16. Big trouble

''Ridiculous!'' Her loud yell could be heard far and Choi Hyun that was not far away rushed back and looked at her pale complexion. He peeked through the door and saw the whole place in a mess. Just at that moment, he knew that the situation needs to be reported.

He rushed towards the middle of the village passing everyone and giving his bag to his second brother that was not less strong than him. ''Bring this back home. I need to run. I promise I will give you my share of sweets.''

Just when he approached her house he saw Elder Kang's son coming out. ''Uncle, uncle quick. There is a big problem, this time I think Miss Mina will really snap.''

He could see her fiery eyes and knew that expression. If she finds culprit...

''You mean miss Leng? What is wrong with that woman she always attracts trouble...'' Suddenly a smack could be heard and he fell on the floor as Elder Kang stood behind him with a broom in her hands.

''I gave my word to protect that child, but what... again someone dares to disturb her and we are just sitting here like yapping geese. Attracting troubles? It seems you didn't train well. Go run around hills five times. No food for two days. Let's see when will you curse out someone weaker than you.''

He knew her temper. So he rushed away. If he stood there and argued he might have gotten even worse punishment.

Elder Kang rushed to Mina's house and heard commotion and screams. She went inside to find Mina like warrior goddess swinging long broomstick and beating young boy on floor blue and green. She froze on the gate and watched how she hit him to be painful but without to break any bone.

''It hurts, it hurts. I won't do this ever again, I promise...'' He cried until snot came out but Mina didn't stop.

''Hurts! I will show you hurt. That meat was meant for me to eat for five days. The pots you broken inside held lard worth of two silver, The honey pots are worth twenty silver A POT!!! You think you feel sorry, even if I sell you and all your family I won't be able to get that money back. Sorry!!!'' She was furious.

She found many pots just destroyed all over the house, her precious honey all over the room and even the lard and oils were floating everywhere. He opened few bags of rice in her storeroom and just threw it around and when she came she found him cracking up at the mess he made.

Elder Kang stood there and shook after she saw the mess. ''Mina... Miss Leng... I will pay... Don't kill him, I will pay it all.'''

Mina stopped and threw the stick away. ''In few days going to be big market again. I will ask if some other village ahs houses. I can't stay here not even one second longer. If I can't be safe even from people in this village, what will happen if strangers attack me... I just wanted to have a safe and calm life. Was it too much to ask?''

She sat down on the nearby porch and held her head that started hurting. ''Elder Knag, with all the respect I do not wish to stay here not even one more minute. I will take my money back and go to the city and look for the next house I might find in one of the villages. Can you watch over the rest of my food until I am back?''

She felt dizzy but stood up went to her room and suddenly blacked out.

Elder Kang rushed inside and almost fainted as well. ''That child is not normal... Why would someone do this?''

All her clothes and beddings were ripped apart and only clothes she had at the moment was the old dress she had on her own body. She turned her head and saw the boy trying to run away and pointed at him. ''Grab him. He will pay his foolishness with deep work in our fields. Until his back becomes broken he won't be able to escape my clutches.''

At that moment Ko Mea entered the gate and saw the mess, Elder Kang's son holding her own son and Mina lying in mid of messy room unconscious. ''What happened here?''

Suddenly the boy wanted to run towards her but was held by the neck. ''Mother, I just wanted to play a small joke on her. This is nothing. She has many coins in her box. She can buy more. It's just a bit of honey and lard. What is problem with that?''

Ko Mea looked at him like looking at a stranger and just slumped her shoulders. ''You have no idea how expensive this is. A small pot of honey is worth our whole family. You turned us into slaves...''

He just snorted. ''Lies. It's impossible that this bit of honey si that expensive.''

Suddenly Elder Kang got an idea. ''This s mountain has wild honeybees. Good. You broke two honey pots and made mess trough her house. Your punishment is to fill ten honey pots and then you can go back home. One of my people will watch how you gather honey from them.''

The boy scrawled. ''The mountain bees are angry things. If I got there...'' He suddenly stopped as he saw the empty eyes of his mother. Somehow he felt her expression was wrong. ''Mother, don't worry. I will get ten honey pots and will come back. You just wait for me.''

Ko Mea turned her head and just dazedly answered. ''To get one big honey pot, it will need ten to fifteen big honey bee homes. That means you need to find between hundred and hundred fifty honeybee homes.''

''But our mountain has only few honey bee homes...'' Then he paled. ''It will take me months if not even years to gather that much honey. that is unreasonable...''

Ko Mea just lightly gave him a nod. ''I hope now you understand what happened. Let's hope you didn't brake something more precious.''

Elder Kang just bowed and attached a few needles in Mina that slowly started coming back. ''My clothes. Silk, Ice silk, did he cut the ice silk?'' Now the problem was not normal clothes, but if he cut the ice silk...

With a shaky hand, she opened one of the boxes and rummaged inside the mess of broken cloth. Suddenly she stiffened and she slowly pulled a small package out of the mess. With trembling heart and body she slowly opened the bundle and sighed in relief as she saw the ice silk untouched.

Elder Kang already closed the door and helped her sit down. ''Mina, I promise from now on no one will dare to come closer to your home accept the children and even they until your door. Will you please rethink leaving.''

Mina held tightly the bundle and sighed. ''I would like everyone to leave. I need to think about everything. I need to think.''

Elder Kang could see her eyes in deep thought and just patted her shaking shoulders. ''Think well. I will send someone to replenish all that is broken...''

Mina just shook her head. ''I don't want anyone near me for next few days. Just let me alone. I need to rethink...''

Soon gate door closed up and Mian just stood up and saw at least the silk garn and needles as well were safe. With a stiff face, she went into the other room and started grabbing the honey lard and oil mixture from the floor. With bleeding heart, she continued to gather until the floor was mostly free of it.

She brought water and started pouring water on the floor and rubbing floor until completely was lost even an ounce of stickiness.

She just then realized it was getting dark and went to the kitchen where he messed up her lard with meat as he broke it in mid of kitchen. She gathered everything and just threw it inside one bowl as she had no plan to eat that.

She took eggs, mushrooms and the Salkmo and quickly prepared some food for dinner. Looking at the rice that was everywhere she calmly gathered it and put into the big pot as well. As the night came she went into her room and saw all the shredded beddings. She went to the side room where pots were and laid down into the bed that was not destroyed and then fell asleep deeply.

In mid of night, a dark figure entered the room and under moonlight saw cute woman cramped holding her knees and sleeping as she seemingly had big nightmares. Small drops of sweat formed on her head and he wrinkled his eyebrows as he got closer. ''Your life was that bad? Mother, what should I do. This child is as broken as I am. How can I heal her?''

He took his handkerchief and softly dabbed the sweat on her face. ''I am now here. From now on, no one will dare to harm you. Please sleep well and relax.''

It seems she heard him and slowly the shakes slowed down and she straightened her body. When he saw er finally relaxed sleeping he touched her forehead and sighed in relife. At least no fever.

He went to the window and slowly jumped out and disappeared in the shadows of the night...