Page 78

Page 78

This is indeed more pleasing than the name of Kuze Miko. (Hua Yin Sang, but there is no corresponding name for the word "Sang" in Chinese, and translating it into "Mr." or "Ms." seems distant, so here I call her "Hua Yin Jie")

It is a bit exaggerated to regard taking the Shinkansen as the realization of a dream. Perhaps it is because people have taken too many high-speed trains in later generations. In Lingye's eyes, whether it is the Harmony Express or the Shinkansen, they are just ordinary means of transportation and nothing worth paying attention to.

Perhaps the dream of taking the Shinkansen is a unique complex of people of this era?

"Master, it's getting late now. You got up early to catch the bus and haven't had a rest all day. Do you need to arrange a restaurant downstairs so that you can sit down and chat?" Flower-guarding messenger A said on the side.

There is no direct Shinkansen from Izumo to Tokyo.

Currently, the only Shinkansen line in operation starts from Tokyo, goes west to Osaka, and extends northeast to Aomori. Although it runs through most of Honshu Island, Izumo is located further northwest, 700 kilometers away from Osaka.

In fact, Kuze Kaon left Izumo last night and took a car for more than ten hours to reach Osaka. She only slept for a while in the car. After getting off the car, she caught the noon Shinkansen.

Sitting all day may not seem like a lot of physical effort, but anyone who has experienced the fatigue of traveling by boat or train knows that a day and a night of sitting in a car can wear a person down, especially if you have to change modes of transportation.

However, Hisayo did not feel annoyed, but rather full of freshness.

This was her first long-distance trip in all these years, and it was also her first time to go to a place so far from Izumo Taisha Shrine. The same thing happened with long-distance buses and Shinkansen, which were things she had never experienced before. It was like temporarily getting rid of her unchanging self and entering another life.

As for Lingye, what caught her attention was the title of "Master" mentioned by Messenger A.

"Is Kuze the Saizu now?"

I remember that when we first met last week, Priest A was not called that. I only heard that Kuze was trained as a master since he was a child, but he is still in training.

"It was a ceremony held the day before yesterday, where the chief priest of Izumo Taisha granted Hisayoshi the position of the chief priest." Before Hisayoshi could say anything, A answered with a hint of pride in his tone. Compared to the calm Hisayoshi, it was as if he was the one who became the chief priest.

This was indeed unexpected. Kuze Miko was originally trained as a master, so it was not surprising that she became a master. But everyone just thought it would happen someday in the future. Maybe three to five years later, maybe seven to eight years later, but never thought it would be now.

Hisayo is only sixteen years old this year, and the maximum age limit for a shrine maiden is twenty-five, which means that from now on, if she becomes the head priest, she can serve for a full nine years, which is rare in a shrine.

Saizu is the highest-ranking shrine maiden in a shrine, and Izumo Taisha is one of the most famous shrines in the country, on par with Ise Jingu Shrine, Fushimi Inari Taisha, and other few shrines.

"Maybe, it's because I've been blessed by the gods?" Hisayo said. As the person who was worshipped as the master of the temple, she was the most indifferent. In fact, she really didn't care about these things. Whether it was an ordinary shrine maiden or a master of the temple, it didn't change her life. She still practiced in the back mountain every day. It was just that the embroidery pattern of Chihaya was changed.

"But I am indeed a little hungry, Priest Tsurugi, so I would like you to go find a convenient place to eat nearby."

"Let me do it. I'm more familiar with Tokyo." Lingye said.

Since she came to Tokyo, she was the host. But what she was thinking was, it turns out that A is not Zaraki or Oreki, but Tsurugi.

Yes, now that I've been reminded of it and thinking back on it, it seems to be that name.

Shinjuku is a large commercial center, where Reiya and Tomoyo often go shopping, so they are familiar with it. Even in the 1970s when supplies were relatively scarce, there was no shortage of specialty restaurants. Barbecue, Western pastries, Japanese cuisine, basically everything you can think of can be found here.

But Ling finally chose a small restaurant with a small roadside storefront. It was a little like an izakaya, but there was no store name on the doorplate.

The wooden building still has the flavor of ten or twenty years ago. There are no eye-catching decorations, which makes people confused.

If I were to describe it in one word, it would be a "small restaurant in the alley", a specialty restaurant that is only known to locals.

Of course there are no flies here, at least the environment is cleaned very cleanly.

"This store is pretty good. I came here with my friends more than a month ago."

The friends Ling was talking about were Tomoyo and Sakura, but it was her family's chef, Saiba, who first recommended this restaurant to her.

Chef Cai Bo usually doesn't comment on other people's cooking skills, so there are very few restaurants that he can recommend. In fact, this is the only time.

"The chef of that restaurant, although his cooking skills are not top-notch, but, how should I put it, he is quite interesting." - This is what Chef Caibo said at the time. It seemed that he had just been there at that time, so he said it casually out of inspiration, but Ling also remembered it in his heart.

