Chronicles of The Hardships of Komachi in The Sengoku Era

Agriculture is a battle against the earth.

Shizuko recalled that my grandfather had said that one day.

Three weeks after coming to the village, naturally the main task was the harsh work of soil maintenance.

However, thanks to continued maintenance of the authentic nursery grounds, space could be created for planting sweet corn, pumpkins, tomatoes and sugar cane.

He also stirred the mountains loaded with compost ingredients every week and planted the seedlings of the growing sweet potatoes one after the other in the field.

Shizuko, who missed the bath even in that condition, was causing the workgroup to produce a large quantity of plank-shaped wood.

But I never get the chance to be active just because I think.

Of course, Shizuko was almost frustrated.

Such a fold, when I happened to be looking at the cliff behind the former village chief's house, I noticed that the cliff was slightly wet.

I was curious to find out, there was a small hole about two meters above the back length of Shizuko, from which the water was flowing.

At first, I thought it might be groundwater, but when I touched it, it was warm.

I didn't think so. When I took the time to collect the water, it was the source of natural water, or hot springs.

"Heh, heh... it's a miracle. Thank God!

On an auspicious day, I quickly gathered the villagers to get to work.

First I flattened the land and made a place to store water. The size of the hole on the cliff is then adjusted to increase the amount of water that was leaking out of the hole.

Shizuko learned an indescribable emotion in the water accumulating little by little.

However, it cannot be used as such.

Since there was no point in water with dirt such as soil, it was decided to install a filter to clean the water.

Even filters are extremely simple mixtures of stone, charcoal, river sand and gravel.

Simple but excellent effect, the water, which was initially black like charcoal, gradually turned into clean water.

Send that beautiful water through a wooden pipe to the house.

Even when it came to the house, it was like a place with only dedicated facilities to catch water, or a water hall.

By the way, the former village chief's house became an obstacle in installing the bathhouse, but Shizuko smashed it down without question.

Later Shizuko speaks. The face of the likely crying former village chief at that time will not be forgotten, he said.

And I finally got a simple bath.

Piercing but frightened by Shizuko's impending force, the villagers also worked harder than usual.

"Phew, here's the thing..."

Shizuko enjoys hot water for the first time in a long time. Of course, men's and women's water are separated.

But the villagers don't know what a bath is, and they don't even try to get close because they don't know what to do.

"Baths are a source of life."

There can't be shampoos, rinses, etc., but Shizuko was just happy to take a bath.

(Hygiene seems to improve, and this is not a bad idea. I need to get a soap substitute somehow... but really, I'm so happy to find a hot spring.)

Shizuko floats puffy with a sloppy look.

She doesn't know. Later, this hot spring will cause a terrible situation.

A month after I came to the village.

By that time, where the wind blows, such as the first bewilderment, the villagers planted the seedlings of the sweet potatoes with familiar hands.

Planting of other crops, tomatoes and pumpkins, sweetcorn and sugar cane seeds and seedlings was also finished.

Later, weeding, medium cultivation and soiling at the right time can be harvested around summer.

I thought compost making and seedlings planting of sugar potatoes would be the main thing, so I went into other tasks.

The first thing Shizuko cared about was drinking water.

The current situation uses river water, but if I could, I would have liked a well.

But the task of digging wells is on top of heavy labor, and we have to find out where the water boils in the first place.

Hot springs are a product of miracles, but I didn't think the wells would be equally convenient to find.

(Do you want to find it slowly?)

I'm pretty much done with what has to be the first month, so now it's better to rest your body.

Shizuko, who thought so, had been doing all the loose work lately.

Create acres to plant the seedlings of the sweet potatoes, drain the weeds and add rice bran and straw while mixing the raw materials of the compost.

As for compost, it was big that horse manure was available.

Unlike cow manure, horse manure is an excellent ingredient for compost.

However, unlike cattle, which are tools of farmers, horse grazing was practically non-existent during the Warring States.

