I formed the strongest swordsman group

"Running errands? Two Kingdoms Bridge?"

"Well, yes. Didn't I go to help get rid of rats at Shi Qi's house yesterday afternoon, but I just found out that I seem to have left a few tools in their house. I still have some urgent matters to deal with, temporarily I can’t get away. So I want to ask the young master to help me run errands, go to the Jinqi family, and bring back the few tools I missed.”

"Okay." Kinoshita Wu said without hesitation, "I'll go now."

Kinoshita Mai closed the account book in her hand, stood up neatly, walked to the entrance not far away, and put on her pair of red button clogs.

"Do you know where Jinshi's house is?"

"Yeah. I know!"

"That's good. Go and come back quickly."

After speaking, Kiryu turned around and prepared to go back to the back room of Senshiya.

"Um!"

Putting on the wooden clogs, Kinoshita Mai pushed open the shop door of Senshiya, walked briskly, and walked away.

Hearing the sound of Kinoshita Mai's footsteps gradually going away, Kiryu stopped slowly, and then faced the shop door again.

Looking at the front hall where the red figure was no longer there... Kiryu's right mouth was slightly raised, revealing a slight smile with some relief.

"The young master is in a really good mood recently..."

Kiryu murmured softly that he was the only one listening.

"People have become a lot more cheerful."

Compared with the previous one, Kinoshita Mai is a completely different person now.

Haruka Kiryu remembered that more than half a year ago, Kinoshita Mai was timid even looking at strangers and speaking.

Running errands, helping to look after the front desk... These jobs that require contact with strangers were the jobs that Kinoshita Mai feared the most in the past.

At present, although Kinoshita Mai is still a little afraid of contacting strangers, the symptoms of "social fear" have undoubtedly improved a lot.

I am no longer so resistant to running errands, helping to look at the front desk...etc.

As the symptoms of "social fear" eased, Wu Kinoshita became a lot more cheerful, and no longer always bowed her head and was gloomy.

Kiryu is naturally happy to see these positive changes in Mai Kinoshita.

"Is this the special magical power that bursts out after you're in love with a certain man..."

After whispering like this, the gratified smile on Kiryu's face changed into a wry smile with complicated emotions.

What was the opportunity that triggered these changes in Kinoshita Mai... Kiryu naturally knew it clearly.

"It seems...you had a great time with Tachibana-kun the night before yesterday...you probably didn't do anything drastic...?"

The night before, Kiryu kept his promise with Kinoshita Mai, and did not secretly follow her, nor secretly monitor her and Qingdeng's itinerary.

So Kiryu has no idea what Qingdeng and Kinoshita Mai did the night before.

Kiryu, who has lived in his nineties and has seen many outrageous things that ordinary people dare not even think about, has long seen the phenomenon of "becoming more beautiful because of love" in Mai Kinoshita.

A person with a gloomy temperament becomes more and more lively because of falling in love with someone...

People who are lazy, start to work hard because they are in love with someone...

Introverts, who start to be more proactive in the world because they have a relationship with someone...

Kinoshita Mai's feelings for Qingdeng are far more sincere and warm than what she imagined - this is what Kiryu has learned recently.

Thinking of this, Kiryu couldn't help thinking about a serious matter—how will the relationship between Qingdeng and Kinoshita Mai develop in the future? What are the thoughts and plans of these two young people?

According to Kiryu's observation, Qingdeng has a high affection for Kinoshita Mai, which is beyond doubt.

Both of them have now passed their bar mitzvah and are old enough to marry.

Will Mr. Ju marry the young master?

Also, besides the young master...will he marry other women?

In this era without advanced medical skills and hygiene concepts, it is only very common for rich and powerful men to marry multiple wives in order to enrich their families and continue their heirs.

But ancient Japan, like the ancient Central Plains, followed the system of "monogamy and multiple concubines".

A wife can have several wives, but there can only be one wife.

Due to his status, Kiryu can't intervene and intervene in Kinoshita Mai's future marriage.

He also didn't know what conditions and requirements his lord had for his future grandson-in-law.

Tongsheng only knows one thing: no matter what the Lord allows her future grandson-in-law to marry many other wives, her precious granddaughter must be married!

There is no need to ask the lord about such things.

Anyone with a little common sense knows that the status of the side room in the family is far inferior to that of the main room.

With the protagonist's staunch and strong temperament, how could he tolerate Mai Kinoshita's family status being lowered to other women?

Not to mention the master.

Kiryu himself can't tolerate Kinoshita Mai becoming someone else's concubine...even if that person is a disciple he admires very much.

