episode_0077

“Janae! The groom is here, the groom! He’s almost here! Hurry up and get the bride ready!”

As I rode to Gil-yong’s uncle’s house, I could hear Gil-yong’s uncle shouting from afar.

Rumble, rumble.

“Wow… Sang! It seems like everyone in our neighborhood is gathered here, right? Oh! Are there no high-ranking officials?”

“Hey, why are these aristocrats with heavy bottoms coming to watch a commoner’s wedding? The food inside the house must be tastier than the feast food… Maybe some people who enjoy spectating will come.”

Nevertheless, the boasting of Ge-dong about how it seemed like everyone in the neighborhood had gathered was not an exaggeration.

Wow… Gil-yong’s uncle’s house is quite big, but it’s really packed with people.

From the elderly to newborns, it seemed like every single person from the neighborhood had been invited, leaving no room to move.

I feel like my breathing is getting a bit faster…?

“Is that the Namjeong lady?”

“Yeah, isn’t she elegant? She’s always been famous, so people are curious about her beautiful face, right?”

“Why curious about her beautiful face?”

“Well, aren’t you curious about what a woman marrying someone like Namjeong looks like? That woman must be very fortunate; imagine how wealthy her husband must be to have such a grand wedding?”

“Oh, so even Won-nim got greedy for that rumor?”

“That’s right! How beautiful and lucky must she be. Can you just attach the label ‘national beauty’ to anyone?”

Already, the chattering of the village women can be heard.

Suppressing the urge to cover my face and sneak in, I force myself to straighten my chest and enter.

The Dong-i family already looks overwhelmed by the crowd, so I shouldn’t add to their stress.

At that moment, Gil-yong’s uncle, bustling around and urging his wife, approaches me, scrutinizing each person who came to help.

“Oh, our new groom! Wow… the ceremonial attire suits you well.”

“Gil-yong’s uncle, I suddenly feel so nervous now that I’m actually here. Did you invite too many people for the wedding?”

“Why should you be nervous? If we’re going to have a wedding, let’s make it grand! There are more guests than expected because of the rumor about the abundant feast. Hey, look over there! Can you see all the people gathered outside the house?”

“That’s why I feel even more jittery. Oh… you seem overly excited, uncle! Just saying.”

“Oh, excited indeed! Let’s celebrate this wedding properly, make people laugh and smile. Where else could there be a better day than this? Should we start right away or take a short break?”

“Let’s just finish quickly! Oh… I’m trembling.”

“You brat! I’ve been through it all, it’s nothing special! Once you come to your senses, you’ll see the bride and groom sitting together, then before you know it, you’ll be building the Great Wall of China and it’ll be nighttime the next day.”

Oh, that smug face annoys me to no end.

Oh! Right, I should introduce the kids first.

“Uncle, this is the scarecrow who will play the role of the groom today. You know, right? And these are the younger siblings, Ge-dong, say hello to the guests.”

The children gather around and bow politely.

“Hello, sir.”

“Oh… let’s see… yes, Ge-dong is already known. Hey, have the second and younger siblings grown a lot?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Yes!”

Huh? The aloof second child seems familiar with the uncle as they exchange greetings…

Seeing them enthusiastically respond to the stories that used to scare them, do they already know each other well?

“Uncle, do you already know Ge-dong’s siblings too?”

“Hey, I’m from this village, I probably know almost everyone here.”

Once again, the uncle showed his true colors.

Despite seeming loose and carefree normally, he was a competent person when it came to work.

And even if he did his job well, he was someone who found fulfillment in the laughter and joy of the villagers.

Would they even know all the families of tenant farmers on the outskirts of the village?

How nice would it be if such a person were our village head?

“Hey, Sang-ah, let’s get started now! The waiting groom will lose his voice! The villagers are eager to receive the feast quickly. When I go to the annex and call, you bring the kids and come forward. You understand that, right? When I say ‘Jeonanlyeo,’ Gae-tong-i will pass the wooden goose to Sang-i.”

