With a heavy sigh, Kira acquiesced. He was right. The children were so excited to have met them that they would talk of nothing else to their elders. Any hope of sneaking by the village was now gone.
As Kira walked into the village, the first thing she noticed was an overwhelming warmth and sense of well-being. The market was crowded with farmers trading their wares; and men, women, and children filled the square with friendly chatter. Kira waited for the silence that usually descended when people caught sight of her. But it never happened. People pointed and stared with interest, but no fear, no disgust.
“Gina, who are these poor folk you’re dragging through the market?” A heavyset woman with a smiling face stood up. She studied Kira and Jaewon with a smile that was perfunctory at best, her eyes sharp and appraising. She’d been sitting on a stool with a group of ladies who were all weaving a large fishing net spread out over the ground.
“Mother, this is Kang Kira from Hansong and Kim Jaewon from Kaya. The dogs found them! You should have seen how they went crazy for her!” Gina replied.
The woman took in the scene. The dogs pressed themselves against Kira’s legs, their tails wagging furiously. Gina held on to one of Kira’s hands while the younger girls held the other.
“I see that your guests are very popular,” the woman said. She gave them another assessing glance and then smiled warmly. “Welcome to Haeyang village! We don’t get many strangers here, but you are welcome to stay and maybe even trade with us. We are known for the strongest and luckiest fishing nets on the entire island! Haeyang nets have been traded in Kudara and Kaya and even as far as Jinhan.”
Gina broke in. “Mother, they aren’t here to trade! They are on a very important mission.”
The woman smiled down at her daughter and pinched her cheek. “All right then, Gina. Why don’t you get our guests some food and make them comfortable.”
With a bouncy thanks, Gina pulled Kira forward. When she looked back at Gina’s mother, she was surprised to see her waving them off before sitting down and working on the net once again. Kira was shocked at Gina’s mother’s easy acceptance of them. Why was she so unfazed by Kira’s appearance? What was it about these island folk that made them so free of fear? Why did their natural reserve change to a friendly welcome so quickly?
Gina and the children led them to a large building with an open, grass-covered courtyard with tables and low stools. Here, the dogs were chased away by an elderly woman with a broom.
“Ya! You kids get your dogs away from my food or I’ll make dog stew out of them!”
Gina immediately ordered the other kids to take the dogs home while she brought Kira and Jaewon to a table. Once they were comfortable, the bossy little girl turned to the old lady and began to order food.
“And who’s going to pay for all this?” the old lady groused.
Kira grabbed her money pouch and pulled out her string of money. “We can pay for our meal, grandmother,” she said.
The old woman looked in openmouthed surprise at her string of coins. Even Gina looked intrigued. She reached over and began fingering the coins in awe.
“And what am I supposed to do with that?” the old woman said. “I can’t use that foreign stuff!”
“What is it?” Gina asked. “It’s pretty!”
“It’s money, coins,” Kira said. “All of the Seven Kingdoms use them for trade.”
“Not Jindo,” the old lady said proudly. “Jade and gold pieces or barter. Maybe you have something worth trading for in there?” She poked at their bags, her curiosity intense.
“Grandmother!” Gina exclaimed. “My mother said for you to feed them. They don’t need to pay. They’re our guests!”
The old woman’s sour expression lightened a bit. “Well, if the chief is handling the bill, then I’ll provide them with an excellent meal.”
Bowing happily, the woman toddled off to an open kitchen housed on the outside of the big structure. She started yelling at a woman minding the fire.
“Sorry about that,” Gina said. “Grandma Song is known for being very stingy, but she is a great cook. Let me go get you some tea.” She scampered off into the kitchen, avoiding the old woman’s scolding.
“If she doesn’t take money, then how can we repay her? We don’t want to be beholden to Gina’s mother,” Kira said.
“I’m sure we can hunt or do chores to help out,” Jaewon said.
“But we don’t have time to stay too long,” Kira reminded him.
Sniffing the air hard, Jaewon grinned in euphoria. “Ah, but smell that food! I would gladly work hard for a bite of whatever she’s cooking.”
Gina returned with a small ceramic pot and teacups, catching Jaewon’s comment. “But you don’t have to work,” she said. “My mom’s the chief here, and you are our guests. Our guests don’t pay.”
“Thank you,” Kira said. “We are very appreciative of your kindness.”