The doors of Human World, Karakura Town, and A Bookstore are closed.
There is a wooden sign hanging on the door handle, facing outward, with two words written on it, rest.
The characters were written with a brush, the strokes were very steady and the ink was very dark. It looked like the handwriting of someone who had practiced for many years.
The wooden sign swayed gently in the wind, making a slight creaking sound.
Bookstore There were no lights on inside, and sunlight leaked in through the gaps in the curtains, casting a few slender strips of light on the wooden floor.
Yoruichi is lying on the sofa behind the counter.
Her hair was spread out, and her long purple hair lay on the cushion, with a few strands hanging down to the floor, stained with dust.
She was wearing loose home clothes, with the collar open and a collarbone exposed. Her eyes were closed and her eyelashes were very long.
There were three empty wine bottles on the floor next to the sofa, and there was a wine glass next to it, with fine dust floating on the surface.
A child is standing next to the sofa.
He is very short, and he can only see Yoruichi's face by standing on tiptoes.
The black hair is very soft and thin, and glows slightly blue in the light that leaks through the gaps in the curtains. The eyes are golden, like Yoruichi, like two freshly peeled orange candies, like two lamps that are immortal in the wind.
There was a blue scarf wrapped around the neck, wrapped twice around the neck, with both ends hanging down to the chest, and two small knots tied at the ends.
He was wearing a dark blue coat, with the zipper pulled to the top and the collar turned up.
The trousers are black, and the legs are rolled up twice, exposing the ankles and a pair of white sneakers.
He stood there, tiptoeing, looking at Yoruichi on the sofa.
I watched it for a long time.
"Mom..."
His voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of waking her up, but Yoruichi didn't respond.
She slept so deeply that she felt as if she had sunk into the bottom of the sea, as if she was being suppressed by something. Even her son's call could not reach her dream.
Yan Si Ming Put your hands down and your toes fall back to the ground.
He is five years old.
A five-year-old child should still be in kindergarten at Human World, still crying because he can't write his name, and still fighting with children because he can't get the slide. But Yan Si Ming is different.
He understood many things very early. No one taught him, he learned by himself.
Look at your mother's eyes, look at her face, look at what time your mother goes to bed every day, and what time she stares at the window.
In the past two years, my mother has been looking sad every day.
It wasn't like this before.
In the past, my mother would laugh, laugh loudly, lift him above her head and spin him in circles, hum and make omelette rice in the kitchen, and learn the sounds of various animals when telling him stories at night.
But two years ago, those laughter seemed to be stolen by something, like a light dimmed.
Recently, my mother started drinking.
After finishing the drink, he fell down on the sofa, closed his eyes and frowned, as if he was fighting something or waiting for someone.
Yan Si Ming knows who she is waiting for.
Dad.
He has never met his father. When he was born, his father was no longer around.
Mom said that Dad went to a very far away place to do something very important.
When he grows up and ties his scarf, his father will come back.
But two years have passed.
He already knew how to tie a scarf, but his father didn't come back.
All he knows about his father is through other people.
Ichigo Kurosaki Big brother, the orange-haired big brother who always frowns and speaks loudly.
Every time he comes to Bookstore, he will bring a bag of oranges, put the oranges on the counter, and then sit next to Yan Si Ming and tell him stories about his father.
"Your father is the strongest man I have ever seen."
Ichigo When he said this, he would make gestures with his hands in the air, imitating his father's knife-wielding movements.
"He defeated King of the Quincy alone..."
Ichigo's voice will get louder and louder, as if he is quarreling with someone or proving something to someone. There is also brother Yasutora Sado, the dark-skinned, tall man who speaks very little.
Every time he comes to Bookstore, he will bring a new comic and put it on the counter. Then he will sit next to Yan Si Ming and read the comic with him without saying a word.
When leaving, he would put his hand on Yan Si Ming's head and press it gently.
"Your dad is a hero."
Just these words, and then he left.
The doorbell rang and his figure disappeared around the corner.
And sister Orihime Inoue.
She would bring her homemade biscuits, put them in a pink box, and tie them with a white ribbon.
She would squat down, look level with Yan Si Ming, then smile and say to him:
"Your father is the most gentle person I have ever met."
Her eyes would curve into crescents, and the corners of her mouth would turn up, but for some reason, her eye sockets were always red.
And mom. Mom would also tell stories about dad, but only after she was drunk.
She would hold Yan Si Ming in her arms, put her chin on the top of his head, and then whisper something he couldn't quite understand.
"That bastard... he will crawl back even if he says he will crawl..."
"You obviously promised me... that you would come back..."
"Liar..."
Then she fell asleep, her eyelashes were wet, and her breath smelled of wine.
Yan Si Ming stood next to the sofa and looked at her mother's face.