“Yes, I understand. Kids, let’s go! Can we do well?”

“Yes!”

The children’s response roared.

Their cheeks turned red, showing a nervous yet excited look.

For a moment, we slipped away towards the annex, waiting for Gil-yong Ajae to call us.

“Come on, let’s be quiet now! The groom will enter soon! Hey, is the bride ready?”

The son-in-law, who had been bustling under Gil-yong Ajae’s control, suddenly fell silent.

All that could be heard were the cries of newborns and the laughter of playful children.

Before we knew it, the sun had set, but like the saying “night bright as day,” the lanterns around us pushed back the darkness, shining brightly in orange.

“Groom, please come in!”

Gil-yong Ajae’s booming voice.

We looked at each other, then bowed our heads.

Leading the way with children holding lanterns, we entered.

Thump… Thump…

My heart pounded as if it would burst.

‘Ah… If I knew I’d be this nervous, I would have kept it simple instead of making it grand…’

Trying to walk confidently while looking straight ahead, I felt overwhelmed by the gazes converging towards the courtyard with each step.

Some are crying? Are they congratulating me so sincerely? Was she so emotional because she was a woman?

Thanks to them, I felt a bit less tense.

Knowing that people support our wedding like this, I must bear their stares!

I walked with a straightened chest, confidently.

“Wow!”

“Oh my, how can he be so…”

We arrived at the courtyard without realizing it.

In the center, a well-prepared wedding table was visible.

“Approach the groom to pass the wooden goose.”

As Gil-yong Ajae’s voice rang out, Gae-tong-i approached me, handed me the wooden goose, and stepped aside with his siblings.

A bird symbolizing love. A wooden goose.

It meant committing to spend a lifetime together with the chosen partner.

“The groom should pass the wooden goose to the bride’s mother and bow twice.”

An open door appeared.

Hee-sun, wearing the ceremonial attire only princesses wear, lowered her head, raised her arms, covered her face with long sleeves, and sat slightly apart.

We hadn’t seen each other for so long that I wanted to run to her and embrace her, but I suppressed that feeling for now.

The star of the feast cannot ruin the feast.

Placing the wooden goose on a small table in front of the door, I received the goose from the mother-in-law as a sign of allowing the marriage.

A goose placed on one side of the room.

I bowed twice to the mother-in-law standing in front of the door.

“Huik….”

After bowing, when I smiled and faced my mother-in-law, tears flowed from her eyes, wiping them with the hem of her clothes.

Come to think of it, the situation is a bit strange.

Playing the role of a daughter-like niece and a mother-in-law, emotions seemed to intensify as I married off my son-like self.

I feel like crying too… My father and mother would have been pleased to see me now…

As my mother-in-law entered the room…

Finally, Hee-sun rose, receiving the blessings of the two maidens of the village.

Her face still lowered.

Surely, it was a familiar and beautiful face I saw every day, but today, I was especially curious about what lay beneath.

Once I confirmed Hee-sun had fully risen, I turned around and led her to the wedding table.

The wedding table was adorned with roosters and hens, pine branches, chestnuts, jujubes, all colorful and dazzling.

Facing each other across the wedding table.

Once this betrothal ceremony is over, I will finally see Hee-sun’s face.

“Wife bows first.”

Heesun was supported by Gil-yong Ajae’s words and bowed to me slowly twice.

After a while, Heesun finished her bow…

“Seodapilbae (壻答一拜)”

I also bowed slowly once to Heesun…

This was repeated once more.

“Seoupbugakgwejwa (壻揖婦各机坐)”

Facing each other in a respectful manner, I bowed to Heesun once and slowly sat down together.

As we sat down, Heesun’s arms began to descend slowly.

Finally, Heesun’s beautiful face was revealed.

“Oh my…?”

“……”

“Wow…!”

