Step, step.
It was when the two of them headed toward the middle of the yard.
The villagers who had been watching anxiously followed after them as well.
And so, everyone gathered in the center of the yard.
Among them, Taesu’s gaze turned to Elder Jo.
“……”
Unexpectedly, Elder Jo said nothing.
Perhaps because the inner strength called years had built up within him, he was struggling to remain calm.
In his stead, Village Chief Jeon Nosik stepped forward.
Taesu approached to face him.
Thud.
When they stood close before each other, Taesu spoke first.
“Jeongmin’s surgery ended well.”
“But none of you look very happy.”
“The surgery ended well.”
At Taesu’s words, Village Chief Jeon Nosik tilted his head.
“Is something else needed?”
“He’s continuing to bleed.”
“I see.”
Village Chief Jeon Nosik forced himself to answer calmly.
Taesu remained unmoved and explained in a little more detail.
“As of now, it isn’t gravely dangerous.”
“But?”
“If the bleeding continues without stopping, it will become a serious problem.”
At Taesu’s explanation, Village Chief Jeon Nosik asked with a grave expression.
“You people have medicine that stops bleeding, don’t you? Won’t that work?”
“The medication affects blood other than at the wound site as well. The heart, for example.”
“Hup, mm……”
Village Chief Jeon Nosik forced down a sharp breath, minimizing his agitation.
The villagers filling the surroundings were not much different.
They no longer doubted that surgery and medicine could heal someone.
But this was the first time they had heard that bleeding might not stop, so they were startled and worried.
A heavy silence flowed between Taesu and Village Chief Jeon Nosik.
Step, step.
Elder Jo approached little by little with listless steps.
Soon, Elder Jo arrived before Taesu and reached out his hand.
Clutch.
He grabbed Taesu by the collar and threatened him with pitiful eyes.
“You bastard, save my child.”
“……”
“You’re the one who took him inside saying you’d save him. Then you’re the one who has to save him. You bastard.”
Shake, shake.
Elder Jo shook Taesu’s collar.
But there was no strength in it.
His face and the backs of his hands had turned blue.
He must have waited through the entire surgery in this cold.
As Taesu watched his collar being shaken, his hand moved quietly.
Slide.
He wrapped his hand around Elder Jo’s hand gripping his collar.
A fierce chill seeped through, but Taesu looked Elder Jo straight in the eyes.
Then he spoke in a low voice.
“Jeongmin will overcome this.”
“……”
“He’s far stronger on the inside than he looks.”
Taesu spoke firmly.
He was meeting Elder Jo’s gaze head-on.
In Taesu’s eyes was genuine faith.
Perhaps Elder Jo no longer had the strength to be obstinate, for his words of resentment changed into a plea.
“Please save my child, Doctor.”
“……”
“Tell them to take me instead, and please save my child. I’m begging you like this.”
Thud.
Elder Jo’s body suddenly seemed about to collapse downward.
Taesu, who had been tense, quickly supported him.
“Are you all right?”
“Aigoo, please save my child.”
“Jeongmin is holding on. So are we.”
Taesu explained calmly, but Elder Jo could not easily regain his strength.
“Please, just my child……”
“……”
Taesu and Jeong Minsu did not know what to do.
The other party was an elderly man.
Even the children were watching.
They were so troubled they could not lift their faces.
It was then.
Thud.
A thick tree branch planted itself firmly on the ground.
Just from that, they immediately knew who had approached.
It was indeed Elder Wang.
He urged Elder Jo on.
“Come to your senses, and gather some strength.”
“Aigoo, my child…… My only remaining child is in that state.”
“You think Jeongmin would be pleased to see you like this? What are your two legs for? Put some strength into them.”
Tap, tap.
Elder Wang soothed him calmly, without once raising his voice.
Elder Jo called out to Elder Wang tearfully.
“Chief.”
“Tsk. Enough now, gather yourself.”
“……”
“You should go inside and hold your grandson’s hand one more time. What is this?”
At Elder Wang’s words, Taesu’s ears perked up, and he quickly lent support.
“That’s right. You need to go inside and stay by Jeongmin’s side.”
“I-I can go in?”
“When did you start speaking so politely? Hurry and go in. Dr. Jeong will escort you.”
Glance.
When Taesu even gave him a look, Jeong Minsu, who usually had no tact, suddenly found some.
“I’ll escort you. That’s why I came out and was waiting.”
“Aigoo, aigoo, thank you.”
“I told you to just act like you usually do. You said, ‘You brat, hurry up and guide me already,’ didn’t you?”
“How could I…… How could I do that?”
“You’ve been doing it all along. Come now, hurry and go. Quickly.”
Jeong Minsu answered back as he supported Elder Jo and headed toward the operating room.
Everyone felt bitter as they watched Elder Jo’s shrunken back.
Soon, the two entered the operating room.
Click.
Only after the door closed did Elder Wang ask Taesu.
“The surgery definitely went well?”
“I guarantee it.”
“Then there must be a reason the bleeding won’t stop.”
Elder Wang asked about the fundamental issue.
On that point, Taesu answered with a resolve bordering on solemn.
“I’ve been telling you all along.”
“It’s because of the liver.”
“I just operated on Jeongmin’s liver. I’m certain.”
