Doctor Goes Back to Joseon

Translator: Cathy Park Editor: Hitesh Thukral

“Really?”

It was the news that he had been waiting for. There was a possibility that he might be a quack, but they said that he was really good. He had realized by now that it was very difficult to gain such fame in Joseon.

Mt. Ganggyo was not far from the house, so there was no reason to not go.

“Where are they now?”

“I told them to wait for you in the clinic. You were sleeping fast.”

“Huh?” It was near noon when he looked outside the room.

‘I was indeed sleeping like a log.’

He could not reject the drinks that Lee Sunshin poured last night, drinking them all bottoms up. That was what made him drunk to this extent.

“I will wash my face first.”

“I will get you some water.” Dolseok gave him the basin filled with warm water he had already brought there. He was a very caring person indeed, always knowing what the other would want in their routine.

“Ah, thank you!”

“You are welcome, sir.”

Ganghyuk washed his face with water, and once he finished up, Dolseok gave him something: it was a brush made of willow, along with some salt.

“Here is your toothbrush.”

“Thank you.”

He called it a brush, but it was actually a willow pounded by a stone. It was a lousy thing, but it brushed well. Furthermore, it was already a privilege that he could use salt as toothpaste.

Other servants, except Dolseok, used straws to brush their teeth.

“Ach! Salty!”

“Here is water.”

“You are good!”

“Thank you!”

Ganghyuk finished with his morning routine and got ready to go out: tidy hair, new hat, coat, and shoes.

“Then, let’s go.”

“Yes, sir.”

…

Ganghyuk rode the horse while carrying the bag on his chest. He had to pack some necessary things; Suwon was quite a large city to travel across without a car.

Dolseok was carrying a big bag for him as well. Fortunately, he did not seem to be tired, which was no wonder though because he ate meat nearly every day, such as chicken or pheasants.

“There it is.”

Ganghyuk pointed at the clinic in the marketplace. It looked a bit unfamiliar because he had not been here for some time.

Makbong could be seen standing at the door.

“Good afternoon, sir.”

“You look slender.”

Makbong scratched his hair at the remark of Ganghyuk; lice splattered here and there whenever he did so. But, he was not ashamed of it at all.

‘They believe that they will die soon after their body gets rid of the lice.’ It was a strange superstition, but it was sort of grounded.

A louse was a parasite. It would move to another body when the host would be dying.

‘If they do not wash like now, that is not a baseless statement indeed.”

According to the theory in Joseon, Makbong was in his prime. Although, he had lost some weight indeed.

“We do not have many performances these days’, and I am busier at night.” Makbong showed a filthy smile while saying. Ganghyuik could only look at the yard while haking his head.

“Where is Yeoni?”

“Ah, she is getting her male hairstyle done.”

“Ok, then she must be in the room. We will leave once she comes out.”

“Yes, I will bring her.”

Makbong went into the room hastily and then shouted, “Yeoni! Sir Ganghyuk has arrived.”

“Ah!”

The door was soon opened and Yeoni rushed out of the room, seeming to be surprised. She used her original female voice rather than the trained male voice, as a result of which, she looked a bit awkward with her male hairstyle.

“Good afternoon, sir.”

“Good afternoon. Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Yeoni suddenly shouted as she remembered an important thing while wearing the shoes, “Ah, the girl named Jeong Yeoju sent a letter today.”

“Today? Give it to me.”

“Here it is.”

Yeoni gave him the letter that she had stored in her clothes.

‘En… She is not rich at all.’

It was evident from a single glance that it was not a good quality paper. The letters were blurred because of the poor quality of the paper. If it were not Hangeul, he could not have read it properly.

“Ah, the professor has left today. Hmm…”

Ganghyuk recalled her painting while looking at the sky. It was really good, with extremely detailed description. Furthermore, she could draw those good paintings with just shabby tools. If she had better ones, she surely could draw better paintings.

‘Also, I hope I can learn something from the doctor.’

He urgently needed some knowledge on herbs, as it was useless to know just their names. He needed to know what they looked like. After that, there was a need of someone who could draw the herbs one by one, something where he would need Jeong Yeoju.

“Hmmm.” Ganghyuk stared at Yeoni with strange eyes, who had to drop her head because he had fixed his eyes on her face.

‘If I make her wear male clothes, nobody will know.’ Furthermore, he had an expert in that field.

“Good! Then, take her as well.”

“What?”

“Why not?” Ganghyuk asked back with a casual face. Chagngweon was not there, so there was no one who could object to this proposition.

“There is no reason to say no.” Dolseok answered while touching his buttocks. He felt that he would not have such good buttocks any longer if they were caught and he ended up getting punished with clubs.

‘I guess it will be alright.’

He felt that he could trust Ganghyuk, even though this all seemed like nonsense and looked dangerous.

Yeoni and Makbong did not have any other opinion either. They were already accustomed to illegal things, anyway.

“Okay. Then, we will bring her with us as well.”

