Chapter : 03
The Spoiled Shim Hwek
Shim Hwek wanted nothing more than to tear off Shim Gu’s mask right then and there and see what was really hidden underneath.
With an expressionless face and a chilling air about her, she looked around at everyone present. Every single one of them was a hypocrite whose outward appearance differed from what lay within, beasts wearing human faces. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Shim Hwek, their expressions filled with worry that she might become too agitated and cross the line with her behavior.
Shim Hwek knew perfectly well what was inside the wooden box Shim Gu had offered her.
It was an Eastern pearl about the size of a fist. Pearls of that size were extraordinarily rare, and even among the finest varieties, fewer than ten were produced in an entire year. Shim Gu had spent a fortune on it.
A dark glint flashed in Shim Hwek’s eyes. With a meaningful smile, she silently accepted the wooden box.
Though her reaction was unexpected, everyone gathered there breathed a sigh of relief. After that, the adoption ceremony proceeded without a hitch.
The sky gradually began to brighten. Mourners came to the Shim residence one after another to see Shim Woe off on his final journey.
Despite being busy with the funeral, Shim Gu actively received the guests. Everyone praised him for his profound filial devotion. In contrast, they shook their heads when they saw Shim Hwek, who paid no attention to the guests and had to stop after walking only a few steps to catch her breath.
As the mournful funeral chant echoed through the air, Madam Shim Seol beat her chest and wailed in front of everyone. Eventually, perhaps wanting people to call her a virtuous widow, she clung to the coffin and put on an elaborate display of grief.
“Old Master, how can you leave me so suddenly and leave me to live alone…?”
Shim Hwek’s eyes reddened, but she desperately held back her tears. Her throat tightened with grief, but she could no longer bear watching Madam Shim Seol’s hypocritical performance. She coldly shot back,
“You must have had such deep affection for Father. If you are truly this heartbroken, why don’t you follow Father to the grave? I’ll personally petition the authorities to erect a memorial gate honoring your chastity.”
Flustered, Madam Shim Seol stopped crying so abruptly that she seemed to forget how to breathe.
Just then, members of the Ha family arrived.
Wearing plain white mourning clothes, Ha Jeo had a rather handsome appearance. He had recently passed the civil examination and become a licentiate scholar, giving him a bright and promising look. His results had not been particularly outstanding, but considering his young age, it was still an impressive achievement.
With sharp eyes that revealed a cold and heartless nature, Madam Ha stood solemnly beside her son. Ever since becoming the mother of a licentiate scholar, she had been treated with respect wherever she went, and her pride had risen accordingly. She had already been dissatisfied with her son’s marriage, and now that Shim Woe had passed away, there was even less reason for her to be pleased. Moreover, Shim Hwek’s sharp remarks earlier had put her in a very bad mood.
“Auntie, you’ve arrived.”
Shim Gu hurried over to greet her before calling out to Shim Hwek.
“Yangyang, come over and pay your respects.”
Shim Gu had adapted remarkably well to his new identity.
Shim Hwek merely let out a hollow laugh at his attitude and did not move an inch. Shim Gu, however, did not appear embarrassed. He calmly bowed toward Madam Ha.
“Please forgive my younger sister for her discourtesy.”
Madam Ha swept her gaze around the room. Even if she fell out with the main branch of the Shim family today, she intended to maintain a good relationship with the other branch.
“All the elders of the Shim family are here. That makes things even more convenient. I came here today to break off the engagement.”
Her words immediately threw the room into an uproar. While everyone stared in bewilderment, Madam Ha approached Shim Hwek, raised her chin, and said,
“Shim Hwek, don’t blame our Ha family for being heartless. As your elder, I’ll speak frankly. My son has a bright future ahead of him. Young men his age have already married and started families, but we cannot waste three years waiting for you to complete your mourning period.”
Madam Ha looked Shim Hwek up and down before continuing.
“A weakling like you will probably have difficulty even bearing children. Our Ha family cannot afford to be held back because of you.”
Ha Jeo was welcomed wherever he went now, and there was no shortage of women who wanted to become his wife. Anyone would be better than Shim Hwek.
Madam Ha thought that such a good marriage was far too generous for someone as difficult-tempered as Shim Hwek. Still, she was secretly worried that Shim Hwek might become dissatisfied, make a scene, and bring shame upon the Ha family.
But something happened that she had never expected.
Large tears suddenly began rolling down Shim Hwek’s face like beads.
Already frail, she seemed unable to withstand the shock of the broken engagement, and her body swayed unsteadily.
What? This girl is actually crying?
Sensing that Shim Hwek had some ulterior motive, Madam Ha felt a chill run down her spine.
Soon, Shim Hwek spoke with an expression of unbearable sorrow.
“Yes, I understand. Everyone in Fengzhou knows that you are a notorious materialist.”
“…What did you say?”
Madam Ha was so dumbfounded that she could not continue speaking.
It was only a short remark from a woman dressed in mourning clothes, a white flower tucked into her hair, looking so weak that she had to gasp for breath between words. Yet it was more than enough to turn all the accusations toward Madam Ha.
There was no denying that Madam Ha was a materialist.
Before the Ha family produced a licentiate scholar, they had been nothing more than an ordinary household. No matter how eccentric Shim Hwek might be, she was still the daughter of the largest embroidery shop in all of Fengzhou.
Ha Jeo was nowhere near worthy of being Shim Hwek’s husband. He had only managed to secure the marriage after employing every possible means and putting forth considerable effort to win Shim Hwek’s favor. To shamelessly change his attitude now and bring up breaking off the engagement was hardly the behavior of a true gentleman.
Clan Elder Shim was displeased with the situation, but there were too many eyes watching, so he had no choice but to take Shim Hwek’s side. After thinking for a moment, he raised his voice as an elder of the family.
