129 5.18 Taboos and Customs

I had a very long undisturbed sleep and a dreamless one. I awoke in the morning at the first sound of the rooster's crowing, indicating that the break of dawn was approaching soon. I sat up and looked at both katana and kodachi that was hanging at the wall and was amazed at how well it was made despite not having any intricate designs on the blade, unlike some.

I sat up and decided to do some stretching first before I made breakfast and readied myself to go to the marketplace with Hiko-sama later before heading to perform my task in cleaning the house belonging to Miroku-sama.

After I had performed some stretching and hearing the cracks of my bones and joints, I stood up and opened my sliding bedroom door. Hiko-sama seemed to be sleeping still and I walked to the front terrace and put away his finished jar of sake and his cups. I set the jar outside since the tenchoo of the sake's house would be making his rounds to collect the empty jars and replenishing another 4 more jars.

I opened up the sliding door of the house and let the morning draft in. It was cold but refreshing at the same time. I heated up some water to make green tea in a kettle and then I heated the taiyaki using a steamer. Even though the cake was baked, but steaming it later would not affect its texture but making it softer.

I went to the bathroom to check if there's any laundry to do but found none and I turned the tap to a trickle. I performed some Kamehameha and dropped in 3 huge energy spheres to heat the water up and I summoned psi energy healing spheres and dropped in 5 quick successions. Since the tub was half empty, it would take some time before it would be full to the brim.

The Kamehameha that aids in heating up the water and the 10 psi healing energy spheres would be enough to be shared by two people with the water in the tub. As long as the tub would be half filled, the psi energy healing spheres effect would still be present. However, the heated water might be cold after some time but it won't freeze over though.

The water that I made for drinking had boiled and I prepared the green tea for breakfast. I cleaned up the kitchenette, dining and living area. The rubbish that had collected in the kitchenette was brought to the side of the house and I set fire to it. Well, that's how recycling works in the Edo period. Things that can burn, will be set fire to it. Things that can be recycled back like the jars of sake, would be recollected then cleaned, and be reused again for resale.

I decided to bring a silver coin today to the marketplace to buy another yakata for myself since I had only one piece with me. Since I was just doing cleaning, I decided to put on a yakata instead of my full dressed kimono. However since I would be walking to the marketplace, it would be best to use another kimono set for walking. I wondered if the tailor we visited the other day sells a short sleeve half gi for men.

I may have seen some men wearing it but it's more like the messengers of the village. It would be nice to own one since I could match it up with my hakama. At least the long sleeve kimono could be used for expeditions or some other purposes.

By this time, Hiko-sama had woken up and had gone to the bathroom to wash up. He asked if the water was energised and I replied positively. Since it was too early for him to shower he just washed his face, just like what I had done when I was filling up the water in the tub.

A little while later we sat down for breakfast together with the steamed taiyaki and green tea. "So, we are going straight to the market place after this? What's that silver coin that you're holding? Keep it with you, do you intend to buy anything?"

"Yes, Sensei. I was thinking of buying the top short sleeve gi so I could match with my hakama instead of wearing a yakata around the village. People might be thinking that we are operating a spa house with me walking in and out of the house and about the village wearing these clothes."

"Haa... Haa... You make me laugh early in the morning, kid. Don't worry, I can get a few of those short sleeve gi. It may make you look either as a messenger or an underling if you were to wear that with a kodachi on your obi. Haa... Haa... But frankly speaking, wearing a short sleeve gi is definitely more comfortable with your hakama than a full-length yakata. Haa... Haa... Haa... " laughed Hiko-sama as his mind imagined me like a geisha girl moving in and out of the house with made up hair and makeup and a touch of red lipsticks.

Damn Hiko-sama, how could you think of cross-dressing Himura at this time of the day! You must have a hidden fetish in your mind, eh?!

"Alright, come let's go to the marketplace. The earlier we get there, the more discounts we can have." Hiko-sama gestured to me and said to leave the dishes alone first and deal with it when we return.

"Do you know that it's customary for us if we were the first customer in their shop and they would always give discounts at unbelievable rates that can amount to almost close to nothing?"

"I'm not sure of this, Sensei. But it's customary, you say?"

"Yes, if let's say someone opens up the pawn shop in the morning, even if someone came with a piece of charcoal and wants to pawn it they would have to accept it. It's a customary and a taboo not to be able to reject the customer's request."

"Oh...?! Even a cow's pat could be exchanged for gold and silver in the pawnshop?"

"Haa... Haa...! So far I have not heard of someone pawing a cow's pay early in the morning when the pawnshop opens. You have quite an imaginative mind, kid. Haa... Haa...! A cow's pay for pawn! What an innovative way to start a morning pawnshop business!"

"Hee...hee...hee...I was just thinking about it, but surely not going to try pawing a piece of cow's pat though. Just thinking aloud. So how about other shops then?"

"If let's say the tailor shop is open and we happen to be the first customer, the shirt sleeve gi could only cost like a few copper coins and a silver coin could at least buy 2 or 3 pieces of the short sleeve gi."

"That's wonderful. I was hoping to get a few pieces of gi today, but you told me to keep my silvers instead. I'm sorry Sensei to make you spend your hard earned money instead and seems to be freeloading off you."

"Arch...! Don't think about it that way, kid. You are not freeloading off me at all. Even if you do not exists in my household, I would still be living off on sake and delivered lunches all by myself and also be eating all the food sold by the yatai by myself too. Who knows, I may spend more than I could consume, and it would all go to waste. Especially when I am no longer a samurai shogunate, I may even take up jobs as a Hitokiri instead."

