Dokmaeuiseon - Chapter 17

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 17

 

 

As soon as Jung Myeong came out of the alchemy room, someone greeted him enthusiastically.

 

“Oh my, you’ve come out.”

“Elder!”

 

The identity of the one greeting him.

It was Old Man Jang, the very first person Jung Myeong had treated at the market.

For reference, this Old Man Jang was one of the people he had gained when establishing his residence.

Convincing him to come along hadn’t been difficult either.

Where the needle goes, the thread follows.

As soon as he casually mentioned his intention to establish a new medical clinic in this area.

 

-A medical clinic, you say?

-Yes. I think it would be good if you could lend a hand, Elder. Would that be difficult?

-Oh my! How could it be difficult! I’ve already raised all my children, so I’ll properly contribute to the medical clinic this time!

-Thank you. You’ll only need to help with various simple tasks.

-Simple tasks, you say. I’ll make this medical clinic the best in Hangzhou.

-To that extent…

-If we’re going to do it, it should be the best.

-Haha. I understand.

 

Old Man Jang joined immediately.

He was overflowing with enthusiasm.

He truly served Jung Myeong with respect.

He would bow deeply like this.

Whenever that happened, Jung Myeong would feel embarrassed and help Old Man Jang up.

 

“Oh my. Elder, I told you not to be so overly courteous.”

“Overly courteous? Working in this medical clinic, this is naturally how it should be. To establish proper discipline, it must be this way.”

“Goodness, really. Discipline will naturally fall into place over time. And when you do that, it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Hmm… Then I’ll try to moderate it appropriately.”

“Of course. I trust you.”

 

There was no changing him.

Old Man Jang always treated Jung Myeong with utmost respect.

It was somewhat burdensome.

But since he, who was practically the head of the household, treated him this way.

Most people couldn’t act carelessly when they came to the medical clinic.

 

“By the way, where are you planning to go that you’ve prepared yourself like this? What are those small bottles beside you?”

“Ah. You mean these? They’re going to give wings to our medical clinic.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yes. First, Old Man Jang, please take one bottle for yourself. It’s called Clear Intestine Decoction.”

“Clear Intestine Decoction!? Oh. Just hearing the name, I think I know what it is.”

“Right? When your stomach feels uncomfortable, drinking this will be very good.”

“Oh my. Thank you.”

“Don’t be sparing with it, drink it right away when you’re sick. And if you need more, tell me anytime…”

“Is it alright to do so much for me? I’m grateful, but…”

“Please think of it as a privilege for medical clinic staff. Oh my. I’ll also prepare some for your family members, so please take them.”

“Oh…!”

 

Old Man Jang received several bottles.

At the mention of it being his privilege, Old Man Jang looked like he had struck it rich.

He had come to repay a debt of gratitude.

But it was like receiving an unexpected gift.

It was an understandable reaction.

 

“Thank you. But there are still many left, aren’t there? Instead of storing them well, what are you planning to do by bringing them out?”

“Ah. These? There’s a place I need to take them to.”

“I see. Oh my. Then they’re heavy, so please let me carry them.”

“No. I can carry them sufficiently.”

“No, then at least half… This old man’s heart is troubled.”

“Hmm. Then let’s carry half together.”

“Hehe. Good.”

 

Old Man Jang insisted on taking half.

Then he sent a subtle glance and asked.

 

“But where are you going?”

“Hanwon Bookstore.”

“What!?”

“Hanwon Bookstore. You know the place too, don’t you, Elder?”

“Of course I know it. Isn’t that where that damned Wang family tiger-nose is? Don’t tell me you’re going to that bastard?”

 

For some reason.

Old Man Jang reacted quite intensely to the mention of Hanwon Bookstore.

 

 

* * *

 

 

In front of Hanwon Bookstore.

As soon as they arrived, Old Man Jang shouted loudly.

 

“Hey, Wang family! Come out!”

“…Oh my. Who is it?”

 

There was an immediate response to the resounding shout.

 

“Who’s making such a commotion at the bookstore from early morning… Is that you?”

“That’s right. It’s me.”

“It’s me? What kind of way is that to speak to your in-law?”

“And am I not an in-law too? Tsk. And before being in-laws, aren’t we close friends?”

“Close friends, more like bad friends.”

 

So that’s why he reacted so intensely.

 

‘So they were close friends. And even in-laws on top of that? What an interesting relationship.’

 

The term “local community” fit perfectly.

Even though Hangzhou was vast and wide.

Within it, connections were intricately woven together.

The two people before his eyes were proof of that.

Close friends since childhood.

It seemed their children had married, making them in-laws.

 

‘A combination of a born sailor and a scholarly family. How refreshing.’

 

They didn’t seem to match at all.

Looking at their reactions, it seemed there was something between them even after becoming in-laws.

 

In any case.

Such reactions could be considered affectionate in their own way.

As Jung Myeong was watching with an absent-minded smile.

 

“Tsk. You never give in even once.”

“Right. Anyway, what brings you… Oh. Doctor, you’re here too?”

“It’s been a while.”

 

Only then did Old Man Wang notice him.

Perhaps embarrassed by the squabbling they had shown.

His face had turned red.

 

“Ahem. It’s been a while.”

