Doctor Goes Back to Joseon Chapter 44: This Time, a Monk [2]

Chapter 44: This Ti, a Monk [2]

“Oh my goodness!”

He was infuriated on having unknowingly eaten the beef from that sick cow. He had just now been thinking of Wonhyo and the lesson that it taught.

He thought it was tasty while eating it, but now, it seed to have been slly and foul all of a sudden.

“Why?” Dolseok asked while blinking his small eyes.

His face was innocent, and he did not do anything wrong to be fair. But, Ganghyuk was angry anyway.

“Son of a…No. It is fine. Let’s go.”

All of them had the sa thing, so what was the use to talk about it now?

‘It is all the sa when it is in the body…The sa thing.’ He tried to console himself.

While walking, he thought he should ask the question that had been in his mind ever since he heard about their destination.

“Where are we going now? Where is the monk?”

“Eum… It is in Anseong.”

“Anseong? The place with the mayor who had hemorrhoids?”

The mayor had visited Ganghyuk while sitting on a cushion on the saddle. He had yelled as soon as he arrived and even hit Dolseok’s head. Finally, he returned to Anseong after the operation.

‘When he was healed completely, his personality changed as well.’

How difficult it must have had been for him because of the painful bowel movent! So, when it was resolved and he had no more pains or bloody stools, he beca quite ek.

Moreover, he actually sent a thank you letter later on, along with so dried fish.

“As we are going there, let’s et him as well.”

“Do you really want to see him?” Dolseok seed to rember the unpleasant hit.

“Why not? It will be great. He will treat us well for sure.”

“Ahem… Treat…”

“Yes, he will have so good rooms for us. I don’t like the inns very much.”

There was a saying, “There is no place like ho’, and it was true in Joseon as well. The inns here were all shabby, and served very humble food, which was just too much to tolerate for Ganghyuk, considering that even ‘delicacies’ in this era weren’t all that great.

‘Furthermore, they gave at from the sick cow.’

He felt quite unpleasant while thinking of it even now. He would have dealt with the hostess instead of Makbong if he had not t up with Heo Jun…in a different way, of course.

“Isn’t the governnt office better?”

Dolseok nodded in response. He was a servant, but he served a rich nobleman. Hence, he did not have to suffer much hardships.

On top of that, his life had been even better than before recently, much better than other commoners.

“Yes, I think so too.” Yeoju agreed. She did not have to suffer much hardships either. Even though she lived in a small and shabby house, she was a noblewoman nevertheless.

“If you know the mayor, it is a good thing to visit him.”

Yeoni and Makbong did not mind it. They thought that an inn was still a good place, as they did not mind sleeping even on the road. Anyway, they would not object to Ganghyuk’s opinion.

“Ok, let’s go.”

…

It was a long way from Gwanggyo to Anseong. So, they could only enter the village so ti after the sunset.

Seeing them, a few soldiers approached, looking very cautions. They were sure that Ganghyuk was a nobleman from his appearance.

He had four escorts and a big carriage behind him; he seed to be a tycoon.

“May I know who you are?”

Ganghyuk would answer quickly if he were what he used to be. But now, he was a nobleman in Joseon.

Hence, Ganghyuk looked down from the horse with dignity. As a tall man was looking down from the horse, the soldiers felt a bit overwheld.

They retreated and asked him again.

“May I know who you are?”

He thought he should answer at this point. But, the person who answered was Dolseok, who loved this kind of scene, and hence had a big smile on his face.

When could he speak to soldiers with dignity if not at this ti?

“He is Scholar Baik Ganghyuk from Baik family in Suwon. He has co to et your mayor.”

“Ah, I will guide you, sir.”

“Ok.”

The soldier walked forward even though he tilted his head. He did not like the situation where a servant ordered him, but Ganghyuk seed to be a very high-ranking nobleman.

Additionally, one of them had actually recognized Ganghyuk.

“He, the very person…”

“Who?”

“You rember that the mayor visited Suwon for a few days…”

“Ah, the very Baik?”

“Yes, I saw him at that ti. I am sure he is the one.”

“Ugh… We may be killed if we do sothing wrong.”

Rumors and mories could be easily twisted. Ganghyuk’s image in Anseon was obsessively tyrannical. It was said that not only mayor, but the governor also followed Ganghyuk’s order because he showed his spirit.

Of course, he had countered the mayor, so it was not a groundless story.

Because of this rumor, the soldiers showed a politer and more favorable attitude.

“Here, sir.”

“Good!”

Even though Dolseok gave a presumptuous answer, they did not protest.

“I will report your arrival, sir.”

“Ok.”

The group stopped in front of the door while the soldier went in through the side door.

When Ganghyuk reached the place, he got a little worried. He had not made an appointnt before the visit after alld.

“He will receive us, right?”

“Pardon?”

Hearing Ganghyuk’s remark, Dolseok showed an unappealing face. He exercised his authority by relying on his master, but the master was worrying now.

What did he want him to do?

“I received a letter, but I do not rember if I replied.”

Probably, he had not replied. He did not rember writing many letters at that ti. Therefore, he had been rude to the mayor twice: when he examined him, and when he did not reply to his letter.

‘We do feel bad if even a simple text ssage is not answered.’

When a ssage was read and then no reply ca back, people would usually get angry. Hence, Ganghyuk felt a late regret.

Dududu!

However, it was found to be baseless anxiety.

“Haha, you ca here, Dr. Baik.”

The mayor dashed out to et him, looking much better.

“Ah, how are you, sir?”

Ganghyuk used polite language; one good turn deserved another after all.

“I am good. It seems that I get to live a new life thanks to you.”

