Eun Ok walked beside Jeong Jin Wu with an arm wrapped tightly around his.
She was jubilant, her face gleaming like majestic snowcapped mountains. Simply gazing at Eun Ok’s radiant face and lustrous eyes made Jeong Jin Wu ecstatic.
The ice crunched under the feet of the two lovers treading on the snowy path.
The brisk morning breeze had become calm, and the sky was clear. The silver clouds receded from the snowcapped mountains into the far distance.
Next to the path were residential houses with hanging icicles, sparkling like crystals as the sunlight reflected off them. And when the fragile icicles shattered on the ground, Eun Ok would cry happily, “Oh my!” and press her body closer to Jeong Jin Wu.
A plush layer of cottony snow had covered the entire area—streets, houses, and rows of trees—and the lovers were captivated by the pristine, abundant silvery scenery. The grandeur of the natural landscape surrounded the lovers, painting the canvas with beautiful, light, soft snow, as if to bless them on their new journey of happiness. The white guests had visited all night, creating a vast sea of snow. The brisk, fresh aroma of spring embraced the lovers with affection.
Like little schoolchildren, the two held hands and slid down a slippery path by the riverbank. A thin layer of snow coated the limbs of the pine trees that lined the riverbank, snow that had been there since the festivities of the New Year. The pine trees had inevitably welcomed the wintry snow in their arms and were looking forward to summer, but for now, they affectionately welcomed the two lovers in spring.
A couple of silver-blue silk-clothed, red-capped woodpeckers flew past the lovers and rested on the pine trees. Using their stethoscope-like sensors, the woodpeckers diagnosed the thick, leathery bark and identified the insects that had burrowed their way into the tree to escape the cold winter. They began pecking at the bark with their sharp beaks and used their long tongues like surgical tools to penetrate the bark and find the insects.
The thick layer of snow that covered the river looked like crumble cake, but it could not mute the sweet, angelic sound of the flowing water.
A light breeze gently brushed across the willow trees, causing the powdery snow to sprinkle the ground.
The sun climbed higher in the sky, allowing Jeong Jin Wu and Eun Ok to bask in its warmth.
The lifeless branches recognized the scent of spring and lifted their limbs toward the sky. The willow trees began to dust off the thick layer of snow and swayed in the sun. Nature was opening her eyes from a deep wintry slumber.
“Comrade Jin Wu, come look at this. Magpies! They’re trying to grab twigs,” said Eun Ok, pointing to a tree on the riverbank. “I think they’re trying to make a nest.”
“I think you’re right,” confirmed Jeong Jin Wu.
“With their black suits and white dress shirts, they look like newlyweds,” Eun Ok added.
At that statement, Jeong Jin Wu looked fondly at Eun Ok.
The two magpies did not leave each other but instead stuck out their chests and fluttered their wings. As soon as they grabbed hold of the twigs, they flew toward the top of the poplar tree.
“Eun Ok, should we sit over there?”
“Sure.”
Jeong Jin Wu and Eun Ok brushed the snow off a tree stump and sat next to each other. The tree stump had endured the rain and snow and was frozen, but the two lovers did not feel the iciness. The two were slightly exhausted from their morning hike and sat on the tree stump without saying anything to each other, only looking at the splendor of the snow-covered mountains in the distance.
Jeong Jin Wu gently placed his hands on Eun Ok’s hands.
“Your hands are cold,” he said.
With her hands secured in his, Eun Ok opened her heart to Jeong Jin Wu and looked at him with loving eyes.
“So are yours, comrade,” replied Eun Ok.
Their passion for each other emanated from the surface of their cold hands.
“Comrade Jin Wu, will you love me like this even after we get married?”
“Of course I will.”
“For the rest of your life?”
Instead of answering, Jeong Jin Wu gripped Eun Ok’s soft hands tightly. He felt the impulse to pull her into his arms, if only she would permit it, and embrace her, promising her that he would love her eternally.
