Chapter 11
A Small Idea for the Family…
The next day, after clearing away the breakfast table, So Cheong-young waited for her father to return from the fields. Then she took the twin siblings with her and headed to the carpenter So’s house.
She had never planned to bring many things with her when she married. Given the state of the So family’s finances, the Yeo family could not have been unaware of it when they arranged the match in the first place. If they had pushed ahead with the marriage anyway, then they surely weren’t in a position to start quibbling over dowry matters now.
Even so, Cheong-young hadn’t gone to see the carpenter to prepare her own dowry. Rather, it was because the room where her parents and the twins lived looked far too bare, and she wanted to have a few essential pieces of furniture made for daily use.
Since her grandfather had offered to cover the cost, she planned to take this opportunity to have the carpenter add a partition inside the house to divide up the space. If left as it was, there was no telling whose hands that room might fall into after she left.
At worst, Cheong-yang and Cheong-haeng might have to share a room with their cousins. If that happened, the room could even end up being used as a bridal chamber for a cousin brother or sister. But Cheong-young wanted this room, at least, to be left to the twins no matter what.
When Cheong-young and the others arrived at Carpenter So’s house, the courtyard was piled high with all kinds of lumber, sawdust, and half-finished wooden goods.
After greeting Carpenter So and his family, Cheong-young carefully examined the wooden furniture stacked along one side of the yard. There was nothing particularly fancy about their appearance, but each piece showed clear signs of careful workmanship—everything had been made with great skill and effort.
Carpenter So, his sons, and even his grandsons were all highly skilled.
In this era, a craftsman’s techniques were passed down through generations—from master to disciple, from father to son, and then to grandson. Skills accumulated over several generations were kept strictly within the family and not shared with outsiders, making them difficult for others to learn. As a result, true masters often possessed abilities no one else could imitate.
Meanwhile, So Dae-hae was discussing his daughter’s dowry with Carpenter So.
While that was going on, Cheong-young stopped in front of a five-tier chest of drawers made of paulownia wood. She grasped a handle, pulled a drawer out, pushed it back in, then pulled it again. After that, she removed the drawer completely and began inspecting it closely.
The little ones crowded around her, eyes sparkling as they watched her every move.
At that moment, Carpenter So’s eldest son approached and asked,
“Are you thinking of ordering a five-tier chest?”
“Uncle Mok-po.”
Cheong-young turned her head toward So Mok-po (蘇木刨) and rose from her seat.
All of Carpenter So’s sons had inherited their father’s craft and were learning the trade, and the grandsons naturally helped with the family business as well.
Interestingly, Carpenter So had named all of his sons after characters taken from woodworking tools: Bu (斧, axe), Po (刨, plane), Geo (鋸, saw), and Chan (鑽, awl).
When it came to naming his grandsons, he drew characters from furniture instead—Tak (桌, table), Deung (凳, stool), Du (斗, drawer), Gwe (櫃, chest). It was truly an ingenious naming scheme.
Remembering this, Cheong-young smiled brightly at So Mok-po. He returned her smile and asked again,
“So, you want a five-tier chest made?”
Cheong-young nodded with a smile.
“Yes, but I want it made a little differently.”
“Hm?”
Intrigued, So Mok-po looked around the yard. The finished and half-finished five-tier chests all had the same familiar design—straightforward, simple, and practical, with nothing particularly sharp or flashy about them.
Five-tier chests were common furniture in most ordinary households. The differences in price depended solely on the quality of the wood, whether there were decorations, and how refined the finishing was.
“Do you have something specific in mind? Or do you not like the ones here?”
Cheong-young shook her head with a smile. She walked over to an unvarnished five-tier chest set aside nearby and gently pulled a drawer out, closed it, then pulled it again and closed it once more.
The drawers fit together perfectly, without a single gap, and opened and closed smoothly. The surface was finely polished with no rough spots, clearly showing the craftsman’s delicate touch. Though it was made in a small rural workshop, the workmanship was good enough to stand proudly anywhere.
So Mok-po stepped up beside her and watched quietly as she opened and closed the drawers several times, unable to guess her intent. Then, when Cheong-young suddenly seemed to tug hard on a drawer, he hurriedly reached out and exclaimed,
“Hey now! If you pull that hard, the drawer could come out and hurt you! Be careful!”
“That’s exactly it—it comes out too easily.”
“Drawers aren’t meant to be pulled like that. Look, you should pull them slowly like this, and you shouldn’t pull them all the way out.”
So Mok-po pushed the drawer back in himself and demonstrated carefully pulling it out again.
Cheong-young watched quietly from the side, a faint smile on her lips.
“So what kind of chest do you want to make? You don’t like any of these? But these aren’t finished yet. Once we carve decorations and apply lacquer, they’ll look much better. Come on, pick one. I’ll carve a pair of lotus flowers for you—pretty and auspicious.”
He assumed she disliked the appearance of the chest.
However, Cheong-young said nothing. Instead, she called the twins over and had them try pulling the drawers themselves. She even put heavy objects inside the drawers and had them pull again.
