Osaka, Shinmachi, Nanakusa, Sodaemon's office——
"…I understand the specific reasons."
Sotadaemon glanced at the four people sitting in a circle in front of him, Ogata, Amachi, Hatsumitsu, and Shibata, and sighed softly.
After the "Yukimura Attack" incident, Miura and the others were naturally in no mood to hold any banquet. The banquet ended hastily, and Ogata and the others escorted Hatsumitsu back to Nanakusa-ya, while reporting to Sodaemon the dramatic series of events that had occurred tonight.
"I didn't expect so many things to happen tonight..."
"Thank you for your hard work tonight."
Having said this, Sotadaemon turned his attention to Ogata and Atachi, who were sitting behind Hatsumitsu.
Mixed emotions.
"…Hatsumitsu, Shibata, the two of you should step back first."
Hatsumitsu, Shibata: "Yes."
Neither of them said much. They said "yes" in unison and quickly left the room.
Chu Guang left without any hesitation.
As for Shibata, before leaving, he looked at Ogata and the others with awe before leaving.
When Sotaemon, Ogata, and Atachi were the only three people left in the room, Sotaemon let out a long sigh.
"Anyone who can become that guy's friend is indeed not an ordinary person." The "that guy" that Sodaemon mentioned was naturally Fuma.
"I never thought... that Yukimura would actually bow humbly to you two..."
"If you want to ask who we are, I'm sorry I can't tell you." Ogata said half-jokingly.
"I didn't intend to ask. 'Sometimes, ignorance is bliss' - that's one of my mottos."
"What's more, you are a friend of that Feng Jun... Since you are a friend of that person... I don't want to ask who you are. After all, I have suffered from this kind of thing before."
After saying that, Sotadaemon took out a piece of letter paper from the cabinet next to him.
"For me, it doesn't matter who you are. I just want to know that you helped me a lot. Thank you both so much tonight. You helped me a lot."
"If you two hadn't shown up in time, I really don't know where I would have found someone to fill the vacancies of Chu Guang's guard and assistant."
"Here, this is the agreed reward."
Sotadaemon handed the letter in his hand to Ogata.
"The address written above is where the swordsmith Yoji lives."
"Thank you." Ogata took the letter.
"You have found the right person to repair your sword, Yoji." Sotadaemon said with a smile. "Yoji may not be well-known, but his skills in both sword-making and sword-repairing can be described as reaching the pinnacle."
"As far as I know, everyone around me who has asked Yu Er to forge or repair knives has praised Yu Er's skills."
"It is said that Yoji was once a disciple of the famous Honami clan, and the sword-refining technique he used was the sharpening technique passed down from generation to generation by Honami clan."
"Honami?" Ogata raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Is he still a member of the Honami clan?"
Honami - a famous family in the Edo period.
Their family has been engaged in sword sharpening and sword appraisal for generations.
People who wanted to ask Honami to repair or appraise their swords came in droves.
When it comes to sword sharpening, the Honami clan is second to none, and I'm afraid no other clan would dare to claim to be first.
"It's just a rumor. I don't know if it's true or not." Sotada shrugged. "But whether he is the descendant of Honami or not, his sword-making skills are unparalleled - there is no doubt about that."
"It's a pity that although his skills are good, his temperament is really too weird."
"He's a weirdo who doesn't like dealing with people and only likes dealing with knives."
"To put it simply, he is a 'knife maniac'."
"He doesn't pursue fame, wealth or status, and never forges or repairs knives for fame or money, so he is still unknown until now, and lives in this remote place, leading a life like a hermit."
"With his ability, it should be easy for him to live a wealthy life."
"A sword fanatic?" Ogata murmured as he once again looked at the piece of letter paper in his hand with Yoji's address written on it.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
After hearing what Soedaemon had just said, he couldn't help but become more interested in this swordsmith whom he had yet to meet.
…
…
Ogata and Atachi walked side by side to the first floor of Nanakusa-ya, preparing to leave Nanakusa-ya.
"When are you going to look for that Yoji?" Atachi asked Ogata.
"When it comes to repairing a sword, the sooner the better. So I plan to go find that Yuji tomorrow."
