Chapter 006: Hints
Asung was not a servant, but he worked in the store. Yet, whether before Mak Yuk-geun, Mak-ri, or anyone else, he never showed a servile attitude. Tall, well-built, and strikingly handsome, he carried a sense of uprightness combined with roughness and gravity, leaving a strong impression that drew attention wherever he went.
“How are you here?”
Mak-ri asked, frowning, almost absentmindedly.
Asung had been a household worker, and she had always had a good impression of him. When her father passed away, he had taken care of many things, handling them efficiently without being asked.
But after that, he vanished without a trace.
By that reckoning, she hadn’t seen Asung for almost ten years. She had almost forgotten that such a person had ever been part of their household.
“Business has been slow lately, so the master let two of the servants go. Mr. Jo, who used to drive the carriage, returned to his hometown last month, and since there’s less work now, I took over his duties,” Asung explained.
He finished speaking, devoured a dumpling in two bites, and then smiled at Mak-ri.
“Make sure you eat well. A healthy body keeps illnesses away. Get in the carriage. I’ll be done in a moment.”
“Daegonang!”
At that moment, Hong-du, who was in the carriage, called out to Mak-ri.
As Mak-ri turned and took a step, Asung stretched his long legs and leapt onto the carriage with a swift, effortless motion. Reflexively, Mak-ri said:
“Drive carefully. Grandmother is here.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll drive more smoothly than Mr. Jo did.”
Asung looked back and smiled, and Mak-ri nodded. Meeting the man who had helped her family during times of crisis seemed to lift a long-standing shadow from her heart.
“Why does it take so long just to fetch a handkerchief?”
As she climbed into the carriage, the elderly lady lightly scolded her.
Mak-ri smiled and diverted the conversation.
“But Grandmother, aren’t you coming along?”
“Hong-du alone is enough. This carriage is small, and the horse is old. Too many people would make it hard to pull.”
Mak-ri hesitated slightly but then nodded.
An old horse and a cramped carriage… Compared to the carriage she had used in her youth, this one was tiny. Back then, she could even lie down to rest, with silk padding and curtains drawn over the windows—a luxury beyond imagining.
The more I think about it, Hansado’s cunning really is remarkable.
Even if he had siphoned off the Mak family’s wealth, multiplying it several times over was a testament to his skill. The thought made Mak-ri’s eyes grow colder.
“Don’t worry. The Yang family has no justification in this matter. If we don’t consent, there’s nothing they can do!”
Seeing her granddaughter’s troubled expression, the elderly lady patted her hand in reassurance.
Mak-ri straightened her posture and smiled in response.
They think I’m upset about the broken engagement.
“I’m not worried. I’m only worried that you and Grandmother might be worried about me.”
“Our Riri has always been so thoughtful. But those Yangs are truly ungrateful. After gaining so much, they still complain. Don’t they fear the scorn of others?”
“Grandmother, don’t waste your anger on people like that. They’re not worth it. Come to think of it, it’s been quite some time since we last went to the temple to burn incense together. Will Gwanghwa Temple be crowded today?”
Mak-ri held her wrinkled hand gently while asking. The elderly lady let go of her worries and shook her head.
“Today is no special day. It shouldn’t be crowded.”
Though the horse was old and the carriage slow, they soon arrived at Gwanghwa Temple.
The temple entrance was quiet. Aside from their carriage, only a single carriage with silk curtains and lanterns stood illuminated.
Mak-ri glanced at it and murmured quietly:
“They must be a wealthy family coming to burn incense. I wonder who they are.”
“This temple has been around for a long time. If the abbot had liked a busier atmosphere, it would have prospered even more,” the elderly lady said, leading Mak-ri’s hand. Hong-du followed behind, while Asung stayed to guard the carriage.
As Mak-ri followed the elderly lady up the steps to the main hall, she noticed an elderly woman emerging from the inner chamber, supported by her attendant. Dressed in a light blue old-rose silk jacket with a dark, glossy silk horse-face skirt, half her hair white, she radiated a subtle elegance and wealth, moving slowly with the help of her attendant.
Mak-ri studied the approaching woman closely, then lowered her gaze and stepped aside.
“Grandmother, when you lived in Cheongnyeong County, did you often come to this temple to burn incense?”
The elderly woman paused, turning to look at them. She then addressed the elderly lady beside Mak-ri:
“Are you perhaps Madam Seo?”
The elderly lady recalled, about to answer her granddaughter, surprised. Her maternal family was indeed the Seos, but who was this person recognizing her?