Kiryu couldn't help but wonder how he would react if one day Qingdeng told him, "I want to take Kinoshita Mai as my concubine and marry another woman as my wife"...

At that time, there should be a very fierce master-apprentice battle!

Kiryu secretly said in his heart in a very firm tone.

——By the way...you can ask Ogata-kun to come and help, Ogata-kun will definitely be happy to help teach those who dare to bully the young master.

...

...

Edo, Koishikawa Kohinata Yanagi-cho, Shouweikan——

"...Mr."

A voice came from afar.

"... Mr. Tangerine."

The sound gradually approached.

"...Mr. Tangerine."

familiar voice.

"Mr. Orange, what are you in a daze for?"

A small plain white hand shook back and forth in front of his eyes.

"……Um?"

Qingdeng, whose consciousness came out of the "trance" state, blinked vigorously a few times.

Then he lowered his chin and looked at the chief executive who was standing in front of him, standing on tiptoes while swinging his outstretched right hand back and forth in front of his eyes.

"Finally recovered."

The director general relaxes the toes that stand on tiptoe, and presses the soles of the feet back to the ground.

"Mr. Ju, I kept calling you just now, and my mouth was almost close to your ear, but you didn't respond. What are you thinking? You think so seriously."

"Uh...it's nothing..." Qingdeng raised his hand and rubbed his face, changing the subject while covering up his embarrassment, "Is the earthworker here?"

"Not yet." The Chief Secretary replied, "Mr. Hijikata is still fixing his hair. Really... just combing his hair, why did it take so long..."

At this very moment, Qingdeng, Zongsi, Kondo, Inoue, Saito, Yongcang, Harada——these young people from the testing hall, together with Fujido who was invited to come, are gathering at the testing hall at this moment. The entrance of the hall.

Tonight is the last night of the fireworks display.

At the same time, it was also a night for them, the young people in the test hall, to go to the fireworks festival together.

Originally, in addition to Fujido Heisuke, who often came to the examination hall to show his face, they also sent invitations to Zhou Zhu, Abi, Jiubingwei, the sister and brother-in-law of the chief executive.

Fujido nodded readily and accepted the invitation.

But Zhou Zhu and the others all refused with reasons such as "I am too old to stand this kind of lively activity", "I am not sensitive to places where there are many people like this".

In the end, the only people who participated in tonight's event were young people like them.

Right now, all the well-dressed people have assembled at the entrance of the test hall... except for the earthwork.

"Wait for me a moment, I want to comb my hair. It will be ready soon" - these are the original words that Hijikata said to everyone 5 minutes ago.

Now that the earth party has said so, it can only wait for him first.

In the postures of sitting or standing, the people "should lean on all sides" in the entrance, staged a "various attitudes of all living beings".

Like the reincarnation of a sloth, Saito, who likes to be motionless in a daze, stands in an inconspicuous corner, wandering to nowhere.

Yongcang, Harada, and Fujido sat on the wooden porch adjacent to the entrance, chatting about the mountains one after another.

Kondo and Inoue chatted about the recent operating conditions of the testing hall with serious faces.

The general manager wakes up Qingdeng, who has just been thinking about things.

Everyone changed into summer-style yukata tonight, only Qingdeng and the chief executive still dressed in a serious manner.

Undershirts, hakamas, tabi socks, straw sandals...a lot of them.

Qingdeng's attire is for the convenience of fighting when he encounters the remnants of the barbarian group who may come to seek revenge outdoors.

The reason why the chief executive also dressed up like this was to prevent others from recognizing her as a girl.

Having said that - the chief executive wore a new purple hakama tonight.

Five neat creases are folded on the front body, which perfectly outlines the slender waist of the chief executive.

The new purple hakama worn by the general manager, together with her white blouse, the purple ribbon that tied her hair, and the purple button clogs on her feet, formed a harmonious color.

The beautiful purple has added a lot of lively and youthful atmosphere to the general manager.

Although the mind temporarily returned to reality due to the call of the general manager Shicai...but at the moment, Qingdeng's consciousness began to "break away" from the body unconsciously.

The scenes seen this morning flashed before Qing Deng's eyes again like snowflakes.

...

(Anyway, there are fireworks festivals every year. If you can’t go this year, you can wait for next year.)

...

(Haha...it's okay...! Master, you don't have to show such an expression, if you can't go, you can't go...!)

...

What Elodie said to him this morning still rings in Qing Deng's ears.

Ai Luodi's forced smile has never disappeared from Qingdeng's mind throughout the day.

