IMFOBO | CH 57 | To My Granddaughter

Eun-cho gathered her composure with effort and walked ahead.

Tae-san couldn’t just leave her alone like that.

He gently grabbed Eun-cho’s wrist as he tried to overtake her.

His hand traveled down her wrist, and before she knew it, their fingers were interlocked.

The feeling of his fingers entwining with hers was both unfamiliar and vivid.

“Be gentle.”

“…”

Eun-cho looked at their tightly clasped hands, exhaling a shallow breath as if giving up. She thought, why bother with something as trivial as this when he would end up getting his way anyway?

“Be nice for Grandma.”

Although this growing boldness from Eun-cho wasn’t exactly a good sign, she at least agreed with the idea of showing affection to her grandmother.

“Grandma!”

“Oh, my dear, you’ve come?”

As they entered the main house, a presence was felt in the room that had been empty for a long time. Though it had only been a few days since her grandmother was discharged from the hospital due to the wedding, this large house felt strangely full.

“I have something I want to give both of you.”

Grandma, with a bright smile, quickly unpacked a bundle the moment they entered the room. Her movements were cautious, as if she was giving away something precious.

The first thing she pulled out was an old bankbook.

“Eun-cho, I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more when you got married. But your grandfather’s land that had never been sold finally sold. Someone paid a good price for it.”

“Grandma, why are you giving this to me? You should be keeping it for your hospital bills.”

“No, I can’t do that.”

Grandma firmly placed the bankbook into Eun-cho’s hand.

Looking at the well-worn bankbook and its stamp, Eun-cho felt a lump rise in her throat.

They say a parent’s love is never enough, and Grandma, to Eun-cho, had always been like the mother who had passed away too early.

Grandma then handed over another bankbook. Unlike the previous one, this one was new and crisp.

“And this is from your father. He came to the hospital and insisted I give it to you, even though you said you wouldn’t take it.”

“…”

A heavy feeling settled in Eun-cho’s chest.

Why was her father trying to act like a parent now? The man who had handed over this large sum without a single word of praise… the thought of him stirred mixed emotions within her.

“Ryu, I’m so glad to have you around. I know all about Eun-cho’s situation, but she’s had a lot of mental strain without anyone to lean on. This old woman… I’m such a burden, making this young one take care of me…”

“Grandma! Don’t say such unnecessary things!”

Eun-cho’s voice cracked with emotion.

Seeing her choke up, Tae-san quietly patted her hand.

“…”

Eun-cho silently gazed at Tae-san. Was this how he showed that he was taking care of her?

Eun-cho bit her lip, trying to calm the emotions bubbling up inside her.

“And this is something I made for you.”

Grandma now handed her a small ceramic pot.

It was a set of dishes—a rice bowl, a soup bowl, and some side dishes. The exact amount needed for a couple’s meals.

It seemed that Grandma had been feeling guilty for not being able to help her pick out wedding items.

Along with it, there was a small salt jar.

“I’ll make a big jar for you when I’m better, Eun-cho. But this one, it’s not easy to make, so keep it near the front door of your new house to ward off bad luck.”

Grandma’s hope was that Eun-cho’s future would be free from difficulties.

She surely wanted to give her the best of everything, but making large pots by hand was impossible for Grandma in her current condition. A large pot could take up to a month to complete, and Grandma had always stuck to the traditional methods she learned from her great-grandfather, even though using a machine would be easier.

Eun-cho knew better than anyone how hard it was to make a pot, step by step, from kneading the clay to firing it in the kiln.

The love and care Grandma had poured into these gifts only made Eun-cho’s tears flow freely.

“Oh, my dear little puppy. I may be old, but you’re still my sweet little girl. Ryu, I’m so grateful to you for taking care of her.”

“It’s my pleasure, Grandma. She’s so precious to me.”

Grandma held Tae-san’s hand tightly, overcome with gratitude. To her, Eun-cho’s husband was the one person she trusted with her granddaughter’s life.

Eun-cho hadn’t expected this sense of guilt to follow her into marriage. She hadn’t anticipated how much it would hurt, knowing her grandmother might suffer because of her hasty decision to get married.

“Tae-san, Grandma’s going to be admitted tomorrow… Would it be okay if I sleep with her tonight?”

