"Usually it's just on a post, but doing it on a moving cart should be more of a challenge," Koyo said.

"The more so considering the condition of the road," said Jiro, nodding.  His own back and lower parts testified to that.

"I'm up for it and that does sound interesting," Kasumi said.

"Tea is ready," Nakanobu called out.

"Thank you, Nakanobu-san," Kasumi said.

"Ah, tea!  Good, good," said Jiro, going to drink.

"Nothing beats a good cup of tea after being on the road," Kasumi said.

"Indeed," said Jiro, sitting down to enjoy the break.

Koyo pulled out a leaf-wrapped parcel containing a rice ball, intoned a brief prayer, and took a bite.

Jiro enjoyed his tea, then got up and stretched.  Sitting like that all day was a sore-making thing.

"This is very good tea," Kasumi said, sighing contently.

"I think the journey makes it even better," said Jiro, philosophically.  "Or perhaps the company."

Kasumi chuckled politely.

"No one told me that the Crab are so deep."

"It's a carefully-guarded secret," said Jiro.  "So well-hidden, many Hida are completely unaware of it."

Kasumi nodded.

"Indeed. SO many Crane are so sure they are, they reveal the truth at every opening of their mouths."

"Well, as to that, I cannot say," said Jiro.  "I have met only a small number of Cranes, after all.  Now, I myself am told that I reveal truth with my every word, quite often.  Of course, the usual phrase is something along the lines of 'Don't talk about that, you fool!' so perhaps it's not always a virtue."

Kasumi giggled.

"'The truth of the world can be found sitting at the riverside, The river never begins, the river never ends. All of life is like the river, lessons never begin and lessons never end,'" Koyo said.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 00:01, Fri 22 Jan 2021.

"...Too deep for a simple Hida," Jiro confessed.  "I don't doubt that it's wise and profound, but I'm not sure about the full meaning of what you said."

"It's a saying of Shinsei," Koyo said. "The world is bigger than we can ever perceive, but if we keep our eyes open there's always something to learn."

"Ah," said Jiro.  "Put like that, yes, it makes sense.  Too easy to think that the small part we see is all of it, but that's not the case at all."

"At this rate, Jiro will be writing the great book of Crab philosophy," Kasumi said.

"The abbot said that wisdom could come from what appeared to be the simplest sources," Koyo said. "About me, anyway."

"I would think it more likely that a Kaiu or Toritaka would do so," said Jiro.  "I might manage to learn it, but dispensing my own wisdom seems less likely."

"But I'm sure many could use some blunt wisdom," Kasumi said.