The Wicked and the Damned: A Hundred Tales of Karma Vol.1 by Natsuhiko Kyogoku

Author:Natsuhiko Kyogoku [Kyogoku, Natsuhiko]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-06-26T05:00:00+00:00

MY NAME IS TOKUEMON. I'm a grain wholesaler in Nihonbashi─that's in the heart of Edo. No, let me rephrase that, I used to be a grain wholesaler. I don't run the place anymore. I'm retired now. A gentleman of leisure, you might say.

　The bean-washer? Yes, yes, I'm getting to that. The bean-washer is a ghost. The vengeful ghost of a boy murdered while washing adzuki beans. How do I know? Well, he's been seen in Edo, that's how. Where? Ah, that's right, you're from Edo too, aren't you, Master Mendicant? Well, in the paddy fields of Iriya for one. And over in Moto-iidacho at the mansion of some bigwig─I can't remember his name off the top of my head. It's true. If you don't believe me, ask around when you get back to Edo.

　What? How can I be sure it's a ghost and not some other creature? Well, I suppose in a few cases it might be some fool raccoon dog getting up to tricks and pretending to be the bean-washer. It's possible. But I'll tell you the reason I know about the bean-washer. You see, the boy who died washing beans, well, he used to work for me. Yes, yes, I'll explain, don't worry. What's that, Professor? Yes, in Nihonbashi. The name of my shop? It's called the Bichuya.

　Well, five years ago I retired and turned the Bichuya over to my head clerk. You see, my wife and I weren't blessed with any children─can't say if it was the seed or the field that was barren─and well, I was getting on in years─I was over fifty─and my poor wife had passed on to the next life leaving me all alone. Anyway, to make a long story short, I had no heir, so I adopted my head clerk and handed all my worldly affairs over to him.

　Up until that time I'd been a very busy man. The grain business is very demanding, you know. I used to travel all over the countryside purchasing grain, and on top of that I acted as a broker on behalf of other wholesalers, so I was hardly ever at the Bichuya. I didn't pay much attention to the day-to-day running of the shop. Heck, I barely had time to eat. Yes, of course, I had plenty of employees looking after things for me─a head clerk, a junior clerk, several sales agents, and various apprentices. But, well… this may sound odd, but I didn't trust any of them.

　Huh? Yes, I was your proverbial miser. Nothing was important to me except making money. I know now a man ought to be grateful if he has enough room to stand up during the day and lie down at night. But you see, I didn't understand that in those days. I just thought everyone was after my fortune.

　Yes, yes. All my employees knew I didn't have a successor and that I'd have to pick one of them to take over the Bichuya. And I intended to… eventually. But back then I was─yes, I've said so already, haven't I? I just focused on people's faults.

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