Eun Ok quietly spoke. “At times, I’m afraid of you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a judge.”
“Didn’t you study a bit of law yourself?” reminded Jeong Jin Wu.
“What good is that? It was just a hobby for me. But you, you’re an actual judge. I’m afraid that you’ll treat our family like defendants, prosecuting us with the law.” Eun Ok then imitated the gestures and tone of a judge, “ ‘According to the code of civil procedure, on page so-and-so in paragraph so-and-so, a complaining wife is as the following.’ ” Eun Ok giggled vivaciously.
Jeong Jin Wu did not appear to share her sentiment and stated sternly, “No matter how much I love you, if you break the law, I will prosecute you.”
“Oh dear!” Eun Ok gasped with slight trepidation.
His mischievous eyes smiled. They burst out laughing again.
The two magpies descended from the poplar tree and landed not far from where the two lovers were sitting. The magpies looked at the couple with vigilant eyes, but recognizing no immediate threat, they began to pull out the dead grass. The March sun melted away the snow and revealed the barren land. Clumps of snow that had accumulated on the trees fell to the ground. And the bit of snow that was on the couple’s shoes melted as well.
“Eun Ok, what are you thinking about right now?” asked Jeong Jin Wu. “You haven’t said much.”
“I’m sorry. I was thinking about my hometown, Yeonsudeok. I can’t seem to stop thinking about it … the house I grew up in, my friends, neighbors …”
Eun Ok’s hands became warmer as she fell into a meditative mood. She rested her head on Jeong Jin Wu’s shoulder and recalled the painful memories of her village.
“Comrade Jin Wu, there was a time when you told me about your hometown, and how it was a little town in the foothills. And how there were so many trees in the vast landscape with fresh water from the river. In my hometown in Yeonsudeok, there is no river, no brook, no fresh water. It’s just a vast empty field. Vegetables can’t grow there. There is a large spring, though. It is the life of our village. We called it the ‘drinking fountain.’ In the summer, there were water plants and weeds growing along the edge of it. There were lively swallows, red silk worms, and all kinds of insects. Whenever the cold front came in from China, the spring would freeze. Every morning, the men would have to come out and break the ice. The women would collect the ice chunks and boil them on the fire. That is how we survived the winter. There was no holiday for us. About twenty miles away from our village was a river. Sometimes everyone in our village would trek to the river to collect water. That was our holiday.”
Jeong Jin Wu felt Eun Ok’s soft hair on his neck and cheek as she pressed closer to him.
“After the war, Yeonsudeok became a collectivized farm. The state contributed a lot of funds toward paving a channel that would bring the river to our village. From that point onward, our village lived like the other large towns. We harvested abundant potatoes, oats, and barley. Then we exchanged those for rice, and we were able to eat white rice for the very first time. We also raised a lot of cows, sheep, and goats. But vegetables still did not grow so well. There were many researchers and scientists who came up from the city to study the quality of our land. They really put in a lot of effort.”
Eun Ok’s voice choked, and her eyes became despondent.
“But there still aren’t any promising results from all those experiments. We still eat vegetables brought in from towns located at a lower altitude. They say that Yeonsudeok is a region that will never produce vegetables, and the researchers and scientists are slowly giving up.”
Tears filled Eun Ok’s eyes, pre
venting her from speaking any further.
Jeong Jin Wu was moved by Eun Ok’s love for her hometown and her insatiable desire to continue working at the vegetable research institute for the sake of increasing the probability of success. He was moved by how she thought of her hometown and how she longed to be with the villagers even with her wedding day ahead of her.
Their wedding took place on a mild March afternoon. Jeong Jin Wu’s single-story house was located in the suburbs of the mountainous region. And it was there that his parents and friends celebrated the couple and feasted on a plentiful dinner. This was the first time in his life that dinner had been so wonderfully prepared.
A large decorative Korean folding partition—handed down for many generations and discolored with age but still exhibiting its classical artistry—stood behind the couple. The two lovers basked in their ineffable happiness on this joyous occasion.
