Heavy girl? I feel worse than Black Hole Trigger!

Zhe Li laughed helplessly. This child was "everyone's mother" in front of her friends, and she loved being so sharp-tongued in front of him.

However, although this question was asked a little early, Zhe Li had no intention of avoiding it.

"It's not like you're playing a game and creating a character, where you can't choose your gender," Zhe Li shrugged, looking carefully into Su Shi's eyes. "Besides, whether it's a son or a daughter, once they're born into this world, it's the parents' obligation to raise them. I think questions like 'which is better' are best left unanswered."

"Oh, oh." Su Shi blinked.

The newly lit bright lights replaced the scorching sun, driving away the long night that was destined to come; flags, lanterns, ropes, and of course the people coming and going, so many things filled the field of vision, making the world seem as if only this street was left.

Amidst the hawking of the vendors, the only sound was the close-knit footsteps of the people walking beside each other, as clear as heartbeats.

"...Zheli will definitely be a good father."

"Really? I'm not ready to be a father yet."

Su Shi shook her head, "I'm not confident enough to be a good mother yet."

"You're only in the third year of junior high school. Isn't it too early to think about this?"

"Shouldn't life planning be done as early as possible?"

"I think there are more important things before that..."

The first scene of the chapter of Hakomon: The autumn frost falls on the maple, and the snow falls on the tree: Chapter 75: Let’s get started!

Fengyuan Manye reached out and lifted a corner of his hat, then looked up into the distance.

The night sky of Inazuma is always dotted with stars. Whether in the beast paths of the Guardian Forest, on the shores of Nashii Beach, or even in the distant village of Mototaki on Umijima Island, the stars always guide Manye's path.

Only in Inazuma Castle, beneath the castle tower, the lights that ignite the sky like flames can temporarily cover the sky.

The stars no longer lead the way, because this is where the travelers return.

"......" The young man paused, lowered the brim of his hat again, and covered his face again.

Having walked in the wind and rain for many years, Wan Ye was not used to this prosperous light.

For a long time, only starlight and campfires could dispel the darkness in his nights; the comfortable and affluent life in the city had long since disappeared along with Fengyuan's family business.

He has always been reluctant to participate in such celebrations, perhaps because he still feels somewhat regretful.

"But it's time for me to move forward."

Initially, his wandering life was a form of self-torture. The hardships of sleeping in the open air seemed to offer some relief from the many emotions he felt: the guilt of failing to live up to the Kaede clan's reputation, the remorse for personally disbanding it... All these things that had mired the young man in deep confusion were washed away and settled in the gentle breeze and drizzle of the wilderness.

The past is gone, and it cannot be retrieved. He can now convince himself of this.

So, if we continue to avoid the prosperity of the city as if it were an evil spirit as we did in the past, it would make us appear petty.

What's more, I have already promised the store manager that I would be there, so how can I still be hesitant at this point?

"The small hermit hides in the mountains and forests, the great hermit hides in the city."

Perhaps one day, when he has traveled enough and finally seen the scenery of the seven countries, he will return to his hometown of Inazuma, to this land where he has left many deep memories, and run his own small shop in a corner of the city, just like the store manager who visited this place from another world.

Floating in the world and witnessing the lives of thousands of people, isn’t this also a kind of free wandering?

●

Xiao Qianai was concentrating on holding the paper net, staring at the little fish swimming in the water with wide eyes.

Zhe Li was also holding a net, but he was very nonchalant: as a member of the fighting nation who could perfectly control every muscle, if he got serious, as long as the vendor did not tamper with the paper net, he could make the goldfish scoopers pack up and go home that day in minutes.

In order to ensure that the people of Inazuma would not have nothing to play with, he just imitated Chinae and pretended to be nice.

Su Shi was not very interested in catching goldfish, so like him, he held the net but did not catch any.

"By the way, how about I also run a food truck and do some business?" Zhe Li said.

The summer festival will last for three nights. Naturally, not every vendor will be there for all three days. After all, as Inazuma Castle's grand event, vendors deserve a chance to enjoy the festivities.

Considering that he would probably have nothing to do for the next three days, Zhe Li also began to think about starting his own business.

Su Shi tilted her head to look at him, "Is this Nascita's temporary branch?"

"Eh? Yeah, I can consider it. But isn't it a bit inappropriate to sell coffee at a festival?"

Summer festivals are all about grilled skewers, marshmallows, candied apples, and candied haws. While Inazuma is historically closer to ancient Japan, frequent exchanges between the seven nations of Teyvat have led to the localization of foreign culinary culture, similar to modern Japan.

As far as "eating" is concerned, Inazuma is not much behind modern Japan.

Rather than resisting it out of unfamiliarity, it seems that Inazuma people fundamentally don't like drinking coffee...

