Chapter 13 firefly

His own situation is like the flowing water in front of him. The man who hides in the shade of willows and spends the night under the tattered mat is none other than Hiyoshi who has not been heard from since leaving Nakamura.On a frosty night in January last year, Riji left his mother a bag of salt, and took the usual money left by his father, vowed to his mother and sister that he would return with glory, and left home. As usual, he worked in a merchant or as a craftsman's apprentice, but he didn't feel that he was adrift, and he only wanted to serve a samurai.However, no samurai family is willing to take in a poor boy whose background is unknown and who is not attractive at first glance.Qingzhou, Nakoya, Junfu, Odawara, along the way, have been doing jobs such as helping in the dyeing workshop and helping to clean the stables.Occasionally, if you muster up your courage and recommend yourself to a samurai, you will be ridiculed, reprimanded, chased away with a bamboo broom, and treated like a beggar.The money that was not much at all will be gone soon.This world is just like Yabuyama's aunt said, and Hiyoshi's own thoughts are too naive.

However, Hiji did not give up his dream.Because he firmly believes that his wish will not make people feel ashamed no matter who he tells it to.Although he has no fixed place to live, he has not forgotten his wish - to make the most unfortunate mother in the world the happiest person in the world; and to make his poor unmarried sister happy.Of course, Hiyoshi himself has many desires.Especially at the age of seventeen, I always feel that no matter how much I eat, I can’t get enough to eat; when I see a good house, I also want to live in such a house; Seeing a beautiful woman, I always feel that the fragrance in the wind is particularly strong.But let the mother's happiness be placed in front of all desires. Before this first wish was fulfilled, he never thought about satisfying his own desires first.

In addition, he has his own unique fun.This can be said to be a kind of pleasure that can overcome material desires.That is, he didn't want to be adrift and starve at all.He felt that he was understanding everything he did not understand--the subtleties of the world, human nature, customs, the armaments of nations, and the lives of people.From Hirohito to the end of Muromachi, warrior training was very popular, and Hiyoshi also lived the same hard life for a year and a half.But he did not use his sword for the purpose of martial arts, but bought some kapok needles and silk needles from a wholesaler with limited money and wrapped them into small bags. While selling needles, he traveled to Koshu, North Vietnam and other places.

"Do you want to buy needles? Suture needles in the capital. Does anyone buy needles? Kapok needles, silk needles, needles in the capital!" Riji peddled while traveling around the world, living on meager profits.Although he makes a living by selling thin needles, he is not a narrow-minded person who sees people and things through the holes of needles.Hojo in Odawara, Takeda in Koshu, Imagawa in Sumfu, and Hokuetsu cities all the way feel that the current situation is uncertain and there will be huge changes.Different from previous infighting-like wars, he had a premonition that this would be a large-scale battle of justice that would affect the whole of Japan.So, he thought to himself, I am very young, and my future begins here.

At present, the elderly deacons of the Muromachi Shogunate are tired of work, causing confusion and decay.The world is waiting for us young.Vaguely, he walked all the way with this thought in mind.From the Northern Continent, I walked around Kyoto and Omi.I came to Okazaki via Owari because I heard that my father had relatives here, and I wanted to ask my relatives.That being said, Hiji is by no means the kind of shameless person who simply asks relatives and friends to solve the problem of board and lodging. At the beginning of this summer, Hiyoshi suffered from some food poisoning and suffered from severe dysentery.He endured the pain and walked in order to inquire about the situation at Nakamura's home.Now the person he was looking for has not been found.Today I stared at the scorching sun and walked aimlessly. I ate raw cucumbers and drank well water. My stomach hurts again.At dusk, he arrived at the river, endured the pain, and fell asleep in the boat with his stomach gurgling.It may be because of low-grade fever, dry mouth, pain in the mouth as if being stabbed, and no saliva at all.At this time, he pictured the appearance of his mother in his mind, and his mother appeared in his dream, and slowly, he fell into a deep sleep, where there was no mother, no abdominal pain, nothing.Suddenly he felt that someone was calling him, and someone stabbed him in the chest with a gun.

"Who is it?" Hiji grabbed the handle of the gun unconsciously, and let out a roar that was extremely disproportionate to his body.The chest is where the soul of a man rests, and it is as important as a shrine to the body.Being stabbed with a gun, no matter who that person is, has already annoyed Riji. "Boy, get up!" Xiao Liu's subordinates said while grabbing back the grip of the gun. Hiji stood up still clutching the butt of the gun. "Get up? Look, didn't I get up? What are you doing?" Hiji replied. "Oh, you beggar!" Feeling Hiji's strength and resistance from the handle of the gun, Xiaoliu's subordinates showed terrifying expressions and began to threaten him.

"Let you come out and get off that boat!" "Leave the ship?" "Yes, I want that boat to be useful, pour it out for me quickly, and disappear!" Unexpectedly, Riji deliberately made trouble for him, sat firmly on the boat and said, "No." "what?" "don't want." "don't want?" "Well, I just won't do it." "You bastard..." "What guy? When I was sleeping soundly, you stabbed me with the butt of a gun, and you still need to use this boat. What is leaving? What is disappearing?"

"A blunt fellow, wild boy!" "how?" "Do you know who we are?" "People." "That's up to you!" "Someone asked!" "Smart-tongued boy, I'll scare you to death after hearing what I said. We are the local tyrants of Hachisuka Village. Following the leader Xiaoliu Masakatsu, dozens of us are going to cross the Yahagawa River tonight, but there is no boat, and we are looking for a boat everywhere. By the time I saw your boat." "You see the boat, don't you see any people? I live here." "It was because I saw you that I woke you up. Stop talking, get up, and come out!"

