Chapter 17 The Taste of Plum Porridge
"Take the cold medicine three times a day, two pills each time. Based on the symptoms you described, if he doesn't get better after taking it, I suggest you take him to the hospital. It's 2000 yen."

“Thanks for the advice.”

"It's my duty. Thank you for your patronage."

Jiu Huayue paid the money casually, picked up the plastic bag, and walked out of the drugstore.

She stepped onto the snowy street and looked up at the sky.

It snowed heavily today and the air was colder than usual.

Looking at everything in the snow country from afar, the girl thought, the temperature was dropping last night, no wonder the uncle caught a cold.

Jiuhuayue retracted her gaze and walked towards home.

clack.

The sound of a door closing.

"excuse me."

Jiuhuayue returned to Fujii Itsuki's room.

There were scattered snowflakes on her black hair, her blue windbreaker, and the transparent plastic bag in her hand.

Her face was rosy, and even her even breath came out as bursts of white mist.

"It snowed a lot today, so it took us a little longer to get there and back. Here's your fever-reducing medicine—"

The girl just finished speaking when she realized that no one was listening to her.

Is this perverted uncle asleep?
Fujii Itsuki was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. He did not look well. His face was flushed and beads of sweat were oozing from around his forehead.

Could it be that the body temperature has risen again?

Jiuhuayue couldn't help but care after seeing this.

If it went any higher than 41°, he was afraid he would really die here today.

"Uncle. Uncle?"

Jiuhuayue tried to wake him up and called out to him several times.

"Uncle, uncle, wake up."

He pushed his shoulders and shook them again, and only then did the person on the bed respond.

".came back?"

Seeing that he couldn't speak clearly, Jiu Huayue became serious and said, "Don't talk for now. Uncle, let me see the thermometer."

Fujii Itsuki fumbled for a while before taking out the thermometer from under his arm and handed it to her.

Jiu Huayue breathed a sigh of relief, "Fortunately, 40°, at least it proves that the cold hasn't gotten worse."

When she saw Fujii Itsuki waking up, she held the plastic bag in his sight and said, "I bought the antipyretic medicine for you."

".sorry to bother you."

Fujii Itsuki tried to get up, but his movements were extremely slow.

Seeing his condition, Jiu Huayue couldn't help but sigh, "Uncle, you'd better not move! I'll go get you some hot water, wipe the sweat off your face, and then take the medicine."

After saying that, she turned and left the room, heading for the kitchen adjacent to the living room.

Fujii Itsuki felt as if his head was burning into paste.

I can't tell the difference between north and south, and I can't even find where the door is.

It seemed like there was a giant deep-sea octopus fighting with a Husky outside the window. The Husky won the fight and rushed in happily, biting the sofa like crazy.

Crazy, I must be crazy.

Fujii Itsuki decisively closed his eyes and continued to rest.

I don’t know how long it has been, but it shouldn’t be long. Jiuhuayue came back to Fujii Itsuki’s room with a basin of hot water.

Although Fujii Itsuki was weak and his consciousness was blurred, he could still feel that someone was taking care of him.

She took the initiative to help herself up and lean her back against the wall, took the initiative to wring out a hot towel for herself, and took the initiative to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

Sometimes her pretty little face was so close to me that even with a stuffy nose, I could still vaguely smell the fresh fragrance of her girlish body.

This girl is probably only sixteen years old.

Are you so good at taking care of people?

Afterwards, Fujii Itsuki was slow to react and didn't quite understand what she was saying, so Jiuhuayue put on that cold expression again and repeated some words unhappily.

Fujii Itsuki listened to it three times before he realized that she was urging him to take the pills and drink the potion quickly, and not to dilly-dally and talk nonsense. She also said that there were no giant octopuses here! There were no huskies either!

"Really? You're still a teacher, but you're acting like a little kid."

The medicine is really bitter
It was so bitter that one might suspect it was poisoned.

But after drinking it and resting for ten minutes, the symptoms did seem to get better.

At least we no longer see Huskies tearing apart giant octopuses.

Then, Jiuhuayue considerately helped Fujii Shu change the fever-reducing patch and asked him what he wanted to eat.

Fujii Itsuki almost thought he was hallucinating again.