After saying this, Ogata shrugged and added:
"I hope that Yoji is a swordsmith who lives up to my expectations. I don't want to come all the way to Osaka only to be disappointed."
"Mashima-san, Mashima-san."
While Ogata and Atachi were chatting and laughing, a pleasant young female voice suddenly sounded behind them.
“Ms. Hatsumitsu…?” Ogata looked behind him in surprise, at the owner of the young female voice just now - Hatsumitsu.
Hatsumitsu folded his white-gloved hands in front of him, smiled, and walked slowly towards them from behind Ogata and the other man.
"Thank you for your hard work tonight." Hatsumitsu bowed deeply to Ogata and the others, "Thank you very much."
"You're too kind." Ogata was quite fond of the polite and gentle Hatsumitsu, so he immediately returned the compliment politely, "We didn't do anything big tonight."
Chu Guang smiled and shook his head: "Let's not mention that you solved my urgent problem of losing my assistants and guards. Just the fact that you helped me deal with Lord Yukimura tonight is enough for me to solemnly say thank you to you."
"I'm not very good at dealing with people like Yukimura-sama who have a more domineering and strong personality."
At this time, Chu Guang smiled sweetly and changed her tone to a playful one.
"Just now, facing Mr. Yukimura's invitation, I was actually very scared."
"I'm afraid that if Yukimura-sama insists on having me perform there, what should I do? Yukimura-sama is scary, and the rules and punishments of our Nanakusa-ya are equally scary."
"Thanks to your presence, this matter was able to end dignified and safely."
"Please allow me to say thank you again."
Hatsumitsu bowed to Ogata and Omachi again.
"You're really too kind. My wife and I actually didn't do anything..." Ogata smiled bitterly and returned the compliment.
Hatsumitsu was so polite that even Ogata felt flattered.
"I heard from Mr. Sotadaemon that you will only replace my assistant and bodyguard tonight and will not come again. Is this true?" Chuguang asked.
"Yes. It's true." Ogata nodded, "Tonight, for some reasons, I just helped Sotadaemon."
“Is that so…” Chu Guang’s face showed a noticeable look of disappointment, but soon it turned back into a smile, “Then if you two need anything in the future, you can come to me.”
“I am happy to meet with friends and help them solve their problems.”
"Haha, although I don't have any other special skills besides playing the piano."
Perhaps it was because they were in private now, Chu Guang at this moment showed a completely different state from when he was playing the piano at the banquet just now.
If the Chuguang who just played the piano at the banquet was like a fairy who was not of this world.
Now Chu Guang is like an ordinary cheerful girl.
Looking at Hatsumi with a gentle smile on her face, Ogata's mouth corners unconsciously curled up slightly.
"Yes. When we have time and opportunity in the future, my wife and I will come visit again."
"Yes! I'm welcome anytime!"
Hatsumitsu was now planning to return to his room, while Ogata and the others were planning to leave Nanakusa-ya. They happened to be going the same way, so they naturally started walking together.
"By the way, Miss Hatsumitsu, I have a question I have always wanted to ask you. I wonder if you would be able to answer it." While walking with Hatsumitsu, Ogata suddenly asked this to Hatsumitsu beside him.
"Well? Just ask. I will tell you everything I can answer!"
"It's not a big deal. I just wanted to ask - why do you keep wearing these gloves?"
Ogata turned his gaze to the gloved hands of Hatsumitsu that were folded in front of him.
"I saw you wearing these gloves when you were playing the piano at the banquet just now. You didn't take them off."
Playing the piano with gloves on - this is indeed quite rare.
Anyone who has learned stringed instruments knows that for instruments like the shamisen, which require pressing and plucking the strings, wearing gloves and not wearing gloves are two different experiences. Generally speaking, the former should be easier to play than the latter.
Whether in his past life or in this life, Ogata rarely saw people playing the piano with gloves. Tonight, he encountered such an outlier.
"Oh, well, there's no special reason for this. It's just that I accidentally got burned on the back of my left hand, which left an ugly scar. I wear gloves to cover the scar."
"It feels weird if I only wear the left glove, so I just wear two gloves."
