Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 1012

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 1012
Regardless, I’m grateful that Sama Hyeon is here.
Thanks to him, I’m helping Hye-a, and he’s helping me as well.
He’s even taking the lead in distributing refrigerators.
It’s unfortunate that I need to pay more interest, but still, two gold taels is quite good news for people lacking capital.
From my perspective, it’s beneficial too.
‘A refrigerator distribution through rental service—this resembles Earth’s human history.’
Being able to preserve food longer directly impacts public health for humanity.
Moreover, it contributes to extending human lifespan.
‘If this were a territory management game, the notifications would be blaring: Sanitation increased! Happiness increased!’
Of course, money matters too.
Baek Hwan-hu’s sponsorship aside, Baekrin Uiseon has far too many money-devouring ventures.
The costs required to produce a single medicine, the budget allocated to Baekrin’s welfare system—all of it adds up.
‘Just as I sold Yoo Ho’s refrigerators this time, I need to create and sell more products that improve quality of life.’
Furthermore.
There are still regions throughout Gangso Province without water and sewage systems installed.
They’re mountainous areas.
Since they’re far removed from the garrison, we need to start with geological surveys.
‘Of course, public works are public, and private matters are private.’
I’m handling the water and sewage systems with tax revenue.
So construction throughout Gangso Province is still ongoing.
‘Sigh, there are still so many places where money needs to be spent.’
And there’s another way to improve sanitation.
“Now then, shall I try ‘canning’ at this point?”
I clenched my fist with determination.
‘I already made ‘canned goods’ before for soy milk delivery.’
But now I’m thinking of spreading ‘canned goods’ more systematically.
Canned goods are the precursor to modern canning.
Moreover, after consuming the contents of canned goods, using the jars as containers is quite advantageous for food storage.
Canned goods… I’ll make and sell canned goods.
Delicious ones at that.
Distribution?
The soy milk delivery network is more than sufficient.
Skill level?
I already tested selling food through event-style canned goods at Baekrin Uiseon, and they were popular.
‘But there was definitely room for improvement.’
Having thought this far, I sprang to my feet.
“Before making canned goods… it’s time for my clinic rounds.”
Before looking at distant matters, I need to handle what’s right in front of me first.
I have another busy day ahead.
* * *
Chicken. Humanity’s companion. Great value for money, delicious, and simultaneously rich in protein.
And carrots. One of the nutritious ‘superfoods’.
Then tomatoes. Also one of the ‘superfoods’, but this one ranks higher than carrots.
In fact, the renowned American media outlet Time magazine once selected it as one of the ‘Top 10 Superfoods’.
And garlic. This one also makes the ‘Top 10 Superfoods’ list.
What would happen if I put these four ingredients into a single pot, added some salt and pepper along with additional seasonings, and simmered them thoroughly?
Chicken, garlic, carrot, and tomato broth.
And it would be nutritionally perfect with great taste to boot.
‘For Korean palates, I’d add a bit of spiciness to this.’
But since it’s tomato, wouldn’t it be better to bring out the tomato’s natural acidity?
Once my planning reached that point, I visited the workshop under Baekrin Uiseon once more.
“So… this is… not a liquor bottle, but what exactly is it?”
A piece of paper with a drawing of an object roughly the size of three fists combined in a rectangular shape.
Ck, the owner of the pottery workshop, couldn’t help but ask upon seeing the blue eyes of the suddenly arrived Cheon Ha Jin Il Gwang Jin Cheon-hee.
“It’s a container for storing food. It operates on the same principle as a soy milk bottle.”
“But for that to be the case… isn’t this far too large?”
That was true.
It was at least twice the size of what I’d made for soy milk delivery.
“That’s intentional. It’s designed so that after eating, people can use it for food storage. I designed it to fit perfectly into the increasingly popular Yoo Ho refrigerators.”
Rectangular.
And with a lid on top.
“Surely you’re not selling this together with Yoo Ho refrigerators?”
