Qingdeng!【5000】
Edo, a certain commercial street——
After noon, the weather became increasingly sunny.
The warm sunshine, which is extremely rare in winter, slants down from the cloudless sky. It casts the figures of Qingdeng and his party on the red soil road that is pressed tightly by countless feet, countless hooves, and countless wheels.
.
Looking from the perspective carved by Qingdeng and his party, the shops on the right are bathed in shining sunlight, while the shops on the left are immersed in relative shadows.
The strong contrast between light and shadow brings a distinct texture like an oil painting to this popular downtown area in Edo.
Men and women of different classes, different identities, and different clothes came and went, driving to and from the place.
From time to time, the cold wind carrying snow particles tightened the clothes of every pedestrian.
The numerous shops are filled with a dazzling array of goods. Izakayas, teahouses, and confectionery houses are lined up in rows. The tempting aroma of tea-scented snacks lingers in your nose.
To Edo people, these were just ordinary sights they saw every day, and they had long been tired of seeing them.
But for a certain boy who is walking in front of the Aoto side... For this boy who is like a canary and has been imprisoned in the "big iron cage" of Edo Castle for many years, these street scenes are all...
So fresh and interesting.
"Is this the Sujibashi Mikamon Uchihirokoji...it's better to see it than to hear it a hundred times."
Tokugawa Iemo was like Grandma Liu when he entered the Grand View Garden, looking left and right with bright eyes, stopping from time to time to look at something or someone intently.
"Mom...ah, no, sister, what is that? It smells so good."
"Oh, that's right."
Tenzouin, who was walking side by side with Tokugawa Iemo, smiled and replied:
"That is Kanto's specialty food: Monja Yaki. Mix batter with various ingredients, pour it on a hot iron plate and bake it. When eating, use a special small spoon to scoop a little bit, and then put it on the iron plate.
Press it until it becomes crispy before eating."
"Oh! It turns out that that is Monjayaki! It feels quite similar to the okonomiyaki in Osaka. I have heard about the name Monjayaki for a long time, and today I finally got to see its true form! Onee-sama, why don't we go and taste it together?
"
Tianzhangyuan nodded lightly without thinking:
"Why not? Tachibana-kun, Saege, Yae. Do you want to come and eat together? I'll treat you~~"
Tenzouin turned her head back and asked the second sister, Aito, who was standing in a row behind her and Tokugawa Iemo.
At this time, Qingdeng was no longer wearing the new clothes he had purchased specially for the New Year, but had changed into very simple clothes.
A brown cotton coat made of rough linen; an ordinary black long hakama; and a low-brimmed bamboo hat with raw edges that can cover most of Qingden's face.
In addition, the sword on Qingden's waist has also been changed.
The wakizashi is still the same wakizashi, but the Dingikigami has been replaced by an ordinary sword of a popular shape.
The knife has been changed, the dressing style has changed, and most of the face is covered. From head to toe, there is a "simple" atmosphere of the country people... Not to mention anyone else, even Kinoshita Mai, Sanako and Souji are here
, most likely they wouldn’t be able to recognize this “old hater” as Qingdeng at the first time.
"Master Yu Du, thank you for your kindness."
Shazhong took the lead.
"But I'm not hungry yet, so I won't eat yet."
Yae stammered in agreement:
"Me, me too."
"You two won't eat...what about you?"
Tianzhangyuan focused his attention on Qingdeng, who stood in the middle of the two sisters.
"Tangerine-kun, do you want to eat?"
Qingdeng thought for a while, nodded and said:
"Then... I'd rather be respectful than obey."
Although Seito's stomach is not yet hungry, God knows how long the mother and son plan to stay in Edo incognito for their visit.
Therefore, to be cautious, it is better to eat more and conserve more energy.
"You're welcome, just eat it with all your heart!"
Tianzhangyuan smiled and then joked:
"I still have the money to treat you to all-you-can-eat Monjasha."
Tokugawa Iemo took the lead in person, leading everyone to stride towards the Monja Yaki stall not far away that was constantly emitting an alluring aroma and happened to have no queues at the moment.
"boss!"
Tianzhangyuan raised three green-white jade fingers.
"Three copies of Monmonji!"
Tenjoin, who has the dual identity of Odaisho and the commander-in-chief of the new Oteiban, and frequently travels between Edo Castle and Tsukinomiya Shrine, is naturally far more familiar with the customs and customs of Edo than Tokugawa Iemo, and understands it better. How to deal with the common people of Edo.
"Okay!" the stall owner responded enthusiastically.
In a moment, Aoden, Tenzouin and Tokugawa Iemo, each holding a steaming portion of monji-yaki, were sitting in rows on a bench next to the stall, eating monji-yaki.
Monjamoniyaki is just an ordinary folk snack that can be seen everywhere on the streets and alleys of Edo.
To Ayoto, the monjayaki sold at this stall tasted good, but it was just that-but Tokugawa Iemo ate it with gusto.
I saw him holding the freshly baked monjiyaki, looking at it here, smelling it there, looking at it like appreciating art for a long time, and then picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
While chewing, he nodded, his eyes shining with surprise and joy.
"boss!"
Tokugawa Iemo raised his head and spoke loudly to the stall owner in an extremely standard Kishu accent:
"Your craftsmanship is really good!"
"Thanks for the compliment!"
The stall owner laughed a few times.
"Sir, judging from your accent, you must be from Jishu, right?"
"oh?"
Tokugawa Iemo raised his eyebrows.
"Your ears are really amazing! Yes, I'm from Kishu!"
Tokugawa Iemo sat up slightly and straightened his clothes.
"I am the lord of the Kishu domain: Shigemo Asano. This is my sister, these two are my servants, and this is my bodyguard."
Tokugawa Iemo's fingers pointed at Tenzou-in, the two sisters and Aoden respectively.
"Hahaha, I have been selling monjayaki in Edo for more than 30 years! People everywhere have seen it, so I naturally have a good ear!"
"Kishu is great! It's rich and well-located. Not only is it close to the holy land of Mount Koya, but it's also not far from Kyoto and Osaka. It's very easy to go shopping in big cities or to pray to gods and Buddhas!"
Mount Koya: The main mountain of the Shingon sect of Japanese esoteric Buddhism. This sacred place of Japanese Buddhism with a history of thousands of years is located in the territory of Kishu Domain.
"Look at what you're wearing...are you travelers?"
"Well, yes."
Tokugawa Iemo replied.
"To be honest, I have had the ambition to visit all the places of interest in the world since I was a child. Edo is the largest city in Japan. Wouldn't it be a pity not to come and see it in person?"
Speaking of this, Tokugawa Iemo moved his eyes and scanned the street scene around him, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
"This trip to Edo is truly a worthwhile trip. Edo's size and prosperity are truly worthy of its reputation."
Tokugawa Iemo, a "foreigner", praised Edo highly, which seemed to make the stall owner, an "old Edo native", very happy.
"Of course!"
To be continued...