Chapter 44 Not Seen for 3 Days
Yukiko planned to take Tsuru with her so that she could still enjoy delicious tricolor dango and red bean soup when she was in Kuri.
In fact, teahouses and even some izakayas sold such food, and there were many such shops in Kuri. However, Yukiko particularly liked the sweets made by Tsuru, even though they were not unique.
So she straightforwardly asked Tsuru whether she wanted to do business in Kuri.
But Tsuru was a little hesitant.
She had considered doing business in Kuri before, and it had troubled her. On one hand, she did not know whether Kuri was as good as people said, and on the other hand, Kin'emon had not sent any letters since he left with Lord Oden.
Tsuru was afraid that if she moved to Kuri, Kin'emon would not be able to find her when he returned.
After hesitating, she heard that it was already difficult to settle in Kuri, which ironically relieved her of her worries.
Now that Yukiko brought it up again, it made her feel somewhat tempted.
The prosperity of Kuri was now beyond doubt. Tsuru had heard that this year, the tribute paid by one village in Kuri to the Flower Capital even exceeded the combined total of Ringo, Kibi, and Udon.
However, Tsuru was still worried about Kin'emon.
She and Kin'emon had a long history together. Although he was a complete scoundrel—never working, often stealing money from her, clearly strong but lazy—they had grown up together, and Tsuru was quite tolerant of him.
If she left like this, they might never meet again.
After so many years of friendship, it was hard for Tsuru to make a decision.
But if she gave up this opportunity, Tsuru felt unwilling. Nowadays, it was not impossible for ordinary merchants to do business in Kuri, but buying land and a house there would come at a huge cost.
If Tsuru had made up her mind to sell her teahouse half a year ago, she could have bought twice the area of property in a more remote location in Kuri. But now, she could not even afford a toilet.
And now, the opportunity to do business in Kuri was right in front of her. Who would have thought that this beautiful, somewhat cold-looking woman was actually the head of the Magistrate of Finance, who managed Kuri's finances?
Most of Kuri's land belonged to the Daimyo. If the head of the Magistrate of Finance wanted her to open a teahouse, even in the most prosperous area, it would be a simple matter of a single word.
Tsuru felt as though she had thought for a long time, but in reality, it had only been a moment.
She nodded and agreed.
Thinking about it carefully, even if she went to Kuri, it did not mean she would lose contact with Kin'emon forever. After all, he was following the Shogun's son, who would surely become the Shogun in the future.
The current Shogun had no other children.
With this, Kin'emon, as one of the earliest samurai to follow him, would surely become a famous noble in the Flower Capital in the future. By then, it would naturally not be difficult for them to meet.
However, once someone became successful, whether old friends still counted as friends was uncertain.
After all, he was someone who left for 2 years without sending a single letter. Tsuru did not think too much about it; she did not have those kinds of feelings for Kin'emon yet, and who would develop affection for a ruffian?
"In that case, you should prepare first. You can come with us to Kuri when we return, or I can directly write a document, and you can take it and go straight to the Daimyo's Mansion in Kuri. Someone will arrange everything for you then," Yukiko said.
"Then I will wait for Miss Yukiko here," Tsuru said softly as she served the red bean soup. After all, she was a woman, and going alone to a strange place with unfamiliar people and surroundings still made her somewhat uneasy.
With Yukiko, someone she knew, it would not be as frightening.
Yukiko nodded and said nothing more.
The two fell silent for a moment. Ultimately, their relationship was not particularly close.
Soon after, Tsuru brought out the prepared food: tea, red bean soup, and tricolor dango. These were only small snacks, and Shutenmaru did not know why Yukiko was so fond of them.
Especially the tricolor dango and red bean soup, which were almost cloyingly sweet.
However, the tea was perfect for cutting through the sweetness, and Shutenmaru certainly would not refuse food.
After resting for half a day, Yukiko and the others departed.
Tsuru, holding the 10 gold coins she had just received, returned to the house, found a box, and put the money inside. In truth, that amount of food and tea was not worth so much.
Although there were 30 people, it was ultimately only some tricolor dango and a pot of red bean soup.
She sighed, closed the box, put it back in its place, and then turned to start tidying the house.
"Kin'emon, that guy… I wonder if he can stick with Lord Oden," Tsuru thought. Her greatest fear was that Kin'emon would give up halfway, fail to make something of himself, and then sneak back in shame.
This was not impossible. She had helped Kin'emon find legitimate work before, but he always returned without accomplishing anything.
If he gave up halfway this time, he might truly have no one left to rely on.
Thinking of this, Tsuru decided not to sell the teahouse and to treat it as a fallback for Kin'emon.
She planned to bring only some clothes and valuables, which would be enough.
With Yukiko's help, Tsuru did not have to worry about not having a shop to open in Kuri. However, she could not always rely on others' kindness.
"At the very least, I must repay the cost of the shop Miss Yukiko is helping me with using future income," Tsuru thought.
The high price of land in Kuri was one thing, but more importantly, even with money, it might not be possible to buy it. Being granted the qualification to purchase was already a favor, and as for the land itself, it certainly could not be taken for free.
After leaving Tsuru's teahouse, they were already very close to the Flower Capital.
By dusk, Yukiko and the others saw the red torii gate standing on the elevated outskirts of the capital.
The terrain of the Flower Capital was slightly higher than the surrounding areas, like a raised platform. The entrance and exit passages were flat steps, and after stepping onto them and passing through the torii gate, one would truly be within the Flower Capital.
Inside the capital, the houses were orderly. Even ordinary citizens living here would not be too poor.
After all, this was the capital; even a dilapidated house had some value. Those who truly could not afford food would have long since sold their property and moved elsewhere.
In other words, the prosperity of the Flower Capital did not mean everyone was prosperous. Rather, those who could not survive here were forced to leave.
Wano Country was vast, and the administrators of each village were different, so prices naturally varied.
"What a big cherry blossom tree!"
Shutenmaru looked toward the center of the city and was immediately captivated by the cherry blossom tree, which resembled a pink crescent moon.
"Not seen for 3 days, and the world is filled with cherry blossoms."
Dear Readers,
I have an important favor to ask of you today. If you've been enjoying the story, please consider switching to Patreon to support me directly.
By joining, you will instantly unlock 20 chapters and gain access to a total of 50 to 55 chapters every month.
To be honest with you, I am currently in deep financial trouble, and your support would mean the world to me during this difficult time. Furthermore, if I can get more members, I plan to add even more new fanfics by the end of this week!
Please consider supporting me on Patreon so I can continue creating content for you.
Thank you for your help
patreon.com/anish_44