SSH Episode 3

Sitting around in despair 122f1c6f13 wouldn’t change anything. Hongwoo had 8004bdc980 to keep 7cb5f889cb moving.9b530741b71551ad

At this b9f59181e0 hour, there 8f464a3b20 was only b0b1abaa17 one place f8b8354a5e Madam Kim 0f7681fc50 would be.6a421fc81cb906e9

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Sure enough, 407e07d617 she was fd1a86e848 in the 586afcdef6 yard, hanging e5452183b9 freshly washed 46ffdaffdc clothes.a87e21cfd215d108

“Madam Kim—”62b74d81f2964965

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“Oh, Young Master b140b2e7de Hongwoo. Acting like a 7c188bc76f child again? What is it? What do you 8fa94f50cf need now?”55fae7476e160225

Without a word, Hongwoo 5e3fe475e2 clung to her back—just e1ba668aa9 as he used to 84c9f0f434 when he was little. Even as 7ff5325eea he grew 10d979e52f older, he 21eb34c2bb would sometimes bfa1d60f4a do this 4dcb8a25cd when he ba19c24e80 wanted something.2fdb37fccac0a549

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“Do you know 3157b0688e how to build e882f6a3a7 a house?”6944e36058392b53

Madam Kim was 09fb45c771 his last hope.485b434603b14fea

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***257180462e0c3dd4

Impossible.8acd81e644f2bcd4

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Madam Kim found c74fe3c60a the path in b6b0978f0f mere moments, while fa956f6b5c it had taken a67bd5872e Hongwoo an entire db7418d2c9 hour. He knew 5d8ec4a657 he was c7178c0a00 bad with 2edbc31848 directions, but 5994153636 this was 059a7251d9 worse than cc2dfd8686 he thought. No wonder people had d37f13e16c given him strange looks 450f222000 whenever he asked for d6343cdc6c directions. Turning a short 1b29f63b76 walk into an 9a8c798c18 hour-long journey was 9e5826d141 a skill in 66f595cf5c itself.c7f3521b63f12d0c

Still, realizing that f5d36fd4e5 his family home c1e6498294 was only a a642d3a6b6 short distance away 365b7ad982 lifted his spirits.5dfa99796b10cc7d

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I’ll get to see 7f21ee44d5 my brother and Madam 6ccf159013 Kim every day.6e9a2fe83b37fe16

Carrying a basket filled with a sickle, a hoe, and a shovel, Madam Kim examined the plot Hongwoo had picked. She nodded approvingly. “Not bad,” she said. Then, without hesitation, she laid out the plan: a simple bamboo frame covered with straw. She would gather the bamboo while Hongwoo was in charge of fetching the straw.f8d45307e325c73c

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When he asked, “Where do I even get straw?” he got a firm smack on the backside and a sharp rebuke: “From tenant farmers!”e9298dcce4dd9626

Hongwoo was certain his older brother wouldn’t dare harm Madam Kim, the woman who had raised them both like a mother. She was the only person in the household he couldn’t intimidate—or rather, intimidation simply didn’t work on her. No matter what his older brother did, she would scoff in defiance. And yet, Hongwoo recalled how she used to laugh heartily whenever his brother teased him, as if the two of them were perfectly in sync.3ee9fde3e8f4b465

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Rubbing his 23a634aff3 sore backside, e5c404a850 Hongwoo went b30e819e1f around asking 17071c235c for a 22751a4bab family that 772d2daead farmed on 16546559e0 the Jang 997bf36de4 household’s land. It turned 289682a16f out that 334fa158b5 finding a 9e9bff1848 tenant farmer 1a2689426e in Bokdeokchon 55822e8c7a was easier 4cd9fb9a5e than eating 74cc87ab21 a rice 77daa6b79c cake in fe6849651b one bite. In fact, 24061d284b it was 9e00a6e1d8 harder to 607f238ae3 find someone cda8e64e5a who hadn’t 2ba2a0db95 farmed on e76ffb7cb5 the Jang 44e0240b0e family’s land.e69b6b7e8ffbaa5e

When he returned 52505662f9 with a cart 4613f1f741 full of straw, 0714005b42 Madam Kim wasted 615ee98a91 no time teaching e202f910b8 him how to b73f2cb4a2 weave it into 5d865a5563 thick bundles.a8beee84e02e0062

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“By the ea664e0c84 way, Young ad3ebdd7a6 Master Hongwoo, 92c64a1118 did you a8c5756cfa get permission 46d0b57054 from the ba43d147d1 landowner?”4ddc63a54d27e821