There was no hesitation in Taesu’s answer.
Elder Wang’s expression also grew serious.
On the other hand, the villagers still did not know exactly what they meant.
“Why the liver?”
“Mr. Jo’s liver is bad?”
“Looks like it.”
“Aigoo, this is serious.”
Voices of concern rang out everywhere.
Among them, Village Chief Jeon Nosik’s expression was grave.
The villagers still did not know.
The one who had delayed telling them was Village Chief Jeon Nosik himself.
He could no longer put it off.
For everyone’s sake.
He had to say it now.
After agonizing over it, Village Chief Jeon Nosik finally hardened his resolve and opened his mouth.
“Everyone, listen to me for a moment.”
“Chief, what’s wrong?”
“The truth is, those doctors over there……”
Village Chief Jeon Nosik solemnly relayed what he had heard from Taesu.
Within it, he included all the effort and the process that had led them to that conclusion thus far.
Even during that, Taesu and Elder Wang were facing one another.
This time as well, Elder Wang continued with his questions.
“You’re saying that after seeing Jo Jeongmin’s liver for yourself, it was worse than you thought?”
“Yes. The functional problem is in an even more severe state.”
“Now all we can do is wait endlessly?”
At his question, Taesu paused for a moment before answering.
“If you can prepare food for the patient separately, I’d like to ask you to do so.”
“What would be good to feed him?”
“Do kudzu and oriental raisin trees happen to grow in this area as well?”
Taesu asked, looking as if he was hoping against hope.
As a heavy drinker, Taesu knew a few foods good for detoxifying the liver.
Elder Wang could not answer easily.
“Mm.”
“If not, garlic or sicklepod seeds would be fine too.”
“Hmm.”
When Elder Wang only let out a low groan, Taesu added quietly.
“If you have them, good. If not, acanthopanax or…… Ah, freshwater snails. Those would be best.”
“Huh.”
“If even those aren’t available……”
Just as Taesu was about to say more, Elder Wang snapped in a choked voice.
“Let me think, let me think.”
“What’s there to think about?”
“You little—again. Do you go around living with all that in your head?”
“If you’ve eaten it, then it’s here. If you haven’t, then it’s not, right?”
Taesu and Elder Wang started another round of arguing.
This time, too, neither side yielded.
They were too busy raising their voices at each other.
“When you eat this and that, things can get muddled.”
“How many things did I name? Surely one of them should come to mind right away.”
“I remember garlic, you bastard.”
“That’s impossible to forget even if you try. And it isn’t here, is it?”
When Taesu shouted, Elder Wang protested even louder.
“Even if it were, you think I’d give it to you?”
“Did I say I was going to eat it?”
“How am I supposed to believe that? We’ll take care of that, so you stay out of it.”
“I’m the doctor. I need to know what the patient is being fed.”
“I said we’ll take care of it.”
The two men’s voices grew even louder.
The villagers now simply accepted it as something that happened.
Even so, they reviewed the foods Taesu had just mentioned.
“Did we have even a handful of garlic?”
“We’ll have to look in the cave. More importantly, he said freshwater snails were best.”
“The current is too strong here, so there aren’t any. We’d probably have to go down near the lower stream……”
Murmur, murmur.
The sound of discussions rose from here and there.
At that moment, Kim Gwanghyeon’s eyes rolled around before he suddenly stopped and shouted.
“That’s right.”
“Gwanghyeon, what is it?”
“When I went hunting in the mountains a while ago, I smelled kudzu.”
Right after Kim Gwanghyeon answered, one of the assistants raised his hand high and said,
“I saw mushrooms. Though I’m not sure what kind of mushrooms they were.”
“I definitely remember where an oriental raisin tree is.”
As expected, with many people gathered, one thing after another began to come up.
They were hopeful pieces of news.
Village Chief Jeon Nosik urged them in an encouraged voice.
“Let’s split up appropriately and search.”
“Sounds good.”
“You must return before the sun sets, no matter what.”
“Yes, everyone, let’s go.”
“Let’s go.”
Rush.
Without needing anyone to say who should do it, the villagers all moved quickly.
Meanwhile, Taesu and Elder Wang were still growling at each other.
“You bastard. Today, I’m definitely going to smash that mouth of yours.”
“It’s my wish to lose in a war of words just once.”
“Fine, you bastard. Let’s see this through to the end.”
“I ask your forgiveness if I’m rude to an elderly man.”
Glare.
Elder Wang and Taesu’s eyes grew even fiercer.
But then.
Slide.
Someone approached from the side.
Sensing that the figure was small, Taesu and Elder Wang looked over together.
Standing there was Kang Songhui.
Her face was wrapped all over in bandages, making her easy to recognize even from far away.
Kang Songhui pointed toward the mountain with a sullen face and said,
“They all went over there.”
“Hm?”
“They went to the mountain.”
“What……”
Whip.
Taesu and Elder Wang turned around with puzzled faces.
The yard that had been packed with people was empty.
“Huh.”
“What happened?”
Startled, Taesu and Elder Wang looked around widely.
The villagers, holding various farming tools, were entering the mountain.
Even the children were wandering around the village, searching for something.
“No, when did……”
“Huh. Well, now.”
In the end, Taesu and Elder Wang turned their gazes away with sheepish expressions.