"Is there such a job as a Hitokiri as well? I mean to terminate people of interest like a group of bandits that plied their journey making other traders being wary of being robbed all the time?"

"Yes, there are some jobs like that. Some to kill off commoners and some even high ranking officials. The higher the risks the higher it pays. From a few gold coins to at least 50 gold coins. Some jobs here are quite menial, in terms to say being a messenger to deliver messages or letters and even parcels. Some jobs require you to perform some sabotage or fishing at the docks. Some even had tasks to perform like hunt and bring back their skinned hides et cetera. Each task rewards you some coppers while those generous ones would reward 1 to 2 gold coins."

"Oh, is that it? I thought that earning money would be just be constricted in the business or trading districts. I never knew I could earn money doing such tasks around this village. But does being a Hitokiri also applies here in Kitakata village, Sensei?"

"Being a Hitokiri here in Kitakata village is very rare. Unless the official is known to be a cruel-hearted person that harms the lives of the citizens here and there is no substantial proof that he had done so, but Intel tells you otherwise, then at a request from another official to terminate their fellow official might be possible."

"Oh, don't mind me, Sensei. It's one of my thoughts thinking aloud that's all."

"Don't worry, kid. Kitakata had been practising isolationism for quite many years so outside influences do not try to enter this village. The Mayor is a very Conservative person. Anything that would be of benefit to the citizens here, would he allow to be influenced but other than that, he would not allow it to enter as it would strike up some rebellious ideas and thus overthrown the whole governmental system."

"I see... Seems there had been influences like the underwater aqueduct, water tower, the implementation of running hot and cold water in the house, the brick walls of the house as well."

"Ah, the brick walls of the house to keep the house warm during winter. You have not been to the outer cluster where the other commoners and plebs live. Their houses were still following the standard of wooden houses and there's no running hot water in the house, just a normal running tap water."

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I nodded as I understood that certain clusters of the house meant different standard and pricing. And the land is also divided unlike those who served the militia, the imperial army and the samurai shogunate, the houses were made from cement or concrete and its sturdier and it sits on 10x10 meters of land. Unlike the commoners and plebs, their land is limited to 3x3 meters of land only so there won't be any space left for planting and so on.

"Ah, we're here at the tailor and as I've said earlier, we are their first customers. See how the customary works and I'd show you how, ok?"

"OK, Sensei. I understood."

The moment we entered the shop, we were greeted by a young apprentice. The person had just opened up shop and was cleaning up the store as we stepped in, indicating that we were the first customer.

"Irasshaimase" greeted the young apprentice as he set his broom and pan aside and bowed to us. We bowed back and Hiko-sama spoke that he needed 3 pairs of plain coloured short sleeve gi. Since there was only white available and there were some small motifs on the gi like the orange sun with a few wisps of clouds covering it, another was some cranes on each side of the gi and the other was some "X" designs with four dots on each of the "X".

Hiko-sama took all 3 of them and sized it up against my body and it fits slightly loose but overall it is fine. The short sleeve gi had an obi attached to it so the tautness could be adjusted. He paid with a silver coin and the young apprentice wanted to protest about the price but since we were their first customer, its a taboo to reject and it is customary to break their first-day sale in that manner.

He rolled the short sleeve gi in a sheet of paper and tied twine to it for easy carrying. He passed it to Hiko-sama and accepted the silver coin for it.

Hiko-sama handed the package and we left the store and I can't help but smile widely as Hiko-sama had successfully shown me how the first purchase for the shop would go down. I finally understood their shop's taboo and customary.

Next, we visited the vegetable store and people had started to kill around, setting up their wares and attending to customers. Well, we can't beat the morning rush since people had been up and about the moment the rooster had started crowing.

We bought some raw sweet potatoes and happened to chance on a bunch of bananas that looked like Saba that the shopkeepers were selling and we bought a comb of it. This banana would be great if baked or steamed and it would be rather sweet if steamed as it would be a great treat during mid-morning or afternoon tea.

There was another type of banana that could be eaten straight off and we bought a comb. It looked like a cross between Cavendish type and its skin was rather thin. There was some kaki that was sold and it was with a few copper coins and that we also bought some.

Some fruits were expensive because it was off season and not sold in abundance. I told Hiko-sama that once it is seasonal, these fruits would only cost a few coppers unlike their prices now that seemed to be doubled.

We came across a shop selling some groundnuts and legumes but since it was off season, we decided to get a small packet of groundnuts. I told Hiko-sama that this could be boiled with a bit of salt then steamed and eaten as it is. He agreed and wanted to try some with his sake later.

We walked back home, satisfied with our earlier purchases. Everything just cost slightly over 2 silver coins and it could last at least 2 days for both of us. Of course, we won't go monkeys over bananas or something at home but these fruits do aid our digestive system and also replenishes our potassium needs in the body.

The moment I reached home, I set all the marketing purchases in one of the cabinets in the kitchenette while I took one of the short sleeve gi and put one with my hakama while I set the yakata in the corner of the dining where a wicker basket meant for soiled clothes. At least everything seemed to be organised before I leave home and then I straight headed to Miroku-sama's House to perform the cleaning task.

Miroku-sama was about to leave the house when I reached there. He was happy to see me early in the morning and he told me to work his house slowly in the cleaning process.

I nodded my head and headed inside the house. True to what Hiko-sama had said the house was a bit disorder with clumps of clothes and unwashed dishes. This would take me the whole day and I had informed Hiko-sama that I would be back home for lunch break before I head back again to finish up the rest. Hiko-sama just gave a thumbs up when I had mentioned that.

And so, my job as a humble housekeeper started from that day onwards for 2 silver coins per day at 4 times a month.