Behind Five Willows

By early afternoon, Haewon came to the conclusion that worrying would not solve the conundrum in which Yeonhee had placed their family. Grabbing her veil off the hook, Haewon stepped out of the house and slipped her feet into her sandals.

“We are ruined!” her mother’s shrill voice rang, echoing through the open windows of their humble abode.

“If rumors spread, their chances of marriage will all be ruined! My dear husband, what, tell me, what am I to do with three unmarried daughters? Every family gathering, your brothers and sisters scold me so for raising such unruly girls! And if they learn of this incident? Oh, simply thinking of how cruel and mean they will be to us! My poor heart—it is already difficult to breathe!”

Her mother hadn’t stopped wailing over the gibang-house incident since their return the night before, and chastising Jade for not keeping a closer watch on Yeonhee.