“That is good to hear.”

He thought that he was quite fortunate. If the latter had not greeted him with such vigor, the soldiers would have thrown them out irrespective of his status.

“Well, co on in. What is that?” The mayor pointed at the carriage and asked.

They seed to be herbs, given the aroma he could sense. He had beco interested in herbs after the disease. Furthermore, these herbs were brought by Ganghyuk, who had the fa of being an excellent doctor.

‘Good. I will give so.’

He could not receive his hospitality for nothing.

“I ca from Mt. Gwanggyo to get so herbs. This angelica root and licorice are very good. Have so.”

As he had made up his mind, he could tell a lie as smoothly as water flowing downhill. With that, he recomnded the mayor so cheap herbs. He could not give expensive herbs such as Moniliform rhizo, Solomon’s seal, or Glechoma longituba after all.

That kind of generosity belonged only to the governor. Additionally, dearer herbs had too strong effects, and might not necessarily be restorative.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” The mayor seed not to know the dicines very well, considering how glad he was to get such cheap herbs.

“Fellows, prepare the food. We have guests.” The mayor shouted to the servants working in the governnt office. It seed that he did not have a private house, unlike the governor.

It might have been because he had not been in the office for a long ti, or he preferred staying in the official residence.

“Sorry for visiting you without prior notice.”

“No, you are always welco. What brought you here?”

If he said he was visiting to see the mayor, the mood would be more favorable, but he could not tell such a lie. After all, he would have to send a letter and let him know that he was coming in that case.

“I ca to see a monk from Mt. Geumgang. Of course, I wanted to visit you as well as I was here.”

“Ah, he is hot these days.”

“Is that so?”

“He preaches very well. I listened to so of his preachings and I thought that it made sense.”

“Oh!”

“There should be a lot of people. Show this, and it will help you.”

He gave Ganghyuk a token with the seal of the governnt office.

Although the mayor had been a hemorrhoids patient and showed his temper at that ti, he was a Confucian scholar nevertheless.

If a Confucian scholar said such words of praise at the ti when Confucianism was promoted and Buddhism was oppressed, he must be indeed a great monk and a priest of virtue.

Ganghyuk thought that it was worthwhile to go and see the monk.

‘He must not be a living Buddha probably.’

He did not know what would make a living Buddha though, as he was ignorant in that field.

“You must have traveled a long way, so you should retire for the day and take a rest.”

“Thank you!”

The mayor gave them separate rooms. Yeoju hesitated for a while, but soon followed Dolseok. If she tried to be treated as nobility, it might divulge her secret.

If they knew that she was a girl…

After all, she had already changed into servant’s clothes a long ti ago.

…

“Sobody sent it to from Jeonnam. It is really tasty.”

“Wow! I did not think of having this here.”

The dish that the mayor pointed at was Soy Sauce Marinated Crab, with roes in it.

“Thank you!”

“I thought you would not eat it. But, you seem to be enjoying it.”

“I love it.”

“Haha…Have you ever had the chance to eat it before? I heard that you were native to Suwon. Well, we have plenty here. Help yourself, please.”

“Yes, thank you.”

On the table were a lot of good dishes, such as salted fish, dried abalone, dried octopus, and dried pollack. Ganghyuk could not stop eating because he had had rice and soup every day for quite a long ti.

At the sa ti, the mayor offered drinks constantly, but himself got drunk first.

Ganghyuk looked at the major, who was snoring at this point.

“Ha, the man is really changed.”

He was a totally different man from the one who had visited the clinic.

“I have good food here. Tonight, I can drink alone with all this good food.”

But on a second thought, he was not really alone. There was a moon in the sky, in the glass, and the half open eyes of the mayor.

…

“Wow! There are a lot of people.” Dolseok murmured while shaking his head. Even Yeoni, who had lived her whole life in the marketplace, was surprised by the crowd. Not to ntion of Yeoju…

“It is first ti for to see such a crowd.”

She held the cloth of Ganghyuk tightly in order not to be left alone. It seed that she had held it secretly a while ago, but Ganghyuk felt it because she grasped hard out of tension.

‘It may damage my clothes…’

It was a silk robe. If it were to be damaged, it would cost a lot to repair or replace. Ganghyuk looked back, but did not say anything and then walked forward.

And that was because of her facial expression at that mont.

She might have cried for real if he had said sothing. Ganghyuk was not a guy to make a woman cry after all.

‘I can buy a new one.’

He had the money, so there was no need to worry too much.

“Here we are.” Yeoni shouted while standing on her toes. In the direction where her finger pointed out was a banner with ‘Chiljangsa’ written on it.

It was said that it was destroyed during a Japanese invasion and then rebuilt.

“There is a man there.”

“Sir, can you see the man?” Makbong looked at him with envious eyes. He climbed on a stone and stood on his toes, but in vain.

“Yes, I do. But, he is too far, so I cannot see him clearly.”

“Let’s go.”

Dolseok, who wanted to see the monk badly, ran forward. And thanks to him, they could reserve so good places. Although they had to stand, they could at least see the priest of virtue with a glance.

…

“The best teacher who can teach you is your mind.” The monk preached with dignified voice. His eyes were full of passion, and he had really well-built body. His voice was appealing and worth paying attention to.

But, it was not the thing that Ganghyuk paid attention to.

“What do you think of him?”

“He is wonderful! He is quite special!” Dolseok answered with excitent. Apparently, Dolseok was very religious, though Ganghyuk did not know about that.

“I an, he looks sick.”

“What? Is it because you are a doctor? In your eyes, everyone is patient.”

“No. I am sure that he has sothing wrong with him.”