29—Proper Duty“Mugwort!” growled Kee Sun, pulling out a bag full of tiny herb pellets. “Mogusa! The old folks burn these on your back every year, right?”
“Yes,” I said. My hands were shaking. I only hoped that the Little Brothers were watching Mieko closely. “On New Year’s Day. One pellet—”
“—for every year, yes, yes.” He took a deep breath. “Light these and hold them against the bottoms of his feet, hear? Till he wakes up. Raise blisters if yeh have to. Don’t stop till he wakes.”
“Yes, Kee Sun.”
He grabbed a pot of pickled ginger. “And wave this under her nose.”
“Her nose?”
“His nose! His nose.” He looked as if he were about to throw the clay pot at me. “Don’t sass me, girlie.”
“No, Kee Sun-san.” I took the ginger and held both herbs to my belly.
“Go.” He turned back to the stove,