Hardly exists only to the extent of a military horse with a great name.

So when Shizuko came to the village, she asked Kasei Mori to give up the horse shit she manages.

Unexpectedly, it was lightly accepted and transported to the village about once a week.

(Using compost is winter and... I wonder if it's time to grow next year's crops)

Soil maintenance in the winter when the soil softens and a total of two times a week before planting crop seeds and seedlings.

Shizuko had planned to use compost at that time.

"Mayor - I'm done planting seedlings -"

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

When I was thinking, the villagers who had soil maintenance and seedlings planting came back.

Looking up at the sky, it's still before noon and the position of the sun. Let's say it's a gift of improved work efficiency through proficiency.

"Eighty percent of the fields we were planning to plant are over. This minute, I think it'll all be over by next week."

"Well, there's more seedlings than I expected."

"Really? But that's amazing. I almost cut it a week ago as a seedling, but when I saw it today, I sprouted it from everywhere."

"(Then even soil loaded with volcanic ash will grow) You have no choice. It's not scheduled, but let's expand the range of the yard. I've never gotten past the harvest."

"Copy that. Then I'll dig back into the fields on that side."

"Please -"

With a cheerful smile, the villagers head to the field with one hand of farm tools.

I guess it still feels good to have achievements (albeit just seedlings) in the field.

"Phew... I'll finish today's norm too and take a bath soon -"

Shizuko resumed her work as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

(Have you finished your work today? Enjoy the bath! There was also a time for me to think)

Shizuko, who wanted to escape reality, but unfortunately, it can't be suitable either.

The intimidation of the person in front of you brings Shizuko's consciousness back to reality, even if he doesn't like it.

"What's up? Weren't you surprised at me?

A man in his around thirties with a nigga and a grin.

He was Shizuko's guardian and once again referred to his name as Nobunaga Oda.

"I'm sorry. I'm in too much shape. I'm so sorry. Forgive me flat out -!

Shizuko, in full dugout and life-low mode, wraps up words of apology with rattling and trembling.

Although Nobunaga was too quick to hear.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm just asking you to show me what you've accomplished with the big mouth you slapped."

"(That's angry right -!!?) Ho, I'm so sorry."

That was a bit of a venture. Work was going better than I thought and I was loose.

Looking down at the nursery from the high ground, he said, 'If I could expand the farm at this rate, the poor minister's food situation would change, and Oda would have to review my village, too! It can be an important area at once,' he mumbled in his mouth.

Normally, there's nothing wrong with it. I'm talking to myself, but I don't regret it, and it broke badly and Nobunaga came through and I got it in my ear.

Shizuko now thought she should have checked her surroundings before talking to herself.

"... Fair enough. So, where are the hot springs and the dots?

"What? Is it a hot spring?

Suddenly they called it a hot spring, and Shizuko couldn't give it back.

"What. Kosei's report said you dug into something that would serve as a hot spring...?

"Yeah, yes. Did the hot springs come out... duh...?

Shizuko, who began to have a gradual and unpleasant feeling, could somehow anticipate Nobunaga's next dialogue.

I honestly wanted you to give me a break.

"I want to know what makes me a hot spring, too. There, because you led us to the hot springs."

But reality was heartless.

Shingen Takeda and Kenshin Uesugi during the Warring States are said to have been paying attention to the efficacy of hot springs.

But when asked whether Nobunaga Oda was the same, the answer would be "I don't know".

And wanting to experience the hot springs is synonymous with never having seen the hot springs at once.

I mean, Nobunaga Oda doesn't know what a hot spring is.

So let Shizuko guide you. What is the meaning of that word?

(You mean mixed baths, right? - Uh-huh!

We'll take a bath together.

The reason Nobunaga came in the first place was also because Shizuko reported the hot spring to Kasei Mori.

I don't know what the hot spring is. It was Kasei Mori, but I reported it as it was without pinching any extra personal feelings.

