Chapter 73 - Cosmetic Surgery [4]

Chapter 73: Cosmetic Surgery [4]
It took nearly a week to find the golden ratio of blowfish poison.
They blew testicles for hours because there were a lot of trials and errors.
There was a huge opportunity cost to maintain the experiment.
‘There were a lot of incidents.’
Ganghyuk looked around the people who were lying here and there because of exhaustion.
Dolseok, Makbong, Yeoju, Yeoni, and Flail were exhausted after blowing so many scrotums, and the fellows from the performance group were exhausted because of the repetitive nature of the experiment.
‘It must be recovered.’
Ganghyuk looked at a fellow who got an injection on his wrinkle on the forehead.
His eyes were sacked until then.
He did not know it would be that potent.
Another one had the injection in his calf and he still felt limped.
Finally, he could get the golden ration thanks to their sacrifice.

Ok. If I dilute 500 times, it is effective while being safe.

Ganghyuk looked at a man who had their saliva drooping from their mouth.
He was the man who almost died.

Do you think he is Ok?

Dolseok asked, pointing at the man whose saliva was drooping.
His face looked very awkward.

Yes. He is paralyzed but it will go away. He needed to be patient…


It’s amazing. An injection changes a man like that.


Yes, I think so. It is the first time for me to observe many samples so closely like this.

If he had no human subjects, he had to start the experimentation on dogs.
Fortunately, a fight sparked near and he got captives to experiment on. How lucky he was!

Now we don’t need to get the injection anymore, right?

The man whose lips are paralyzed asked. His eyes were begging desperately.
He had injection here and there for days.
He might have the most painful days here in his life.

Yes. I conclude the experiment here.


Thank you, sir. Thank you for saving my life.


Not at all.

He only saved their lives whenever the poison might have a lethal effect.
However, it was he who injected the poison too.

Then can we go?

The man looked back with a darkened face.
Some of his fellows had bandages and some of them were still sick because of the aftereffect of the injection.
Their face looked slim and not because they starved them.
It is true that the blowfish poison was dangerous.
However, the effect was marvelous.

Ok, you can go.


Thank you, sir.

The man went out of the house with his fellows.
They ran away with so much haste.
Dolseok could not hide his worries as he watched them ran away.

Are they going to be okay?


Why?


If they come back to seek revenge…


Revenge? How dare they think of such a thing? They have seen many things here.


You’re right. You intentionally showed the scenes, right?


Yes, in some cases.

Ganghyuk examined Seongyong in the house rather than to visit his house.
He wanted to let the fellows know the minister of courtesy visited the house every day.
They talked about many things.
In the conversation, many famous people were mentioned including Kim Yungil who will be the minister of internal affairs, mayor of Anseong, Baik Seungmun, and Yejojwarang Lee Hangbok.
They might realize they could not be compared against someone like Ganghyuk and his henchmen.

I am proud that you are my master. By the way, when will you be meeting Sir Lee Hangbok’s house?


Soon. Is he busy these days? He had not visited me at all.

After he took Peyonsu of the fellows, he did not show his face at all.
He might have done something with him, but Ganghyuk could not imagine what he would do.

Eum? There comes a servant of Sir Hangbok.


Is he? Do you remember him?


Yes, I don’t forget people’s faces.


Yes, I know.

He sent his servant at the right time.

Sir, Baik Ganghyeok.

The servant bowed to Ganghyuk.
Ganghyuk did not remember him, as it had already been a week since he left Hangbok’s house.
It might be a difference of interest rather than a difference in memory.
Ganghyuk did not pay attention to healthy people, therefore he could not remember the healthy servant of Hangbok.

Yes.


My master could not find time to contact you because of his office.


I see. I was busy too.

Ganghyuk pointed his servants and Yeoju who were exhausted.
Yeoju’s lips were swollen because of the hard work to blow balloons.

My master wants to invite you tomorrow if you’re available.


Tomorrow?


Yes, sir.

He wanted to test his new medicine.
Not for torture just like he did earlier, but for cosmetics purpose.
‘I will see Hangbok and ask what he has been doing with Pyeongsu.’
If he can, he would like to ask about Jeong Yeorip.
When he asked Yeoju, she said she did not know him but it seemed she had hidden something to him.
‘She said Jeong Yeorip was her distant relative.’
A distant relation was nearly nothing.
When he looked back at his family’s historical background, Ganghyuk could confirm his thought.
His late father introduced some distant relations to him, but he did not hear about them unless they came to Chungmu Hospital.
After refusing to give privileges for an earlier appointment, they did not visit him anymore and he did not hear about them ever since.
‘She must be hiding something.’
Ganghyuk looked at Yeoju who’s wary of her with eyes filled with suspicion.
She was lying on the floor, exhausted after blowing air countless times into different scrotums.
She might be secretly communicating with Jeong Yeorip, Ganghyuk did not doubt her loyalty to him.

Heum

When Ganghyuk did not answer, the servant of Hangbok tried to call his attention by clearing their throats in a rather loud volume.

Ah, sorry. What did you say?


I delivered his message to visit him tomorrow.


Ah, I see. Tell your master I will visit him tomorrow.


Thank you, sir. I will deliver your message to him.


Ok, take care.


Yes, sir.

There were no more visitors.
It was pleasant news since their week’s ordeal exhausted everyone including Ganghyuk.