…

Yeoju’s house on the way to the doctor. So, Yeoni delivered Ganghyuk’s message, and the former willingly followed them, albeit in very awkward male clothes.

“The robe is touching the earth.”

“It is because it belongs to my father.” 𝑓𝑟eℯ𝒘𝗲𝑏n𝑜𝚟𝙚𝒍.𝒄o𝐦

Yeoju tried to walk fast in that big gown. She brushed the ground because of the oversized clothes. Seeing her reminded Ganghyuk of the hip-hop trousers which were very popular in his childhood.

If he left her like that, she would destroy all of her father’s gowns. After all, she had said that she could not ride a horse.

‘If I have to bring her like this, I think I need to get her new clothes.’

While he was thinking as he happened to stare at Yeoju’s back, she suddenly looked back.

“Sir?” 𝒇𝐫ℯ𝑒𝒘ℯ𝑏n𝑜ѵ𝐞l.c𝗼𝗺

“What happened?”

“You want me to draw herbs?”

“Yes.” He answered with a casual face, hiding his embarrassment. As he was on the horse, nobody could see his face after all.

“Then, I need colors, and some small brushes as well. I think I need paper, too.”

“I have paper, but I do not have the other things.”

Ganghyuk looked at the marketplace with a surly face. If he had to go back to the marketplace, it would take quite some time.

“One of my good friends lives nearby. She might lend them to me.”

“Good!” It would indeed be good if she could gather the necessities in that way.

“Where is it?”

“It is right there… Sir Heo Yeop’s house.”

“Heo Yeop?” Ganghyuk knew him as well. He did not look like he drew paintings.

“Yes, sir. Amongst his children is Nanseolheon, who is my best friend.”

“Heo.” He laughed. He was the father of Heo Namseolheon. Ganghyuk regretted his high school days when he did not study Korean History thoroughly. He left the best painter and asked a nobody to paint for him.

Jeong Yeoju… He had not seen the name in history books.

‘What I do is not artistic work, anyway.’

She had good painting skills, so she could paint the herbs and the treatment anyway.

On the other side, Yeoju was surprised by his response.

“Do you know the name?”

“What? No, no. I know Heo Yeop.”

“Aha! I will tell her that I am going.”

He wanted to ask Yeoju if she would go to Nanseolheon in those clothes, but he did not.

When they reached the house, Yeoju picked up a pebble and threw it over the wall. His house was bigger and better than Changgweon’s, even though he did not have any official job at that moment.

Tok!

After a few trials, somebody opened the door. It was a girl who had a tidy look, and was someone Ganghyuk recognized.

‘She is Heo Nanseolheon.’

Leaving the fame or painting skills aside, Yeoju was a lot better in the appearance.

“Yeoju. What is this?”

“I had to wear male clothes.”

“Who is he?”

“Baik Ganghyuk. You know him?”

“Yes.”

Gagnhyuk was already a famous person in Suwon. Additionally, he had treated her father, Heo Yeop, so she obviously must have known him. Hence, she greeted him politely.

“Good afternoon. I am Heo Nanseolheon.”

“I am Ganghyuk.”

After the introduction, she asked Yeoju, “What brought you here?”

“I would like to help him, so I need some painting tools.”

“Help him?”

“Yes, he wanted me to draw herbs and therapies.”

“That’s interesting! Did your father allow you to do that?”

“No. I am going without his knowledge.”

“That’s even more exciting! Okay, I will lend them to you.”

She had the appearance of a good girl, but she talked imprudently.

‘This is a girl crush in Joseon.’

She brought out her painting tools right away; she might have painted around that time. As he observed, she had more and better tools that Yeoju.

“Then, have a good time! I would like to learn painting more as well.”

“Yes, I will visit you again. Thank you.”

Ganghyuk did not know it, but Heo Nanseolheon had an art teacher… and that was Jeong Yeoju.

‘She must be reliable.’

With all this done he was ready to go. “Good! Yeoni, where should we go?”

“I heard it is near Mt. Gwanggyo. It will take a few hours at least.”

“Ganggyo… It is quite far from here… Okay, let’s hurry up.”

In Joseon, there was no way to go somewhere after sunset. And if it were the mountains, the difficulty would be doubled.

‘I don’t want to finish my life as a prey of a tiger.’

Unexpectedly, the others had the same thought. So, they all hurried on their way. Yeoju was walking speedily as well.

‘I cured her.’ Ganghyuk was riding the horse with a satisfied face when Yeoni pointed forward.

“That is Mt. Gwanggyo.”

“We are almost there. There are some houses as well. Good! He must be there, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay.”

He looked around as the destination got near. That was an ordinary field that could be seen anywhere. But, the ox working in the field looked sick.

‘It has oozing sores.’ It seemed that it was not well taken care of, considering the scabs on the skin.

There was nothing special to see other than that. When they reached the village, there saw a group of people there.

“Are they having a fest?”

Dolseok shook his head at Ganghyuk’s question. “It seems like a queue to see the doctor. It must be the doctor we want to visit.”

“Oh!”