In the dark room, Chino Mie sat alone on the floor, gazing at the lights beyond the Window as she stroked her swollen belly and softly hummed a song she had heard by the roadside:
"Unbeaten by rain, unbeaten by wind,
Unbeaten by snow, unbeaten by the scorching sun.
Possessing a strong body,
Never angered, free of desire.
Always smiling quietly,
Each day, eating four cups of brown rice, drinking miso soup, and having a little vegetables.
Never judging all things by one's own beliefs,
Knowledgeable and discerning, able to distinguish right from wrong, never forgetting..."
The gentle singing became an invisible force, calming the restless fetus in her womb.
Chino Mie smiled tenderly and lightly patted her belly. "Keita really is such a good child!"
"Ahh~~ Every day, I have to listen to you praise Keita eight hundred times!"
Liangshan Sachiko carefully opened the door, then carefully closed it again. With a helpless expression, she said, "Keita hasn't even been born yet, but you've already started talking to him nonstop."
"Tell me, can he even understand?"
"He can understand!" Chino Mie smiled down at her belly. "I know he can!"
"There it is again! Every time I see that smile of yours, I just can't do anything about you!" Liangshan Sachiko muttered quietly.
The maternal warmth Chino Mie radiated was like a flame, making Liangshan Sachiko, who had spent years in cold, shadowy corners, unable to stop herself from wanting to draw near and possess it.
Liangshan Sachiko took out the bento she had secretly brought from behind her back and placed it before Chino Mie. "Mie, it's time to eat!"
Looking at the exquisite food in the lunchbox, Chino Mie sincerely said, "Thank you, Sachiko!"
"Don't say that!" Liangshan Sachiko said awkwardly. "When I first came to Mountain