Let’s call it a day. Now we can have good food and take a rest.

Everybody agreed with what he said.

Hurray!

Dolseok welcomed his decision.
Now they had a new issue.
What should they eat later?

I don’t want to eat beef tonight. I am sick of the smell of beef, I had to blow ox scrotum for many days.

Makbong murmured.
Yeoju took off pig hairs from her hips.

I don’t like pork, either.


Ok, then we will have chicken.

Dolseok murmured.
When Ganghyuk said good food, it meant meat.
If fellows did not like beef or pork, then they would have chicken.
Of course, they had horses at home, but it was very unusual to eat horse meat.
It was especially true in the inland. In Jejudo, they might have eaten the meat of their horses.

Sir, do you want a chicken soup?

Dolseok asked Ganghyuk while he walked towards the chicken coop.

Ah, chicken. Heum.

Dolseok was a good cook.
He could cook better meat dishes than cooks in the kitchen.
That is why Ganghyuk did not have cooking maids.
The chicken soup Dolseok cooked was exceptional with salt and pepper Seongyong gave.
He did not want boiled one today though.

Let’s fry it.


Fry?


Yes, we planned to have fried chicken last time but we couldn’t.


Yes, I remember. Shall I fry it now?

Dolseok looked around the kitchen.
All the necessary materials were set.
There was enough amount of oil to fry 10 chickens.

Ok. Let’s try this. Hey guys, get up. Help Dolseok dry chickens.

They got up with the command of Ganghyuk.
Then they went to the kitchen right away.
Ganghyuk went to the kitchen too. That was very unusual.
‘I have not fried chickens either.’
Ganghyuk had never fried chickens even in that world.
He did not have part-time jobs either.
‘I should have done many part-time jobs before I came here. What I did was learning and teaching only.’
Tutoring was a good part-time job that pays well.
Once he started working as a tutor, he would never be able to work in other jobs.
While wondering how he could fry them, Dolseok attracted his attention.

Sir, we need to boil them first, right?


Eum.

He did not know the answer. He had no experience after all, but he nodded his head and the fate of chickens was determined.
Splash!
Five live chickens were put in the boiling pot.
Makbong and Yeoni closed the lid so none of them could escape.
Sometime later, featherless chickens were delivered to Ganghyuk.

Shall I put them in the oil?


Eum!

He did not know anything about fried chicken, but he knew it should not be put into the oil at this status.
It should be seasoned and powdered to remove the moisture on the skin.
‘They called the flour real powder.’
In Joseon, the flour was very expensive.
It was a precious commodity, so it could be used in the royal kitchen only.

Eum, I think we need to remove the water.


Water?


Yes, if it is put in the oil like that, it will cause some problem.


I see, hey, get the things to wipe out the water.


Yes, bro.

The Flail got some papers.
They were Hanji, which were very expensive, but nobody scolded the Flail.
They were already accustomed to Ganghyuk’s spending.

They are dry now.


Then we will fry them. Is the oil hot enough?


Yes, sir. It seems very hot.

Dolseok pointed at the pot in which the oil was boiling.
The expensive perilla oil was boiling in the pot.
Makbong murmured, smelling the oil.

Oh, it smells good even if we’re just heating oil.


Yes, now put the chicken.


Yes, sir.

Dolseok put the chicken pieces in the oil pot one after the other.
They rose to the surface soon when they were cooked.

Oh…

The smell was fantastic.
Some of the passengers stopped and wondered what the smell was.
Among them was Lee Hangbok who came to visit.
He sent his servant to invite Ganghyuk, but he could not wait for tomorrow because he was curious about how Ganghyuk could treat his wife.

What is this smell. Hem.

He made some throat-clearing sounds, but the people within did not hear him.
Ganghyuk and his fellows were too absorbed in cooking.

Let’s take them out one by one and eat.


Yes.

They were all charmed by the fried chicken’s smell and color.
They took out tonight’s dish from the oil pot posthaste.

Wow

Ganghyuk exclaimed after he tasted the chicken leg.e
It was the most exquisite dish he had since he came to Joseon.
Ganghyuk was quite picky in his food, but even he was moved by how the food tasted. Not to mention, the others…

I have tasted heaven.

Makbong, Dolseok, and the Flail said a similar compliment.
Even girls like Yeoju and Yeoni couldn’t help themselves from exclaiming.
They ate chicken without worrying about their swollen lips.
They were too busy eating, nobody noticed Hannbok as he opened the door by himself and let himself in.

Nobody was answering. It seems you are all at home.

Hangbok joked.
Ganghyuk dopped the bone quickly and greeted him.


Sir?


Haha. Sit down. What is so tasty?


We fried some chickens. Would you like to eat some?


Oh. Well, why not?

Hangbok sat beside Ganghyuk unreservedly.

It smells very good…Even though I had my dinner already, it made me hungry.


Please help yourself.


Ok, then.

Ganghyuk looked at Hangbok like he was expecting something from Hangbok.
‘You will be surprised, Oseong.’
Hangbok took a wing and ate.

Wow, wonderful.

Fried chicken made him feel dumb.
He stopped thinking of the purpose of his visit for a while.
After some time of eating, he realized he should talk with Ganghyuk.

Ah, I did not come here to eat food.


What brought you here?


I was curious about the treatment tomorrow. Can I know what you will do?


Yes, of course. Dolseok, get the book Yeoju made.


Yes, sir.