Read From Wonso Pond for Free Online

such rumors. And even if the master did hit me, do you really think he meant to hurt me? We’re like a father and son to each other . . . ”
    â€œSo he did hit you then.”
    â€œI said I don’t want to hear about it, didn’t I?”
    Minsu groaned and turned over onto his side, but then his eyes flashed open and he looked over at his wife, as though he’d just thought of something.
    â€œIf by any chance I end up dying, I don’t want you to take those rumors seriously.”
    Minsu knew that his afflictions were far from ordinary. But not in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined Tokho had caused them. As soon
as the word “die” fell from her husband’s lips, Sonbi’s mother felt dizzy, and she couldn’t bring herself to mention the subject again.
    Within only a few days’ time, Minsu passed away. He would never know how Sonbi threw her arms around his body, sobbing with all her heart.
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    As she reflected on these past events, Sonbi’s mother soon had tears running down her cheeks. She wiped them away and once again looked up at her roof—that dingy roof without a master. How many thousands of times her husband’s strong hands had worked their magic upon it!
    At the sound of the brush gate opening, Sonbi’s mother assumed that her daughter had returned, and she quickly sat down. She removed the traces of tears from her face, and started plaiting her straw again. Then she thought she heard someone at the door. Maybe it’s not Sonbi, perhaps someone else from the village has dropped by, she thought, tilting her head to listen for a clue.
    â€œAnybody here?”
    As soon as Sonbi’s mother heard the voice, she knew whom it belonged to.
    â€œMy goodness, what brings you here?” She got up immediately and opened the back door. Sinch’on Taek was standing there in the doorway, looking somewhat out of sorts. Her tired, puffy eyes were lit up by only a trace of a smile.
    â€œAre you busy?” She ended her sentence with a deep sigh.
    â€œNo, please, come in.”
    Sinch’on Taek entered the room and took a seat. She stared out blankly at the backyard, as though distracted by something on her mind.
    â€œI bet my mom is also . . .”
    She couldn’t bring herself to finish the thought. Sonbi’s mother understood what she wanted to say, though, and she felt sorry for the young woman.
    â€œAre you feeling all right, dear?”
    â€œWell, I’m afraid I’m going to have to move back home for good tomorrow . . .”
    Tears were now streaming down her cheeks. Sonbi’s mother was at a loss as to what to say and simply sat there silently for a while before speaking.

    â€œCome now, what makes you say such a thing?”
    â€œWell, I’m not going to be able to live in that house much longer. I mean, with him on my case all the time about giving birth to a son, how long do you think I’ll last without giving him what he wants?”
    Each time this young woman of hardly twenty years mentioned not having a child, Sonbi’s mother looked over at her as though she was being rather silly. At the same time, though, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.
    â€œWell, what did he say to you?”
    â€œYou heard that I missed my period last month, didn’t you? Well, I just got it again this morning!”
    â€œYou did? That happens once in a while, you know.”
    â€œOh, why does the damn thing have to cause me so much grief ?”
    Ever since Sinch’on Taek had missed her last period, Tokho had been badgering the villagers with orders for special foods and herbal tonics to give her.
    When Tokho worshipped her like Heaven, Sinch’on Taek was somehow easy to hate, but today the girl was sitting there simply a ball of nerves, and Sonbi’s mother found herself both sorry for the young woman as well as amused at the situation.
    â€œYou’ll have a baby sooner or