A faint warmth still lingered in the empty bowls on the stone table.
"Thank you for the meal."
Matsumoto Rangiku put down her chopsticks with a satisfied expression. She had proactively requested an extra portion of dried bamboo shoots for her second bowl, making the flavor even richer. Suō Tsukasa had not lied; the ingredients he used were top-notch, and even a simple bowl of noodle soup tasted far better than anything the canteen provided. She had eaten more than usual.
Naturally, her stomach was a bit bloated.
"Burp—so full."
"Um—where should I put the dishes?"
She let out a small, uninhibited burp of satisfaction. Toshiro glanced at her, somewhat speechless, as he finished his last bite and set down his own chopsticks.
Tsukasa chuckled softly and stood up to begin clearing the table, saying casually, "Haha, no need to be polite. You're the guest today, just leave them there. You can get up and walk around for a bit, then soak in the hot spring later."
"Before you arrived, I partitioned off a small section for a private spring. It's the one surrounded by the bamboo wall. There are fresh towels on the stand at the entrance."
"You're truly thoughtful," Matsumoto Rangiku murmured, looking in the direction Tsukasa pointed. Sure enough, she saw an exquisite bamboo enclosure on the other side of the hot spring pool. The bamboo wall was about the height of a person, ensuring privacy while blending perfectly into the surrounding bamboo forest scenery.
"It's only proper. Toshiro, help me brew some tea; we can all have some when we rest later."
Tsukasa placed all the dishes onto a wooden tray. After giving his instructions, he turned and went back to the kitchen. While he didn't personally mind sharing a hot spring with Rangiku, he had put in the effort to arrange things for Toshiro's sake. Other women would likely visit this secret base in the future; Rangiku's visit was simply the catalyst to set things up.
"Alright." Toshiro nodded and stood up.
"Is he always like this?" Rangiku leaned in and asked curiously in a low voice.
"Like what?"
"You know—so good at taking care of people."
"Ever since I met him. Tsukasa has always been serious about everything, whether it's training or daily life." Toshiro fell silent for a moment before nodding in response.
It had been like that since they met. Tsukasa treated the details of life as a form of cultivation. He enjoyed life just as much as he enjoyed his training.
"Sit down for now. I'm going to brew the tea; we have plenty of work to do later."
"Oh."
Rangiku responded and sat back down on the stone chair, her gaze drifting toward the kitchen. Through the half-open bamboo curtain, she could see Tsukasa tidying the counter with methodical, orderly movements. Meanwhile, Toshiro was also quite efficient, using Kido to boil water, retrieving tea canisters, and preparing the tea set.
Rangiku watched with great interest. In the Tenth Division office, Toshiro only took the initiative to do such daily chores when Captain Shiba Isshin brought manju or snacks to treat everyone.
The tea was ready quickly.
As the clear, bright tea was poured into the cups, a crisp floral fragrance wafted through the air. Toshiro placed a cup in front of her.
"What kind of tea is this?" Rangiku couldn't help but ask another question. She had a lot of them.
Despite that, Toshiro answered her. "Chrysanthemum tea with a hint of licorice. You just ate your fill; drinking this will help with digestion."
"Mind your own business!" Rangiku glared at him and snatched the teacup away.
Toshiro didn't reply. He simply poured two more cups and took a small sip from his own. He couldn't be bothered to argue with her.
At that moment, Tsukasa emerged from the kitchen. He sat down by the stone table, took a cup, and drained it, saying with satisfaction, "The temperature is just right."
There were many types and numbers of Kido, but they all required active Reishi to be effective; however, there was no Kido specifically for cooling things down rapidly. Toshiro's Hyorinmaru made up for this deficiency perfectly. They could drink tea at a suitable temperature without waiting, and making iced drinks was a breeze.
The three of them drank their tea in silence. The floral fragrance spread through their mouths, accompanied by a faint sweetness.
"This tea is delicious," Rangiku praised sincerely.
She drank both tea and alcohol daily. In addition to her booze, she kept some top-grade tea leaves in her dormitory.
"If you like it, take a jar with you when you leave. I made it all myself. It's a nice change of pace when you get tired of regular tea," Tsukasa laughed, pouring himself another cup.
In this underground space, whatever he planted thrived. There was still plenty of space he hadn't fully utilized yet. Although his behavior thus far amounted to illegal squatting and "fleecing" the Seireitei, he never cared about such trivialities. Not being restricted by rules was the true essence of becoming stronger.
After a brief rest, the three of them carried bamboo baskets to a vibrant medicinal field, each holding a small hand-hoe. Although management had been lax over the past month, thanks to the unique environment, some of the basic medicinal herbs had already matured.
Originally, Tsukasa hadn't intended to make his guest work, but he couldn't resist Rangiku's desire to experience "country life."
Tsukasa pointed at the field and explained, "Harvesting herbs isn't hard. Just be careful not to damage the roots. Use the hoe to gently loosen the soil, then lift the whole plant."
"Doesn't sound too hard." Rangiku brandished her hoe, eager to try.
Toshiro silently picked up his hoe and walked to the edge of the field. His movements were swift, the depth and angle of his strikes perfectly measured. He gave the soil a light scrape, a gentle pry, and then lifted with his other hand. A herb with a full root system was extracted completely. After shaking off the dirt, he placed it in his basket. His movements were as fluid as flowing water.
Rangiku mimicked him, bending down at an adjacent spot and taking aim at a herb in front of her.
Snap—
A faint cracking sound rang out. She stared blankly at the herb in her hand; the upper half of the stem and leaves were in her grip, but the lower root was snapped in half.
"It's okay. Just be a bit gentler. When you feel resistance, just change the angle. Like this."
Tsukasa's voice came from beside her. He walked over, crouched down next to her, and demonstrated the movements slowly and carefully. With a steady pull, a whole herb came out of the ground with its roots intact.
"It looks easy, but it really requires a certain 'feel' to do it," Rangiku said, watching his movements and then looking at the broken herb in her hand.
"You'll get it after a few more tries," Tsukasa encouraged her, placing the harvested Dong Quai into her basket.
"Mhm!"
Gathering her resolve, she went after the next herb, being much more careful this time. Although her movements were still awkward and took a long time, she finally managed to harvest a complete plant.
"Very good. Take it slow and keep it up!" Tsukasa praised.
"Yeah."
Looking at the herb in her hand, Rangiku felt a deep sense of accomplishment. Although it was a small matter, this first harvest gave her an inexplicable sense of joy.
By the time Tsukasa raised his hoe to start working, Toshiro had already harvested nearly half a row of herbs, and his basket was almost full. Time slipped away quietly as the three focused on their labor. Eventually, all the mature herbs in this area were harvested.
The three gathered their respective harvests at the edge of the field. The piles of fresh medicinal materials emitted a thick scent of earth and fragrance.
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi