Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

It was quite dark at dawn.

‘That's crazy. Why was the bell ringing like that?'

The bell rang for a total of 28 times. As Kanghyok learned it later, it was called paru. The bell would ring at around 5 A.M., and only when it rang was the curfew lifted.

He was accustomed to getting up early anyway. So, he got up and flung the door open.

The air was cold and pleasant. ‘I like the fresh air here.'

Fine dust tormented the people in modern Korea. It had really been a long time since he breathed in fresh air.

Of course, he was uncomfortable with this whole thing. Above all, that there were no cellphones in old Korea made him so bored.

“Did you get up, master?”

When he turned his head, he saw Dolsok. Dolsok put down a washbowl before him, where warm water was sending up steam.

‘I guess being a yangban* is a good thing.'

As soon as he got up, servant Dolsok already had the washbowl ready for him.

With a satisfied look, Kanghyok nodded. “Thanks, man. How is Oksok?”

“Much better, sir. But…” Dolsok dropped his eyes and slurred. There must be something wrong.

“What happened?” asked Kanghyok.

“The white and long thing you gave me disappeared. I can't find it. Sorry.”

“What? You mean the antibiotic that I asked you to grind and give to Oksok?”

“Yes, master.”

“Hmmm.” Kanghyok let out a short sigh.

In fact, a couple of two antibiotic pills could be ignored. But the thing is, he could never acquire them again. He felt bitter.

“You should have kept it well. Let me give you another one.”

“Sorry, master.”

Kanghyok opened the bag on his bedside. As he searched for the antibiotics inside it, he felt something strange.

“Ugh?”

He noticed a total of 60 antibiotics in there.

‘What the heck is this?'

He initially thought he counted them wrong. So, he counted several times, but he was right. Sixty pills.

‘Oh, come on!'

It was just impossible from the start that he flew to old Korea. As if to double check, he opened the incision set inside the bag.

‘The threads are still intact!'

Even the blade that he used with the scalpel looked unused. It looked exactly the same as when he opened it yesterday.

‘What the heck happened?'

With a serious expression, Kanghyok touched his lower jaw.

He was proud of his life as a medical scientist. He believed all along that all phenomena should have their causes and effects, and that all processes should be logical.

‘I don't like this illogical situation at all.'

What can he do now? Sometimes, something beyond one's understanding was supposed to happen.

‘It's a good thing that I have extra antibiotics anyway.'

He handed a couple of antibiotic pills to Dolsok.

“Here you are. Ground it well. Oh, no, I'll go with you.”

“Thanks, master.”

Kanghyok washed his face and the back of his neck quickly before heading for Oksok.

Oksok's condition was completely different. He was sitting now. When he saw Kanghyok, he even tried to stand up.

“Master…”

“Don't stand up. Lie on your back. Let me check your belly.”

“Yes, master.”

Kanghyok carefully examined the wounds on the belly he incised yesterday. Fortunately, the st.i.tched threads were still there.

“Good. I don't need to grind the pills. Just swallow them.”

“Yes, master.”

“Did you fart?”

“Ugh? Oh, yes, I think so.”

“Good. You may have rice gruel from now on.”

“Thanks, master.”

“Take a rest then.”

Kanghyok came out of the room after covering Oksok's belly with a blanket.

Only then did Dolsok take the knee to him deeply.

“Master! Thanks so much for saving his life!”

Kanghyok received lots of compliments in the past.

But it was the first time he saw someone's going down on his knee for him.

He quickly held Dolsok by the shoulder and raised him up.

“What are you doing now?”

“Please accept my thanks for saving his life.”

“I did what I should have done. So, don't make a big fuss about it.”

“How can I dare…? Oh, may I catch a rabbit today to cook for you?”

Rabbit? And that a wild rabbit? Obviously, it'd be full of parasites.

“No thanks. Let's go outside.”

“Outside?”

“Yeah.”

“Got it. Let me bring breakfast to you first.”

Dolsok stood up quickly and ran to the kitchen.

For a while, Kanghyok smelled rice being cooked in there. Several cook servants moved around busily in the kitchen.

‘I was getting hungry anyway.' Gently rubbing his belly, Kanghyok went back into his room. While he was waiting in the warm room, Dolsok brought a breakfast table.

“Please enjoy the food, master.”

The breakfast menu was disappointing, though.

Boiled white rice, pickled crabs, soy sauce and radish kimchi. That's all.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Though he didn't express his feelings, Kanghyok was more than surprised.

‘No meat!'

Never did he think that soy sauce was on the menu.

‘My, too much boiled rice for me.'

It looked three times as much as he used to eat.

When he looked outside quickly, he saw the servants including Dolsok eating breakfast.

They had no pickled crabs on the table. Just soy sauce and radish kimchi were all their side dishes.

It looked like they got the necessary calories from boiled rice only.

Kanghyok had only half the rice and stopped eating.

Dolsok looked at him with a worried expression.

“Master, are you sick?”

“No, I'm as fit as a fiddle. I just have no appet.i.te. Let's go.”

“Yes, sir. I hear there is a Sandae acrobatic team's dance in the market street. Shall we go there first?”

“Sandae acrobatic team?”

“Yes. I heard they are going to play a performance in Aeogae Hill, and are coming to the market street today.”

“Okay, let's go then.”

“As soon as I clear the breakfast table, let me escort you there.” Dolsok took his breakfast table and went out to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Kanghyok looked inside the bag. He thought he might have to stay here for a long time. If that's the case, he might as well check out the medical stuff in it.

‘I saw antibiotics yesterday. Anti-inflammatory drugs, blood pressure pills, diabetes pills. Disinfectants… What's this?'

He noticed something unusual. Something that they don't usually carry in a house call bag.

‘v.i.a.g.r.a? Was the chairman taking this? I can't believe this.'

How can the chairman want this at that age? He seemed to have a high libido. Too many v.i.a.g.r.a pills in there.

‘As many as 180 pills…' Six months of v.i.a.g.r.a, a.s.suming he takes 6 pills every day.

Kanghyok felt like the chairman must have been crazy.

Shaking his head, Kanghyok took out the v.i.a.g.r.a pills and then packed them in tens. He wanted to double check if the number of v.i.a.g.r.a pills was right.

‘Unless this bag is refilled…'

If it could continue to be refilled, Kanghyok had reason to feel at ease even if the strange situation he was in continued.

While he was putting some medicine in his pocket, he heard Dolsok calling him from outside.

‘Master! Let's go now.”

TL Notes:

Yangban means n.o.ble man.

Sandae is a Korean mask dance.