episode_0399

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The prisoner’s condition worsened by the minute as he rolled his eyes.

At the sound of a thud, a couple who had been eating in the next room opened the door and came in.

“Owner. Hurry up and get the blanket.”

The woodcutter’s actions were quick. He had his wife clear the table and put down the bedding.

While the wife prepared a place for the patient to lie down, the woodcutter untied the patient’s clothes.

The smell of sweat stung his nose, but he did not show it and continued his work in silence.

I thought that maybe it was really nothing.

“Um….”

As he was examining Bangja’s body, he set his gaze on one place and made a sound. I also saw the end of his gaze, where there was a slight trace of a wound on the defendant’s cheek.

The patient’s condition, with red-colored boils, was serious even to me, who had no medical knowledge.

The woodcutter who was massaging his legs and examining the boils on his body asked me.

“Nari Have you ever seen a tree with dark green leaves while coming over the mountain? The leaves are more pointed than others.”

Ah, I think I saw that.

“I’m not sure, but I think I saw it…”

“When you crossed the hill, did you take a path that no one took?”

“Bangja said that he used the road used by merchants, but that is not true.”

“Is that so? Um…”

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“There is a tree called Sudogmok. Compared to others, the leaves are darker in color and have a pointed shape.”

“It’s a reading book.”

“The leaves of the tree have poison that repels insects. It seems to me that this person is now poisoned by the poison of the tree. But…”

“But?”

“In fact, Sudokmok is a tree that can only be found deep in the mountains. I don’t know why there are trees on the streets where people pass by.”

He moved his bed onto the blanket his wife had spread and began wiping her body with wet cloth.

There was quite a big difference between places where a thousand had passed and places where it had not.

“If you just listen to the description, it seems like a fairly dangerous tree. This is the first time in my life I have heard of a poisonous tree. After all, Joseon is large.”

“That’s actually a bit strange.”

Strange things are happening abundantly.

When I shifted my gaze from Bangja to the woodcutter, he cleared his throat and began to explain.

“It is true that the poisonous tree is definitely poisonous. And the symptoms that appeared on this person’s body were also the same as those of Sudokmok. However, this is the first time I have seen someone so addicted to the point of losing consciousness.”

“Isn’t it possible that Bangja reacted more sensitively because his constitution was different compared to others?”

“Ah… I’m so ignorant that I don’t know much about the field of medicine. Nari.”

He bowed his head as if he was sorry, and I patted his shoulder to express that it was okay.

“There is no need to apologize. First of all… I think I roughly know the cause, so I think I need to treat it now. Is there a council member in this town? If so, I would like you to guide me. I will make an example.”

“There is no clinic in our village, but there is a clinic in the next village. The distance is quite far, and the weather is already over, so it is very dangerous to travel now. Nari.”

“I see…”

I trailed off and looked at Bangja again.

Bangja’s breathing became difficult, and the color of the boil became darker and its size was gradually increasing. It was definitely a sign that the condition was getting worse.

“Me, Nari.”

The woodcutter, looking at my complicated face, opened his mouth as if something occurred to him.

“But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way.”

I looked at him.

“It’s a way to avoid the situation, but…”

The woodcutter muttered to himself and left the room. After a very short wait, I saw him enter the room holding something.

“What is that?”

Dried flowers were placed on the woodcutter’s hands, which were as rough as turtle shells.

“This is Geuman Elementary School.”

“Geuman Elementary School?”

Although the light had faded, the color of the dried leaves was a dull yellow. If it were a fresh flower, it would probably be a bright and pretty yellow color.

“Yes. This is used as an herb, so I picked a few bunches. I heard from a doctor that it has a detoxifying effect.”

While I craned my neck to get a closer look at Geumancho, the woodcutter had his wife bring hot water.

At the words of the woodcutter, the wife quickly brought hot water.

“It is a temporary measure, but it will improve the condition.”

After measuring the temperature of the water, the woodcutter folded his palms and said.

As the woodcutter rubbed his hands together, the dried flowers crumbled and fell onto the hot water.

When I stirred the water with a spoon, the color of the water in the cup turned yellow, as if it had inherited the color of the flower. It felt like spring had arrived.

As the color of the water changed, a strong scent wafted up.

Sweet yet refreshing, mind-boggling….

The smell of flowers I smelled as I climbed the hill filled the room.

“The scent of Geumancho is quite strong.”

“I think so. I think I smelled it while climbing the hill.”

“I think it’s because Geumancho grows in this area. A single flower emits enough scent to fill a room, and in spring, the mountain will probably be covered with the scent of Geumancho.”

The woodcutter said as he watched me react to the scent. He held out the cup to me.

“Drink this and your fever and boils will subside. However, since this is a temporary measure, you must visit the clinic when the sun rises tomorrow.”

The woodcutter emphasized again and again that he should visit the doctor when the sun rises.

I nodded and slowly poured water containing Geumancho into the patient’s mouth with a spoon.

I did not enthusiastically seek treatment for Bangja because he was precious to me.

I started his treatment in order to survive here.

It was not out of good intentions, but out of calculation.

Even in his unconscious state, Bangja was able to easily swallow water made with Geumancho extract.

“We will leave now.”

After about 30 minutes had passed and the boils on Bangja’s body had subsided, the woodcutter spoke.

“Thank you. I owe you a lot for this.”

When I sheepishly thanked him, the woodcutter bowed his head even more.

“Ah.”

Before opening the door and leaving, the woodcutter turned to me as if he had just met and said,

“Often the patient will say nonsense, but it is not a big deal, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Bullshit?”

” Among the effects of Geumancho, it is due to the anesthetic effect.”

“I understand.”

And so the woodcutter leaves. I spent the night taking a nap next to Bangja.

Like the woodcutter said, Bangja occasionally spoke something between nonsense and sleep, but there was nothing particularly interesting about it.

As the sun rose, signaling the next day, I felt heartbroken as I looked at Bangja’s cheerful appearance, as if it had never happened before.