What "it's okay, it's okay", what "you can wait until next year"...but they are all just lip service.

If she really didn't feel sorry for "missing this year's fireworks display", then she wouldn't be crying with red and swollen eye sockets this morning.

She's still a 12-year-old after all.

Although she pretends to be mature and indifferent, her words and expressions today all express to Qingdeng her sadness... her longing.

Thinking of this, Qingdeng felt increasingly uncomfortable and depressed.

——There is nothing... Is there anything my master can do...?

Qingdeng raised his hand impetuously, rubbing the space between his eyebrows vigorously.

Sudden--

"Sorry sorry for keeping you waiting."

The voice of the earthwork finally appeared, and he quickly approached the crowd along with his footsteps.

"Slow to death!"

The chief who was squatting next to Qingdeng to rest, stood up and continued angrily.

"It's just a haircut, why did it take so long...huh?"

The rest of the words were stuck in the chief's throat and could not be uttered—at the moment Xunsheng looked towards Hijikata, she couldn't help but be speechless.

Not only the general manager is like this.

Qingdeng, Kondo... In short, everyone present now focused their stunned gazes on Hijikata who was striding towards them.

"Sorry, it's been a long time since I wore such a serious hairstyle."

Hijikata grinned and raised his hand to touch the bun on the top of his head

"So I accidentally spent more time."

Tufang usually doesn't pay much attention to his hairstyle. Often the hair is tied loosely at the back of the head with just a thin tie.

But now, he actually braided a rather neat and beautiful bun.

The hair on the temples and forehead is also combed neatly and shiny.

With such a serious hairstyle, Hijikata's whole temperament has changed, with a little less of a gangster's scorn, and a little more of an honest gentleman.

This temperament coupled with his handsome and handsome face... I'm afraid no one would have guessed that this handsome man is actually a farmer and gangster who has nothing to do with "Mr. Pianpian".

"Tufang." Yongcang was the first to ask the question lingering in everyone's minds at this moment, "Why did you suddenly change... such a serious hairstyle?"

"A Sui..." Kondo, who was standing beside Inoue, let out a long sigh at this moment, "Are you... planning to hook up with women again?"

"That's right!"

Hijikata snapped his fingers vigorously at Kondo, and said with a smirk.

"I haven't been to such a popular celebration for a long time."

"The annual fireworks display will definitely attract a lot of good girls."

"Wouldn't it be a waste if I didn't take advantage of this festival to get to know a few more girls?"

"Hahaha, I'm really looking forward to tonight!"

After all, Tufang laughed with his hands on his hips.

Everyone knows what a romantic person Hijikata is.

So after listening to Hijikata's explanation, a group of people headed by the general manager showed expressions of "ah, so it is like this..." and "Hikata, you really deserve to be you".

Only one person's expression at this moment is different from others.

That is Qingdeng.

I saw Qing Deng suddenly opened his eyes, and his eyes locked on the ground in front of him.

Things like inspiration... are really weird.

It always pops up suddenly at some strange time.

What Tufang said about the prodigal son just now gave Qing Deng a hint of inspiration.

This inspiration changed rapidly, and finally turned into a... bold idea!

"……Everyone."

Qingdeng's sudden sound attracted everyone's sight and attention.

"I... have something to discuss with you."

...

...

Edo, Reservation, Angoulême's house, third floor, Elodie's room—

The door was closed.

The south facing windows open wide.

At the moment when all the light sources in the room have been extinguished, only the moonlight pouring in from the window can bring some light to the room.

The bright and pure brilliance composed of silvery light particles floats quietly above the room, and flows farthest to Elodie's bed, dividing the room with Elodie's bed, creating an extremely contrasting light and shadow. Strong neat halves.

The moonlight made the spacious bedroom shadowy, as if covered with a thick layer of mist.

Outside the window was a night wind that was slightly heavy due to the hot and humid atmosphere.

The sound of the wind emphasizes the tranquility of the room, and at the same time sets off the only "light" in the room... the moonlight, which silently fights against the darkness, looks lonely.

At this moment, a gust of night wind blew past the window, whispered lightly, and sent a coolness directly into Elodie's bed and into Elodie's quilt.

Elodie, who was wearing a white nightgown, was lying on her back on the bed, her sapphire-like pupils were looking up at the gray ceiling stained by the night and moonlight.

In order to allow Ai Luodi to grow up healthily, Anthony has very strict requirements on Ai Luodi's sleep time.

Under Anthony's rules, Elodie had to go to bed at eight o'clock in the evening.

