"Why are you asking so many questions? This is an order."

"Okay, listen to you."

Watanabe's father ate his natto rice bowl silently. No matter what the three women said, he enjoyed it very much.

The only pity is that my son did not inherit this tradition.

The Watanabe family's technique of making natto will be lost from his generation.

"By the way," Watanabe's father remembered something, "Are you still going to do the postman's job?"

"Let's do it." Watanabe Toru drank up the soup and said to his mother, "Add another bowl." Rin Kiyono hesitated and asked for a bowl too, "Anyway, I have nothing to do in the morning."

"Yeah." Watanabe's father stopped talking.

After eating, the two beautiful girls took a shower in the bathroom upstairs.

It was built by Toru Watanabe, who was not used to having the whole family soak in the same bathtub, so he asked his parents to help him build it.

Although it is a little small, thanks to it, the bathing problem of the two eldest ladies is solved.

"You are very tired today. You should go to bed early and sleep in tomorrow. I will take you around the village."

"OK, good night."

Watanabe Toru went downstairs, wanting to chat with his parents for a while before going to sleep.

Afraid of disturbing the two people upstairs, he walked lightly. When he reached the living room, he heard his parents' conversation.

"His father, what do you think of Mei Ji's child?"

Watanabe Tetsu didn't go in and hid outside the living room.

"How about what?" Watanabe's father asked.

"That child seems to dislike us." Watanabe's mother said.

"Where are you looking down on me?"

"Can't you see? She didn't touch anything we used, forget about towels and chopsticks. I helped Xiao Che clean up the room today. When I came back, I saw that the quilts on the floor stove had been replaced with new ones."

"Do you care whether she dislikes him or not? She lives with Archer, as long as she doesn't dislike him."

"But we are Xiaoche's parents."

"Will Archer live with us in the countryside in the future?" Watanabe's father asked.

"Definitely not. How is this possible? Xiaoche cannot imitate Reiko."

Lingzi, an older young woman in the village.

After studying in college, I didn’t find a job, so I came back from Osaka to farm.

Later, when the school teacher retired, she took over as a substitute and got a formal job. She lived lazily every day and never got married.

You can't blame her for getting married.

There are no young men left in the village. If she wants to get married, the only option left is Toru Watanabe, who is more than ten years younger than her.

Watanabe's mother did not look down on Reiko, the two even had a very good relationship, she just didn't want Toru Watanabe to be like her.

Today, with a declining birthrate, Mizawa Village may have no young people living here since Toru Watanabe’s generation.

Since she has to leave, she hopes that Toru Watanabe can go to Tokyo and find a comfortable and high-paying job.

"Isn't that okay?" Watanabe's father's voice was calm and unhurried, "City people look down on country people, and it's not Meiki's child alone, but if she can accept Archer, doesn't it mean she likes him very much?

When two people are together, isn't it enough that they like each other?"

"But I see that kid, he's yelling at Xiao Che."

Watanabe's father did not deny it and said, "It would be nice if someone took care of Archer."

"But that's too much control, isn't it? Didn't you hear the tone of her voice? It was like giving orders to a servant."

"Arche is handsome and excellent in all aspects. If I don't be strong as his wife, I don't know what trouble she will cause in the future."

"How could my son do something like that!"

'I'm sorry, Mom.' Toru Watanabe, who was eavesdropping outside the living room, silently apologized in his heart.

He didn't want to do that kind of thing at first, he wanted to be a dedicated person, so he rejected Asuka Mai several times for this reason, but in the end, he still had no choice.

"He doesn't do anything, but women will do it. He can reject one or two, but can he guarantee to reject all women?" Tsuneo Watanabe said.

"That's true." Watanabe agreed reluctantly.

The living room was silent for a while.

Watanabe Toru was going to pretend he had just arrived and walked in.

"His father, what do you think of that kid, Xiao Lin?"

Mom's lowered voice made Toru Watanabe stop again.

"What a cute kid." Watanabe's father replied perfunctorily.

Watanabe's mother was very interested and said with a slightly excited tone:

"I think that child is very nice, polite, cute, quiet, and can chat well with Xiao Che."

"Um."

"And I think she can control Xiao Che too."

"You still blame Mei Ji for being mean to Archer, I think that's what you should do." Watanabe's father said.

"Do you feel bad about Xiao Rin?" Watanabe lowered his voice, "I would rather have her as my daughter-in-law."

After saying that, as if she had seen Rin Kiyoshi calling her mother, Watanabe Eda burst into laughter.

"Archer's own business, the future is his own." This is Watanabe's father's view on this matter.

"I'll find a chance to ask Xiaoche what he thinks of Xiaolin."

The conversation ends here.

Watanabe Eda asked about her husband's delivery during the day, and then talked about the Chinese New Year, planning to buy some more expensive ingredients and entertain Kujo Miki and Kiyono Rin.

After that, until Toru Watanabe got married, Watanabe Eda didn't ask him about Kiyono Rin.

Maybe what her husband said before made her not know what kind of answer she wanted to hear from Toru Watanabe.

December 26th was the first day Tetsu Watanabe visited Iwate Prefecture.

He got up early and started working as a postman.

He started this job after he entered junior high school in order to buy expensive tutoring books.

Before that, and after he quit, the postman in Mizawa Village had always been his father.

Now I just want to let my parents know that he is a hard-working child and there is no need to worry about him too much.

In addition, he is used to getting up early and looking for something to do.

Before dawn.

Honda Xiaolang walked through the field path, crossed the small bridge over the creek, and the mountain road was surrounded by towering trees on both sides. The cold wind blew on Watanabe Tetsu's face.

◇

After changing the pillow, Qingye Rin fell asleep very late and woke up very early in the morning.

After opening my eyes, I didn't hear the sound of Tokyo. I could hear the birds chirping outside the window, and I could hear Kujo Miki's steady breathing next to me.

She got up quietly, changed her clothes, and went downstairs.

Watanabe's mother is making breakfast in the kitchen.

"Xiao Rin?" Hearing the footsteps, Watanabe's mother raised her head, "You got up so early, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

"Good morning, auntie." After saying hello, Qingye Rin explained, "I changed my pillow and I can't get used to it."

"What should we do?" Watanabe's mother was very worried and stopped doing whatever she was doing.

"It doesn't matter, it only takes one night, and the next will be fine." This is the experience gained from the summer vacation camp of the Musical Instruments Department.

"That's good." Watanabe's mother nodded reassuringly and continued with the cooking.

Rin Kiyono walked over, rolled up his sleeves, and helped wash the vegetables.

After a while, she asked: "Where is Watanabe-san?"

For some reason, Watanabe's mother seemed happy that she asked.

"The boy went to deliver the letter."

"Deliver a message?"

"Well, he works as a postman, and all the reference books used by Xiaoche in junior high school were bought by him through the money he saved from doing this job."

Qingye Rin nodded.

"Aunt Zhi, what kind of child was Watanabe-san like when he was a child?"
To be continued...