103話 栗!
「はい? なんでしょうか?」
の方を振り向きながら、栗を想って緩んでいた顔を引き締める。
――なんの用かな? もしかして、ちょっと多めに栗をちょろまかせないかとか、考えているのがバレたとか?
「小妹、お前さんは病気に詳しかったよね?」
楊がそんなことを言ってきた。
「あ、はい、まあ」
雨妹は自分の食い意地のことではなかったことにホッとしつつ、振られた話をちゃんと聞くべく、背筋をシャンと伸ばす。
「どなたかが病気なんですか?」
そう言って楊が重いため息を吐く。
――よほど親しい相手なのかな?
口ぶりからして、近しい間柄故の気さくさが窺えた。
いつも良くしてくれる楊であるので、雨妹は少しでも恩返しをしておきたい。
「私でお役に立てるなら、その方のお話を聞かせていただきますが」
雨妹がそう告げると、楊がホッとした顔になる。
ソイツは医者嫌いでもあってね、薬も飲みたがらないんだ」
「ああ、いますよねそういう人」
楊が言ったような傾向は、なまじ身体が頑丈で病気知らずな育ちをした人によく見られる。
医者や薬を得体の知れない敵のように捉えており、異常に怖がっているのを誤魔化そうとして、先制攻撃のように悪態をついてくるのだ。
「その点、小妹は医者でもなんでもないからね。
どうやらその人、医者嫌いが筋金入りらしい。
――それに、偉い人なのかな?
楊の口ぶりだと、直接押しかけて会えるような相手ではなくて、側仕えがいるような身分みたいである。
「どうだい、様子を見に行ってくれないかい? 礼はするよ」
「いいですよ、引き受けました」
「ありがたい! 案内は用意するよ」
雨妹がそう返事をすると、楊が安心した様子を見せた。
そんな話をしたところで、雨妹は栗拾い――もとい、掃除に向かう。
「豊作、豊作ぅ♪」
栗の木の下に落ちている落ち葉を掃きながら、背負った籠に落ちている栗の実を拾い入れる。
栗の実は落ちたものが熟した証拠で、それまでは頑張って枝にぶら下がっているのだが、たまに熟した瞬間に立ち会うと、栗の棘攻撃を受けてしまう。
これを宮女たちが嫌うのだが、雨妹は幸運の痛みくらいに思っている。
――どれどれ、大きくなっているかなぁ?
大体拾い終わったら、籠の中の栗を棘の中から出す作業が待っている。
栗の実を出すのは雨妹にはお手のもので、足先で棘に圧をかけつつ器用に開けて、中身を回収していると。
「雨妹よ、ここにいたか」
そう声をかけてきたのは太子の側仕えの宦官、
「......そうか、お前が良いのであれば、問題ないのだが」
雨妹が栗への愛を爆発させるのに、立彬が引き気味になる。
「ところで、なにか御用でしたか?」
もし雨妹の取り分の栗を分けてもらおうというのであれば、絶対にあげないぞと構えていると。
「楊から、お前を案内するように頼まれたのだが」
立彬が栗のことではなく、そんな話をしてきた。
なるほど、楊が用意した案内役というのがこの男であるようだ。
――ってことは、もしかして楊さんの昔馴染みって、近衛の人?
という男の双子の兄弟であるという設定の、二重生活の隠れ蓑であるのだが、それは置いておいて。
「ではもうしばしお待ちを、今栗を仕分けていますので!」
立彬にも棘を開く作業を手伝ってもらい、仕分けた結果として結構な数の栗を手に入れることができた。
ホクホク顔になった雨妹は、掃除道具と栗を仕舞ってから、立彬と連れ立って楊の知り合いの元へと向かった。
Chapter 103
"Yes? How may I help you?"
Yui Mei had a silly smile pasted on her face as she thought about the chestnuts, but she hastily pulled herself together as she turned around towards Aunty Yang.
'Eh, what might it be? Wait a moment, she won't tell me that I mustn't pocket too many chestnuts, will she? Did she read my mind?'
"Xiao Mei, you know a lot about illnesses, right?"
Yang suddenly said.
"Ah, well, I guess so."
Yui Mei felt relieved that it wasn't about her gluttony, and she straightened her back and listened carefully.
"May I know who is sick?"
Yang heaved a deep sight after saying those things.
'Is that person someone very close to her?'
Judging from her tone, they seemed to be intimate, amicable friends.
She had always treated her well, so Yui Mei always  wanted to do something for Yang, too.
"If it's within my power, then do tell me what it is all about."
Yang was relieved when Yui Mei declared those words.
"Ah, that'll be a huge help, then. That person hates doctors, you see, and he doesn't like drinking medicines."
"Ahh, yes, indeed, there are people like that."
The characteristic stated by Yang was commonly seen among people with robust bodies, and people who seldom fall ill.
They loved to criticize the doctors and treated medicines as a suspicious threat in order to mask their abnormal fear towards such things.
"Well, Xiao Mei isn't a doctor, so if you go there under the pretense of being my errand girl, he won't reject you, and you'll be able to talk with him easily enough.."
That person was a hard-core doctor hater, it seemed.
'And someone with a high status, perhaps?'
Based on Yang's words, that person doesn't seem to be someone they could meet on a whim, and he seemed to have an attendant, too.
"How about it, will you go check on him? I'll reward you."
"No need for that, I'll go."
"Really, thank goodness! I'll prepare a guide for you."
Yang looked relieved when Yui Mei gave her reply.
And so, Yui Mei started gathering chestnuts  -- doing her cleaning job.
"Great~ harvest, good~ harvest "
Yui Mei swept the leaves underneath the chestnut tree while picking up the nuts that had fallen on the ground and throwing them to the basket she carried on her back.
Falling on the ground was actually proof that the nut was ripe already, and there were some who were still trying their best to cling to the branches. It would be an unfortunate event if a person happened to be right underneath the tree the moment they became ripe, because they would then fall on that person, pricking them with their burrs.
This was exactly why the other court ladies hated this job, but Yui Mei believed in the saying of 'no pain, no gain'.
'Okay, let's see, did we get some big ones?'
She still had to sort the chestnuts after she finished picking them up.
Cracking chestnuts opened was Yui Mei's specialty, and she skillfully stepped on the the burrs, applying some force, then she collected the nut inside.
"Hey Yui Mei, so you're here."
Libin, the crown prince's confidante eunuch, called out to her.
"...Is that so, if you're okay with that, then it's fine, I guess."
Libin took a step back away from Yui Mei, who had become all fired as she expressed her love for the chestnuts.
"So, is there anything you need from me?"
Yui Mei was already ready to drive him away after inwardly vowing never to give him a piece should he ask her to divide her harvest with him.
"Yang requested me to be your guide."
Oh, so he didn't come here to talk about the chestnuts.
Yui Mei realized that this guy was the 'guide' that Yang had referred to.
'Then, that means Yang's old friend must be one of the Imperial Guards?'
Actually, she already had a hunch that this guy was leading a double life under the pretense of being the twin brother of Li Yong, who was one of the Imperial Guards, but that must be set aside for now.
"Alright, please wait for a moment, I'm still in the middle of sorting these chestnuts out!"
Libin also helped Yui Mei open the chestnuts, and she ended up with a considerable amount of chestnuts for herself after they sorted everything.
Yui Mei grinned broadly as she put away her cleaning tools and the chestnuts, then she followed Libin towards where Yang's friend was.
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