The murmurs that were flowing suddenly fell into silence.

Even the crying babies fell silent in shock….

Facing Heesun’s face directly, I too was engulfed in the illusion of her beauty.

I had never thought Yeonji Gongji was pretty… Why is Heesun so beautiful?

Moreover, it wasn’t her usual simple beauty; it was as if her face became more radiant due to the makeup she had applied to look her best…

I became so dazed that I couldn’t remember how things progressed after that.

Drinking the offered alcohol from the side… changing the wedding wine cups… bowing deeply to the guests…

Before I knew it, the wedding table was cleared, and the villagers started serving food,

But I still sat there absentmindedly, like a fairy, picking at the food little by little… no, just gazing at the fairy.

“Now snap out of it! You’re already the groom and bride who have seen each other’s faces, why are you still sitting there so absentmindedly?”

“..Ah! Gil-yong Ajae! It’s just that Heesun is so beautiful…”

“Poor thing! Poor thing!”

“No, what can I do about the fact that she’s beautiful? Can’t you see that everyone in the village steals glances at Heesun? It’s driving me crazy… sigh…”

Smack!

With a playful laugh, Gil-yong Ajae slapped me hard on the back.

“Haha, can’t you see the women stealing glances at you? You have no idea how much they envy you…? When you see this, it’s fate. Fate.”

“What are you saying.. Everyone is just looking at Heesun. Oh! By the way, are Gaedong’s children eating well? Why can’t I see them?”

“They are eating very well over there. Don’t worry, my wife is taking good care of them.”

“Why are the groom’s side people hiding in the corner to eat? They should eat comfortably on the spacious yard.”

“It seems uncomfortable, maybe something big happened before.. When they tried to eat in the yard, it seemed like the youngest’s face was turning pale. Hyunsu must be eating well in the guest room.”

“Oh, is Hyunsu there? Well, that’s a relief. When you leave, make sure to ask your aunt to pack plenty of food. They are grateful kids. That’s for sure!”

“I got it, I got it. I already told her because she was so thankful. Let me tell you again. You, eat some food. Even though your aunt has been tirelessly cooking and serving food to all the villagers until she ran out of ingredients, don’t waste the effort by not eating.”

“Oh. Your aunt must have had a hard time.. Is there anything else she needs?”

“No, no, if a few people leave, we might be able to wrap up soon. Look, the new bride is taking care of things outside. She must have come out because she doesn’t need to manage the kitchen anymore. If it weren’t for your strict aunt, she wouldn’t have come out like that. She’s so meticulous… Laughing and crying alternately.”

“Even though he’s famous as a good son-in-law, why did he speak like that? Anyway, now your aunt can finally rest a bit. Oh! By the way, the ancestral rites are all done now, right? There’s nothing more to do now, right?”

Gilyong Ajae’s face turned sinister as he began jabbing my side with his elbow.

“When will this end, you rascal. Haha, can’t you see those kids over there?”

Where Gilyong Ajae pointed, a thick-headed maiden and bachelors alternately glanced at Heeseon and me, gathered in a group. Oh… some of them look like old maidens and bachelors, don’t they?

“Why? They’re just young, unmarried villagers.”

“Huh… tsk tsk… You should have seen other people getting married when you came down to the village.”

“Living in the mountains, do I have friends? Do I have relatives? What business do I have watching weddings… So what exactly are those people?”

In response to my words, Gilyong Ajae seemed incredulous, sighed briefly, and spoke.

“What grand identity are you talking about! Aren’t they all just sneaking around to peek into your new house?”

“Sneak into…? Whaaat? No way?”

“Yes… Watching the first night of the newlyweds is considered the end of the wedding for the villagers. It’s a deeply rooted tradition with a long history, hmm…”

“This is outrageous!”

Absolutely not! These uncivilized medieval people! We’re not some voyeuristic actors or something!

I must somehow drive out all these nosy brats!!