You're early
Is it that season already?
I could not visit on the anniversary this year, so...
Oh, she must be so happy
to have you visit every year
Aunt Fusa was always alone,
so at the very least we should visit her
Let me snap it for you
Is around here okay?
Thank you
You are Urai Noe-dono
Forgive me, you are now a member of the Isomura family
You have probably forgotten
I am Tezuka
Tezuka Yaichiro
ah...
It seems like you've remembered
Back then
forgive me for my rudeness
I did not think I would meet you in a place like this
It's almost as if nothing has changed since then
Since then?
It's nothing,
I've bothered you long enough
Excuse me,
Where are you heading?
I was just on my way to visit my father's grave. Today is the anniversary
Oh, I see
well then
Have you found happiness in your life now?
...Yes
I see
I was worried, so I am glad to hear that
I'm back
Welcome back
Oh, sakura!
Yes
Is this okay?
Thank you Setsu
Sister
Did something good happen?
Why?
This morning when you came from the Isomura house
you looked somewhat sad
Nothing happened
The sakura really is pretty!
Yes
Mother
Huh?
Do you remember Tezuka-sama?
Tezuka-sama?
Tezuka Yaichiro
The man who talked to us before I married into the Isomura family
Ah, the story that Kana-sama from Saiki came and told us
Did something happen to Tezuka-sama?
I wonder if he was ever able to find a good partner
What brings this up suddenly?
Now that you mention it, just a while ago
when I met Kana-sama, we talked about this
It seems that Tezuka-sama still does not have a wife
I wonder why
eh?
Why is Tezuka-sama still single?
It must be because the family is a single mother raising a single child
He was also quite disheartened about you it seems
Cut that branch
It will be much neater that way
Thank you for your patronage. I hope to see you again
Thank you
Here you are
I'm sorry to have you prepare this for me all the time
It's become quite late hasn't it?
Please give our regards to Mrs. Isomura
Yes
Well then
Sister!
Were you together?
Yes, on my way back from school, I bumped into father
Father, it's been a long time
Let me see you off
Ok
Shinnosuke, you've become quite dependable since last time I saw you
Yes, because of Tezuka-sama's training
Tezuka-sama?
Yes, Tezuka Yaichiro-sama
He's teaching swordsmanship at the school's dojo right now
Oh, that's how it is
Where is Tezuka-sama employed now?
It should still be somewhere near Gougata
Oh
When he asked if he could marry Noe,
it was right around the time that I was transferred to Edo
and began working in my current position
I hear he practices an uncommon kyosui sword style
and is quite the swordsman
People also say he is an earnest man...
But it was because his dad died early
Ieaving only his mother to take care of the family
For a girl, there would be much to worry about in such a family
Then is there nothing to worry about in her family now?
Why did you reject Tezuka-sama's offer?
My previous husband, who passed away, had a friend
who was called an expert swordsman
His manner of speech was rough and rude
When I saw what reckless behavior he had when he drank
I thought I could never be a wife of someone who used a sword
Tezuka-sama is not that kind of person!
It seems like he knew of you from very early on
Before you married the late Tsuda-sama,
didn't you used to go all the way to Kougai city to study tea ceremony?
Yes
From a dojo you pass on the way there,
Tezuka-sama was always watching you it seems.
At our school's dojo,
I heard a colleague joking about it
Noe arranged these before she left
Noe
What if you came back to live with us?
Eh?
you mean like aunt Fusa?
Not like that
Shinnosuke
You will also be getting married in two to three years
If I'm at home, I will hurt your chances at marriage
I don't care about that
The other party will care
Thanks, I'm fine from here
Make sure you study hard, okay
So long
Have you found happiness in your life now?
Don't you get it?
It's already past the deadline!
Forgive me!
If I could have three more days...
Tomorrow
Even if you have to sell your daughter, bring it tomorrow
Father, I've returned
Welcome back
Hello Genkichi
Welcome back
Hello
Mother, sorry for returning so late
You certainly took your time. Looks like you got carried away chatting
This is from my mom
She sends you her regards
Don't we already have enough of these?
