Chapter 9 first quarter
"It looks like a prank by the kid Anya."
A particularly loud voice came from the noisy voices, making Ah Jing look back.
This is a wheat rice shop at the east end of the Liangliang Bridge, and the time is noon.In this season when you sweat just by breathing, the simple signboard of "Maifan with Yam Sauce" has attracted many customers.For Ah Jing, who is in charge of serving the dishes, this is the busiest time of the day.
The person who said this was Hui Xiangyuan Moshichi, the chief catcher in charge of the Fukagawa area of our office.
"It's best to eat wheat rice with yam juice in hot weather. As long as you put this in your stomach, you will never suffer from heat stroke."
He always said so, and often came to eat.I usually come alone, but today there is a striking beauty by my side.
She was about thirty years old, with fair complexion, plump and soft cheeks, and bright rouge on her lips.
"Hey, it's Haru Fuji."
Hearing the guest who was squinting at the woman say so in a low voice, Ah Jing suddenly realized.
(It turned out to be Sanxian teacher from Tokiwatsu...)
No wonder it's so stylishly dressed.
Ah Jing suddenly thought that she was younger than Fujiharu, but her hands were rough, her hair was dry, and she was wearing an apron, and she suddenly felt sad.
Although he knew that it was unreasonable to compare himself with a woman like Fujiharu who made a living out of skills.But thinking like this is all due to the loneliness after losing Mrs. Zhuang.
Before Mrs. Zhuang passed away, Ah Jing thought she was the happiest wife in Edo; she had bright eyebrows, and she was as beautiful as Yoshihara's oiran.
If Mrs. Zhuang is by her side.
Thinking of this, Ah Jing once again felt helpless.The feeling of wanting to follow Mrs. Zhuang seeped into her body like cold water.
"I heard that Kinny Anya is a monster transformed from an otter?"
The voice of the shop owner sounded from the side, and Ah Jing came back to her senses.
"Well, some people say it's an otter, while others say it's a fox. There are all kinds of theories, but no one seems to know the truth."
Mao Qizhang replied while grilling the rice.
Moshichi, with a soy sauce-colored face and hoarse voice, has reached the age where it is not surprising to have grandchildren, but when he chats enthusiastically, he looks like an innocent child.
Not only Mao Qi, but the guests present also stopped their chopsticks, holding a large bowl, with a relaxed and carefree expression, listening attentively or interjecting from the side.
"That's it, does the boss really believe that kind of thing?"
The young master sitting in the corner taunted Moshichi.Mao Qi responded with an "oh", and continued:
"Of course I believe it. The legend is true. I have a friend Jiang Taigong, even the fish he caught were taken away, and he escaped with great difficulty."
Ah Jing couldn't help smiling slightly.
They speak of the legend of "putting down the canal".As the young man said, this is indeed not the boss's usual style.
Ah Jing then thought again, the boss's small talk was probably trying to cheer me up.Although he said all kinds of reasons, he came to the shop every two or three days, probably because he was thinking about me.
This is indeed worthy of gratitude, but the wound in my heart can no longer be repaired.
"Leave it alone? I thought it was just a silly strange talk, at most it was a prank by the civet cat."
The boss tilted his head and said.
Putting down the canal is one of the seven strange things in our institute. Ah Jinghui has heard people say it and has seen pictures.
It is said that in the evening, if there are fishermen returning with a full load, happily passing by the vicinity of the Jinshi Canal in our office, this kind of call will come from nowhere:
"Put it down... put it down."
Even if you think you have heard it wrong and ignore it, that voice will always follow you.After the person concerned ran home in fear, he found that there was nothing in the fish basket—this is the content of the legend.
Mrs. Zhuang used to laugh like this:
"Mostly, it's a nonsense made up by fishermen who always like to boast, racking their brains to justify the empty fishing basket because they can't catch any fish."
"Aren't you afraid?"
"Fresh fish peddler, when you heard someone tell you to put the fish down, how could you really put it down? The so-called seven strange things should have been just a joke at first."
Mrs. Zhuang is a very energetic person... Every time she thinks of him, Ah Jing always cries from the bottom of her heart.
"What does Anya kid look like?"
asked the other guests sitting in the back.Mao Qi turned around and responded, almost frothing with enthusiasm.
