Chapter 127: Three Days
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
During these three days, Bai Wei was as busy as a spinning top.
He had fully experienced the various inconveniences of not having timely communication tools. At this time, the people of Yingzhou were not considered too rigid. Fax machines and emails were still considered relatively advanced even in the mid-20th century. However, even so, they couldn't meet Bai Wei's requirements for efficiency in getting things done.
He started preparing Sakurai Akira's funeral. Even though there were no mourners, he still needed to perform the basic funeral rituals. Then, he arranged the funeral hall, cremated the body, and placed the tombstone. All of these things had to be customized at the temple and funeral parlor.
Bai Wei didn't choose the expensive professional service. Instead, he selected a relatively affordable package. He also bought a tombstone near Yoshino, where he could pay his respects while visiting the area. The tombstones and land prices there weren't expensive, and there were still plenty of empty spaces. If there were any future needs, he could arrange them there...
After spending a whole day preparing, it took another day to organize the funeral. Including the time it took to pick Sakurai Shiru up from the hospital and bring her to the funeral site, they tried to make it livelier by having some familiar people come over to offer their respects and make it seem more lively, in order to lessen the sadness in the atmosphere.
The process was very complicated. They had to listen to the monk chanting and the family had to respond with rituals. It was all very intricate and involved.
Upon further thought, it was still more convenient in the Ming Country. As soon as the music played, the arrangement changed, and the entire village gathered for the feast. Some cried, some carried, and a white sheet followed behind. Once the coffin was closed and buried, they would never return to this world again.
It's a pity that there is no all-inclusive service like Wansheng Hall here. It's a shame that this business cannot be done overseas. In the memorial hall, music cannot be played, nor can there be drumming and gongs. Instead, it must remain quiet, with only the murmuring sound of the monk reciting sutras.
Throughout the entire ceremony, only Sakurai Shiru had the most respectful attitude. Bai Wei, on the other hand, was like a bystander throughout the entire funeral process. The only time he played a role was when the young girl thanked a group of guests who didn't even know her father, tears streaming from her eyes. It may have seemed like a formal procedure, but it was still important to her.
The purpose of organizing a funeral is not just for the person who has passed away, but for the people who are still alive.
When the night fell and everything was done, Bai Wei accompanied Sakurai Shiru back to the hospital. He then used all of his savings to pay off the medical expenses for this month, and even covered the expenses for the next month as well.
Because the next month would be December, a time when Blood Moon Disease is more likely to occur, it was still unclear what the situation with the Scarlet Curse would be. For now, she would stay in the hospital for a month under observation. And in one week, the main doctor in charge, Kurosawa, would return to the hospital.
Upon reaching this point, the bonus that was snatched back from the mercenaries had completely gone.
Even to the point of ending up paying tens of thousands of yen out of his own pocket.
Bai Wei reached into his pocket and felt that his savings from working part-time jobs, along with the money he had received as New Year's gifts and pocket money over the years, were not enough to meet his needs.
Bai Wei, who had never struggled with money in several lifetimes, started to meticulously calculate even his food expenses. He made up his mind that, when he had free time, he would make every effort to find the Dragon Sakura Club and see if they had any suitable job opportunities.
On the third day, Bai Wei went to the police station. Detective Takagi introduced him to someone he knew and helped him with the process of adopting Sakurai Shiru. The procedures were carried out more swiftly, but since Bai Wei was from the Ming Country, they still needed to confirm with the embassy, which would take about two weeks.
Then he went to the embassy and ran errands at the government office. It was a busy day filled with various tasks, and the entire day quickly passed by.
In three days, with lots of things to take care of, he managed to finish all the tasks.
In the evening, as he was walking back, he happened to pass by the Flower Fan Shrine in Flower Fan Town. He paused and entered the shrine, hoping to spend some time petting the cats. Petting cats truly helped him relax, just like watching silly pandas rolling around.
In the past, whenever he visited the shrine, he would be surrounded by a friendly group of cats who weren't afraid of strangers. But this time, unexpectedly, he didn't see any cats at all.
Only an orange cat was crouching on the stone seat beside the bird gate, lazily licking the fur on his paws.
"Where were the other cats?" asked Bai Wei.
"Mew-meow," replied the orange cat.
Bai Wei couldn't understand what it was saying, but he guessed its meaning through its expressions and body language.
The shrine is not open for visits lately, and the cats have been given a forced vacation. They don't have to come here for part-time jobs anymore, so they are staying at home.
Go home... part-time... vacation?
Bai Wei suddenly remembered a rumor he had heard before in Hua Shan Town. It was said that the cats in the shrine actually came there to get food, drinks, and play around. Most of these cats, about seventy to eighty percent of them, had a family who took care of them. The remaining twenty to thirty percent were taken care of by more than one family.
