A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 182

182. Homecoming

The Seowon [a type of private academy in Korea] is a familiar place for the little ones, more than anywhere else.

Adults might sternly say, ‘This is a place to learn,’ but for the children, the Seowon is their most comfortable playground, a second home.

Even on days without classes, the children gathered at the Seowon to play.

This was because, even when there was no teacher present, the doors of the Seowon were always open.

Perhaps it was a habit from the old days when doors weren’t even common.

“Wahahaha!”

“Iyap! How’s that? I’m the strongest, right?”

“No! I’m stronger!”

The boys were running around the yard, showing off their strength like comparing the sizes of acorns.

Soso, sitting on a bamboo mat and watching them, sighed deeply.

“Haa.”

Aeng-aeng, who was touching the flower-patterned fabric of her clothes, turned to Soso and asked.

“Why? Did your sister scold you again?”

“No, it’s just…”

Soso looked at the boys with a pathetic expression and said.

“Boys are so lucky. They don’t have to think.”

“Don’t have to think? Why?”

Aeng-aeng tilted her head. Soso sighed again instead of answering.

“I miss the teacher so much that I can’t even eat properly.”

“Eat?”

Aeng-aeng’s eyes widened.

“You ate two bowls this morning, didn’t you? What do you mean…….”

“Food!”

Jang-a, who was dozing off next to them, opened her eyes wide and shouted.

“Me, I want to eat too!”

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Jang-a looked around.

But after finding nothing, she soon became tearful.

“Waa, my food…….”

Soso frowned.

“You guys are so childish. I can’t talk to any of you.”

Soso said with her arms crossed, looking dejected.

But Aeng-aeng couldn’t understand Soso. Why would she say she couldn’t eat properly when she had already eaten two bowls of rice?

“Then, shall we go buy some sweets?”

Aeng-aeng said cautiously, trying to appease Soso.

“Sweets?”

Soso’s ears perked up.

“Yeah. My mom gave me money this morning.”

“Sweets!”

Jang-a said loudly. Then the boys who were running around all turned to look at Aeng-aeng.

Feeling the attention, Aeng-aeng became frightened.

“Hee, heeing. I can’t buy a lot…….”

Aeng-aeng said in a tearful voice. Soso jumped up from her seat and shouted in a firm voice.

“You guys have money too! Buy your own!”

At Soso’s words, the boys looked at each other.

“Sure, why not.”

Jau, who was like the leader of the pack, shrugged his shoulders. Then he looked at Jung-oh.

Jung-oh of the Hoyeon Martial Arts Center was already best friends with Jau. Jung-oh also nodded.

“Okay, I’ll buy for those who don’t have money.”

Jung-oh said confidently.

The children cheered and rushed out.

However, the children’s march towards the sweets had to stop not far from the Seowon.

This was because a large carriage was rushing towards the Seowon.

Ttagadak, ttagadak [sound of horse hooves].

The children quickly stepped aside. Soso and Aeng-aeng were already covering their mouths with their sleeves and turning their heads.

But the carriage that was rushing towards them stopped right in front of the children.

“Whoa, whoa.”

The children looked at the carriage with puzzled eyes.

Before they could even recognize that the old man sitting in the coachman’s seat was a very familiar person, the door of the carriage opened with a thud.

“Kids!”

The children, with their eyes wide open, looked at the young man in scholar’s attire who got out of the carriage with surprised faces.

But only for a moment, Aeng-aeng burst into tears first.

“Waaah, Teacher!”

“Teacher!”

Soso was the first to run towards the scholar.

The young man, who was already bending over and opening his arms wide, was none other than the children’s teacher, Son Bin.

“Wow!”

“It’s the teacher!”

“Teacher!”

The boys also recognized Son Bin and ran towards him with energy. Then, without exception, they jumped into Son Bin’s arms.

“Yes, yes.”

Son Bin stroked each of the children in his arms.

Perhaps because Aeng-aeng had cried, even Jau, the leader of the pack, and Jung-oh, the brave one from the Hoyeon Martial Arts Center, had tears welling up in their eyes.

“Have you all been well?”

Gyeon-ja and Ao, who were tender-hearted, were already half sobbing.

Even Jang-a, who always dozed off, had sparkling eyes only at this moment, and Hodu and Gye-gu, who always worked hard, closed their eyes tightly and hugged Son Bin.

“Teacher, why did you come so late?”

Soso, who was always sharp, said accusingly. But Soso’s eyes were also filled with tears.