Her brows were furrowed, even in her sleep, and there was a shallow vertical line between her brows.
He stretched out his hand to smooth out the lines.
When my fingers touched my mother's forehead, it felt cold, like touching a forgotten stone in the refrigerator.
He retracted his hand, clenched it tightly, turned around and walked towards the corridor.
His sneakers made almost no sound when he stepped on the wooden floor. He walked through the corridor, past the kitchen and bathroom, and arrived at the innermost door.
The door is made of wood, very old, with fine cracks on the surface.
There was no lock on the door handle, but he knew that not everyone could push the door open.
He reached out and pushed open the door.
In the innermost part, there is a Hot Spring.
The water is very clear, so clear that you can see the stones at the bottom.
There is no mist on the water, but the water is so hot that it feels hot when you put your hand in it.
Yan Si Ming stood beside Hot Spring, looking down at the water.
His face was reflected in the water.
"Butterfly."
His voice was very soft, like calling an old friend.
A shadow appeared on the water, and a butterfly flew out. It was no ordinary butterfly, its wings were black, with a thin golden line on the edge. When the wings flapped, tiny points of light would fall from the edge.
Hell Butterfly.
It circled twice in the air and then landed on Yan Si Ming's shoulder.
The wings are folded, like a closed black folding fan, and the antennae tremble slightly.
"I'm going to Soul Society to find dad."
Yan Si Ming's voice is not loud.
Hell Butterfly's wings spread.
It flew up from Yan Si Ming's shoulder, spun around in the air, and then flew above Hot Spring.
Wings flap.
Those tiny points of light fell from the edges of the wings and landed on the water.
The water surface began to glow, and the light spots spread on the water surface, spreading in all directions, circle, circle, and circle.
The water split from the middle to both sides, exposing the stone at the bottom. A crack appeared in the middle of the stone.
The crack is expanding, from a line to a crack, from a crack to a door, and it is dark inside.
Senkaimon.
Yan Si Ming stood beside Hot Spring, looking down at the door.
It was so dark inside that I couldn't see the bottom.
The wind blew out of the door. It was very cold and had an indescribable smell...
He tightened the scarf around his neck and held the two knots in his hands.
Then jumped in.
The moment his feet left the shore, his body drew an arc in the air, and then disappeared into the darkness.
Senkaimon closed behind him.
The water surged from both sides and returned to its original appearance.
Hell Butterfly stopped above the water, flapped its wings twice, and then turned into light spots and dissipated in the air. Soul Society, Runlin An.
The sky cracked.
Click!
Debris flew around, shining in the sun.
A figure fell out of the crack.
He flipped in the air, kicked his hands and feet wildly, his scarf fluttering in the wind, and fell towards the hillside outside Runlin An.
The wind blew past his ears, blowing his hair up.
He squinted, his golden pupils reflecting the ground getting closer and closer...
Green grass, brown soil, and a few gray stones.
He adjusted his posture, with his feet facing down and his hands open.
Bang...!
He landed on the hillside. The moment the soles of his feet touched the ground, his knees bent, his body leaned forward, and then he began to roll. One lap, two laps, three laps... He rolled down the hillside.
Blades of grass scratched across his body, mud stuck to his coat, and a few pebbles got stuck in his shoelaces.
He rolled to the bottom of the mountain and stopped, lying on his back on the grass.
The sky is blue, the clouds are white, and the sun is warm.
Several birds flew overhead, making quacking sounds, as if they were mocking him or saying hello to him.
Clang clang clang!
The rapid siren sounded throughout Seireitei.
This is an emergency meeting of the captain.
First Division conference room, all the captains arrived soon.
Captain-General Kyōraku Shunsui immediately said, "According to the Research and Development Bureau's detection, Ryoka just invaded Soul Society." "The detailed location is unknown. All captains have stepped up patrols and are allowed to use Bankai directly."
His face was very serious, because the current Thirteen Court Guard Squads is not very powerful.
And the guy who broke in this time had no idea where he came from.
Research and Development Bureau and Science Department's monitoring of Three Realms has been impeccable, and the space channel has been blocked except for one.
But this intruder can break through directly and there is a certain probability that he is an enemy from outside, such as Hell.
There has been no news from Hell Investigation Corps for several years. He must protect Three Realms!
"Once again, all captains patrolled and discovered Ryoka and directly turned on Bankai!"
"Disband!"
Yan Si Ming lay down for a few seconds, then sat up and patted the dust off his body.
Grass blades fell from his clothes, and soil fell from between his fingers. There were a few grass stalks in his hair. He reached out to pick them off and then touched his face to make sure he was not injured. He stood up and looked forward.
There is a city there.
It's not a city he's familiar with... no tall buildings or traffic lights.