".You want to cook for me?"

"Don't look at me as if I'm cooking for you on purpose. This is just a special case, a special case. I'm just returning a favor to you." Jiu Huayue kept emphasizing.

"That's not the question. What I care about is, can you cook?"

Jiu Huayue became even more unhappy and pouted, "Please don't say such contemptuous words to me, okay? Even if I can't cook complicated dishes, I am fully capable of simple ones."

".No, I don't mean to laugh at you, I just think it's a bother for you."

"Stop talking nonsense and just tell me what you want to eat."

Jiuhuayue ran errands, wiped my sweat, and fed me medicine.
Fujii Itsuki didn't want to keep bothering this girl, but he was indeed hungry and uncomfortable and wanted to eat something light.

"Do you know how to make white rice porridge?"

"Of course, it's not difficult."

"Then you can just cook a bowl of rice porridge, please."

"I didn't realize you were so polite, uncle." Jiu Huayue muttered, "Okay, then uncle, you should take a rest first, don't fall asleep yet! Just take a nap, I'll make it for you right away."

Fujii Itsuki no longer had the energy to speak. When he saw Jiuhuayue leave the room, he closed his eyes and lay down on the bed.

It didn't take too long, probably less than twenty minutes, before Jiu Huayue appeared in front of him with a bowl of steaming hot porridge.

"Here, take it. Be careful not to spill it."

She actually did it for herself.
I just gave her a bowl of instant noodles and a lunch box last night. Was she making such a fuss?
Fujii Itsuki thanked him again and placed the bowl in front of him while leaning against the wall.

Jiu Huayue looked at him and said, "Don't say thank you, I'm just repaying your favor. I'm like this. If someone does me a favor, I'll try my best to repay them. Although my cooking skills are not very good, I still hope you like the porridge I make."

Maybe the cold medicine took effect. At least his limbs are no longer weak. Fujii Itsuki can hold the bowl and chopsticks.

Jiuhuayue didn’t make white rice porridge, but added some pickled plums made from green plums into the white rice porridge. The taste is very familiar and is considered a specialty of Otaru. I ate it a lot when I was a child.

Adding this thing into the porridge adds a sour taste, which is very appetizing.

He had never tried putting pickled plums into rice or porridge.

".It tastes delicious. Did you research it yourself?"

"Thank you for the compliment. I usually like to eat prunes. I don't have much time to cook at school, so I cook prunes, rice and water together for breakfast. That's how it tastes."

If this recipe was created by chance, then it is truly unique.

This pretty girl who is not frank is becoming more and more pleasing to the eye.

"Are you studying at Taisho Jubei?" "Yes, the same school as your sister." Jiuhuayue waited by the bed for him to finish his porridge.

Fujii Itsuki ate the pickled plum porridge that Jiuhuayue made for him in small bites, and recalled the Jiuhuayue described by Chitose.

Rather than being aloof, he thought Jiuhuayue should be described as cute.

Because even if she showed that she hated someone, she would still use honorifics when speaking.

The inconsistency between facial expressions and words and actions makes this pretty girl look quite contrasting.

It's like the feeling of someone looking disgusted but still listening to you and doing what you say.

Jiuhuayue usually has a cold and unfriendly look on her face.

In fact, she is kind-hearted, grateful, and caring.

is a good boy.

This made Fujii Itsuki even more curious about her past.

"Chitose often tells me about you. She said you are quite unique in school."

Jiu Huayue was quite perceptive and said bluntly: "I know what you want to say. You don't have to be so tactful. Just say that I am a loner."

"Why don't you go make some friends?"

"I prefer to be alone."

This is a lie.

Fujii Itsuki thought of the snowman at the door.

"At school, you can try to make a friend, and life will be much better."

"So, uncle, do you have any friends?"

“I don’t have any true friends.”

"Why can I do what you can't do?"

"You are unique, different just by your appearance and family background."

Jiu Huayue did not deny this, "But uncle, have you ever thought that maybe it is because of these two things that I don't have many friends."

"As long as you don't put on airs and treat others with equality at school, you can definitely make friends. This has nothing to do with family."

Jiu Huayue didn't want to continue the conversation. "I know what you want to say, uncle, but I still advise you not to say these useless words to me."

