Itâs not clear whether all the people in Joseon were diligent, but Joon Huh was quite an early bird.
He woke Kanghyok up before dawn.
âWake up!â
âThe sun hasnât risen yet, and the bell is still silent.â
âYou canât hear the bell here.â
âCan I sleep a little longer?â
âI donât like your learning attitude...â
âOoops, got it. Iâm getting up now.â
When Kanghyok barely raised his head, he saw that Dolsok was still asleep.
Makbong, who wanted to sleep with the madame of the bar last night, was missing.
A little annoyed, Kangkyok pushed Dolsok to the side to go out.
âCome on in.â
âSure, thanks.â
Joon Huh was already dressed up, ready to go out to see patients.
Quickly straightening his hair, Kanghyok followed him.
Though the bar was noisy with customers last night, there were none now as it was very early in the morning.
Joon Huh warmed up in the yard.
âA doctorâs job is to take care of oneâs body. So, we need to control our body first.â
âYouâre right.â
âIâm doing this workout to help the cold energy of my body go up while its warm energy go down so as to make the blood circulate smoothly. Just follow my motions.â
âOh, got it.â
Control oneâs own body?
That was a thought-provoking and beautiful statement.
Kanghyok totally agreed with that.
âI trained my body at the gym. I wonder how Joon Huh did it.â
Kanghyok was so curious about him.
âThese motions have been traditionally called anmadoin, which is a summary of all the motions that were handed down for many years.â
âAnmadoin. Got it.â
Then, Joon Huh began to move his body very slowly. He sometimes closed his lips and pulled his ears. After rubbing his hands, he put them on his eyes, and rubbed his forehead.
âHis motions look like a ritual rather than workout.â
Kanghyok, steeped in modern medical knowledge, could not understand his actions.
âNow, let me do some complicated motions. So, follow me well.â
âYes.â
Suddenly came out a shout of concentration from Joon Huhâs mouth.
âEek, Ek.â
â.....â
âFollow me.â
âEk.â
âEk.â
Though Kanghyok felt a bit uncomfortable imitating his every action as instructed, he had no other choice but to follow.
As he asked for Joon Huhâs teaching, he had to follow anyway.
âWhew!â
âWeâre not done yet.â
âOh my god.â
âEk!n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âEk!â
If Joon Huh had his own way, he could beat Kanghyok anytime.
Whenever he showed the motion of kicking, the sound it made was loud enough to make Makbong and Yoni come and see.
âGreat.â
âHe is doing alright.â
Both of them, who were quite good at martial arts, were deeply moved by Jooh Huhâs tough motions.
He stopped doing anything further when Kanghyok was about to give up, feeling exhausted.
âNow, weâre done.â
âWow, youâve saved me!â
âHow come youâre so weak, when youâre still so young?â
âOh, I think Iâm strong enough...â
âI guess you have to do more to stay fit.â
In the meantime, the sun was rising, with all the mist dissipating.
Only then did the madame of the bar bring them rice bowls with soup.
âHey, wake up, Dolsok!â shouted Kanghyok.
At Kanghyokâs shout, Dolsok woke up and crawled out of the room.
âHow lazy are you! You had a sound sleep, didnât you?â
âSorry, master.â
âCome and have breakfast. You need to help me today.â
âNo worries, master.â Dolsok slowly nodded his head.
After finishing tying a topknot in her room, Yoju came out. She looked more awkward than Yoni.
âCome here for breakfast. Yoni and Makbong, come here.â
âYes, master.â
Kanghyok stirred the rice soup, which was nothing compared with the food he was served at home.
Only Makbong was enjoying the food.
âLooks like youâve got some slices of meat in the soup.â
âHuh? Haha.â
Makbong made a strange smile when Kanghyok pointed it out.
When he looked back, the madame was seen running away all flushed.
Though he didnât taste it at all, Kanghyok emptied the bowl as he did the hard morning workout with Joon Huh.
âNow, letâs cheer up today.â
Shaking his hands and legs, Joon Huh went out of the bar.
