Chapter 4: The Weight of the Past (Jungkook’s POV)

The sound of the cart wheels rolling over the dirt road was steady, almost calming.

Beside him, Taehyung sat quietly, his hands resting in his lap, his gaze flickering toward the trees and distant fields.

Jungkook glanced at him briefly.

This ger was different from what he had expected.

The family had rushed this marriage. His mother and aunts had insisted that he remarry, saying it wasn’t good for a man to live alone for too long. That a house without a ger would turn cold. That he was still young, still had time to build a family again.

Jungkook hadn’t argued.

He had grown tired of arguing.

When they told him the ger was widowed and poor, without strong family backing, he had simply nodded. It didn’t matter to him.

He didn’t need love.

He didn’t need a lively household.

He just needed peace.

But this Taehyung… there was something distant about him.

Even now, sitting beside him in the cart, he seemed far away. His eyes were thoughtful, quiet, not clinging or demanding like… like the one before.

Jungkook’s hands tightened slightly on the reins.

His first wife,

Everyone thought she had been a good spouse—a soft voice, a pretty face, a perfect village ger. But behind closed doors, she had been sharp-tongued, greedy, always chasing things beyond their reach.

She had hated the village life. She had hated that Jungkook worked in the fields.

She had wanted silver, pretty clothes, a bigger house.

She had blamed him for not giving her a child.

Jungkook still remembered the bitter words she’d thrown at him, cutting through his silence like knives.

“You’re useless. Even the Heavens won’t bless us with a child.”

It wasn’t as though he hadn’t tried to make her happy.

He had worked harder, longer hours, trying to save coin. But nothing was ever enough.

Then, one winter, she fell ill.

A stubborn fever that no healer could cure.

When she passed, Jungkook had felt no grief. Only exhaustion.

The house had fallen silent, and for the first time, he could breathe.

People had whispered that he must have loved her deeply.

But in truth… he had only felt relief.

Even now, a full year later, he still carried the habit of moving quietly, carefully—like a man used to stepping around sharp stones.

His gaze shifted to Taehyung.

What did this ger carry?

Jungkook had heard bits and pieces. The village said Taehyung’s first husband had been a drunk, a man with rough hands and an even rougher temper.

They said the man would come home angry, would spend what little coin they had on wine, and when there was nothing left to drink, he would blame Taehyung.

It was no wonder Taehyung’s eyes always looked guarded.

It was no wonder he barely spoke, barely asked for anything.

Perhaps, like Jungkook, he had learned not to expect kindness.

When they reached home, Jungkook helped Taehyung down from the cart.

His touch was light, his hands careful—not because he feared breaking him, but because he didn’t know how to hold someone gently.

They ate dinner in their usual quiet.

Halfway through the meal, Taehyung spoke, his voice soft but steady.

“There aren’t many carts that travel between the village and town, are there?”

Jungkook paused, looking up. “No. Only merchants who pass by sometimes.”

“It’s hard for people to get the things they need,” Taehyung said thoughtfully. “Maybe… maybe someone could make a regular trip. Not just to sell, but to bring back what the villagers ask for.”

Jungkook’s chopsticks hovered over his bowl.

A delivery service?

A cart that didn’t just take goods to the town but also brought them back for the people?

It was a simple idea, but somehow it sounded useful. Important.

For the first time in many weeks, Jungkook found himself considering a future that didn’t feel heavy.

He set his chopsticks down. “That’s not a bad idea.”

Taehyung blinked in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected Jungkook to take him seriously.

“If you think it’s useful…” Jungkook added slowly, “I can try.”

Taehyung lowered his gaze, his fingers brushing the edge of the table. “You don’t have to. It’s just something I noticed.”

“I want to,” Jungkook said simply.

And he meant it.

He wanted to try—not because his family told him to, not because someone demanded it, but because this quiet, distant ger sitting across from him had offered something without strings.

Perhaps they were both a little broken.

Perhaps they had both been dragged through unhappy marriages.

But maybe, just maybe, this time…

They could build something else.

Not quickly.

Not grandly.

But something steady.

.

.

.

To be continue

bye

Episodes
1 Prologue and Introduction
2 Chapter 1: A New Body, A New Life
3 Chapter 2: First Day in the New Home
4 Chapter 3: The First Visit to the Market
5 Chapter 4: The Weight of the Past (Jungkook’s POV)
6 Chapter 5: The First Step Forward
7 Chapter 6: Quiet Partnership
8 Chapter 7: Taehyung’s First Sale
9 Chapter 8: Building Together
10 Chapter 9: Small Jealousies, Small Steps
11 Chapter 10: Quiet Defenses
12 Chapter 11: Growing Together
13 Chapter 12: The Village Festival
14 Chapter 13: A Soft Shift
15 Chapter 14: The Quiet Morning After
16 Chapter 15: A New Rhythm
17 Chapter 16: Shared Dreams, Stirred Jealousies
18 Chapter 17: Into Town Again
19 Chapter 18: A New Kind of Warmth
20 Chapter 19: Trouble Brewing Again
21 Chapter 20: The First Crack
22 Chapter 21: Building, Belonging, and Boundaries
23 Chapter 22: The House in Town
24 Chapter 23: A Bold Betrayal
25 Chapter 24: The Breaking Point
26 Chapter 25: A New Beginning
27 Chapter 26: A New Chapter Begins
28 Chapter 27: Preparing for the Future
29 Chapter 28: Expanding Their Home and Growing Their
30 Chapter 29: A Mother's Place
31 Chapter 30: The Babies Arrive
32 Chapter 31: Settling Into Parenthood
33 Chapter 32: A Festival of Firsts
34 Chapter 33: Growing Together
35 Chapter 34: Protecting Their Home, Preparing for Their Future
36 Chapter 35: Preparing for School
37 Chapter 36: New Challenges and Sweet Returns
38 Chapter 37: School Trouble and Small Victories
39 Chapter 38: Seasons Change
40 Chapter 39: Preparing for the New Baby
41 Chapter 40: The New Arrival
42 Chapter 41: Raising Three
43 Chapter 42: Seasons of Growth
Episodes

Updated 43 Episodes

1
Prologue and Introduction
2
Chapter 1: A New Body, A New Life
3
Chapter 2: First Day in the New Home
4
Chapter 3: The First Visit to the Market
5
Chapter 4: The Weight of the Past (Jungkook’s POV)
6
Chapter 5: The First Step Forward
7
Chapter 6: Quiet Partnership
8
Chapter 7: Taehyung’s First Sale
9
Chapter 8: Building Together
10
Chapter 9: Small Jealousies, Small Steps
11
Chapter 10: Quiet Defenses
12
Chapter 11: Growing Together
13
Chapter 12: The Village Festival
14
Chapter 13: A Soft Shift
15
Chapter 14: The Quiet Morning After
16
Chapter 15: A New Rhythm
17
Chapter 16: Shared Dreams, Stirred Jealousies
18
Chapter 17: Into Town Again
19
Chapter 18: A New Kind of Warmth
20
Chapter 19: Trouble Brewing Again
21
Chapter 20: The First Crack
22
Chapter 21: Building, Belonging, and Boundaries
23
Chapter 22: The House in Town
24
Chapter 23: A Bold Betrayal
25
Chapter 24: The Breaking Point
26
Chapter 25: A New Beginning
27
Chapter 26: A New Chapter Begins
28
Chapter 27: Preparing for the Future
29
Chapter 28: Expanding Their Home and Growing Their
30
Chapter 29: A Mother's Place
31
Chapter 30: The Babies Arrive
32
Chapter 31: Settling Into Parenthood
33
Chapter 32: A Festival of Firsts
34
Chapter 33: Growing Together
35
Chapter 34: Protecting Their Home, Preparing for Their Future
36
Chapter 35: Preparing for School
37
Chapter 36: New Challenges and Sweet Returns
38
Chapter 37: School Trouble and Small Victories
39
Chapter 38: Seasons Change
40
Chapter 39: Preparing for the New Baby
41
Chapter 40: The New Arrival
42
Chapter 41: Raising Three
43
Chapter 42: Seasons of Growth

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