Back Home (3)
"What on earth happened? Where have you been all this time?"
After bursting into tears, Sima-Xian asked with a face swollen from crying.
"I'll tell you slowly. It's a long story."
With a faint smile, Sima-Jian set out a drinking table with Sima-ho, then gestured to Sima-jin, who was busily darting her eyes around.
"Ho still has the same face he did as a kid. And our youngest, too."
Sima-jin blushed and lowered her head. Seeing that, Sima-Xian broke into a bright smile.
"You've grown a lot, haven't you?"
"Yeah. You were only four when I left home."
"Was I really that young?"
Sima-Xian asked in surprise, then nodded with a somber expression.
"That's right. It's been twelve years since you went missing, big brother. I was only ten back then."
"I was eight,"
Sima-ho chimed in, sticking out his tongue.
"Ho, do you remember me?"
At Sima-Jian's question, Sima-ho looked incredulous, thumping his chest as he replied,
"Of course! You took us to the place with the guardian spirit to play every single day."
"That's true."
Sima-Jian smiled warmly.
"I wonder how the guardian spirit is doing now. It didn't get struck by lightning or anything, did it?"
As Sima-ho snickered and lifted his cup, Sima-Xian frowned.
"Don't say such unlucky things."
"Don't worry. It's grown even better than before."
At Sima-Jian's words, Sima-Xian and Sima-ho asked at the same time,
"You went back to our hometown?"
"Yes. I met the villagers, too. Uncle Jang told me about you. Thanks to that, I was able to find you so easily."
"I see. That explains it."
"Then… what about Mother?"
Sima-Xian asked cautiously.
"I heard."
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room sank heavily.
"She waited for you for a long time. Everyone else said you were dead, but she never believed it. She was certain that you would come back someday."
"I see."
"If only you'd come back a little sooner. Then…"
Sima-Xian struggled to hold back the tears threatening to spill.
"Yeah. I tried my best, but in the end, I was too late."
At Sima-Xian's sad smile, the mood in the room grew even heavier.
"Oh, right. I heard Jangseong is here in Soheung too?"
"That's right. We work together. At a courier agency."
Sima-Xian wiped his tears and nodded.
"A courier agency?"
Sima-Jian's expression stiffened as he echoed the words. Knowing exactly why, Sima-Xian gave an awkward smile and explained,
"Guess you didn't hear back home. I work as a porter at Juhae Courier Agency. He started out as a porter too, but he kept complaining about how hard it was to travel long distances. Now he's learning under the chief manager. He's quick with numbers, so I hear he gets praised a lot."
"That guy? I can't imagine it."
Sima-Jian asked, eyes wide.
In his hazy memories, Jang seong had been an obese boy, clumsy in both action and speech—someone completely detached from books and calculations.
"Same here. I still can't believe it."
"But are you really okay? A courier agency… Mother must have strongly opposed it."
"She did. Much more strongly than I expected."
Recalling how he felt back then, Sima-Xian let out a sigh.
"That's only natural. Our eldest brother went missing while working as a porter. Honestly, it was his fault for choosing that job in the first place."
Sima-ho criticized him while sipping his drink.
"Coming from someone who jumped into the back alleys, you don't really have room to talk."
"Jumped in? Hah! Even so, I make more money."
"By squeezing the poor dry? I told you, we don't need money like that."
"Who's squeezing anyone dry? How many times do I have to say it? We don't do that!"
"Go ask anyone on the street. The Dongsim Association"
"That's enough."
As the argument between Sima-Xian and Sima-ho intensified, Sima-Jian stepped in to stop them.
"I'm not trying to act like the big brother now, but I wish you'd stop saying things that hurt each other. Especially since today is Mother's memorial day."
"Oh! I'm sorry, big brother."
Sima-Xian apologized, looking suddenly contrite.
"It's fine. It's not like this is the first time. I'm not someone who gets hurt by something like this anymore, big brother."
At Sima-ho's words, Cheol-woo burst into hearty laughter.
"I like that personality. We had plenty of guys like that under us. Right, boss?"
"Stop talking nonsense and drink."
Sima-Jian cut him off quickly, having no desire to bring up the past in front of his siblings.
"I've been wondering—why does Brother Cheol-woo call my big brother 'boss'?"
Sima-ho asked as he poured more liquor.
