Doctor Goes Back to Joseon

Ganghyuk went straight onto the topic, hearing which, Yujeong stopped talking immediately. Instead, it was the governor who talked. It seemed he had had a drink while listening to the preach; there was weak alcoholic smell emitting from him.

‘Did he really drink here in the temple?’

It was a reasonable suspicion, and given the governor’s history, he deserved such suspicion. However, the latter did not know he was being suspected as he pointed at Ganghyuk and talked.

“Yes, yes. He had a fever and did not eat well.” Then, he turned to the monk and said, “This guy is a really good doctor.”

He used honorific language for the monk, seeming to have good faith in Buddhism. He might be beyond just reading and reciting some of the scriptures.

If Seungmun or Changgweon saw him here, they would cut his hair to make him a monk.

‘He is really strange.’

He was a Confucian scholar and government official, but he believed in Buddhism in Joseon, which promoted Confucianism and oppressed Buddhism.

He was eligible to be a friend of Ganghyuk.

On the other side, the chief monk of Chiljangsa showed interest as well. He was sorry because Yujeong came from a long way while being sick. There were some medical monks in the temple who offered Buddhist prayers, but there was no use.

“He is a famous doctor in Suwon. He healed my problem that I consulted you with.”

It seemed the governor might have told about his impotence to the chief monk. It was funny to consult about impotence with a monk who had abstained from sex for his lifetime.

He was an invincible silly peasant.

‘If he wanted to go to the temple, why didn’t he visit a temple in Suwon?’

Anseong Chiljangsa was a famous temple with a long history. Then, why did he come here to have a consultation?

The chief monk seemed to find it awkward, so he cleared his throat constantly.

“Ahm…Good! You are blessed.”

“It is all owed to you and Buddha.”

The chief monk changed the theme very quickly, before looking at Yujeong, “Then, can I ask you a favor?”

He was much older than Yujeong, but the latter was far ahead in terms of the depth of enlightenment. He looked like a priest of virtue even to Ganghyuk.

His behavior was not vulgar at all.

“If you say so, I cannot object it.”

He nodded while holding his hands together, just when Gagnhyuk saw a light behind him. Maybe the light was reflected off his bald head. However, the chief monk did not have that light.

‘Maybe it is the aura.’

He was a priest of virtue, considering the fact that he did not protest.

Ganghyuk looked back, only to see that Yeoju had taken out the painting set and was drawing the face of the monk. Her skills had become better while drawing many pictures in the village, so much so that even the governor was surprised.

‘If Changgweon were here, what would he say? He would probably say some old phrases such as ‘it is all my fault’ or something.’

“Then, I will take a look.”

“Please do at your convenience.”

“Dolseok, hold the lamp for me to see clearly here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Dolseok promptly took out a lamp from the carriage. Although there was a lamp in the room before, it was still dark. Not only was it dark under the lamp, it was dark all over.

Maybe they used very cheap oil.

The lamp that Dolseok took out of the carriage brought about a whole new world.

“Good!”

‘How could he talk with this chin?’

As he examined the monk, he couldn’t help but wonder; the latter’s chin was swollen way too much after all.

Ganghyuk looked at Dolseok, who was holding the lamp. He then looked around at the monk, the chief monk, and the governor in turn.

‘I could probably teach Dolseok while I treat him.’

It might work; the governor was his friend, and the rest of them were all generous as well. It was not non-respectful anyway.

“Dolseok, touch here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“What do you feel?”

Dolseok did not answer right away, observing carefully as he learned. He checked the texture, temperature, color change, and soreness when pressed. Those would give clues for diagnosis.

“It is hot.”

“Then?”

“The color changes with very light pressure, and the priest feels pain when done so.”

“What would you think of.”

“Inflammation, sir.” Dolseok had given the right answers up till now.

He had followed Ganghyuk quite a long time. He was the best pupil of the latter’s rather than a servant.

“Then, how can we treat it?”

“Pardon?”

“What would you do if you were a doctor?”

It was difficult from here on.

“En…”

Ganghyuk remembered the days when he was working as a professor while watching him wonder. He was a very popular professor, although he did not want to boast about it…even without his tall body and handsome face.

He was very kind in teaching, although he used bad language sometimes.

“I think we need to cut.” Dolseok thought of doing an operation straightaway, being a pupil of a surgeon.

“Why?”

“There might be pus in there.”

“Yes, it is full of something.”

“So, it is indeed filled with pus, right?”

“It might be. But that is not main thing. Priest, could you please open the mouth?”

“I will follow your instruction.” Yujeong opened his mouth while complying, although in pain.

Normally, three fingers should be able to be inserted in one’s mouth, but right now, even two could not go in on the left side.

It would only get narrower with time.

“Dolseok, take out the pen light from the bag.”

“Yes, Pen…”Maybe the word ‘light’ was too difficult for him to pronounce. He always called it pen, although Ganghyuk had repeated pen light many times.