“That’s right. From my experience, humans, you see, once they have some storage space to fill, they want to fill it. Food containers that fit perfectly in refrigerators. And optimized from the start for Yoo Ho refrigerators at that.”
“…!”
“Wouldn’t you want to have one?”
“It’ll be like fitting bricks together, won’t it?”
“Exactly.”
And the human instinct to fill any gap is natural.
“Will you make them all the same size?”
“For now, I’ll make them all uniform. Later, I can add dividers inside and sell different variations.”
Offering too many options from the start is a poor strategy.
In this world without advertising, the unit cost wouldn’t work out, and it would only confuse consumers.
Keep it simple from the beginning! Make it easy to understand!
“Ah, but I’m planning to make dumpling containers separately.”
The Jegallim Family’s dumplings.
Dumplings are an important matter.
I said so with gleaming eyes.
* * *
In the past, I had already made jarred preserves several times.
However, for two reasons—first, glass was expensive in this era, and second, it broke easily during transport—even when I produced canned goods, I only made them in limited quantities.
Rather than selling them commercially, I distributed them through Baekrin Uiseon’s delivery service or the Geum-ho soy milk meal sales service.
But that had been going on for years now.
Any technique, when practiced repeatedly, naturally accumulates expertise, and one naturally pursues greater efficiency.
In the past, when making glass bottles, we would insert molten glass at the end of a tube and blow through it with our mouths, but now at Baekrin Workshop, we’ve reached the stage of pouring molten glass into molds for shaping.
The mold frame uses a press method to firmly compress the molten glass.
Because of this, we now produce square glass bottles instead of the round ones everyone traditionally knew.
‘On Earth, we’d use machines, but here we’re employing martial artists.’
Craftsmen trained in martial arts—what a concept.
In the old days, we were taught that learning martial arts meant making a name for oneself across the realm, but at Baekrin it’s somewhat different.
No matter how beautiful the title of “renowned throughout the realm” sounds, 99% of martial artists never achieve it, and becoming even a second-rate warrior is difficult.
The reality is that most spend their lives as third-rate warriors.
Just as martial artists are employed in civil engineering, we’ve begun utilizing them in workshop operations like this.
Glass blown by mouth varies greatly in quality depending on the craftsman and can be less durable.
However, glass stamped with thousand-pound weights infused with inner energy is relatively more durable and uniform.
‘It’s strange how using thousand-pound or ten-thousand-pound weights makes the body heavier, even when it was fine before.’
There’s no point thinking too deeply about it.
This is all the power of kiii.
From a modern Earth perspective, using such a cheat-like ability merely to avoid being pushed back in combat is a waste of resources.
Incidentally, using thousand-pound weights makes the body descend faster.
Even Jang Sambon, the intellectual of the Central Plains, acknowledged this fact.
And one more thing.
‘Twisted wood.’
The Geum-ho soy milk meals use caps made from processed twisted wood instead of cork.
It’s common scrub wood found everywhere in the Central Plains, and since it grows twisted and can’t be used for furniture, it was useless—but when reprocessed into caps, it becomes useful.
“So you put hot food inside and twist the sterilized twisted wood cap, correct?”
“Yes.”
Grooves are carved on the outside so that when fitted together, it makes a satisfying click, and after securing the cap this way, rope is wrapped around it for a seal.
However, unlike modern lock-and-lock containers which are flat rectangles, these are tall rectangles.
To achieve modern sealing technology, one would need to invent plastic, so with this era’s technology, this was the best solution.
“The unit cost is… quite expensive for a single meal, isn’t it?”
“Yes. But the container can be reused.”
Glass is cheaper than the last time with the Geum-ho soy milk meals, but it’s still expensive.
Even with factory-style casting using molds, strictly speaking, it’s not machines running continuously.
It’s a more systematized large-scale workshop incorporating a thousand years of Gangho physics.
‘Modern unit costs are impossible. Honestly.’
However, I plan to sell replacement twisted wood caps—not cork—at Baekrin convenience stores in case they break.
The craftsman who completed the prototype asked.
“When are you planning to start selling these?”
“As soon as possible.”