Still unable to understand her intention, So Mok-po silently observed.
Before long, So Dae-hae and Carpenter So also came over to watch.
“Cheong-young, are you adding a five-tier chest to your dowry?”
Carpenter So, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, patted the twins’ heads and asked.
Cheong-young shook her head.
“No. It’s for the house. I want my parents and the twins to use it.”
Before So Dae-hae could say anything, she turned back to Carpenter So and added,
“Grandfather, I want to make it a little different from the usual chests.”
As she spoke, she pointed at the chest and began explaining her idea to Carpenter So and his son.
The drawers made here, of course, had no rails. As a result, a drawer could easily slide out if pulled with even a little force. If an upper drawer came out suddenly, there was a real risk of it dropping onto someone’s foot. Furniture in this era was made entirely of solid wood and was extremely heavy.
If something like that fell on your foot?
There was no need to say more—the pain would be unimaginable.
If a five-tier chest like this were kept in the house, the twins might pull the drawers out carelessly, making it dangerous. That was when Cheong-young thought of modern drawers with rails, and she immediately began figuring out how to adapt that idea to furniture in this era.
Carpenter So and his son So Mok-po listened to her explanation, deep in thought. The two of them removed a drawer completely and examined the sides, pondering for a long time.
Then, gradually, their eyes began to shine.
“Cheong-young, come here—we should talk more about this!”
Carpenter So beckoned her over, and Cheong-young continued explaining beside him.
There are many kinds of drawer rails, but ones with bearings would be too troublesome to make. It’d be better to reinforce them with metal plates or add wooden strips and carve grooves. That would be relatively simple to implement.
“Father, this method doesn’t apply only to chests of drawers!”
So Mok-po said excitedly. True to his reputation as someone who surpassed his teacher, he instantly envisioned many possible uses.
Cheong-young nodded and added,
“That’s right! Not just drawers—this ‘drawer-rail’ method could be applied to windows or doors, tables and chairs, beds, or chests—anywhere it’s needed.”
Carpenter So crouched beside the chest, listening closely to their discussion. Suddenly, as if something had clicked, his eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly.
No matter how skilled a craftsman was, it was easy to become trapped in familiar methods. Yet sometimes, a single hint was enough to clear a blocked view all at once.
“Cheong-young, this is truly a brilliant idea!”
Carpenter So exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up. He then glanced at So Dae-hae. Dae-hae, unable to hide his pride, straightened his shoulders ever so slightly.
After that, like children who had just been handed a brand-new toy, Carpenter So, his sons, and his grandsons surrounded Cheong-young and bombarded her with questions.
By the time the conversation wound down, it was already nearing noon.
“You’re leaving already? Why not stay for lunch?”
Carpenter So’s wife and daughters-in-law tried to stop Cheong-young and her family, holding onto the twins.
“No, it’s all right. We’ll be heading back now.”
So Dae-hae declined politely, glancing up at the sky. Realizing how much of the morning had already slipped away, he grew anxious.
Time really flies… I didn’t get much fieldwork done at all this morning.
When they continued to refuse, Carpenter So stepped forward.
“Cheong-young, don’t worry. I’ll personally take my sons and grandsons and finish the work as quickly as possible. It’ll definitely be done before your wedding, so put your mind at ease. I’ll make it carefully.”
Although she had said the furniture was for the house, So Dae-hae hadn’t agreed, and Cheong-young hesitated for a moment. In the end, she said nothing more.
I’ll bring it up again when the wedding gets closer. The Yeo family surely won’t lack furniture of this level anyway.
“But Cheong-young, are you sure you don’t want any decorations carved? Red lacquer would make it look bright and auspicious.”
So Mok-po tried once more, glancing at So Dae-hae. Dae-hae simply gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
She’s already made up her mind. It’s not my place to interfere. She’ll be the one using it, so it’s best to let her have it her way.
“I like the natural wood as it is. Just apply lacquer on top. No carvings—I’d rather not. Dust would only build up and make it a hassle to clean.”
At her firm refusal, So Mok-po exchanged a look with his father.
Carpenter So pondered for a moment, then spoke.
“Cheong-young, this ‘drawer-rail’ idea of yours—it’s truly unprecedented. It’s not something found in the techniques passed down in our family either. Since you’ve shared such a valuable idea with us, I can’t just take it for free. Let’s do this: I’ll give you eight taels of silver. Think of it as buying this ingenious idea from you.”
“Sir, no! That wouldn’t be right. It’s just something a child thought up on a whim…”
So Dae-hae waved both hands, refusing adamantly. Carpenter So shot him a sharp look and cut him off, then turned back to Cheong-young.
“What do you think, Cheong-young?”
She glanced sideways at her father. He looked deeply worried, clearly afraid his daughter might ask for too much money.
Seeing that, Cheong-young let out a quiet chuckle inside.
Honestly, Father… how much can you earn with physical labor alone? In the end, what truly changes the world and holds real value are ingenious ideas and exceptional wisdom.
