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Draft 8 11（第1页）
ChapterEight
AGlimpse（Hitome） 一目
Kagami’splanforsavingtowardmakingjewellerystartedwithapplyingtothecafeteriatobeakithelper。Baherpreviouslife，Hitomiwasnotoriousforwastingtoomuchtimeoncooking。Onceduringherfirstyearatuy，insteadofwritingherEnglishpaperthatwasduethematnineam，Hitomispentherentireday，from8amto4pm，braisi。Hermotherwasfurious。
Hitomihadboughtaparticularlywell-trimmedporkhockatthebutcher’s，andshecharredtheskintoremoveanypossibleodourduringcooking。Afterrubbingtheporkskin，sheparboiledit，andremovedthestock，pitintoapotonthebackburner。Hitomipouredsweetcookingwineandsoysauceovertheporkhock，alongwithacoupleofsticksofamon，andproceededtowatchthepotafterturningdowntheheattoasimmer。
Whehepotwasattheriskofburningdry，Hitomipouredacupofhotstockba，andshedidthisfortherestoftheday，untilallofthepreviouslyremovedstockwasusedup。
Theresultwasbeautiful，butHitomihadtotypeherpaperfrom8pmto3amthem。Miraculously，shemanagedanA-。
[Thesedtimeithappened，whenHitomiwaswritingaphysicslabreportforhersedyearcourse，shegotanFontheassig。]
“Cookingismeditative”wasHitomi’sphilosophy。
“Watgthepotforsixhoursisautisticstubbornness”wasHitomi’smother’srespoothat。
Rinhadalwaysbeenmoreuanding。OneofRin’scousinswouldmakedesserttoeaseheray。Theroommatewouldebackfromoutside，anduponseeingthreepiescoolingontheter，alongwithamoussecakeinthefridgeandtwospongecakesintheoven，ask“midtermtomorrow?”
“Yeah，two。”wasthereply。
Kagamiappliedtohelpwithbaking，sineadinglargebatcheswouldtasaformofphysicalexercise。Shealsoaskedwhethershecouldmakethingsonthesidewithherownrecipe。Themanageragreedtothat，providedthatitwouldnotimpedetheusualflowofwork，andthatKagamiwouldupafterherself。
Kagamimadebreadandpastrieswithheroldrecipesthatsheremembered。
Shemadesavourydillloaves，amonappleloaves，andsweetsoftbiscuitswithfillingposedofpowderedtea，stardsugar。Butherfavouriteisaspecialsoftpeanutbuttercookiewithbrownsugar。
Hitomihadoasteditwhiletraveling，andtriedherbesttorecreateitonceshewasbackathome。Heatedoilwasmixedwithpeanutbutter，brownsugarandflour，andtheresultwasaverythinmixture。Warmwaterwasthenpouredintoitininstallments。Aswaterenteredmicroscopicparticlesofnutandflour，itwasabsorbedandcausedthenutandflourparticlestoexpand。
Ohesolidsofthemixturehadincreasedinvolume，whatwasonceaverythinliquidbecamethied，thenbecamesoftlumps。Thiswasdooavoidactivatinganyglutenintheflour。Thesoftmixturereadoveraverysoftrisendough，andinsteadofkneadingitinforauniformdistribution，thetwo-layereddoughgotcutinhalf，andthenonepiecelacedontopoftheother。
Thedoughthenressedflatwithaspatula，cutandstackedagain。Theprocesswouldberepeatedfivetimestoachievea32-layerproduct。Thedoughwasthenshapedintothickcookies，andbakedatalowtemperatureforaverylongtime。（approximately170degreesCelsius）
Afterbaking，theverycrustyandhardcookieswouldbecooledandstoredinatightwoodenboxht，wheretheywouldregainsomemoisture，strangely，andthesoftenedcookieswouldbereadyforptiontheday。
Thisrecipewaslaboriousandtimeing，butwasremarkablydelicious，andKagamifoundittobewell-receivedatKageyama。
Kagamiofferedherpastryrecipestothemanager，whobynowuoodtheirvalue，andKagamigotherfirstgoldaspayment。
Sinceregularworkonlypaidasilverpermonth，andKagamicouldonlyqualifyforonecopperperhourwithherlimitedavailabilityandlowhours，itseemedthatthemoreeffitwaytoincreasehersavingswouldbewritingdownrecipes。
（“Threebakingrecipesgavemetheequivalentoftenmonthsoffulltimekitwork，andwithmylowavailability，Iwouldhavetoworktwohundredhourstomatchamonthoffulltimepay。Wow。。。”）
Betweenwinthecafeteria，andtryingtorecreaterecipesforJapayleSpongecake（kasutera 長崎カステラ），esewaterchestnuttapiocacake，Japanesechestnutdessertroll（yamatzuto 山土産），picakeroll（oimatsu 老松），steamedcake（ukishima 浮島）andteapudding（awayukikan 淡雪羹），Kagamislowlyincreasedhersavingsbyiigatingwhichdessertsdidinthisworld，makingthemfromscratch，andfinalizingthemintorecipes。
Ayearlater，Kagamiwasreadytoheadintotown。Sheskippeddownthemountainpathbyherself，sinceaskingAkishitoapanyherwoulddivulgehersecret;thegiftsshouldbeasurprise。
Afterclimbingdownthemountain，Kagamistoodbyaroadandsawtheoutlineofatowhehorizon。
“Twentyminutewalk，max。”
OneofHitomi’spastimeswhenshewentonroadtripswithRinwastolocateanobjectexactlyonekilometreaway;RinalwaysallowedHitomitoindulgeinthisrepetitivelittlehobby，andwouldletherknowwhethertheodometeragreed。
Kagamiwalkedpastfarmlandandranches，notigthattherewerelargepiecesofequipmentlikelypoweredbymagiccrystals，andsmallerequipmentdrawnbyhorses。
“Typicalisekaimix。Justlikeinamanga。”
Itleasanttobeabletospeakoutloud，andnothavingtoworryaboutwhatotherswouldthink。
Soon，Kagamiwentintotown，andfoundajewelleryshop。
“Wele，howmayIbeofassistance?”
“Goodday，dearlady，Iwouldliketopurchasesomematerialtomakemyownjewellery。”
“My，alittlegirllikeyou?Youmustreallylikewhatyouwanttomake。”
“Yes，itwillbeaveryspecialgift。Iwillbuyuncutobsidianandsapphire，asbigasachestnut，andsomegoldandsilversettings，threads，andthins。”
“Ilookforwardtoseeingwhatyouwillbemaking。Itwilltakesometimetosourcetheuncutstones，especiallysinceyouhavespecificsizerequirements。Ifyoupayadepositoftwogolds，Iwillhelpyoufindthem。Doyouhavethenecessarytools?”
“Unfortunatelyno，soI’llhavetopaytoborrowyourworkshop。Inthemeantime，wheremayIobtainsomerocksofsimilarhardnessandshear，soIpracticecuttingthestonebeforehandlingrealones?”
“There’sanabandonedopenquarrytotheeastofKageyama，whereyoufindampleflint。Onceyoubeeprofitatfracturingflint，Ihelpyousourcelowgradesapphiretopractice。Thecolourandclaritymightbeextremelypoor，butthehardnessandwayofcuttingisofcourseidentical。”
