If Silk Flowers Bloom by the Water’s Edge Chapter 63

Winter was a season when many living things took a pause. When the season in Chukjangji turned to winter, the Jiju of Nanjubeol generally refrained from going out, and the people under her also minimized their outdoor excursions. The reason why the Jiju, renowned for her generosity, would fall ill and waste away only in winter was related to Chaehwa’s parents, who were dead and gone.

Old Lady Yomyung, who had been summoned, slowly sat down as she heard the door close. She met the eyes of the Jiju, who was seated at the head of the table, and bowed her head, but something that should not have met Old Lady Yomyung’s eyes did.

“My goodness, who brought that….”

What caught the eye of Old Lady Yomyung, who could not finish her sentence, was a basket of sweet potatoes. The Jiju chuckled, took out a plump sweet potato, and began to peel its skin.

“A new member of the kitchen staff brought them, saying they were good sweet potatoes.”

“I will give them a warning. Being new, they did not know that the Jiju cannot eat sweet potatoes….”

But the Jiju, with a nonchalant expression, offered the neatly peeled sweet potato to Old Lady Yomyung. Old Lady Yomyung’s face darkened as she accepted the sweet potato with a hesitant hand. The Jiju, who could not have been unaware of her troubled heart, waved her hand as if to say it was fine.

“I have no intention of forcing the other household members to share my burden because I cannot overcome my own sorrow. It is enough that I alone cannot eat sweet potatoes. Why should others increase their sadness by not being able to eat this delicious thing?”

Old Lady Yomyung smiled softly, feeling the warm sweet potato in her hand. Young Mistress Sanjeong, that is, Chaehwa’s mother, had loved sweet potatoes roasted over a wood fire more than anything. It had felt like a tradition of Nanjubeol to pile up sweet potatoes like a mountain whenever winter came.

“Our Sanjeong couldn’t resist sweet things. Just like Chaehwa now. Is it because she’s Sanjeong’s daughter? Her great interest in the outside world, her fondness for outsiders… she resembles her in every way.”

“Where else would Young Mistress Chaehwa get that magnanimous personality? I suppose this is where the saying that you can’t steal blood comes from.”

Old Lady Yomyung, with a nostalgic look in her eyes, placed the sweet potato down next to her teacup. If one added a dash of maturity to Young Mistress Chaehwa’s appearance, that was Young Mistress Sanjeong. The pride of Nanjubeol, who, like Chaehwa now, had grown up hearing that she was the greatest Jeongmusa of all time. Amidst the atmosphere of reminiscing about old memories, the Jiju let out a hearty laugh.

“Do you remember that? How happy Sanjeong and her husband were after giving birth to that baby. Everyone was making such a fuss about holding Chaehwa that I barely got to hold her a few times.”

Old Lady Yomyung recalled how that same Young Mistress Sanjeong had gone out holding Chaehwa, saying she would buy her pretty new clothes, and had never been able to return. She smiled bitterly and soothed her aching heart with tea.

On a day when white snow was falling heavily, Old Lady Yomyung had rushed over after hearing news of a car accident. Inside the half-crushed car, there was no warmth of life. Young Mistress Sanjeong, sitting in the back seat, was dead with black blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. In her arms, which were wrapped around it like a cradle, was a healthy newborn baby. A few months later, a rumor spread that Sarira of the Bansi family had met with a misfortune, and he had disappeared. It was the event that revealed the tragedy that had befallen the Nanjubeol family was the doing of the Maengmusa family. In that incident, which sent a great shock through the Jeongmusa world, the one who coughed up the most blood was the Jiju of Nanjubeol. Old Lady Yomyung could not forget to this day the Jiju rolling in the snowfield after losing her daughter and son-in-law at once.

Both women were silent, perhaps thinking the same thing. The Jiju rinsed her mouth with tea and then slowly brought up the main topic.

“I will never forgive the Bansi family and Sarira, not even in death. But the most important thing is my granddaughter’s safety.”

“Even when Young Mistress Chaehwa was a newborn, he was someone who only went into hiding because he lacked the innate ability and had the curse turned back on him.”

“No. That Sarira, she looked like the same young maiden when I was twenty, and when Sanjeong died. There is no way that vixen would give up on Chaehwa. I can guarantee that.”

“Please believe in the Young Mistress, Jiju. In my view, Young Mistress Chaehwa is an even greater person than Young Mistress Sanjeong.”

“Greatness does not protect a person’s life. We must be especially careful, and again, careful, and be wary of them. The moment we let our guard down, our throats will be torn out.”

“Is there a separate reason you have called for me?”

“It’s about that outsider.”

Old Lady Yomyung placed her hand, which had been reaching for the teacup, back on her thigh. ‘Outsider’ referred to one person within Nanjubeol. The Jiju looked at Old Lady Yomyung with an unreadable expression.

“I hear he is close with Chaehwa.”

“The Young Mistress likes him. She tries to take care of him. Since he is an outsider, Chukjangji must be unfamiliar to him….”

“Did you know that the outsider’s innate element is water, and that he is not a good match for our Chaehwa?”

Sensing that the atmosphere had changed in an instant, Old Lady Yomyung faced the Jiju with a bitter smile.

“That is merely a matter of compatibility, is it not, not a matter of the person?”

“Chaehwa, so to speak, is fire and earth. I would rather not have an outsider who extinguishes our Chaehwa nearby. At least for this year.”

“Then what shall we do?”

