Foreigner Of Time [Book II]

21

Driftmark

Once they entered the city, they could smell a faintly discernible fishy scent in the air.

Jennie told Lisa that they just needed to head west to the West-Fourth lane.

Psy's home was very close to the pier.

At the beginning, Lisa didn't know how to look for the pier, and she thought about asking someone for directions, but she quickly realized that there was a way to find it after all.

The further west they went, the more distinct the fishy scent in the air became.

Lisa couldn't quite get accustomed to this smell. Seeing her frown frequently, Gojo smiled and said, "There isn't a pier in the young master's old home, is there?"

"Mm, my old home is in the flatlands."

"No wonder. This one grew up by the pier; I have lived with this smell every day since I could remember. Although this one had only stayed by the pier for over a dozen years, I did get some skills out of it. This one can tell if a fish is fresh or not just by taking a distant whiff. The winter break has just ended, so we're in the fishing season right now. Every household in the city has their own boat. The big boats go out to sea and catch big fish, while the small boats stay near the coast and catch small fish. Even children know to bring a basin of salt to the sea so they can catch clams to eat. During low tides, they will pick up small fish and shrimp for their mother to make sauces at home. The customs here are greatly different from the customs in the flatlands and mountain areas."

Lisa could envision the descriptions that Gojo gave.

Her home on earth was in an inland area, and she had not experienced life at a seaside town before.

Lisa really enjoyed listening to Gojo's descriptions of different local customs along the journey.

Seeing that Lisa did not keep on any airs at all, Gojo was willing to talk more too.

"Does the young master know what's the best food in Driftmark right now?"

Lisa smiled and said, "I have no idea, this is my first time in this city."

"It's fish porridge. The fish in this season might not be as fat as the fish in autumn, but it has this freshness that the fish from all the other seasons don't have. It carries a kind of mild sweetness in that freshness too... That taste, added with just-harvested ginger... It's chopped into fine slices, then it's put in a pot with all sorts of minced fish meat. Once it has simmered for about an hour, they just serve up a big bowl of it, no seasoning needed. Oh, I can't go on anymore, it'll make my mouth water."

Lisa couldn't help but lick her lips as she listened to Gojo's vivid description, and it made her forget the smell in the air.

She secretly decided that she must find a chance to try it with Jennie someday.

Lisa asked Gojo, "Is there anything interesting happening soon over here?"

"There is! If this one remembers correctly... That's about a few days away. The sea worship ceremony in Driftmark is the most unique among all of the provinces. It's set on sixth day of the third month each year, and Driftmark is different from other places; the wind changes direction after that day, which makes it especially suitable for fishing boats to sail out to sea. The sea worship ceremony is an incredibly lively event! The young master should really go and have a look."

The first thing that flashed in Lisa's mind was child sacrifices...

When she thought about how she had almost been caught by villagers who wanted to drown her in a pig's cage and burn her to death, Lisa couldn't help but shudder.