Of course—Elodie would sometimes sneak up late to read, or do something else.

It's just that tonight she obviously doesn't have the energy to sneak out of the bed.

——If I can go to the fireworks display... then at this moment, I must be having a lot of fun at the conference...

——Ah, no, no, no, no... It's clear that I've made a decision, so I won't think about such sad things anymore...

The dark night, the spacious room alone... such an environment can easily magnify the negative emotions in people's hearts.

Elodie is in such a situation now.

Obviously, I have made up my mind not to think about the regret of not being able to participate in this year's fireworks display...

Obviously, I can understand Grandpa's good intentions very well, knowing that Grandpa also really wants to take her to play...

But Elodie just feels wronged...

Although she would be self-willed occasionally, Elodie believed that she had always been a well-behaved and obedient child.

Not to mention the catastrophe that hurts nature and reason, Elodie has never done anything like petty theft.

As the saying goes, "Good people will be rewarded with good rewards, and evil people will be rewarded with evil rewards"... As a result, I, a person who has never done any bad things, encountered various unlucky things one after another.

Not to mention the long past... Just now, my little wish of "wanting to go to the fireworks festival" cannot be fulfilled.

The more Alodie thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt... Once again, a thin layer of water vapor appeared in her eyes.

In order to calm her emotions, Elodie raised her hand to wipe off the mist covering her eyes, and at the same time took several deep breaths.

—Okay... don't think about it anymore...

- go to sleep...

Elodie repeated in her heart with a dull tone that seemed to hypnotize herself.

——It's nothing to be sad about... It's not like I'll never be able to participate in the fireworks display...

- Wait until next year...

——When next year... this little wish of mine will definitely come true...

Under her uninterrupted "hypnosis", Elodie's eyelids slowly sank.

Although the pair of beautiful sapphire-like eyes still shone with sadness and unwillingness... But as Elodie gradually closed her eyes, this light gradually disappeared in the dark night...

Just at this time--

tuk tuk tuk...

At the window, there was a sudden knock on the window frame.

"Huh?"

Elodie's eyes, which had just been closed, opened again.

Tuk tuk duk...!

The sound of the window frame being knocked came again... and this time the volume was louder and clearer.

——What is this sound...?

With doubts in her mind, Alodie lifted the thin quilt on her body, got out of bed, put on her slippers, and walked towards the moonlight step by step cautiously.

After arriving at the window where not only the curtains were drawn, but also the window was wide open, Elodie looked in the direction where the sound came from - the window.

What she saw in front of her eyes made Elodie's pupils shrink in shock, and she couldn't help but exclaimed in her mother tongue:

"Master? (French)"

Below the window of Alodi's room, there is just a wide street... If there is a passerby on this street at this time, and the passerby is looking up, then he will be able to see such an astonishing scene——

Like a spider, a young samurai clings to the outer wall of the third floor of the house, holds the window frame with both hands, and hangs under the window.

"Good evening, Elodie." Qingdeng raised his head and smiled at Elodie, "Great...you haven't slept yet."

Elodie, whose small face was dominated by strong doubts, stared at Qingdeng who was greeting her dumbfounded.

His head was instantly filled with a lot of questions.

"Master, master, what are you doing? Do you know how high this place is? If you accidentally fall, even if you don't die, you will be seriously injured."

While talking so anxiously, Elodie turned her head and looked around.

After confirming that there were no pedestrians on the street outside the window, and that neither Anthony nor Leroy downstairs had noticed any movement from them, Elodie hastily stretched out her hand to Qingdeng.

"Come on, master, come up quickly, and come into my room quickly."

"Then I'll bother you..."

Qingdeng stretched his arms, turned over the window and entered Elodie's boudoir with extremely neat movements.

"master."

Elodie circled around Qingdeng with a helpless look.

"You, are you here to find me? Why did you come to me at this time? Did you climb up the wall of the house? Are you injured?"

Elodie sent a series of questions to Qingdeng like a cannonball.

Qingdeng was not in a hurry to answer these questions that Alodi asked one by one.

He kneaded his arms that were sore from climbing up to Elodie's room a few times... Then he raised a friendly smile to Elodie.

"Elodie, let's go to the fireworks display."

*****

*****

The recent hot weather in Guangzhou + damn mosquitoes disturbed the author so much that he couldn’t take a good rest (leopard dead.jpg)

So I can’t blame the author for being short, it’s all about the weather and the mosquitoes... Without them, the author will definitely be able to become longer (Leopard Classic Fengshuang.jpg)