“How can the Ha family behave like this?”
He merely intended to issue a suitable warning and smooth things over. As Shim Hakmun had said, Shim Hwek was attractive and might prove useful in the future, so they could not allow a mere licentiate scholar to humiliate her.
However, Shim Hwek hurried toward the clan elder as though seeking his protection and complained in a choked voice,
“Father may have passed away, but don’t we still have Elder Clan Uncle here to protect us? How can the Ha family look down upon our Shim family like this?”
Shim Hwek raised her chin and continued,
“Of course, the engagement can be broken. But why did they have to come on a day like this just to humiliate me? Surely they are telling me to follow Father and my stepmother into death.”
Madam Shim Seol, suddenly dragged into the matter, gasped in shock.
…Has this girl gone mad? Why is she suddenly dragging me into this?
“Shim Hwek, what nonsense are you spouting?”
Shim Hwek wiped away her tears and said meaningfully,
“Mother, are you saying that there isn’t a single person here who will protect me, even though this place is filled with members of the Shim family? Even with Elder Clan Uncle, Second Uncle, and all these relatives gathered here?”
The people watching began murmuring among themselves.
If they simply stood by while Shim Hwek made a scene about life and death, everyone present would share the responsibility, and the family’s reputation would be dragged through the mud.
Before long, several relatives spoke up in Shim Hwek’s defense.
“What is lacking in our Yangyang, with her beautiful face and kind heart, that she deserves to be insulted by your family like this?”
“You said nothing when you proposed the marriage. Why are you bringing up Yangyang’s health only now?”
“Honestly! He’s only a licentiate scholar, yet he acts as though he’s some great person. Does he think he has some powerful family backing him? Go to the capital and see for yourself! There are countless great families there with far more power and status!”
Shim Hakmun calmly approached and supported the clan elder. He did not particularly want to get involved, but they had to make their position clear.
“Wasn’t this marriage something the Ha family practically begged for? How can you change your tune now? Could it be that our Shim family is no longer good enough for you?”
Shim Hwek did not want to escalate the commotion any further.
No matter how disgusting the mother and son were, they were not as vile as those shameless thieves who were concealing sinister intentions in order to seize the business her father had devoted his entire life to building.
Shim Hwek gave Yichui a glance.
Yichui immediately stepped forward and rudely held out an ordinary jade pendant to Madam Ha.
“This was the least valuable piece of jewelry among Miss’s belongings. When the Ha family sent it as a token of the engagement, she accepted it, but she never had any use for it, so it has been gathering dust. Even if the Ha family had not broken off the engagement, she would have returned it eventually.”
As the maid who served Shim Hwek at her side, Yichui’s words were essentially an expression of Shim Hwek’s own intentions.
Madam Ha’s face darkened instantly.
Shim Hwek smiled faintly before speaking.
“In any case, this was never a good match, and there is no reason for me to willingly enter the tiger’s den that is the Ha family. Madam Ha, take good care of the jade pendant. From today onward, our two families have nothing to do with each other.”
Ha Jeo’s heart sank.
He had never intended to force Shim Hwek into breaking off the engagement if she refused. Yet now that she was behaving as though she wanted to sever their relationship immediately, he was left with an inexplicable sense of emptiness.
Ha Jeo gazed deeply at Shim Hwek, then stepped forward, clasped his hands, and bowed.
“I have no face to meet you. I hope you find a better husband.”
Shim Hwek was dumbfounded.
Honestly, where did he learn to put on such a gentlemanly act?
In her previous life, Ha Jeo had said similarly polished words when breaking off their engagement. Yet whenever no one was watching, he had blocked her path and begged her to stay.
“Yangyang, breaking off the engagement was Mother’s decision. As her son, I couldn’t bring myself to disobey her. But there is only you in my heart. Please wait for me a little longer.”
Yet it had not been long before Ha Jeo became engaged to a daughter from another family.
Then, shamelessly, he came looking for Shim Hwek again.
“Yangyang, I had no choice. I have no feelings whatsoever for the daughter of the Zhou family I’m engaged to. I’ll ask my mother to bring you into the household soon. You’ll be a concubine, but you are the only woman I truly want to marry.”
Remembering Ha Jeo’s words from her past life made her nauseous.
Ha Jeo was exactly the same as he had been before.
Would she really be able to find a good husband?
In truth, with her frail body, she did not even know how many more years she had left to live.
Shim Hwek did not want to marry.
She simply wanted to spend whatever remained of her life serving the Shim family without becoming a burden to anyone else.
Shim Hwek stared indifferently at Ha Jeo and said,
“My future isn’t what matters right now. Once this news spreads, which family in Fengzhou would still be willing to marry their daughter into the Ha family? Shouldn’t you be thinking about how to deal with that?”
Now that she herself could no longer live well, she had no intention of sitting by and watching someone else prosper.
Ha Jeo’s eyes became bloodshot. He looked as though he had been unjustly abandoned.
Madam Ha was visibly uncomfortable. Since they had achieved their purpose, there was no reason to remain.
“There’s no need to waste any more words here. Chu’er, let’s go.”
Madam Ha grabbed her son and dragged him away as though she were pulling him away from a pile of filth.
“You’ve already become a licentiate scholar, and once you pass the provincial examination, you’ll become a recommended scholar. Study even harder, and if you achieve good results in the metropolitan examination held in the capital, those who failed to recognize your worth will regret it bitterly. They’ll even come rushing to flatter you!”
There was no need to worry about failing to find a fine daughter-in-law.
Even the Zhou family she had recently sent someone to investigate had an ancestor who had served as an official. Although the family’s fortunes had declined in recent years, even the well-bred and intelligent daughter of the Zhou family was leagues above Shim Hwek!