The house is made of wood, the roof is covered with black tiles, and the eaves are raised like bird wings.
The streets are paved with stone and very neat.
There were people walking on the street, wearing kimonos, wearing wooden clogs, and holding baskets in their hands.
There are also people wearing modern clothes... t-shirts, jeans, sneakers.
The two looks are mixed together, like two eras being forcibly collaged together.
"Is this Soul Society?"
Yan Si Ming tilted his head and looked at the city.
The golden eyes reflected those ancient buildings, those pedestrians in ancient costumes, and those smoke rising from the roofs.
He took steps and walked towards the city. Not long after walking, he smelled a scent.
Gululu...
My stomach growled.
Yan Si Ming looked down at his belly, stretched out his hand and rubbed it.
"Hungry."
It was noon when he went out, and his mother was still sleeping.
He didn't have lunch or breakfast...
In the morning, his mother couldn't get up, so he poured himself a glass of milk, drank it and went out.
He touched his trouser pocket, reached in and took out... a wad of banknotes.
Ten thousand yuan, five thousand yuan, one thousand yuan.
I counted it and found it was exactly one hundred thousand.
He stuffed the money back into his trouser pocket, patted it to make sure it wouldn't fall out, and then walked over following the scent. The scent became stronger and stronger.
His saliva began to secrete and his stomach growled louder.
He stopped in front of a shop.
The door is made of wood, sliding and has a curtain hanging on it.
The curtain is dark blue, with white writing on it saying... face.
Ramen Shop.
Yan Si Ming Push the door open.
Ding dong! The doorbell rang.
"Welcome!"
A man's voice came from behind the counter.
Yan Si Ming walked into the store.
My feet stepped on the wooden floor, making a thumping sound. I raised my head and looked behind the counter. A middle-aged man stood there. He had a white towel tied on his head, with several red words printed on it, and he was wearing a white apron.
The moment he saw Yan Si Ming, he was stunned for a moment, his mouth opened and his eyes narrowed... as if he was trying hard to see something clearly.
"Little..."
His voice was stuck in his throat.
Ramen Shop, which has been open at Soul Society for decades, has seen countless customers... but never seen such a child.
Clean.
It's not just that the clothes are clean, it's that the whole person is clean.
Her face was as white as porcelain, her eyes were as bright as lamps, and her black hair was as soft as silk.
He stood there without speaking or moving, making people want to hold the best things in the world in front of him.
Shopkeeper swallowed, bent down and brought his face closer, his voice lowered unconsciously.
"Kid, what do you want to eat?"
Yan Si Ming kicked his feet, straightened his body, and landed firmly on the chair. His legs were too short, and his feet could not reach the floor, dangling in the air, like sitting on a swing. He put his hands on the table and sat up straight.
"Have a bowl of beef noodles and add more beef."
Shopkeeper's brows jumped, and a picture flashed in his mind...
Many years ago, a young man was in this store and said the same thing in a casual and matter-of-fact tone.
"Our place is Ramen Shop, there is no beef noodles."
His voice was a little dry.
"Then make the noodles dry and add more meat."
Yan Si Ming is not a picky eater.
At home, he eats whatever his mother does.
When his mother didn't have time to do it, he would warm milk, toast bread, and spread jam by himself.
He is not picky about food, but he likes to eat meat.
Beef is best, pork is fine, chicken is fine too. If it's meat, he likes it all.
Shopkeeper's mouth twitched.
"Our place is Ramen Shop, there is no dry noodles."
Yan Si Ming frowned, his face scrunched up, and two shallow lines formed between his eyebrows.
"Then chicken noodle soup."
He's really not a picky eater!
Shopkeeper took a deep breath, his chest puffed up like an inflated balloon, and then he roared out.
"This is Ramen Shop...!"
The sound was so loud that the dust on the roof was shaken off, and the brass bell at the door rang by itself.
Yan Si Ming was stunned, blinked twice, fluttered his eyelashes, and opened his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.
Shopkeeper regretted it after yelling.
His face turned red, as if he had been slapped. He bent down, put his hands on the counter, and lowered his head so low that it was almost touching the table. "I'm sorry, kid, I didn't mean to..."
"I just... remembered a person... many years ago... who also came to my store and made such a fuss..."
He straightened up and smiled on his face.
"Well, the signature of our store is pork bone ramen. The soup has been simmered for twelve hours, and the marrow of the bones has been boiled out. The soup is white, as white as milk.
The barbecued pork is marinated with a secret sauce. It is marinated for three days and grilled for four hours. You don't need to use a knife when cutting it, the meat separates by itself."
As he spoke, his tone became proud, as if he was introducing his children or showing off his trophies.
"I guarantee you'll like it."
