Chapter 12
Fifty Taels of Silver…
After pondering for a moment, Cheong-yeong recalled that she needed to put up a partition in the room she shared with the twins.
“Then, Elder, please give us just five taels. I’ll keep two taels as my emergency money, and I’ll leave the remaining three with my parents so they can use it for the twins. And later, if my father needs to have furniture made again, please give him a discount then. Ah—and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about this. If Grandmother finds out, she definitely won’t let it go.”
So Cheong-yeong secretly hoped that the Carpenter So family would become a source of support if anything were to happen. Her parents were gentle by nature and not good at asserting themselves, so having a solid family like the carpenter’s—one that had passed down craftsmanship for generations and had many able-bodied men—on their side would bring peace of mind. If she showed them kindness now, she would feel safer later.
The carpenter and his son exchanged glances and tried to insist on giving more silver, but when they saw how firm Cheong-yeong was, they could only nod in agreement.
“Alright. Our whole family knows how to keep our mouths shut, so don’t worry. Not a word will leak out. And if your parents ever need furniture made again, we’ll only charge for the wood.”
Soon after, the carpenter told his wife to bring five taels of silver.
So Dae-hae stood there completely dumbfounded.
We clearly came to have furniture made for Cheong-yeong’s dowry… so how did we end up receiving silver instead?
Before he could make sense of it, the five taels handed over by the carpenter’s wife were already in his hands. Even as he held the money, his hands trembled uncontrollably, unsure what to do. Seeing this, the carpenter’s family burst into warm, good-natured laughter.
Smiling, the carpenter said to Cheong-yeong,
“Your father is an honest man. He’s never fought with others or been greedy his whole life. It may look like he’s losing out right now, but blessings always find people like that.”
He lightly patted Dae-hae on the shoulder and told him not to worry. Only then did Dae-hae awkwardly tuck the silver into his clothes—yet even after that, he kept touching his chest as if afraid the money would disappear if he didn’t keep checking.
After bidding farewell to the carpenter’s family, Cheong-yeong took the twins by the hand and followed Dae-hae home. But before they even reached the front gate, loud arguing could already be heard coming from the courtyard.
* * *
Hearing raised voices from inside the house, Dae-hae hurried his steps and went straight into the courtyard. Cheong-yeong followed, still holding the twins’ hands.
Inside, several unfamiliar men and women—young and old—were surrounding Stepmother-Grandmother Madam Wang and Second Aunt by marriage Madam Feng, engaged in a heated argument. Second Uncle So I-ha stood nearby, flustered and trying to mediate. Cousin Woo-mu and cousin Ha-ha were shielding Madam Feng, while cousin Woo-mun was nowhere to be seen.
Since it was lunchtime, most of the family had gathered in the courtyard. After listening for a moment, Cheong-yeong quickly grasped what was going on.
The visitors were the family of So Woo-mun’s future bride.
Because Woo-mun was about to be sent off to the battlefield, Madam Wang had arranged his marriage, planning to bring the bride in right after Cheong-yeong married out. At first, Madam Wang had sent ten taels of silver as betrothal gifts. In the countryside, that was a fairly generous amount. But somehow, the other family had heard rumors that the So family had received fifty taels of silver from Cheong-yeong’s in-laws—and now they had come to demand an explanation.
“How is it fair that your granddaughter received fifty taels, while our girl only gets ten?” one of them shouted. “Your grandson is also being sent to war—who knows what will happen to him! It’s the same situation!”
The bride’s family had come in a group, insisting that they, too, should receive fifty taels.
Cheong-yeong frowned.
Back when her eldest cousin Cheong-song had been about to leave home, her mother had wanted to arrange a marriage for him. But Madam Wang hadn’t been willing to give even one tael of silver. In the end, the matter became a lifelong knot in her mother’s heart.
If Woo-mun weren’t her biological grandson, Madam Wang wouldn’t have given even ten taels. She still had to marry off her youngest son, So Sa-cheon—there was no way she’d hand over silver so easily. And now this family had the audacity to demand more money?
It was absurd.
If they pushed Madam Wang too hard, she might scrap the engagement altogether and announce she’d rather give a sack of grain and bring in some poor woman from the mountains who couldn’t even farm properly.
Cheong-yeong had no intention of getting involved. Madam Wang was practically unbeatable in verbal fights in the village. No matter who her opponent was, she never backed down. These future in-laws’ women were no match—this argument would drag on for quite a while.
The twins, frightened, pressed close to Cheong-yeong’s legs. Looking down at them, she decided it was best to return to the room. The children couldn’t tolerate hunger well, and they hadn’t eaten properly in the morning. If the argument was going to continue, feeding them first was the priority.
Just as she was about to leave with them, one of the women from the visiting family—Madam Liu—spotted her and shrieked, pointing straight at her.
“Just look at her! She’s even skinnier than our daughter—nothing but bones! Could she even work in the fields properly? And yet she gets fifty taels as betrothal gifts, while our daughter gets only ten! At this rate, both of them will end up widows anyway—so why is she treated as more valuable?”
