Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

111.6 Bonus Chapter: Pasta on the Left, Fox on the Right (Part 2)

The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated, and dewdrops clung to the pine needles when Lu Du was awakened by a soft rustling sound from the windowsill.

She opened her eyes and saw Sanhua squatting on the windowsill, her tail impatiently staring at the windowpane.

"Get up quickly, I've thought of a way," Sanhua said.

"Um, oh, when did I fall asleep last night?" Lu Du stood up groggily and put on the coat he had left aside.

"You said you were going back to harvest vegetables, and then you just fell asleep and never woke up again." Sanhua looked at her speechlessly.

Lu Du rubbed his eyes, slowly becoming more awake. Hearing Sanhua's words, he blushed.

"I'll go tell Grandma first."

Today is her day off. Although she doesn't have many friends, she occasionally goes out to play, mainly to observe various animals. Her grandmother doesn't interfere with this.

"Grandma, I'm going out to play."

"Okay, but let's eat breakfast first."

"Oh."

After breakfast, Ludu found a secluded spot, boarded the Sanzu River Boat, and then Sanhua steered the boat, taking her to a remote, abandoned area of ​​the town.

In one corner, there was an abandoned food cart and some painted wooden planks.

Clearly, Sanhua hadn't slept all night, spending the whole night thinking about this.

"What kind of method is this?" Lu Du asked, puzzled.

"Let's set up a food truck!" Sanhua jumped to the ground, scratching at the wooden planks with her paws. "Don't you townspeople like to help each other out? How about setting up a charity food truck? Just buy a plate of pasta and you can enter a prize draw. The small prize is a free meal, the big prize is several free meals, and the grand prize..."

"A family-sized serving of pasta is given away for free for three years!"

"That way you'll have a legitimate source of pasta. Just say it's for convenience, so I'll bring it back from your school, and then you can take it home. Perfect!"

Ludu's eyes lit up, then he hesitated: "But...we have no money and no ingredients. Who will help us sell pasta?"

"Idiot!" Sanhua couldn't help but jump up and tap her on the head. "We're paid! The ingredients are made by you, the food cart is made with my spiritual power, and the transformation talisman can turn me into a human for a short time so no one will suspect anything."

"That makes sense! Thank you, Chief Fox!"

Seeing that Sanhua had considered all the problems in advance, Lu Du excitedly hugged Sanhua tightly.

Sanhua's body suddenly stiffened, and she patted herself with her tail in disgust, but did not try to break free.

For the next half day, the man and the fox were busy running around.

Ludu was responsible for washing the dishes and writing, setting up the raffle box, and then conserving his energy to conjure up pasta.

Sanhua used her spiritual power to manipulate tools to assemble the food cart. It wasn't until almost afternoon that a light blue food cart, neither new nor old, was finally completed.

A handwritten wooden sign hangs next to the food cart; the handwriting isn't very neat: "Heartwarming Pasta! Buy one serving of pasta and enter a prize draw. The winner can receive a family-sized serving of pasta every day for three years!"

Sanhua nodded as she looked at the finished product, took a deep breath, and used the Transformation Talisman.

A flash of light, and it transformed into a tall, slender, and alluring blonde young woman wearing a red apron.

It just walks a bit stiffly, like a small animal walking on tiptoe.

"Hey, how is it? Do I look like a normal person?" Sanhua looked down at her hands, feeling a little awkward. She wasn't speaking French, but those who heard her automatically assumed she was.

“Yes! It is.” Ludu pointed to her hair. “Your hair looks a bit messy.”

Sanhua quickly ran her hands through her hair before realizing, "This isn't messy, it's just fluffy! Okay, let's go."

They spent some time pushing the food cart to a corner of the town square, where there were many children because it was a day off.

As Sanhua lifted the lid of the pasta, a rich aroma immediately filled the entire square.

It worked quickly, and several children sniffed around curiously.

The girl in the lead, with pigtails, pointed to the food cart and asked, "Sister, are you new here? How do you play this lucky draw?"

