Chapter 109: Rice Ball
He opened his eyes wide and took in everything in an instant.
For a thousand years, for ten thousand years.
Opening his eyes, he found himself in the bustling city of Heian-kyō.
His clothes barely covered his body, and he couldn't satisfy his hunger. His stomach growled loudly, and all he had in his hand was a broken sword. He couldn't even exchange it for a piece of bread. It was a truly miserable sight.
In the land of Shenzhou, the Dragon Lord, there was chaos and turmoil. He was being hunted and had to flee, seeking refuge in hiding. Eventually, he set out to sea, boarding a ship. But on their journey, they encountered pirates on the high seas. Fierce battles ensued and he ended up falling into the water…
It was both exciting and tragic, like a tale from a storybook.
A brave young heroic spirit, full of promise, ended up as an exile in a distant land.
The Principle of Heroic Spirits had shattered, making it impossible for them to rise again.
As the cost of survival, it meant completely losing the power and prestigious status of heroic spirits.
As a young boy who was raised with the potential of becoming one of the four pillars of the world, he suddenly transformed into a beggar on the streets of Heian-kyō after losing his power, status, and identity.
Being a beggar was the best identity as there was no fear of being exposed or discovered, especially here on Cherry Island. Although it wasn't a desolate place, it was a small country where even having a full meal was difficult. This land had no significance in terms of conquest.
So, it was safe.
But precisely because it was a poor and remote place, it faced even more severe survival challenges.
Yingzhou has always lacked compassion for the weak. Many homeless people directly turn into violent criminals rather than becoming beggars.
Because begging couldn't bring any food, it meant they would never survive the winter. Either they would slowly starve to death or freeze to death on a snowy night.
In order to survive, many people resorted to difficult ways of making a living by pretending to be performers. Some people wandered around carrying a three-stringed instrument and went to different houses, knocking on doors and playing a tune to bring some joy in exchange for a full meal.
This young boy, whose heart was almost half broken, sat on the streets of Heian-kyō. He thought to himself that he had truly ended up in the wrong place. If he were on the streets of Chang'an, at least after a while, there would be a few copper coins in his bowl, enough to buy some steamed buns.
But after sitting here for three days, he didn't even have a single copper coin.
It would be better to pick and eat fruits in the mountains. But if you did that, you would probably end up becoming food for some non-human creatures in the forest. Besides, the mountains are the territory of Tengu. They dislike humans and easily attack if you get too close. Even if you were lucky enough to not encounter Tengu, the remote wilderness of the mountains, far away from human settlements, is filled with monster-like creatures that eat humans.
However, if he kept sitting there, he would eventually starve to death.
Little did he know that this time things would turn out so tragically. He thought it would be better to end his own life with a sword.
He stared at the broken sword in his hands, and then noticed a group of stray wild dogs half a street away. He changed his mind.
He could choose to end his pain, start his life again, and determinedly type 'start over'. However, he couldn't bear the thought of not even having a proper burial after death, becoming food for wild dogs.
And so, he struggled for a little while longer.
And so, he sat for three more days.
He could hardly move his fingers anymore, and he hadn't eaten anything for over half a month, except for a little bit of dew that he drank.
The weather had completely turned to winter, with freezing cold winter days. When he woke up, he found that a layer of pure white snow had covered everything, though he didn't know when it had happened.
He hadn't starved to death yet, but he didn't know if freezing to death or starving to death would come faster.
The body of a heroic spirit gave him a strong life force. Even under wounds that could not be healed, he didn't die. Instead of death, it turned into a painful torment.
He couldn't help but wonder what he was still staying alive for, after enduring so much.
Was it for revenge?
Stop kidding around, I can't beat them.
His enemy is commanding a formidable army in the imperial court, what can he, a useless person, do to fight? Besides, the struggles within the feudal system involve individuals of the same social class killing each other. Seeing through this reality, he cannot muster up his own sense of patriotism.
Since it wasn't for revenge, it seems like there wasn't any other goal in mind.
Anyway, in the worst case, memory could be sealed, so let's just give up and act carelessly.
He lowered his head, and the snow on top fell to the ground, making a slow, bitter smile.
"At that moment, I really wished someone could come to rescue me, just once."
"Having bad luck for over ten years, I really hope that good fortune will come my way."
"Even if I surrender the rest of my life… what's so wrong with that?"
The stray dogs nearby seemed to sense that this person had finally reached their breaking point and was nearing death. They began licking their teeth and slowly approached.
They were also very hungry and could hardly bear their thirst, longing for a satisfying meal.
