Chapter 14 - 9 Lucky Bird

Chapter 14 - 9 Lucky BirdNozawa was revising his survival plan in his heart, feeling that the visit to Nagano Castle had to be pushed forward, so he didn't immediately pick up his chopsticks for the meal. Ah Ping felt uneasy and cautiously asked, "Lord Nozawa, is the meal not to your taste?" If by any chance Nozawa didn't eat well and got angry, asking her for the medicine money, she'd have no choice but to hang herself. Nozawa snapped out of it, picked up the bamboo chopsticks and smiled, "No, the meal is very good, sorry for the trouble I've caused you." "Please don't say that, our family is poor and we're not able to entertain you well, it's best that you don't mind." Ah Ping was trying to be polite, and if a few meals could offset the medicine money, she'd be thankful even if it cost more. Especially since Nozawa had been consistently gentle, surprisingly not scolding or cursing her and Yayoi for any unsatisfactory service, nor had he slapped them to the ground, which truly surprised her, and she had to be grateful for that. "How is your husband's condition?" Nozawa's thoughts were not as complex as Ah Ping's; he couldn't imagine that not abusing people would gain such gratitude. He even forgot about the medicine issue and went along with her words, asking out of courtesy. "He got up at night to drink some water and has been sleeping since. He looks much better, should recover soon." Ah Ping showed a genuine smile. Nozawa nodded and smiled, "Then I'll check on him when he wakes up." "Thank you very much." Ah Ping bowed in gratitude, then hesitated a bit, before cautiously asking, "Lord, Jinbei would like to visit you, could you spare some time for him?" Nozawa was somewhat surprised, "What does he want?" Ah Ping bowed her head, "I don't know." She honestly didn't know, Jinbei had been peeking around the courtyard since early morning. Considering the years of cooperation between their families and Nozawa's seemingly good mood and gentle nature, she dared to ask on his behalf; otherwise, she wouldn't have dared with anyone else. Nozawa thought for a moment and nodded directly, "I happen to have some questions for him too. After the meal, ask him to come over!" "Yes, my lord." Ah Ping responded and left the room, leaving her daughter to attend to the guest, seemingly a form of etiquette, fully showcasing the strict hierarchy of Japan's Middle Ages. Perhaps in this era, even a slight offense to a superior could result in death, hence the cautious way of living? So dangerous and insecure, this truly was a dreadful time! Nozawa was once again determined to be a "Mongolian Doctor" to ensure his survival. After quickly finishing breakfast, when Yayoi had cleared the table, Jinbei punctually arrived. He was still dressed as he was the day before, probably owning only this decent set of clothes, and upon entering, he still didn't intend to sit on the elevated seat, choosing instead to kneel on the earthen floor, grinning awkwardly yet cautiously testing, "Lord Nozawa, did you sleep well last night?" "Thanks to you, I rested quite well." Nozawa, being a fake samurai, deeply desired to act more convincingly for his safety, but due to his upbringing, he was taught to be as polite as possible, failing to successfully impersonate a feudal samurai. As an outsider and a modern person, he truly didn't know how to imitate one, striving to overlap with the role while slowly adjusting. Indeed, he appeared quite affable and friendly, immediately making Jinbei's small eyes brighten, his spirit uplifted, and he became excited, "My lord, now that I know you rested well, I'm relieved! I worried all night that, given our remote and poor location, you wouldn't be used to it. So, as soon as dawn, I sent my two foolish boys out to take a look, to see if they could find anything rare to entertain you. And guess what happened?" Nozawa cooperatively chimed in, following his lead and asked, "What happened?" "They encountered a good omen!" Jinbei slapped his thigh powerfully and gestured towards the door, where two young lads promptly entered, holding a nearly lifeless white egret, "Just as they reached the riverbank, they saw this auspicious bird descend from the sky, deliberately coming for the great lord like you." Nozawa immediately viewed bald-headed Jinbei in a new light. The white egret, with disheveled feathers barely clinging to life, was clearly trapped rather than flying in to grace a sage; most likely, as spring approached, it was returning to its breeding grounds from a winter refuge and got caught foraging. Auspicious bird, nonsense! More like a bird of grievance! However, when people make offerings, they often have a request in mind. Nozawa quickly deduced Jinbei's purpose for this act — his attention fell on Jinbei's sons — fourteen or fifteen, shorter than their father, barely over 1.4 meters, both slim and small, yet their hair and clothes seemed deliberately washed — looking worn out but relatively clean. Noticing Nozawa's gaze upon his two sons, Jinbei grew even more enthusiastic, immediately recommending, "The elder one is Tao Liulang, and the younger one is Jing Qilang. They are fairly smart. Considering you traversed mountains without any attendants, why not temporarily have them lead your horse?" He too was in a difficult spot, with three children, the eldest, Hata Sanroku (the others — one, two, four, and five didn't survive) having the right to inherit the house and paddy fields, but the sixth and seventh were troublesome. As they aged, their appetites only grew and maintaining them was hard. Meeting Nozawa now provided them a chance — granting both sons some sustenance would be splendid. This also symbolized a father's mountain-like love, daring to risk angering a noble for his kids. Of course, if unsuccessful, it didn't matter much, as the whole family had worked to catch birds, fish, and small animals overnight, incurring little loss. While Nozawa himself didn't know where his next meal would come from, he didn't outright refuse but jokingly said, "I don't have a horse." Jinbei was straightforward and quick-witted, possibly a "village official" relying on his eloquence, decisively declaring, "Then let them be your horses!" The open field indeed needed manpower—to put it selfishly, in case of an emergency, someone could be pulled over to take a hit, not