Hira Genjyo leaned against the headboard, her gaze closely following her son, who was crawling everywhere.
Hiraizumi Etsu was now eight months old, in the 'evolutionary' stage from crawling to walking upright.
The little one, guided by instinct, explored the world full of novelties. The end of his gaze was the cave wall, and his independent activity range was the soft, wide bed beneath him.
The bedsheet was a very pure blue, without any patterns. Hira Genjyo initially spread bright, colorful sheets for Hiraizumi Etsu, thinking the little baby would like them, but later found her son was not very interested. One time, by chance, she switched to a solid-colored sheet, and it worked well, so she has kept it that way ever since.
The edge of the bed had a tightly constructed wooden guardrail to prevent Hiraizumi Etsu from accidentally rolling off while crawling. The corners of the guardrail had all been smoothed by Hira Genjyo, and the surface was covered with a solid-colored fabric cover to avoid injuring her young son.
All in all, this area was very safe, and Hiraizumi Etsu could crawl and explore freely.
Whenever Hiraizumi Etsu was active, Hira Genjyo would put down everything she was doing and focus entirely on her son, to prevent any accidents.
The little baby was innocent and didn't retain many impressions from exploring things; he basically forgot them in a blink of an eye.
For young Hiraizumi Etsu, the most familiar and deeply imprinted figure was the fellow being leaning against the headboard. Not only because of the resonance deep within their bloodline, but also because of their daily companionship. Whenever he was hungry, that fellow being would feed him delicious milk; whenever he was sleepy, that fellow being would sleep with him; whenever... Deep-rooted impressions gave rise to unparalleled closeness.
Hiraizumi Etsu had long understood his fellow being through his five senses, which allowed him to explore the outside world without distraction.
Now he could already speak, though only simple babbling, with indistinct syllables.
Hira Genjyo taught him to speak every day, repeating the names of various things, the most frequent of which was the word "Mama."
It was foreseeable that before Hiraizumi Etsu could utter "Mama," she would have already said "Mama" to her son countless times.
Of course, that wasn't important.
For Hira Genjyo, her son's future "Mama" was the key!
...
Life isn't just about the poetry of the present; it's also about the struggles of the distant future.
Hira Genjyo faked her death during the Third Great Ninja War, left Konoha, and eventually made her way to the Land of Iron, where she dug a cave and lived in seclusion.
First, she dedicated herself entirely to scientific research, and then she dedicated herself entirely to caring for her son.
For over two years, she had been living off her savings.
Her savings were about to run out, enough to last only one more year.
In fact, there was a large amount of wealth stored in her ancestral home in Konoha. Unfortunately, returning to the Village at this time carried too much risk. Therefore, to make a living, earning money had become a priority on her agenda.
Taking on missions was clearly not realistic; the mission process was quite dangerous, and she couldn't bring her child with her. Even leaving a Shadow Clone at home to care for the child wouldn't work. After all, if the baby was hungry, a Shadow Clone couldn't breastfeed. Hira Genjyo was also a staunch advocate of breastfeeding, refusing formula… In short, the condition of constantly watching over her child had already ruled out most ways of earning money.
However, Hira Genjyo had already made her calculations. Before deciding to conceive Hiraizumi Etsu, she had selected several good job options.
Now, she needed to choose the best one, adapting to the place, time, and people.
For this, Hira Genjyo carried her son and went to Jieyun City to inspect. The job not only had to suit her but also had to be liked by her son. After all, when she was at work, her son would be by her side… Jieyun City, a major town on the northern frontier of the Land of Iron.
It had a superior geographical location, a diverse population, and a developed economy.
Even with the severe cold climate, pedestrians were constantly coming and going.
In the past, Hira Genjyo would also bring her son when she went grocery shopping, but their activity was limited to the path to the market, unlike today when they wandered through the bustling city. The vast, novel world excited Hiraizumi Etsu, who waved his little hands wildly and babbled incessantly.
On the bustling streets, armored samurai patrolled back and forth, maintaining order.
Wrapped in a thick, warm fox fur coat, Hiraizumi Etsu nestled in his mother's arms, his face resting against her neck. Huddled together for warmth, his delicate skin would not get cold.
The little one's eyes sparkled, and he watched with great delight, unable to take his eyes off the sights.
A small stall by the roadside caught his attention. Balloons, wind-up toys, animal models… Hira Genjyo, of course, bought and bought, and before she had even decided which factory to work at, she had already amassed a basketful of small items for her son. Hiraizumi Etsu was so happy that he gave his mother two kisses.
One of the pre-selected jobs was a tailor, making women's clothing.
This was a skilled job, priced by quality and quantity, with more work leading to more pay.
Hira Genjyo was quite interested, so she first went to some clothing stores on the street to understand the latest market trends...
The street was bustling with people and noise.
Hira Genjyo walked out of a tailor shop, and what met her eyes was a street packed with people, making it impassable.
The crowding was somewhat unusual. Hira Genjyo couldn't help but frown, searching for the reason.
It turned out that a supermarket across the street had posted a notice, recruiting a store manager.
The benefits were quite generous, attracting many people.
The patrolling samurai came to disperse the crowd, but with little effect, and they couldn't forcibly drive them away. After all, everyone was just honestly looking for a job, just wanting to earn a living.
After consulting their superiors, the samurai remained on site to maintain order and prevent stampedes.
As for the dense crowd, there was no need to worry. As long as the store manager was selected, they would naturally disperse.
After a while, from people's conversations, Hira Genjyo generally understood the situation.
The supermarket across the street, named "Peace" Supermarket, had only recently opened, was in a good location, and had thriving business. Today, it was recruiting a store manager, with only one position available.
The store manager's monthly salary was 100,000 ryo, with an additional bonus of 10% of the net profit from revenue. Of course, if the net profit was negative, no bonus would be issued, but the store manager's compensation would not be deducted.
Work five days a week, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. Working hours were from 8 AM to 6 PM.
In short, the benefits were very good.
But strangely, the notice did not specify the exact recruitment conditions.
The supermarket employee who posted the notice assured the samurai that the boss was nearby, would only select someone based on "eye contact," and would definitely choose a store manager within half an hour, so as not to affect traffic for too long.
As soon as this was said, everyone was eager to try, and no one left. After all, "eye contact" was too mysterious! It was worth a shot, and who knew, maybe the boss would recognize a hidden talent in them!
Hira Genjyo was also somewhat tempted.
Being a supermarket manager would be incredibly convenient for bringing her son!
A time cost of merely half an hour was negligible and worth a try.
Hira Genjyo resolutely became one of the candidate store managers, staying put. A moment later, a clear, cold voice sounded beside her.
"Beautiful lady, are you interested in applying for this store manager position?"
Hira Genjyo turned her head in the direction of the voice, only to see a graceful young girl speaking.