A Widow on the Table
The number of merchant caravans passing along the road had increased noticeably. What used to be three or four groups a day now formed an unbroken line from morning till evening. And thanks to the system Yu Byeok had proposed, everything had become quite organized. Patrol teams swept the area around the hill three times daily, and the scarecrows were moved to new positions each day. The results were clear.
“Boss, this time there were some bastards coming up the western ridge,” one of the newly joined men came running, panting heavily. “Five of them. They were sneaking around, looking here and there, but the moment they spotted the scarecrow they got scared shitless and ran. Their gear was nothing special, but their eyes weren’t those of starving refugees or leftover Yellow Turbans. The way they gripped their spears, they looked like they’d seen some real fighting.”
I nodded. “Good. Looks like those scarecrows were worth setting up after all.”
At first the men had grumbled about “what kind of bandit uses scarecrows,” but now no one complained. The patrols had grown familiar with their routes, and most importantly, our income had grown both stable and substantial. We had secured enough food, and by trading with passing merchants we were slowly accumulating funds, even if the amounts were still modest.
Today, four packhorses and four carts passed by. On top of that, five peddlers tossed food and silver coins from their pockets as if it were routine.
“Here you are, Boss! Please keep taking good care of us!”
I accepted the offerings and simply nodded. These bastards have finally accepted that this road is their safe passage.
Wherever goods flowed, information naturally gathered. And sometimes that information was quite tempting.
“Boss, this is… a rather interesting story.” One of the men who had been dealing with the merchants glanced at Yu Byeok standing quietly beside me before speaking. “That peddler who came down from the north earlier said there’s a peculiar widow living in a small village north of Taishan.”
“A widow?”
“Yes. She lives alone. But not just any alone—she was originally the daughter-in-law of a local influential family.”
I raised an eyebrow. “An influential family? In northern Qing Province, at a time like this? How could any such household still be intact?”
“Exactly. According to the peddler, when the Yellow Turbans swept through, the village was caught up in the chaos and the entire family was wiped out. Strangely, only that woman survived.”
“…Lucky bitch.”
“Luck, yes, but there’s something… refined about her, he said. In a situation like that, most women would come down to the village for help or hide somewhere else. But she doesn’t leave her old mansion at all. She just tends to the house.”
I quietly tapped my scabbard. For a story picked up off the street, the description was remarkably detailed.
“No one’s touched her?”
“That’s right. Most of the villagers have already scattered. Only the elderly and children remain. A few bandits apparently tried their luck… but strangely, every single one who entered that mansion ran away.”
“Ran away?”
“Yes. Some say ghosts appeared. Others claim the house carries some strange disease.”
The corner of my mouth curled up slightly. Whether ghosts or disease, the fact that a woman is living there perfectly fine is even more interesting.
Then it was worth checking out. This wasn’t just any common widow scattered across the world.
She acts all refined. But I wonder how long that will last?
Women who lived on pride and dignity. Once that foundation began to crumble, they usually collapsed far more violently than ordinary women.
“Her name?”
“I don’t know. The villagers call her ‘Lady Yeon,’ but whether that’s her real surname hasn’t been confirmed.”
Lady Yeon, Lady Yeon… It somehow rolled nicely off the tongue. A refined noblewoman maintaining her dignity while surviving alone. Holed up in her old mansion, refusing to acknowledge the villagers, driving away bandits who entered.
Good. My mouth is watering.
I glanced at Yu Byeok. The man who had been standing silently beside me slightly averted his eyes and lowered his head.
“Yu Byeok.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“You heard the story. Do you know the name of that village?”
“It’s called Jureung. Bamboo Ridge.”
A bamboo tomb. Even the name felt ominous—quiet, cold, isolated. I remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright. Send a scouting party to that village later.”
“You won’t be going yourself, Boss?”
“I will. But—” I pressed down on my scabbard. “It’s only proper to check what’s there first.”
A smile formed at the corner of my lips. If a fine piece of meat was lying on the table, it was my responsibility to reach out with my chopsticks.
The scouts returned two days later. Two men in ragged clothes covered in dust walked in, and one of them hurried over.
“Boss, we’ve returned from Jureung village.”
“Good. What did you find?”
I stood with my arms crossed and asked slowly. The man caught his breath before speaking in a low voice.
“That… old mansion you mentioned really exists. It’s on a hill a little ways from the center of the village. It looks like a rather prestigious family used to live there back in the day. However, half the wall has collapsed.”
“And the people?”
The answer came immediately. “There was someone. A woman was out in the courtyard splitting wood.”
“Really? Gathering firewood, I suppose?”
“It seemed so. But here’s the thing…” The man hesitated, then let out a sigh and continued. “She really was alone. No servants, no men. The main gate was unlocked and half-open, but no one was coming or going.”
I nodded. “Her face?”
“We couldn’t get a close look. The moment we approached too near, she suddenly went inside and closed the door.”
“I see.”
The man soon lowered his head. “However, we spoke with a few villagers and heard some things.”
“Speak.”
“They call her Lady Yeon. Her body is rather slender, but she’s tall, and her posture is neat and upright. She doesn’t wear any flashy ornaments or makeup, yet somehow she still catches the eye…”
My ears perked up at those words. “She had some kind of grace?”
“Yes. That’s what they said. It makes you want to look at her again without meaning to. But strangely, some also said it felt frightening.”
I let out a small chuckle. A graceful widow with an eerie aura…
“Interesting. So it really was once a prestigious household.”
Yu Byeok, who had been listening silently, suddenly spoke up.
“Boss.”
“What.”
“It’s about time we needed a secretary.”
“A secretary?”
At my question, Yu Byeok cleared his throat and poured out his thoughts. “Yes. Our numbers have already surpassed thirty. The food we collect as tolls increases every day, and the variety is too much to track. We’re also accumulating miscellaneous goods, weapons, and money. If we don’t record who brought in how much and who left when, it will become a complete mess.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Just a few days ago, the men were fighting over food distribution, and another bastard nearly drew his blade claiming the toll goods didn’t match the recorded amount.”
“…Then why don’t you do it?”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot read or write.”
“…Damn it.”
One of the subordinates who had been listening laughed. “Puhaha, same here.”
I lowered my head without realizing it. “So this is why you need at least some ink in your head.”
Once I finished speaking, Yu Byeok continued. “That woman… if she truly comes from an influential family, she could be useful for more than just bedding. She might be put to proper use.”
“…As a secretary?”
“Even temporarily, we need one.”
I nodded and slowly stood up. “Fine. Tomorrow, I’ll go see for myself and decide.”
The meat placed before me had stirred my appetite. After all, delicious meat didn’t always have to be grilled over fire.
Just set it nicely on the table and let it cook slowly on its own.
I looked up at the night sky. Lady Yeon. A noble character. An old mansion left all alone.
Women like that… when they break, they tend to break very deeply.
A smile spread across my lips. Is she closing the door and cooking rice by herself, or is she still polishing her husband’s memorial tablet? I’ll find out for myself just how long that unbroken pride of hers can hold out.
As I organized my thoughts, one of the subordinates approached cautiously, reading the room.
“Boss… they also say that a faint light flickers behind that mansion every night.”
I frowned. A light? Who? And for what reason would someone light a fire so late at night?
I tapped my scabbard absentmindedly. Lighting a fire every night means either she’s waiting for someone, or there’s still something she must protect. Or perhaps she’s waiting for someone?
The corner of my mouth curled up on its own. Whatever it is, if it’s a woman whose body and heart are both tightly bound—
Then it would be my job to enter that house and set a spark to the cold meat lying there.