“The end of the year is not far off, so have him pack his bags and send him to the Baekyeong Family as soon as possible. After what happened recently with Chaehwa… I am not feeling well.”

It was originally the custom to send the Haenang back to their hometowns for a while at the end of the year to give them a vacation. Of course, they would also send them off with plenty of gifts to boost the Haenang’s spirits. Old Lady Yomyung knew this was not an outright expulsion and smiled. Today’s matter was simply the overcautiousness of a Jiju who had lost her child. Old Lady Yomyung nodded her head and stood up with a neat posture.

“I will do so.”

However, it would be tearful news for Young Mistress Chaehwa. Old Lady Yomyung’s smile vanished as she turned away. When it came to family matters, even the great white tiger of Nanjubeol was bound to become weak. Today, having confirmed the Jiju’s unhealable wound, was simply sorrowful.

🌹₊ ⊹

The year-end and New Year events in Chukjangji were celebrated on a grand scale, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that they spent about a month in festivities, being truly serious about playing and eating. This was due to the superstition that doing so would appease unjustly deceased souls and bring back good fortune, but for various reasons, those who were born and raised in Chukjangji could not concentrate on their studies or work from the time the topic of the year-end came up.

“Hey. Wake up. Let’s go get lunch.”

Looking at Shinwoo, who had collapsed on the bed with no intention of getting up, Chaho’s sighs grew longer. It was better when he was pouring his soul into the basketball game. Chaho, kicking the back of the listless Shinwoo with his foot, ground his teeth at having gotten such an annoying roommate.

“If you’re going to be like this, you should move out and live on your own too. There are plenty of rooms. If you ask, Old Lady Yomyung will listen to you.”

“……”

“What was that? I can’t hear you.”

Perhaps his hearing had gone bad, but his friend’s voice sounded smaller than the buzzing of a fly’s wings. Chaho, feeling frustrated, went over and forcibly grabbed Shinwoo’s shoulders to pull him up. The sight of Shinwoo’s face, marked with pillow lines, was truly something to behold.

“I need to be punished.”

“What the fuck…. Are you saying that sharing a room with me right now is a punishment?”

“Let go. Don’t bother me.”

“Hey. The way you talk is getting more and more like the person in the next room.”

“I pretended not to see the Young Mistress.”

“Ah, here we go again. Ah! I’m so sick of it!”

Chaho, repulsed, shook his head and retreated to his own bed, but Shinwoo’s confession was just beginning.

“Kim Yirok, that bastard ran over right away. But I was so focused on scoring points.”

“Hah… maybe he was blocking your view. And you ran over later too.”

“The Young Mistress was carried away on his back. She must have thought I was an irresponsible bastard.”

“If you dig any deeper, you’re going to hit groundwater.”

“This isn’t a joke, Chaho. I… I didn’t see the Young Mistress collapse.”

Tears welled up in his eyes as he struggled up like an eel. The basketball game had ended with Shinwoo, who was tied at the last minute, scoring one more point. It was short of 10 points, but the bet between the two had been Shinwoo’s victory. But Shinwoo had foolishly given up the solitary room to Yirok and was staying with Chaho. Saying something about how he, who had abandoned the Young Mistress, needed ‘punishment.’

Chaho had seen how Yirok’s expression changed when the Young Mistress collapsed that day. That blunt and ill-tempered guy had been so startled, as if he’d been stabbed with a knife, that he had immediately thrown the ball and run over. Panting for breath, he had carried Chaehwa and run that long, long way without a single rest. It had all happened in the short time Shinwoo had picked up the ball thrown by Yirok, put it in the hoop, and turned around triumphantly.

Chaho pretended not to see the tears flowing down Shinwoo’s cheeks and gently squeezed his shoulder.

“I said let’s go get lunch. I’m not joking either. Get up before I show you what a real punishment is.”

“…I don’t want to eat.”

“You have to eat to grow taller. You want to lose again next time?”

As expected, there was nothing like Yirok for gently coaxing Shinwoo. Shinwoo, who had been repeating that he had no appetite, followed Chaho with a dejected face. Chaho, whose stomach was empty because of his dawdling friend, helped Shinwoo’s recovery by suggesting they go visit the Young Mistress. Worried that there might not be enough food as a penalty for being late, he opened the dining hall door, and the Haenang and kitchen staff who were picking at their side dishes greeted the two warmly.

“Late again, late again.”

“No appetite because you’re worried about the Young Mistress? She’s recovering, you know? It’s just because her stamina is low.”

While Shinwoo replied with a weak smile, white rice was served before them. Fortunately, the amount of rice was the same, so Chaho energetically picked up his spoon. The food served at Nanjubeol was more delicious than the food his mother made. Besides, this was the only place where he could face Jangsi. Chaho picked up a meat side dish and quickly placed it on Jangsi’s rice bowl. Jangsi, who had been in a staring contest with a grilled mackerel, flinched in surprise and looked forward. Chaho winked one eye as if to let her know he had decided not to hide. The effect seemed to be minimal, judging by how Jangsi quickly averted her gaze.

“If you want more, just say so, Shinwoo Haenang. I’ll….”

Just as the kitchen staff stepped forward to offer words of comfort to Shinwoo, the door opened. Everyone who was supposed to be there was present, so a school of fish-like eyes all turned toward the opening door. A white snowflake entered first, as if testing the waters. Following behind was a tall man.

“Well, if it isn’t Yirok Haenang.”