Chapter 42
An Easy-to-Raise Child
Dinner consisted of a wild mushroom and egg soup with cornmeal dumplings, and dumplings stuffed with cabbage. The household could afford meat, but today they were too busy to go to the town to buy any.
The young monk couldn’t hide his disappointment when he saw the table full of vegetables.
“No meat?”
So Yulang laughed heartily.
“Aren’t you a monk? Do monks eat meat?”
Jungong spoke seriously.
“I’m no longer a monk now that I’ve descended from the mountain!”
Yulang’s gaze fell on his small head.
Jungong quickly covered it with his tiny hands.
“M-My hair will grow back soon!”
Yulang said firmly,
“Our household doesn’t eat meat.”
Jungong looked around the house. Seeing how humble it was, he realized they were truly poor.
“Oh.”
He didn’t throw a tantrum asking for meat. He removed his small hands from his head and quietly picked at the vegetables.
Jungong was an easy-to-raise child who didn’t fuss over food.
Gogyo chuckled softly.
“Your elder brother-in-law is teasing you. I’ll give you meat tomorrow.”
“Yes!”
Jungong beamed with joy at that, and then, as if he remembered something, he glared solemnly at Yulang.
“Elder brother-in-law, you’re mean!”
Because of his age, Jungong’s appetite was considerable. Fortunately, the dumplings Gogyo had made were plentiful.
After finishing the meal, Gogyo went to clear the dishes. Jungong insisted he would wash his own.
This habit came from life in the monastery. The senior monks taught them to be independent, so they had to wash, dress, and do chores by themselves.
However, he was too short to reach the washbasin, so he needed help for bathing.
Gogyo didn’t have a proper tub at home, only a wooden basin. But Jungong was still too young to bathe alone, even with the basin.
Gogyo found it fascinating, having never bathed such a young child before.
She carried the basin to the kitchen. The stove, still warm from cooking, was warmer than Grandma’s room. Since water was boiling, she could replace the basin water with warm water anytime it cooled.
Gogyo went to his room and brought Jungong’s clothes.
Jungong sat patiently on the wooden stool, waiting.
But it wasn’t Gogyo who appeared—Yulang arrived instead.
Jungong preferred Gogyo, who doted on him, over the cold Yulang.
“Ugh.”
He let out a disappointed sigh.
“……”
After the bath, it was time for bed.
The house had three rooms, so Jungong didn’t have one of his own. But since he was still small, sharing a room was fine.
The first choice was Grandma’s room, the warmest in the house.
“Go sleep in Aunt’s room.”
Gogyo handed him a pillow. Jungong took it and went to Grandma’s room, standing solemnly at the door.
“If you share your secret treats with me, I’ll sleep with Grandma.”
Grandma slammed the door in silence!
Jungong returned to Gogyo’s room, hugging his pillow.
“Grandma won’t sleep with me.”
Remembering Grandma’s gruff personality and the door slam, Gogyo raised her blanket without hesitation.
“Then sleep with me.”
“Alright!”
Jungong happily placed the pillow on the bed and climbed up. But halfway on, Yulang pulled him away.
“You’ll sleep with me.”
“No, I want to sleep with my elder brother-in-law.”
“No, you want to sleep with me.”
Eventually, Jungong was taken to Yulang’s room.
Yulang’s bed wasn’t as big as Gogyo’s, but it was spacious enough. However, small Jungong didn’t lie neatly on one side; he jumped to the middle and spread his limbs.
Yulang put down his staff and frowned.
“Lie properly.”
Jungong rolled around on the bed.
“No.”
Yulang said coldly,
“If you keep this up, you’ll sleep on the floor.”
Jungong was about to protest when Yulang added,
“I’ll also lock the door so you can’t escape.”
With the back door blocked too, Jungong couldn’t resist.
Raising his eyebrows, Yulang said,
“If you promise to behave, I might consider giving you a spot.”
Jungong stood up and said,
“That’s my decision to make! Gogyo said I’m part of this family! So whether I give up the bed is my choice!”
Yulang understood the first part but not the last two sentences.
He said calmly,
“What? You’ll decide whether to give up the bed?”
Jungong put his hands on his hips.
“I’m part of this household too! I have a right here! You married Gogyo, so you naturally sleep together. This room is mine! Since my sister doesn’t want to sleep with you, I have no choice but to accept you for now!”
Yulang couldn’t argue.
A child’s logic defies common sense. The previously quarrelsome Jungong turned, lay face down on the pillow, and fell asleep drooling.
