Chapter 97 Interlude: Lifelong Friends
Ring~~
Matsumae Shinchun knelt upright on the prayer mat at home, clasped his hands together, lowered his head, and closed his eyes to calm his mind.

The wind blew in along with the glass wind chimes flowing by the window.

The ends of her hair hanging down in front of her ears were lifted up, and her thoughts, like the incense in front of the shrine, swayed towards the past.

"Miss."

"Miss."

"Miss."

In the main hall of Matsumae Shrine, in front of the statue of a white fox holding a jade bracelet in its mouth, Matsumae Shinchun took a long time to regain his focus from Lord Baiye's eyes.

The young little girl opened her tear-stained eyes, raised her slightly round face, and looked at the kind-looking Nagayama Sakura.

Nagayama Sakura was smiling and addressing the little girl respectfully.

"Sakura."

"Miss, have you finished your prayers?"

"Ah."

"Now that we have finished praying, we should go to the meditation room to study etiquette as requested by the master."

The four-year-old girl seemed lost in thought.

"Miss, you don't want to go?"

Nagayama Sakura seemed to understand the eldest lady's emotions.

"Yeah." The little girl answered in a baby voice and nodded.

Nagayama Sakura advised: "I hope you can understand your noble status. You are also the next chief priest and goddess of Matsumae Shrine. You want to take over the duties of the lady. I am sorry that I cannot let you do what you want, but for you, etiquette is a course that you must learn."

The four-year-old girl was very obedient, and didn't seem to want to embarrass Nagayama Sakura. After hearing his words, she gave up the idea of ​​not wanting to go.

She stood up and bowed to the jade fox statue in the shrine.

She was wearing a tiny shrine maiden's costume. Even though she was only four years old, she could perform the salute movements very properly and in a proper manner.

She walked outside the shrine and came to the entrance.

There was a small step at the entrance. She wanted to jump down directly, but the habit she had developed over the past few days made her restrain herself.

She turned carefully, put her hands together, and bowed gently to the shrine. Then she squatted down again and touched the ground with her hands to indicate her departure.

Then, she rolled up her small shrine maiden costume, squatted down, turned the shoes that were placed outside inwards to the outside, and then put them on.

The little girl went ahead and walked down the stone steps.

Nagayama Sakura followed behind her.

In fact, since then, Matsumae Shinharu has felt that there is always emptiness around her.

She wanted Ying Bo to stand next to her.

But I don't know what is holding her back.

She did not make this request.

After struggling for a long time, I finally chose to speak to the air:

"Father, aren't you home today?"

Yongshan Ying replied from behind, "Yes, the master has some important matters to attend to, and he probably won't be home until the early hours of the morning. Miss, you'd better go to bed early."

"What about mother?"

"Madam has been in the study all the time."

The little girl was silent.

She knew that she would not be able to see her mother again today.

All the way to the meditation room of the Matsumae family.

Meditation room.
As the name suggests, the etiquette class that the little girl needs to learn is naturally meditation - staying in the same place for four hours.

During this period, you cannot make any small movements, remain in the kneeling position, turn your head, or look around.

Only eyes closed and eyes open are allowed.

With my eyes open, I can only see the calligraphy and paintings in the meditation room.

Sakura Nagayama left after following Shinharu Matsumae to the meditation room.

The teacher in the meditation room was the little girl's cousin, a strict and rigid middle-aged woman with sharp eyebrows and eyes and a thin figure.

She closed her eyes. Behind her hung a painting with the word "heart" written on it. Next to her was a long pine ruler.

She was very clean all over, and the huge meditation room was also spotless, as if she had a mysophobia.

"Aunt Kako."

"Well, go ahead and sit down in front of me. It's still four hours today."

Matsumae Shinharu came to the cushion holding the shrine maiden's costume and took her seat.

Matsumae Shinchun remembered very clearly that she was a little afraid of her at that time, so she didn't dare to move for more than two hours.

Because the little girl knew very well the consequences of moving - being whipped ten times with a ruler.

Matsumae Shinchun still remembers the piercing pain of being hit on the hand by the ruler.

At the same time, she couldn't cry at that time, otherwise she would be hit ten more times.

My aunt was standing in front and didn't say anything.

Matsumae Shinchun just sat in front of her aunt, waiting for time to pass.

The little girl closed her eyes, without any distracting thoughts in her head, nor any intention to move. What she did was just like in the past, erasing the inappropriate thoughts from her mind and eliminating the inappropriate movements from her body.

but
The heart that has erased everything seems to become even emptier.

She suddenly wanted to see her mother.

Her mother hadn't seen her for several days. Neither had her father. Every morning when she woke up, she faced an empty, large, simple room.

It seemed like she was the only one in the house.

