Doctor Goes Back to Joseon

Chapter 173: Chapter 46

Monk Yujong closed his lips for a moment at Kanghyok’s abrupt question.

In that moment, the mayor began to talk. Apparently, he got drunk while listening to the monk’s preaching as Kanghyok could smell alcohol on his breath.

“Oh, I see now. You said you couldn’t eat because of a high fever, right? This guy here is a famous doctor, sir.”

Given that the mayor was using honorific language when he spoke to the monk, he was obviously a devout Buddhist. If Sungmun or Changkwon found him here, they might cut their topknots in protest.

‘This mayor is screwed up, man!’

The mayor was a so-called Confucian scholar, as well as a high-ranking official who had to make sure the state policy on suppression of Buddhism and encouragement of Confucianism was enforced thoroughly. Insead, he himself was breaking the state law now.

“Are you really sick?” the chief priest asked.

In fact, he felt sorry for Yujong who came a long way from Mt. Kumgang.

There were some monks who were good at medical skills and offering sincere Buddhist prayers, but they couldn’t treat Yujong’s disease.

“He is quite famous in Suwon. He even treated my disease really quickly, which I mentioned to you before.”

It seemed that the mayor had mentioned his impotence to the chief priest.

Kanghyok could not understand how the mayor could go as far as this place to confide his private problems to the chief priest.

Clearing his throat, the chief priest quickly changed the topic, “Can I ask a favor from you?”

Then, he tried to read Yujong’s mind.

Though the chief priest was higher in rank, Yujong was far more advanced in terms of achieving the way of enlightenment. First of all, Yujong’s every move was far from frivolous.

“As the chief priest has asked me like this, I can’t refuse it.”

Putting his hands together, Yujong politely bowed.

Kanghyok quickly turned his head and found Yoju drawing Yujong’s face. Even the mayor was amazed at her fine drawing ability, which was much better than before.

“Let me take a look, sir,” said Kanghyok.

“Yes, please,” Yujong answered.

“Dolsok, can you direct the light here?”

“Yes, master.” Dolsok took out an oil lamp in the bundle. Though there was one in the room, it was very dim.

“Good. Right there...”

When Kanghyok examined Yujong’s chin, it seemed to be in serious condition.

‘How could he ever speak when his condition is so bad?’

His lower chin was swollen by quite a lot.

Kanghyok looked at Dolsok, who was holding the lamp quietly.

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And he turned to look at the mayor, Yujong, and the chief priest.

‘As I have to treat it anyway, let me teach them something.’

They would probably not raise any objections.

“Hey, touch this area, Dolsok.”

“Ugh? Yes, sir.”

“How does it feel?”

Dolsok didn’t answer quickly.

Instead, he began to examine the affected area carefully to check the skin texture, temperature, as well as the change in color and any blooms of pain when touched.

All this could be an important clue to finding out the cause of the monk’s disease.

“It feels hot, sir.”

“Right. And what else?”

“When I slightly press on it, its color changes to white, and the monk makes a frown.”

“Any clues from that?”

“I think it’s an infection, sir.”

Up to now, Dolsok was quite competent at answering what Kanghyok had asked.

“Then, how can we treat him?”

“What?”

“How would you treat him?”

Dolsok found it difficult to reply from now on.

But he boldly replied, “I think I have to cut it open, sir.”

“Why?”

“I guess it’s full of pus, isn’t it?”

“Haha. Yeah, the affected area is full of something.”

“Isn’t it pus?”

“It could be. But it’s not the main cause. Could you open your mouth?”

“Sure,” said Yujong silently. He then opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Dolsok, take out the penlight from the bag.”

“Yes, sir.”

Then Kanghyok asked Yujong to follow carefully.

“Now, please curl your tongue a bit. Yes, that’s good.”

Kanghyok could now see clearly the difference between his right and left tonsils.

His right tonsil was slightly bulged around the salivary gland, while his left tonsil was swollen as a whole.

“That’s what I expected. Dolsok, give me gloves.”

“I took them out already.”

Dolsok already took out medical gloves with the size of seven and a half.

“Nice, Dolsok. Sir, you might feel hurt.”

Yujong just nodded his head as his mouth was opened.

As this was the first time in his life he saw such a strange scene, the chief priest tried to stop it.

But the mayor dissuaded him, saying, “He has a reason for that. He’s really a good doctor.”

“Well, we can’t say he is a good doctor simply because he treated your disease, isn’t he?” His remarks made sense.

But the mayor said, shaking his head, “Well, he eradicated the smallpox among our village people recently.”

“Really? Smallpox?” As he had smallpox as a child, the chief priest knew how dreadful it was. Even everyone in the whole area perished when smallpox broke out in that village. And that’s the reason why he became a monk.

Now he was seeing a doctor before his eyes who eradicated smallpox!

“Wow, that’s great!”

“You bet. You can just sit back and watch him doing the surgery.”

The mayor’s explanation was of great help.

Even Yujong seemed to feel more relaxed than before.

Kanghyok searched for something inside his mouth.

‘Found it. Fortunately, it’s right outside the submandibular gland.’

He touched a big lump with his fingertip here and there.

It was solid like a stone, caught at the mouth of the submandibular gland.

“Dolsok, did you wear gloves?”

“Yes, master.”

“Touch this one here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Dolson touched it as instructed.

“What is it?” he asked with wide eyes.

“Now, take off your gloves.”

Yes.”

Kanghyok took off his gloves for a moment and sat up.

Everybody focused on him naturally.

“Our body has salivary glands. Literally, it makes saliva.”

“Oh, saliva doesn’t come out automatically in the mouth,” said the mayor.

As he read lots of medical books, the mayor instantly became interested.

“To put it more accurately, salivary gland is located right below the ear, tongue and chin.”

Kanghyok pointed at Yujong’s lower chin, which was so swollen.

“If that’s the case, is master Yujong now suffering from the salivary disease?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my god. How can you treat it?” asked the mayor.

He shook his head, folding his arms.

Though he read about saliva in medical books, he never heard about any salivary gland.

Kanghyok continued, “Well, it’s not that difficult to treat it.”

“Really? What do you need to do to treat it? Just tell me anything.” The mayor was anxious to give Kanghyok anything he wanted.

Looking at him, Kanghyok just smiled. For he had all the medical supplies in the bag.

“No thanks, mayor. I can treat him right now.”

“Really?”

At Kanghyok’s confident tone, the chief priest gave a moan.

“I told you already! He’s a genius doctor.”

“I agree.”

Though it was not a difficult surgery, Kanghyok could not treat him when he was sitting on the floor.

Kanghyok laid him down on the floor first.

“You will find it inconvenient. So, please endure it for a moment.”

“Got it.”

Kanghyok put on the gloves again.

“Now, Dolsok, help me with this.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Can you open his mouth wider?”

“Sure, master.”

Dolsok did exactly as instructed, which pleased Kanghyok so much.

“Let me give him an injection of anesthetic. You will feel a prick.”

Kanghyok just called the injection acupuncture. Kanghyok didn’t need to raise his wariness by using a medical term unfamiliar to him.

After giving him the shot, Kanghyok waited for a minute. And then he pinched the injected area with a tweezer.

“It doesn’t hurt, right?”

Yujong just blinked his eyes.

As he had his mouth opened quite wide, he could not utter anything.

“Okay, then. Now I’m doing the surgery now. Give me the scalpel.”

“Yes, master. I knew you would cut it first.”