After saying that, Hatsumitsu, who had been smiling the whole time, took off his left glove with his left hand facing away from Ogata and Atachi.
The skin on the back of Chu Guang’s left hand… in a nutshell, it was hard to look at.
The skin on the back of her left hand was like a ball of wet toilet paper that had been roughly crumpled.
The ugly dark red skin formed a sharp contrast with the delicate, fair skin of the rest of Chu Guang.
The burned back of Hatsumitsu's left hand made Ogata and Atachi's eyes sparkle with surprise.
"Uh... sorry." Ogata apologized to Hatsumitsu almost without thinking, "I think I asked some unnecessary questions. I'm very sorry."
"It's okay." Chu Guang, with a smile on his face, put on the glove on his left hand again, "I don't really care about this injury, but I'm an artist who makes a living by playing the piano. I have to pay attention to my image no matter what, so I have to keep wearing this glove."
…
…
Ogata and his friends only shared a short corridor with Hatsumitsu, so in the blink of an eye, it was time for both sides to say goodbye.
Ogata and Atachi watched Hatsuhiko walking towards the stairs not far away. Only when Hatsuhiko was out of sight did they look away and continue walking out of Nanakusa-ya.
As they were about to pass through the gate of Nanakusa-ya, A-Machi suddenly said with a tone of admiration:
"What an outstanding girl... There's a reason why she's the top geisha in Osaka."
Chu Guang was also impressed by his polite and gentle appearance.
"If I have a chance in the future, I would like to ask Miss Chu Guang how her parents raised her."
At this time, Ating changed his tone to a half-joking one.
"I want to learn other people's ways of raising children. When we have our own children, I will raise them to be as good as them."
"You're really thinking ahead." Ogata laughed dumbly, "We don't even have a child yet, and you're already thinking about how to raise offspring."
"It's called preparing for a rainy day." A-machi rolled her eyes at Ogata, then patted her flat belly and slender waist.
"Don't you want our two children to be as polite and gentle as Miss Hatsumitsu?" After inexplicably bringing up the topic of children, Ating seemed unwilling to skip this topic so quickly.
"Children..." Ogata touched the back of his neck, "For me, as long as the children can grow up safely and healthily, that's enough."
“It would be best if I could achieve something of my own.”
"If you don't have any achievements and are just an ordinary person, I don't care."
"Would you require your children to become a certain kind of person in the future? For example, to become a samurai with excellent swordsmanship or something like that?" Ating still did not skip the topic of "children".
"I haven't thought about this question... But compared to becoming a samurai with great swordsmanship, I would rather my children study more and become teachers or doctors in the future, and open a private school or a clinic in Kyoto or somewhere else. This is more promising."
"Eh..." A-Ming's beautiful eyes were filled with surprise, "I thought you would pass on your swordsmanship to your descendants..."
Hearing what Atachi said, Ogata gave a wry smile.
——Learning sword skills... there is no future...
Ogata is not familiar with Japanese history and does not know what the future Japanese history will be like.
But he knew that it wouldn't be long before swordsmanship would be eliminated by the times.
Compared to learning swordsmanship, it is more promising to read books and study... especially to study Dutch studies (a general term for Western scientific and cultural knowledge in the Edo period).
While they were talking, the two of them had already walked out of the door of the Nana Thatched Cottage.
As soon as they walked out of the door, they heard a loud shout -
"Ohh! You two finally came out!"
Makimura, who had been squatting and waiting by the gate of Nanakusa-ya with his large sword in his hand, quickly stood up and went to greet Ogata and the others.
"Sorry." Ogata gave Makimura an apologetic smile, "I kept you waiting."
After the banquet ended hastily, Ogata and the others left Sudaya and returned to Nanakusa-ya. Makimura followed them. He had been quietly waiting for Ogata and Atachi outside Nanakusa-ya.
"It's okay, it's okay." Makimura gave his signature hearty laugh.
"Let's find a place to have a good chat," Ogata said. "I have a mountain of questions to ask you."
"Me too, I have a lot of questions for you." Mucun said, "Then let's go to where we live now. It's not far from here, we can talk slowly."
…
…
Not long after Ogata and the others left Nanakusa-ya—
Osaka, Shinmachi, Nanakaya——
"Good evening, Miss Chuguang!"
