"Mom, I'm back"
"Oh, good, I was worried you'd be out when it's dark"
"I know better than that"
He set down the wrapped up baskets, showing his mother a few things. He'd been down to the village, selling some stuff and buying a few things.
He was older now, nineteen, he didn't want his dad doing all the work. His dad may have been old but he was strong, not healthy though, work may have made him ill.
His mom took some of the things to put away, he put his things away. He looked at Jieun, she was fifteen now, sat on the floor sewing. Out of all the skills his mom taught her and all the work she could do, she was always sewing.
She could help mom cook, or do the dishes, or the laundry, or fan out the fire, something. But he always saw her sewing, she was sewing with red cloth, it looked like a blanket or something.
"You're still sewing?"
"Mhm"
"Did you go sleep last night when I told you? You can't stay up to sew"
"I did, and why not?"
"Because you shouldn't be up at night, we live in a forest Ji"
"I don't get it, what lurks? What's in the trees when it's dark?"
"I don't know, but it's probably best if we don't know"
"But-"
"You can't keep sewing this thing all the time, come on"
"Fine, well we need more wood and water"
"Water?"
"Some of it's frozen over, we need fire wood and then we can heat the water too"
"I need wood, and water, and food"
"I'll get the water"
"No, stay here, mom and dad don't like it when you do work like that"
"Why should I stay home and help mom cook soup while you're chopping down trees?"
"Because it's better for you, stay home"
"But mom makes me work in the garden, it's right next to the river"
"Jieun stop, it's a five minute job, I'll do it"
"Hmph, fine"
"Just stay home and relax, it's safe and easy for you-"
"Appa said take me to the village with you next time you go"
"WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY?"
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"I'm so excited!"
"Dad must be out of his mind.."
He was walking down the mountain, carrying a basket of wood and a basket of coal. Jieun was skipping next to him, she wore her favourite dress, excited to see the village. She's been cooped up in the house all her life.
Her parents gave them a shopping list and said any extra money left over could be used on what they wanted. Selling wood and coal was high demand and sold quickly for a lot, but not a lot was left after buying the list.
He usually sold the stuff, bought the things on the list and saved the money. A week's worth of basic needs was expensive.
They got to the village and she looked around in awe, they had huge fields full of crops and markets full of stalls for ages. There were so many houses and so many people, couples walking around, families going somewhere, kids laughing with their parents.