At my words, the other craftsmen’s faces brightened.
“I’m already looking forward to it!”
Baekrin Workshop had contracts with the craftsmen where the more goods sold, the more dividends—bonuses—they received.
To maintain secrecy, at least this level of treatment was necessary.
Of course, unlike what the Black Dao Cultivators did—locking craftsmen in basements or severing their leg tendons—such things were unimaginable to a modern commoner.
And unlike what the Righteous Faction did, binding craftsmen through branch family blood ties and confining them to workshops in remote mountains was also impossible.
So I had to share the profits.
It seemed to be something that moved these Gangho people.
“Our workshop will become even more renowned.”
“Of course. When it comes to technical skill, isn’t it Baekrin Workshop? No matter how much they tout Saeoe Workshop, we’re far superior at making glass.”
They had begun to regard Baekrin Workshop as their own.
‘Hmm, that’s a good thing.’
I had expected that by now, someone would have been poached by another family for a large sum, but surprisingly, no one had left.
Even if people of this era valued honor and loyalty, not everyone was like that.
‘Ah, is it because of the medical services?’
The fear that if they fell out with Baekrin Medical Guild, their family’s health would be at risk, even if they had money.
‘It’s remarkable, really.’
As the workshop had grown this large, I had been prepared for some secrets to leak out.
But it was unexpected that they were being kept this well.
The workshop master shouted.
“Since the Soggakju has made a new product for us after so long, let’s all make a big fortune this time!”
“Waaaaaaa!”
The craftsmen’s morale soared to the heavens.
“Let’s do business, come on, come on, let’s do business~”
‘Hmm, did I really sing a song like that?’
* * *
A refrigerator had appeared that could keep food ingredients as cold as winter just by pouring water?
No need for ice at all?
It contained the principles and mysteries of the universe—evaporative cooling or whatever it was called?
The name was Yoo Ho Refrigerator!
A slogan that seemed familiar from somewhere began to flutter as advertising commenced.
Though unfamiliar to this era, it was all the more effective as a marketing strategy, and the Yoo Ho Refrigerator began to be sold.
Why it wasn’t called the Baekrin Refrigerator remained a mystery.
Once the Yoo Ho Refrigerator appeared, the first place to adopt it was Baekrin Inn.
It was a place where marketing could be combined with letting consumers directly experience the power of the actual product, but since Baekrin Inn was also a food establishment, it genuinely needed the Yoo Ho Refrigerator as a primary reason.
And at Baekrin Inn, special cold foods that could showcase the power of this Yoo Ho Refrigerator began to be sold.
That was beer.
Shwoop, whoooosh—
Originally, the Hwa Empire had no beer.
That didn’t mean beer didn’t exist in this world.
In the cold northern lands, there existed something akin to whiskey, and traveling westward toward the Celestial Realm, one could find beer.
Thus, I had no qualms about establishing a beer brewery and beginning sales in this manner.
And what emerged from this was none other than… this chilled beer!
“This beer is absolutely magnificent!”
“Baekrin Tavern’s beer is truly exceptional!”
“The foam is so smooth and cold that the sensation of swallowing is refreshingly exquisite.”
And then.
Baekrin Tavern began selling it alongside chicken.
Truly a diabolical strategy!
Thus, the craze that swept through was perhaps inevitable.
Chicken plus beer!
Chimaek!
How many could resist such a combination?
And today, the Three Scholars—early adopters of the Gangho realm—gathered once more in Baekrin Tavern’s private room.
“Come now. A toast.”
“Cheers!”
Dark beer filled large, cold cups to the brim.
They clinked the cups together and drank heartily.
Next, they picked up the generously portioned chicken with their hands and tore into it directly.
This was no novice’s technique.
“Ahhhhh! This is… absolutely perfect!”
“Large taverns may use ice chambers, but even a small provincial Bunta tavern can now serve chilled spirits!”
“This bitter, complex flavor. Absolutely exquisite!”
The word “exquisite” had also become fashionable of late.
Of course, the source of this trend was none other than the mouth of Jin Cheon-hee, the Celestial Radiance of All Under Heaven.