"so annoying!" "What? Try saying it again!" "It's the same again and again, I won't do it, I won't do it, I won't give you this boat!" "You really dare to say it." Xiao Liu's subordinates yanked the handle of the gun and kicked their feet on the ground, as if they were trying to drag Riji ashore.Riji let go of his hand at the right time, and the handle of the gun slid across the willow leaves. Xiaoliu's subordinates staggered a few steps back. Mats etc. Hiji cursed a few times, "Idiot!" At this time, other people rushed over, saying to each other, "Wait!" "What's wrong?"

"Who is it?" Soon Xiao Liu and most of his subordinates arrived. "Is there a boat?" "Yes, but..." "What's the matter?" Pushing back the noisy subordinates, Xiao Liu stood up silently, looking at the boat under the willow shade.Seeing Xiao Liu's figure, Hiji realized that this person was the leader of this group of people, he sat up slightly, and looked at Xiao Liu. Xiaoliu kept staring at Riji, but said nothing.He wasn't surprised by Riji's appearance and figure, but was a little surprised by the eyes looking straight at him, and couldn't help thinking in his heart: "Although this person has a strange appearance, he is definitely not an ordinary person." Thinking so, he concentrated again Watching, the more you look, the more you feel that Hiji's eyes are shining like flying squirrels in the dark night, and there is no intention of dodging.Finally, Xiao Liu relaxed his eyes, and at the same time called out in a natural voice: "Children." Riji didn't answer, and remained silent.He didn't take his eyes off Xiao Liu's face either.

"Hi, kid." "Call me?" Hiji puffed up his face again. Xiao Liu said: "Yes, there is no one else on this boat except you." Riji straightened his shoulders and replied, "I'm not a child, I've already performed Yuanfu." Xiao Liu suddenly laughed out loud. "That's it, you are an adult. But is there anything you can do like an adult?" "So many of you, what do you want to do to me alone? Are you wild warriors?" "You kid, it's quite interesting to talk." "What's the fun? I'm sleeping soundly and I have a stomachache, so no matter who comes, no matter what you say, I just don't want to leave here." "Well, does your stomach hurt?" "It hurts." "what's up?" "Maybe I drank unclean water and got some heatstroke." "Where is your hometown?" "Nakamura of Owari." "Nakamura. Which one of Nakamura are you?" "I can't mention my parents' names. My name is Hiji. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wake them up, and ask the bottom line, where are you from?" "I'm from Owari Kaito Township just like you. I'm Hachisuka Koroku Masakatsu from Hachisuka Village, but I didn't know there was someone like you there. Why, you came here on a business trip ?" Hiji did not answer the question. "Ah, you guys are from Haidong Township, that's not far from my village!" Hiji suddenly changed his friendly expression, and wanted to inquire about the situation in Nakamura. "In this case, you are all fellow villagers. Although you said you don't want it just now, let the boat go to you now." As he spoke, he picked up the cargo bag used as a pillow and came ashore.Xiao Liu has been quietly watching his every move.It was also the first time for Xiao Liu to see this kind of eloquent young man who was smooth and sophisticated because of his business and traveling.After Hiji agreed, he left the boat without any sign of fear, and left listlessly. "Wait a minute, Hiji, where are you going?" "The boat was taken away, and I have no place to sleep. If I sleep on the grass and get wet with dew, I will get sick and have a stomachache. There is no other way, so let's just walk until dawn." "In that case, come with me." "where to?" "Go to Hachisuka Village. Come to my house. I will give you food and medical treatment." "Thank you!" Hiji replied tactfully, looking at his feet in consideration. "So, are you trying to hire me by letting me go to your house?" "I saw your look, you have merit, if you want to follow me, you can." "That's not true." Hiji raised his face and said clearly, "I want to serve the samurai. The most important thing is to choose the right master, not to recognize the master casually." "Hahahaha, it's getting more and more interesting. I, Xiaoliu Zhengsheng, am I not worthy to be your master?" "It's hard to say if you don't get along, but in our village, I haven't heard anything good about the Hachisuka clan in Hachisuka village. Also, the man who stole from the house of the master I used to work for is also said to be from the Hachisuka clan. If I become a thief's subordinate, my mother will be sad, and I can't work in such a house." "Then, have you ever worked for the owner of the china shop, Shijiro?" "How did you know?" "Watanabe Tenzo, who broke into the house and did bad things, is my clan member, but I have given up on that unworthy person. Although Tenzo escaped, we wiped out his accomplices. We are returning home On the way to catch up. In your ears, is my Xiao Liuyi's family misrepresented like that?" "Oh, uncle is not that kind of person." Although he was only seventeen years old, Hiji said in a mature tone.Then he suddenly thought of something and said: "Then, uncle, we don't make any agreement, you can take me to Hachisuka Village, and then, I want to go to Erji's relative's house." "The second temple is the neighboring village of Hachisuka Village. Do you know anyone there?" "Oh, Shinzaemon who made the barrel is a relative of my mother." "Shinzaemon who made the barrel is a descendant of a samurai, so your mother is also a descendant of a samurai." "My father is a samurai, although I am now." While talking, the boat was already full, and Xiao Liu's subordinates were holding the oars, waiting for Xiao Liu to board the boat. "Hiyoshi, come up first anyway, if you want to go to Niji Temple, go to Erji Temple, if you want to go to Hachisuka Village, go to Hachisuka Village." Xiaoliu hugged Riji's shoulders and went down to the boat together.Riji's thin body was hidden among the long spears and tall men.The river is swift so it will take some time to cross.Riji waited boredly, and suddenly found a firefly that had landed on Xiaoliu's subordinates, and caught it with his hands, watching the bright and dark light intently at that time.

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