She is the only one living as the "eldest daughter of the Matsumae family".

All she had to do was follow the arrangements left by her father and study a whole day of family courses and family etiquette.

Perhaps her heart was too empty and her body was a little numb from sitting for a long time. The little girl couldn't help but turn her head and look in the direction of her mother's study when her aunt closed her eyes.

However, he didn't expect that even though he turned his head and glanced silently, his aunt who had her eyes closed still noticed it.

She picked up the ruler and walked over.

"hand."

Matsumae Shinchun lowered her head and consciously stretched out her chubby little hand.

"Do you know what you did wrong?"

“The rules should not be broken.”

"What's the reason?"

"No reason."

"You know not to make excuses, which is not bad." Matsumae Yoshiko nodded, very satisfied. "Precepts are precepts, rules are rules! The Matsumae family has been able to survive until now and to rise again because of these. You are the eldest daughter of the head of the Matsumae family, you should have known these things long ago. Do you know that you are wrong?"

"Know."

"Then hold out your hands."

As Matsumae Shinchun stretched out her hand, she closed her eyes in fear.

Just when she realized that her aunt had raised the ruler to hit her palm, something suddenly shouted outside.

squeak~
squeak~~
"Where did the mouse come from?"

Yoshiko Matsumae obviously couldn't stand this. She frowned and looked around in the meditation room following the sound. She suddenly found that the mouse seemed to be outside the wooden door.

The mouse was not only squeaking, but also scratching the door frame.

The next moment, he actually got into the meditation room and climbed onto the beam.

"Damn you, you worm!"

Yoshiko Matsumae was shocked and quickly picked up a broom to drive it away.

The mouse was extremely agile. Matsumae Shinchun looked back and saw that her aunt was being played around by the mouse, being chased left and right.

The cousin, who was originally very majestic, turned out to be a little funny.

After a chase, the mouse finally escaped.

It was obvious that my aunt had had enough and she wanted to go out.

"Xinchun, you stay here and rest for a while. I'll go find someone to take care of this. Remember, don't move! If I come back and see you looking around, be careful to give you ten more blows."

"Yeah." Matsumae Shinchun nodded obediently.

"Really? How come there are rats in this place?"

My aunt walked out of the meditation room complaining.

Matsumae Shinharu continued his meditation.

In silence, she once again wiped out all her thoughts and desires.

“Squeak~Squeak~~”

The rats are back?

But my aunt said not to move.

Matsumae Shinchun thought to herself, keeping her eyes closed.

“Squeak~Squeak~~”

The sound is getting closer.

Matsumae Shinchun was a little scared. What if a mouse suddenly came over and bit her?
"Squeak~squeak~squeak~squeak~~~"

Getting closer, getting closer.

Matsumae Shinchun was so scared, but she didn't dare to do anything. She just closed her eyes.

She is more afraid of her aunt than mice.
I was afraid of breaking the precepts and rules that my aunt always talked about.

I was afraid that my father would look disappointed in me after hearing my aunt's evaluation of me.

I am even more afraid that I won’t be able to see my mother because of my ignorance.

I can’t eat the mung bean cake that my mother gave me.

So the little girl just closed her eyes and stayed where she was nervously.

"Heart~~Spring!"

Hearing this cheerful voice, Matsumae Shinchun opened her eyes immediately.

She never expected that Xiaoyue would appear here.

Jiuhuayue sat down next to Matsumae Xinchun's kneeling mat, raised her head, and looked left and right at the meditation room.

"Xinchun, why are you sitting here again?"

"Because... Because we're in class." Matsumae Shinchun looked at her relaxed appearance and answered with a stuttering voice.

"What kind of class is this? It's so boring~"

"."Matsumae Shinharu didn't know how to answer her childhood sweetheart.

"Aunt, I helped you chase it away!"

".Drive away?"

"It's the mouse from before. Isn't it interesting? I caught it and I released it!"

"How amazing." Matsumae Shinchun's face was full of admiration.

"You know how powerful I am!"

Jiuhuayue was cool, with his hands behind his back. His purple eyes, which were originally looking up at the ceiling, suddenly turned in another direction and looked at Matsumae Shinchun.

She smiled:
"Actually, I came here with my dad today. As soon as I arrived, I knew you were in the meditation room again. Last time, I saw you being beaten badly by that vicious old woman! I was so angry that I caught a mouse on purpose to tease her this time!"

A fierce, vicious old woman?
Matsumae Shinchun subconsciously retorted in a childish voice: "No, you can't say that, auntie."

"Xinchun, you are being mean to me."

"No! No."

"But she beat you up and made you cry last time, right?"

"Yes"

"Isn't it too much to beat Xinchun until she cried? You're just a mean old woman!"