“Press your tongue upward. Yes, good.” Ganghyuk instructed the monk. When the latter moved his tongue upward, the difference between the left and the right became conspicuous.

On the right side was only one protrusion for saliva secretion, but the left side was completely swollen.

“Right! Dolseok, give me gloves.”

“I have already taken them out.” Ganghyuk did not need to tell him the right size at this point. He had already taken out the seven and a half size gloves.

“Good! Priest, it may be a bit painful.”

The Chief priest nodded without being able to say anything because his mouth was wide open. Ganghyuk then inserted his right hand in his mouth.

The chief monk tried to stop him as it was a totally strange situation for him, but the governor stopped him.

“There must be a reason why he does that. He is a really good doctor.”

“But sir, we do not know if he is a really good doctor even though he treated your problem.”

It was true; a Gisaeng could heal impotence, but one wouldn’t call a Gisaeng a good doctor.

The governor shook his head in response. “I asked you to offer a Buddhist prayer due to smallpox, right?”

“Yes.”

Thanks to the rice that he had sent, they could be free from worries about food for a while. He had to offer Buddhist prayers for days in exchange for the rice.

“He cured smallpox.”

“What? Did he really cure smallpox?”

The chief monk had experienced smallpox when he was a child. He became a monk as almost his whole village disappeared because of smallpox. There were not many options for an orphan to do at that time after all.

However, Ganghyuk had defeated smallpox.

“Wow! Wonderful!”

“Yes, just watch him what he would be doing.”

The governor was very helpful, as his words made Yujeong seem to be relieved. With that, Ganghyuk could examine his mouth more comfortably, specifically near the entry of the submaxillary gland.

‘Good! Fortunately, it is located outside.’ Ganghyuk thought as he touched the lump with his fingers. It was as hard as a stone, and was located right at the entry.

“Dolseok, are you wearing gloves?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Touch here.”

“Yes.”

Dolseok touched the place that Ganghyuk pointed at, and couldn’t help but open his eyes wide.

“What is this?”

“Remove your hand now.”

“Yes, sir.” 𝑓re𝘦𝔀𝗲𝘣𝘯𝘰νℯ𝒍.c𝗼ｍ

The patient should know the diagnosis, so Ganghyuk took off the gloves and sat up, everyone in the room concentrating on him.

“In our body, we have something called saliva glands, where the saliva is produced.”

“Ah, is it not present in our body naturally?”

The governor had read many medical books because of his problem. So, he was more interested in medicine than anyone else in the room.

Ganghyuk answered, “Yes, it is located below the ears, under the tongue. There is another one located here in the lower chin.

Ganghyuk pointed at the lower chin of Yujeong, which was so swollen that it seemed about to be burst with a light hit.

“Then, Priest Yujeon has a problem in the gland?”

“Yes, you are right.”

“Is there any remedy?”

The governor shook his head. He had read about saliva, but the concept of saliva gland was totally new to him. If somebody else told the thing to him, he would have not believed it at all.

However, the person who told the thing was Ganghyuk, the one who had saved his life.

“It is not so difficult.”

“Is that so? What do you need? Tell me.”

He was ready to open his warehouse and bring anything as long as he named it.

Ganghyuk smiled while watching him. ‘I will ask a favor but not now.’

After all, he could cure the monk with the things in the home visitation bag.

“No, I will be able to treat it now.”

“Oh!” The chief monk exclaimed. On the other side, the governor showed pride on his face as if he were the doctor.

“I told you. He is a really good doctor.”

“Yes. Let’s see.”

Although it was not a difficult operation, he could not do it when the patient sat crossed legged on the floor. Hence, Ganghyuk asked him to lie down.

Then, his head was bent backward so he could see the former’s mouth very well.

“It will cause you some discomfort. Please be patient.”

“Yes, no problem.”

Yujeong followed his instructions without any questions, showing a smile without any sign of anxiety.

The smile made Ganghyuk comfortable as well. He seemed to know what Ganghyuk wanted to do.

‘He is really an extraordinary man. Anyway, I should do what I have to do.’

Ganghyuk wore the gloves again, coming back from digression. He did not need clean gloves as the mouth was much dirtier than the hands.

He wore gloves to protect his hands.

“Dolseok. Help me.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Open the mouth wider.”

“Yes, sir.”

Dolseok knew what he had to do. Ganghyuk felt comfortable, as he did not need to tell him the name of the tools now.

“Now, it is time to acupuncture. It is going to be a little bit painful.”

Ganghyuk called the anesthetic injection acupuncture to remove the unfamiliarity. He did not want to make them alert, or think of him as an almighty doctor. After all, all he used was a ‘simple acupuncture’, but they were numbed.

He waited for a while after the anesthetic injection. Then, he tweezed the part with the forceps.

“Not painful, right?”

Yujeong blinked his eyes. As he opened his mouth wide, he could not express his opinion.

“Now, I will perform an operation. Give me the mess.”

“You will cut as I expected. Here you are, sir.”