“This stir-fried chicken is also incredibly delicious! Eating them together, the five organs and six bowels feel refreshed while flooding with flavor!”
“Ahhhhh! Now this is it!”
But the dishes did not end there.
Before the three men sat rectangular bottle-shaped vessels containing food.
Canned stew and its contents!
Chicken, tomato, garlic, and carrot soup!
In the Hua Empire style, it would be called Western Red Persimmon Chicken Root Soup!
柿
鷄唐根湯)!
As a side note, “Western Red Persimmon” is the Hua Empire’s term for tomato.
Sim Haksa took a spoonful of the broth with his spoon, while Man Haksa beside him tore into the well-cooked chicken.
“Ahhhhh! This really clears the chest!”
“It tastes even better when eaten with beer.”
All three gave it high praise!
In truth, chilled foods were not particularly common in the Hua Empire.
While cold noodle dishes existed, they weren’t nearly as frigid as those on Earth.
Cold beverages were practically nonexistent in this world.
So beer this chilled was a first experience for them!
Of course, during winter one could drink cold water freely, but since the Hwa Empire was a culture centered around tea, anything cold felt unfamiliar.
Which made it taste all the better!
Then.
An aged, dignified voice echoed out.
“Is it really that delicious?”
However, the three scholars were too absorbed in eating to pay any attention to the sudden voice.
“Absolutely. Extraordinarily delicious, sir.”
“Not refined, perhaps. But it melts your insides with flavor!”
“Ahhh. To think I’d get to taste something like this…. Wait. Who are…?”
The Three Scholars’ gazes shifted to the side.
An elderly beggar was sitting on the ground.
‘He entered without a sound!?’
‘A master of the martial realm! But where have I seen him before?’
‘Ah, the elderly one from the dumpling tournament….’
The three immediately recognized who the elderly beggar was.
“Then might you spare a cup for this old beggar as well?”
The Tae-sang Bangju of Gaebang!
‘No! Why is he here!?’
‘Wait! Isn’t that the Tae-sang Bangju!!’
‘What an honor!’
The Three Scholars’ hearts swelled with grandeur.
It was no different from the feeling of a fan meeting a superstar.
“You’re the Tae-sang Bangju, aren’t you!”
“I’m a fan! Could I get your autograph!”
Fan and autograph—these words had become fashionable somehow….
Watching Jang Haksa produce ink, paper, and brush, the Tae-sang Bangju smiled warmly.
“Heh heh…. Why must you gild this old man’s face….”
Truly, he was the Tae-sang Bangju of Gaebang.
Since he rivaled Hao-mun and the Greatest Under Heaven in information, he coolly accepted the word “fan” without missing a beat.
The Tae-sang Bangju wrote out an elegant phrase and received beer, fried chicken, and a chicken tomato garlic carrot soup in return.
And it was inevitable that a broad smile bloomed across his face.
“This is quite excellent! Can’t call it fine wine, perhaps. But it’s delicious!”
“Have another cup, Tae-sang Bangju.”
“Just call me Elder.”
“Of course, Elder!”
“Hey! Another draft beer here!”
The drinking and revelry had to continue.
That is what makes it refined taste.
“By the way, do you all know that a cooking competition is about to be held?”
“A cooking competition?”
“Indeed. The Yoo Ho Refrigerator Cup Cooking Competition will be held…. That’s what I’m talking about!”
He was the Tae-sang Bangju of Gaebang. He hadn’t come all this way merely to drink a cup of beer.
His true purpose!
It was to serve as a judge for the Yoo Ho Refrigerator Cup Cooking Competition!
“Hehehehe, how could this old beggar let such an opportunity slip away?”
“Ooooh! Truly worthy of your wisdom, sir!”
The Three Scholars all gave enthusiastic thumbs up.
They exchanged glances with one another.
‘We must secure front-row seats at the competition by any means.’
‘If we play our cards right, we might even get to eat food prepared by Ilgwang himself.’
‘We must ride this wave, ride it well!’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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