Passing a bun shop, perhaps because the rainy day was slightly cool, steam rose from the bamboo steamers beneath a large bamboo umbrella.
Bai Yujun hesitated over whether to bring Little Stone a few meat buns, but decided against it. It would not be appropriate to eat meat buns at the temple. So she bought herself some hot buns to eat; Little Stone could gnaw on bamboo shoots.
The fat Raccoon Dog sat leisurely on the threshold, sheltering from the rain.
Apparently unwilling to frolic in the rain like those foolish dogs, he squinted at the passing pedestrians, kneaded his paws, and yawned.
Considering there would be no meat once she was up the mountain, she swept through every eatery in the little town.
It barely counted as a bite between her teeth. As she left, she habitually rubbed the cat's head before carrying her things out of town toward Bamboo Spring Mountain in the misty rain.
The green mountain ahead was not particularly tall. Perhaps because it was raining, the birds were quiet, while the frogs croaked with particular delight.
A plump frog crouched by the roadside, croaking away. Bai Yujun quietly approached and lightly flicked it with her toe, watching the fat frog sail into the rice paddy.
She passed the stream below the mountain.
Some stretches of the stream were deep and others shallow. At a narrow spot where rock walls stood on both sides, four logs had been laid across it as a bridge.
Bai Yujun stepped onto the wooden bridge and saw a little bald boy catching fish in the stream.
Wearing a straw hat and a rain cape, he carefully shifted his dip net. His movements were feather-light. Once he spotted his chance, he thrust it forward and immediately lifted it, and a lively