She studied the woman’s face for a moment, then suddenly remembered someone.
“Oh my, could you be the sister who married into the Sa family?”
“Yes! It really is you!”
The Sa lady, overwhelmed with surprise and joy, shook off her attendant and approached.
“I thought you looked familiar at first glance, but so many years have passed, I nearly didn’t recognize you!”
“It really is you! But what brings you here? I heard you still live in Cheongnyeong County. How did you end up so far away to burn incense?”
A sigh escaped the Sa lady.
“Last year, there was a great flood in Cheongnyeong County, and my old house was submerged. My third son brought me to Yeongju.”
“I see… Well, at least you have a devoted son.”
The elderly lady nodded, scanning the Sa lady and smiling.
“You look far better than before. Had you not called me, I might never have recognized you.”
“It’s all thanks to my children’s care. But ever since arriving here, I feel my body has grown lazier.”
The Sa lady squinted, smiling, glancing a few times at Mak-ri with admiration.
“She’s truly a beautiful young lady. Is this your granddaughter? How old is she?”
“Riri. You even came to her hundred-day celebration, how could you have forgotten already?”
The elderly lady smiled, introducing Mak-ri, and the Sa lady’s eyes widened.
“Goodness, it’s Riri! She’s grown so much. I’ve even held her before!”
The Sa lady held Mak-ri’s hands, unable to take her eyes off her.
Mak-ri bowed gracefully, smiling.
“Grandmother Sa, may you be blessed with longevity.”
The Sa lady, after a while, praised the elderly lady beside Mak-ri.
“This child is far more charming than her mother. Truly blessed.”
Just then, a few people began ascending the steps to burn incense.
Only then did the Sa lady realize she had been blocking others’ way and stepped aside with a laugh.
“Oh, in all the excitement, I almost forgot. What brings you to the temple today?”
“Ah. This child was ill a few days ago, and coincidentally, her grandfather appeared in a dream. He told her to come to the temple today to obtain a Peace Talisman. We hurried here and paid some incense money as well.”
“Oh, then we mustn’t delay.”
The Sa lady, who had been about to greet them, laughed and added:
“I nearly forgot the important part while chatting. My third daughter-in-law has been preparing for my longevity banquet for a few days. Since it’s fate that we meet today, come by the day after tomorrow with Riri. This encounter should not be wasted.”
Meanwhile, Mak-ri kept her gaze lowered, smiling gently as she waited beside the elderly lady.
Inside the hall, faint incense smoke drifted as the elderly lady secured a Peace Talisman after paying generously. She suggested that Mak-ri try a fortune slip.
Mak-ri paused, then looked up at the serene, compassionate face of the Buddha.
…Whatever lies ahead, even Buddha cannot change it.
“Why hesitate?”
The elderly lady asked, noticing her granddaughter holding the fortune slip but setting it down. Mak-ri smiled faintly.
“Grandmother, I won’t draw a fortune. Grandfather told me just to get the Peace Talisman yesterday.”
“What does it matter? You can still ask for guidance while you’re here.”
“Grandmother, the talisman is enough. Grandfather appeared in my dream. I will do exactly as he said.”
Saying this, Mak-ri rose, gently taking her grandmother’s arm and acting playfully.
“You little rascal! Using your grandfather to stop me!”
The elderly lady understood that Mak-ri’s mind was preoccupied with the Yang family affair, worried that a bad fortune might upset her, so she let it go. She could have Mak-ri draw a fortune another time.
As Mak-ri left the hall, holding her grandmother’s arm, she glanced back. Her eyes were calm yet sharp.
I crawled out of hell myself; no fortune slip can sway me.
She did not want her grandmother or mother to worry over a few written characters.
Stepping outside, the Sa lady waited.
The two elderly women spoke for some time in the temple courtyard, reminiscing as old friends do. Naturally, they inquired about each other’s descendants, sharing worries and pride.
The Sa lady, learning that Mak-ri already had a match arranged, laughed with some regret that among her grandchildren of the same generation, a few were of suitable age and appearance.
The elderly lady brushed it off with a smile. She knew the Sa family’s standards were far higher than the Yangs’, so such comments were mere pleasantries.
After a long while, the two women promised to meet again the day after tomorrow, and then, with a touch of regret, returned to their respective carriages.
The day’s purpose had been fulfilled.
Leaning against the swaying carriage wall, Mak-ri held the Peace Talisman, slowly envisioning the events to come.