The dinner with Tomoyo and Sakura was on a Saturday night because this restaurant is only open at night. As Chef Saiba said, the cooking skills of the owner here are certainly not as good as Chef Saiba and Chef Shinomiya, but the dishes he makes are indeed very interesting.

He even cooked instant noodles on purpose - it didn't feel like a restaurant in operation, but more like he was going to a friend's house and being entertained by his friend in his own kitchen.

Kuze didn't mind where Lingye took her. Priest Tsurugi seemed to have some doubts about this small shop that didn't even have a sign or a name, but he didn't say anything in the end.

"welcome"

Hearing the sound of the sliding door being opened, the only staff member in the restaurant, who was also the boss, shouted as usual.

It was hard to tell the boss' age, maybe in his 30s or 40s. He was wearing a blue long gown, quite ordinary, but because of that it was hard to tell his age, he only had a white apron on the outside.

If you only look at his face, the boss doesn't look old, but the long scar from the corner of his eyebrow to his cheekbone makes him look a bit fierce. It's obviously not an injury from cooking. When Lingye, Tomoyo, and Sakura came together, the three elementary school girls were also a little scared, and Sakura didn't even dare to speak.

Fortunately, the boss himself is very kind.

"Ah, young lady, would you like to eat sweet and sour pork ribs like last time?"

"Boss, do you still remember me?"

Lingye's last visit was more than a month ago. Unexpectedly, the boss still remembered her and even remembered the dishes she ordered at that time.

There is only a simple menu in the restaurant, and most people would not order anything on the menu - this is the specialty of this restaurant, no matter what the customers want to eat, the boss will mostly make it as long as he has the ingredients.

Including the sweet and sour spare ribs that Lingye ordered last time. Although it was not the same as what he had eaten in the past, there were some differences in the cooking method. It seemed that dried plums or something were used. Lingye's tongue could not clearly distinguish them, but it tasted good.

"I usually remember the customers who have been to my shop. Besides, it's rare to see girls from elementary school coming to my shop. Hey, aren't you here with your friend from before?"

After all, he runs a late-night restaurant, and most of the diners there are office workers who don’t want to go home after get off work and want to take a break.

The three elementary school girls who came last time were the first time the boss had encountered such customers in the past few years, so they inevitably left an impression. This time, the group of people changed again, a little girl in elementary school, a girl who was either in the upper grades of junior high school or just entered high school, and a young man in his twenties who seemed to have just entered society.

"Although the sweet and sour pork ribs were good last time, I want to eat something different today. Um, boss, can you make squirrel mandarin fish?"

"My dear customer, you all like Chinese food. Unfortunately, I don't have the ingredients here. There is no mandarin fish today. If you use other fish instead, the taste will be very different, so I'm sorry that I can't make it."

Ling was just saying it casually, and she never thought that she could eat such regional specialties in a foreign country. However, from what the boss said, it seemed that he really knew how to cook it, but he just didn't have the ingredients.

In fact, what Ling really wants to eat at this autumn season is crabs. She eats hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake or Taihu Lake at least once every autumn. Rather than trying something new, it has become a ritual.

Hairy crabs are very simple to cook, and even without any cooking methods or seasoning, they can be steamed directly. However, Japanese people mostly eat sea crabs, and rarely have hairy crabs, so of course they don’t taste that good.

Lingye finally ordered a plate of braised lamb, while Jiuze ordered a plate of grilled mountain vegetables and a plate of salt-grilled saury.

Tsugeki wanted a ramen set meal. Pour ramen on rice, and I don't know which is the staple food and which is the side dish. It's a weird way to eat. Rice in the south, noodles in the north, no more disputes between the north and the south, a perfect handshake between the island countries across the sea, what a genius idea.

But Ling had no intention of trying it.

Squirrel mandarin fish, bald butter, Tibetan mutton, somehow, she felt homesick. Obviously, there was no one who cared about her or needed her, but she still missed it.

(I just sent the public chapter by mistake. You don’t need to subscribe after reading it.) Chapter 101: Invitation from Izumo Taisha

The seats by the window can see a small garden at the back window of the restaurant. It is not big, with only grass and a few plants planted, more like a roadside barrier. However, in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where every inch of land is valuable, it is rare to have such a quiet environment.

"This is Tokyo, even the restaurants are different!" Hisayo exclaimed, looking out the window.

However, Ling was also impressed by the tranquility of the garden, while Jiuze was impressed by the towering skyscrapers outside the garden wall.

Just as I imagined, Tokyo is such a prosperous metropolis that it makes me feel like I have lived in a different world for more than ten years.

Cars, airplanes, trams, Shinkansen, and an endless stream of people are intertwined. In this steel jungle built by humans with science and modern civilization, stepping into it, one can't help but feel that one is as small as a drop in the ocean.

Whether it is yearning or fear, it seems insignificant in this vast sea of ​​people, and only the instinctive awe of human civilization remains.

Kuze suddenly felt a little homesick.

