#838 Spring and Plums

Murmuring to and fro leisurely dawn to dusk, yup.

It’s me. 

It feels like it’s been a while.

Ardheg and Bloody Mary’s sudden visit was like a storm passing through. I wonder if they managed to resolve their problem after that.

It would be nice to get a progress report from them or something.

Amidst all this, winter finally gave way.

Spring is here.

Spring, where early ferns sprout.

Spring, from the famous line “spring’s dawn is good” of the Heian period.

The season when all life overcomes the harsh winter and embraces the warmth of joy!

Our farm is kicking back into gear!

With spring’s arrival, it feels like the new year has truly begun.

Back in my world, we’d countdown on December 31st and yell ‘Happy New Year!’ to get that new year vibe, but here, without a calendar, it’s when it warms up that the year feels new.

And what do we do when the new year comes around?

“Let’s go for the first shrine visit of the year!!!”

This first shrine visit is a culture that didn’t exist on our farm before.

But now it does.

Because last year, we built a shrine.

There’s no point in a first shrine visit if you don’t have a deity to visit, but since we do, we’ll pay our respects.

“Platy, you ready to go?”

“Wait, Dear…! Aghhh, this dress is so hard to move in!”

Platy emerges, awkwardly walking in her kimono.

Wait, she’s married, so maybe it’s called a tomesode?

I hold our eldest, Junior’s hand, while Platy carries our younger son, Norito.

Junior and I are decked out in our formal hakama with family crests tailor-made for his Shichi-Go-San celebration.

It’s our formal wear for visiting the gods.

“All right, everyone’s ready! Let’s go!”

“YEAHHHHH!!!”

Our farm friends join in, and we head to the shrine in a group. 

It really feels like the hustle and bustle of a New Year’s visit.

And our destination is…! 

The shrine!!!

The very Tenmangu shrine we built last year in this other world!

Awaiting us is the deity we’re to honor.

“Welcome, my parishioners.”

Well, we’re not really parishioners, but okay.

This god, dressed like a Heian noble, is none other than Sugawara no Michizane.

When we built the shrine, we summoned a deity at random, and he showed up. 

He’s perfect for a household with growing kids, being the god of learning.

It makes me all the more enthusiastic about praying!

“Oh, great gooooood!!! Please ensure my kids get into Tokyo U!!!”

“Huh? You want Junior and Norito to be lighthouse keepers, Dear?”

No, not that ‘toudai’ lighthouse, I meant TouDai Tokyo University!

That’s a cliché pun!

If not Tokyo U, then Cambridge! Or Machuchushets or however it’s pronounced!!!

"Allow the young ones to flourish in their own time. Haste is not the ally of growth."

Even the god of learning advises patience?!

“Grow freelyyyy.”

Even Junior himself is asking for it!

Well, Junior’s turning four this year, and Norito’s about to be two. 

Since they don’t fit the Shichi-Go-San age, we’ll celebrate their upcoming birthdays normally.

It’s a pity not to use such a grand shrine except for Shichi-Go-San, so that’s why we’re here for the first shrine visit of the year.

But it’s not like the shrine’s neglected otherwise. 

There are frequent visitors, like Sensei the Lifeless King.

“Michizane, I’ve come to greet you on this auspicious start of the year.”

“Ah, comrade!”

Sensei and Michizane really hit it off, perhaps because they both have the soul of educators.

They’ve been mingling even without me knowing, and today, they greeted each other with a high-five like best friends. 

Even Michizane embodies Confucius’ saying, “Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?”

“Comrade Sensei is so passionate about educating the youth of this world! It’s a delight conversing with him!” 

“And I’ve been learning waka poetry from Lord Michizane, expanding my horizons! Let me try one… Gathering the early rains of summer, how swift it is-Negawa River.”

That’s plagiarism!!!

Don’t think a little tweak will let you get away with it!

Michizane, if you’re going to teach, do it properly!

That aside, the shrine is packed with visitors from our farm as well as those from distant lands to pay their respects.

The Demon King and Arowana fervently pray in front of the shrine.

“May my children grow up wise and strong!!!”  

“May he become a capable successor I can trust!!”

Their earnest prayers resonate deeply.

Both are responsible heads of state, after all. 

When thinking about the future, a competent successor is essential. For them, Lord Michizane, the god of academic achievement, must be the perfect deity.

No wonder they travel far to offer their prayers.

“But Demon King and Arowana...! Have you already paid your respects to your own gods?”

The Demon King and the rest of the demon race have the Underworld God Hades. 

Arowana and the merfolk have the Sea God Poseidon as their chief deity.

Shouldn’t the rulers themselves have prayed, “Thank you for watching over us last year,” and “Please continue to guide us this year” to their respective gods, considering the Demon and Mermaid Kingdoms also embrace the New Year after winter?

“Of course! Not yet!!!”  

“Praying to Lord Michizane is more crucial! If it ensures my son grows up wise and great, it’s a small price to pay!!!”

The allure of immediate benefits is terrifying. 

The current advantages seem to outweigh the old contracts with ancient gods.

...Is this really okay?

Won’t this be like a start-up getting complaints from established businesses?

“Lord Michizane’s blessings precisely target human society’s needs. No wonder people never cease to worship him.”  

"As a deity, the passions and pursuits I hold dear remain integral to my being. The pursuit of knowledge is both a joy and a practical endeavor and thus, I find no necessity to overtly advocate for it."

Typical genius reasoning.

That’s easy for you to say, with your gifted talents. 

Most people would prefer not to study at all if they could.

I was like that, too. 

Looking back at my student days, I would’ve rather been gaming in every spare moment instead of doing homework!!!

“But don’t get me wrong! My love for knowledge is vast, yet it is not my sole pursuit. As a man, er, god of expansive cultural appreciation, I embrace a wider spectrum!” 

“What’s got into you all of a sudden?”  

“My most cherished, most adored thing! That’s the plum blossom!!!”  

“Right...”

“Behold, my shrine, even in a different realm, adorned with plum blossoms in their full splendor!”

Michizane proudly reveals the plum-filled grounds of his otherworldly Tenmangu Shrine.

There, not just a single tree but numerous plum trees stand in full, magnificent bloom.

“Ohh! This is incredible…!!!”

The splendid plum blossoms captivated even visitors who came for potential benefits.

Primarily in red and white, the plum trees intermingle, creating a stunning mix of colors that awaken the senses. From a distance, the colors blend into a soft peach, adding to the richness of the scene.

It’s like a famous tourist spot. 

People from all over the world might come just to see these blossoms.

“Kuhahahaha! Magnificent, isn’t it, the scenery of my shrine! The plum, a sacred tree, graces Tenmangu with its presence! Partake in the subtle joy of rice cakes made with plum branches under the delicate plum blossoms! In this harmonious union of blossoms and dumplings, find the true essence of the plum's elegance!”

Michizane is visibly proud, but what efforts must have gone into achieving this?

What am I talking about, you ask?

Let’s consider how these plum trees took root and blossomed in this otherworld.

Let’s take a trip back to last winter, though it’s now spring...

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"Rolling gently all day," is part of a poem from the Hyakunin Isshu, or 100 poems by 100 poets.
the full poem is something like

"A spring serene sea
with the rippling waves murmuring
to and fro leisurely dawn to dusk"

im guessing its because 海 (sea/umi) and 梅(plum/ume) sound similar, and the first line of that poem starts with "haru no umi (lit: sea in spring) and the title of this chapter being "haru to ume"