I Am Right, Others Are Wrong

It was a dreary morning with an early autumn rain falling.

While others were busy worrying about the autumn harvest, the old couple living in a small thatched house on the outskirts of Unpyeong were as leisurely as ever.

In truth, they didn’t have a single patch of land to harvest grain from.

Rather, it was more accurate to say they lacked land suitable for farming.

The Ga couple was old and lazy, and they weren’t ashamed of their idleness.

That was the main reason they remained poor their entire lives.

They had a daughter who had just turned thirteen.

They had never wanted a child.

But, tempted by the promise of money without work, they took on the burden.

Over a decade ago, a beautiful woman, like a celestial maiden, visited the couple with a face full of worry.

She handed them dozens of silver coins, more than they’d ever touched, and entrusted them with the child.

“I will come to see the child every year. Please care for her as if she were your own.”

Unable to refuse her earnest request, they took the child, and it was true that they lived comfortably for over a decade because of it.

The woman kept her promise and visited yearly but never met the child.

She simply paid the couple a fair price for their care.

Moreover, as the child grew, she became remarkably capable, handling most household chores with ease.

For the lazy couple, she was an ideal daughter.

At least, that’s what they thought until two years ago.

“No word this year either. Seems she must’ve died somewhere. Or, with that pretty face, maybe she forgot the child and became some noble’s concubine.”

The husband nodded in agreement with Mrs. Ga’s words.

“You’re right. We shouldn’t have taken the child in the first place. Raising a kid is hard work, and it costs a lot too. At this rate, we’ll starve soon. And what about the debt we owe to Dragon-Calling Hall?”

“Ugh, it’s all because of my frail body. How is it the child’s fault? Medicine costs so much, we had no choice but to borrow at high interest. Cough cough.”

Old Man Ga hesitated for a while, his face showing unease.

Finally, as if resolved, he leaned close to his wife and whispered.

“It won’t do. At this rate, we won’t survive the winter, and all three of us will end up corpses. I checked with Dragon-Calling Hall, and they say they need a young girl. They noticed Euni’s pretty looks and are offering a good price.”

“But…”

The wife was tempted but couldn’t easily agree, weighed down by a vague sense of guilt.

She also feared being scorned as beasts who sold their child for money.

“Don’t people sell their own flesh and blood these days? Raising her this far is enough to call it even. We haven’t been paid lately, so haven’t we fulfilled our duty?”

Seeing his wife still hesitant, Old Man Ga added in frustration.

“Do you think I don’t care for Euni? But wouldn’t it be better for her to live well at Dragon-Calling Hall, making use of her pretty face, than to starve here?”

Finally, Mrs. Ga made up her mind.

With a body prone to cold, suffering from constant coughing year-round, the monthly cost of medicine was a heavy burden.

And with it already so cold, the coming winter seemed bleak.

As her husband said, it might be a better life for Euni too.

“By the way, where’s Euni?”

“Mother!”

Just then, Euni entered the house, brimming with excitement.

The basket she carried out early that morning was filled with various herbs for cooking.

“I gathered some angelica. They might be tough since it’s after the rain, but they’re still edible.”

“Good girl. Let’s make some herb side dishes today. Cough cough.”

Worried by her mother’s coughing, Euni’s face quickly clouded.

“Mother, rest. They say coughing worsens when you’re weak. The neighbors need help, so I’ll go assist and bring back some meat.”

Euni quickly changed into clean clothes and left the house again.

A half-day’s work could earn some chicken, enough to settle tonight’s dinner.

The thought of contributing to the household filled her with joy, making her steps light as she headed out.

With only the couple left, the thatched house felt so cold it seemed desolate.

Hearing his wife’s faint coughs, Old Man Ga resolved to move forward quickly.

“Let’s call the Dragon-Calling Hall people tonight. What’s the point of getting more attached? Since Euni’s bringing meat, we can treat them with it to save face. I’ll buy your medicine on the way.”

Mrs. Ga couldn’t stop her husband as he strode out.

It was poverty, not a lack of love for Euni, that drove them.

She wasn’t their biological child, but how could they ignore the bond they’d built?

Left alone in the empty house, Mrs. Ga wept quietly for a while.

“Mother, I got some chicken, so I’ll make porridge soon.”

Euni returned early that evening, her face flushed with excitement.

She must have earned more than expected, as the amount of meat looked quite generous.

“Your father’s bringing guests tonight, so make plenty. Cough cough.”

“That’s great.”

Euni hurried to the kitchen to prepare dinner without a moment’s rest.

With guests coming, she was eager to show off her skills.

She firmly told her mother not to enter the kitchen and skillfully prepared the chicken.

After simmering for over an hour, Old Man Ga returned with two men from Dragon-Calling Hall.

As night fell, it grew chilly, and the guests, despite their thick clothing, hunched their shoulders.

“The hot chicken porridge is just ready.”

Euni, with her friendly nature, smiled brightly even in front of strangers.

As the lovely girl served delicious food and sogokju¹, their guarded hearts melted instantly.

While tasting the food, they gave Old Man Ga thumbs-up, confirming the deal was set.

“We sure came to the right place.”

