Chapter 26: Treating a Thief [5] Smack.
Dolseok stopped fanning and slapped the floor.
"These damn mosquitoes."
"Dolseok, your turn isn't over yet…"
"Yes, yes, Young Master."
Dolseok resumed fanning.
"Um, but… when will your turn come, Young Master?"
"I told you, I'm only seeing patients."
"If patients keep lining up, then you'll just keep seeing them, won't you?"
"You can see them instead…"
Summer in Joseon was literal hell.
There were no electric fans, no air conditioners, and yet it was unbearably hot.
It was almost impossible to live without leaving the windows open.
Window screens really are a precious invention.
Kanghyeok looked back and forth between the mosquito corpses stuck to the wall and the bites on the back of his hand.
They itched terribly.
Damn it.
It would have been nice if he had some steroid ointment.
Unfortunately, the only ointment in his house-call bag was antibiotic ointment.
There was no point putting that sort of thing on bug bites.
Though it would prevent a secondary infection.
"One iced Americano would be all I need in life right now."
Watching the number of patients finally start to thin out, Kanghyeok muttered to himself.
Dolseok stared blankly at him.
There he goes again, saying weird tongue-twisting things. Has the heat gotten to him?
The young master was good in every way, except that sometimes he did strange things.
Dolseok turned his gaze to the brood hen tied up in one corner of the yard.
Several more came in today too, so I should make Chilhyang-gye for him.
There were many foods considered good fortifying dishes in summer, but in Dolseok's opinion, chicken was the best.
Taking advantage of the brief lull, he spoke to Kanghyeok.
"Young Master, how about chicken today?"
"Chicken?"
"Yes. That gentleman likes chicken too."
"That gentleman" referred to Sun-sin.
Kanghyeok thought the way Dolseok referred to him was irreverent, but there was not really any other convenient way to call him.
They could hardly keep letting him stay in the clinic, so he was currently at Kanghyeok's house.
It meant there was one more mouth to feed, but Seungmun did not mind much.
No, he liked it.
Because Sun-sin's learning was not limited to military strategy, they were actually able to converse.
"That sounds good. Let's have Father and the servants at home eat too."
"Ah, shall we?"
Dolseok pictured the chicken coop at the main house, now practically full to bursting.
Every time Kanghyeok opened the clinic, he received several chickens as payment, so they had unintentionally become rich in chickens.
"Yes. Every morning lately it's so noisy I could die. Let's just slaughter the lot while we're at it."
"Yes. Understood. Then I'll send word."
"And send some to the tavern too. The members of the troupe should eat as well."
"Ah, yes, Young Master."
Dolseok opened the door of the clinic and looked around.
"Where did everyone go?"
Thanks to the money Kanghyeok was earning increasing day by day, they had bought quite a few new slaves.
Naturally, Dolseok ranked highest among them, so from his point of view, he had acquired several underlings.
In a deep, commanding voice, Dolseok called over one of the men loitering nearby.
"Tell them at the house to slaughter some chickens. Ten should do."
"Yes."
Dolseok smiled as he watched the slave run off at his order as if he were flying.
He seemed thoroughly satisfied by the fact that someone obeyed him.
Keeping that smile on his face, he turned back to Kanghyeok.
"Young Master, then shall we close the clinic soon and head home?"
"Yes. But before that… let's stop by Elder Jeong Changgwon's house."
"Ah. Go… Young Master, there really wasn't anything like that, right?"
"There wasn't. Want to be rolled in a straw mat?"
At the word "straw mat," the nearby slaves visibly flinched.
Dolseok shuddered and waved both hands.
"No, no. I believe you. Of course I believe you."
"Go call Yeoni."
"Why Yeoni again?"
"I can't go into that room. We still need someone to check her condition."
"Ah… yes. Understood."
Dolseok ran across to the tavern opposite them.
He did not forget to bark orders at the slaves still left in the clinic.
"You lot, get the Young Master ready to leave! Load the ox cart and send it to the house, then clean up!"
"Yes!"
Whatever he said about straw mats, it was obvious Dolseok was the servant Kanghyeok trusted most.
Even without direct instructions from Kanghyeok, the slaves obeyed Dolseok very well.
I like that I don't have to waste words on useless things.
Kanghyeok slowly walked behind him.
One of the slaves came up holding the reins of a horse.
"You should ride, shouldn't you?"
"No, that's alright. I'll just walk slowly. You don't have to follow."
He could have ridden, but for short distances, walking was better.
He hated crowds and commotion.
It was hot enough already. There was no point in going around in a pack.
And they smell a bit too…
Dolseok bathed often because Kanghyeok constantly pestered him to.
The others did not.
They smelled like the air around trainee soldiers in midsummer.
"Whew."
It was enough to make him sigh after only a brief whiff.
Though thanks to that, the mosquitoes bit him far less often.
"Heave-ho."
With the heavy-looking house-call bag in one hand, Kanghyeok stepped out of the clinic.
No one dared offer to carry the bag for him.
They all knew he did not entrust it even to Dolseok very often.
He had only just started walking when Dolseok came running back alone.
"What about Yeoni?"
"Ah, well. Since she's going there, she says she has to dress as a woman and asked you to wait."
"If a woman dresses like a woman, is that called dressing as a woman?"
"Well, Yeoni is… basically a man, isn't she."
Dolseok answered with a shudder.
It seemed he was remembering the sight of Yeoni beating down the thief.
"And a woman should have some flesh on her too. She's way too skinny…"
Kanghyeok merely nodded at Dolseok's criticism.
