Chapter 212 — Preparing to Return
When he stopped by home, Han Sun-uk was already there.
He was sitting across from Yeongu's mother on the broad wooden floor that connected the women's quarters to the men's quarters, and when his eyes met Yeongu's, he greeted him with a fresh smile as if he were the master of the house.
"Jungnangjang Lee, you have come. Did you stop by the Ministry of War?"
"Yes. But how are you already…"
Looking around, Yeongu saw Sohee there as well, and Sun-uk's daughter too.
"They say one should pull out the ox horn while it is still hot, so I came running at once. Since there were two spare horses, I followed Steward Dorogan."
"Ah, I see. Thank you for your careful consideration."
"We still need to finish discussing things. Could you come up quickly?"
"Yes, just a moment."
It was a household matter.
Seeing Dorogan standing in attendance, Yeongu looked at him, and Dorogan spoke briefly.
"He spoke a few words with Lady Sohee and said he would take her at once."
"Ah."
"The lady of the house says the child is young, and the young lady says she will go."
"Phew. You worked hard."
"Loyalty."
Dorogan stepped back, and Yeongu went up to the wooden floor of the men's quarters.
A rather elaborate spread of tea and refreshments had been set out.
He picked up one or two pieces of fruit and sweets and ate them.
He did not know what they tasted like.
Sohee approached on her knees.
"Elder brother?"
"Mm?"
"Am I going?"
"Mm. Will you be all right? You will not know anyone there."
"Mm. Just let me take Yeonbi with me."
Yeonbi was a young slave girl three or four years older than Sohee.
"Will that be all right?"
"Why do you keep asking the same thing?"
Han Sun-uk spread his hand as if to show him.
"This is how she is."
Yeongu looked at his mother.
She was someone who had given up many things as the household fell into hardship.
The thought of sending one family member far away terrified her.
She feared that another Yeongu might appear.
"Yes. If it is for Sohee's education, we could also bring in a teacher from nearby."
"That is so."
When Yeongu agreed, his mother leaned forward.
"That is what I mean. How would it be to look for a teacher nearby? I dislike sending Sohee far away."
He understood that painful heart.
How precious must this late-born child be to her?
She must have endured those hard years by looking at this late-born child who had come down like a gift.
"But there is no one like this nearby."
"So what if there is not? I should not say such things with the teacher sitting before us, but…"
Yeongu looked at Sohee as he spoke.
"After living far away, I learned something. Opportunities like this do not always come. I thought that if I failed to seize a chance, I would simply keep living as I had before. But that was not what happened. One falls completely. Far down below. How good would it have been if your son had been this clever? But your son is not. It is a pity that she is a daughter, but that is because of social custom. If she learns, cultivates herself, and gains ability, she will be able to do far more."
"Still, I dislike it. What use is it for a girl to be clever? Happiness is more important."
"Can Sohee be happy if she cannot do what she wishes? Happiness is this: fulfilling what one longs for. Even if one cannot fulfill it, one can be happy if one is able to move toward it."
"It is enough to eat well and sleep well."
"That is health, Mother."
"Yes. If she is healthy, that is enough. I will hold her in my arms and live with her. So say no more."
Yeongu was frustrated.
Before, it had not been this difficult, but when it came to Sohee, his mother would not yield a single thing.
Perhaps the hardest thing in the world was persuading one's mother.
And among all matters, anything concerning her children was almost impossible to persuade her on.
That was because she had lived through painful times.
Yeongu turned toward Han Sun-uk.
"But did you not say you would handle it?"
"Oh dear… I did, but with something like this, hm, I thought the matter had already been discussed. I never dreamed your mother would object."
"Is there no other way?"
"Well, there is the method of simply taking her with us. Hm. There is also the method of having Mother come with us. If she goes and sees it for herself, might she not be satisfied? It is the heart of a mother who does not wish to send her child far away. How could we ignore that? Perhaps Mother could go with us, see it herself, feel at ease, and then return."
Hearing the conversation between the two, Yeongu's mother's eyes flashed.