“Sorry. Did it take too long?”

Son Bin stroked Soso’s hair and hugged Aeng-aeng, who was still crying.

“Hic, hic. Teacher. Hic.”

Aeng-aeng sobbed and swallowed her tears, then hugged Son Bin’s neck tightly with her small arms. Son Bin gently stroked Aeng-aeng’s small head.

“Oh, right!”

Soso said as if she suddenly remembered something.

“Did you bring the pretty older sister teacher?”

Son Bin had told the children that he was ‘going to bring a pretty older sister teacher’.

Even Aeng-aeng, who was crying, raised her head and looked at Son Bin. Son Bin smiled and turned his head.

Ttak [sound of a door opening].

The door of the carriage opened and one person got out.

She was so beautiful that it seemed as if the surroundings brightened up for a moment, and she was none other than Sa Su-yeon.

She couldn’t help but feel her eyes getting hot at the sight of Son Bin and the children, and her beautiful eyes were already half filled with tears.

“Teacher!”

Aeng-aeng and Soso ran to Sa Su-yeon.

“Wow, Seo-rin hyung [older brother/male friend]!”

Seo-rin, who followed, also received a warm welcome from the boys.

Even the quiet Dang Wol-a was surrounded by the children, pretending to be happy.

In an instant, the front of the carriage became crowded with the children and Son Bin’s group.

“Goodness, these kids.”

Nogun and Shinui watched the scene with Jeok Se-hwa. They were just immature children, but they didn’t know why their hearts felt so touched by this welcome.

“Grandfather Teacher.”

Feeling someone tugging at his collar, Nogun lowered his head. Jang-a was looking up at Nogun.

“Did you have a good trip?”

Jang-a bowed her head. Nogun stroked Jang-a’s small head with his large hand.

“Yes, I’m back.”

Nogun said, turning his head to look at the sky. Somehow, his nose felt stuffy.

∴

The children were soon excited and running around as if they had never cried.

Holding the sweets that Nogun had bought for them, the children were running around the Seowon with Seo-rin.

Sa Su-yeon was sitting on one side of the bamboo mat, combing Soso and Aeng-aeng’s hair, and the group was drinking tea next to her, relaxing from their long journey.

Jeok Se-hwa, who had stopped by the Hoyeon Martial Arts Center to greet her parents, was also with them.

“The Seowon is cleaner than I thought? I thought it would be a mess.”

Nogun said, looking around the Seowon with a teacup in his hand.

Even now, the Seowon was full of children running around. In fact, it wouldn’t have been strange if it was even more of a mess.

“It’s thanks to Se-hwa. She took care of it quite meticulously.”

Shinui said. He quite liked Jeok Se-hwa, who helped him with his work.

“Thank you, Miss Se-hwa.”

Son Bin smiled and expressed his gratitude. Jeok Se-hwa blushed slightly.

“It’s nothing. I just cleaned it occasionally.”

In fact, she had been quite concerned about the Seowon.

Even while she was in Hangzhou, she had asked a maid from the Hoyeon Martial Arts Center to clean it regularly.

“Then, will Miss Su-yeon be living with Miss Wol-a from now on?”

At Jeok Se-hwa’s question, Dang Wol-a nodded and said.

“Yes. You can come too if you want. There are many rooms.”

Jeok Se-hwa showed a slight interest. But she soon shook her head.

“My house is right nearby. But a life only for women, I would like to try it once.”

Even though the women of the Murim [martial arts world] were quite liberal, it was obvious that her family wouldn’t allow it. Dang Wol-a and Sa Su-yeon were just special cases.

“Well, should we start cleaning first?”

At Jeok Se-hwa’s words, the group thought of Dang Wol-a’s house.

Sa Su-yeon had stayed there for a while, and the other members had also stayed there for a few days during the renovation of the Seowon.

As Dang Wol-a said, there were many rooms, but probably only the place where she lived was clean.

“Then we should start quickly. It’s already afternoon.”

Sa Su-yeon, who was touching Soso’s hair, said with a gentle expression.

It was a serious problem for her, as she had to live there from tonight.

“Then let’s start right away.”

Jeok Se-hwa said. When she showed her willingness to help, Sa Su-yeon quickly finished Soso’s hair.

But Dang Wol-a, the owner of the house, was just savoring the tea, showing no particular will.

“Shall I help you?”

Son Bin suddenly asked. He thought that three women might not be enough.

