落とし穴３３掘：ウィードの日々 (Part2)
"Alright, alright, that’s enough of the heavy talk. Now, it’s my turn."
With a lighthearted ease, Grandma brushed aside the previous topic and shifted the conversation with a smile. She certainly hadn't lived this long for nothing.
"Ah, I suppose so. Checking on the town is just a side benefit."
"Fufu, you say that, but you’re always so diligent about coming by to check on things, Yuki-chan. Don't work yourself too hard and worry your wives."
"I know, I know. So, Grandma, how about it? Why not come along for 'that' while you're at it? It’s about time I got things ready."
"Oh my, that sounds lovely, but an old woman like me won't be much help, will I?"
"It’s not about helping. It’s about being the official taste-tester for the fresh batches. Usually, that role goes to Gakki, that old dwarf."
"Gakki, is it? So that’s who’s been hogging all the delicious treats! Very well, I accept the position!"
*Ah, Gakki is definitely going to complain to Grandma later.* Well, part of it was his own doing, so I’ll leave him to his own devices.
With that settled, I headed to the edge of town and pulled a collapsible structure out of my Item Box. Yes, this was "that."
"Alright, Grandma, just take a seat in that chair for now."
"Understood. I never really thought about it while the shop was open, but it’s so small when it’s folded up, isn't it?"
"Well, it is a street stall, after all."
That’s right—"that" was a street stall. It was a staple of the Weed festivals, though not the mobile, deployable kind like mine. In Weed, mobile stalls like this weren't permitted due to fire safety concerns. In fact, I was the only one allowed to have one. It was one of those "if you know, you know" kind of things.
"Alright, Ria, Jessica, time to set up."
"Understood!"
"……I wonder why it feels so natural to be running a street stall on our day off……"
"This is the perfect way to hear what everyone in town is thinking. Let’s get it deployed and start the prep work."
"Do your best, dear."
Encouraged by Grandma’s cheering, I decided to give it my all.
"Hi there! Your beloved Ratz has arrived! One ramen, firm noodles, please!"
"Coming right up."
Ratz was the first to arrive at the stall to place her order. Since it wasn't busy yet, I whipped it up in no time.
"Here you go."
"Thanks! It looks as delicious as ever. And it actually *is* delicious..."
Saying that, Ratz snapped her disposable chopsticks and began to dig into the ramen.
"Yahoo! Yuki-san, I’m here! Three ramens! Regular, and two orders of gyoza!"
"Riel, take a seat first, please."
"Hm? Grandma is the first customer? That’s rare. Usually, it’s Gakki-ojisan."
"That’s right, Kaya-chan. It’s because Gakki has been hogging all the delicious moments for himself."
"Hm, I see."
The three of them sat down, chatting with Grandma. Since the orders came in all at once, I had Ria and Jessica jump in to help. They’d done this so many times now that they moved on their own without needing instructions.
"Here are your three ramens."
"And two orders of gyoza."
They quickly finished the preparations and served Riel and the others.
"This, this right here—the taste of a street stall is just the best."
"I can certainly agree with that."
"……*Hafu hafu*…… eat quickly, then order a refill."
As the three of them started devouring their food, even more customers began to arrive.
"What is this? We were not the first? Oh, so the elder is the first companion?"
"Grandma, how are you feeling?"
"Oh my, it’s not Gakki. Grandma, you shouldn't push yourself, you know?"
"Kakkakka! Deryu-chan, I won't let Gakki have this delicious spot all to himself anymore. Rurua-chan, you should take care of yourself, too. Seraria-chan, I’m still going strong!"
"Indeed, that goes without saying."
"I’m taking good care of the child in my belly. Grandma, if you’re not feeling well, please let us know, okay?"
"You’re as energetic as ever. Oh, three ramens, firm noodles, please."
"Coming right up."
It seemed these three had plenty of opportunities to talk with Grandma; they sat down and began chatting with her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Honestly, I was surprised at first. I’d be spending my days relaxing in the park, and then all these important young ladies of Weed would show up and start looking around."
"It couldn't be helped. It was my first time being pregnant and going to the park to relax, after all."
"That’s true. It really helped having Grandma there to talk to."
"Yes, hearing about your experiences when you were pregnant, Grandma, and what it was like after the children were born—it was very educational."
*Ah, so that’s the connection.*
"We’ve arrived! One serving of delicious sake!"
"Ah, Milly-onee-sama, you said you’d cut back a little!"
"Now, now, Aslin-sama. Milly-sama has been working hard, so let’s be a little lenient."
"Kirue, you should try to relax a bit more. Shera is worried about you."
"Eris-san is right. You need to realize you have Yuki-san’s child in your belly and behave yourself."
"There are quite a lot of people here. What should we order, Firia?"
"First, it’s ramen! Seven ramens! Regular!"
"Understood."
Well, things were starting to get busy.
"Hey, Yuki-danna! How come I wasn't invited!?"
Gakki-ojisan arrived, leading a group of other residents.
"Oh, if it isn't Gakki. You’ve been keeping this to yourself for quite a while, haven't you?"
"Gah, Grandma!?"
"Today, you’re paying for everyone’s meal, Gakki."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean!?"
It was just an ordinary day like that. The townspeople were getting along fine, and my wives were relaxing at the stall, chatting with everyone. This is how I listen to the voices of the people living here, day by day.
Though, usually, the first ones to show up are my wives and Gakki-ojisan.