"."Matsumae Shinchun didn't know how to refute again.

Jiuhuayue smiled beautifully.

Matsumae Shinchun saw her approaching her.

"Look at you, you're crying again this time. Why are you still defending that old woman when you're already crying?"

Only then did Matsumae Shinchun realize that she had been scared to tears because she was going to be beaten by her aunt.

Jiuhuayue stretched out her hand, leaned towards her eyes and wiped them. "I won't let my good friend be bullied."

My good friend's voice is a little immature and childish.

Matsumae Shinharu still remembers what Satsuki said to him.

But the little girl didn't know that at that time.

She only knew that the feeling Jiuhuayue gave her was as good as that of a mother who could comfort her.

But compared to my mother.
Xiaoyue, however, doesn't have the same adult-like feeling as her mother does when she talks to him.

It's like a very close, family-like relationship between me and my mother.

The little girl at that time didn't know what it was called.

But Xiaoyue just said the word "good friend"
For the first time, she felt like she had a real “good friend”.

As her childhood playmate wiped her tears, the little girl found herself feeling a little shy in front of her.

"Xinchun, why are you hiding from me? Why are you always like this?"

"Nothing."

"You're not happy about me wiping your tears! Or do you, Xinchun, not want to play with me anymore? I'll be angry!" Jiuhuayue puffed up her cheeks, looking very childish.

Matsumae Shinchun said hurriedly: "I, of course I don't hate Xiaoyue!"

"Then come hang out with me, how about that?"

"go out.?"

Matsumae Shinchun saw the hand she extended to her.

The image of her aunt and the ruler she wore flashed through her mind.

Jiu Huayue continued, "Don't you want to go out? Haven't you been saying that you want to see your aunt? I'll take you to see her directly."

"But."

"It's strange, why doesn't Matsumae want to leave here?"

"Because." Matsumae Shinchun lowered her head, her chubby little hands tangled together, "You must listen to your aunt and not violate the rules of the meditation room."

"I don't understand. It's so strange. Why do you have to stay here all the time, Xinchun? I don't have to do this."

"Xiaoyue, won't you stay in the meditation room every day?"

"No, I don't have anything like that at home."

"."

"Envy me." Jiuhuayue laughed again.

"Yeah." Matsumae Shinchun nodded heavily.

"Xinchun doesn't like the meditation room."

".have no idea."

Jiu Huayue was very confused, "Why don't you know? You are so afraid of that old witch, Xinchun."

"I am a little scared of Aunt Jiazi."

"Since you're afraid of that old witch, then Xinchun must really hate the meditation room!"

"Is that so?" Matsumae Shinchun didn't know why she felt a sense of anticipation in her heart.

"That must be it!"

“That’s probably it.”

"I'll take you out."

"Take me out?"

Matsumae Shinchun saw her hand reaching out to her again.

"Come on, Kokoro-chan, come out and play with me. I'm so bored alone."

Matsumae Shinchun suddenly saw the shadow of her aunt walking slowly outside the shoji.

"My aunt is here. I can't go out."

Jiu Huayue felt very uncomfortable. She couldn't understand why her good friend would be like this.

I obviously don’t like the old witch, and I obviously don’t like the meditation room.

But I just don't want to go out.

She hated this feeling.

Even if you don't know what it is.

But I just hate it.

At this time, my aunt was already near the door.

Matsumae Shinchun remained silent. She planned to wait for her aunt to arrive, slap her hands, and then quietly wait for the meditation to end before continuing to practice and practice calligraphy.

"What? Why do we have to listen to that old witch? Let's go out and play! We don't want to stay here and be bored!"

But suddenly, Jiuhuayue ignored her opinion and directly held her hand.

"Run!"

She pulled her and ran out together under the surprised gaze of Matsumae Yoshiko who had just pushed open the shoji.

"Yue! What are you doing with Xinchun again? Stop right there!"

"Lululu! I won't listen to this old witch! I won't stop!"

"Old witch!? You have no manners! What did you call me?!"

My aunt's voice was still echoing behind me.

The aunt was obviously very angry and chased after me with a ruler in hand.

"stop!"

Both Matsumae Shinchun and Jiuhuayue were a little scared, but this actually motivated them to run faster.

"Haha! Xinchun, let's run!"

"Xiao-Xiao Yue! Slow down!"

"stop!"

“No!” Jiu Huayue turned around and made a face happily, “Lue! I won’t stop! I’ll make you so mad!”

"You little bastard!" Matsumae Yoshiko was furious. She felt that the ruler was not enough, so she broke off a thin bamboo from the flower bed nearby.

"Damn it! The old witch is really angry!"

"Let's go back and apologize."

"No way! We'll get beaten badly! We just need to run, run far away, and we'll be fine!"

