There wasn’t much I could do outside when it rained—I checked the fields and did a little patrolling, but mostly, I stayed cooped up at home. The chickens still went out on patrol, so I tagged along at least once a day. Not for too long, though.
Today was just a light drizzle, so I went to check the river nearby. The water level had clearly risen.
“The water around here is still pretty clear. Why’s it so muddy downstream?” I muttered. A higher water level means more soil, rocks, and that kind of stuff being washed away, so I guess that’s why the river looks more latte-colored the farther downstream I go...?
Because of the potential danger, I checked for landslides from a distance and then went back.
The rainy season made mold grow much more easily, meaning I also had to check inside the house—especially in humid places like the toilet or the bath. I had a dehumidifier running at full power in the tatami room, I’d put charcoal in the toilet and bath, and I also wiped any water droplets whenever I found them.
Being a shut-in is pretty hard work too.
I was also unable to dry my clothes outside, so the clothes dryer was proving very useful. It was really humid up here in the mountains.
I still had a lot of vegetables—the villagers had given me a ton in exchange for charcoal—so thankfully, food wasn’t such a big concern.
“No meat, though...”
I opened my fridge and noticed I was running low. I need my fill of meat to give me energy.
“No eggs either...” I muttered. I glanced at Yuma, who was standing next to me. She cocked her head. It’ll probably be a while until they start laying eggs. Plus, we have Pochi, so the eggs will probably be fertilized, and I don’t want to eat that. At least not other than as a last resort...
“Time to go shopping, I guess...”
“I guess!”
Yuma was raring to go. So cute.
I had three vipers in bottles. They hadn’t shown up for a few days, probably due to the rain, but they were starting to come out again. Recently, Pochi had caught a yamakagashi snake too, and as usual, he’d devoured it after obtaining my permission. I’m pretty sure those are also supposed to be venomous. Is it okay to let him eat it? I only thought about this after he’d already finished, though. Too late. The head and neck, likely the place where its venom was located, were nowhere to be found, so Pochi had probably eaten those too. I try to avoid watching him eat.
I observed Pochi for a few days, just in case, but he was full of his usual pep. What’s with these chickens anyway...?
“Hello. I’m going to the village today. Will you be home?” I asked Yumoto-san over the phone, and he replied affirmatively. He also informed me that the things I’d bought online the other day had just arrived. Perfect.
“Oh yeah, I’ve also got something I’d like your chickens to help with. Can you bring ’em with you when you come? Doesn’t have to be all three.”
That was an unusual request.
“Help?” I asked.
“I’ll tell you when you’re here. Nothing to worry about.”
“If you want them to go on TV or something like that, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”
There’s no way I’m letting anyone make a freak show out of my chickens!
Yumoto-san laughed. “No, no, it’s nothing of the sort. Anyway, might be hard to talk about it with only one of them, so bring someone who can understand us.”
“Okay.”
I asked Yuma to bring the other two to me. They were drenched. Aren’t they cold?
“Looks like the old man needs your help for something,” I told them as I dried their wings with a towel. I must look like a real weirdo doing this.
Pochi clucked loudly, probably intending to say he’d go. That’s our Pochi for you! A true man among men!
“What about you, Tama?”
She looked away. Okay, so you want to stay and watch over the house. I’ll leave that to you.
Yuma was tagging along too—she’d already intended to go with me from the start. Aww, thanks.
“I wonder what it is he needs help with,” I mumbled. Hope it’s nothing bad.
Hearing me, Pochi stared at me with a look of disapproval that seemed to say, You didn’t even ask what it’s about?
I mean, he did say he’d tell me when I was there.
Lately, I’d started to feel like I could read the chickens’ expressions much better, and that enabled me to see just how astonished Pochi was. I’m sorry for being such an unreliable owner... Wait, why am I even apologizing to a chicken?
We left Tama at home and drove down to the village.
This time, I had better presents than usual for the Yumotos—three snakes in bottles, of course, but also assorted fruits. Well, actually, I still need to pick them up. And at the Yumotos’ house, of all places. Sounds crazy, but all my packages are being delivered to their place, and that includes the assorted fruits I bought. Probably not a good idea to pick up the package and give it back to him, so maybe I should put it in the truck first and then give it to him.
Guess I’ll stop by the general store on my way home later to buy meat and eggs. After deciding that, I headed straight to the old man’s house.
“Hello!”
Usually Machiko-san was outside the house during the daytime, but not with this rain. It had been raining for a few days now, and everything was all damp.
“Oh, hello there, Sho-chan. I see Pochi-chan and Yuma-chan are with you today. That’s a big help!” Pochi and Yuma sat quietly as she hugged them.