But Nogun snorted next to him.

“Help who? Those girls? Don’t just be a burden.”

When he thought about it, Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-a were both Outer Level masters. Jeok Se-hwa was also the daughter of a martial arts family.

Although she couldn’t compare to Sa Su-yeon or Dang Wol-a, her accumulated inner strength couldn’t be ignored.

“Thank you, but we can do it ourselves.”

Jeok Se-hwa said with a smile.

“After all, it’s the young lady’s residence. I don’t want to show you a dirty appearance. Master Son also likes clean things, right?”

“W-Well, that’s true…….”

Son Bin gave an awkward smile. He thought that he was ashamed of such things now. But since they said so, there was nothing more to say.

Ttak [sound of a teacup being placed].

Dang Wol-a put down her teacup. And she said to Jeok Se-hwa in a low voice.

“Let’s go. To clean.”

Her voice was full of enthusiasm.

“Yes.”

Jeok Se-hwa said with a bright smile. They immediately left for Dang Wol-a’s house.

That afternoon, the three young ladies were all dirty from cleaning the large mansion that had been left unattended.

Covering themselves in dust was something that no matter how strong their inner strength was, they couldn’t avoid.

*

*

*

Squeak, squeak [sound of grinding ink].

The children were grinding ink with concentration. It was a long time since the Seowon had been quiet, but it didn’t last long.

“Hing, it splattered again.”

Aeng-aeng, who was grinding ink, became tearful. Gye-gu, who was sitting next to her, teased Aeng-aeng, not wanting to miss the opportunity.

“Wow, you have a dot on your face. A big dot, a big dot!”

Aeng-aeng was soon tearful, and Soso jumped up and shouted at Gye-gu.

“Can’t you be quiet? Here, Aeng-aeng. It’s okay.”

Soso quickly wiped Aeng-aeng’s face with her sleeve.

But instead of disappearing, the ink left a long mark on Aeng-aeng’s face.

“Pfft.”

Even Soso, who was wiping it, couldn’t help but laugh. Aeng-aeng’s face became even more tearful.

“Waaah, Teacher!”

As if that cry was a signal, the children soon began to chatter noisily.

“Wow! I already wrote one whole letter.”

“You’re wrong? This is the right one.”

Hodu and Gyeon-ja raised their voices, each saying that they were right. Gye-gu was looking at Ao’s next to him and making strange letters, and Jang-a was already nodding off, probably sleepy from grinding ink.

At least Seo-rin, Jau, and Jung-oh were writing quite maturely, but it was soon clear that their patience wouldn’t last long.

“Okay, it’s okay. Aeng-aeng. And Jang-a, don’t sleep.”

Son Bin wiped Aeng-aeng’s face with a clean cloth and woke up Jang-a, who was dozing off.

He pointed out the wrong parts to Hodu and Gyeon-ja, who had both written the wrong letters, and taught Gye-gu how to write again. He didn’t forget to praise Ao, Seo-rin, Jau, and Jung-oh, who were working hard.

“Tsk, tsk.”

Nogun, who was watching the scene from one side of the garden, clicked his tongue.

“Dealing with kids seems to be the most tiring thing in the world. It’s like you have to constantly take care of them……. But is that okay?”

The person Nogun asked was Shinui. Shinui crossed his arms and looked down at the Go board and answered.

“Do you think Bin will not do it if I tell him not to?”

Ttak [sound of a Go stone being placed].

Shinui placed a stone. Nogun shrugged his shoulders.

“There’s no way. He’s crazy about kids.”

Ttak [sound of a Go stone being placed].

As if waiting, Nogun’s stone was placed, and Shinui frowned slightly.

“By the way, what happened to the Gyo-ryong [a mythical dragon-like fish]? Did you catch it?”

“I caught it. It wasn’t very big, but it seems to be the best among the ones that the Fisherman has caught. It was so strong that I had a hard time catching it.”

Shinui answered, fiddling with the stone.

The hardship wasn’t just that.

The Fisherman and Shinui had to search every corner of the Yangtze River to find the necessary medicinal ingredients. It was hard to believe that it was over in a month.

“I immediately dissected it on the spot and preserved the necessary parts, and I’m making Hwandan [a type of medicinal pill] and medicinal soup now.”

Shinui placed a stone after careful consideration. But Nogun placed a stone right away as if there was nothing to see.

Ttak [sound of a Go stone being placed].

“Really? That’s good. But can Bin eat it?”