From the Joseon point of view, it seemed Yeoni was not considered especially beautiful.
Even the Pyeonsu, whom he sometimes saw, had a harsh assessment of her looks.
Her skin is a bit dark, but her features are sharp, and her figure is slender.
Compared to her, Dolseok was almost pitiable to look at as the same species.
As for Makbong, there was no need to say anything.
"There they are. Makbong's coming too. Does that fool do nothing but play around all day?"
"Don't be like that. He might be the busiest one among us."
"Him? He does nothing but nap during the day."
"He's not sleeping for no reason."
Kanghyeok suppressed a laugh as he recalled Makbong's side job.
By then Yeoni had approached and greeted him.
With her hair neatly done, she looked unmistakably like a woman.
"Young Master, I apologize for being late."
"No, it's fine. But why did Makbong come too?"
"Well, one thing led to another."
"Fine, whatever."
Even without saying it aloud, it was obvious he had come to protect the Pyeonsu's daughter.
Surely if something happened, he wouldn't only protect Yeoni.
Kanghyeok was his benefactor too, so he would not simply pretend otherwise.
Even after treating the Pyeonsu, he had continued taking care of them in various ways.
Had he not sent them chicken today as well?
Any decent person had to repay kindness.
"Then let's go."
Changgwon's house was not very far from the market.
As long as they were not sneaking around to avoid patrols, it was a fairly quick walk.
Being the tallest, Kanghyeok was the one who spotted Changgwon's house first.
"We're here."
"Lord Changgwon must be home, right?"
Yeoni chattered uneasily.
Standing on tiptoe, Kanghyeok looked inside the house.
"Who knows. The horse is tied up."
"Then he must be there."
"Probably. You'll have to pretend to be a medical woman."
"Oh, honestly. Because of you, Young Master, I end up doing everything."
Yeoni let out a sigh.
Originally, medical women were female slaves attached to the state who, if clever enough, were taught medicine and acquired qualifications as a kind of professional.
Like every other book of the time, medical texts were written in classical Chinese, so medical women also knew at least some basic characters.
That meant Yeoni had to act as though she were educated.
For someone who had spent her whole life learning only tightrope walking and martial arts, it was a miserable task.
Still, it was a relief that Changgwon's attitude had changed completely.
"Oh, has Kanghyeok come?"
He was so delighted that it seemed as if some hidden son of his had arrived.
Compared to the beginning, it was enough to call it a world of difference.
As expected, nothing works better than healing someone's child.
Smiling, Kanghyeok bowed his head.
"Yes, Sir."
"Yes. You've worked hard."
"How is the patient?"
He had already long since learned both her name and face.
But Kanghyeok played innocent.
There was no reason to reveal it now.
"Thanks to you, she is much improved. Truly ghost-like skill."
"We still need to continue checking her condition. I brought a medical woman with me."
"Yes, yes. Please examine her well. I'm truly grateful."
"It's nothing."
"The Busa has summoned me separately, so I must go out now… take your time and finish what you need to do before leaving."
"Ah, understood."
Changgwon mounted his horse and rode straight out.
Taking along one servant to hold the reins.
He really did seem to trust Kanghyeok completely now.
Enough to leave his daughter behind.
As he already knew, Changgwon's household was truly poor.
With a much lighter expression, Yeoni said,
"Then I think the only ones left are the patient and one maidservant."
"I see. Good. Let's go in together."
"Ah, yes."
Yeoni opened the door first and went into the room.
Since they had already become acquainted, Yeoju welcomed her warmly.
Just as Kanghyeok was following her in, he turned back.
"Makbong and Dolseok, keep watch properly."
"Yes, Young Master."
Unlike Makbong's hearty response, Dolseok only tilted his head.
"Young Master, don't do anything strange."
"Makbong, hit that bastard once."
"Yes."
"Ow!"
While Dolseok screamed, clutching his head, Kanghyeok entered the room.
"Greetings, Young Master Baek Kanghyeok."
A face white as snow, thick hair even without a gache, red lips, and neat white teeth.
Yeoju, a classic beauty, was sitting with perfect composure.
"Right. How are you feeling?"
"Much better, thanks to you."
"Good. Yeoni, shall we have a look?"
"Yes."
Yeoni carefully removed Yeoju's beoseon.
The red, swollen leg was gone, and all that remained was a pale, slender foot.
"It looks very good."
"Yes, it does. At this point, there's no need for me to come again. Congratulations. You're fully recovered."
Kanghyeok laughed heartily as he rose from his seat.
Just as he was about to leave the room, Yeoju called out to him in a low voice.
"Young Master."
"Hm? What is it?"
"I heard a rumor."
"What rumor?"
"A rumor that an extraordinary divine physician has appeared in the market, healing patients by the most astonishing methods."
Since it was clearly a description of himself, Kanghyeok let out a faint laugh.
Accepting his smile, Yeoju continued.
"I would like to see for myself how you treat people, for such rumors to spread."
"You want to watch? Your father won't sit quietly if you do."
"Do you know why the Busa summoned him today?"
"No."
He had no particular interest in it.
With an indifferent expression, Kanghyeok looked at Yeoju.
"My father has been put in charge of education at the new hyanggyo. He will likely be staying there for several months."
Now that was a somewhat tempting piece of news.
If that was true, then most of the risk had disappeared.
But the biggest problem still remained.
Shaking his head, Kanghyeok asked Yeoju,
"Even so… why should I let you into my clinic?"
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