Sanhua had never interacted with humans before in her human form, and she instantly tensed up, her throat tightening. After a long while, she could only manage to utter two words: "Nearby."

"Which village nearby?" Lily pressed. "My mom said I know all the villages around this town."

Sanhua's face flushed red instantly, and she didn't know what to do with her hands and feet. In her panic, she subconsciously imitated a fox's cry, making muffled whimpering sounds.

Lu Du quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Sister, it's not convenient for you to talk. The lottery is very simple. You buy a plate of pasta, reach in and grab a slip of paper. If you win, you can get a refund or more pasta!"

Lily's attention was diverted. She glanced at the price of the pasta and saw that it was only one euro. She paid the money directly and then happily reached her hand into the raffle box.

Sanhua secretly breathed a sigh of relief and gave Ludu a look that said, "You're sensible."

There is only one grand prize, and the Three Flowers will use their spiritual power to gently manipulate it to ensure that Lu Du wins.

"Wow! I won! It's free!" Lily jumped up and down.

“Okay, I’ll return it to you.” Sanhua handed back the one euro, then packed up her pasta and handed it to her.

Lily quickly took a bite, her eyes lighting up immediately: "It's so delicious!"

Ludu quietly puffed out his chest.

"I want one too, I want one too!"

"Sister, give it to me first!"

The other children had already been tempted by the aroma, and when Lily said it was delicious, they couldn't resist any longer, even though some of them had just eaten lunch and felt their stomachs were empty.

Lu Du wanted her grandmother to witness her winning the lottery, so as soon as she saw Sanhua in her hand, she ran home to find her grandmother.

Before long, she took her grandmother's hand and arrived at the square, where Sanhua's stall was now completely surrounded.

"The pasta smells so good!" Grandma exclaimed, then squinted her slightly aging eyes, carefully examined the writing on the board, and then looked at the tiny paint stain on Lu Du's sleeve, but said nothing.

"Grandma, I want some! It's only one euro! It's very cheap!"

"Okay, here you go, Grandma."

Grandma smiled and handed Ludu a euro.

Lu Du quickly squeezed into the crowd, paid, and joined the lottery.

Sanhua's expression was already a bit stiff. So many little brats, it's so uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the pasta was almost sold out.

The two exchanged a glance and began to work behind the scenes.

I've won the lottery!

As expected, Ludu held up the lottery ticket and deliberately shouted loudly, attracting a wave of envy from the nearby children.

Grandma Anna paused for a moment, then smiled and stepped forward: "This young lady is such a kind person."

Sanhua's body tensed instantly. She nodded stiffly at her grandmother, mumbled an "Mmm," and quickly lowered her head to serve the pasta.

This was the first time someone had ever praised its kindness to its face.

Grandma took the pasta from Ludu and smelled it gently: "It smells delicious. It must be very tasty. Little firefly, you should thank this lady properly in the future."

“I know!” Ludu nodded vigorously.

As the pasta sold out, the lively atmosphere around the food truck gradually subsided.

The matter was settled, and apart from taking some time to figure out a solution along the way, everything went smoothly.

After giving Ludu a look, Sanhua pushed the food cart away.

Night slowly enveloped the town, and the people in the square gradually dispersed, leaving only a few streetlights casting a dim yellow light.

Sanhua transformed back into her fox form, crouching at the bow of the Sanzu River Boat, gazing down in the direction of Mathilde's house, her tail swaying gently.

Ludu sat beside it, holding a comb in his hand, slowly grooming its messy fur.

“Village Chief,” Ludu suddenly spoke, his voice very soft, “really…can’t we help Mathilde’s mother?”

Sanhua's ears twitched, but she didn't say anything.

Actually, it had been observing that female spirit for the past two days. Every day, she sat at the stern of the boat, mechanically knitting a sweater, and the old shoemaker's spirit would always help her by handing her virtual yarn. Although the two spirits had no consciousness, they inexplicably exuded a sense of warmth.

Especially on the day the food truck started operating, many villagers brought it things, and Sanhua's defense of "not doing useless things" gradually weakened.

It recalled the way Ludu bowed his head and pleaded that day, and the obsession the female spirit had with the sweater, and suddenly felt a little awkward.

"Let me make this clear first, I'm only helping her this time because you've served her well these past few days and smoothed things over for me."

Sanhua deliberately pretended to be impatient, but her ears drooped down quietly.

"But after I finish weaving, I will take her back to the Yellow Springs. Don't even think about making any unreasonable demands! I'll let you keep your fields in Peach Blossom Village, but you can't stop me from stealing vegetables from now on."

Ludu's eyes lit up instantly, like little lanterns that had been lit. She hugged Sanhua excitedly: "Thank you, village chief! I knew you were a good person!"

"Don't touch me!" Sanhua quickly pushed her away, her face a little hot. "Let's go, or it'll be too late."

The boat on the Sanzu River drifted slowly toward Mathilde's house and stopped outside the bedroom window.

Sanhua picked up the lamp that could manifest souls from the bow of the boat, shook it, and a faint ripple spread out. Mathilde's mother's soul immediately became clear, still mechanically performing the knitting motion.

"To make her touch something real, we need to use the power of the boat." Sanhua jumped to the center of the boat, took out her flute, and began to play it softly. Soon, as the flute music, which only souls could hear, spread, the mist, like a thin veil, gently enveloped the female soul.

The woman's soul flickered violently a few times, as if it were about to dissipate.

Ludu clenched his fists nervously and held his breath.

After a few seconds, the flickering gradually subsided, and her outline became much clearer. She was no longer a transparent phantom, but was surrounded by a faint silver light, as if she were enveloped in moonlight. Even her face seemed to be vaguely discernible.

"Alright, Ludu, open the window for her. She's materialized now. You, go get the sweater and fulfill your final wish." Sanhua put down her flute, her tone tinged with nervousness.

Ludu gently helped push open the window, and moonlight streamed into the bedroom through the crack, illuminating Mathilde's sleeping face.

She was still clutching the unfinished wool sweater in her arms, and there were still traces of tears on the corners of her eyes.

The female spirit cautiously passed through the window, picked up the sweater, and was afraid of waking her.

Just then, Mathilde rolled over and mumbled, "Mama."

Ludu was so frightened that he covered his mouth and remained motionless on the boat.

Fortunately, Mathilde just rubbed against the pillow and went back to sleep.

"Don't worry, she won't wake up before dawn."

As she spoke, Sanhua flicked out a talisman.

The female spirit picked up the yarn and sweater, and a glimmer of light suddenly flashed in her empty eyes.

She quickly and skillfully began to knit, her fingers weaving together to create neat and fine stitches.

“Auntie remembers,” Lu Du murmured.

The moonlight fell on the female spirit and also on Mathilde's sleeping face. The female spirit wove quickly; the yarn passed through the needle's eye, making a very soft rustling sound, like winter snow falling on pine branches—the scene was cold, but the heart was warm.

Time passed slowly, and the night grew deeper.

Suddenly, Mathilde murmured softly in her sleep, "Mama, I'm cold."

The sound was very soft, like a feather, yet it struck the woman's soul instantly. She paused, then her knitting movements suddenly quickened; as her fingers flew across the paper, the sweater, which was already mostly finished, grew longer at a visible speed.

The soul, due to emotional excitement, began to flicker slightly again, but it was more stable than before, as if it had been supported and would no longer easily disperse.

swish swish swish
The sound of knitting was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, drifting out the window and into the night sky.

Lu Du leaned against Sanhua, looking at the female spirit's focused profile, and sniffed hard: "Sanhua, you see, this is meaningful, isn't it?"

Sanhua remained silent.

As it looked at the woman's fingers, at Mathilde's gradually relaxing brows, and at the warm halo under the moonlight, a hardened part of its heart seemed to be quietly melted.

