Chapter 207
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: The Decoction Room Hire
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"I've heard about Dr. Jiwon's recommendation. That said, the decoction room has its own supervisor. If you're fine with going through a proper interview process, I'll put in the word."
Hiring someone on the spot without approval was out of the question. No need to catch flak from An Juhee over it.
"Of course I'll do the interview! I'll even prepare a cover letter!"
Yang Jimin thrust her right hand into the air again, shouting enthusiastically.
No, that's really not necessary.
At any rate, since she'd agreed to an interview, I passed the message to An Juhee the very next day.
Seol Yuhee's friend was hoping for a part-time gig in the decoction room.
"Oh, really? I don't care who it is. Would be nice if they stick around long-term, though."
"Don't decide yet. Meet her first."
I was being cautious about the hire.
After all, chemistry with your coworkers matters, right?
Last time we hired help, she'd said 'anyone would do,' but that's always the trickiest part.
I'd put real thought into it and picked someone quiet who just got the job done, like An Juhee. She seemed pretty satisfied.
But this time, being Seol Yuhee's friend made me extra careful.
If they didn't click, better not to hire her at all. A clash leading to her quitting could strain Seol Yuhee's friendship too.
"Jimin, can you come in this Thursday? It's not a real interview or anything—just a formality. We'll pay you for the day, so try it out and we'll decide. Think of it as mutual interviewing. If it doesn't feel right with the boss or the work, just say no, no hard feelings."
Whew, that should cover it. If either side wasn't feeling it, they'd speak up early, right?
- Yes! See you Thursday!
Yang Jimin showed up with a resume and cover letter in hand.
The resume only listed high school graduation, but the cover letter was polished like she was applying to a big corporation.
...We didn't even have our clinic's founding principles or anything droning on on the website, yet she'd dug through every interview I'd ever given.
And so the interview-slash-one-day trial began.
I popped over to check on them whenever I had a break from seeing patients.
"Oh, this is Leonurus japonicus? Cool name. Used for gynecological issues?"
"Yep. Helps with menstrual disorders, treats various pregnancy ailments. Promotes labor in difficult births too! Stems are 30 to 60 cm long, 1-5 mm thick, yellowish-green to greenish-brown with short white hairs. Check out this beautiful white cross-section on the broken stem..."
Whoa, whoa, An Juhee? What are you doing right now?
"Uh, we're short on astragalus. Grab some from the box that came in today. Oh, and while you're at it, prep the ginger and stick it in the fridge."
"Got it!"
Both of them had their hands moving at a good clip.
An Juhee was churning out prescriptions at breakneck speed, while Yang Jimin wasn't quite as fast but hustled through everything assigned to her.
"But if it's yellowish-green or greenish-brown, is the yellowish-green better quality?"
An Juhee's glasses gleamed at Yang Jimin's question.
'...?'
Something told me she'd poked the otaku bear.
"Quality isn't that simple. Smell it."
"Sniff!"
"Leonurus is such a beautiful herb. It even has legends. Back in the Song Dynasty, there was this hunter couple, Liu Gan and A-ran..."
The wife was in hard labor when a rabbit brought the husband some Leonurus to safely deliver the baby, and later it saved an emperor's concubine.
"Juhee, you're going overboard with the interviewee..."
"Oh my god! So that's why it's called Leonurus? The emperor named it? Can I taste a bit?"
"...!"
I tried to rein in An Juhee, but maybe I didn't need to?
"I'll cut you a piece. Savor that spicy, bitter, euphoric flavor. The unprocessed stuff is amazing too—I'll get some next time."
No way—another herbal otaku? Two of them in the world? That possible?
A few hours later.
The trial wrapped up, and An Juhee and Yang Jimin came up to the third floor.
"The kid's eager and sharp. Tell her to start tomorrow?"
"Hold on. Let me have a final word with her first."
I shooed away the eager An Juhee pushing for an immediate contract and double-checked with Yang Jimin if it really went well.
She might've just been going along to get along.
"She taught me tons of stuff I never knew. The herbalist is seriously knowledgeable! I want to work here."
"You into herbs already?"
"Not really an expert yet, but I'll learn fast and contribute to the clinic!"
Classic newbie spiel.
Thank goodness Korea didn't have two An Juhees.
But handling that level of convo without missing a beat?
'Even Master might not know how the calyx tip splits on Leonurus!'
Anyway, both were on board, so no reason to hesitate.
"Let's do the contract today."
"Whoa, thank you! It's an honor for my family! I'll work hard!"
We hashed out her part-time schedule right there, matching it against her freshman first-semester timetable.