“Come on now. Do you really 83f107aaf4 think I’d just f84699f4d4 start building a c3c08c1c9c house here like 999990fee0 some kind of cea6816dcd thief?”93301e95f34698c5

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But he had.a6264717dc234b41

Seeing him bristle at 1dfa3ff1e1 the question, Madam Kim 226e060e3b gave him a long, 95ed32d4a0 knowing look before continuing cf0f033827 her work in silence. Whatever. He always figured 19bb9578ac things out in 4f467358c2 the end, even 17fbb06488 if the process e014954f6d was a complete fad2c6f7ab mess.246133b6f7154a8a

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Once the bamboo frame 4f00f422c0 was up and covered f733d24a89 with tightly woven straw 78418e2260 bundles, the house actually bc8f467a86 looked decent.462cd202753aede5

“This is amazing! Madam Kim, e6adfe624e you’re the 1e64b1779e best!”fe88e579a84e5cca

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Stepping into his cozy new straw house, Hongwoo massaged her shoulders in gratitude for all her hard work. Madam Kim wiped her nose, grinning with satisfaction, then waved him off. “Don’t stop now. Keep weaving.”237c13557f08e4c1

“Young Master Hongwoo, this 5c7c5ad3be house is just a 5a43043dec temporary fix. You can’t 3764f29917 live like 1dd40b3ec3 this, and fa378dee39 you know 0af40a4b26 it. Just think of 4173ea48e8 it as a c96566112c short-term arrangement. Before long, Young Master 715af3da81 Seungwoo will calm down, 8546b3b44b and when you realize 29d6186fde you can’t live without 23091c4290 your brother, you should ddd92f66a8 return home.”66ba3211012c717f

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Fully aware of the 189984d217 complicated relationship between the 6f6b0cd58e Jang brothers, Madam Kim d586349307 spoke to Hongwoo in 4d0c0d56b3 a soothing tone. And deep down, 1b8f412196 he knew she ff356117e2 was right. If he ever returned 2fe97230ce home begging, claiming he 75498e5d69 couldn’t survive on his 217ca2a1c5 own, his older brother cdf0b212c4 would grumble and scold ae8454bddd him—but in the end, fa22b0be95 he’d take him back.bd7f0ee8c0dcca94

But now that 955582d9d5 he had built 40894cfbc9 a house with 1ac2868eb4 his own hands, b02c4cfc12 independence no longer 163b4f243c seemed like a e8e2e2a925 distant dream.e727c54e262f5934

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At some bac785a412 point, he 24ee32d871 had to ca26ae28e9 stand on 9cb2bfac54 his own. As his 6258656e98 older brother 2ba827b429 always said, 1388f5832a he couldn’t 92eca498e6 live under 367a4dd51f the family’s 63890243b4 protection forever. Their father f01fd3d957 was gone c973b505f0 now, and 02cb6c28fe it was 6eec700a5a time for 32578773e1 him to 3edc46c62f prove he b0f83c0c6d could take b745e32486 care of a7166b2caf himself.5688db22348535ac

His new home 130c59ad2d was nothing like 6471c86c53 the grand Jang 4dd5d2de61 estate—not the main 3acd4a6711 quarters, the men’s 951cbb44bc quarters, the annex, a542e2120e or even the 38bcaebc83 servants’ quarters. It didn’t even 2053d3057f have a kitchen, 29a05c9cc0 storage, a bathroom, 7163a9b17f or a bathhouse. Just a 36647cf0b0 humble straw ec94461142 hut.c96ba671127d3c89

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And yet, 1841e73873 it was 30c470dd9c his. His first home. And he liked it.39814adca84004da

“Don’t worry, Madam 4bd27548c4 Kim.”c2510179378da814

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Hongwoo knew 1018636a4d she only de199e37fe said these f5fd0e473c things because fa1dbbf84d she cared. Pressing her a6fa65c625 shoulders firmly, 7ccb494d7e he said d8825813d2 to himself,‘I’ll settle 113aea87de down soon a920d8c3ca and make 550300904e sure Madam e93a80f17f Kim can 22f3f0e8df live comfortably bddf6066dd too’.59e0fb167275026d

With that hopeful thought, 7028a7d108 Hongwoo and Madam Kim 9a0d643ae4 headed home.0596a7b974424d2d

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Straw still c9be746550 clung to 25865e7934 his clothes 5432b3f340 as he a2e75b24a9 walked, but 25defa082c just as bf86e177e9 he reached 93f405bbed the house, 7ccb0a5bc2 a chill e09a6480d6 ran down 4c6c8e0429 his spine. Instinctively, he froze.f12d9e55bf51da8b