Kanghyok quickly ran after him and walked with him side by side.
âBy the way, brother Joon Huh.â
âBrother?â
âAs youâre older than I am, you are my brother.â
Joon made a hearty laugh at his nonchalant attitude.
âOkay, just call me as you please.â
âHow long are you going to stay here?â Kanghyok felt that he needed to fix the schedule for his learning while Joon was staying there.
âIâm thinking of staying here for about fifteen days.â
âFifteen days. I think I have to learn diligently as much as I could.â
âHahaha. Iâm not as great as you think. You may be disappointed.â
This time, it was Kanghyok who laughed.
If he were disappointed at Joon Hun, that meant all other doctors in Joseon were just quacks.
Hoping he would not be disappointed, Kanghyok followed him.
When they walked on the road, they saw a group of people gathering in the distance.
âWow, there is quite a lot gathered already.â
There was an examination room installed in the large yard at the entrance of a big house in the village.
As the owner of the house was saved by Joon Huh, he lent it to the doctor for free.
âLet me pass through you, guys.â
At Joon Huhâs words, they made a path for him instantly as if the Red Sea was parted.
âMe too,â said Kanghyok, following him.
Dolsok and Makbong also elbowed their way to Joon Huh and Kanghyok, waving their big fists.
âMake way, guys!â
After making some fuss and hassling with the crowds, they could settle down in the examination place.
Yoni and Dolsok were assigned to help Kanghyok, while Makbong handed out the waiting numbers.
âOkay, letâs examine them one by one,â said Joon Huh.
At his order, the patients came in one by one.
Standing behind them, Kanghyok carefully observed them.
âOh, you couldnât eat anything because of the blister.â
Checking inside a childâs mouth here and there, he instantly gave prescriptions.
âYou had better use yangkyoksan for this kind of disease. Donât eat it. Just hold it inside the mouth for a minute and spit it out.â
âOh, thatâs mouth gargling!â
Kanghyok couldnât believe there was mouth gargling method in Joseon.
When he was nodding with a satisfied expression, Dolsok began to tease Jooh Huh from behind.
âOh my... Master, he is saying nonsense as he doesnât know anything.â
Kanghyok was about to slap him in the back of his face without Jooh Huh knowing, but he held it back.
âOkay. Let me recall what I learned in the morning. Anmadoin...â
Kanghyok calmed down a bit after recalling Joon Huhâs teaching this morning.
Joon Huh now said to the servant, âI need to brew yanggyoksan. So, bring me some medicinal herbs such as forsythia fruit, gardenia seeds, gilgyong, angelica root and licorice.â
âYes.â
Although the names were unfamiliar to Kanghyok, he wanted to learn those medicinal herbs.
âHey, Yoju. Can you draw them?â
âOf course.â
âPlease put down the amount of dosage, too.â
âYes.â
Joon Huhâs servant began to brew herbal medicine.
With sparkling eyes, Kanghyok carefully examined how he did it.
âIn fact, there is nothing special about the substance for mouth gargling.â
In modern medicine, liquefied anti-inflammatory drugs were used as mouthwash.
âI donât think he can use such a large number of medicinal herbs.â
Kanghyok carefully examined Joon Huhâs prescriptions from the perspective of a modern doctor.
Yoju was so good at drawing each of the medicinal herbs that Joon Huh had no problem at all telling them apart.
With a satisfied look Kanghyok inspected her drawings. Then, he suddenly heard some loud noise in the yard.
âDoctor! Doctor!â
âWhat the heck is that noise?â
Joon Huh, taking a break at the moment, came up to him.
When he came out, he saw two stout men carrying a man whose head was bleeding.
âHe became strange after falling from a tree, doctor!â
âOh my god...â Joon Huh was just moaning without knowing how to treat him.
His reaction was natural, given that there existed no advanced medical skills in Joseon as far as body wounds were concerned.
Fortunately, there was a doctor who could treat such patients right then.
He was none other than Kanghyok.
Leaving Joon Huh alone, Kanghyok came forward.
âLet me take care of him.â