With school nearby, we Tetris'd her free slots perfectly.
"Hired her, right?"
An Juhee, clearly smitten with Yang Jimin, double-checked the decision.
Sigh, I'd overlooked how chatty the big 'I' gets in her wheelhouse.
Chattier than most profs—would this really work?
This morning I'd worried if An Juhee could handle her; now it was the reverse.
"Jimin coming to the clinic from now on?"
Seol Yuhee was thrilled too.
"Yeah, sis! It worked out!"
"Awesome!"
"Thanks to you, Yuhee sis. Seriously grateful."
"Nah, I just asked if you could observe."
Enough buttering up already, but Yang Jimin kept gushing about how great our clinic was.
"I'm over the moon. I've been dreaming of a job like this for two years!"
I shook my head.
Guess I'd have to get used to that chatter too?
"The herbalist feels like an alchemist, and Yuhee sis is like a saintess."
"Hahaha."
"Saintess?"
"Oops, I love romance fantasy webnovels. Saintesses pop up a lot, and they're as ethereal as you."
Hold up—saintess?
Couldn't let that slide.
"Anyone can see it's Northern Sea Ice Palace."
"Northern Sea Ice Palace? Like, northern duke vibes?"
Argh! No common ground!
"...Nothing."
Why is our clinic full of wuxia noobs?
"I'll study up!"
No, don't.
Just geek out on herbs with An Juhee.
Me? Time to hit Yeongho Noodle Shop and banter with the owner uncle.
Even as Seongsu Clinic buzzed with joy over the new hire...
Hwang Sanghun toiled alone at Hwangje Korean Medicine Hospital.
"Father, time to get up! Let's see where your strength's lacking today!"
"Who're you calling father, you punk!"
"Yes, Patient Cheon Gwangseon. Easy does it..."
"How dare a young whippersnapper call me by name!"
Same conversation as yesterday.
No helping it. Not severe dementia, but hearing wasn't great either.
Patient Cheon Gwangseon, 93 years old.
The eldest at Hwangje Korean Medicine Hospital's Changwon branch.
Stroke sequelae had him bedridden for two years; hope for treatment was long gone.
"Treatment for what? At my age, acupuncture won't fix me. Just turn me properly!"
"Won't get you back to your youth, but we can improve on your current state."
He'd been at a nursing hospital until a few months ago, even with a DNR order.
Then bedsores from lying too long got discovered late; his daughter raged and transferred him here.
"No treatment! Don't wanna!"
His daughter knew too—hemiplegia from stroke wasn't fully curable.
Previous doc knew, Hwang Sanghun knew, patient knew.
...So his crankiness was understandable.
Hwang Sanghun just calmly proceeded.
The last attending doc—who'd quit with staff in tow—wasn't diligent.
Minimal acupuncture: just two needles at Baihui and Hegu.
Seemed to view him as waiting out his days, kids not even caring.
'Still, gotta try everything.'
Not Hwang Sanghun.
University hospital had plenty stroke patients; he'd heard guardians say give up outright as an intern.
But working with Han Yeowon at Seongsu Clinic, he'd seen "hopeless" cases turn around repeatedly.
Steady meds, acupuncture, rehab—arms lifting near 90 degrees, gait improving bit by bit.
She'd called cooking again her simple joy.
"Hang in there! I'll make it quick and painless!"
So he didn't quit.
Baihui, Zusanli, Quchi, Fengshi, Xuan Zhong, Taichong, Fengchi, Jianjing.
The classic seven acupoints for stroke, plus needles in immobile muscles.
Studying neurology on the side, targeting likely neural paths.
"Eeei! Useless! Fix young folks, not old trash like me!"
Severe cases were a different beast.
Cheon Gwangseon always griped; sometimes the lack of progress broke Hwang Sanghun too.
But he persisted.
Speak louder for bad hearing, brush off anger, keep learning.
"Thank you so much, Director. Dad seems much happier since the new doc."
"Cheon Gwangseon...?"
"Yes. Used to talk only of dying quick, but now he chats nonstop about you. Asked about his grandson this week."
"Glad to hear."
Weekly visits from his daughter confirmed: Cheon Gwangseon didn't hate Hwang Sanghun.
"Can't we needle the toes today? Feet are freezing!"
Even requesting instead of tantrums.
'Any change would be nice.'
One month till his planned resignation.
Brother's promised new director starts March; handover before then.
No change possible, but he'd give his all till the end.
"Director Hwang! Patient Cheon Gwangseon...!"
Then one dawn.
An urgent page for Hwang Sanghun.