It quietly stretched out its tail and wrapped it around Ludu's cold hand. The fluffy tail brought warmth and dispelled the chill of the night.

After an unknown amount of time, the last injection was administered.

The female spirit gently gathered up the yarn, smoothed out the knitted sweater, carefully folded it, and placed it in Mathilde's arms before wiping away her tears.

She looked at Mathilde, who was fast asleep, with a hint of relief in her eyes.

She finally fulfilled her promise to her daughter.

"It's time to go," Sanhua said in a low voice.

The female spirit seemed to understand. She glanced at Mathilde one last time, then slowly walked towards the boat on the Sanzu River. She nodded slightly to Ludu and Sanhua as if to thank them, then walked to the old shoemaker and sat down quietly.

"Should we close the window?" Lu Du pointed to the half-open window.

Sanhua shook her head, maneuvered the boat, and slowly rose away from Mathilde's window.

The sky began to brighten, and the first rays of dawn appeared.

After sending Ludu back to his room, Sanhua left temporarily. She had originally planned to leave as soon as she finished her business, but now she wanted to stay in this small place for another half a day, at least until Ludu woke up, before saying goodbye.

Shortly after, a suppressed sob came from Mathilde's room, intermittent and faint.

Sanhua lay on the side of the boat, watching the lights come on at Mathilde's house and listening to the crying that had gone from one person to two. Suddenly, she felt that what she had previously thought was a "waste of effort" wasn't so worthless after all.

It wandered around the small village until dusk, when it finally returned to Ludu's house.

At that moment, Lu Du was watering the plants in the courtyard.

"Village Chief, are you going back to the Yellow Springs?" Lu Du looked at it, his voice a little nervous.

Sanhua jumped off the boat, walked up to her, a hint of longing flashing in her eyes, but her words remained haughty: "Hmph, the mission is complete, of course I have to go back. There are still a lot of things waiting for me in Peach Blossom Village, I can't just stay here forever, I'm very important."

"However, if you want to see me, you can come to Peach Blossom Village to find me anytime."

Ludu nodded, turned and ran into the house, and soon came out holding a small fox doll.

The doll's fur is a mix of yellow, white, red, and black, resembling a calico pattern. The stitching is not neat, indicating it's clearly the work of a novice.

“This is a knitting technique I learned from Mathilde’s mother, made with the leftover yarn from my grandmother.” Ludu handed the doll to Sanhua, his tone earnest. “Thank you.”

Sanhua looked down at the doll and tsk, "So ugly, it doesn't resemble Sanhua at all."

However, it stretched out its paw and carefully took it: "At least you know how to repay kindness."

Sanhua jumped onto the boat, placed the fox doll on the deck, and looked back at Ludu.

Goodbye, Peach Blossom Village.

See you in Peach Blossom Village!

Sanka played her flute and steered the boat on the Sanzu River towards the horizon.

Ludu stood there watching until her grandmother called her inside for dinner.

At the same time, within the Yellow Springs space of the Soul-Gathering Umbrella, the Ship of the River of Three Crossings sailed out of the void and slowly landed beside a small island in the lake.

This is its home in the underworld.

The lighthouse in Taoyuan Village can only be considered its dormitory.

The two souls were guided away, and they will be judged to determine whether they can become fish in the Sanzu River or birds and beasts in the forest in the underworld.

Sanhua, clutching her fox doll, ran quickly into the small stone house and placed it steadily in the most conspicuous spot on the windowsill.

Then, feeling something was missing, he suddenly remembered, ran back to the boat, took out the chocolate, and stuffed it into the fox doll's hand.

That's much better.

"Eek!" It whimpered at the doll, as if announcing, "This is your spot from now on, don't move around."

Not far away, Ueda Yasushi and the little snake from the other side saw it return and curiously came over, wanting to see this new toy.

Sanhua immediately bared her teeth in warning, her eyes filled with a fierce, possessive look, which inexplicably frightened the two creatures, causing them to quickly shrink back.

"This is my stuff, don't touch it!"

(End of this chapter)