"Hmm." After hearing this, Su Shi felt that he was taking things for granted. "So what does Zheli plan to sell?"

"Barbecue or something? Safe. And I'm pretty good at it."

Barbecue is a very primitive cooking method, which is just to skewer the meat and heat it over the fire. Because of this, the control of the heat, the understanding of the meat, and the judgment of the doneness are all the results of rich experience accumulation - unless you cheat.

With his extremely sharp five senses and nanosecond-accurate body control, Zhe Li is extremely proficient in this "simple" technique.

"Didn't Miss Linghua say that we need to apply in advance to use fire?" Su Shi asked back.

"Indeed. I really should go ask first." Zhe Li nodded, frowning. "Besides using fire, there's also the location of the vendors... Oh, just thinking about it is troubling. Let's not take it too seriously for now."

They were unfamiliar with the rules governing the vendors and hadn't had the opportunity to learn about them. However, Toyokawa Shoko seemed quite interested in the matter and would consult Kamisato Ayaka during her free time between rehearsals. As a result, the band members seemed to understand the rules and regulations of the summer festival better than the newly arrived vendors.

Fires required a permit, and different areas had to be occupied depending on the type of food being sold. Furthermore, there were restrictions on the space allowed for decorations, signs, and flags. With so many complex regulations, even Linghua had to pull out her dossier and go through them all before she could explain them one by one.

It is precisely because of so many troublesome rules, coupled with the accumulated authority of the community magistrates (and perhaps the tenryo magistrates who maintain law and order inside and outside the venue), that they were able to jointly organize this prosperous and well-organized celebration.

"Haha. But I understand. Just looking at it like this makes me want to join in." Su Shi said with a smile.

You don't have to stay in Inazuma to enjoy summer festivals. Modern Japan has a more developed entertainment scene, so you're sure to find more interesting festivals. Several shopping streets in Tokyo host their own festivals, and those willing to venture further afield can even attend events in other prefectures.

In comparison, this trip to Hanamizaka was at most a cursory sightseeing for Zheli and others.

This is a rare opportunity. If you want to experience the culture and customs of the other world more deeply, setting up a stall yourself and communicating with the local people would be a more meaningful activity.

"Hey!" While the two were chatting, Chinae, who had been observing for a long time, finally took action.

The bamboo paper net cut diagonally into the water, stirring up the waves and startling the fish, which, in a panic, slammed headfirst into the wet net. Xiao Qiannai twisted her wrist to scoop it up, but the force of the twist instead tore the net apart, sending the fish escaping back into the water.

"Wow..." Chinae held up the torn paper net, her face falling.

The uncle who was setting up the stall laughed out loud: "Hehe, it seems that the little girl still needs more practice."

"Hmm!" Chinana pouted and turned to Zheli, "Teacher! What's the secret to catching goldfish?"

"The trick? Well—"

I use the cheat code, so when I was asked this question suddenly, I really didn't know how to answer.

Zhe Li held up the paper net and thought for a while. When he was about to speak, he paused and looked up into the distance.

"Mr. Store Manager!"

A young man wearing a conical hat lifted the brim of his hat, smiled and waved to them.

Chapter 76: Cutting off Karma

The boy slowly approached amidst the lights of the festival.

After taking off the hat, Lian Su Shi recognized Fengyuan Manye's face.

"Wan Ye, you're here." Zhe Li smiled and waved to him.

"Ah. I can't go back on my word to the store manager." Wan Ye nodded.

He noticed Hiiragi Chinana looking over curiously, and smiled and nodded at the little girl—if he remembered correctly, this girl should be the child of the Hiiragi family, the Kanjo Bugyo. He didn't know whether to say it was unexpected or natural that the store manager even knew such a person.

Manye Kaedehara thought he had a pretty good eye for people. Even in a foreign land, such a remarkable person would be able to adapt well. Hiiragi Chinana's existence, and the fact that they were about to perform on the festival stage, were proof of that.

"China, let me introduce you. This is Fengyuan Manye, a regular customer of ours."

"Hello." Xiao Qianna hurriedly stood up and bowed slightly to Manye, her voice a little reserved: "I'm Hiiragi Chinana... that is, teacher, no, Mr. Origin's student!"

The title of Kanjo Bugyo was not mentioned. Was it to keep a low profile?

Not every Inazuma resident is familiar with the members of the aristocratic families. Most only know the magistrate himself, the head of each family. In the case of the Hiiragi family, that's the current magistrate, Chinana's father, Shinsuke Hiiragi. Given these circumstances, even if Chinana mentioned her surname in her introduction, even the most discerning person would be skeptical.

As long as one side doesn't ask and the other side doesn't explain in detail, no one will know that the eldest daughter of the Kanjo Bugyo was present at the celebration.

