A Natural Remark
The days were so busy watching over Yun-woo that I hardly had a moment to catch my breath. Evenings left me just as drained. A person isn’t made of iron, and no matter how much they pay overtime, you can’t expect them to work twenty-four hours a day. I realized that now.
The doctor adjusted the IV drip, his lips curving into a gentle smile. He was clearly trying to say something pleasant for Min Tae-yeon, the mistress of the Miwoo Group.
“Eat well. You’ve been so healthy that you’ll be up and running soon. Mr. Choi is very worried.”
Emphasizing it again was his way of letting me know my husband loves me deeply. I understood the words, yet I nodded calmly anyway.
“Yes.”
If he’d truly been worried, he wouldn’t have come running every night. Besides, I was the one who lit the fire first.
After the doctor left and the medication began to spread through my veins, I slept for a long time. Lying there, my mother’s face popped into my mind.
Even this little pain made my body feel heavy—how much was she suffering?
Since we married, I’d never actually gone with her to the dialysis center. She had handled everything alone. She’d worried about hospital bills and constantly fretted over me. Now that the bills were no longer a burden, I could at least feel a little better.
Even though September was coming, the afternoon sunlight still burned hot. Beneath the fierce rays of the sun, the dense leaves of the trees stood perfectly still, like silent paintings. It was a windless afternoon.
Min Tae-yeon, watching the view from the window, began to prepare herself and headed downstairs to Icheon-daek.
He had just burped, milk dribbling from the corner of his mouth as he nestled against Icheon-daek’s shoulder and fell asleep. He had grown plump and chubby, and just seeing his face made him smile.
“Auntie, I’ll go visit my mom’s family for a little while.”
“Oh my, you’re still not feeling well. Why don’t you just rest today?”
“The shot has made me feel much better. I guess I’m just missing Mom.”
Hearing that Min Tae-yeon missed her mother, Icheon-daek looked sorry and nodded.
“Sigh. Of course you can go. You’ve never visited your mother-in-law’s house much, but hurry up and come back. Yun-woo had tonsils removed, so he was crying yesterday. But he’s such a good boy.”
Min Tae-yeon reached out and gently touched Yun-woo’s cheek. The baby’s skin was so soft that even the tips of her fingers felt brand new.
“Yun-woo was sick too. Sleep well. Mom will be back soon.”
Min Tae-yeon pulled her gaze away from the sleeping baby and greeted Icheon-daek.
“I’ll be back quickly. Should I buy something nice when I come back? Do you have any favorites?”
“No, no. Be kind to my precious little madam. I don’t buy anything. I’m too old to enjoy it anyway.”
“You love cake, don’t you? Last time I saw you eating fresh cream fruit cake.”
“No, I just eat what’s there. Go on, come back soon.”
As she stepped out the door, Min Tae-yeon missed the tiny attic room in her hometown. Even though she lived in her husband’s spacious house, going up and down between floors while hiring people to help, it still felt like a needle cushion.
When her body ached, she wanted nothing more than to lie on that small bed.
She climbed the familiar multi-family house in the narrow alley of Sindang-dong. She opened the door expecting her mother to be there, but the house was empty.
“Is Mom at the hospital?”
Before marriage, I always checked on her at the hospital. After we wed, she told me not to. She said I had enough to worry about with our young marriage and raising a child—why check on her all the time? So we only talked once every few days, just asking how the kidney dialysis was going.
The quiet attic room felt strangely unfamiliar after so many months. In her husband’s house, it had already become familiar. Of course—soon it would be Yun-woo’s one-hundredth-day celebration, and time passed so quickly.
Min Tae-yeon lay on the small bed. Coming from the big house, it felt even smaller.
A moment later, she heard her mother returning.
“Mom.”
“Hey, how come you didn’t call before coming?”
“I missed you.”
The swollen, puffy face looked even more welcome. Min Tae-yeon hugged her tightly. Kyung-ja stroked her daughter’s back and examined her face with worry.
“Why is your face so pale?”
“No, I’m not that thin. Mom, I stocked up the fridge.”
Min Tae-yeon smiled brightly as she spoke. Kyung-ja opened the refrigerator. It was packed full—fresh fruits and meats from a department store, plus dried goods.
“Who do you take after that your hands are so big? What did you even buy?”
Her salary had risen, and when she faced insults from her in-laws, she would immediately receive her own money. It wasn’t like she needed it—she just bought whatever her mother would eat. She was actually grateful for all the abuse she’d endured while cooking for Mom.
She had never bought such good things before. But she’d shopped so extravagantly that the fridge couldn’t hold it all. Next time she’d have to buy a bigger refrigerator.