Draining his cup in one gulp, Cheol-woo glanced sideways at Sima-Jian and said,
"When we were kids, I picked a fight with the boss and got completely smashed. I owed him my life a few times, too."
"Really?"
Not only Sima-ho, but Sima-Xian and Sima-jin as well looked back and forth between him and Sima-Jian with disbelief.
Cheol-woo's build was massive enough to be called giant-like. His rough appearance alone was enough to make enemies kneel without a fight. The idea that such a man had lost to their seemingly gentle eldest brother was hard to accept.
"It's a lie. I just didn't want to call him 'big brother,' that's all."
At Sima-Jian's warning glance, Cheol-woo brushed it off. Sima-Jian's gaze then shifted to Sima-jin, who kept stealing glances at him.
"What is it? Do you have something to say?"
"No."
Sima-jin shook her head.
"Do you remember me, at least?"
"Not really… I don't…"
Her voice trailed off as she lowered her head.
"I see. You were very young, after all."
Sima-Jian gently patted her head. He understood, yet still felt a little disappointed.
"But I do remember one thing. It's faint, though."
"What is it?"
A look of anticipation appeared in Sima-Jian's eyes.
"I remember someone giving me a piggyback ride when I was little. I remember walking across a field at sunset while riding on their shoulders. My older brothers told me that was you."
"That's right. Piggyback rides were our youngest's favorite. So you remembered."
Sima-Jian beamed. He looked positively thrilled that Sima-jin remembered him at all. Embarrassed by his reaction, Sima-jin stood up.
"My goodness, look at me. There's still so much to prepare—"
Before she could finish, Sima-jin staggered. Startled, Sima-Jian quickly caught her.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I just felt dizzy for a moment. I'll be fine soon."
She said with a casual smile, but the expressions on Sima-Xian's and Sima-ho's faces were far from relaxed.
Knowing that the reason the family left their hometown was because of Sima-jin's illness, Sima-Jian's expression had already hardened.
"Still, you should be careful. Take it easy."
Sima-Jian patted her back, forcing a smile.
"Okay."
After Sima-jin left the room with a bright expression, Sima-Jian turned to Sima-Xian. His smile was gone.
"It seems we have a lot to talk about."
After the tear-filled memorial rites ended and everyone else had fallen asleep, only Sima-Jian and Sima-Jian remained, quietly sharing drinks.
"Here, have a drink."
Sima-Jian studied Sima-Xian's face as he accepted the cup.
Despite his age, his face looked worn—rough skin and deep lines etched across his forehead.
Seeing the marks of a hard life plainly carved into Sima-Xian's features made Sima-Jian's chest ache.
"You really went through a lot."
"What hardship? With you gone, it was only natural that I take your place as the eldest. Honestly, it doesn't compare to what you went through, struggling from such a young age after Father passed away early. I didn't even start working as a porter until I was seventeen. That's three years later than you."
"I see. Well done."
Thinking how difficult life must have been for him as the head of the household, yet hearing him speak so calmly, Sima-Jian felt proud and raised his cup.
The two brothers drank in silence for a long while.
When the liquor on the table was nearly gone, Sima-Jian quietly set his cup down.
"What illness is it?"
Sima-Xian, who had just been bringing his cup to his lips, froze.
"You knew?"
"Uncle Jang told me the family left the hometown because of the youngest's illness. Even without that, one look at her face was enough. Anyone could tell she's sick. She looks frail, too."
"Well, it would be strange if you didn't know."
Gulping down his drink, Sima-Xian continued with a face full of anger.
"I don't know exactly what it is. We went to every reputed doctor nearby, but all they did was make vague guesses. Not one of them could say exactly what disease it was. Still, the most convincing doctor is here. He settled in Soheung three years ago, and his approach is a little different from the others. The medicine he prescribes seems to work, at least somewhat."
"What did he say?"
Sima-Jian asked, swallowing hard.
"It seems the yin energy in her body is far too strong. That's why her hands and feet are always cold and her face turns pale. So he prescribed medicine to replenish her yang energy. I think the youngest has been able to live somewhat normally thanks to that medicine. After she turned ten, she became so weak that she could barely even walk properly."
"Is there no way to cure it completely?"
"That physician doesn't seem to know for sure either. Ah—he did say the condition could be eased a little more, but…"
Sima-Xian's voice trailed off abruptly.