Well, they always give the same thing
Taka
Yes
Please make some tea
Yes
How much longer are you going to make us wait for dinner?
I'm sorry
She said to have you make dinner once you got back
It's okay
More
Yes
Here
Oh
So Shouzaemon, what kind of return is there every month?
Normally, there it is about eight percent, but
I immediately discussed it with father and got an answer
You will never lose any money on it
so you can rest assured
I look forward to it
Wonderful
No no, not something like that
Because it's for you, Okazaki-sama, 10 more days, no...
Let's wait half a month
I am so grateful for this!
It's nothing
The master has returned
Welcome back
Father! Father!
Suwa-sama told me that, depending on the interest
he would be willing to deposit a large sum of money
Good work Shouzaemon!
Then, how much interest should we put on it?
What do you think, father?
What's with that look?
You still refuse me?
Do you care so much that
I was laughing about your former husband who passed away
It looks like you went back home today
Mother finally gave me permission to, so
Is it that important to visit the grave of your aunt?
It is matters of the Urai family...
Are you trying to say that your family is a higher class?
I'm not saying anything like that
Well, compared to a judge's 120-koku,
we money lenders have a mere 65-koku
But don't forget, we have more money than your dad
It seems Suwa-sama...
has taken a liking to me
If I can stay in his favor like this
good things will be coming my way
Just watch, my stipend will go up
I still have things to do...
I told you to quit it with that look! Or you can go back home!
Excuse me, you're already awake?
Good Morning. Can you check on that pot over there?
Yes
Taka!
Yes
Help me change
Yes
Have a nice day
Are you not tired?
Yesterday, didn't you walk
on the mountain path all the way to the temple?
Yes
The sakura was blossoming
Is that so?
It's going to be a fine season from now on
Yes it will
Here is your payment
Excuse me...
I thought you knew, but the prices here have gone up
As have the sales of kimono
From now on, the wage will be 45-mon
I'd appreciate it if you could could give your mother's greetings
to the lady of the house
I understand
Well then
From a dojo you pass on the way there,
Tezuka-sama was always watching you it seems.
I give up
Next!
Yes
Please
I give up
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm fine
Suwa-sama returns!
Great work today!
You must be tired
More appear every day
Huh?
Those slimy guys who flatter Suwa-sama in hope of getting some of his money
Hyouma, that was loud!
See? That
I don't mean to say bad things about your relative, but I don't understand
Why swarm around a man like that?
Suwa Heiemon is a big zit on our clan
No, he's rotting pus
Hiding behind his lineage,
making himself agricultural administrator of our territory
It's not like you haven't heard the rumors
I know
If you exploit all the wasteland marked here,
how large will it be?
Roughly 200 hectares
Probably in less than 10 years,
you can expect to make 5000-goku
But in our current financial situation,
we have no energy to spare on developing new land
It's nothing more than a pie in the sky
That's exactly why
I am presenting a plan that will make that pie real
Ok?
If we can contract out this land to wealthy farmers,
It's very possible
But then the wealthy farmers
will be able to obtain vast amounts of land
It's a double-edged sword, isn't it?
Then listen to me
From our standpoint as administrators,
what on earth are we going to do
to fix our miserable financial situation?
While we foolishly discuss this,
the stagnation gets worse
If we don't begin developing land immediately to raise up our country,
we will have doomed our country for 100 years!
For sure, the increased revenue from developing new land...
is a matter of great urgency
However,
To do that by exploiting the farmers...
and making them cultivate the land, as in Suwa-sama's plan,
would be frowned upon by many
I think so too
Since the bad harvest three years ago,
I heard many in the village have trouble getting food
To increase their burden on top of that...
is just reckless
If we look ahead 10 or 20 years,
doing this will probably benefit our country
But to do this,
we cannot sacrifice
the future of our farmers
Father
Why does nobody raise any objections to Suwa-sama?
It must be because of his lineage to the daimyo after all
You have yet to understand
Newly developed land will be exempt from tribute for three years
to encourage development of new land
During that time, old land, regardless of their productivity...
will have their tribute rate raised
With all due respect...
