Meanwhile, Tae Cheon-oh took off the coat he was wearing and draped it over Cheongyeon’s body. Cheongyeon clutched the coat—which was too large for him—like it was a suit of armor, wrapping his naked body tightly within it.
Mu-won pulled out all the banknotes from his wallet and squatted down in front of Cheongyeon. When he grabbed Cheongyeon, who was shying away into the corner to avoid him, a sharp shriek burst out. If the disgust and terror Cheongyeon felt had another name, it would likely be that sound.
Mu-won, indifferent, simply stuffed the banknotes haphazardly into the coat pocket.
“Mu-won, you really shouldn’t.” Tae Cheon-oh’s voice was stern, suggesting an apology instead of compensation. Mu-won neatly ignored Tae Cheon-oh’s words.
“If it’s not enough, ask for more.”
Cheongyeon kept his gaze fixed on the wall, not looking at Mu-won. Mu-won rose to his feet, annoyedly running a hand through his hair. As he turned toward the door, Tae Cheon-oh helped Cheongyeon up.
“Are you alright?” Tae Cheon-oh’s surprisingly gentle tone scratched at the back of Mu-won’s head.
Turning back, Mu-won saw Cheongyeon leaning meekly against Tae Cheon-oh. He seemed to mistake Tae Cheon-oh for a savior who would pull him out of this abyss of malice.
“Tell me if you’re hurt anywhere.” Tae Cheon-oh kept expressing concern.
At that moment, a small sob escaped Cheongyeon. The barely audible whimper soon turned into a cry of grief that poured from his mouth. Cheongyeon’s lips, which he had desperately tried to keep pressed shut, twisted into a mess. Unable to hold back his tears, he finally covered his mouth tightly with both hands.
[Nanny… Nanny…]
The child who cried that day, of all times, came to mind. There wasn’t a single thing that resembled him—not his hair color nor his eye color. It must have been because of the blood smeared around his mouth.
That child, too, had covered his mouth himself, soaking his face entirely in blood. The child pressed his crying lips down firmly with both hands, lest anyone overhear his wailing.
Mu-won didn’t watch any longer and roughly flung the door open.
“Every day, I ate poison while I carried you. I prayed and hoped to die with you in my womb.”
“But you were so much like that cursed human that you even used the lethal poison meant to kill our clan as your nourishment, and you were born perfectly fine. Instead, your blood and bodily fluids became poison to our clan.”
“Go and tell your goddamn father. What he wished for will never come true, even in death.”
The herbalist is not a Flower.
If he were from the Flower Clan, he would have had a violent rejection reaction to Mu-won’s blood.
*******
Twenty thousand Hwan.
Clutching the thick wad of banknotes, Cheongyeon couldn’t believe his eyes. There were a few bloodstains on them, but the money was perfectly usable. This amount was more than enough to use the smuggler's ship, which would surely handle the assigned job, multiple times over.
“...Twenty thousand Hwan.” Cheongyeon spoke the amount out loud. He felt as though the banknotes might disappear like foam if he didn't.
“Twenty thousand Hwan...!”
Cheongyeon raised his hand, gripping the money—the largest sum he’d ever held in his life—high up. Then, afraid someone might be watching, his heart sank, and he quickly lowered his hand. But there was no need to worry. As soon as he had returned to the medicine shop, he had locked the shop door and closed the curtains.
He truly thought he was going to die earlier.
The first time, he thought he would die by having his throat slit by the knife, and the second time, he thought he would choke while drinking the blood. Yet, he survived safely.
By the fact that he, who was nearly dead, survived, the people of Cheonghwajin were also able to face tomorrow safely. Their lives, which were almost erased without anyone knowing, were freshly extended.
A new life. Thinking that way, it even felt hopeful.
In the end, excessive relief led to tears, making him show an unsightly display... but at least the result was good.
Cheongyeon was not in the habit of dwelling on bad thoughts for long; it was a habit he had intentionally cultivated. Because he spent many days alone, he was prone to sinking into depression. Once depression started, it became unstoppable.
A long time ago, there was a time when he entered an empty forest and fell asleep, surrounded by plants, for over a month. Because the Flower Clan member had fallen asleep, a flood had occurred in Cheonghwajin.
Since that day, Cheongyeon absolutely refused to escape into the forest.