Really, why did she come to Tokyo?

Ah, I remember now. I almost forgot something important.

"Well, it's a shame to visit you, Reiya. I'm the owner of the restaurant."

“I just said this.”

"Yes, ah, that's not what I want to talk about. I want to ask, Reiya, are you still an apprentice miko? Are you willing to wear Chihaya?"

"Put on Chihaya?"

Of course Ling knew what this meant. But she didn't expect that Kuze came to Tokyo just to ask her this.

"I always feel that if I say this over the phone or have someone convey it to me, it would be a little disrespectful, so I'm taking the liberty to come and disturb you."

In general shrines, there are many apprentice shrine maidens on a daily basis. In fact, they are "working shrine maidens". They are female students from high schools and universities who sign up for the job during their winter and summer vacations, ranging from a few days to a few months, in order to experience life or to work and study. Ling also wore the shrine maiden costume of Miyamizu Shrine before, which was also of a similar nature.

If you are interested and actively register with a nearby shrine, as long as you have a decent appearance, no noticeable features such as tattoos or permed hair, and no other bad records, there are no restrictions on qualifications and most shrines will accept you for a short period of time.

On weekdays, they are responsible for cleaning the temple, arranging the painted horses, etc. After work, they will also receive a salary, usually paid on a daily basis, but it is less than working in a restaurant.

But once she puts on Chihaya, she becomes a formal shrine maiden.

There are many shrines in Japan, but most of them do not have the qualifications to directly accept official shrine maidens. Only a few official large shrines are qualified to take the precepts examination. Just like the ordination certificate of a temple, only those who have studied in a Buddhist college are qualified to take the examination.

The Izumo Taisha Shrine, which is known as the palace of eight million gods in the moon of Kanna, is undoubtedly one of the shrines that is qualified to examine and award the qualifications of shrine maidens.

Generally speaking, such an examination is not easy. But at the same time, if the head of Izumo Taisha Shrine is willing, it can be made extremely simple.

"Wait, Master, I haven't heard of this." Priest Tsukaki finally knew the purpose of his master's visit to Tokyo. In fact, Kuze had previously informed the master that she was coming to Tokyo to relax and that she had friends to entertain, but she never mentioned anything else.

"Does the Lord God know about this?"

"Can't I decide on this kind of thing?" Hisayo asked back, "If I remember correctly, although the shrine owner manages the entire shrine, the matters concerning the shrine maidens are the responsibility of the Saizu, right? Or, Priest Tsurugi, do you have any opinion?"

What can he say?

It is true that Saizu is the person in charge of the affairs of the shrine maidens, but the chief priest is still the chief priest after all. Wouldn't the chief priest be angry if he acted first and asked for permission later?

I always feel that Kuze Miko has become a little different. She would never do such a thing in my impression. Not to mention contradicting the shrine, she is usually well-behaved and gentle, and even makes people feel that she has no opinion at all.

But is Ling willing to accept Chihaya?

In fact, the profession of shrine maiden is still quite desirable among girls.

If formal shrine maidens could also apply for jobs as easily as restaurants and convenience stores, and were open to recruitment, it would definitely be one of the most popular professions.

Mysterious and elegant.

Moreover, as religious professions, shrine maidens and ordained monks are different in that they are not lifelong. Once you reach the age of 25, you will quit this identity even if you don't want to.

It only lasts a few years, so for a girl it can be considered a special experience in her life. Moreover, if she becomes a formal shrine maiden, the money she receives is not low, far more than that of a part-time shrine maiden. Especially when she participates in some large-scale festivals, she can receive offerings from believers.

It's much better than working as a cashier in a convenience store or doing odd jobs in a restaurant to earn money while studying.

"But I don't have any intention of becoming a witch."

Although it was a shame for Kuze who had come all the way from Izumo to Tokyo, this was something Ling had not considered.

Becoming a shrine maiden requires training, but her life is already sufficient. She has to study on weekdays, go to the crew to film tasks on weekends (although she is just a supporting role that can be withdrawn at any time), and sometimes she has to face aliens and super beasts.

"Besides, Izumo Taisha is too far away. My school is in Tokyo, and my friends are all in Tokyo. I have never thought about going to Izumo."

"If you're worried about that, it's okay. Although you're registered at Izumo Taisha Shrine, you can also study at other shrines. There are also shrines in Tokyo, such as Sensoji Temple, Hie Shrine, Gekamine Shrine, etc., which can all provide training."

"Tsukimine Shrine?" Not to mention the previous shrine, isn't this Tsukimine Shrine the place where the crew rented the venue?

Lingye originally thought it was a place similar to a film and television base, specially built for filming by various crews, just like the Three Kingdoms City, Water Margin City, or Hengdian.

"Of course, Tsukimine Shrine is a real shrine with an ancient history. The main deity enshrined is Tsukiya Mikoto, who is one of the three noble sons along with Amaterasu Omikami and Takehashi Susano-no-Mikoto."