"No, no. He's not a priest. Those fellows are different. Beak is a pro-testant. The kind that marries. He's going to Osaka, where his brother lives. I dont' remember meeting him." He continued to chew quietly and took small sips from his teacup.
Before Yangjin had a chance to say anything, Jun said, "That Hirohitoseki took over our country, stole the best land, rice, fish, and now our young people." He sighed and ate another bit of potato. "Well, I don't blame the young people for going to Japan. There's no money to be made here. It's too late for me, but if I had a son"-Jun paused, for he had no children, and it made him sad to think of it-"I'd send him Hawaii. My wife has a smart nephew who works on a sugar plantation there. The work is hard, but so what? He doesn't work for these bastards. The other day when I went to the docks, the sons of bitches tried to tell me that I couldn't-"
Yangjin frowned at him for cursing. The house being so small, the girls in the kitchen and Sunja, who was now mopping the alcove room, could hear everything, and they were no doubt paying attention. "May I get you more tea?"
Jun smiled and pushed his empty cup toward her with both hands. "It's our own damn fault for losing the country. I know that," he continued. "Those goddamn aristocrat sons of bitches sold us out. Not a single Yanban bastard has a full set of balls.
Both Yangjin and Sunja knew the girls in the kitchen were giggling at the coal man's tirade, which didn't vary from week to week. "I may be a peasant, but I'm an honest workingman, and I wouldn't have let som Japanese take over." He pulled out a clean, white handkerchief from his coal dust-covered coat and wiped his runny nose. "Bastards. I better get on with my next delivey."
The widow asked him to wait while she went to the kitchen. At the front door, Yangjin handed Jun a fabric-tied bundle of freshly dug potatoes. One slipped out of the bundle and rolled onto the floor. He pounced on it and dropped it into his deep coat pockets. "Never lose what's valuable." "For your wife," Yangjin said. "Please say hello." "Thank you." Jun slipped on his shoes in haste and left the house. "Yangjin ramained by the door watching him walk away, not going back inside until he stepped into the house next door.