Yan Si Ming looked at him for two seconds.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
Shopkeeper smiled, turned around, grabbed a handful of noodles and threw them into the boiling pot.
"Okay! One extra large bowl of pork bone ramen, and double the barbecued pork!" His voice came from the kitchen, with the sound of the clinking of spatulas.
Yan Si Ming is sitting on a chair with his feet dangling under the table.
Boom...!
A bowl of noodles was placed in front of him.
The bowl was huge, bigger than his face. The barbecued pork was piled up into a hill, and the heat was rising from the bowl.
Yan Si Ming's saliva is flowing out.
But he didn't eat it immediately.
He picked up the chopsticks, wiped them with a paper towel, then put the chopsticks together, raised his hands, and said...
"I'm starting."
This is what his mother taught him.
Before eating, say "I'm ready", and after eating, say "Thank you for the hospitality".
This is politeness and respect for food. "Uh!"
His eyes lit up.
"Delicious!"
After taking the first bite, he started to put it into his mouth.
The noodles were sucked into the mouth and made a sizzling sound.
Shopkeeper stood behind the counter, with his hands on the countertop, watching the child eating noodles.
His eyes were moist, his nose was sore, his throat was tight, and his chest was hot.
After so many years of opening a store, he has never been so happy and satisfied.
It's like finishing a painting or writing a poem.
He felt that the meaning of opening this Ramen Shop in Soul Society was to wait for this moment...
Wait for the child to open the door, walk in, sit on the chair, and eat the noodles he made.
"One more bowl!" Yan Si Ming raised the bowl, with the bottom of the bowl facing up, not a drop of soup left.
"Okay!"
Shopkeeper turned around and entered the kitchen again.
Boom!
"One more bowl!"
"Okay!"
Yan Si Ming ate ten bowls, the kind with double the barbecued pork.
Ten bowls of noodles piled up with barbecued pork were bigger than his head.
He put down the bowl, leaned back on the chair, stretched out his hand and patted his stomach.
The belly is swollen and round, as if there is a Little Cat hidden inside.
Then his brows furrowed.
He thought of one thing... money, I don't know what kind of money is used here. If the money here is different from Human World, if the money you bring is not enough, if you can't pay for ten bowls of noodles...
Will he be left to wash dishes?
Will he be sent to the police station?
Will my mother know?
His little hand reached into his trouser pocket, took out the stack of banknotes, and placed it on the table.
The money was new, with neat creases, as if it had just been taken out of the bank.
He pushed the money, pushing it to the edge of the table, and pushed it as far as Shopkeeper could reach.
"Shopkeeper, is this enough money?"
His voice was small, with a hint of uncertainty.
Shopkeeper came over and picked up the wad of money.
He glanced at it and smiled.
"Enough, enough, more." He took out three pieces of money from the pile... three pieces worth one thousand yuan. Then he pushed the remaining money back to Yan Si Ming.
Yan Si Ming looked at the three pieces of money that were taken away, and then looked at the money that was pushed back.
I counted... Ten bowls of noodles cost 30,000 yuan, and one bowl of noodles cost 3,000 yuan.
He collected the money and stuffed it back into his trouser pocket.
"Thank you Shopkeeper."
"Come again next time!"
Shopkeeper's voice came from behind, full of expectation.
Yan Si Ming walks out Ramen Shop.
The sun shone warmly on his face.
The wind blew over, carrying various smells from the streets... the sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes, the salty taste of oden, and the indescribable fragrance of the unknown flowers at the door of the flower shop.
After walking a few steps, he smelled another fragrance. He walked along and stopped at the door of a shop.
The door is made of wood, sliding, and has a curtain hanging on it. The curtain is dark red, with black characters written on it... wine.
Tavern.
Yan Si Ming Push the door open.
Ding dong... the bell rang.
"What smells so good? Can you sell me some?"
His voice echoed in the empty Tavern.
There was a man standing behind the counter, cleaning glasses, and raised his head when he heard the sound.
Saw Yan Si Ming.
His hand stopped, his eyes widened, and it took him several seconds to come back to his senses.
"Kid, come back when you grow up. Uncle only sells wine here and nothing else."
He bent down, brought his face closer, and lowered his voice.
"Besides, the wine doesn't taste good." Yan Si Ming frowned.
In his memory, wine is not a good thing.
Every time my mother drinks, she will cry, say something he doesn't understand, and fall asleep on the sofa. When she wakes up the next day, she says she will never drink again.
But the next day, she would drink again.
He smelled the fragrance in the air.
"Sorry to bother you."
Yan Si Ming thinks that wine is not a good thing and is ready to leave.
Suddenly, a fragrant wind blew over him, and he felt a softness behind him, and his whole body fell into something.
The body was completely locked and could not move at all.
"Wow~! Whose child are you? You're so cute!"