“Hah. Acting all polite when it doesn’t suit you. You already saw everything.”

“Be quiet, you fool!”

 

He tried to be courteous belatedly.

But there was no way that would work in front of Old Man Jang.

 

‘Honestly, both of you are so full of vigor.’

 

They were people overflowing with more passion than young folks.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Inside the bookshelf.

 

Glug glug-

A setting was prepared with steaming hot tea.

As the rich tea fragrance spread.

Old Man Wang asked.

 

“What brings you here after such a long time?”

“I came to keep the promise I made before.”

“When you say promise…”

“The Alchemy Method. Didn’t we agree that I would bring you the first medicine I made after learning it?”

“Then don’t tell me what you brought is…”

“That’s right.”

“Oh my. All of those are…!”

“Yes. They’re all medicine.”

“Ooh.”

 

Thud.

The bundle of Clear Intestine Decoction was set down.

Old Man Wang looked at it with shining eyes.

 

“They’re not pills?”

“Yes. They’re decoctions, not pills. I thought decoctions would be better than pills, so I made them this way.”

“Oh my. Decoctions rather than pills… What are they used for?”

“The medicine is called Clear Intestine Decoction. You can think of it simply as digestive medicine.”

“Digestive medicine, you say?”

“Yes. I called it digestive medicine to explain it easily, but.”

“Hmm?”

“Actually, it’s an immediately effective medicine for anything related to the intestines. Abdominal bloating, indigestion, food stagnation, overeating. You can think of it as specially effective for all of those.”

“Ohhh!!”

 

He might have been disappointed by the mention of digestive medicine.

But not at all.

Originally, such medicines were quite expensive.

In fact, medicine itself was precious in this era.

Medicine was something you couldn’t get even if you wanted it.

Especially when it came to digestion-related issues.

Even though Hangzhou had abundant water.

The condition of that water wasn’t as good as one might think.

 

In fact, the entire Central Plains was like that.

 

‘The water itself is murky.’

 

Thanks to this, cooking methods developed.

And tea culture also greatly developed to cleanse the stomach after eating.

 

‘But the fundamental issue of poor water quality doesn’t disappear.’

 

That meant it was no different from saying digestion was difficult.

As a result, the demand for digestive medicine was overflowing.

Something like Clear Intestine Decoction was impossible to get even if you wanted it.

 

“Please try drinking some.”

“I’m not feeling unwell right now though…”

“I’ll give you more, so you don’t need to save it. And as they say, those who know eat well. You should taste it to know when to take it, shouldn’t you?”

“Ahem. If you put it that way!”

 

Pop-!

At Jung Myeong’s urging, the old man reluctantly opened his own bottle.

Old Man Wang gulped it down greedily.

The effect was immediate.

 

[You have successfully healed a patient with medicine alone.]

[The ‘indigestion’ of the one who took the medicine disappears.]

[The ‘bloating’ of the one who took the medicine disappears.]

[Title: Remote Healing acquired.]

[Success rate of treatment through medication increases.]

 

‘A title from this? Wow… I never thought of that.’

“Ohhh…!”

 

Jung Myeong received a title.

Old Man Wang received relief in his stomach.

 

“I feel like my stomach became comfortable as soon as I drank this.”

“It’s not just a feeling, it actually is. You had indigestion, didn’t you?”

“Huh. Indigestion? Actually, I wasn’t really aware of it.”

“Oh my. It was chronic then. Since you’ve been living with indigestion all the time, you couldn’t feel it.”

“Is that how it works?”

“Your body adapted to it. In a bad way.”

“Huh… chronic. I see.”

 

Old Man Wang frowned.

He must be concerned about having something chronic.

Jung Myeong thought this was good timing and added more words.

 

“I actually brought quite a lot. If you take it morning and evening for about a month, that should do it.”

“A whole month, you say?”

 

A month. That means a little over thirty days.

It’s natural to be surprised by this.

It means he’d have to drink at least 60 bottles.

Old Man Jang’s complexion darkened at this.

 

“If that’s the case, it’s a bit of a burden…”

“A burden?”

“You said you’d give me what you made with the Alchemy Method for the first time, so I accepted it without burden just now… but 60 bottles is a bit…”

“Haha.”

 

However, there was a misunderstanding.

A misunderstanding that he had to pay a price.

It wasn’t incomprehensible.

The Alchemy Method books themselves were precious, but

receiving medicine to treat a chronic illness was another matter entirely.

Especially since medicine was notoriously expensive.

It wasn’t something he couldn’t understand.

 

‘Come to think of it, just giving everything away isn’t the best approach either.’

 

So Jung Myeong came up with an idea.

 

“Then how about this method?”

“What method do you mean…?”

“I’ll give you 40 more bottles on top of enough for a month, so you’ll have plenty left over.”

“A hundred bottles!”

“Yes. Exactly a hundred bottles. This should cure your chronic condition and be enough to keep as emergency medicine.”

“That would last several years. If you give me that much… are you sure you’ll be alright, Doctor?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“…This is too burdensome.”

“No, no. Please accept them first, and would you do me one favor?”

“What kind of favor?”

 

Jung Myeong’s secret proposal.

Old Man Wang’s uncomfortable expression immediately brightened.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next day.

The results of Old Man Wang’s proper work came through.

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