“Eh? What do you mean, sleeping with Grandma instead of your husband? Don’t say such things and go on ahead!”

Grandma, seeing Eun-cho’s hesitation, pushed her gently toward Tae-san.

Eun-cho resisted Grandma’s light push, meeting Tae-san’s gaze.

Tae-san glanced between Eun-cho, Grandma, and the small ceramic pot before nodding.

“Grandma, tonight I’ll give up my spot so my baby can be with you.”

That phrase, “my baby”, again.

It was clear he had eaten the sesame oil-coated rice cakes at the village hall.

“Then, rest well.”

“Oh, Ryu-seobang! I feel so bad for you!”

Tae-san chuckled and withdrew smoothly, full of his usual flair.

Eun-cho watched his retreating figure in silence, then slowly nestled into her grandmother’s arms.

For now, whatever Ryu Tae-san might be thinking, she just wanted to soak in the familiar, earthy scent of her grandmother.

Only once they were alone did Grandma gently stroke Eun-cho’s hair with a soft, affectionate smile.

“Grandma, thank you. I’ll use those forever. I won’t break a single one.”

“I’ll make more for you, so don’t worry about that.”

Eun-cho clung to her grandmother’s waist and wept.

It wasn’t like she was leaving her forever. Even after the wedding, she’d be staying in Cheongnim-ri during the weekdays. Still, something about the change in status made her feel heartache.
Now, she wasn’t just her grandmother’s granddaughter — she was also Ryu Tae-san’s wife.

If this fake marriage already hurt this much… what would it feel like if it were real?

“Grandma, once you’re discharged, let’s make a big jar together. I’ll stomp the clay and shape it. I’ll even chop the firewood.”

“Let’s do that. You can be Grandma’s assistant.”

The two smiled at each other as they lay face to face.

Eun-cho felt a sudden pang at the sight of her grandmother’s deepening wrinkles.

She wished she wasn’t sick.
She wished her grandmother could stay by her side for a long, long time.

That was all she truly wanted.

“It’s such a relief that Ryu-seobang is by your side. He might be proud and rough around the edges, but he knows how to cherish his people…”

…Wait, Grandma? You knew?

Eun-cho blinked in surprise, unable to speak.

She thought Tae-san had played his part perfectly in front of Grandma. That any roughness in him would’ve gone unnoticed.

But it hadn’t. It hadn’t been a deception at all — everything was in the palm of her grandmother’s hand.

In Cheongnim-ri, Tae-san might appear only as a dependable, affectionate man. But Grandma’s eyes were sharper than that.

“Ryu-seobang is someone with a strong sense of integrity. He’ll never make our Eun-cho suffer.”

“Is that why you agreed to the marriage? I thought you were just eager to pass your granddaughter off.”

“You mean like a clearance sale?”

Wow. Clearance sale? That’s harsh.

She didn’t think she’d end up treated like leftover stock.

“Well, there was a little of that too… but mostly, I needed someone by your side after I’m gone.”

That was her grandmother’s real truth.

The phrase she often repeated came up once again, but this time her face showed more relief than worry as she gently patted Eun-cho’s shoulder.

“Go wash up and get some sleep. You must be exhausted.”

“Mm, I will.”

Eun-cho headed toward the bathroom attached to the main house and glanced at Tae-san’s room, which was already dark.

Where had he gone off to at this hour?

Grandma said she’d already laid out the thick bedding and stoked the hearth with firewood.

But Ryu Tae-san wasn’t in his room.

Even after she finished washing, it remained the same.

The empty room tugged at her thoughts.

She tried to brush it aside and stepped into her grandmother’s room, where soft breathing greeted her.

She must’ve been tired too. In the past few days, she’d been making pottery and helping with the village celebration.

Grandma’s back rose and fell in a steady rhythm as she lay with her back turned.

Eun-cho checked that she was asleep, then carefully turned off the light and left the room.

Despite loudly declaring she’d spend her last night with her grandmother, Euncho couldn’t help but wonder where Ryu Taesan was.

The old house was fairly large, and it took quite some time to find him.

She searched and searched, and the place where she finally came upon him was…

“Our darling husband, huh?”

It was right in front of the kiln, where the heat still hadn’t fully died down.