“Indeed, I’d love to throw in a few more silver coins.”

The Ga couple, anxious that the deal might fall through, finally felt relieved.

Their heavily wrinkled faces brightened for the first time in a while.

The thought of spending the rest of the season without money worries eased their hearts.

The four enjoyed a pleasant meal, each caught up in their own mood.

As the liquor took effect, one of the Dragon-Calling Hall men stood to take the girl.

“Girl, come out of the kitchen now. From today, you’ll live in a nice house with fine clothes.”

But there was no response from the kitchen.

“Girl, I said come out!”

Even when he raised his voice, there was still no reply from inside.

“Huh? Euni?”

Just as Old Man Ga, sensing something amiss, stood up.

“Urk!”

Crash!

Suddenly, Mrs. Ga retched violently and tumbled from her chair, rolling on the floor.

“What in the world…”

As Old Man Ga bent to help his wife, he too felt a sudden wave of nausea.

He’d thought the tingling in his fingers and dizziness were from the liquor, but it seemed there was another cause.

“Sirs… it seems… ugh!”

Old Man Ga clutched his head, staggering dizzily, and collapsed onto his wife’s body.

Foaming at the mouth, he looked on the verge of death.

‘Poison!’

The two men from Dragon-Calling Hall exchanged glances.

They hurriedly sat to regulate their breathing, but their dantian was already filled with poison, making it hard to breathe.

Forcing their qi might only spread the poison faster.

Giving up, they stood, drew their swords, and scanned their surroundings warily.

“Who’s there?”

But no matter how they looked, there was no sign of anyone else.

In this house, there were only the old couple, the young girl, and themselves.

It was truly an uncanny situation.

If there was no intruder, who could have poisoned the food?

It was unthinkable that this seemingly innocent old couple would poison themselves.

And since there was no response despite repeated calls, the girl in the kitchen must have been poisoned too.

“Let’s give up on the girl and head back.”

As time passed, their faces flushed, and cold sweat poured; they couldn’t hold out much longer.

They decided to return to their hall to detoxify.

Crawling almost on all fours, they exited the door and vanished into the darkness.

“Hmm, the poison’s not as strong as I thought.”

After they left, the one who appeared with a face unscathed was none other than Euni.

In her hand were a few herbs from the basket she’d brought earlier.

They looked like angelica² on the surface, but a closer look revealed they were Amur angelica³.

She hadn’t intended to use poison at all.

Rather, she meant to serve delicious chicken porridge as thanks for raising her.

At least for today.

“Mother, dying might be better than living with this chronic cough.”

Looking down at Mrs. Ga, whose airway was blocked by vomit and who had already passed, Euni smiled faintly.

Despite all her devotion, they tried to sell her for a few coins—what a shocking betrayal.

Compared to their wicked intentions, it was a peaceful death.

“Oh? Father’s still breathing?”

Old Man Ga wheezed, reaching out toward Euni.

He clung to a faint hope that, given the bond they’d built, she might spare his life.

“Father, if you think about it, your poverty is your own fault. Even if you live off the money from selling me, won’t you just end up starving again? You should figure out how to earn money yourself.”

Leaving the suffering Old Man Ga, she entered the couple’s room.

Now, only one task remained.

Finding the token of her origins, which must be somewhere.

Something mentioned in their conversations long ago.

She didn’t know exactly what it was, but she had to find it.

“Huh?”

Just as she thought those shameless people might have sold it, a seemingly expensive silk pouch fell from a pile of clothes.

Inside was a necklace with a single jade-green bead that shimmered brilliantly.

“They didn’t sell something this valuable? That’s surprising.”

Carefully picking it up, she saw a small character engraved on the bead.

“Cloud (雲)?”

It seemed to be the character that would confirm her identity.

Fearing she might lose it, Euni hung the necklace around her neck.

It fit perfectly, as if made for her, making her heart flutter.

Stepping out this door, it felt like she could find her real parents at once.

“Huh? Still alive?”

As she packed and stepped outside, Old Man Ga was still writhing.

If she left him like this and he survived, he’d surely blabber about her to everyone.

Euni shook her head and sat close beside Old Man Ga.

“Father, I didn’t want to get my hands dirty, but I have no choice.”

She went to the kitchen and returned with a cloth.

Wrapping it around her hand, she grabbed Old Man Ga’s nose and mouth and twisted.

Waiting patiently, it wasn’t long before his limbs went limp.

Just to be sure, she carefully confirmed he was no longer breathing before standing.

“I’d better hurry.”

Since the Dragon-Calling Hall men survived, they might come back to the house.

Euni carefully slung her bundle over her shoulder, stepped out cautiously, and closed the door.

Though the house was in a remote area, she looked around warily just in case.

As expected, no one was there.

“Thank you for raising me all this time.”

Bowing twice toward the house, Euni headed toward Unpyeong’s bustling streets without lingering.

She planned to buy pretty clothes with the money she’d secretly saved.

The slight guilt weighing on her heart lightened the farther she got from the house.

As she turned the corner and the house vanished from view, she began humming a tune.

아시타비 (我是他非), I Am Right, Others Are Wrong:

When a problem arises, others are blamed, and the original person in question is always the exception.