"Take a hot spring bath?"

Qingdeng was stunned and asked quickly.

"You can't take a bath in a hot spring in such a shallow pool, right?"

“Although I can’t soak my whole body, I can at least soak my feet!”

The general manager argued vigorously.

"It's rare to come across a natural hot spring that is not occupied by wild monkeys. It would be a pity not to experience it...ah, no! I have been feeling a little tired since I walked here from Edo, and I was just thinking about taking a rest!

Since I happen to come across this hot spring, I might as well take a dip here and take a rest!”

——Hey, you just let it slip!

Even though he's already spilled the beans, he can still act like nothing happened... I have to admit, this is quite a skill.

Qingden turned his head and looked at the hot spring at hand.

——Soak your feet...

To be fair, Qingdeng didn't want to stop and rest.

First of all, his body is not yet tired enough to need rest.

"Strong Muscles +1", "Iron Lung +2"...these talents that greatly enhance physical fitness are not just decorations.

However... he had to worry about Souji and Sanako's feelings.

After all, the two girls don't have many perverted talents like him.

Just because he is not tired does not mean that the two women are not tired either.

Besides, what the Director-General just said is right.

From the time they set off until now, they have rarely stopped to rest.

In line with the simple idea of ​​"combining work with rest", it is indeed time to take a short break.

In order to respect the opinions of everyone present, Qingto asked Sanako beside him:

"Miss Sanako, what do you think?"

"I don't care."

Sanako said without thinking.

"Whether you want to continue climbing or take a break, I don't have any opinion."

One voted in favor, one abstained...the result is clear.

At this time, Qingdeng felt a strong gaze.

He turned his head and was met by the chief executive's bright eyes.

There was a happy expression on her face.

Although Souji didn't speak, her eyes revealed her true thoughts - look! Miss Sanako is not opposed to bathing in hot springs either!

When Qingdeng saw this, he couldn't help but smile helplessly.

"Okay... let's rest here for a while."

"Yeah!"

The director-general cheered, then knelt down, took off his snow boots and socks, and then eagerly dipped his feet into the hot spring.

The next moment, she moaned happily:

"Haa~~"

At the same time, her entire face turned into a "(=ω=)" shape, her waist was bent, her shoulders were drooped, and her delicate body seemed to have melted and became limp.

After the general secretary, the second person to sit down by the spring was Qingteng.

The soft warmth enveloped Qingdeng's calves and feet like silk.

The warm feeling spreads along the soles of the feet, up the calves, and flows along the waist into the heart.

The leg muscles that were slightly stiff from walking for a long time relaxed instantly.

Is it a psychological effect? ​​Qingden always feels that there is a significant difference between hot spring water and ordinary hot water.

The former feels softer, gentler and more comfortable.

Qingden, who felt so comfortable all over his body, couldn't help but feel lucky that he agreed to the General Director's "application for foot soaking".

Compared to Aoto and Souji, Sanako, who was born as the eldest daughter of the Wu family, is undoubtedly much more elegant in her movements.

Sanako first gently pulled up the culottes of the women's kendo uniform, then took off the snow boots on her feet in a hurry, revealing her delicate feet wrapped in white socks. From the white socks, you could vaguely see the slightly protruding legs. , skinny ankles.

She raised her hands to hold on to the tree trunk next to her to maintain her balance. Then she raised one foot backwards in a posture like turning around, and took off the raised foot in one breath...that is, the cloth on her right foot. socks.

Then, she took off the socks on the other foot in the same way and put the two folded socks into the snow boots.

Sanako's feet were as natural as natural and so white that they glowed.

The fat-like calves are slender and well-proportioned, the ankles are round and smooth, and the ten cute toes are crystal clear.

She is obviously a female warrior who is proficient in martial arts and diligent in martial arts, but there is no thick callus or dead skin on her feet. The soles of her feet are white and red, and the arches of her feet are beautiful.

Barefoot Sanako... This is quite rare.

Sanako, who regards etiquette as her life, pays great attention to her dressing.

Even in the summer, even when she is at home, she always wears clean and new white socks meticulously.

In the Edo period, wearing clean white socks was a status symbol.

Japan has a temperate maritime climate, which is mild and humid all year round, with annual precipitation ranging from 1,200 ml to 2,000 ml.

In short, Japan is a rainy country.

No matter how high the level of infrastructure in the feudal era was, it was just that.

The roads in the Edo period were basically loess roads, which would become particularly muddy after rain.

If you wear cloth shoes and socks, your feet will be muddy. Just brushing your shoes and washing your socks will exhaust you to death.

If you wear leather boots or shoes in such a humid environment, the shoes will rot over time.

In this case, it is most appropriate to wear straw sandals, clogs, or no socks, which saves money and is easy to clean. Even if you step on mud, just rinse it with water.

Because of this, everyone from samurai masters to common people have a special liking for straw sandals and wooden clogs.

Of course, the only people who can afford to wear shoes are those from relatively well-off families.

The vast majority of poor families usually wear very little on their lower bodies and go barefoot when working. When they go out for a long trip, they will knit simple straw sandals that are no different from flip-flops.

As a result, over time, wearing socks...especially white socks that are not resistant to stains, has become a status symbol.

Whenever you see someone wearing clean white socks from time to time, you can know that the person's family background must be good.

As for those who wear silk shoes, they are the ministers of the Kyoto court who are not engaged in production or work.

When officials go out to work, most of them wear white socks on their feet - Qingdeng is an outlier among them.

Because white socks don't stand up to stains, Qingdeng likes to wear black socks on weekdays.

After placing the shoes and socks, Sanako walked slowly to Qingto's side.

She did not sit down immediately, but first stretched out her right foot, tapped the surface of the pool with her toes, and then lowered her feet little by little into the depths of the hot spring.

Under the reflection of the sparkling water, Sanako's jade feet looked like hibiscus emerging from the water.

The reflection in the water reflects a calm and reserved smile. The reflection ripples in the water waves with the gentle swing of the two little feet.

It seems that Sanako is also very satisfied with this hot spring.

I don't know whether it was Sanako's intentional move or her unintentional move, but she sat impartially on Qingto's right hand side.

The General Secretary is sitting on Qingden's left hand side.

In this way, the two of them formed a double-sided trap for Qingdeng.

Qingdeng: "..."

Director-General: "..."

Sanako: "..."

The surroundings are filled with a leisurely atmosphere and silence.

Obviously no one said anything, but no one felt embarrassed.

At this moment, Qingdeng realized belatedly: He hadn't been as relaxed as he was now for a long time, without thinking about anything.

In recent days, he has been busy investigating the "cunning drug case" and has no time to rest.

Because of the blessings of talents such as "brain +9", "strengthening muscles +1", and "strengthening essence +1", Qingden has a strong ability to resist fatigue, and he will not easily feel tired even if he works for a long time.

——When will the next break... be?

Thinking of this, Qingdeng's face showed a mixture of emotions.
To be continued...