As the son of the village chief, Hu Che has too many things to deal with.

He was carrying a large basket on his back, and he had just come out of the old man's house in the village, with a light-hearted smile on his face, as if he had just experienced something worth happier. However, his good mood did not last long, and other things in his heart pressed on his heart, making him troubled again.

Now he has slowly begun to take over some things in the village, and some things, the old village chief has begun to slowly let him get started.

He understood what his father meant, and he understood what the people in the village meant. The position of village chief is not hereditary, but is elected by everyone in the village. But who can do a good job in this position, everyone has a number in their hearts.

Anyway, it's useless, whoever loves it will do it.

Here's just that. No one is happy to do this position. There is no return, and there are many more things. The fields at home have not been planted yet, there are still insects and weeds in the vegetable field, and the fur children are boiling, and they don't have time to do their own things, who wants to do that position? Whoever loves to go will go.

Everyone only cares about their own one-third of an acre, who wants to do this and take care of other people's useless positions?

With the word "village chief", he can't let his family have enough to eat.

This is a very strange situation in Yae Village right now. A lot of things that will be fought over in the outside world are worthless here. Nobody really cares about any of that.

Yae Village is a very closed village, and the people in the village do not want to go out, and it is difficult for outsiders to find this even more barren and remote village in the already barren Shinano Province.

To what extent is Yae Village closed, so closed that even the currency is not "gold" and "silver" that are common to the outside world, but "Sakuraza" made in a special way.

The wealth that everyone desperately pursues in the outside world is like garbage here, and no one needs it at all.

Yae Village is indeed self-sufficient and does not need to communicate with the outside world. Farming by oneself and harvesting by oneself, as long as the wind and rain are smooth, it is not difficult to live a well-clothed life. But...

What if you want to live a better life.

Thinking of this, he sighed secretly in his heart.

If you haven't been in contact with the outside world, you will never know how big the world is. For the villagers, being able to eat enough is the best life they imagined. But Hu Che knew that there were too many beautiful things that the villagers had never thought of.

Outside, there are too many more luxurious houses, more delicious food, better clothes, and more beautiful accessories.

It's just...

Thinking of the villagers, he pressed his temples with some headaches.

asked him to inherit this position, and he didn't want to pay attention to it. But until one day, because of an accident, I got lost in the mountains and walked to the village outside...

He suddenly felt that his previous thoughts were wrong. The people in the village are also not right, and it can even be said that some... Malformation.

He wanted to bring something better to the villagers.

It's just that there have always been some voices in the village that don't support him in communicating with the outside world. They fear that contact with the outside world will bring disaster to the village. They were happy to let someone else take over the position that no one wanted to do but couldn't live without, but they didn't want him to take him to a strange place.

But...

He smiled suddenly.

When they saw the little things they had brought them, they looked in amazement...

In the future, I don't think I will be so resistant.

Oh yes. And that little brother's... Well, it's okay to say it's a child.

Hu Che rubbed his chin, his fingertips scraping the hard stubble on his chin.

He took the basket off and carefully checked it. Well, no problem. I didn't bring anything with me, and I didn't have any problems.

Alas, speaking of which, I didn't have a chance to talk to him properly after that day, and I didn't even have time to say thank you, so I hurried out again, and only now came back. But I've never seen that strange look.

But it seems a little strange... But it doesn't feel ugly.

I don't know how the shrine took care of him, but if the injuries on his body are getting better?

However, when he brought something to the Lord in the morning, the Lord didn't say anything, but replied, "You see him and understand." Such an inexplicable sentence.

This time, by the way, I would like to thank the two people who haven't come back yet.

After tidying up his appearance, he stepped down the long staircase under the torii gate.

When you enter the torii, you enter the Pure Land of the gods. No matter what kind of person you are, under the torii, you are under the eyes of the gods, and the gods are watching you.

I don't know why, but he suddenly wondered if that child should have believed in their gods, and if not, would the gods still have their eyes on him?

What stupid words, if you don't believe, why did you come to save them with a fox mask?

He shook his head, not thinking about it. I'll see it in a while, just ask.

However, I don't think I've been here in a long time.

Toraki has come to this shrine many times. Run through the long staircase that seems to lead to the kingdom of God, and pass through the seventeen torii gates.

At that time, I didn't think how long and far this staircase was, anyway, I was full of expectations at that time, so I ran over quickly, no matter how far away it was, I ran to the end in one breath, and I didn't think about being quiet and honest at the door of the gods.

Fortunately, the gods didn't bother with their little hairy boy in these details.

Maybe it's because there's nothing to look forward to now, so it seems like it's all so long.

After a long walk through the torii gate, it is a short flat stone path. These stone bricks made by villagers of unknown generation are paved on the road. I don't know how many years of wind and rain have passed, but now the edges of the stone bricks are rounded. Walking on such a road, it is very hard and very steady.

Now, all that remains is the small staircase in front of you, the small staircase in front of the shrine square.

In the past, when I came here, I always secretly looked forward to seeing the beautiful figure of the cherry blossoms in Yae Village when I walked up the last twenty-four steps little by little. Her long cherry-like hair and the broom that sweeps the leaves are almost her most iconic things.

He may not have listened to the village chief's father since he was a child, but he would definitely listen to what she said.

Because at that time, I could always get a small piece of solidified honey in the witch's hand, or drink a small glass of cold honey water.

That difficult sweet taste lasted for almost half of his childhood, and it was what he looked forward to the most.

Up to now, time is not long, but it is not short. He hadn't seen it for more than a decade.

I hope that by the side of the gods, you will be able to live the happiest life possible. His heart prayed devoutly.

Alas... He let out a sudden sigh.

It's all been a little kid, how could I suddenly think of this?

Maybe it's because her children are all grown up, or maybe it's because the child is about the same age as when she was still greedy for honey.

Right now...

It's my turn to take care of your children. The sugar on the outside is not just honey, there are a lot of strange things.

Looking at this last torii gate, Hu Che put away the childhood memories in his heart and stepped on the first staircase.

(End of chapter)