The food was neither exquisite nor extravagant, but it reflected the indigenous customs and traditions of the northern region, showing the simplicity and genuineness of the people who live there.
The combination of a fading traditional marriage ceremony and a modern ceremony mixed well, creating a formal but entertaining atmosphere.
Jeong Jin Wu was so preoccupied with the thought of getting married that he was unable to think or observe everything that was going on. He did not even have the courage to look his guests straight in the eye. He could only savor this formal yet joyous moment.
The room was silent, a sublime silence in which one could not even hear children rustling. Jeong Jin Wu’s colleague from law school stood up and began to read a congratulatory speech.
People were absorbed in the stillness. As the colleague spoke, the elderly people began to recall the bright and youthful days of their own wedding ceremonies, as if they were experiencing that joyous time all over again.
The children were hungry and restless but were forced to listen to the speech. The expressions on their faces reflected their grudging feelings toward the lengthy speech. They just wanted to devour the food, drink, play, and sing.
“And that is why—” continued the colleague in a resounding voice.
The colleague’s voice sounded as if he wanted to make it clear that the newly married couple ought not to forget the significance of marriage and this historic moment in their lives.
“The bride and groom, in the presence of their parents, relatives, comrades, friends, the older generation and the younger generation, the Party, and the country, have wedded on this day to form a family. Never forget that a family is the basic unit of our society, and your harmonious relationship reflects that. You must help and serve each other till the day your hair turns silver, and you must devote your lives to serving our country’s prosperity. You must live faithful lives …”
The speech echoed as it would in the mountains, inspiring the people in the room.
While the room was still quiet, Jeong Jin Wu and Eun Ok poured wine into glasses and offered it to their parents and elders.
The guests received the bride and groom’s wine with care and respect. As they looked at the clear wine, their eyes sparkled with satisfaction. The wine embodied the overwhelming joy of marriage, gratitude toward the Party for bringing the couple to the zenith of their happiness, respect for elders and comrades, and the eternal covenant between the newlyweds.
The guests lifted their glasses, congratulated the couple, and emptied them without leaving a single drop. The wine that the couple had poured for them was special, so the guests knew they had to drink all of it.
As soon as the formal ceremony was finished, Jeong Jin Wu’s university friend sat down in a corner of the room and pressed the keys of the accordion, as the guests sat around the dinner tables. The music was delicate, but also full of life and hope. Jeong Jin Wu looked at his friend with admiration. The friend, on behalf of the other colleagues, had come a long way to attend the wedding. Teenagers, men and women from the vegetable research institute, Eun Ok’s father’s coworkers, and children sang along with the accordion.
At the people’s request, Jeong Jin Wu and Eun Ok sang a duet.
It was a night full of celebration—songs, laughter, stories, and delicious food.
The popping sound of beer bottles being opened and the foam that overflowed the glasses all blessed the newlyweds’ future.
As the hours passed, the topic of the bride and groom slowly faded, and the elderly people sitting around the tables began to share their personal stories of women, love, and marriage. Vulgar words were exchanged among the elders, whose experiences in life provided deep and honest lessons for one another.
“I don’t care what other people say, the woman needs to be strong in a family,” began one elderly woman.
“That’s right. You know my husband?” added another woman, “Don’t even get me started. I married him because he was big, thinking that he had something great in him. But I realized that he’s a good-for-nothing.”
Then another woman joined the conversation, “As the old saying goes, ‘If you want to pick a husband, then think like a farmer who goes out to the marketplace to buy a cow that can plow his field.’ ”
“Yeah, but that was in the good old days. These days, youngsters go for good looks first.”
The diffusion of the sounds of spoons and chopsticks, wine glasses, and people chattering made it difficult to distinguish one speaker from another.
“Hey, don’t worry about your daughter being ugly now,” said yet another woman. “Young women are like flowers. Just wait till she’s in her mid-twenties. She may not be a rose, but certainly a morning glory or a pumpkin flower. Then, the bees and butterflies will swarm around her to taste a bit of her sweet stuff!”
The elderly women burst into laughter.
“I’m so frustrated with my eldest daughter. She has a bitchy temper, and she is well beyond her ripe age. These days, they say that women who are twenty-six years old are over the hill. But she thinks that getting married is child’s play, like playing house. She doesn’t look at men and isn’t even remotely feminine. I was so frustrated with her the other day I yelled at her, saying, ‘Hey, tough girl! This is why men don’t come on to you. Why don’t you change your tomboyish appearance and try to look more attractive? If you bring home a man tomorrow, I’ll do whatever it takes to set up a wedding, even if it means I have to yank the head off a chicken!’ ”
“Youngsters these days don’t mature until they’re in their late twenties. They’re so content with life right now that they don’t know why they have to get married.”
After a while, a more rational voice was heard.
“Last year at our factory, our boss, ‘Tiger,’ his wife passed away. But these days, his face is awfully bright. He married a widow with a round face and a voluptuous figure. Whenever our boss returns from his business trips, she puts on makeup and dresses well for him. She even goes to the train station to greet him. She holds his bag and walks close to him. I think we’re benefiting from her. He used to be the kind of guy that blew up at us during the factory meetings about increasing production, but now he’s a completely new person. He has become gentler, and he speaks kindly now. He has completely changed, and production has increased!”
The bride and groom were forgotten as the guests conversed on various topics.
The night grew deeper.
The guests slowly started leaving after a delightful night of food, alcohol, and amusing conversations.
Jeong Jin Wu shook hands with every guest.
With a beautiful flower in her hair, Eun Ok bowed to her guests and went out to see them off. The cold air from outside rushed into the house, which was filled with cigarette smoke mixed with the smells of food and alcohol.
Once the guests had all gone home, the two sat quietly in the master bedroom with the lights off. Jeong Jin Wu’s mother had prepared a soft cotton blanket and a mattress for them to sleep on. The couple, still overwhelmed from their wedding ceremony, could n
ot contain their excitement.
They looked at each other in silence, the kind of silence that had existed before the universe was formed.
The moonlight quietly peeked into their room.
Embroidered lovebirds decorated the pillows, and there were colorful birds and flowers on the blanket. In the moonlight, the birds and flowers appeared to have come alive and begun to move about.
All of a sudden, the sound of a shattering icicle broke the silence in the room. Even this late in the evening, nature did not sleep and kept the couple awake. The shrill sound of the icicle startled the couple, who were immersed in their world of happiness. However, what they quietly feared most was the future that lay ahead.
Jeong Jin Wu and Eun Ok approached the window.
The icicles hanging on the eaves sparkled in the moonlight. The couple saw houses across the street faintly through the snow-covered elm trees. The roofs looked like they were covered in a fluffy white blanket. Under the peaceful moonlight, all the houses were fast asleep. In the distance, there were silver hills, and at a further distance were snow-crowned mountains, stretching their regal summits into the limitless sky. Small houses were scattered along the feet of the mountains, appearing like mosaic pieces. In the moonlight, the snow shone like crystals, attesting to nature’s true work of art. It was an enchanting sight on this frosty evening. Nature had never looked so splendid and sublime.
“It’s a really beautiful night. The stars look like diamonds,” uttered Jeong Jin Wu.
Eun Ok stood motionless.
“Our first night together will never be forgotten,” continued Jeong Jin Wu.
Eun Ok gazed into the far distance.
“It will forever be a beautiful memory. Won’t it? Eun Ok, what are you thinking about right now?”
“Comrade Jin Wu.” Eun Ok hesitated for a moment before she said, “Beyond those mountains, where the three stars are, is Yeonsudeok.”
They looked at the dark sky. It appeared as if one could grab any of the flickering stars from the peak of a mountain.
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