落とし穴７５堀：竹を流るる水と麺 (Part1)
Tsukutsuku Boshi!! Tsukutsuku Boshi!!
Slowly, slowly, slowly…!!
"Well, is summer almost over?"
"It is. The tsukutsuku boshi are singing, after all."
"Indeed. The seasons pass so quickly."
We said such things as we visited the mountain where the cicadas sang their hearts out.
Of course, it was a miniature garden within the dungeon, used for experiments.
However, the fact that the tsukutsuku boshi were singing here proved that the temperature control was successful and we hadn't mistaken the season.
I had worried if artificially recreating nature would work, but it seems nature is more resilient than I thought.
Well, they say nature is uncontrollable, so either way is fine, I suppose.
"It's nice not to have homework…"
"Ah, I agree with that."
"No, isn't it normal to finish homework before the summer vacation?"
That depends on the person.
Also, like Taizo-san, I'm the type to finish early, but just having the name "homework" attached to it makes it a burden and weighs on the heart.
"More importantly, let's get the bamboo quickly."
"Yes. We'll be late for dinner."
"I didn't realize flowing somen was so popular, though."
Taizo-san said that as he looked for suitable bamboo.
If our three families were to have flowing somen, one bamboo stalk wouldn't be enough.
I have no intention of challenging Guinness World Records, so I'm not aiming for an ultra-long single stalk.
So, we'll divide into groups from multiple bamboo stalks.
Or rather, it's just that I have a lot of wives.
Isn't a harem just a lot of trouble?
No, I'm happy to have my wives, but just preparing one meal requires an immense amount of effort, and it's making me a little depressed.
As I contemplated the impermanence of life, I overheard Taiki-kun and Taizo-san talking.
"Popular? Isn't flowing somen something that's been around for a long time?"
"Well, in my childhood, it was only done in Miyazaki. My parents saw it and served flowing somen at home."
"Oh. So, around when did it spread? Yuki-san, do you know?"
"Hmm? Ah, flowing somen, I believe it's said to have started in Showa 32, so around 1959. So, after the end of World War II."
"I see. But somen itself has been around for a long time, hasn't it?"
"Yes, since wheat is the main ingredient, even poor farming families ate it often. I ate it a lot too. By the way, do you know that somen, hiyamugi, and udon are determined by the thickness of the noodles?"
"Ah, I think I've heard something like that…"
"The history of the food itself is old. Well, let's cut the bamboo. We can talk while we work. That bamboo and that one over there…"
Following Taizo-san's instructions, Taiki-kun and I began cutting bamboo.
We also knew how to make flowing somen, but we didn't know the details.
Taizo-san's experience from living in the countryside and being poor was very helpful.
"There we go. I never thought I'd go to such lengths to prepare somen."
"Indeed. Normally, you just find it piling up as gifts, don't you?"
"I see. I've heard that it was often given as Ochuugen and Oseibo. But that was irrelevant to me as a poor person."
As Taizo-san said, it was originally a form of greeting gift for important people.
It only became widespread in ordinary households in modern society.
There are records of Ochuugen and Oseibo from the Edo period, but they were limited to wealthy families.
It wasn't really relevant to those who were struggling just to eat.
And the problem isn't there…
"As Taizo-san says, since it's a staple for Ochuugen and Oseibo, somen just keeps accumulating."
"Exactly. And then you end up eating somen for a week straight."
"Ah, I see. That must be tough."
That's right.
Somen, a summer staple. It sounds nice, but in reality, you're drowning in somen and spending your days dealing with it.
Well, it's popular with housewives who do chores every day because it's so easy to prepare, just boiling it. But eating it every day is tough.
"However, since coming here, I hadn't really thought of eating somen, and it's easy for the one preparing it, so I thought of making flowing somen."
"Somen is a summer food, after all."
"Indeed. Ease of preparation makes sense. I don't really have a "summer food," but it's good to be able to enjoy it together like this."
And so, we diligently prepared.
We split the bamboo in half, connected them, made receiving dishes, and so on.
The structure itself was simple, so it was quickly done. While my wives watched curiously, we set it up in the inn's courtyard.
"Onii-chan. What is this?"
"Water is flowing inside the bamboo."
Asurin and Feeria were very interested.
"What on earth is this?"
"Is it the idea of creating a simple aqueduct with bamboo?"
Rabiris and Shera seemed to be thinking about its purpose, but they probably couldn't imagine preparing something like this just to serve food.
It would be a complete waste.
"Um, Onii-san. Weren't you going to make dinner?"
"Ratz heard that too, didn't you? Huh?"
"Milly is saying the same thing, and what I'm seeing doesn't seem to be wrong."
Ratz, Milly, and Eris tilted their heads, wondering how this object related to dinner.
Naturally.
The other wives also tilted their heads at the sight of the bamboo setup.
Seeing is believing, so it's best to show them.
We had already asked Kirue and Sasari to prepare the somen, so we were just waiting for them to bring it.
In the meantime, we checked the water flow and the receiving dishes.
If we poured the leftover somen directly into the桶 (oke - bucket), it would flow onto the ground, so we placed aざる (zaru - sieve) in between, so the somen would get caught there, and the water would go into the桶. This way, those who wanted to eat calmly could pick at it here.
There was plenty of water flowing, creating a cooling effect like "uchimizu" (water sprinkling), slightly easing the heat of the summer day.
"We're here. Master."
"And besides, why are we doing this outside?"
Then, Kirue and Sasari arrived with the somen, properly chilled.
If left for too long, it would become mushy, so it was quite a delicate balance, but as expected of professional maids.
"Well, you'll understand when you see. Bring it over here."
"Yes. Understood."
"Okay."