Perhaps this is exactly what they were planning? If so, then there was no need to worry about it.

"My name is Fengyuan Manye. It's an honor to meet you." Then Manye also bowed his head and saluted.

Then Chinana quickly turned her attention back to the goldfish pond.

The girl held up another new bamboo paper net, hesitantly, which made the stall owner chuckle. It's said that catching goldfish with a paper net requires speed, ruthlessness, and accuracy, with the angles of entry and exit both having to be just right, and absolutely no hesitation. Those like Chinana, who hesitated for a long time and didn't dare to make a move, would rarely achieve anything no matter how many nets they bought. They were the vendor's favorite customers.

Manye followed her gaze and said, "Mr. Manager, you are catching goldfish."

"Yeah. China-chan was asking me what the secret is."

Zhe Li chuckled a few times like the stall owner, and casually scooped a small fish from another pond into his bowl, causing Qianai and the stall owner to exclaim "Wow?!"

He shook the bowl, allowing the fish to stay quietly in the center of the bowl.

“But I don’t know how to say it either.”

"Is this 'talent'?" China's eyes widened.

The little girl had broken three or four nets, but still hadn't caught a single fish.

"Yes... In my opinion, catching fish has some similarities to wielding a knife." Wan Ye squatted down, leaning next to Zhe Li, his calm eyes watching the waves stirred by the net. "Drawing the knife should be done with the force of thunder, calming the mind and holding the breath, to cut in two with one stroke. But sheathing it requires a steady, gentle, and precise movement to avoid damaging the blade—"

"That's exactly what the store manager did."

Man Ye shifted his gaze to the bamboo paper net in Zhe Li's hand. The thin paper was slightly damp, but it still retained some of its original toughness, minimizing the risk of waterlogging. He thought it wouldn't break even after a few more uses.

"This skill in wielding the paper net is no less impressive than an ordinary warrior's sword-wielding technique."

"Wow! The teacher is really awesome!" China clapped her hands happily.

The paper net in his hand, which had fortunately not been torn, had a small hole in it with a "rip" sound as he did so.

"Oh, I see. The technique of using a knife?" Zhe Li suddenly realized.

Origin's instinctive movements became somewhat easier to interpret after Manye's explanation. Sure enough, Chinana's repeated calls of "teacher" were too early for Origin. He still didn't quite understand how to teach.

"However, to be able to understand so much with just one glance, it seems that Manye's swordsmanship is also very advanced."

"Mr. Manager, you're too kind." Wan Ye shook his head and smiled. "I was just using the family's knife-testing method. I'm quite skilled in the art of 'guarding the knife.' Maintaining the blade and maximizing its sharpness... happens to have something in common with catching goldfish. For example, you also need to do your best to guard the 'knife' in your hand."

"Other than that, there's nothing else that's a big deal."

"You're too modest. No matter what field, those who reach the pinnacle are great enough." Zheli thought for a moment and simply gave up his position to Manye, saying, "How about Manye, you teach Qiannai how to catch goldfish?"

"This." Wan Ye was stunned.

Chinana nodded vigorously, "Please come in!"

She couldn't stand the situation where she was the only one who couldn't catch any fish.

"Here." Zheli handed a new paper net to Wanye.

The young man took it carefully and looked at a loss for a moment.

Her experience with scooping goldfish wasn't just a result of her family's inherited swordsmanship. In fact, when she was very young, even younger than Chinana was now, she and her family had participated in a summer festival, and had a slightly frustrating memory by this small pond.

Later, his swordsmanship improved, and he felt that he could apply his knowledge to other things when he recalled the past. However, by then, Manye had not been to the temple fair for a long time, so he had never had the opportunity to practice.

As time goes by, under such a miraculous situation, the old dream can be realized?

"...Since Miss Chinae doesn't mind, then I will perform my humble duties."

The boy held the bamboo paper net and quietly looked at the "knife" he had temporarily obtained: the skeleton was made of simple bamboo branches, and a piece of paper was added as a net; in order to prevent ordinary people from easily catching the lively little fish, the bamboo skeleton was only a thin circle, and without the paper in the middle, nothing could be obtained.

It is heavier than a real sword, not to mention a simple bamboo sword. Even it is heavier than this small net.

The weight of the knife, the weight of the technique, the weight of karma...all these distracting thoughts are as light as a feather at this moment, just like this small paper net.

"First...yes, you need to hold the handle firmly."

Wan Ye weighed the paper net, let out a sigh, and then held it.

"There's no need to be lost in your eyes. Just look ahead, where the 'tip of the knife' is pointing."

The boy rolled up his sleeves and aimed at the small fish still swimming gracefully in the water.

"Then, slash forward with the knife at an angle, without fear—"

Swish.