"reason?"

"Uncle, it won't do you any good to ask so many questions. We will separate and lose contact sooner or later anyway. With your conditions, I believe you will find a new job soon. By then, we will no longer have any intersection, and there will be no reason to have any intersection. What I do next has nothing to do with you, and you don't have to care about what I want to do."

Jiuhuayue said this seriously and mercilessly.

"In other words, we are completely cleared of all ties."

Fujii Itsuki understood very well that Jiuhuayue was deliberately trying to distance themselves from each other.

After eating a bowl of dried plum porridge she made, it’s not that I was captivated by her, but I realized that she was a kind-hearted child with a good heart.

As a person, as a teacher in the past
Even though I don't like to meddle in other people's business, I still can't bear to see that scene happen.

A sensible and kind girl lay down on the railway tracks, with no one to care for her, and finally died alone at the train station.

But she was right, there was no necessary relationship between the two.

Once he finds a job, he will leave sooner or later.

By then, there will be no need to keep the phone number in the mobile phone.

She doesn't need to manage it herself.

She has no control over her affairs.

Fujii Itsuki suddenly felt a lot more tired. On the one hand, he felt it was a pity, but on the other hand, he felt that he should respect her personal thoughts and wishes.

She hates me so much, so the best choice is to cut off contact with me after I find a job.

Fujii Itsuki nodded. "Since we will no longer have any contact in the future, can you answer a question for me?"

"Tell me what the problem is first."

"Will you ever think about committing suicide again?"

"meeting."

Decisive and quick.

"You don't seem afraid that I will tell your parents through the dean."

Jiu Huayue said calmly: "If I have that kind of thought again, I can only answer that no one can stop me. Telling me my parents is just putting a shackle on me. This will only accelerate the occurrence of this situation and will not solve the root problem. In other words, the more you want to stop it, the more it will promote this situation."

What caused the girl to change her mind should be what she experienced yesterday.

She came back last night looking very lost.

"Can you tell me the time of your suicide?"

".what are you up to?"

"I just want to give you a flower."

Fujii Itsuki handed her the clean bowl and chopsticks, "To thank you for making me the delicious plum porridge. Even if you really leave this world in the future, I will tell myself that you are a very beautiful and kind girl. You made me a bowl of delicious plum porridge when I was sick. Although it is simple, I will always remember this unique taste in my heart."

I will always remember this unique taste in my heart
Jiuhuayue saw his smile and heard these words, and had an indescribable feeling in her heart.

It was as if there was an inexplicable thread connecting the two of them.

I will always remember this taste in my heart.
He will always remember the taste of the dried plum porridge he made, even if he has really left this world.

The girl's cheeks turned red for no apparent reason.

What kind of words are these?

What a perverted uncle.
Jiu Huayue calmed down, put away her slightly red cheeks, and said seriously:

"No need. After I take care of your cold, we're even now. It's your business if you want to give me flowers. I don't care. I won't accept your flowers anyway."

"You're dead?"

".If I die, I might get one from you. After all, no one will give me flowers."

Jiuhua Yue finished mumbling, and then realized that she had let something slip. She immediately frowned and sternly warned Fujii Itsuki:

"Don't make blind guesses. You haven't completely recovered from your cold yet. Lie down and rest first. Don't let it relapse. I won't take care of you again!"

After Jiu Huayue finished speaking, she left the room in a panic, carrying the used dishes and chopsticks.

Fujii Itsuki looked at the place where her back disappeared and smiled back.

The girl is indeed a girl, and she is still a little too naive when it comes to emotions.

I hope she won’t walk onto an empty platform again in the future.

After all, she is a kind girl.

Fujii Itsuki put away his messy thoughts and prepared to go back to sleep. But when he was about to lie down again, he looked through the huge window on the left and saw a red hairband tied to the side of the iron fence flashing through the snow.
It was fleeting in sight.

But even so, Fujii Itsuki still recognized its owner.

"Chitose?"

At this moment, the doorbell of Jiuhuayue's house suddenly rang.

　There were some minor changes and alterations at the end of yesterday's chapter, mainly regarding the relationship between Chitose and his adoptive father. It didn't affect the subsequent plot much.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)