Chapter 26: Chapter twenty-six: Desperate mother

Kim chang-min rushed out of the house when he received the message his wife sent him, but it was too late to stop her as what he saw when he came out was the dust raised by the fleeing horse.

He didn't know what she was told that made her do something without consulting him but knowing her very well couldn't help but worry about the severity of the outcome with meeting the shaman.

Going back inside the house to wait patiently for her return, he picked up a book he was editing for the writer.

He has never had an interest in government post or even politics, he just wanted to live a simple and happy life with his family.

He became an instructor at a nearby academy from where he met the current writer he is editing the book for. He also runs a jewellery shop and cloth factory where they produce, sew , sell and ship away to other dynasty for profit and Jades they use in producing jewellery, and currently they want to begin production of make-ups for women and see how it turns out.

He's always satisfied with everything they get as profit since he's able to feed and clothe his family luxuriously.

Thinking back, he remembered one occasion when his wife had met him very early in the morning panting and fidgeting, telling him to delay the shipment of their goods that morning as she had a terrible dream about a burning paper money last night.

Dismissing her dreams as a superstition, he ordered that the goods be shipped in order not to delay their customers any further.

The ship that carried the goods worth millions of golds perished under the sea with some of its sailors barely making it ashore.

Gritting his teeth over not listening to his wife that morning decided to follow her intuitions from that day forward but not after bearing heavy losses for the goods ,and to the families of the deceased he gave money for burial ceremonies and for their upkeep.

One certain day as they were sleeping, she suddenly jerked up and startled him. She dreamt that his father was asking for a cup of water from her, and knowing that the man would never do such a thing in real life felt ominous and urged the husband to visit the estranged father with her to make sure everything was OK.

Reluctantly heeding his wife's instruction followed her to his father's compound and confirmed that her premonitions was true.

They met the old man coughing violently and asking for water but their was no one to help him as the servants had all slept off and he was too weak to get one himself.

Seeing a shadow finally before him , he used his last ounce of strength to cup his hands on his mouth indicating that he needs water.

Kim ga-young rushed out immediately and returned with water and the old man drank the whole cup of water and felt a little relief.

Getting a little bit of strength now, he decided to look at his savior to reward him or her but was surprised to see his son and his slave-wife .

Frowning his face to express displeasure, he scolded them for returning to the house they were banned from entering.

"Do you think l want to be here?... you should thank Ga-young for dreaming that you were in need of help or else you would have already gone to hell" Chang-min shouted at his ungrateful father.

Guilt clouded his senses and he apologized to his son, but he refused the apology and asked him to apologize to the wife , but rather than apologize to a slave he would rather fall to his death.

Seeing that his eldest son might not forgive him this time around decided to reward the slave-wife.

"What do you say l put your children's names in the family register and allow them to visit the house and play with their cousins?"

Both of them were so shocked that they didn't mind that the old man didn't apologize .

Kim ga-young didn't even mind that her name won't be there, as long as her babies names are there ,half of her worries would be gone.

Kowtowing, she thanked the old man for doing her a great favour

"My lord, thank you for allowing this lowly one's children to be with their family"

"Oh... you know you are lowly yet you married my eldest son and tarnished our family's reputation?" he grunted.

"Old man, please don't insult my wife, she is my first and only wife and no one... I repeat, no one is allowed to insult the mother of my children even if that person is you."

The old man felt that there is no need to argue with his son and dismissed them with the instruction to bring his grand children to his house the next day.

This was how the children were accepted back as the noble children of Kim's family while their mother was not attached to their names in order to separate them from her lowly status but still ,no child would like to separate with their mother hence they were called 'lowly'.

Distracted with his thoughts, he paused what he was doing and went to his inner room to get the wine he hid there, he had promised his wife to stop drinking and he really stopped but he had received a wine bottle from his friend, fearing that his friendship with him might turn sour decided not to turn down the offer and kept it hidden in his inner chamber.

Pouring the wine inside the cup, he became grateful for not disposing of the wine earlier on.

Yoona's mother has been riding for the past four hours without stopping to rest or pee, the servants that followed after her started doubting whether their mistress had really continued the journey as they have been riding for hours without seeing even her shadows.

Yoona's mother finally reached the compound of Teacher Lee and cursed under her breath that someone shouldn't live so far away from the rest of the world.

Tying the horse to a nearby beam, she ran wobbly inside the compound as her legs were a little bit stiff from all the kicking and riding for hours without rest.

Approaching the compound, she became scared as she found out that it was devoid of human presence .

Worried that Yoona might have already gone to see the person, she started shouting out her name.

*Crying*

"Yoona!, where are you my darling? ... Mother has come... please come and greet your mother... Don't see him oo! please come and see mother"

Crying and screaming her daughter's name, she didn't even know when she reached the back of the building.

Yoona and Teacher Lee has been having their lessons, Yoona surpassed all expectations and mastered everything that she needs to know about cooking Ingredients and spices.

They were in the middle of their last lesson on spices when they heard a crying voice, they were worried to the bones when they heard Yoona's name being mentioned and Yoona identified that the voice belongs to her mother .

They both rushed out and saw that her mother's face was painted with tears and that she was making an effort to wipe off the mucus dripping down from her nose with the back of her hands.

"Mother!"

Hearing her child's voice, she turned towards her and ran to hug her.

"Did you meet him...did he hurt you?" she bombarded her with questions.

Confusion written on her face, Yoona didn't know how to answer because her mother was acting weird.

"Did l meet who , mother?" Yoona questioned her mother.

"I meant, did you meet the one that will ..." she paused, she didn't know how to proceed with the question without sending out the wrong information .

Yoona waiting for her mother to continue with her questions touched her to wake her up from her thought.

"Don't mind me my darling, mother missed you so much that I decided that you will stop your lessons and follow me home"

Thinking that her mother was joking , Yoona broke into a broad smile and hugged her too

"Mother, Yoona misses you too that I almost ran back home and abandon all this"

"It's not too late,baby. Let's go home now since we miss each other very much."

Seeing that her mother was dead serious, she panicked.

What of her remaining lessons that will be completed very soon, what of the young master that promised they would see again, what of....

Every "What of" filled her head. She's almost through, the only thing remaining is to start practicing all she has learnt so how can she abandon it now?

Teacher Lee stood by the side and witnessed everything thing that transpired between the mother and child.She saw the exchange of words, the change in emotions and facial expressions and even the thoughts running through Yoona's mind.

She has been with the girl long enough to know that she won't leave with her mother until her lessons were completed.

Betting everything on her intuition, she waited patiently to know what Yoona will decide on, after all if the girl decides to leave she won't stop her , not that she won't try but she knows that the girl will follow through with whatever she sets her heart on.

Finally calming her mother down, she promised to return home immediately she completes her lessons, not even one day late.

Mother Kim seeing that her child was resolute in her decision gave up. She turned around dejectedly and walked towards her horse a broken woman.

Yoona witnessed her mother's dejection but didn't know what to say or do for her.

She ran towards her mother and back hugged her with the promise that she will return home very soon.

"Mother has heard, go back now and don't keep your teacher waiting"

Her mother refused to turn, in order not to betray the tears running down her face.

Yoona went back to the compound to continue her lessons while her mother went towards her horse.

On reaching there ,she found out that her servants already arrived and are waiting for her to come out.

The horse neighed because it was startled with its owner's fit of cries. She climbed her horse rejecting their help but commanded them to make preparations for her visit the next day to the temple.