"Tanjiro, are you going to sell charcoal again?"
"Yes mom, it's very cold now, so charcoal sells well. And we made so much yesterday. Since it's still early, I have time to make another trip."
Hearing her son's sensible reply, Kamado Kie couldn't help but stroke Tanjiro's hair, speaking with both pride and concern.
"You're working so hard, Tanjiro. Remember to come back early—I'll make you mushroom miso soup."
"Okay!" Tanjiro replied energetically.
However, as Tanjiro hoisted the bamboo basket full of charcoal onto his back, his younger siblings gathered around.
Hanako and Shigeru were easy to handle and Tanjiro quickly coaxed them into playing elsewhere.
But Kamado Takeo, standing to the side, looked at his brother with disappointment.
"Brother, didn't you already sell charcoal today? Why are you going again?"
Tanjiro gently squeezed his younger brother's shoulder.
"Be good, Takeo. There's still time, so I'm making another trip. Help Mom and Nezuko take care of the little ones, okay? I'll bring back some delicious dango when I return."
Takeo blushed slightly and squirmed away from the pat.
"I-I get it. But, Brother, didn't that big brother leave us a lot of money? Why do you and Mom still work so hard?"
At this, Tanjiro's expression turned serious.
He crouched down to meet Takeo's eyes, "Takeo, we can't just accept others' kindness without thought. We can support ourselves with our own hands. Even though Shinichi-senpai left us money, we shouldn't take it for granted. If I ever see him again, I'll return it and thank him properly."
"Is that how it is? I understand, Brother." Takeo nodded solemnly.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro's sister, Kamado Nezuko, approached carrying their youngest brother, Rokuta, on her back and a bundle of dry grass in her arms.
Seeing Tanjiro with his basket, she asked worriedly, "Brother, are you going down the mountain again? Maybe you should rest. The weather doesn't look good today."
"It's fine, I'll be careful. Nezuko, please watch over the little ones. I'll go now so I can come back sooner." Tanjiro smiled and waved at his siblings before turning to head down the mountain.
Behind him, their voices carried faintly—wishes for him to be careful and return early—warming Tanjiro's heart.
As expected, charcoal was in high demand during the cold winter and Tanjiro was glad many customers trusted him.
But just as Nezuko had feared, heavy snow suddenly began to fall, blanketing the ground in white within moments.
Tanjiro glanced at the thin layer of charcoal left in his basket, then at the worsening storm.
Deciding it was best to head home before the snow grew heavier, he turned back.
However, it seemed that the heavens were truly unkind.
The originally mild snowstorm suddenly intensified as if someone had pressed a fast-forward button, turning into a blizzard of thick snowflakes in the blink of an eye.
The biting cold wind made it almost impossible to keep one's eyes open.
Nightfall came quickly, but Tanjiro was still on his way home.
'Yabai, why did the snowstorm suddenly get worse? At this rate, I won't make it home in time' Tanjiro thought with growing concern.
Just then, Tanjiro's nose twitched as he caught a familiar scent.
Speaking of Tanjiro's sense of smell, it could be considered legendary.
Not only was it sensitive enough to distinguish hundreds of different scents, but he could even detect a person's emotions just by their smell.
But that aside, a faint light suddenly appeared in the darkness as a figure holding a lantern approached Tanjiro.
"Tanjiro? Is that you, Tanjiro? It's so late, why aren't you home yet?"
"Ah, it's Grandpa Saburo!" Tanjiro immediately recognized the old man.
Saburo lived halfway up the mountain and made wooden umbrellas for a living.
Having lost all his family, he lived alone on the mountainside.
Saburo walked up to Tanjiro with his lantern, frowning as he looked at the boy and the bamboo basket on his back.
"You're too hardworking kid. With this heavy snowstorm, it won't be safe for you to go home tonight. Stay at my place."
"Ah, but grandpa, I—"
Before Tanjiro could refuse, Saburo grabbed his arm and pulled him toward his wooden house without another word.
'Huh? Why do I smell a stranger?'
Outside the house, Tanjiro detected an unfamiliar scent.
Setting down his bamboo basket, Tanjiro followed Saburo inside.
It wasn't the first time Tanjiro had stayed over at Saburo's place, so he didn't feel particularly awkward.
But today was different—there was indeed the scent of a stranger in Saburo's house.
When Tanjiro entered, he saw a figure sitting quietly inside.
The man had dark, shoulder-length hair and handsome face.
His calm blue eyes settled on Tanjiro the moment he stepped inside.
But what caught Tanjiro's attention most was the young man's attire—a deep red haori, beneath which was a very familiar black uniform and the hilt of a long sword peeking out from his waist.
This outfit unconsciously reminded Tanjiro of Shinichi.
"This young man is also staying the night," Saburo explained, noticing Tanjiro's gaze.
At that moment, the composed young man stood up and spoke in a calm tone.
"Hello, I'm Giyu Tomioka. Nice to meet you. Sorry for the intrusion."
Indeed, the one who had appeared here was none other than the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, who had taken shelter at Saburo's house due to the snowstorm while on a mission.
"Ah! Hello, hello! I'm Tanjiro, I live up the mountain!"
Hearing Giyu's greeting, Tanjiro quickly introduced himself.
Grandpa Saburo looked at the two young men, especially taking in Tomioka Giyu's attire, his eyes flashing with a hint of nostalgia and sorrow.
Then he turned around and went to prepare dinner for them.
****
The scene shifts back to the Kamado household.
Kamado Takeo pressed his face against the window, watching the snowstorm outside with worry.
"With such heavy snow, will big brother be able to make it home tonight?" he asked anxiously.
Nezuko gently tapped her younger brother's head and comforted him, "Don't worry. Big brother is smart. If the snowstorm gets too bad, he won't foolishly push through. Maybe he's staying at Grandpa Saburo's house right now."
"Oh..." Takeo responded listlessly.
Just then, their mother Kamado Kie called them for dinner from behind.
Takeo took one last look out the window before heading to eat, when suddenly he spotted a faint figure emerging through the snowstorm.
"Is that big brother coming back?!" Takeo instantly perked up, staring excitedly at the approaching figure.
Amid the swirling snow, a pair of crimson eyes abruptly appeared, locking onto the wooden house where the rumored sun-wheel earrings had reportedly surfaced.
Muzan Kibutsuji walked steadily through the blizzard, the cold wind billowing his white suit, yet nothing could halt his advance.
His gaze fixed on the light coming from the house as he murmured softly.
"Why won't you just disappear? Yoriichi Tsugikuni, you're already dead—dead forever!"
------------------------------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator