Chapter 62: The Slacker Seeks Talent (1)
The Sacred Hand Grounds had always been known as a prestigious medical household, even from the past.
You’d know that too, wouldn’t you? Just how famous the name Sacred Hand Grounds was throughout the world.
It might not have been as renowned as it is now, but it certainly had its own standing back then. That’s what I mean.
Hmm?
You’re saying it went under in the end?
Yeah, it did.
Right. It collapsed. Completely fell apart.
Well, that’s probably because Wi Yeonho had gotten so used to living like a beggar, but back in the day, the Sacred Hand Grounds were in such dire straits that even beggars would walk away after leaving their bowls behind.
Hey, I heard it straight from the local branch myself, so it has to be true. They said whenever injured beggars who had broken their bowls came knocking, they were treated for free. And on days when the beggars managed to get their hands on even a few coins instead of just food, they’d hand them over to help the household stay afloat.
What?
Sounds like a lie?
Why would I lie to you, huh? If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself.
Hey, now.
You don’t grab a beggar by the leg, you know.
You’re saying you were wrong?
Good, that’s how it should be.
Anyway, that was the state of things when even Wi Yeonho ended up hitting rock bottom.
But… something strange happened.
What do I mean?
You’ll understand once you hear it—just listen.
---
“What kind of man was your father, exactly?!”
Wi Yeonho was practically breathing fire from his mouth.
But Jin Soa remained composed as if it were nothing. Reactions like this were something he encountered frequently whenever his late father was brought up.
If anything, Wi Yeonho was relatively patient. At least he hadn’t kicked Jin Soa in the middle of the conversation, saying he couldn’t listen any longer. Considering the way most people reacted when told about his father, this level of response was rather mild.
“I really don’t know how to explain him.”
“Grrr…”
Wi Yeonho shook his head.
He considered himself to be at the lowest of the low in the human hierarchy, but even then, Jin Soa’s father had surpassed all limits.
To think he gambled away a family legacy that had lasted generations.
If Wi Yeonho had done something like that, Wi Jeonghan would’ve taken his head, son or not.
“So after he passed away, you moved here to live?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“So he was the cause of it all.”
“You could say that.”
“Hmm…”
Wi Yeonho grabbed his throbbing head. Just listening to the story was enough to trigger a headache—it was a wonder that Jin Soa hadn’t collapsed from stress.
“Fine. Let’s say your father’s to blame for how things turned out.”
But the one worsening the current situation wasn’t his father.
A dead man couldn’t cause trouble anymore.
The ones driving the household into disaster now were none other than Jin Yeran and Jin Soa—the siblings.
“Then at least you should be working hard to revive the family.”
Wi Yeonho, who slacked off to the point of dooming even thriving families, was strangely strict when it came to others.
Well, if everyone slacked off like him, where would the rice come from for him to eat?. In a way, it made sense—slacking off was only possible thanks to the diligence of others.
“I am working hard.”
This was exactly what troubled Jin Soa.
“I really am working hard. It may sound boastful coming from me, but there aren’t many my age who know as much about medicine, or who have seen as many patients as I have.”
“Oh, listen to you brag.”
“It’s not bragging!”
Jin Soa shouted in frustration.
“It’s the truth, I swear! I’ve been using acupuncture since I was six. My sister worked me so hard that I learned in three years what others take ten years to master.”
“Yeah, sure. You’re amazing.”
“I said it’s not bragging!”
Jin Soa thumped his chest in exasperation.
“It’s not that I’m talented—I just wasn’t given a moment’s rest. My sister never left me alone for even a second.”
“Wow, she’s an educator, alright.”
“……”
Jin Soa gave Wi Yeonho a dead-eyed glare.
That’s why counseling should depend on who you’re talking to. When assigning blame in this situation, it was clearly Jin Soa who was at fault. Expecting serious advice from Wi Yeonho had been the wrong move from the start.
“……I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“Only because you still keep saying useless things.”
“Useless?”
“Yeah.”
Still lying down, Wi Yeonho nodded.
“What matters isn’t that stuff. What matters is the now, isn’t it?”
“Exactly.”
“It doesn’t matter how you lived or how your household fell apart—those are all side stories. No matter how much you wail and moan over that, nothing will change. What matters is how you’re going to survive from now on.”
“Oh!”
Jin Soa nodded fiercely.
He was right.
This man might live flat on his back, but he had a knack for striking at the core. That was precisely the part Jin Soa had wanted to consult him about.
“I was just about to bring that up.”
“Then why all the side chatter?”
‘You told me to start from the beginning, didn’t you!’
Suppressing his frustration, Jin Soa finally got to the point.
“I’m sorry.”
“Tsk tsk tsk.”
Wi Yeonho clicked his tongue.
Was it the influence of his late father, or perhaps being constantly suppressed by his older sister as he grew up? Either way, this young man seriously lacked masculinity.
“So let me ask you something.”
“Ugh, what now…”
Ignoring Wi Yeonho’s grumbling, Jin Soa pressed on. Based on his experience, if he gave in to Wi Yeonho’s attitude, he’d never get a real conversation going.
“What do you think I should do first in order to revive our medical household?”
At Jin Soa’s earnest question, Wi Yeonho furrowed his brow.
“There are two things I want to ask first…”
“Yes?”
“The first is, why are you asking me? Do you even know what kind of person I am?”
“…Trash?”
“An impressively close answer.”
Wi Yeonho’s shoulders sagged.
He accepted it himself, but hearing it from someone else wasn’t exactly pleasant.
“To be precise, I’d say you’re someone who doesn’t really do anything but lives in complete harmony with the floor, probably the most carefree person in the world.”
“…You’ve got the wrong calling. You should’ve made a living with that mouth. Ever thought of joining the royal court? With that head of yours, passing the civil exam shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“So, does that answer your question?”
“No.”
Jin Soa let out a small sigh and continued.
“It’s not that I trust you, I trust the letter of recommendation you brought. A person with a referral from Uncle Mun Yuhwan, the Grand Historian of the Three Arts, couldn’t be just anyone.”
“That loafer uncle is that famous?”
“Loafer?!”
Jin Soa shouted indignantly.
“Uncle Mun Yuhwan, the Grand Historian of the Three Arts, is renowned throughout the world for his noble character and towering scholarship! How dare you call someone like that a loafer!”
“If all you do is sit around and avoid work, you’re a loafer—same as me. Didn’t seem much different.”
“Grrrgh…”
Jin Soa was about to argue again but remembered the hard-earned truth: reacting to Wi Yeonho’s every word was a waste of energy.
“That’s why I asked you. What do you think I should do? You may not seem reliable, but I have no one else to ask.”
“I see.”
Wi Yeonho nodded deeply.
“All right, good story.”
Jin Soa looked at him blankly.
“And your answer?”
“Hm?”
“If you understood everything, you should give me an answer.”
Wi Yeonho opened his mouth and burst into a wide grin. Strangely enough, the laugh sounded hearty, but to Jin Soa, it felt like mockery.
“You forgot about my second question.”
“Sorry?”
“The second one is this: do you really think I can give you a proper answer just because you told me all that?”
Jin Soa’s head dropped like a stone.
Of course.
It had been a mistake to ask someone like this, even in desperation. Not all straws were worth grasping.
“Excuse me, then.”
Jin Soa got up weakly. There was no point in wasting more time.
“But…”
Wi Yeonho’s low voice stopped him.
“Do you have something more to say?”
Wi Yeonho let out a massive yawn, stretching his jaw open.
Yawning in someone’s face after being called upon—just what kind of person had zero sense of decorum?
“I really don’t get why you’re asking me.”
“I told you—I had no one else.”
“There are professionals, aren’t there?”
“…Excuse me? What do you mean?”
Jin Soa asked blankly.
“For something like this, you shouldn’t ask just any scholar passing by. You go to a professional. Medicine goes to an apothecary, treatment goes to a physician.”
“We handle both, actually.”
“Oh? I didn’t know that.”
Wi Yeonho gave an awkward chuckle.
“Anyway, fine. So, who’s this professional I should’ve gone to?”
“Want me to tell you?”
“Of course!”
Wi Yeonho grinned slyly and replied.
“Then what will you give me if I introduce you?”
“…Isn’t it free?”
Wi Yeonho narrowed his eyes.
“Now that’s a dangerous thing to say. Nothing in this world is free! You like free stuff—that’s why you’re living like this! Everything in the world comes with a proper price!”
Jin Soa looked at him like he was watching a con artist. His long, slanted eyes were filled with clear suspicion.
“All this over introducing someone?”
“Tsk, tsk. You really don’t know how the world works. That ‘someone’ could change your entire future. It’s always the things that seem trivial afterward that end up being most important. You’re living like this because you couldn’t do those trivial things!”
“Urgh…”
It hit a nerve.
If it were something simple, Jin Soa would’ve already done it.
It only looked simple—yet it wasn’t, which is why it had remained unresolved for so long.
“But even if I wanted to give you something, I have nothing. You saw how things are.”
“I’m not asking for money right now.”
“Money?”
“…Oops. That was my true intention slipping out.”
“I told you—I have no money.”
Wi Yeonho grinned.
“Don’t worry. I’m not saying you have to pay right this second. Think of it as an investment in your future. Just give me, say… half of your future earnings. That should cover it.”
“You want half my future earnings in exchange for introducing one person?”
“Don’t like it, then forget it.”
Jin Soa’s face trembled.
This man was a swindler. Anyone could see he was a swindler. And not just any swindler—he had the vibe of someone formally trained in the art.
‘Still, why did it feel so tempting?’
While Jin Soa wavered, Wi Yeonho landed the finishing blow.
“If you don’t change something now, you’ll live like this forever.”
Boom!
Thunder cracked in Jin Soa’s head.
What was he even hesitating for? It wasn’t like he was making any money now. Just having money to split in the future would be an improvement.
“I’ll do it.”
Wi Yeonho, still lying down, reached out and clasped Jin Soa’s hand with a grin.
“That’s more like it.”
“Now tell me—who is this person you’re going to introduce me to?”
“You probably know him well…”
“Huh?”
Jin Soa tilted his head, looking blank.