02 Working Day

They were even awake and rose before the sky had an inkling of orange. In silence they folded their bedrolls and put them close to the walls so the room had more space. While Hwa-young folded hers she looked at her wrists again, expecting to find the rope marks. They had become faint. She also didn't feel the gash as bad as she did before. Certain movements still hurt, but other than that, she couldn't feel it anymore. When she looked at it while undressing from her sleeping wear into the new clothes - a simple farmer's hanbok and an apron - it was only a big, faint red, almost healed scar. The other girls noticed their wounds' healing or disappearing as well. The girl who had been beaten black and blue had no visible spots anymore. The hanged girl didn't look as pale as before but still had a big red mark around her neck. It seemed like the water from the bathing house had healing powers.

Some girls already left the building to assemble outside. Most of them were quickly clothed, some redid their traditional braids to look more neatly than they certainly did when they arrived in the afterlife. Hwa-young didn't have to redo her braid: she had shoulder-length hair, for which she had gotten some looks while bathing. She was tying the apron around her body when she heard the voice of the crying girl again, who suddenly stormed outside.

The two other girls who helped her followed her. "Ok-shim!"

Hwa-young heard the door to the bathing house being violently opened, then heard Ok-shim cry loudly. Following the rest of the girls who went to see what's going on, Hwa-young followed outside.

"They're gone! The basket is gone. My clothes are gone!" Ok-shim cried, sitting on the threshold of the door. "My mother made my hanbok for me. They can't just throw it away! I wanted to keep it."

"Goodness, shut up. So early in the morning..." said the annoying girl from the watching group. Hwa-young could see that she already had some other girls following her, huddling behind her, watching the scene with the same annoyance as their new leader.

Ok-shim was comforted by the other girls again, who tried to help her up so everyone could assemble for Head Court Lady Ko's arrival. The sky started to have a lining of orange on the horizon. The girls were either standing around in little groups or sat on the floor, waiting for Head Court Lady Ko. Hwa-young was sitting alone and aside from everyone, watching the sun rising. From what she remembered her parents and everyone else telling her, the sunrise was one of the most beautiful things that the gods created. She felt so, too. It was probably even more beautiful if you could see it in its colors of yellow, orange and red.

"Why is your hair so short?"

Hwa-young turned her head to the voice. There went a peaceful morning. The seemingly constant annoyed girl was standing in front of her, hands stemmed into her hips, her new spineless followers behind her.

When Hwa-young did not answer, she continued. "It looks to neatly cut to be an accident. You probably did that on purpose, didn't you? So, aside from being a shady person who uses a fake name even in the afterlife, you are unfilial (1), too. Most criminals won't even be unfilial. Maybe you were too much of a disgrace and your parents got rid of you?"

Hwa-young clenched her fists tightly but other than that, nothing changed in her demeanor. Still the calm expression in her face, she looked at the annoying girl that she would love to punch right here and now for insulting her parents. "You are very quick to judge people without much thinking. It really shows you are not a person of the mind. I wonder why the others decided to follow you when you take the thoughts of others as yours since your brain can't produce its own."

The annoyed girl's face went beet red, her fists clenching.

"Yah" One of her followers step up from behind and pointed at Hwa-young. "Cho-wol wouldn't be so suspicious about you if you were not a suspicious person. None of us want to be implicated or involved in your sins and what you will probably do here in the afterlife."

Another voice spoke up. "Right! Just sit there and stay away from us. Especially the ones who want to stay here in the garden."

Hwa-young took a deep breath and exhaled, then she stood up. This bickering and gossiping and bitching around reminded her too much of the palace and the incidents among the court ladies and palace maidens. Even though those were at times much more violent behind closed and glorified golden doors. Hwa-young didn't get the time to reply to the girl's demand.

"Girls, assemble!" A young woman, maybe a few years older than Hwa-young and in the same clothing like Head Court Lady Ko, walked towards them from the path that led to the main entrance. She stopped at the group around Hwa-young, looking stern at them. "Are you gathering here for a tea ceremony? You are here to work. Now, go. All of you. I want everyone line-up in five rows."

With hushed voices the girls did as the woman said. She eyed them for a bit until everyone stood still and in silence before she spoke.

"My name is Kim Su-hyang. To you, I'm Court Lady Kim, second to Head Court Lady Ko. You will listen and answer to me, when she is not here. Who of you have been taught etiquette? Maybe even palace etiquette?" Hwa-young and four other girls raised their hands. "Teach the others. It will keep you occupied and in case you ran into His Highness or any other god or goddess for that matter. Though most of you will stay only for a short period of time in the garden, we expect you to not tarnish the honor and reputation of this place in everything you do.

"As you know, there is a... situation at the Samdocheon River which is the reason why none of you can move further on. While the situation is being taken care of, you will stay and work here. Once everything is resolved, you can move on - hell, reincarnation or maybe you stay here in the garden or at one of the other places and serve in Heaven and the gods. His Highness God Igong is the deity of the Garden of Life and Death and the protector of the Fields of Seocheon (2). Before you are even allowed to take a peek at the true heart of the garden, you have to be cleared and your sins weighed by the Euiryeong-gum. Due to everything that is going on you will have to wait few days, maybe even longer. During this time, you will work here in the front garden. Your first task is to clean your own quarters. I expect self-initiative and responsibility and as well as respect to your fellows. You are all in the same boat, as the saying goes. If you do not get along with someone, avoid each other but treat each other with respect. I will not see the garden becoming the quarters of the palace maidens with childish wars and tantrums. Now, go get started."