Bai Wei didn't have the strength to lift the broken sword this time.
This gave the stray dogs courage, and the leader pounced on him, leaving a footstep in the snowy ground.
He closed his eyes, waiting for blood to burst forth.
The sensation of pain and the acute sense of danger can cause the human body to secrete adrenaline, which can help numbness in the limbs recover sensation.
Although weakened, he still had enough strength left to fend off the dogs.
But instead of feeling pain, he heard a sorrowful howl.
He looked up and saw a little girl wearing a pure white kimono. She held a stick in her hand and struck the dog on the head. She looked around eight or nine years old and her movements were not very skilled. Despite her small body, she fearlessly protected him.
"Go away, all of you, go away!"
Even though she was a girl, her choice of words was unexpectedly rude.
The boy didn't pay much attention to that at the moment. He simply lowered his hand with difficulty and leaned against the wall, looking at the little girl with surprise.
She was wearing a beautiful white kimono and had a pretty hairpin on her head. She must have been a girl from a wealthy family, but surprisingly, there were no guards accompanying her.
She scared away a group of wild dogs all by herself. It seemed like she was a little scared afterward, but she quickly took a few deep breaths. She dropped the stick from her hand and brushed the snowflakes off her new clothes. Then, she turned her head and took small steps through the snow, coming closer.
She wasn't wearing wooden clogs, but thick and warm boots that made a soft and squishy sound as she walked on the snowy ground, like marshmallows.
For some unknown reason, the boy's mind and memories were remarkably clear at this moment.
He spotted the little girl crouching in the snowy ground, taking a wooden box out of her sleeve and placing it on the floor.
She took a deep breath, blowing onto her hands. Her face turned rosy and flushed.
"召し上がってく ." (Please, eat)
He couldn't understand what it meant, but he could understand what she wanted to say.
Inside the wooden box were freshly made rice balls, warm and cozy. There were also sweet treats and soup made from noodles.
The boy looked at the girl, feeling so hungry that he couldn't say anything. His dry lips and tongue felt numb and stiff.
He tried to lift his hand, but several times he couldn't manage to catch hold of it.
His hands were weak, lacking even the strength to grab hold of a rice ball.
The little girl blinked her eyes and willingly picked up a rice ball. Then, she extended it towards the boy's mouth, without any hesitation, and said, "Ah…"
At that moment, he couldn't describe how he felt. It was as if a large bell in the center of his chest was vibrating and ringing loudly.
He was in his teenage years, and yet he found himself being fed by a girl who was not even ten years old.
Was he feeling embarrassed?
But more intense than feeling embarrassed was a warm feeling, a feeling that made him realize he was still alive.
He took a bite of the rice ball, chewed it, and swallowed. Inside his belly, there was a rumbling sound like thunder, as if his life was being nourished. He started eating hungrily, and this simple action made the girl burst into a happy laughter, which sounded like clear and crisp silver bells.
"ゆっくり食べる (Slowly eating)…" she said with a gentle smile, crouching on the snowy ground like a cute and pure spirit nurtured by the earth and sky.
He chewed the rice ball grains with big bites, suddenly feeling a slightly salty and bitter taste.
This was the taste of tears.
So, I was actually crying?
It's really strange. Deep down, I never felt any bitterness or tiredness. I kept comforting myself, saying it's just a small thing, and if things go wrong, I can start over in life.
But, oh my goodness, why… why is this rice ball… so incredibly delicious?
The fake strength was so fragile, and when he faced the little girl squatting in the snow with such patience and gentleness, his heart shattered. It crumbled instantly, with tears mingling, swallowing down a bittersweet but still delicious rice ball that was absolutely heartbreaking.
Swallowing the last bite of food, the girl quietly put away her lunch box. Then, she secretly took out a string of coins from her pocket and carefully hid them in the snow ahead.
She raised her finger and said, "Shhh…"
It was as if the girl wanted the boy not to tell anyone that she had been here before.
"Wait, what's your name?" the boy asked, insisting.
The girl blinked her eyes, feeling sorry that she couldn't understand the foreign language. She turned around and smiled, showing her cute little tiger tooth and two dimples.
Walking on the snow, her figure disappeared in the white snowy landscape.
The young boy, gripping a handful of coins in his hand, leaned against the wall and slowly stood up, saying, "I will remember this favor."
He didn't rush to find the girl. He still remembered the family emblem on the lunchbox, and it didn't take him much effort.
One year later, after asking around, he found out that this family emblem belonged to the Yagyū clan, a samurai family. The Yagyū family had a young and unique daughter named Yagyū Chiyo.
