with anger.
In Go Geunyu’s arms was a white rabbit.
“Why can’t I raise the rabbit?” Go Geunyu asked in frustration.
Goyom snorted.
“Just because it’s not allowed.”
Go Geunyu stomped his feet, fuming.
“Then tell me why!”
Goyom leisurely rested one hand behind his head.
“This is my garden. If I can’t raise it, then it doesn’t exist!”
Go Geunyu pouted, holding the rabbit tightly.
“This is also my garden!”
Goyom replied calmly,
“Your garden is in the capital, isn’t it?”
Go Geunyu had spent half his time in the capital and didn’t live here as long as Goyom. Naturally, Goyom thought this place belonged to him.
The servants dared not intervene and couldn’t leave. If the siblings caused trouble, they wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Huya roughly understood what had happened. Go Geunyu had loved cats and dogs since childhood, but Goyom disliked them. The siblings often quarreled over keeping animals.
He had long wondered why. They were twins, supposed to be the closest people in the world. By logic, they should get along, but Goyom kept tormenting Go Geunyu.
As a newborn, Goyom had prevented Go Geunyu from nursing from Madam Yo and would cry loudly if she did. He wouldn’t let her hold Go Geunyu, and if they shared a cradle, he would kick her.
At that time, no one cared; they thought it was just the possessiveness of a young child.
As he grew, Goyom didn’t torment Go Geunyu like that, but he also didn’t become close with her.
Now, knowing Go Geunyu’s background, Huya could see why.
Goyom and his sister had shared the same womb for ten months. They were the closest possible.
Goyom surely sensed that the girl beside him wasn’t his biological sister. He wanted his real sister. Only she could make him feel secure, yet there was a stranger lying beside him.
No one had understood him.
Though Goyom might forget as he grew, his deep-seated rejection of Go Geunyu remained.
Huya thought this guess was absurd, but there was no better explanation.
The siblings continued to quarrel.
Go Geunyu said, upset,
“The rabbit doesn’t cry. Why can’t I raise this one? At least tell me why!”
Goyom’s eyes looked toward the sky.
“There’s no reason!”
Go Geunyu bit her lip.
“Why not?”
Goyom arrogantly lifted his brows.
“Just… my feeling!”
“You…”
Go Geunyu’s face turned red.
Ultimately, she couldn’t win against Goyom. Though Goyom wasn’t the only son, he was young and frail.
Go Geunyu reluctantly left, holding the rabbit, and Goyom raised his eyebrows triumphantly.
Huya watched, feeling conflicted.
Goyom had never gotten along with others, not even Madam Yo. Yet he tolerated her approach. He rejected anyone who treated Go Geunyu well but had no trouble with anyone who mistreated her.
Huya had always blamed his son’s misbehavior without realizing the most important person in his life was missing. But the son was one of the truly wounded.
He had never scolded him, even while thinking the son was at fault. Secretly, he comforted Go Geunyu and compensated her several times over. But while Go Geunyu’s grievances could be remedied, what about his son’s? Could the child provide what they couldn’t?
After descending the mountain, Gogyo didn’t return home immediately. She went to the market and sold the wolf for eighteen silver coins.
Then she went to the academy and waited for So Yukrang and Go Sosun to finish their lessons. The three of them returned to the village together.
The grandmother, exhausted from chasing after them all day, finally found relief. She collapsed into a chair, too weak to move. Had the two not returned early, she might have died on the spot!
Junggong, sulking all day while waiting for Gogyo, stomped off angrily.
He shut the door, faced the wall, and sat on a small stool in the corner. He looked both cute and pitiful.
Gogyo didn’t know what had happened, only that it was strange Junggong wasn’t visible.
“Huh? Where’s Junggong?”
The grandmother weakly pointed west.
“He’s hiding from you, maybe because he’s angry.”
Gogyo asked, puzzled,
“Angry? Who bullied Junggong?”
The grandmother glared at Gogyo and So Yukrang.
“It must be you two! Why did you move the child in the middle of the night? And why did you leave the mountain so early?”
It had been So Yukrang who moved the child, and Gogyo who left the mountain early.
“I almost died trying to calm him down!” she muttered, turning away.
Now Gogyo understood why Junggong wasn’t visible.
She approached the west room. Junggong perked his ears but didn’t turn around.
Gogyo bent slightly and tilted her head to look at his profile.
“Angry?”
Junggong sat on the wisteria chair, turning his back to her.
Gogyo spoke softly,
“I didn’t mean it. I didn’t know you’d be scared.”
Junggong couldn’t hold it in and said,
“I wasn’t scared! I’m not a coward!”
Gogyo feigned confusion,
“Really? Then why are you angry?”
“I… I… I… I…”
Junggong hesitated for a long while but couldn’t say “I missed you.”
Gogyo approached him again, but Junggong kept his eyes lowered. Gogyo looked at him directly.
“Alright, today it was my fault. I apologize. Will you forgive me?”
Junggong glanced at her quickly, then bowed his head. Holding the end of his sleeve, he muttered,
“I’ll forgive you if you kiss me.”
Gogyo found Junggong unbearably cute. How could he be this adorable? If he asked for a kiss, she would do it ten times without hesitation.
She kissed his small face without hesitation.
Junggong froze. His pitch-black eyes widened, blinking, then he screamed,
“Eek!”
He had just said it casually, yet she actually kissed him! He covered his face with his small hands and shyly ran away.
After the kiss, Junggong’s face was red all night, like someone drunk.
Even at mealtime, he shyly sat beside Gogyo.
That night, when So Yukrang bathed him, he sat in a small basin, showing the left side of his face.
“You can wash this side. Don’t wash the right side. I got kissed there!”
So Yukrang expressionlessly took a towel and cleaned the right side.
“…!”
“Aaaah…”
Suddenly, a piercing cry came from the kitchen. The grandmother, secretly nibbling at her food in her room, almost choked in surprise!
She shouted angrily,
“Yukrang! What did you do to him this time?”
So Yukrang had done nothing—he had simply cleaned the boy’s face.
Junggong cried pitifully.
Only after Gogyo kissed him once more did he stop crying.
This time, Junggong was very careful, covering his face with his small hands to block Gogyo’s surprise attack.
Without hair, there was no need to dry it, so he got dressed immediately and prepared for bed.
He hugged his pillow and first went to greet the grandmother, then went to Gogyo’s room.
“Gogyo, I’m going to sleep. See you tomorrow.”
Gogyo patted his head.
“Good night, I’ll wake you up in the morning.”
“Yes!”