to mention they could help carry and move the silly son around on normal days. Without further hesitation, he directly asked Tao Liulang and Jing Qilang, "I need to go to Nagano Castle, do you know the way?" Before Tao Liulang and Jing Qilang could respond, Jubei hurriedly said with joy, "They know! They know! Sir, there isn't a road in Haidong County that they aren't familiar with!" After speaking, he gave each of them a slap, directing, "Quickly pay your respects to the master, be diligent and honest while following the master! If you're sent back by the master, don't even think about going home, just die outside!" Without a word, Tao Liulang and Jing Qilang kowtowed on the ground, counted as successfully passing the interview, and were recruited into the open field's Lang Faction. From then on, they shared in the honor and disgrace, and would dine with him. ... Half an hour later, Tao Liulang and Jing Qilang each armed themselves with a bamboo spear, along with a finely woven bamboo hat and two pairs of blessing grass shoes. This marked their success at splitting from their fathers and brothers, with the first task being to follow the open field to Nagano Castle, while Meng Ziqi was entrusted to Yayoi for care. On the road, the open field chatted with them randomly, correcting pronunciation as he observed and contemplated their personalities. Tao Liulang—he was born when his mother ate wild peaches, believed by Jubei to be a good omen, thus named Tao—Liulang's personality is much like his father, with an agile tongue, eloquent, observant, and comparatively bold. Shortly after partnering with the open field, he was already suggesting his brother carry the hiking backpack. Jing Qilang—born when his mother fetched water, believed by Jubei to be a good omen named Jing—Jing Qilang's personality is more wooden, not talkative, seemingly more timid, doing whatever was asked, appearing honest and earnest. As far as knowledge, insight, and skills, both are versed in farming, have some talent in fishing and bird hunting, and are familiar with the nearby mountain terrains. However, they are illiterate and innumerate, typical ancient rural illiterate youths. No major issues were noticed personality-wise. Even the somewhat glib Tao Liulang retained a natural simplicity and followed the customs of the era. One kowtow, the feudal loyalty chain was established, forming a dependency relationship. They've already regarded the open field as their patriarch due to the limited time, showing notable propriety between upper and lower ranks. They are temporarily usable, at least as labor, the rest can be figured out later. The open field finalized his judgment and turned his gaze to the roadside scenery. A desolate expanse, and not simply because it's the end of winter, but due to the underdevelopment of the era. The roads were hard-trodden dirt paths, sometimes wide, sometimes narrow, at the widest, a bit over a meter, at the narrowest, only enough for feet. On either side were barren hills, though in spring, summer, and autumn, the vegetation would surely flourish, making it an ideal place for ambushes, hiding dozens to hundreds of people could go unnoticed. Such a scene wouldn't be seen in modern times, creating a strong sense of unfamiliarity. Yet, according to the open field's speculation, this area should be the future outskirts of Nagoya City, already transformed into a concrete jungle—the terrain alterations appeared familiar, likely Shonami River, later part of Nagoya City's Shonami River, differing only in waterway. Is that Hosokawa Castle the future Hosokawa Guanyin Temple? The one with over twelve hundred round air Buddhas at Hosokawa Guanyin Temple? Or is it built nearby Hosokawa Guanyin Temple? It's a pity to have only heard of it but never visited, as it wasn't a well-known attraction in the future. While enjoying the scenery and inquiring about the surrounding environment, after about an hour's walk, under the guidance of Tao Liulang and Jing Qilang, they turned onto a major road. Although still a dirt road, it had greatly improved in flatness and width, reaching about one and a half meters, and occasionally they saw pedestrians or ox carts carrying goods, indicating this was one of the main thoroughfares in Owari Province's Haidong County. He noted the expressions of passers-by, fearing his "quirky attire" would arouse suspicion, causing unnecessary trouble, but he was clearly overthinking. Passers-by only took a curious glance before quickly averting their eyes, appearing neither surprised nor wanting to offend. This aroused his curiosity, and after walking for two more hours, he could faintly see the walls of Nagano. An inbound rider surprised him. The person rode a short blue horse, cheeks painted with bright, mysterious totem patterns, open-chested in the dead of winter. His big hakama were only halfway down, resembling large shorts. Barefoot on slipper-like stirrups, with a long sword and short sword at his waist, chewing a straw, hairstyle tied up resembling a mound from afar. What kind of creature is this? The scene suddenly felt chaotic, like he had entered the Journey to the West! He hadn't expected that the first Samurai he met in the Muromachi Era would look eccentric and unique, staring transfixed, unable to avert his gaze, while the mounted Samurai noticed his distinctiveness, initially showing admiration for his hiking gear and shoes, then disdainfully eyeing his ordinary short haircut. Without communicating, they passed each other on the road, each continuing on their way. The open field glanced back at the wobbling "strange man" on the horse, unable to resist saying to Tao and Jing, "That person..." Curious, Tao Liulang asked, "Master Nozawa, what's the matter?" Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "It's nothing," replied the open field, realizing and casually deflecting, "He looks familiar." "Is he your friend? Ah, no wonder he is as unique and impressive as you, master, you both stand out," Tao Liulang, thanks to his father, showed some insight, immediately flattering with a compliment and seeking favor with the patriarch. The open field rewarded him with a approving smile, saying no more. Unique and impressive? Ancient Japan is strange, one mustn't rely on outdated or rigid perceptions, better to observe and ponder! Slow progress! Take it easy!