Farm Village Arc ② – My name

Wait, that’s dange-…! Mom, that one was pretty close! Please worry a bit more about me!

Right now I’m being carried on my mom’s back.
And while having me on her back, she’s simultaneously  working the field.
Everytime she swings her hoe, it’s almost like her stick is about to hit me, how scary.
Hey mom, I don’t think you need to lift up your hoe that much, doesn’t that tire you out?

Every time the mother lifts her hoe, the baby’s eyes suddenly open and get nervous, that’s me.

Someway or another it’ll be four months since I’ve been born.
There are some things I understand, but there are still plenty of things I don’t.

First of all the things I’ve understood, it seems we’re living in a small farming village.

But it also seems like we don’t have good harvests here, everyone has become thin.

This village’s name is Garigari Village.¹

Who was it that picked this name!
Of course the name should reveal something about the character of our village, but that’s way too blatant!
Go and pick a name that has a bit of a better feeling!

The second thing I’ve come to understand is my own name.

My name is Ryou. My family calls me Ryou-chan.

At first I thought that it’s a fine name for a girl, with a cool feeling,  but after hearing my other siblings names I shuddered.
Starting with the eldest, let’s introduce my siblings.

The eldest Hajime² (13 years old).
The second boy, Jirou³ (12 years old).
The third boy, Saburou⁴ (10 years old).
The fourth boy, Maru⁵ (6 years old).
The fifth boy, Shuu⁶ (3 years old).

Everyone, have you noticed?

The the eldest have easy to understand and simple names, but the fourth name is Maru.
Going with the previous flow, the name should be Shiro⁷!
Is what I want to say, but Maru.
And the next is Shuu.
And I’m Ryou.

I was really taken aback when I noticed it. In other words, the naming sense of my parents spins the following story.

At the beginning it was Hajime, Jirou, Saburou.
Just like you would count.

However with the birth of the fourth the story changed to ‘let’s stop with having kids’ and they named him Maru.
As in full stop, the punctuation mark.

And with the birth of another one it became ‘this time, please no more kids!’ and Shuu had his name bestowed upon.
Nevertheless another child was born, that’s why I’m named Ryou.
As in Shuuryou⁸.

When I noticed this, I was shocked!
‘Cool! I like it!’ is what I first thought about my name…

I wish I had never noticed.
Damn it, sometimes I hate my own greatness.

Oh well, it’s no use thinking like this.

That’s my name.
The meaning of the it is one thing, but since it sounds pretty well let’s just forget about the meaning…
Yea…

Even so my parents keep me at their side, with the excuse to keep me from crying, and go at it every night.
H-hey! I’m right beside you, you know?!
My eldest brother is watching very excitedly at through the slit at the door as well!

It’s pointless to say you’ll stop in the names of your children, if you don’t actually stop!
Be a bit more mindful!

… Just what kind of name is the next child going to get…
Hm, if a brother a sister does come out, I’ll give them  a name.

With a bit of fame for having a irresponsible naming sense, my parents have an irresponsible lifestyle too.

First of all, I don’t think they fit the farmer type at all.
Their way of growing crops is quite sloppy

That’s why growing crops isn’t going well in Garigari village and my young self can’t do anything about it.
How frustrating.
Even though I understand the language, without trained muscles I still can’t properly pronounce anything.
When I tried to talk it only sounded like ‘ObuObu’.
I’m such a burden.
Even though my older three brothers are already helping out in the fields.

Seems like in this village children enter the workforce around their 10th birthday,
so my three oldest brothers are all helping out with fieldwork already.

To keep them from becoming a hindrance, all other kids that aren’t 10 yet play together outside.
But a baby like me, that can’t play with the others, is bound to her mothers back.

Uuuuuuuuun.
I need to start moving, as soon as possible…
Hurry!

Move, my body! Wake up!
Is what I shout in my heart, but it’s no use.
… As to why I’m in such a hurry… this family is just truly poor.

I do want to help my brothers and parents, but it’s ultimately for my own sake.

I don’t really want to think too much about it, but… “reducing the mouths to feed”…
basically getting rid of children that don’t pull their own weight (like me) by killing them or selling them…
I’m a bit worried about that.

It might just be my imagination, but sometimes my mother’s look towards me is scary.
Seriously.
And older than me, it’s all boys.
My parents don’t give of the ‘oh, first time we have a daughter’ vibe at all either.
It’s probably because… Well it’s most likely that kind of thing.
That’s why I have to appeal my usefulness, otherwise things might get ugly.
Let’s start with learning how to walk and talk before my first birthday.
So don’t be rash mother.
I’m a girl who shits gold!

^{1. This name translates to something along ‘Skin and Bones’ village, as in they’re severely underweight. I’ll be sticking to Garigari though, since there will be a few more name related jokes incoming. Garigari sounds a lot more welcoming than ‘skin and bones village’ too, this isn’t about necromancers after all!}

^{2. 「始め」、「初め」This means start or beginning}

^{3. 「二郎」written second and son}

^{4. 「三郎」}

^{5. 「。」}

^{6. 「終」 means end, final…}

^{7. 「四郎」}

^{8. 「終了」}

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