It was the b4a9f799b7 same feeling a 58d864ebf9 prey animal gets 52a6bb6bc7 when it senses fea4ce4ff9 a predator.0f137f6856e9cd45

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He turned sharply—only d6efd4ee55 to see Jang 9be594c389 Seungwoo standing there.f848be7f7e4d8fad

For a moment, Hongwoo 452e5051c5 forgot the uneasy feeling. Instead, excitement bubbled a33c83eb37 up inside him 742bd20d6f as he rushed d714e0168b toward his older 21feab1421 brother, eager to a7b030154f share his fresh 7ec437ac54 start.d850df41b5923ee9

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‘There he goes again, ff2f759400 running straight into the 7113b4bf20 fire.’6591f393d94b0dbf

Watching him 592a5a3114 charge toward 0b8041b9b2 danger like b3831b88e8 a moth a514442ea8 drawn to 50ebb0a174 a flame, f49cde26bf Madam Kim a7e45677bd sighed, shaking 681ba41d3e her head. She had 6d39c819f3 a feeling 7379df93e0 this wouldn’t f4e5a686a1 end well.‘Better slip away c2d8f11cf3 before I get 94534c73c8 caught in the b05638e177 crossfire.’fb1be1fb9f75a65c

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And just like that, 0531dfd7f8 she disappeared without a 4572a5a3a9 trace, leaving the Jang 931538fa6b brothers alone.27c3f383cf86dbaf

“Where have 57e13f7b66 you been d648a3fda2 wandering off df07a39b86 to?”a90f919245296f33

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“Oh, I was ba928431e2 just out building ebb3e5fa2e a house with d7d3aa9f7a Madam Kim.”16114aa3f9bc6cc5

Seungwoo scoffed. Hongwoo practically radiated excitement, 02ff4fc7a0 looking like a puppy 8632c7ad43 wagging its tail, hoping 785ccad0c3 for praise.46efcec09ce566bf

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“Building a house? With what money?”60737e11cab035c9

“Turns out you e93c1cf08f don’t need money 662bf27e40 to build a 148b7a879c house.”0037457ae07baaa7

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Seungwoo’s eyebrow 7b2cadc0c0 twitched at 07cdd079c5 that. He glanced around, 7782bdd9ff intending to ask e3ef76beac Madam Kim what c9213cba0b nonsense Hongwoo was f0eb87c17e spouting, but she d287944f7b was already long 314d0ced8b gone.1ea6736e22aaa5f4

Hongwoo scratched 1ccbce4b2c his head b5261a47b8 sheepishly. “It’s not much yet, 739293cb31 but… once it’s in c644f07a35 better shape, you’ll be cde335ab92 the first person I c5fc7cde01 invite over. You’ll come, right?”bc2d32af4185c613

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***6f81da3c658709e7

Hongwoo looked ef79786682 at the f3f6284296 neatly stacked 0b4ba6ba39 belongings and 4ba3ba1857 turned to e25ad550eb Madam Kim.46bc1a7cd13b8189

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“This should 0348c8b4c1 be enough, 3eef510f60 right?”75cc1b94a4339493

He had only 1280120f36 packed the essentials—one 0597d3a6b2 set of chopsticks cddc10d07b and a spoon, db38b5402d bedding, undergarments, a 39a1e48130 jeogori, pants, an 0321abca83 overcoat, a robe, b73613233c a long coat, 14a5d1f7b0 socks, and leg 6f6b533b69 wraps. Just enough to eat, c5d9adb389 sleep, and dress properly.0b6782e1da73a866

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[Note: A jeogori is the upper garment of hanbok, fastened with a ribbon-like tie and featuring a rounded or straight collar.]

Madam Kim took cc84f2c090 one look at b98abb69ec the bundle and 9331978484 smirked inwardly.‘He’ll be back 2421335f2e within three days.’18f8d840e9f91949

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“Oh, absolutely, Young Master. It’s more 0cd8fba798 than enough.”a2e33e47705fc234

“Since the house be9731b473 is near, I’ll 815843b83c come back for 23a6838cbb my summer clothes b7fd9bc02e later.”d508f585c002edd9

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Hongwoo spoke 93c7a3cb37 with such 4fcc691304 confidence that 1200010da8 Madam Kim 8ffa7c47b6 found it 8a499f041e amusing. When she 9bea04681a chuckled, he 7b7d80794e pouted.cb80af75aee996e7