The village has not recovered from the damage caused by the bad harvest three years ago
If we squeeze the farmers any further
many more will abandon their land
Silence! The time to act is now. Farmers must work for their country!
-But... - Silence!
Silence!
Yes
Have you heard?
Hm?
Suwa-sama is planning to build a second house
using bribes from the wealthy farmers
Bribes?
Yeah, it looks likes his extravagant lifestyle even includes a mistress
To fix the country's economy, my ass!
Using that as a pretext, to give his large farmer friends the new land...
and line their own pockets
That was their goal from the beginning
The rich get richer, the poor get further driven into a corner
At the very least,
that's what that man is doing
But around the castle,
there isn't a single person who will speak up
This field's productivity is in the middle range
It's crops will yield about 3-koku
Grandpa! Grandpa!
Oh, good job!
Huu! Try it
Sayo!
Sayo! Come here!
In this one year,
You've taught me so much Genkichi
You have such a happy look on your face
Mother
Are you okay?
Continuing the damage caused by the cold weather three years ago,
the crops from last year and the year before
no longer yield even 40%% of the usual harvest
With the long rainy season, the crops this year...
still have no chance of recovering, it seems
On top of that, many farmers forced to cultivate the new fields,
will not even be able to satisfactorily weed their own fields
What's more, for almost no money...
Suwa-sama will buy up all the damaged fields that the farmers will have to part with
and make them his
Do you have any proof?
There is no one who doesn't know in this territory
If Suwa-sama's policy is carried through,
it will be a fatal mistake
I implore you, please tell our lord in Edo the real circumstances of the village...
Enough!
It is not time for that yet
The sun only shines so much
The rice won't grow! The grain just won't expand!
Not only will we have no rice to eat, but no seed rice for next year!
You must know!
So a family can eat, every member is sold off until they must abandon the field.
It's not just 10 or 20!
We know
No!
You people don't know what it's like at all!
...what it's like not to have anything to eat!
Please. Give this letter to Suwa-sama!
At this rate, if the annual tribute is not decreased even slightly
the number of ruined farmers will only grow!
Yes yes
Your complaints will definitely be given to him
Now go home already!
Please
We beg of you
You won't go home yet?
Isogai, I'm counting on you
Yes
Go!
Mother
Yes
Sayo
Are you okay?
It's already been two months since that
Yeah
Isogai was heading toward Edo carrying a letter from Yonekura-sama
His whereabouts are still unknown
There's also a rumor that it was the work of Suwa-sama's henchmen
Don't say things like that so carelessly!
Gosuke
What are you trying to do?
We are not trying to slack off
This is the rice we have desperately struggled to make...
not even leaving any to feed our child and elders!
Every day is just rain and more rain...
What more can we do?
Quit complaining!
Are you okay?
Pull yourself together
Confiscate Gosuke's field
Yes
What is it, Tezuka?
Are you crazy?
You are inside the castle!
It's Tezuka-sama...
The master returns
Welcome back
Did something happen?
The winds have changed
Eh?
Suwa-sama was killed
That fool Tezuka drew his sword inside the castle
Tezuka-sama?
Yeah, Tezuka Yaichiro
So, what happened to Tezuka-sama?
Do you know Tezuka?
No
I heard he walked to the grand inspector's residence in Sanaichou on his own
Tezuka-dono!
There's always someone fighting for justice in this world
Sometimes they pull off stuff like this, but...
what do they think they will accomplish?
Tezuka himself won't even make a cent off of it
It'll probably be... hara-kiri for him
As a result, I get to decide his punishment as well
Really, there is no way to fix an idiot like that!
What?
That look again!
You don't seem to be happy when I speak ill of Tezuka
Do you have something with that man?
You should be more temperate with your words
What?
You've been thinking that since...
you married into this family, haven't you?
I did you a favor by marrying a widow like you! Got that!
I told you stop looking at me like that!
What is going on?
This woman threw down our family crest
Always looking down on us...
She's hated us all this time!
Am I wrong?
Mother, since I married her, this woman...
Eyaahh! I told you, quit looking at me like that!
You won't stop?
Stop!
Stop this shameful behavior, Shouzaemon
I hope you understand what you've done
Beyond dirtying the Isomura family crest...
there is no place for you here
Genkichi
Thank you for all your help
Take care of yourself
Noe-sama too,
please take care of yourself
The snow is early this year, isn't it?
Yes, we better hurry
Mother!
Mother
What is it that makes you so angry?
You can see?
It's hard not to
Isomura came to the guardroom today
What did he want?
He came by to say that he had no intention of returning the engagement gift money
They say it's because Noe wanted the divorce
My my, they say Noe wanted it?
Yes
The man is completely hopeless
If we don't agree, they will report it to the inspector
Thinking back on how he flattered Suwa-dono,
it seems he's taken a liking to the inspector this time
In addition, he's been slandering Noe
Without thinking, I was about to grab my sword
Like what Tezuka-sama did...
Setsu
Can't you let it go?
We have no relationship with Isomura anymore
Happy New Year
Congratulations
That we can once again greet the new year safely...
I am grateful for this
Let us enjoy this new year we've been given in good health
How many years has it been since we've been able to...
gather like this and greet the new year?
Well, shall we eat?
Mother
Yes?
Are there any reasonable homes nearby?
Homes?
Thanks to the work I had to do in the Isomura house,
I've become quite good at sewing
If it's just for one person, I can manage
What are you saying?
Your father will never approve of that
But didn't Aunt Fusa leave home,
and live by herself?
Shinnosuke will soon be looking for a wife
I will only hurt his chances if I am here
Setsu is already 16 too
The next time you leave this house...
will be when you find a path to happiness
There's...
no longer any chance of that
It's not over!
-You're attack is too weak! -Yes
I surrender
Next
The sentence still hasn't been given yet?
Yeah, Tezuka-sama hasn't said anything in self-defense
It looks like he is quietly waiting to be tried
Pardon us
Father
What is it?
I've been talking to Hyouma, but...
isn't there anything we can do for Tezuka-sama
For example, we could ask our friends for help
to send a plea for mercy to the chief retainer
This isn't something you should be interfering with
But it's been four months since the incident
When I think of how long Tezuka-sama has been in the prison...
The administration is not intentionally dragging it's feet
That incident has moved the country
New land development is being re-evaluated...
as are annual tribute rates
It's returned to how it was originally
If Tezuka is given a strict sentence,
the farmers will not remain silent most likely
But, the issue is of bloodshed within the castle
A half-baked punishment would not uphold order
Moreover, there is the victim's lineage
At the administration meeting, we talked about waiting
until our lord returns next month, to ask about a decision
Until then, there is nothing to do but wait
how makeshift...
Shinnosuke, watch your words
Isn't that how it is?
The administrators are just afraid of being criticized if they give out a sentence
Isn't it just the same as when people sat on their hands...
while Suwa-sama ruled like a tyrant
Why did Tezuka-sama draw his sword...
for the farmers with no concern for himself?
Shinnosuke
One more month
Tezuka-sama's mother also...
must be very tired and with a heavy heart
Are you happy with your life now?
Mother
Hm?
Was there a reason why Aunt Fusa...
never got married even once?
There is a story to that
Eh?
He was an great person
Even though they had even decided on the wedding date
He suddenly got sick and passed away
After that, her health worsened
It's because she was always weak to begin with
Mother
Aunt Fusa...
might have found happiness in her life, right?
She must have...
always adored that person
Not like me, right?
No
You are just taking a small detour
Let me snap it for you
Is around here okay?
Excuse me...
Pardon me...
Oh, that sakura is beautiful
Yes
I think you might know not know, but...
I am from the Urai family, and my name is Noe
Urai-sama's Noe?
Yes
You are...
I see now
Noe
I often hear about you from Yaichiro
When you were married...
into the Isomura family, Yaichiro was very upset
But I always thought...
that one day you might...
visit the house like this
I've been waiting expectantly
Please come in
Shall I take that branch?
We mustn't let such flowers whither
Please come in
Yes
Since that happened
not a single person has come to visit
It's been so lonely
Noe, you would be...
the first to visit
Is it okay like this?
That's good