“Did you carry all this upstairs?”
“The chauffeur helped me.”
“See? It really feels like our daughter-in-law is now the mistress of the house. What can I give you?”
“Plums. I’ll get them myself.”
Min Tae-yeon took out the plums she’d brought. They were fresh and large, and just looking at them made her mouth water.
“These are so sweet. There’s no sweet fruit lately because they’re the last of the season.”
The deep-red plums glistened with moisture, even prettier. They looked exactly like Yun-woo’s red lips.
“Yun-woo’s lips are as red as these plums.”
“Look at you boasting about your baby. Babies’ lips are that color. And healthy people have those red lips.”
“Mom, I just stopped by. I’m so glad I did. Seeing your face makes me really happy.”
“Really? But you look a little hollow.”
“I think I had a slight fever.”
“Yes. Soon it will be Yun-woo’s hundredth day. Are you having a big party?”
“Who knows.”
There was no news from the outside yet. If they were planning a large external celebration, they would have told her by now.
Min Tae-yeon made several low-sodium side dishes for her mother the way she always did. She reduced soy sauce and salt as much as possible, so the dishes were completely tasteless to anyone else. But to her, they were the best because she had tasted them many times while cooking and sometimes even eaten them with her mother.
“Mom, I’ll eat dinner here later.”
“Aigoo, it’s patient food and it’s awful. Why eat it? You can just go home and eat. The side dishes I made for you are enough. Your uncle from the agency came and cooked everything nicely before he left. Your daughter married into a rich family, so of course she’s enjoying it. The agency uncle came and took care of the housework. I told you not to worry, but I didn’t refuse because I’m worried about you.”
“Mom, that’s what Mr. Choi sent. I can’t go to my hometown much because I’m busy raising the baby, so he told me to take care of you.”
Of course not. It was just Min Tae-yeon making up the story to cheer up her mother. Her mother was clearly moved by the words. Seeing how pleased she was just because her high, proud son-in-law was taking care of her, Min Tae-yeon felt she had spoken correctly.
“Yes. I really am blessed in my old age to have such a son-in-law.”
“From now on, I’ll take better care of you.”
“No need. You’re already taking wonderful care of me.”
While they were still bickering, the doorbell rang. Kyung-ja opened the front door, and a tall man stood there.
“Auntie.”
It was No-eul. Kyung-ja greeted him with a bright smile. No-eul had always been the kind person she had hoped her son-in-law would be. Of course he was her son-in-law now, but he was still so kind.
“No-eul? What brings you here?”
“Here, Mom sent these to you.”
In his hands were perfectly boiled potatoes. It seemed his mother had sent her grown son on an errand.
“She said to bring them to you.”
“You came early today. It’s not quitting time yet.”
“Today was my day off.”
No-eul’s gaze moved to Min Tae-yeon beside him. Seeing how much prettier she looked from illness, his heart gave a painful squeeze. The past may have been cut away, but it always regrew in secret. No matter how much, he had to pretend it was nothing.
“Tae-yeon is here?”
“Oppa. Long time no see.”
“Yeah. Want to try some potatoes?”
He awkwardly offered the basket. Min Tae-yeon smiled sweetly.
“Potatoes look delicious.”
The small colander full of potatoes made her mouth water. Even though she had no appetite, she was glad she came.
“Oppa, sit down. Did you eat potatoes?”
“Yeah, I was about to go down and eat them.”
“Eat here. Want coffee too?”
“Sure.”
But no matter how he looked, there was no proper coffee in the house.
“Doesn’t your mom drink coffee?”
“I don’t drink it. You used to drink it, so I stopped buying because you’re not here. You two go out and drink. There’s a new coffee shop up ahead. Drink it and come back. Or don’t drink—go home. Eat dinner at home.”
It seemed her mother insisted they eat dinner back home.
“Then I’ll bring you coffee and take you home.”
No-eul offered to drive her. Of course she could have called her chauffeur, but he didn’t feel like showing off that he had one.
“Yes, oppa. Let’s go down and drink coffee.”
“Should I buy you lunch instead?”
“No, a sandwich and coffee is fine. Mom, I’ll drink coffee with oppa and go home.”
“Yes. You don’t come often, so raise Yun-woo well.”
“Mom, I will. I’m raising Yun-woo well. How much he loves you.”
Since she had decided to return to work after becoming a mother, she had worried that the baby might not like her. But Yun-woo followed Min Tae-yeon as if he truly had a mother. It made her chest feel so full. Kyung-ja laughed in disbelief.
“Who else would a baby love? It’s only natural.”