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AFTER washing the dishes, the three of us decided to head to the supermarket together. The lack of a car meant that we required manpower to carry the baggage, and having more people sharing the load was always better when manual labor was involved.
And well…it’s also our first day as a wedded couple. Going our separate ways this quickly doesn’t seem right.
The three of us walked down the forest path unhurriedly and engaged in idle chatter.
Like usual, I was giving a lecture about food. “When it comes to somen noodles, sesame sauce also tastes wonderful. You mix plenty of finely ground sesame with either mentsuyu noodle soup base or kaeshi sauce and knead the mixture. It’ll look like sesame salad dressing when you’re done. Then, add condiments such as spring onion and Japanese ginger. Finally, toss the noodles inside the sesame sauce.
“The slippery noodles will be coated with a layer of rich, dense sesame sauce, and it’s heavenly. At the same time, it isn’t too heavy, because the refreshing spicy and aromatic spring onion and ginger are hidden within. The creamy taste of sesame will bring out the charms of the condiments and the texture of the noodles, creating a different kind of experience from standard soy sauce-based noodle soup base.”
“Oh?” Techi looked at me with intrigue. “I’ve never tried sesame sauce before. Is it that praiseworthy?”
“Mmhmm.” I nodded. “In summer, you can add ice and eat it cold. It’s good either way. Personally, I prefer it over a standard noodle soup base. The slippery somen noodles and the viscous sauce have a wonderful compatibility.”
Kon perked up and joined the conversation. “I wanna have some! I want to eat sesame sauce noodles too!”
Techi and I shared an amused and hearty laughter before moving on to another topic. Once again, Kon’s comment fished out laughter from us as we advanced down the path.
As we walked, someone caught my eye: the president of the community association, Mr. Karashina. Like last time, he was sitting on a chair in the parking lot just before his house’s entrance, staring long and hard at the people who went by.
The three of us extended our greetings.
“Hello there,” I said.
“Good afternoon, Grampa Karashina!” Kon chirped.
Techi bowed. “Hello. I’m glad to see you in good health, sir.”
Mr. Karashina kept up his sullen expression as he harrumphed at us. “I hear you got married and are a part of the chipmunk clan now. That means you’re a full-fledged member of this community. There are a lot of compulsory events that are coming up, like public park cleanups and gutter cleanups. Make sure you turn up.” He paused. “That aside, how’s the Fusang seed I gave you a while ago? Has it already gone rotten in your possession?”
Hearing that, I halted my footsteps and approached him. “No, it has grown into a sapling, so I have transferred it into a bonsai pot. Its roots are growing healthily, and so is the plant itself. When I checked it this afternoon, there was even a small flower bud.”
Mr. Karashina’s eyes widened abruptly. He froze on the spot. A while later, several indescribable expressions flashed across his face before he finally spoke in a faltering manner. “I…see. It grew a flower bud, hm? …Well, I suppose living in harmony and sharing happiness counts as a good deed at the end of the day. If that’s the case…that’s not bad news at all.”
He looked into my eyes. “Hey, you… Moriya, was it? If the flower blooms and bears seeds, bring it over and show me. Make sure you don’t give it to anyone else, you hear me? The day you give it to me in person, well…I suppose I’ll treat you to alcohol. The good stuff, of course.”
I nodded. “Understood. I shall do that if it bears seeds.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “I have to say, you’re an obedient one. You’re not going to ask me the reason first?”
“It was something I received from you to begin with, and it seems to be the correct course of action. I shall follow your instructions.” I said carefully. “That being said, it has only just budded. Even if it bears seeds, that will likely be in the far future.”
Mr. Karashina’s eyes grew wide once again. His ears, which were peeking out from his gray hair, twitched. Then, he fell into complete silence and waved his hand to shoo me away.
Receiving that message, I bowed slightly.
“See you again,” Techi greeted.
“See ya, Grampa!” Kon waved his hand cheerfully.
The three of us resumed our journey to the supermarket. After we put enough distance between ourselves and Mr. Karashina for him to fade into the distance, I muttered under my breath, “So Mr. Karashina also thinks that Fusang trees are nurtured by good deeds…”
I’d heard that rumor from Techi a while ago, and she’d thought it was only a superstition. Actually, it would make sense for the older generation to believe in it wholeheartedly because it’s an old superstition.
Personally, I hadn’t taken it at face value. The definition of a good deed differed from person to person—how could such an ambiguous concept nurture a plant, of all things? But I couldn’t help but be bothered by Mr. Karashina’s reaction. It made me wonder whether there was more to it.
Not to mention that the Fusang trees before my eyes never made much logical sense to begin with. They were extraordinarily large and were also the embodiment of legend and fantasy. A fantastical superstition actually seemed more convincing since it aligned with the trees’ theme. The more ridiculous it sounded, the more plausible it was beginning to feel. Or at least, that was the rabbit hole my mind was diving down.
I began thinking out loud. “At the moment, the theory is that living in harmony with everyone counts as good karma or a good deed, which nourishes the tree. I suppose I could say that I’ve made a lot of friends since I moved to the Wilds. There’s Techi, there’s Kon, there’re the kids working at the orchard, there’re Také and the other beastfolk… I’ve never quarreled with Techi, either. Hmm, if a big fight counts as a bad deed, would it wilt?”
With how much rambling I was doing, it was no longer much of a monologue, because Techi and Kon had heard me loud and clear. The pair, who’d run ahead of me, turned around with impish grins.
“Do you want to try fighting, then?” Techi asked. “If we do that in front of a Fusang tree, we can test how accurate that superstition is.”
“Let me join! I want a turn too!” Kon exclaimed. “I’ll wrestle with you or something! If we make a lot of noise and exchange blows, the trees might react!”
I felt a wry smile growing on my face. The fact that you made the statements is already evidence enough that it won’t be anything close to a real fight, I thought, amused. Being able to plan a “fight” beforehand was evidence of a close bond. Only good friends and close family could pull off something like that, and at the end of the day, that counted as harmony. I shook my head with fond exasperation and let out a small chuckle.
My laughter seemed to get on their nerves, and they both pouted at me in displeasure. Though we weren’t in front of Fusang trees, the pair rushed up to me. Techi ruffled my hair until it was a mess, and Kon used my back as a climbing post. They began their very physical protest against me, who still wore a wry smile on my face.