~ 🌺~

Hwa-young and some other girls were washing quilts in the wooden laundry tubs next to the well in the front yard of their quarters. The sounds of the wooden laundry paddles hitting the wet quilts and brooms scratching the over the stone floor to sweep leaves off it echoed all over. First, they all went quietly to work under the stern surveillance of Court Lady Kim, then slowly it became livelier and they started to have conversations and laughed. At some point, Court Lady Kim had left to run an errand and left them to their work. Hwa-young didn't talk to anyone nor did anyone tried to talk to her. Here and there she got a weary look but they left her alone to her task.

She took the washed quilt out of the tub and took it to the laundry rack to hang it up. When she turned around to go back to her laundry tub, she saw the crying girl, Ok-shim, waiting for, fidgeting nervously with her hands. She kept her head low and stole here and there a glance at the others, like she was afraid if someone noticed her stand there. Hwa-young walked up to her. Ok-shim didn't notice her until she stood right in front of her. She jumped a bit when she saw Hwa-young and then bowed.

"I'm Ja-jang Ok-shim. I-I wanted to thank you. For standing up" to Cho-wol last night. And I'm sorry if my... breakdown disturbed you in any way." Ok-shim said, still bowing. Hwa-young stared at her for a moment but before she could answer, the other girl turned around and went back to her own laundry tub. One of the other washing girls grabbed Ok-shim's arm.

"Ok-shim, do you want to get into trouble?"

Ok-shim looked at her confused. "W-what do you mean, Min-young?"

"Even if Cho-wol is annoying and rude, there's definitely some truth to what she said. Eun-bi arrived with her at the river and said the guards didn't know to which hell they should send her first since she's supposed to stay at all of them. Their group arrived before the message about the whole mess reached the authorities. So, she's definitely a great sinner. And then the fact she refused to tell anyone her true name." Min-young was talking quietly but still loud enough that everyone around her could hear the conversation. "She's colorblind, too. So, she must've been living an evil life even before now to get punished with colorblindness!"

Ok-shim gave Hwa-young a short look and then let an uncomfortable laugh out. "Yes, maybe you are right." With more effort and strength, she washed the sheets in the laundry tub.

But this Min-young did not stop. "I'm serious. We don't know what happens to us when we associate with her. The sins will probably wash off on us and then we get to the hells, too."

"Come on, Min-young. We still have to wash this pile over there." At least Ok-shim knew from this kind of talk could only come trouble, whether it be from Court Lady Kim or Hwa-young herself. But her trying to stop the gossiping girl failed.

Min-young grabbed her arm again, making Ok-shim look at her. "Yah, do you even listen? I'm looking out for you, after you made this huge trouble for everyone last night and in the morning and that's how you repay it?"

Her voice got louder with annoyance, so that the girls who were sweeping the front yard and took stuff out of the buildings were looking at the commotion. Hwa-young stood up and walked calmly over.

Ok-shim stuttered. "T-That was not my intention..."

Min-young let go of her and turned back to her laundry tub. "Then, listen to the people you are trying to help you. People who don't even know you are trying to look out for you and you're behaving like this."

Hwa-young stood behind both the girls.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Min-young..."

Then, Hwa-young grabbed the full bucket behind Min-young and pour it all over her. Ok-shim jumped up and backed up. Min-young screeched so loudly she sounded to Hwa-young like a pig that got slaughtered. Except for that it was dead silence as everyone was staring at the scene.

Min-young looked at herself and soaked clothes, then she looked at Hwa-young. "Yah, do you have a death wish?!"

"Apologies" Hwa-young started calmly. "It's a bit much water. I wanted to help you wash that mouth of yours. You clearly weren't able to wash it thoroughly last night - there's still a lot of shit coming out of it." She let the bucket fall to the floor and turned around to walk back to her laundry tub. Soaked girl though did not seem see their conversation as finished. Hwa-young heard a noise that almost sounded like a growl and then some footsteps. She quickly turned around, in a motion she had done a million times, and grabbed the other girl's right wrist tightly. A laundry paddle was in her hand that she apparently wanted to use as a hitting tool. First, a sneer on her face, then a more pained expression as Hwa-young tightened her grip. The other girl then tried to slap her with her bare hand in the face, but Hwa-young first pulled the arm holding the paddle and then turned Min-young around in a quick motion, twisting the girl's arm on her back, making her let go of the paddle. Hwa-young took the paddle while the let out a pained noise, then she pushed her forward with strength. Min-young fell stumble forward and fell to the floor.

None of the other girls intervened or said a word. Everyone just stared. Hwa-young look around the crowd.

"If any of you tries anything like this again, or insults my parents, I'll show you one of the reasons for my fake name even in the afterlife." With one swing, she threw the paddle away from Min-young across the front yard and then went back to her laundry tub.

~ 🌺~

(1) Unfilial - Hwa-young's cut-off hair is seen a unfilial because she damaged the body her parents made for her

(2) Fields of Seocheon - 서천 꽃밭 lit. "Flower fields of the west", the mythological realm of Igong

*************

I have to work on that "fighting scene"...

I hope you liked the second chapter! I would love feedback and thoughts!

(June 18, 2023)