“As a doctor, I would say no, not now.”

Shinui looked down at the Go board and went into deep thought.

“Medicine should be based on each person’s constitution and circumstances. What Bin needs now is not the inner core of a spirit beast. It is more important to restore his own energy.”

Ttak [sound of a Go stone being placed].

Shinui placed a stone on the Go board.

“Hmm.”

Nogun frowned.

“Well, can’t we do it slowly?”

Ttak [sound of a Go stone being placed].

Unlike his words, Nogun immediately placed a stone to respond.

“Anyway, it doesn’t seem like there will be anyone stirring things up for a while, and if there’s anything, there are the kids or me. I think it would be good to just live leisurely and take care of your body?”

“As a doctor, I completely agree.”

Ttak [sound of a Go stone being placed].

Shinui placed a stone. Nogun’s face instantly contorted.

“But will Bin really think so? In my opinion, the one who is most frustrated right now is that guy.”

“He probably will.”

Nogun sighed quietly. The situation that Nogun had been dominating until just now had been completely reversed in just two moves.

“Because he wants to walk the path of the Martial Emperor.”

The situation on the Go board, which had completely changed, seemed impossible to reverse now.

“One more game.”

Nogun said with a frown. Shinui gladly accepted with the generosity of a winner.

*

*

*

Ttagadak, ttagadak [sound of horse hooves].

A small but luxurious carriage was running on the main road.

Although it didn’t have the flags of a noble family or a security agency, three men with swords and intense eyes were escorting the carriage, riding alongside it.

“Well, can you tell me where we are going now?”

The gentle old woman, Dang Un-yeong, said. She didn’t enjoy decorations, so she looked almost the same as usual.

On the other hand, Dang Hwa-ryeon, the general military strategist of the Dang family, who was sitting opposite her in martial arts attire, looked much more modest than when she was in the Dang family.

“We are going to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province. To be exact, a place called Qingyuan near Guangzhou.”

At Dang Hwa-ryeon’s answer, Dang Un-yeong gave a puzzled look.

“Isn’t Guangzhou where the Hyeokryun family is located? Wol-a is in such a place?”

Guangzhou, the largest logistics city in southern China, is where the Hyeokryun family is based.

It was surprising that there was an Outer Level master of the Dang family in such a place.

“Does Wol-a have any relationship with the Hyeokryun family?”

“Well.”

Dang Hwa-ryeon gave an ambiguous smile.

“I don’t think there’s any reason to explain that, is there?”

Dang Un-yeong stared at Dang Hwa-ryeon for a moment. No one spoke, and only the sound of hooves was heard for a while.

Ttagak, ttagak [sound of horse hooves].

“You really resemble your older brother from the past.”

Dang Un-yeong said with a quiet sigh.

“Your older brother always tried to hide and conceal things like that. When you know it, it’s really nothing. He tried to ridicule the other person or gain psychological superiority by using such things as a pretext. Do you know what the result was?”

Dang Un-yeong looked straight at Dang Hwa-ryeon.

“As time passed, no one was left by your older brother’s side. That is what happens to those who cannot treat others with sincerity.”

“Treat others with sincerity……. That’s a really good saying.”

Dang Hwa-ryeon smiled. But her eyes were cold.

“But if that were the case, could I have become the general military strategist of the Dang family? Perhaps my younger sister Wol-a would have died miserably as a poisoner, and I would have been sacrificed for a political marriage and sent to some unknown family.”

Dang Hwa-ryeon said, biting her lip.

“Without power, sincerity is useless.”

“Without sincerity, even if you have power, it’s just emptiness.”

Dang Un-yeong said.

“If it wasn’t for Wol-a, would you be so proud of being the general military strategist?”

Dang Hwa-ryeon was momentarily speechless. And soon she gave a bitter smile.

“About me…… It seems you have investigated a lot.”

How desperately did she cling to her younger sister Dang Wol-a when she was young?

But no one listened to her. Even her parents ignored her and her younger sister Wol-a.

“When you are young, there are times when you don’t even know what your sincerity is. But once you lose it, you realize that it was something really important to you.”

The voice of the old woman Dang Un-yeong echoed quietly. It was as if she was speaking to herself rather than to Dang Hwa-ryeon.

“I hope you don’t make such a mistake.”

Ttagak, ttagak [sound of horse hooves].

Neither Dang Hwa-ryeon nor Dang Un-yeong said anything more.

Only the sound of hooves echoed regularly in the silent carriage.