"Good evening, Miss Chuguang!"
The two maids in Nanakusa's house greeted Hatsumitsu loudly while bowing to him who was walking towards them.
"Yeah." A gentle smile bloomed on Chu Guang's cheeks. While responding to the two maids' questions, Chu Guang also bowed and returned the greeting, "Good evening to you too. Are you going to mop the floor?"
Chu Guang looked at the buckets and rags in the hands of the two maids.
"Yes." A maid nodded, "Grandma Lan has asked for leave today, so our task tonight has become much heavier."
"Is that so... Thank you for your hard work." Having said this, Chu Guang suddenly put on a sly look, and then lowered his voice and said, "I still have some konpeito left in my room that was given by a previous guest. I can't finish it all by myself. If you don't mind, would you like to come to my room later and clean up these konpeito together?"
"Kin, Konpeito?" A maid exclaimed in a low voice.
Then, the two maids nodded vigorously, as if they were afraid that Chu Guang would change his words.
Konpeito - a candy introduced to Japan by Portuguese missionaries in the late 15th century, has a fatal appeal to people who love sweets.
"That's settled." Chu Guang smiled with his hands covering his mouth, "I'll wait for you in the room later."
After saying that, Chu Guang walked away from the two maids and continued to stride towards his room.
After passing by Chu Guang, the two maids did not rush to move forward, but stood where they were, looking at Chu Guang with admiration and respect. After Chu Guang turned a corner and completely disappeared from their sight, the two maids chattered excitedly:
"Ms. Hatsumitsu is really amazing. Even though she is the top geisha in Osaka, she is still so humble, polite and easy-going."
"Yeah, yeah. No airs at all."
"I really hope that those who are just a little bit popular and are eager to point their noses up to the sky can learn more from Miss Chu Guang..."
…
…
As a popular artist and one of the cash cows of Nanakusa-ya, the generous Soedaemon not only gave Hatsukuni a piano practice room, but also allocated a house in Nanakusa-ya that was impeccable in size and orientation to Hatsukuni.
Although the room was an impeccable good room, the decoration and furnishings inside were unusually simple.
There are only a few pieces of furniture such as bookcases and dressing tables.
Crash...
Chu Guang slowly opened the door and returned to his room.
After entering the room and closing the door, the expression on Chu Guang's face... underwent a dramatic change like magic.
Chu Guang, who had a gentle smile on his face just now, instantly disappeared after he entered the room and closed the door.
Chu Guang lit the candles in the room with an expressionless face, then sat upright in front of the desk.
After pulling out a piece of letter paper from under the desk and spreading it neatly on the desk, Chu Guang took off the white glove on his right hand.
The right palm beneath the glove is covered with thick and round calluses...
Chu Guang took off his glove and picked up the brush on the pen holder with his right hand. After dipping it in ink, he began to write something quickly on the letter paper.
After writing on the letter paper in a flamboyant manner, Chu Guang put down his brush and gently blew on the ink on the paper.
After the ink dried, Chu Guang rolled up the letter paper, took a bamboo tube next to it, and stuffed the letter paper into the tube.
"Shibata."
Chu Guang raised his head and shouted towards the ceiling.
Rumble, rumble…
A sound came from the ceiling above Chu Guang's head.
Kara.
The ceiling in one corner of the room was pulled open.
Then, a man dressed as a samurai jumped into the room through the opened ceiling - it was the guard who had just partnered with Ogata: Shibata.
Shibata, who had previously told Ogata with a smile that he was the "lonely man" left after his former partner and Hatsumitsu's former assistant eloped, now knelt on one knee in front of Hatsumitsu with a stern face.
"Take this to the old place." Chu Guang handed the bamboo tube containing the letter paper to Shibata.
"Yes." Shibata took the bamboo tube with both hands, then jumped back to the ceiling.
The room returned to silence, with Chu Guang being the only one left.
"call……"
Chu Guang let out a long breath, and then as if all his strength was used up, he slowly lay on his back on the ground.
"Mashima Goro and Mashima Machi?" Chu Guang looked at the ceiling and whispered the two names. "Today... I really got an unexpected gain..."