Time passed slowly amidst the Teiichi and discussions, and before we knew it, it was Chinese New Year.
Teiichi carried a pot of pine and bamboo, with a string of sashes draped over his shoulder, and slowly arrived at the door.
Teiichi skillfully placed the pine and bamboo in his hands in a suitable position, ensuring that it was stable and aesthetically pleasing.
He then took the shimenawa rope off his shoulder, carefully hung it on the door, and adjusted the angle and length.
He closed the door and stepped a few paces outside.
Looking at the neatly arranged pine and bamboo and the properly hung shimenawa rope, Teiichi and revealed a satisfied smile.
He turned his head and looked around.
The snow fell heavily, covering the whole world with a layer of pure white snowflakes, as if it had put on a brand new white coat.
Teiichi couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling the cold air enter his lungs, and then slowly exhale.
The hot air leaves the mouth and quickly condenses into white mist upon encountering cold air, then gradually dissipates.
Just then, Kanae's voice came from inside the room:
" Teiichi! Is the shimanta rope hung up yet? If it's up, come in and help!"
A warm feeling flowed through Teiichi's heart, Teiichi corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up as he stepped into the house.
"They're here!"
Night fell, and the Butterfly Mansion was brightly lit.
Unlike previous years, Kanae did not arrange for the remaining members of the Butterfly Mansion and the wounded to share a room this year.
Instead, they separated.
There was no way around it, there were just too many people.
The Butterfly Mansion now has eight permanent residents, and there have been many wounded recently.
There are nearly 30 people in total.
Nowadays, formal restaurants all serve individual portions.
That is, each person has their own small table, and each person's food is on their own small table.
The Butterfly Mansion does not have a spare room that can accommodate 30 people sitting and eating at the same time.
So we ate them separately.
Teiichi looked at the dishes laid out on the plate in front of him.
emmm...
Sushi, pizza, steak, stew...
There are many more dishes that I've never seen before.
Teiichi picked up a slice of pizza and started eating.
There were many dishes, and they tasted pretty good, but...
It feels like they shouldn't be at the same meal.
Teiichi chewing, Kanae asked Kanae, who was sitting next to him:
Who made these new dishes?
"It was Shinobu and I who did it!"
Kanae replied, then looked at the pizza in Teiichi's hand and asked:
"What you're eating right now is called pizza! How is it? Is it good?"
Shinobu Kocho standing nearby, also perked up her ears to listen to their conversation.
I want to see what the first feedback I receive will be like!
"Where did you learn to cook these dishes?" Teiichi asked instead of answering directly.
"We learned it from Mitsuri!" Shinobu Kocho said, then, worried that Teiichi might not know who she was, added, "She's the Love Hashira from the team!"
"Huh? Lady Love Hashira can cook too?" Kanon asked, pouting her little mouth.
Kanae smiled and nodded, "Yes! Mitsuri's cooking skills are superb!"
"Then I want to learn cooking from Lady Love Hashira!"
"Sure! Mitsuri loves making friends!"
Kanon asked, "What kind of person is Lady Love Hashira?"
"Her?"
Kanae tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and then said:
She's probably a very cheerful and lively girl, but also quite shy!
"Huh?" Kanon asked, puzzled. "Can cheerful and outgoing people be easily shy?"
Shinobu Kocho interjected, "It might sound contradictory, but Mitsuri is definitely that kind of person! And her main purpose in joining the Demon Slayer Corps wasn't to kill demons!"
"Huh? Not to kill demons? Then why did Lady Love Hashira join the Demon Slayer Corps?" Kanon asked, puzzled.
Kanae chuckled twice and explained:
" Mitsuri still wants to kill demons, but she wants to see if she can find a husband who is stronger than her and with whom she can grow old together."
"Hey! Hey!! Hey!!! Is this even possible?"
Kanon exclaimed in surprise at first, then whispered:
"Wouldn't it be inappropriate to talk about this?"
"No, Mitsuri herself doesn't intend to hide this kind of thing. Basically, if you spend more time with her, she'll tell you herself!" Kanae explained.
"That's good! That's good!"
Kanon patted her small chest, then continued to ask curiously.
"Now that she's a Pillar, the only ones stronger than her are the other Hashira Rank, right? Which one has Lady Love Hashira taken a fancy to?"
Aoi Kanzaki, who was standing nearby, also perked up her ears and started listening intently.
I want to hear some gossip about the Hashira Rank adults.
"I only attended one Hashira Meeting. I usually communicate with Mitsuri through letters. I haven't noticed that she likes anyone. Does she like anyone, sister?" Shinobu Kocho said, turning to look at Kanae.
"Hmm..." Kanae hesitated for a moment, "Although I've attended several Hashira Meeting with Mitsuri, I haven't noticed which boy Mitsuri is more interested in!"
"Oh? If not, then let's see who would be a better fit for her?"
Kanon said anxiously, "We finally have some gossip to discuss, and I don't want it to end like this."
"First, you have to be stronger than her. Which Pillar in the Demon Slayer Corps is the strongest?"
"The strongest...?"
Shinobu Kocho looked up at the electric lights in the sky, deep in thought, before slowly speaking:
"The strongest right now is definitely Mr. Himejima..."
Shinobu Kocho Kanae before she could finish speaking.
"How could Mr. Himejima be? Although he doesn't consider himself a monk, he still practices Buddhism!"
"But doesn't the government stipulate that monks can now get married and eat meat?" Shinobu Kocho asked.
"Only some temples have been allowed to do so; many others are still not permitted to lift the ban! It's like how the regulations now state that we should celebrate the Gregorian New Year, but we still celebrate the Lunar New Year, don't we?"
Kanae retorted.
"Furthermore, although Mr. Himejima is a gentle and composed person, he doesn't seem like the type to get married!"
"That's true!"
Shinobu Kocho nodded.
She also doesn't think Gyomei Himejima is the type of person who would get married.
I just thought of the strongest Demon Slayer Corps because Kanon asked who it is now.
"What kind of person is Lord Water Hashira? Is he suitable for Lord Love Hashira?" Kanon then asked.
" Water Hashira, is that Giyu Tomioka?"
Shinobu Kocho confirmed the name, recalling her impression of Giyu Tomioka.
As the image of the person and face gradually overlapped in her mind, Shinobu Kocho said angrily.
That guy is arrogant!
He always has a stern face, acting all high and mighty like he owns the place!
The last time I attended Hashira Meeting, he was the only one standing on the side, not with the other plenary members.
And they even said, 'I'm different from you!'
What does that mean?
What do you mean by "he's different from us"?
How is he different from us?
This is a complete disrespect to us!
And the result?
It was my older sister who won first place in the Hashira Battles!
How is he different from us?