"There's a way, then why—?"
"He says it costs a lot of money. Honestly, even now it isn't cheap. There's no way I could handle it with the money I earn. If it weren't for the money Ho brings in, it would've been impossible. I shouted that we don't need money wrung from other people's spines, but in truth, I don't even have the right to scold him."
As Sima-Xian showed tears mixed with self-mockery, Sima-Jian gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"No. Of course you do. There's no older brother who can just stand by while his younger brother walks down a bad path."
"That's just an excuse. In the end, I couldn't stop him. I needed the money he brought in too. I really…"
Sima-Jian took Sima-Xian's trembling hand.
"I'm here now. Don't worry about anything anymore. Put down the burdens you've been carrying on your shoulders. I'll carry those burdens instead."
"Brother…"
Unable to hold back any longer, Sima-Xian finally broke down. Sima-Jian hugged him tightly and said,
"Don't worry about the youngest's illness either. No matter what, I'll cure her."
The words, spoken in a low murmur, were not so much for Sima-Xian as they were a vow to himself.
After laying the exhausted, tear-spent Sima-Xian on the bed, Sima-Jian stepped out into the courtyard. There stood a peach tree said to have been brought from their hometown, its branches heavy with ripe peaches.
As Sima-Jian gazed at the tree, he heard the sound of a door opening. Cheol-woo walked out, yawning.
"Boss."
"Why are you out if you're not sleeping?"
"I never fell asleep to begin with."
"You heard everything?"
"I wasn't trying to listen, but it all carried over."
Cheol-woo picked a peach, wiped it on his clothes, and took a huge bite. Juice burst forth, running down beneath his chin.
"Man, even the peaches here are insanely good."
"They're from our hometown."
Sima-Jian picked one as well. Standing beside him, Cheol-u smacked his lips.
"If I'd known, we should've brought some things back with us too."
"Like what? Ah, the Geumho Stronghold?"
"Yeah. They'd piled up quite a fortune. But you told us to leave it."
When Cheol-woo spoke with regret, Sima-Jian shook his head.
"That wealth should go to the people who suffered. It needs to be sent to the families of the escort guards who died, and to the merchants as well. Honestly, I didn't even want to touch that money."
Cheol-woo stretched a hand toward the peach tree and asked,
"Isn't it usually the other way around? After what you've been through, you'd want to squeeze them dry as compensation."
"That's true. But I just didn't like it."
Sima-Jian laughed faintly.
"Well, it's your call, boss. Still, this is a big problem. You said the treatment for the little miss is pretty expensive."
"How much of the money we brought back do we have left? It wasn't a small amount."
"Depends how you look at it—it's not that much either. Considering your achievements, you'd still deserve a fortune beyond counting. I'm telling you, you should take what you can when you can. Whether it was the Tongcheon Demon Cult or the Geumho Stronghold, you're way too soft when it comes to that kind of thing."
"Let's call it magnanimity."
"Yeah, right!"
Cheol-u scoffed, then glanced toward the room where Sima-jin was staying.
"Still, let's not worry too much. Remember that item we got back at Mabuls a (Demon Buddha Temple)? No matter how expensive the treatment is, that one thing should be more than enough to cover it. That aside, what do you think about the little miss's condition? You just examined her."
"I'm not sure. I'm not a physician."
"Not even a guess?"
"It doesn't seem like a simple illness, just like the physician said. The balance of energy inside her body is completely broken. The yin energy is overwhelmingly strong."
"Then wouldn't it be enough to infuse her with yang energy? If yin is too strong, that just means yang is lacking. With the inner power you have, that should be easy."
Cheol-woo spoke as if curing Sima-jin's illness would be no problem at all.
"It doesn't seem that simple. I tried injecting some yang energy like you said, but it had no effect at all. No—it's more like there's no pathway for the yang energy to even enter."
"What do you mean by that?"
Cheol-woo frowned.
"I don't know either. That's just how it is."
"So if even you can't do anything, that means we're stuck relying on that physician."
"For now. Even if it costs a lot."
"Cost isn't the issue. This is about saving the little miss."
"She's already lost her mother. I won't let her lose her brother too. If that physician can't do it, I'll scour the entire world to find one who can."
Sima-Jian said firmly. As if to show his resolve, blood welled up in his tightly clenched fist.