Cheong-yeong stopped in her tracks and fixed Madam Liu with an icy stare.
She might not want to marry, and she might have resigned herself to living quietly as a widow—but that was her own choice. Who was this woman to gossip so shamelessly about someone else’s fate?
The twins clenched her hands tightly, as if ready to break free and rush forward. Her parents also looked furious, clearly wanting to argue back. But Cheong-yeong spoke first, her voice cold and steady.
“Are you comparing your daughter to me? Do you really think our marriages are the same? If you want to compare, why don’t you bring in the betrothal gifts of the great noble families in the prefectural city?”
“Oh my, look at this girl!” Madam Liu shrieked. “Talking back so clearly to an elder! What makes your family so much better than ours? Our daughter is far better-looking than you!”
She clearly hadn’t expected Cheong-yeong to answer back so directly and pressed on in a heated voice.
Cheong-yeong glanced down at herself.
Dark-skinned, thin as a reed—she looked like a country girl born and raised in the fields. But her face was by no means ugly. With a little care and grooming, she could easily look neat and graceful.
Even if I were truly ugly, who are you to judge?
She swept her cold gaze over Madam Liu. Her patched clothes were stained and filthy, beyond merely shabby. The sight only made Cheong-yeong feel more disgusted.
Life in the countryside was hard, yes—but did that mean one had to dress so disgracefully? Coupled with her gaunt face and sharp expression, Madam Liu inspired no warmth at all.
“Our parents gave every last copper they saved,” Cheong-yeong said coolly. “And my family prepared a dowry as well. But if you’re demanding fifty taels as betrothal gifts, how much dowry are you planning to send with your daughter?”
Madam Liu exploded.
“That money was meant for her brothers and nephews in the first place! Once she marries, she’s bound to become a widow anyway—do you think your family would starve her? At least she’ll have food and clothes!”
Cheong-yeong let out a cold, humorless laugh and slowly scanned the men and women standing beside Madam Liu.
So many of them came along. As expected, people who don’t show greed in front of money are rare. Judging by their faces, it’s ‘If you got fifty taels, we should too!’ isn’t it?
Not a trace of shame could be found among them.
Deciding it was pointless to argue with such people, Cheong-yeong tugged the twins’ hands and turned to leave.
“Mother, we’re hungry. I’ll take the twins to eat first.”
“Oh—well…”
Madam Jang hesitated, wanting to stop her. With the whole household still unfed, letting children eat first went against propriety. She cautiously glanced at Madam Wang.
Fortunately, Madam Wang showed no reaction. Only then did Madam Jang relax, patting her chest in relief, and glance at Dae-hae. When her husband also remained silent, she finally said nothing.
That’s right. I should take care of my own children.
At that moment, the younger children in the courtyard began to murmur. Because Madam Liu’s family had arrived so suddenly, no one had eaten yet, and the children were starving. Seeing Cheong-yeong take the twins to eat, they quietly followed after her.
Old Master So watched as the children slipped away one by one—among them even his youngest son, So Sa-cheon. Raising his voice toward the kitchen, he called out,
“Set a table and feed the children first!”
Ha-ha glanced worriedly at her parents one last time. When Madam Feng gave her a discreet look signaling her to go eat, she finally turned and headed for the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Madam Zheng had originally planned to stay and enjoy the argument to the end, but she’d already gotten involved earlier and gained nothing from it.
It’s not like the money’s coming out of my pocket, but still! If they give that family all fifty taels, what will happen to Yu-bok and Yu-gui later? In a few years, our Chu-guk will need to get married too—shouldn’t we keep some money for dowries?
That was why she had spoken up earlier in support of Madam Wang. But bold as she was at home, she was no match for Madam Liu and got completely overpowered. As hunger set in, she hesitated for a moment—then slipped back into the main house.
Her husband, So Sam-gye, glared at her, but Madam Zheng ignored him and hurried away. So Sam-gye awkwardly glanced at his older brother and sister-in-law, then silently stayed where he was.
Madam Wang, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased with Cheong-yeong’s earlier remarks. When Cheong-yeong took the children away to eat, she didn’t step in at all.
With the children gone and all the household’s main pillars still by her side, Madam Wang felt not the least bit intimidated. She squared up, ready for another round with Madam Liu.
But unexpectedly, after hearing about food, the visiting family exchanged glances and said something entirely unexpected.
“Esteemed in-laws, this works out nicely. We’re quite hungry too. We walked over ten li to get here and can’t hold out anymore. You’ll treat us to a meal, won’t you?”
Madam Wang nearly jumped at the words, but Old Master So spoke first.
“Of course.”
He looked to his eldest and second daughters-in-law and told them to prepare a few more side dishes and add another plate of stir-fried eggs.
There was no time to go to the market for meat, and suggesting slaughtering a chicken would surely make Madam Wang explode. Old Master So didn’t dare bring it up and simply settled for adding more eggs.
After all, in the countryside, even a plate of stir-fried eggs was more than sufficient hospitality.
