Yom Sang-seop - Three Generations

When she saw that a shabbily dressed stranger was waiting for her, she stopped short at the top of the stairs and gazed down at him. After descending a few steps, she greeted him with a warm smile.

Byeong-hwa tipped his hat and spoke politely, “You don’t know me, of course. Someone asked me to find out where you live, so I went to the school first and then was brought here.”

“Who is it?”

“Me?”

“No, the. person who wants to find me.” She seemed to be wary of something.

“A gentleman who’d like to visit the elder of your family.”

“Number ____ at Gan-dong.”

“Thank you.” Byeong-hwa bowed and left without another word.

He stopped by the bookstore he frequented with his comrades and picked up a few volumes of the pamphlet they had published and then went to look for the house in Gan-dong.

Byeong-hwa paced in front of a large rising-roof gate at the entrance to Gan-dong. A big nameplate bore the name “Kim,” but there were four or five other nameplates, and Kim was written on two of them. He had no idea which one belonged to Kim Ui-gyeong’s family. Perhaps one of the smaller ones might be the one bearing her father’s name. He entered the gate and found a maidservant washing clothes in the yard. “In which quarters does a female student named Kim Ui-gyeong live?” he asked.

“A female student? Do you mean the young lady of the family?”

This piece of information was new to Byeong-hwa. “No. Is there a kindergarten teacher among the tenants?”

“No one among the tenants.”

“Then she must be the lady of the master’s family. Is she at home?”

“No, she’s not. She went to church. Where are you from?” The maidservant’s eyes grew large, for a man was asking to see the young lady.

“Is the master at home?”

“He’s gone out.”

“Where does he work?”

“He doesn’t go to the office anymore.” She didn’t understand why he asked such questions. Turning away, she resumed rubbing the laundry on the washing rock.

“Are there any rooms for rent?” Byeong-hwa couldn’t think of anything else to ask.

“No!” The woman wasn’t pleased.

“I heard that a room has become vacant in the outer quarters.”

“The larger room has been rented out for some time, and the smaller room that the master used was rented out several days ago. We’re full now,” she answered reluctantly and went in, water pail in hand.

Byeong-hwa left Gan-dong and went to find Won-sam to give him the books he’d promised. He didn’t want to go to the outer quarters, so he walked back and forth outside the gate, until his eyes fell on a pair of man’s rubber slippers placed in front of a room in the servants’ quarters. When he knocked on the door, Won-sam flung it open from inside. Byeong-hwa walked outside with the servant in tow after he had given him the books.

“How about going to Anguk-dong today?” Won-sam had become quite friendly overnight.

“Why?”

Pleased, he told Byeong-hwa to go there around seven in the evening. “You can take a look at the lady and drink there, too.” He said that he’d been to the house in Anguk-dong earlier that day to deliver a message for his master. He remembered that he had promised to tell Byeong-hwa about the next message and had taken the letter to his room and opened it.

“What’s the use of going all the way to your house? It’s better that I open it here and tell you what’s in it.” Won-sam burst into laughter.

“So the message will be sent to the woman from the house in Anguk-dong.” Byeong-hwa then added, “Today is Sunday, and it looks like they’re going to have evening worship at the Anguk-dong house.”

They exchanged a smile.

“What kind of service is that? Worshipping in front of a table laden with food and wine, and with women in their arms! Why don’t you go yourself and have fun? They say you come to understand life only after seeing such things.”

“Well, well! Our Won-sam is quite the playboy, I see!” Byeong-hwa slapped him on the shoulder and said, “This is all really very silly. Read the books I’ve brought you. Though we have no money, honor, position, or religion, nothing except our two fists, we can do anything as long as we join forces to live like real human beings and do our work. Those people are good-for-nothing. There is an expression, ‘gisaeng’s night blouse.’ Though made from expensive silk, it is worn-out and torn, a useless rag. But us, we’re like strong hemp thread. When it’s woven, it looks clumsy and rough, but it’s got its uses, right?”

“You’re right,” Won-sam concurred.

“I just went to the house of the woman in question for some business. ”

“You know her?”

“I had no idea that she lives in a grand house and is the daughter of a respectable family. She is educated, too. Do you know why she runs around like that? In that fancy house, every room is rented out — even the master’s room in the outer quarters. This tells me that they were once well-off but have now fallen on hard times. They make a living collecting rent from the only house in their possession, but how can they hold on to it? In several months — several years, perhaps — they’ll be driven out to rent a place themselves somewhere else.”

Won-sam gasped, “So she’s the daughter of such a grand family?”

“Yes, but what’s the good of it? She’s used to living in luxury and what pittance she earns at the kindergarten isn’t enough even for her face powder. She’s really making her living from your master.” Byeong-hwa beamed. “She’s a concubine on a monthly basis, nothing more!”

“What’s the difference? Ain’t it okay if she enjoys her life this way?”

“Whether it’s right or wrong, do you know what’ll happen to the master who keeps paying her month after month? I can’t guarantee it, but Kim Ui-gyeong’s father may have been paying such monthly salaries for years. Judging from their appearance now, it’s obvious what the future holds.”

“But our master ain’t gonna end up like that, is he?” Won-sam couldn’t imagine it.

“Could be. Who would have dreamed that when they rebuilt Gyeongbok Palace, Gwanghwamun, its southern gate, would end up facing the east in less than a hundred years? In any event, read the books I gave you. You’ll understand what I mean.”

After they parted, Byeong-hwa walked around town for a while before going to visit Gyeong-ae. She was in a hurry, all dressed up and ready to leave.

“What will you do when you meet the witch?” Byeong-hwa asked Gyeong-ae.

“Never mind what I’ll do. Let’s go out,” she urged him. Gyeong-ae wanted to leave before customers trickled in.

“It’s useless to go to Gan-dong. Let’s go have a meal, a combined lunch and supper.”

Gyeong-ae just kept walking. She took a crowded alley and entered a restaurant whose magnificent gate was wide open, without so much as glancing back at Byeong-hwa.

“This is not Kim Ui-gyeong’s house. ” Byeong-hwa teased her as he took off his shoes.

“No more chatter. Did you think I’d chase after this Kim Ui-gyeong, whoever she is?” She sounded magnanimous, as though she’d never be jealous of the likes of Ui-gyeong.

“So you ordered Mr. Jo Sang-hun to come here?” Byeong-hwa kept cracking jokes as he sat down close to the brazier.

“Stop talking nonsense. When are you ever going to wise up?” Gyeong-ae asked, roaring with laughter.

“I’m so wise that I have nothing to eat. What’ll I do if I become wiser than I am now?”

“That’s enough of you! Today I’m treating you so you might not forget about me when you swagger around as the son-in-law of a wealthy family.”

“No problem. But when a rich man pushes his daughter into the arms of a penniless man along with a bribe, what do you expect? It means that they assume that the husband-to-be will have concubines after the marriage. Why don’t you play matchmaker and find me a real knockout when the time comes?” Byeong-hwa gleamed.