"I heard that it looks terrifying. Although the body is only as big as a small hairy head, its hands and feet have webbed fins similar to fish fins, and its nails are sharp. Its head is about the size of a soy sauce bucket, and its eyes are the size of a baby's head. The mouth is about half the size of the wheel of a large cart, and the mouth is full of dagger-like fangs. Whether it is carp or other fish, they chew on the head and tail, and there are no bones left. And ah... "
The leader lowered his voice seriously and continued:
"I heard that when you meet the little ghost Anya, you must throw out the fattest fish in the fish basket, and run away while that guy is eating the fish, or you will be eaten by that guy."
The guests laughed and talked loudly.Fujiharu also smiled quietly.
"Is it true that the Anya kid will appear after leaving him alone?"
"Of course it's true. My lads have seen footprints."
This time the guests couldn't help making a fuss.
"What kind of footprints?"
"I heard that it is very similar to a surprisingly large frog. That kid is not a coward, but when he saw the footprints, he almost couldn't straighten up and crawled back."
"Where do the footprints go?"
the boss leaned out and asked.The leader raised his finger to indicate the direction.
"I heard that it went all the way to Sanzhiqiao. When I arrived at the scene, the footprints disappeared. It's a pity."
Ah Jing was shocked for the first time.
Ah Jing lived near the Sanzhiqiao—the ten-household adjoining courtyard next to the vertical river in Lvding 5-chome.
Ah Jing was not the only one who felt nervous, the other guests were also very quiet.
Then there was a loud, laughable voice; it was an idle-looking man who had just entered, with a large scar on his cheek.He had a good-natured appearance and a clever look.
"Where, it's nothing. In my hometown, it's not called Anya kid. Although the appearance is a bit scary, but it only eats fish and doesn't do bad things."
"Then, what is the original form?"
The man snorted and said:
"It is said that it is the reincarnation of a fisherman or fishmonger who died with death."
There was a different silence in the shop than before.
Most of the customers who come and go in this wheat rice shop know about Ah Jing's life experience.Not only did they know that Mrs. Zhuang, Ah Jing's deceased husband, was a fishmonger, but she also knew that Mrs. Zhuang died unexpectedly.
"Hey, don't talk nonsense."
The neighbor seated reproachfully, the idle man raised his chin and said:
"Where am I talking nonsense? It's true in my hometown. When people who sell fish for a living are killed and can't rest in peace, they will become shore ghosts."
The man sitting next to him also propped up his upper body as if he was about to fight.Mao Qitao intervened to mediate:
"There's no need for a big man to blow his beard and stare at this kind of thing. It's my fault, I shouldn't mention it. After all, the Anya kid should be a monster turned into an otter, it must be like this."
Soon, when the boss was about to leave the shop, he looked at Ah Jing and raised his eyebrows.
(Sorry, it turned out that way.)
His expression seemed to mean it.Ah Jing bowed silently.Fuji Haru, who was following behind the leader, also nodded slightly as if asking Ah Jing to pay attention.
Then, for a moment, she looked at Ah Jing with unspeakable eyes.Those eyes were so intense that Ah Jing couldn't help but back away.It's just that she didn't say a word after all.
(This person is so quiet... But why does she look at me like that?)
The other party is Teacher Tokiwa Tsu Sanxian, and his voice should be delicate and pleasant, and it should also be very generous.If she wanted to say something to Ah Jing, it was impossible to remain silent.
Ah Jing was a little concerned, and afterwards quietly mentioned the matter of Fuji Haru, and the owner of the wheat rice shop said something unexpected.
"She's poor. She had a nice voice."
"It used to sound nice..."
"Yes. I heard that there is a malignant tumor in the throat, and the voice is hoarse. The cuckoo bird that can't make a sound is so pitiful."
"Has it been like this before?"
"No, it seems to have deteriorated a month ago. The neighbor found Fujiharu out of pain and carried her to the town doctor on a wooden board."
Fujiharu's unspeakable eyes appeared in Ah Jing's heart.
It turns out that such a beautiful person will also encounter misfortune.
Life is really unsatisfactory nine times out of ten.There is nothing good about living in this world.Thinking of this, Ah Jing couldn't help but stop washing the dishes, and stood aside in a daze.
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