[Winter month accompanied by squeaking snow.
The newly born Chizuko Nagato had a pair of beautiful big eyes. She inherited Haru Narukami’s strong point because Haru Narukami had a pair of stunning big eyes too. Later, Chizuko Nagato heard that her father Saburo had said that Haru Narukami’s eyes attracted him.
Haru Narukami was originally a trainee witch of the mountain shrine. She should take over as the shrine witch, but she needed to preserve her virginity. However, she had made a family with Saburo Nagato. Hence, when she was five years old, Chizuko Nagato felt her parent’s marriage must be a beautiful story.
But Chizuko Nagato heard people mention it occasionally, only to realize that this beautiful story was through difficulty.
As spring passed and autumn came, father came to stand quietly in front of the shrine every day to see mother.
As time flew by, Chizuko Nagato was now five years old. She grew more and more beautiful, like a porcelain doll. Everyone in the house liked her.
One day this summer, Haru Narukami was making clothes in the room, saying that it was winter clothes for Saburo Nagato. Axiu was waiting on the side. Chizuko Nagato was also here, holding the book “Kojiki,” which her uncle Nagato Munechika gave her. Nagato Munechika was the patriarch of the Nagato family. He became samurai when he was young. Nagato Munechika said that women could only read and study, so he sent some books over.
Nagato Munechika also said that Chizuko Nagato could also follow Shinji Nagato to sit in the teacher’s class in two years.
“I’m not free.” Haru Narukami just pursed her lips. “Isn’t assisting Chizuko your responsibility?”
“Madam, I don’t understand.” Axiu still appeared pitiful. Those words were difficult to memorize. They were not as good-looking as Master Shinji. Of course, Axiu didn’t intend to say it.
Later, Izanami ate the food of Yellow Springs by mistake and finally faced off with Izanagi on the massive boulder [1].
Haru Narukami just smiled and did not speak. Unexpectedly, Chizuko Nagato suddenly pounced on Haru Narukami, but she raised her head cheerfully and asked, “Mother, you should never go to a massive boulder with father in the future!”
Haru Narukami gently touched Chizuko Nagato’s head and comforted, “When your father returns from the battlefield, we will go to the shrine for worship.”
“Mother, go to the shrine New Year. Master Witch asked Chizuko if I wanted to learn from her.” Chizuko Nagato asked with blinking beautiful eyes.
Haru Narukami asked curiously, “Then, how did you answer her?”
Chizuko Nagato shook her head, “I didn’t promise anything!”
Haru Narukami thought for a while before asking why.
Chizuko Nagato grabbed Haru Narukami’s hand seriously and said that she only wanted to be with her mother.
…
Chizuko Nagato often hid from her mother Haru Narukami and then sneaked out of Nagato’s house while Axiu was relaxing. Maybe she inherited her father, Saburo’s character. Although the young Chizuko Nagato looked as beautiful as a porcelain doll, she fought with children of the same age in Unripe Rice Village.
The instigator only said, “Why don’t you go to the shrine on the mountain? I know there is a pond behind the shrine. I heard my grandfather say that the pool can wash away unclean things. Isn’t your mother a witch before? You should be able to wash it too.”
A group of children discussed how to go up the mountain and then bypassed the witch.
“Me too…”
“I want to drink water…”
Chizuko Nagato was in the worse state right now. She was soaked with sweat with her legs numb. She even wanted to cry, but she was not willing to give up like this. It was no longer the problem of getting clean, but whether she could make it to the top or not. Axiu said that her father climbed the stairs every day, no matter the seasons. She didn’t want to put shame on her father.
Mother said that her father sent letters back home. He would be back during the winter month. Chizuko Nagato thought about the first thing she wanted to tell in her father’s return; to tell him that she climbed up the shrine by herself. But the journey was too long. The other children finally gave up and went down the mountain in despair. Going down the mountain was much easier. Chizuko Nagato was still persisting. In the blink of an eye, her companions were gone with only her left. She immediately burst into tears.
When it was later at night, the hungry Chizuko Nagato and Axiu planned to secretly go to the kitchen to get something to eat, but they were caught by Nagato Munechika, who was guarding here.
Nagato Munechika said, “I knew you would come to the kitchen secretly.”
Axiu was quite scared and dared not speak. Chizuko Nagato blinked her eyes directly, and pounced on Nagato Munechika without saying a word, and said with a childish voice, “Uncle, I am so hungry.”
Axiu took Chizuko Nagato away without saying anything and told Chizuko Nagato, “Miss, the madam made up her mind not to help us this time. We can only rely on ourselves. You don’t want to be hungry, right? But wait. I’ll chop up the firewood. You just need to pretend. I’m afraid the old man will hide next to us and watch us!”
[1] There’s a particular name to the boulder in Japanese mythology. Chibiki no iwa: A boulder so large it would take a thousand men to pull it.
