A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 158

158. Above are Heavens, Below are Suzhou and Hangzhou (上有天堂 下有蘇杭)

Changing boats in the middle of a river is no easy task. But it was not so for Old Gun. He lightly leaped and immediately helped Shin-ui and Jeok Se-hwa onto the boat.

Similarly, Janggang Eohwang immediately boarded the large boat with a single step. Skillfully, he pulled the small rowboat and tied it to the big boat’s side with a thick rope.

The onlookers, realizing the two were masters, began to whisper. Perhaps that’s why, despite the death-defying feat, none of the crew members said a word.

Instead, they were clearly trying to assess the situation.

“Have you been well?”

Son-bin politely greeted with a smiling face. Shin-ui approached Son-bin without hesitation, a stern expression on his face.

“Hmm.”

Shin-ui glared at Son-bin’s face once, then turned his head to look at Sa Su-yeon.

“Shin-ui.”

Sa Su-yeon also looked touched by the reunion after so long. Her large eyes slightly welled up with moisture. However, Shin-ui turned his head again to look at Son-bin.

“Judging by your complexion, I should check your pulse before Yeon-ah’s.”

“Pardon? Me?”

Son-bin asked back with a puzzled expression. But Shin-ui frowned.

“You’re sick, aren’t you? No, I can tell just by looking. You look very seriously ill.”

“No, I…….”

Without listening to Son-bin’s reply, Shin-ui turned his head towards Old Gun.

“What on earth did you make him do?”

“What about me?”

Old Gun replied. But Shin-ui’s anger did not subside.

“If an adult was around, you should have stopped him before it got this bad! What on earth happened to make his face look like this? It’s completely pale! Why did you even go with him if you were going to let this happen?”

Shin-ui was furious.

“No, it’s not like I did anything…….”

“Where is the cabin?”

Shin-ui spoke without listening to Old Gun’s words.

“I need to check his pulse first.”

Shin-ui examined Son-bin’s complexion with a serious expression. Old Gun grumbled.

“I knew this would be a pain…….”

“Surely, you didn’t fail to get a cabin for a sick kid, did you?”

“I got one. A very good room.”

Old Gun replied curtly. Then Seo-rin quickly interjected.

“Scary, no, pretty noona got it for us. She’s rich.”

“Pretty noona?”

Shin-ui saw Seo-rin’s gaze and realized that Sa Su-yeon had paid. Sa Su-yeon quickly spoke.

“Ah, I just had some extra money…….”

“Tsk, that’s a fine thing to do. Adults taking money from kids.”

Old Gun was also taken aback by Shin-ui’s words.

“Taking? I drove the carriage! Do you know how hard it is to drive a carriage all day? And just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean…….”

But Old Gun’s protest did not work on Shin-ui. Shin-ui looked at Seo-rin and said.

“Who paid for the food?”

“Rice-eating, no, smart noona!”

Shin-ui glared at Old Gun. Old Gun was speechless.

“No, that’s not it, it’s not like…….”

“Let’s go to the room first.”

Shin-ui led Seo-rin and strode towards the cabin. Meanwhile, Son-bin greeted Janggang Eohwang.

“Have you been well?”

“Hmm.”

Eohwang lightly nodded in response to Son-bin’s greeting.

“I’m glad you look healthy.”

“It’s thanks to you.”

Janggang Eohwang said with a stiff expression.

“But what’s going on? Your condition is like…….”

Son-bin’s aura was quite different from before. More than anything, Son-bin’s presence right in front of him was not felt at all.

“Anyway, you should go see Shin-ui quickly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Son-bin replied respectfully. Then he turned his head towards Jeok Se-hwa.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well, Miss?”

Son-bin said with a smile.

“Yes. But, are you alright, Young Master?”

Jeok Se-hwa asked with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Son-bin’s complexion was not as bad as she had thought.

Shin-ui said he looked pale, but in Jeok Se-hwa’s eyes, Son-bin’s skin seemed to glow faintly. He certainly felt weak, but he was better than before.

On the other hand, Jeok Se-hwa looked more serious in terms of complexion. Her face was still pale from the aftermath of riding Janggang Eohwang’s boat.

“I’m fine. But…….”

Son-bin asked cautiously. He was worried that it might sound like he was questioning her.

“The children’s classes…….”

“Ah.”

Only then did Jeok Se-hwa realize and smiled softly.

“My brother has agreed to take over for the time being. It will probably be mostly training, but he will also teach them some writing.”

Jeok Se-hwa’s brother was Jeok Se-ho, the young master of Hoyeon Martial Arts Center. Son-bin was relieved because he knew him well.

“Wouldn’t it be too much trouble?”

Jeok Se-hwa shook her head at Son-bin’s words.

“He liked it. He said he could legally train his youngest sibling after a long time.”

At her words, Son-bin thought of Jung-oh, who must be sulking. Jung-oh, the youngest of Hoyeon Martial Arts Center, usually boasted about his older brother and sister, but strangely, he was too proud to learn directly from them.

“What about the other children…….”

“What are you doing!”

Son-bin and Jeok Se-hwa’s conversation was interrupted by Shin-ui’s voice.

“Come quickly.”

Shin-ui was looking at them with a frown.

“I’ll tell you more later.”

Son-bin asked Jeok Se-hwa for her understanding. Jeok Se-hwa smiled.

“Yes, later.”

After bowing lightly, Son-bin walked towards Shin-ui. Jeok Se-hwa could not take her eyes off his back.

She was worried when she heard he was sick, but seeing him as usual made her feel relieved.

“Ah.”

Suddenly, Jeok Se-hwa felt Sa Su-yeon’s gaze towards her. Jeok Se-hwa lightly bowed to Sa Su-yeon and Dang Wol-ah.

Sa Su-yeon bowed with a smiling face. Dang Wol-ah had no reaction as always, but Jeok Se-hwa could tell that her eyes, visible beyond the veil, had become a little softer.

‘I’m glad.’

Seeing the two together, Jeok Se-hwa sincerely thought so. That sight was proof that Son-bin’s journey to the North Sea was not in vain.

“Hmm…….”

Shin-ui frowned. After quietly checking his pulse, Shin-ui suddenly opened Son-bin’s mouth and turned his eyelids to examine his pupils.

“Take off your clothes.”

“There’s no need to go that far. I’m fine…….”

Son-bin, who was speaking, stopped and took off his top at the sight of Shin-ui glaring at him. Well, he started to take it off.

“We’ll be outside.”

Jeok Se-hwa, who was quick-witted, quickly got up. Sa Su-yeon also got up as if she had just realized, but Dang Wol-ah stayed in her seat as if she didn’t care.

However, she eventually had to get up at the silent urging of Sa Su-yeon and Jeok Se-hwa.

“What about her?”

Dang Wol-ah said in a small voice. The person she pointed to was the blind girl, Kang-rin.

“Of course, she has to go out.”

Sa Su-yeon said in an obvious tone. Eventually, with Kang-rin, the four women left, and Son-bin, Shin-ui, Old Gun, Eohwang, Seo-rin, and Kang-min remained in the cabin.

Kang-min was watching with shining eyes, as it was his first time seeing a doctor check someone’s pulse, and he didn’t even go out.

While Son-bin was taking off his top, Shin-ui took out something flat made of luxurious leather from his pocket.

When he untied the string and unfolded it like a book, silver needles of various sizes neatly appeared.

Shin-ui took out the thinnest needle and held it in his hand, then carefully checked Son-bin’s pulse with his other hand.

“Is it okay to put a needle in him?”

Old Gun said from behind.

“If you make a mistake…….”

“Do you think I’m you? And this is just to see the reaction, so it’s okay.”

Shin-ui said curtly. But Shin-ui was also clearly nervous.

He carefully placed the needle on Son-bin. And he focused all his nerves on the feeling coming from the tip of the thin silver needle.

Drip.

Sweat was already flowing from Shin-ui’s forehead. Son-bin was indifferent, but the people around him were tense.

Swoosh.

“Hoo.”

Shin-ui took a breath as he removed the needle. Thanks to that, the people watching could also breathe.

“How is it?”

Old Gun asked.

“His physical condition is…… perfect.”

Shin-ui said.

“Even his entire body’s meridians [energy pathways] are free of impurities and blockages, so the flow is like a great river. I can see what a natural body is like.”

Son-bin smiled as he put on his clothes. He thought this would ease the worries of Old Gun and the group. But that smile was too early.

“But there is no true energy [internal energy] to flow through that vast waterway. If it were someone else, it wouldn’t be strange if they were wandering around in a daze. Fortunately, his meridians are communicating smoothly, so he looks fine…….”

“I know that.”

Old Gun said in a frustrated tone.

“So what should we do now?”

“Did you eat the Hwandan [a powerful medicinal pill] I gave you? No, you couldn’t have.”

Before Son-bin could speak, Shin-ui answered himself.

“Good job. Medicine can sometimes be poison, so if you had eaten it recklessly, you would have avoided disaster.”

“Ahem. I stopped him.”

Old Gun said proudly, but Shin-ui didn’t care.

“For now, we can only rely on his natural recovery power. Whether it’s medicine or acupuncture, it’s only after he recovers to some extent.”

“So you’re saying we should just leave him alone? No, you’re Shin-ui, but that’s all you can say?”

“Do you think a doctor is someone who fixes broken machines?”

Shin-ui burst into anger.

“A doctor helps life. Sometimes doing nothing is the best prescription.”

Shin-ui said.

“And I’m not saying just leave him alone. For the time being, try to rest as hard as you can.”

Son-bin smiled. The words ‘rest as hard as you can’ were a little awkward.

“If you stay in a good resort, you’ll recover faster.”

“A resort…… Namak is also a very good place.”

Old Gun muttered, and Shin-ui glared at him once.

“Where are you trying to wander around with a sick kid? Hangzhou is right in front of us, so let’s rest there for a while.”

Hangzhou is a city of culture and art, but it is also a well-known resort city. But Son-bin didn’t even think about resting leisurely.

“Ah, I’m fine. There’s no need for a resort…….”

The later he returned to Cheongwon, the more trouble he would cause others. He wanted to go back and see the children as soon as possible.

But Shin-ui’s brow furrowed at those words.

“You’re fine?”

Shin-ui glared at Son-bin and said.

“To be honest, I can’t even believe you’re walking around right now. No, what on earth did you do to get to this point…….”

Shin-ui, who was speaking, seemed to be getting angry again. But Shin-ui, who seemed like he was about to shout, bit his lip instead.

“Was it…… because of Yeon-ah?”

That must have been it. Son-bin went to the distant North Sea for Sa Su-yeon.

But Son-bin shook his head.

“No.”

Son-bin said in a quiet voice.

“It’s just the result of doing what I wanted to do. No one told me what to do. Rather, everyone was worried about me.”

Son-bin’s expression was so calm as he spoke.

But Shin-ui could tell. Son-bin risked his life for Sa Su-yeon. And Sa Su-yeon was able to smile brighter and warmer than before. Thanks to Son-bin being in this state himself.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Shin-ui closed his eyes. After a moment of silence, Shin-ui slowly opened his eyes.

“Then I must do what I want to do as well.”

Shin-ui’s eyes were shining as he spoke.

“I swear on my name, you will definitely recover.”

Shin-ui continued as if declaring.

“Even if your life is on the verge of death, I will definitely save you and make you live longer than anyone else in the world. I guarantee that even the owner of the imperial palace will not live longer than you.”

There are countless powerful people who want to serve Shin-ui even once. Even the imperial family respected Shin-ui.

If they heard these words now, they would be amazed and envious of Son-bin. Most martial artists were the same.

“Don’t most emperors die early?”

He didn’t care about Old Gun’s muttering from behind. Shin-ui asked Eohwang.

“Eohwang, when can you catch a Gyoryong [mythical dragon fish]?”

“Hmm.”

Janggang Eohwang frowned.

“You can’t just catch any guy. To catch a guy worthy of being called a real Gyoryong, there’s only one in a hundred years in the entire Yangtze River.”

Step.

Eohwang got up from his seat. And he said to Shin-ui.

“Let’s go. It seems there are many things to get besides Gyoryong.”

“Okay.”

Shin-ui also stood up.

“What, are you going to catch it now?”

Old Gun asks. Eohwang smirked.

“If I can’t even repay the favor of saving my life, how can I call myself a righteous sect?”

Eohwang looked back at Son-bin. Eohwang’s eyes were flashing.

“Did you say you have no true energy? Don’t worry. Whether it’s herbs above the clouds or spiritual beings under the water, I’ll get you anything you need.”

Eohwang said, looking back at Shin-ui.

“I don’t like going with this guy…….”

“Me neither. But I can’t help it.”

The two were about to leave the cabin with unpleasant expressions.

“Wait!”

Even Old Gun was a little embarrassed by the two people’s unhesitating attitude.

“Shouldn’t Shin-ui be here? What if something happens…….”

“Make sure nothing happens.”

Shin-ui said firmly.

“And right now, Bin-ie doesn’t need a doctor. I’ll be back when I get what he needs, so please take care of the kids like an adult.”

“No, what am I…….”

Son-bin said as Old Gun was about to get angry.

“Elder!”

Son-bin quickly got up from his seat.

“There’s no need to do that. How can I let you go to such trouble for me…….”

“It’s not for you.”

Eohwang said in a blunt tone.

“I’m just going the way I think is right. I don’t care what anyone says.”

He didn’t even look at Son-bin and went outside. Shin-ui was the same. The two didn’t look back.

“What? Since when have they been so in sync?”

Old Gun grumbled. Son-bin also didn’t look good. It was his fault that the two old men were suffering.

“It’s all because of me…….”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Old Gun said to Son-bin.

“They’re all doing it because they want to. You, those guys, and me too.”

Click.

“Young Master.”

Jeok Se-hwa opened the door and came in. She said to Old Gun with a surprised expression.

“The two of them just left on a boat again. What happened?”

While she was asking, the other women also returned to the cabin. Kang-rin, holding Sa Su-yeon’s hand behind Dang Wol-ah, followed, fumbling.

“What’s going on?”

Sa Su-yeon also asked with an uneasy expression. Old Gun shrugged.

“It’s nothing. They said they were going to get some medicine they needed. Was there anything else?”

“They told me to stay in Hangzhou for about a month.”

Sa Su-yeon replied.

“They said they would come to Cheongwon if it took longer than that. And…….”

Sa Su-yeon trailed off. At the last moment when she got off the boat, Shin-ui had said to Sa Su-yeon, ‘Your choice was right.’

Maybe it was a misunderstanding, but the moment she heard those words, Sa Su-yeon thought of Son-bin.

“A month……. Well, it’ll be okay.”

Old Gun shrugged.

“They say there’s heaven in the sky and Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth, so let’s take this opportunity to leisurely drink some tea. This time, let’s get something decent.”

Old Gun thought it would be a relaxing vacation after a long time. And as if to meet that expectation, Hangzhou, the city of art and lakes, began to appear before their eyes.

If there is heaven in the sky, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth, that was Hangzhou.