No matter what happened, he acted calm and unfazed on the outside. But after falling asleep, he would unknowingly soak his pillow with tears. Even when he saw the wet pillow every morning, Cheongyeon consciously comforted himself, saying he was fine.
It was the same this time. Yes, his clothes were stripped, he was slightly pricked by a knife, and he drank some blood, but as a result, hadn't he gotten twenty thousand Hwan? Cheongyeon was truly fine. In fact, he thought it was a good thing.
Moreover, for reasons unknown, Tae Cheon-oh had said so. That Mu-won had made a big mistake and done him wrong. He even promised, staking his boss’s name, that Peira would never take any interest in him again.
It seemed the rumor that Tae Cheon-oh put a lot of effort into maintaining the balance between Cheonghwajin and Peira was not baseless.
Cheongyeon placed the precious twenty thousand Hwan he was holding under his pillow.
With this money, he would first buy dried Vengeance blossoms, a new bicycle, and then... What else should he buy?
Perhaps because he had lived a long time without much, the necessary items didn’t readily come to mind. Meanwhile, the memory of Mu-won pointing the knife and forcing him to drink blood kept plaguing a corner of his head.
To also erase the bad memories, Cheongyeon brought paper and a pen and got under the blanket. Lying face down, he began listing the things he would buy one by one. Only then did it feel like he could somewhat wipe away the events of the day.
[Bicycle.]
After writing Bicycle, he racked his brain for a long time. If his mother or Nanny were here, he would have bought expensive groceries and cooked until his stomach burst...
‘Stop thinking. If I think, I’ll get sad. Bad thoughts keep popping up…’
Cheongyeon muttered inwardly and placed them in a solid locker deep within his mind.
Perhaps because he was thinking about food, his stomach growled. Looking back, he realized he hadn't eaten for over twenty-four hours. Cheongyeon abruptly got up. Then, he gathered his clothes and prepared to go out.
The twenty thousand Hwan, composed of twenty banknotes, was folded into two ten-banknote wads and tucked into both socks. He was uneasy leaving it hidden at home for fear someone might steal it while he was out. Fortunately, the socks were already thick, so it wasn't too noticeable.
He put the remaining cash he had in his pocket. Cheongyeon went outside, secured the shop door, and headed straight for the grocery store.
The surroundings were bluish as dawn was breaking. Although he hadn't slept all night, his eyes were wide awake. It was probably due to the comforting presence inside his socks.
<Cheonghwa Store>
Just a short climb up the hill from the medicine shop, a crooked sign was visible on one side of the incline. The sign, which had been tilted by the typhoon that hit last summer, was still in place. It secretly worried him that it might fall someday, but Cheongyeon didn't pry unnecessarily.
“Hello.” He pushed the door open with force, causing a squeak due to the slanted door frame. The store, located on the diagonal of the hill, looked tilted from the outside, but the inside was normally flat.
“Cheongyeon, you’re here? I was wondering why you hadn't come for rice yet.” The owner greeted Cheongyeon warmly on his long-awaited visit.
“Yes, I just ran out now.” Cheongyeon also smiled warmly and picked up a shopping basket. He filled the basket with ten bags of his favorite instant ramen and snacks imported from other continents.
“Auntie, please give me the medium bag of rice, too.” The small bag was for two weeks, and the medium was for a month’s worth of food.
“What a surprise? Did a big-spending customer come to the medicine shop?” The owner stopped midway through scooping rice into the small bag and looked surprised. She knew Cheongyeon’s meager living conditions better than anyone.
“Yes.” Cheongyeon just smiled without saying anything specific.
The grocery store owner had always been generous. Whenever Cheongyeon came, she would give him homemade side dishes or tofu. Today, too, she gave him two blocks of tofu and some bean sprouts for free.
“Thank you, always.”
“Thank you for what? I live to see our little puppy’s face!” The owner, who had walked him out to the front of the store, patted Cheongyeon’s back. They had known each other since he was a child, so they were familiar, and Cheongyeon also liked her very much. It couldn't be easy to be so generous despite her own modest means, so Cheongyeon always felt more sorry than grateful.
He wished that someday, when he saved up a lot of money, he could move her store from this slanted spot to a flat piece of land that looked level even from the outside.