Edo, a certain place, the home of Nishino Hosejiro, the "Nishino's No. 1 eucalyptus buster"——

Working in an administrative office with an average income that was the highest among most shogunate offices, Nishino's living standard was not that of great wealth, but it was by no means poor.

The soft sunlight in the early morning filtered in from the window sill and fell on the tatami, dividing the small living room into two.

On one side is half of the hall covered with light yellow color.

On the other side is the Nishino family, shrouded in shadow and enjoying breakfast.

As the current head of the family, Nishino naturally sits on the throne.

His family members sat below him in order according to their status in the family.

"Chotaro! Don't be picky! Hurry up and eat all the pickled radish!"

The sharp voice of Xiye's mother, Ah He, resounded throughout the hall and outside.

"Yes, yes!"

Changtaro... Nishino's son, was so frightened by Ahe's sudden rebuke that he could not help but shrink his shoulders.

After responding quickly, he quickly pulled all the pickled radishes on the plate in front of him into the bowl.

Nishino's family is a very typical family of four - himself, his mother, his wife, and his son.

Nishino's father died of illness early in his life.

Six years ago, with the efforts of his mother, Nishino got married to a daughter of the samurai family who was also from the royal family.

The next year, Nishino gave birth to his first child, Chotaro, who was 5 years old this year.

After years of getting along, although there are still occasional conflicts in the Nishino family's daily interactions, overall they are happy.

As the saying goes: A strict father and a loving mother.

However, the situation of the Nishino family is somewhat different from this common saying - his family not only has a strict father, but also a strict mother.

When Nishino's father was still alive, he was an unsmiling man who was very strict with others and himself.

And his mother is even worse than his father.

Ahe comes from a conservative family that regards tradition and ancestral laws as the supreme truth.

After getting up every morning, the whole family would respectfully bow three times and kowtow in the direction of Edo Castle.

Before eating, they would express their gratitude to the General in a most sincere and pious tone, and express their gratitude that thanks to the General's kindness, they were able to eat.

Growing up in such an environment, Ah He developed a rigid, conservative and stubborn character under the influence of his ears and eyes.

She often talks about terms such as "bushido", "self-denial and devotion to the public", and "loyalty to the death". The book she reads most often is "Hagakure Wenshu" by Yamamoto Tsunetomo.

Ahe's diligence in reading "Ye Yin Wen Shu" is not appropriate to describe it as "Wei Bian's Three Wonders" - Xiye couldn't even count how many copies of "Ye Yin Wen Shu" his mother had torn through.

.

[Note: Hagakure's Book: It was written in 1716. It was dictated by Yamamoto Tsuneocha of the Saga Domain and Tashiro Jinki took seven years to write it down. This book is rated as a classic of Bushido. This book is of great importance to Bushido.

, comparable to what "The Analects of Confucius" is to Confucianism. The book begins with a clear statement that "those who practice Bushido are called to die" and advocates that "'going to death and being loyal and righteous' is the ultimate pursuit of Bushido."]

One can imagine how Ah He, whose mind is filled with these decadent thoughts, will educate his descendants...

"Chotaro, how many times do you have to tell me before you understand? As a samurai, you must not be picky about your food!"

Although Ah He is older, her eyes are still sharp and lively.

"How many people in this world can't even eat dried radish, let alone pickled radish!"

"Do you know how lucky you are to be able to eat pickled radishes as much as you like now?"

"The country is in a precarious situation, and regardless of the overseas barbarians, the Changshu Domain of the Western Kingdom and other rebellious officials and traitors may take advantage of the situation to rebel at any time."

"When the world is in turmoil, forget about rice and pickled radishes! You may not be able to eat millet, red rice, or barnyard grass!"

"If you don't eat this, you won't eat that. This is not what a samurai does!"

"You must eat everything to keep your body strong and healthy!"

"Only by having a strong body can we better serve the general and the shogunate in the future!"

Chotaro lowered his head with a depressed expression.

"Yes...grandma, I understand..."

Ah He seemed to want to say something more, but was stopped in time by Xi Ye.

"Okay, mother, stop talking."

Xi Ye looked at Ah He and sighed.

"Choutarou is still young, so it is understandable that he makes small mistakes occasionally. Look, Chotaro already knows that he was wrong, so please forgive him this time."

As soon as Nishino finished speaking, his wife intervened and advised him from the side.

"Yes, yes, mother-in-law, Changtaro already knows that he did something wrong. Please calm down."

With the kind words of Mr. and Mrs. Xiye, the stern lines on Ahe's face softened slightly.

"snort!"

Ah He snorted coldly through his nostrils.

"Hojiro! You are just too gentle!"

"All young children are like a piece of iron ore with many impurities. They must be tempered more before they can be cast into steel!"

"Indulging Chotaro and being too gentle to Chotaro will not make him a strong and excellent warrior!"

Nishino smiled helplessly and did not reply.

The family continues to eat.

After a moment, Chotaro put down the bowl of kuai in his hand, placed the kuai neatly on the bowl, clasped his hands together, and bowed to the bowl in front of him and the dining table.

"I've finished eating."

"Um."

Nishino nodded slightly.

"Chotaro, you can go back to your room and study."

"yes."

Chotaro stood up and walked out of the hall at a leisurely pace.

Just as one of his feet had already crossed the threshold of the living room——

"Chotaro, wait a moment!"

Behind him, Ah He's loud shout suddenly sounded.

"Chotaro, there is leftover rice in your bowl."

Ah He stretched out his hand and pointed at the few grains of rice left in Chang Taro's bowl.

"I have given similar teachings countless times!"

"As a samurai, there must be no leftovers in the bowl!"

"Not even a grain of rice!"

As if hearing the most terrifying curse in the world, Chotaro's face suddenly turned pale.

"Yes, yes!"

While responding hurriedly, he turned back to the dining table as quickly as possible, picked up the tachyon, and used the tip of the tachyon to stick to the remaining grains of rice in the bowl.

Looking at Changtaro's move, Ah He nodded, a trace of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

"Well, yes, that's it! Even if there is only one grain of rice, you must use a tachyon or a spoon. You must not grab the rice with your hands, stick out your tongue to lick the bowl, or other indecent behavior."

Changtaro had already finished the leftovers, but Ahe still didn't stop preaching.

"Chotaro, who do you think you rely on to eat such good rice?"

"This is all thanks to the General!"

"It is thanks to the kindness of the General that we can eat such good rice in such a good house."

"The general has shown us such great kindness, how can we waste food?"

"Every meal and porridge, remember the kindness of the general!"

"Every piece of clothing should be worn with the feeling of a general!"

When he said these two sentences, "The kindness of the general should be remembered" and "The affection of the general should be remembered", Ah He straightened his waist extremely straight, a look of reverence appeared on his cheeks, and his expression was solemn like a fanatical believer.

Just when Aheyou was intoxicated... Changtaro suddenly spoke and asked:

"Grandma...there's something I haven't quite understood."

"Huh? What's the matter?"

"You have always said to me, 'Don't forget the great kindness of the General.' 'It is thanks to the kindness of the General that we can have food to eat and clothing to wear.'"
To be continued...