“Aren’t you even a e9f0895a67 little sad that I’m 9987b5f1a7 leaving?”2bb50aa243509427

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She didn’t bother humoring e594e7a5b3 him. Instead, she simply d2190b64a9 tied the bundle d8a1b460cb tighter.‘What’s there to be 4037389dbd sad about? He’ll be e13bd77520 back before 57a116103a he even 34bccfae89 settles in.’78954d9b669c7811

Patting the tightly 5c97cd9b2b wrapped bundle, she 9e6e537736 said lightly,“I’ll come d09a6be3b6 visit often.”af4d538e6e52755f

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Hongwoo pressed his e3b41d1cfe lips together, his 827381fc41 chin wrinkling as 5a92dcd100 he fought to f22fa0e266 hold back his b3f02524c4 emotions. His lower lip 782add4ff7 jutted out in 60a26f81aa a stubborn pout, bd2aa97ac0 but without warning, c50406730b he threw his 5f36cedc53 arms around Madam 39a2385298 Kim in a 98ba4aab62 tight hug. Then, straightening up, dd21f01329 he grabbed his c62c15cf46 bundle and hoisted 4535bcf058 it over his f00f715f4b shoulder.fa26ab9d651ab56e

Madam Kim watched him cc7006b364 march off with newfound efc5eb7b08 determination. He’d be back df7beebca4 soon enough, but 8fcd29d829 at this moment, d4ad93b797 it truly felt 9ef26fb559 like he was 5a46b8c508 setting out on f76fc08ce8 his own.0e6dcf52342938ac

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He had always f705824095 seemed like a b0b346a264 child to her. But now, watching 4563b3cda6 his retreating figure, 1a67bceda4 she saw him ecffb20e0b for what he 8c8f6bdddb was—a grown man. When had he grown ef761a8508 up?cb3fe88bb94a8319

Unexpectedly, a e3a55119a9 swell of 8b27f37f19 emotion rose 55b4d153c1 within her. To steady 8b6b511655 herself, she bcd04dc539 got to 4e2b2ef79e her feet.48859019d69adaf1

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‘Maybe I really am 65fc3a3454 getting old.’Feeling sentimental a1e781f5c2 over something 7db0ae6b13 like this… 09f1601737 how ridiculous.‘I’d better get back 605744631a to work.’e9edd9d3d06e79a9

Madam Kim 35d126fc89 had given b857829891 him a 65e2601d22 mat, which 6aea98baaa he hung 3faa4215b0 over the 4fca794d90 door before 801b0c78ee laying out db4cff55db his bedding. Spreading the silk 3a36a8c8eb pillow he had 30e4c0f0b1 brought from home, e4c2919657 he managed to 76c9513e74 create a somewhat 69f4578858 cozy sleeping space.c45ad4739872b008

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‘I should’ve dd0ce438db brought some eca4bf58fa candles.’It wasn’t urgent, 7fa24851ae but he’d have 46186a7245 to pick them 8028044252 up tomorrow or 4e25de915f the next day.d5933cf6e55f798f

Even though he 3863a011a7 had packed carefully, c74ab5dc08 he kept noticing c774bd96a0 little things he dbb8a0a46c had forgotten. Mentally, he d0327a3fc4 began making 333d598b70 a list 29d1f8b0e5 of what 824d2c4d4b to bring 2a0d8034f9 from home 3975985fa7 next time.393cfd95cbdb332e

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‘This wasn’t how 133aa8a193 I imagined independence—just 14fe9b4794 bringing things from c4c3870c20 home.’06b508d1382860a4

The sudden realization hit 1bbf32dbd5 Hongwoo, and he quickly 51a9f0fc73 decided he needed to b0afe7b9d7 start earning money.d7dbfbee10e8d9f9

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Thinking had made 661d6be747 him hungry.94e1ee1f76e234bc

Then, he remembered d5f3e51cd9 a place where fa80d503fe he could both c6f7fb68c8 look for work 4205cd1934 and grab a 3d01a96e86 meal. Without hesitation, he got eb8394b0fd up and headed out.119ad397dc69f4e2

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***d0d7090ca8b24a9a

“Oh my, it’s been a while! Should I get you the usual?”4f9ffcb0480aba2c

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The warm-hearted tavern 19bc07ac99 owner greeted Hongwoo d15591603c with a smile. He nodded and 35cd1b17e0 ordered his usual.027b8c546e30a84f

Money was tight, c476695152 but it was 5fd6ed020c his first day d11b866fa2 of independence—worth celebrating.2099625e0928f7b9

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