Dung-Dwaeji! Dung-Dwaeji! Dung-Dwaeji!
Dung-dwaeji! Dung-dwaeji! Dung-dwaeji! The only downside to happy times was how terribly short they felt. The vacation that had begun in mid-December was drawing to a close as the weather finally thawed.
"Haaah."
The thought of heading up to Jeonju soon drew a sigh from me all on its own. When I was feeling down, striking a particular pose helped, but yeot candy wasn't a bad choice either. I popped a hard chunk of yeot into my mouth and crunched away. As it shattered into tiny pieces, it melted stickily against my saliva and body heat, releasing a rich, sweet flavor.
"Hehe! How is it, young master? Sweet, right?"
The yeot vendor, who'd given me a sample, watched me with eager eyes.
"Yeah, sure."
I nodded vaguely, grabbing another fingernail-sized piece and popping it in. "Give me one nyang's worth—no, make it two."
"Yes sir! Two nyang's worth, coming right up!"
The vendor excitedly wrapped up the yeot sticks. To prevent them from melting from body heat, he wrapped them in paper and tied them with thin string before handing them over.
"Here you go! Two nyang's worth!"
"Thanks."
"Ahem, young master."
As I handed over the two nyang, the vendor leaned in like he was sharing a secret.
"Just for you, I put in two and a half nyang's worth."
"Nah, you're full of it."
"It's true!"
"Alright, thanks. Appreciate the extra."
This guy's a smart businessman.I'll come back next time.
I exchanged the money for the yeot sticks and kept walking. I'd come out because Eori wanted some yeot. Since I was already in the county seat, I wandered the market to see if there was anything else worth buying. The market had been closed all winter and had only just reopened with the warming weather. Maybe because of that, it buzzed with more energy than usual.
"With spring blooming bright, how about some flower shoes? Gift these to your betrothed, and you'll be in the bridal chamber that very night!"
"Spring forsythia scent—it's the best!"
"Cheap! Cheap! Hemp cloth straight from Jeonju, just two nyang! Only two nyang!"
Hawkers called out from every direction. I headed toward the one selling flower shoes. We were heading to Jeonju in two weeks anyway—why not pick up a pair for each of the women back home? But what were their shoe sizes? Should've measured their feet before coming.
"Hey."
But this one didn't need measuring. Among the straw shoes, leather shoes, flower shoes, and wooden clogs on display, I pointed to a pair of red silk kkokka shoes.
"How much for these?"
Time passing wasn't all bad. As Eori's due date approached, the day we'd meet our little Sung-i drew nearer too. It'd be a girl, for sure. A pretty one, just like Eori. I'd contributed a bit, of course.
"Oh my! Young master, expecting a baby, are we?"
The shoe vendor, who'd been calling to passersby, perked up and hurried over.
"This here!"
He picked up the red kkokka shoes I'd pointed to, balancing a pair lightly on his hand and launching into his pitch.
"As you can see, this isn't plain cotton. Not hemp either. It's silk—Ming silk, no less. Woven from the finest, most precious stuff there is!"
"Hmmm. Is that so?"
"Exactly, young master! This wasn't meant for a stall like mine. It was originally for the new bride in that yangban household over there. But oh no—what a tragedy. The baby ran off!"
"Ah, really?"
"Yes! So this treasure slipped out of that house, wandered its way here—to you, young master!"
"Oho. I see."
"Yes! Yes! And I paid fifty nyang to get it. But for you, specially! Truly! Very specially!"
The nonstop-talking vendor spread all his fingers except his thumb.
I snapped off a small piece of yeot and popped it in my mouth. "Four nyang?"
"Whoa! Young master, you drive a hard bargain!"
"Fourteen, then?"
"Hehe! Each of these fingers is ten nyang!"
"Forty nyang?"
"Hehe! Yes! Exactly! Will you take them?"
"Nah, not buying."
Was I crazy? Buy that? "Selling: baby shoes. Never worn." That's exactly what this was! Too sketchy—I wasn't touching it!
"How about these?"
This time I pointed to blue kkokka shoes. "These from the yangban house too? Baby lost, ended up here?"
"Yes, yes! Came in together. Buy 'em?"
"Pass."
What was this, a pawnshop? Why were all the shoes "with a story"?
"Got anything else? Not used—brand new. Never touched by anyone."
"Well, these are all unworn too."
That's the sketchy part!Come on, man!
In Joseon, it seemed anything "from a yangban house" came with a premium.
"Just new ones. Fresh-made, untouched by anyone."
"W-well..."
The vendor trailed off, glancing around. Then he whispered like it was a secret just for me.
"Th-they're all made by my wife, right here."
"All of them? These too?"
"Yes. But don't tell a soul."
"Got it. Then discount for the red ones."
"Sure. Twenty nyang."
"Twenty? Yeah?"
I rummaged in my pouch for money, then eyed the vendor. Twenty nyang—half the forty he'd quoted earlier.
"Heh, hehe."
The guy who'd started at double the price gave an awkward laugh.
"Th-that's how everyone sells 'em."
"..."
Annoyed as I was, I glared and swapped the money for the shoes. I didn't want to raise my voice in front of the kkokka shoes our Sung-i would wear.
"Keep it reasonable. Reasonable."
I left those parting words and walked away from the stall. I soothed the lingering unease with another yeot chunk as I wandered the market. How was there so much stuff to buy? I grabbed a baby sling that caught my eye, a pretty butterfly-embroidered baby carrier, and some plain cotton for diapers. Time to head back, I thought.
"Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law, where are you! Brother-in-law!"
A familiar voice rang out. I turned and saw Eosu—Eori's little brother—sweating and running around, his face sprouting its first patchy beard.
"Brother-in-law!"
He spotted me. Three years younger but half a head taller, he rushed up.
"Why are you here? I looked everywhere!"
"Huh? What's up? What hap—"
A sudden dread hit me. Why else would Eosu be hunting me down like this?
"Something happen to Eori?"
"Yes! Your wife's right now—"
I dropped everything and bolted. Shoving through the crowd, leaping obstacles, I raced back to Chaekho Village where Eori was.
"Haa! Haa! Haa!"
I don't know how I made it to the village. My mind was filled with nothing but Eori the whole way.
"Eori!"
Not even catching my breath, I dashed to our new home. A crowd of villagers had already gathered out front.
"Hold on! Make way! Hold on!"
"Whoa! The young master's here!"
"Clear a path, everyone! Hurry!"
The villagers buzzed and parted at the sight of me, but I couldn't stand still for a second.
"Hup!"
Swallowing a grunt, I charged the wall. Vaulting it like a hurdle, I landed in the courtyard kicking up dust. Unlike outside, only a few people were there: my mom, my mother-in-law, and the Geum-ok and Eun-ok sisters.
I shouted at Mom as I landed. "Mom! How's Eori?"
"S-son. Was that you jumping the wall just now?"
"Yes! But Eori—!"
"E-Eori's..."
What? Why couldn't she speak? Had something gone wrong with Eori?
"Son-in-law! No need to worry! She's fine!"
My mother-in-law hurried over past my flustered mom to reassure me.
"The midwife just went in! No water broken yet!"
Water? She meant the amniotic fluid?
"Urghhh!"
A roar-like groan came from the birthing room. Goosebumps raced over me, my heart pounding.
"Eori! Eori, you okay? Eori!"
"Y-yes, husband... urghhh!"
Even from her voice alone, I could tell how much pain she was in. I babbled anything to comfort her.
"E-Eori! I got, uh, yeot for you, and these shoes, and all sorts of...!"
Oh right, I'd left it all behind.
"Son! Pull yourself together!"
Mom came over to calm me now. Her gentle face tense with worry, she said,
"Eori's in a lot of pain right now. So be strong out here for her, okay? Our boy's got this."
"Y-yeah. Okay, Mom."
"Hee-hee, what kind of mom am I? You're about to be a dad."
Her forced smile helped me regain a bit of composure.
"E-Eori!"
A little calmer now, I called to her.
"Eori! I'm right here outside!"
"Uuuugh! H-husband!"
Eori paused her groans from the room to call my name.
"Husband!"
"Yeah! Eori! I'm right here!"
"I-if I'd known it'd hurt this much... kuhhh! We should've had the baby later... aaagh!"
She was trying to joke to keep me from worrying. But that only tore at my heart more.
Ah, so this is what they mean by parental agony.
"Kyaaak!"
A woman's scream pierced from the room—not Eori's, but a young woman's voice.
"Wh-who was that?"
Mom answered. "The midwife, who else?"
Midwife? That young? Weren't they usually grandmas? I fell silent and strained to listen toward the room. Between Eori's groans, I caught some muttering.
"It's okay, Flower Petal. It's okay. Don't worry, Flower Petal. Everything will be fine...!"
Flower Petal?! Who's that?! The midwife's name?!
"Ch-change her! Change! Get someone else! Not Flower Petal!"
"Too noisy outside!"
This voice was neither Eori's nor the young woman's—a grandma's.
"The mother's too startled!"
"Y-yes! Sorry!"
The experienced tone finally calmed me a bit.
"Flower Petal! You calm down too! You're startling the mother and father!"
Flower Petal seemed to be the assistant helping the midwife.
"Kuhhhh!"
But I couldn't fully relax. Eori's groans kept coming, stoking my anxiety higher. Seeing her and soothing her in person would help, but the only glimpses I got were when Geum-ok came and went with basins. Hours passed like that. Eosu brought back the stuff I'd dropped, and Eoji—who'd gone looking for me separately—returned with Father-in-law. The sun sank lower, dusk falling. As my mind reached its limit, Eori's groans suddenly stopped.
"Ugh, ngh, kuhhhh...! Hah!"
"Eori! Eori, what's wrong?!"
"Nyaa! Nyaa!!"
The baby's cry from inside choked off my words. Then the midwife's joyful voice rang out.
"It's a girl! Out came a little fairy!"
"Th-the mother! I mean, Eori!"
"Mother's safe too!"
"H-husband...!"
Only after hearing Eori's weak voice did all my fears melt away. In their place swelled pure joy—I was a dad.
"Ajaaaah!"
I bellowed in Eori's stead, exhausted as she was. And before the birth, the pet name Eori and I had chosen—a deliberately ugly one to ward off bad luck—I shouted it for all to hear.
"I'm Dung-dwaeji's dad nowwww‼!"
The villagers who'd watched it all cheered and murmured the name.
"Dung-dwaeji! Lady Dung-dwaeji!"
"Hurhurhur! Dung-dwaeji!"
"Dung-dwaeji! Dung-dwaeji! Dung-dwaeji!"
Dung-dwaeji. Hear that? The day you were born, the whole village shouted your pet name.