Recently, the shrine has been closed, so naturally, apart from the orange cat, no one else comes anymore.
"And what about you? You wouldn't just stay hungry like that, would you?"
Just as the words were spoken, a beautiful mixed-colored cat suddenly emerged from the bushes. It dangled a plump and delicious fish tail in front of the orange cat.
The orange cat wagged its tail, and the mixed-colored cat received a signal. In a swift movement, it vanished out of sight.
Bai Wei:"..."
Where did you learn this from?
Bai Wei watched as the orange cat began to enjoy its dinner. He didn't go inside the shrine and left with a thoughtful expression on his face.
The shrine here is a small shrine, but across the country, with the exception of a few large shrines, they are generally managed by a central organization called "shrine". They don't operate for profit and have corresponding staff arrangements. Coming here is like working in a community.
Bai Wei wondered when the community would stop working on weekdays. That would mean the staff had been temporarily assigned elsewhere. The shrine always had a shortage of staff, so temporary assignments were not uncommon. However, Bai Wei hadn't seen the shrine maiden come to work here for almost a month.
Suddenly, Bai Wei had some not-so-good thoughts. But he quickly pushed them out of his mind. Wandering and daydreaming were simply a waste of energy and caused inner turmoil.
...
Ding-a-ling~ The telephone rang as Yagyū Simozi turned off the water tap, dried her hands, and went to the entrance of the house. She picked up the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Hello, it's me, Saki-chan~"
"..." Yagyū Simozi was ready to hang up the phone.
"Wait, don't hang up!" Saki Jingūji quickly said, "I'm not causing trouble, I really have something important to call about."
"What's the matter?" Yagyū Simozi asked. "You already took a week off in advance. Aren't you having a great time over there in Kyoto?"
"There's no... I was suddenly summoned and called in to work overtime. It's really exhausting, you have no idea how demanding the shrine's overtime can be. I just wanted to take a little break, but instead, the shrine maiden scolded me and gave me a lecture about work ethics. She said being tired is normal and that comfort is only for losers. If you want to succeed, you have to work hard and step out of your comfort zone. Don't let the weariness and short-term desires blind you... Oh my, I just wanted to rest for half an hour. I haven't slept a wink for a whole 28 hours!" Jingūji complained angrily on the other end of the phone.
Yagyū Simozi didn't feel like listening to these complaints. She glanced at the simmering pot of soup.
"That's it? I'm done."
"Don't go, I haven't finished speaking yet!"
"Speak up! You've wasted three whole minutes! Even Ultraman would have been beaten up by a monster under the arena by now! Your phone call is free, but my household electricity still needs to be paid!"
"Yes, yes... Didn't I already ask for leave?"
"Hmm?"
"Class notes, and I haven't had time to do my homework this week. Can you help me...?"
"The classroom notes are okay, but the homework will wait for you. I can teach you, but you have to write it yourself."
"But I'm so tired."
"Then you can just not write it, and simply throw a sentence like 'I don't feel like writing' on the professor's face."
"Then, waiting for my usual points to be deducted to zero?" Jingūji sobbed and said, "You have no heart, Simozi."
"Making a phone call all the way from this far just for this? It seems like you have a lot of free time," Yagyū Simozi said, pausing at this point.
"...Why did you suddenly stop talking?" came a nervous voice from the other end of the phone. "Usually at this time, you would start insulting me, spewing venomous words. Why are you suddenly silent? Please don't do this, I am feeling a bit scared."
"You don't seem right, are you looking forward to me teasing you?"
"How could that be?" Jingūji immediately denied, then chuckled and said, "But I'm so used to being insulted that it feels a little strange when I'm not. It's like there's an ant crawling all over me, from head to toe."
"Hiss... Huff..." Yagyū took a deep breath. "I'm not as carefree as you. I have some troubling things on my mind."
"What's troubling you? Ah, could it be that fox spirit from before?" Saki Jingūji suddenly realized, and even scolded herself, saying, "Fox spirits are not good creatures. You must protect your brother well!"
"It's not your turn to speak," Yagyū Simozi leaned against the cabinet. "But what troubles me is not this matter, but..."
A few more minutes passed.
Saki Jingūji comforted, "Everything will work out in the end, it's like the boat reaching the end of the bridge. It's a pity that I'm not by your side, I'll miss out on a great show."
At that moment, she heard a voice calling from behind. She pressed down on the receiver and said, "Well then, it will be like this..."
"What message do you have for my older brother?" Yagyū Simozi rarely spoke so openly.
"No need, whatever you have to say, tell me when I come back," Saki Jingūji playfully smiled and said, "Goodbye~"
She walked out of the phone booth and looked at the dark, swirling clouds on the mountaintop in the distance. She slowly gathered her long dress and her fingertips turned slightly pale.