Matsumae Xinchun felt very scared, but Jiuhuayue in front of her was laughing excitedly. She kept calling her aunt and old witch, while pulling her and constantly telling her to run faster.

They ran together through the inner courtyard and through the kitchen.

When she was about to be caught by her aunt, Jiuhuayue pulled her again, stepped down barefoot, and ran along the cherry blossom trees of the Matsumae family towards the mountain of the Matsumae Shrine.

Run and run and run.

Matsumae Shinchun didn't know how long she had been following Jiuhuayue, but her aunt had disappeared long ago.

The feet of both of them also became dirty.

The two were in a bamboo forest, beside a stream, and next to a moss-covered jade fox statue.

Jiuhuayue didn't care whether she was dirty or not. She sat down on the moist soil covered with moss and bamboo leaves, breathing heavily.

Matsumae Shinchun stood there and saw her smiling at him with sweat all over her forehead:
"Run, ran away"

"Yeah, ran away."

Matsumae Shinchun was very tired, but at this moment she also felt that this was very comfortable.

Quiet bamboo forest and clear stream.

Both her body and mind, as well as the environment, made her feel extremely refreshed.

"Xinchun thinks I'm awesome, right?"

"Xiaoyue is amazing."

"Xinchun, you are as good as me! Look, we fooled that old witch around! She doesn't even know where to find us!"

Matsumae Shinharu felt warm at heart when she saw her childhood sweetheart's smile, but at the same time, she was also confused:

"Xiaoyue, why did you pull me out?"

"Stupid~"

"Ah? Xiaoyue, why, why did you scold me?" Matsumae Shinchun suddenly felt very sad.

"Because Kokoharu is an idiot!"

"."

Matsumae Xinchun dodged his gaze for a while, but when he looked at Jiuhuayue again.

Seeing the sunlight falling on her face, her purple eyes sparkled beautifully and delicately:

"It's simple! Xinchun is my good friend! A good friend for life!"

"A lifelong friend?"

"Yes!" Jiu Huayue said firmly. She propped herself up and stretched out her dirty little hand towards Songqian Xinchun. "If Xinchun doesn't believe me, let's make a pinky promise! This is our agreement!"

"Promise?"

"Yes! It's settled! Promise! Right now, right now."

Jiuhuayue suddenly caught a glimpse of the Jade Fox God enshrined in the shrine beside the stream.

"Under the witness of this!"

".It is Lord Shiroha, the guardian deity of the Matsumae family."

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! Come on," Jiu Huayue stretched out her little finger and smiled brightly, "Let's pinky promise."

"it is good"

They made a pinky promise and then pressed their two tender little hands together.

Everything is so simple and casual.

"Friends for life~"

"Yeah, a lifelong friend."

A lifelong friend.

Sixteen-year-old Matsumae Shinchun opened her eyes and faced the jade fox statue in the shrine.

Although both of them were beaten by their aunt afterwards, Matsumae Shinchun always remembered her, their childhood sweetheart, and her smile facing the sunshine in the bamboo forest.

To her, Xiaoyue at that time was so noble even with the dirt on her toes.

That was her first time, her first time experiencing the feeling of running away.

After Matsumae Shinchun finished her prayer, she suddenly heard a bell outside the door. She got up and went to open the door, but saw no one.

Just when she was feeling puzzled, she suddenly saw a bottle of hand cream on the ground.

Matsumae Xinchun squatted down, picked it up curiously, and saw a line of words in Jiuhuayue's handwriting that she was familiar with - "Nuo, this is for you. Your hand was burned, and it will be ugly if it leaves a scar!"

Matsumae Shinchun looked at the words and then looked at the hand cream in her other hand.

Thinking of their childhood friendship again, tears almost fell.

She placed the hand cream on her chest.

"Thanks."

The girl spoke softly and quietly.

And after Matsumae Shinchun closed the door and returned home.

Fujii Itsuki, who was hiding against the wall outside, breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the imitation handwriting was not seen through.

He still thinks he is perfect.

Although Xiao Jiuhua was still reluctant to say why they broke up, judging from Jiuhua's attitude that day, she obviously didn't really hate Matsumae.

If we do this, it should be able to slightly advance the reconciliation between the two of them, right?
If Jiuhua fails in the subsequent selection, Matsumae will take care of her.

Ugh.
Fujii Itsuki really couldn't bear to see Matsumae always looking so sad.

I always feel sorry for the professor.

Seeing how happy Matsumae was after receiving the gift, I felt happy too.

I really am
Fujii Itsuki smiled and shook his head, lit a cigarette, picked up the vegetables he had just bought from the supermarket, and continued walking towards Jiuhua's house.

(End of this chapter)