Yulang liked the peace. He wasn’t used to the child’s constant chatter, but he didn’t want to drive Jungong away.
He straightened Jungong’s small body and covered him with a blanket.
Yulang stared quietly at the child. Because of him, people had forgotten that Yulang had been first in the exam.
He hadn’t sought attention, but still felt something missing.
Creak.
The door cracked open, and Gogyo’s quiet voice whispered through.
“Are you sleeping?”
“No.”
Yulang paused, then looked at the peacefully sleeping Jungong.
“The child is asleep.”
“Then I’ll come in for a bit.”
Gogyo tiptoed in with a lantern.
“I saw a lantern in your room fall. Use mine tonight.”
“Alright.”
Yulang calmly sat on the edge of the bed. Gogyo placed the lantern on his desk.
“I… haven’t congratulated you for being first in the exam yet.”
Yulang slightly lifted his eyelids, a bit proud.
“I’ll give this to you.”
“What is it?”
Gogyo smiled.
“It’s a reward for your great progress.”
Yulang turned away.
“I’m not a child, why a reward?”
Still, he reached out and took it. Gogyo had made a small scented sachet filled with dried flowers to help sleep.
Gogyo whispered softly,
“If you carry this with you, you’ll sleep well.”
“You…”
Yulang wanted to ask how she knew he couldn’t sleep.
Gogyo saw what he was about to ask and smiled.
“Forgot? We slept together.”
Yulang’s eyebrows twitched, but his expression remained calm.
Gogyo started to leave but suddenly leaned close, whispering by his ear.
“By the way… you just called me Gogyo, right?”
They were so close that her breath brushed his ear. He felt his ear grow hot.
“No.”
He didn’t dare meet her eyes.
Gogyo noticed his flushed face. Beneath his black hair, his slender neck was tinged with red. The boy was fresh and beautiful.
“I don’t know… but I heard it anyway.”
Satisfied, Gogyo left.
Yulang noticed she had grown a bit taller. Her figure was still slim, but softer curves were forming. He quickly looked away, unsure where to rest his gaze.
That night, Yulang slept relatively comfortably.
When he woke, he saw a small foot across his chest.
Jungong was lying sprawled on his back.
Yulang moved the foot and quietly placed Gogyo’s gift, the scented sachet, on the pillow. He lit the lantern and began copying texts.
Jungong awoke, noticed the sachet, rubbed his large eyes, and asked,
“Hmm? What’s this?”
Yulang replied calmly while writing,
“A scented sachet.”
Jungong, unfamiliar with it, examined it curiously.
“It’s pretty. Who made it?”
“Your sister made it.”
“Is it for me?”
Excited, Jungong leapt from the bed and ran to the kitchen to confirm with Gogyo.
When Gogyo confirmed, Jungong frowned in frustration.
It wasn’t because he was greedy—this was simply the nature of a child. He couldn’t understand why his “mean elder brother-in-law” had a sachet and he didn’t.
Gogyo found his sulky expression adorable. She had never raised a child, so she hadn’t anticipated he would feel upset about this. She also hadn’t expected Yulang would proudly display the sachet.
Such childishness.
Gogyo explained why she had given the sachet to Yulang. Being sensible, Jungong understood its meaning and no longer felt sad.
He cheerfully returned to his room and gave the sachet back to Yulang.
Yulang squinted at him.
“Aren’t you angry?”
Jungong lifted his chin and looked at him with affection.
“I never thought your grades would be so low! Getting a reward for being first… I was always first at the monastery. Now I’m used to it and don’t need compensation!”
“……”
It was another day when he wanted to drive the young monk away.
Soon, Gososun came for breakfast. He greeted the new family member, Jungong.
Jungong realized there were only two males in the house. Gososun was also part of the household—he just didn’t live there.
Gososun’s combat skills weren’t enough to make Jungong wary, so he became friends with him faster than with the troublesome Yulang. They quickly became close brothers.
After the two left for the academy, Gogyo prepared to go to town.
Grandma’s winter clothes were made by Seol Eung-hyang. But by then, the farming season had begun, leaving Seol no time to sew. Gogyo planned to buy several sets of clothes for Grandma in town.
Jungong’s clothes were needed too. He had been abandoned at the monastery before his first birthday, so all his bundles contained were monk’s robes.
When Jungong heard Gogyo was going to town, his eyes lit up.
“Can I come too? Huh? Can I?”
If it were just for clothes, Gogyo would have taken him. But she had other business.
She patted his head.
“I’ll take you next time.”
Jungong wanted to follow but obediently stayed behind.
He was an easy-to-raise child.