Normally I would just end up wondering, but the person named Nobunaga is very curious.

Let's just say that if you doubt it and want to experience it, it's natural for you to come on board.

"What are you doing? Hurry up!

"Ha, I'm home!!

Shizuko, freaked out by Nobunaga's anger, was ready to take Nobunaga to the bathroom.

I was originally near the bathroom, so I never walked that far. We arrive at our destination in just about five minutes.

"Ho... in a small, narrow place"

"(What did I compare it to) Uh, from the front, it's for men on the left and for women on the right. Hot springs are polite for men and women to enter separately-"

"I don't care about such practices or gestures. Just show me."

"(No, no, no! One moment please!?) Even if you say so, I don't feel comfortable with your servants like me being with you..."

I want to mix it up with Nobunaga himself. But I don't have those inferior feelings.

Because you don't know about hot springs in the first place.

Nobunaga has the power to say he wants to mix things up.

Shizuko is being sheltered by Nobunaga, so she will have no choice.

"You don't have to worry. Besides, you tried to hurt me, and I'm not soft enough to delay women and children."

"(Right) So, please go inside"

Shizuko opened the bathroom door, thinking that one day she might be slashed by her servant.

What Shizuko prepared was a bath chair, a single handkerchief, a hot tub, an object powdered with mukuroji fruit that would replace soap, a cage made of bamboo to put kimonos in, and a hot pot to wear in the bath.

Mucrodile fruit contains a large amount of saponin, a natural surfactant.

If the fruit is dried and powdered, it can be fully used as a substitute for soap.

Saponins are also poisonous to creatures, and birds and insects do not try to eat fruit.

For this reason, complete natural cultivation without pesticides, fertilizers or anything is possible, and there is no need to rush to harvest more fruit.

In the Japanese climate, sunshine often grows in wet mountains, except in particularly cold places such as Niigata.

I actually circled the nearby mountains and there was mukrozi growing all over them.

(Good to remember, ecological knowledge)

When I read the ecological magazine, Shizuko remembered the article that drying and powdering mucrozi fruit would make it a natural soap.

But the few mucrozi fruits I got, I had to put up with them in small amounts until this year's harvest season.

The original harvest time starts in November, so it's better to just get a small amount by this time in the spring.

(Ma, I just have to put up with it. I'm going to harvest a lot this year -?

Shizuko, who is in the mood like that, goes into the man's water with Nobunaga.

But she completely forgot something.

In the first place, during the Warring States, there was no type of bath to hold on to full body water, and steam bath type bathing, or sauna, is the basic style.

But this could not have been done without a senior warlord, or Nobunaga Oda, or other national class.

I was able to find a natural hot spring by chance, but I would have to prepare a large quantity of firewood, a facility that could be considered the ultimate in luxury that would take time.

There was a habit among Warlords of the Warring States to entertain guests and ministers in the bath with "bath meetings" and "behaved baths", but this is also a sauna.

Therefore, there was no reason for Nobunaga to know when he made a hot tub and called the type of bath with hot water a "hot spring".

But I could still say it was better.

Because the bath situation for peasants and junior warlords is even more tragic.

It was another dream of dreaming, such as preparing a sauna, and "going to water" was a common bath situation.

It was not until the Edo era that the type of bath that put hot water on the hot tub became popular.

Still, it's exclusive to Edo, and it's normal not to take a bath for days if you become a region.

Shingen Takeda and Kenshin Uesugi used to call it hidden water and have Yuji Field, but only a fairly limited number of people, such as people close to them and customers, could get in there.

In other words, the fact that Shizuko used water warmed by an unidentified heat source (because it cannot be investigated) and built a facility called a large bath for anyone to enter is actually an unlikely facility given the background of the time.

"Ho..."

Nobunaga leaked his admirable breath when he saw the center of the room with just a little hot air, enough hot tub to spare even five people in.