Yeongu asked, "Mother, how would that be? If you are truly worried, why not go with her, see how things are done, and then come back?"
Sohee clung to her mother's arm and whined.
His mother was weak to her again.
"Let us do that. We will go first and see."
"Oh, thank you."
Yeongu said to Sun-uk, "It is already late. How would it be to stay at our house tonight and move tomorrow?"
Sun-uk smiled broadly.
"Then I would be grateful."
Yeongu told Dorogan to prepare rooms.
As soon as Sun-uk's party went down, Yeongu spoke to Dorogan.
"I return tomorrow. Go to So Cheol-un's house and tell him to come tomorrow morning."
"Yes, understood."
But Sohee was still beside him.
"Why?"
"Thank you, elder brother."
"Yes. You should be very thankful. I went far to bring that man here. I hope you learn well and become able to do what you want."
"Yes. Thank you."
Yeongu went to his room and began packing his personal things, but his mother came in and started setting things aside.
"What is this?"
"Roasted grain powder."
"Ah, that sounds delicious. But why is there so much?"
"I made a lot. You have packhorses, so load it behind you and take it."
"Ah… and what is that?"
Beside the sack of roasted grain powder was a large bundle.
"This is dried meat. I made jerky."
"You did, Mother?"
"Why? Can I not make it?"
"That is not it, but why go through the trouble?"
"Military jerky values preservation before taste. I salted it heavily and used a strong soy marinade. I used honey and even expensive pepper. You can lightly roast it over fire or put it in hot water and loosen it like broth. If you tear the dried meat and put it into porridge, the saltiness and meat flavor spread, so it will be good when camping."
Now that the house was livable, they could even make jerky.
"I understand."
Yeongu took one piece out and tasted it.
Yesterday, the smell of soy sauce and ginger had spread softly inside and outside the house, and it seemed this was what they had been making.
The meat had been soaked in marinade all night, then hung at dawn on a straw rope beneath the eaves.
He had wondered what was dangling beneath the eaves of the women's quarters.
Cold wind had swept between the strips of meat, and sunlight had slanted in.
The meat had been brushed with soy sauce and dried again and again until it became tough dried meat.
The taste was faintly sweet.
It felt as if it would make him healthy.
Since it was meat, strength seemed ready to rise.
"It is delicious."
"I used honey, minced scallion, garlic, and ginger juice too. I put in pepper as well."
"So that is why it tastes this good. On the battlefield, we just sprinkle it with soy sauce and salt and dry it."
It really was delicious.
He chewed carefully and savored the flavor that seeped out.
When he handed the torn remainder to Sohee, she shook her head.
Yeongu asked his mother, "Does she still not eat meat?"
"How long ago was that? She eats it now. Only a little, of course."
He had been away from home a long time.
Old memories had become skeletal and buried in the years.
They were no longer reality.
His mother took out a padded quilted garment and showed it to him.
"What is this?"
"Wear it underneath. It will be good at night."
"Ah, it is well made."
"I went all the way to Byeongnando to get cotton."
"Ah, you went that far…"
When he touched the quilted part, it was soft and springy.
The neat lines of stitching in colored thread were beautiful like a work of art.
"Phew. Enough now."
His mother kept going back and forth between the women's quarters and the men's quarters, bringing out more things.
"In the old days, there was nothing in the house, so I could not pack anything for you. Why would I not do it now?"
"I am glad. But I dislike carrying things around."
"Load them on the horses."
"Enough. Please stop now."
In the evening, So Cheol-un arrived.
"Loyalty. So Cheol-un has completed preparations for return."
"You have finished everything and come?"
"Yes."
"We leave tomorrow."
"Loyalty."
Yeongu told Dorogan to give him a room.
The slaves came running and took So Cheol-un's horse and luggage.
Since they were leaving tomorrow, everyone bustled about preparing.
On one side, they packed Sohee's belongings.
On the other, they packed Yeongu's.
It was busy and hectic.
Only Yeongu, who kept saying none of it was necessary, was idle.