My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 118: Chapter 81: ”Mr. Tachibana, Are You Interested in Iaido?” [6400]_2

”Hmm, not asleep yet?” Ii Naosuke smiled slightly at his wife and then slowly walked over to her.

Upon reaching his wife’s side, he leaned back—resting his head on Ajiuu’s legs, sprawling sideways on the tatami.

”What’s wrong?” Ajiuu raised her eyebrows, still maintaining much of her charm, at Ii Naosuke, who was resting his head on her lap.

”Nothing...” Ii Naosuke shifted his position, changing from lying on his side to lying on his back, half-closing his eyes, looking up at the face above, which was as wrinkled as his own. ”Just... wanted to have a long overdue look at you from this angle.”

Ajiuu smiled softly, ”So—looking at me from this angle after such a long time, is there any difference from before?”

”...” Ii Naosuke put away the smile on his face, seriously gazing at Ajiuu’s face without blinking.

He continued looking at Ajiuu, not saying a word for a long time.

When Ajiuu couldn’t help but feel a bit impatient, wanting to ”urge” Ii Naosuke, he finally let out a soft chuckle and showed a faint smile.

”There’s nothing different, just staring for a moment makes me irresistibly captivated.”

Ajiuu chuckled silently, showing a joyful smile, lifting her hand to gently stroke Ii Naosuke’s face.

And Ii Naosuke seemed to really enjoy Ajiuu’s caress, slowly closing his eyes.

The elderly couple, neither of them spoke further.

But strangely, neither felt that the silent atmosphere between them was awkward.

”...Ajiuu, would you like to hear a story from me?”

”Hmm?”

Before Ajiuu could respond, Ii Naosuke, with eyes closed, continued speaking to himself:

”There was an old ox... pulling a grain cart, hoping to take the grain to the market to sell.”

Ajiuu’s hand, which was stroking Ii Naosuke’s cheek, suddenly paused.

”The cart used for transporting grain... was a broken one, tottering.”

”The old ox had to deliver the grain to the market before the cart fell apart.”

”It dared not slack off, pulling the cart day and night.”

”The cart was too big, the grain on it far too much; the old ox had to muster all its strength just to move the cart.”

”It was already exhausting to pull a broken cart that might fall apart at any moment.”

”And yet... the old ox had to divide its attention to deal with some ants constantly harassing its feet.”

”Those ants pointed at a conspicuous cliff, telling the old ox: You are pulling in the wrong direction, this direction can’t lead to the market, follow my lead, my direction is the right one!”

”The old ox ignored these irrational ants, continued to work diligently and earnestly pulling the cart.”

”Ants, seeing the ox disregarded their brilliant advice, became furious, biting the ox’s legs, insisting that it take the cart towards the cliff.”

”Some people, seeing the ox’s industriousness, praised its hard work orally.”

”But upon hearing this praise... the old ox didn’t feel particularly happy.”

”Because the old ox was always bewildered.”

”It was never really sure if the road it was on indeed led to the market...”

”In fact... the old ox wasn’t even sure whether such a market for selling grain existed...”

”It’s really tough... this old ox...”

After Ii Naosuke began recounting the story of the old ox, Ajiuu remained silent.

She quietly listened to Ii Naosuke narrate this brief story.

Once the story concluded, she remained quiet.

After a while, her hand started to move again, continuing to gently caress Ii Naosuke’s cheek.

The room... returned to quiet, with only the sound of the stove fire burning.

With time peacefully flowing on for a while, Ii Naosuke took a deep breath and slowly sat up.

”Sorry, Ajiuu, it seems I told a story that wasn’t very interesting.”

”It’s late; let’s get to sleep.”

”Okay.” Ajiuu smiled gently and nodded lightly.

At this moment, Ii Naosuke’s peripheral vision caught sight of the desk where Ajiuu had been writing, with a paper half-covered in tiny characters like tadpoles.

”By the way, when I came into the room, I saw you writing something, what were you writing?”

”It’s a new waka.” Ajiuu revealed a gentle smile with her eyes completed into crescents, ”I recently had an inspiration for a new waka.”

”Oh, wow.” Ii Naosuke’s eyebrows flickered with delight, ”A new waka, have you finished writing it?”

”Not yet.”

”I see... I’ll wait until you finish it, then have a good look.”

Ii Naosuke paused as if he thought of something.

”Speaking of waka... I recently got some new inspiration for waka myself.”

”Really? What’s it about?”

”It’s related to snow.” Ii Naosuke turned towards the nearby stove fire, ”Hasn’t Edo been snowing often lately? Two days ago, while enjoying the snow, a new snow-related inspiration popped into my head.”

”I plan to, in the near future, write this new waka when I have the time.”

”Snow...” Ajiuu elegantly raised her hand, covering her mouth with a smile, ”I’m very much looking forward to it; you’ve never written a waka related to snow before, so when this new waka is done, be sure to let me see it first.”