Chieko said she didn’t want to go to the Nakamori family cemetery after death, but had nowhere to go. For such a mother, Iwahashi Shinichi’s words sounded ridiculous and out of tune, like a foreigner’s rude remarks, but in fact they were more lenient.
her heart.
When Iwahashi Shinichi said this, Nakamori Akina also realized that she was being supported by him. Although the family behind her was complicated and troubles came one after another, Iwahashi Shinichi stood on her side and stood beside her.
Before, protect her from wind and rain and share the burden with her.
In the past, Akina Nakamori always felt embarrassed when she told Iwahashi Shinichi about her family affairs and listened to him comfort her or help with advice. It was dragging him down and causing him trouble. But now, when he naturally
When he took over her troubles, she seemed to feel at ease, relying on him and leaving everything to him.
It sounded like she was asking for something from Shinichi Iwahashi, and in fact that was probably the case.
But, so what?
Whether they are living together or getting married, there are still many things that are strange and unclear to the two of them. But at least at this moment, Shinichi Iwahashi, who naturally stands by Nakamori Akina, can put himself at ease.
Akina Nakamori put all the troubles on his shoulders, and the two of them had a little understanding of what it meant to be a family.
Moreover, they are willing to work hard towards the goal of becoming a family.
"I think it's great to meet you." Nakamori Akina stopped saying thank you, but she still couldn't help but say silly things. When she raised her eyelids, she saw Iwahashi Shinichi smiling at her words and puffing her cheeks slightly.
Iwahashi Shin smiled and said, "The carrot cake tonight was really good."
"What?" A question mark appeared on Nakamori Akina's head.
Iwahashi Shinichi took his time and teased her, "If I didn't know you, I wouldn't have the chance to eat such high-quality carrot cake."
"It's so boring." Nakamori Akina disliked him, "It's not like what you would say, Shinichi."
Iwahashi Shinichi was curious, "Then what will I say?"
"This is it."
When Nakamori Akina started thinking, she looked like she was trying to be evil. When she thought of something, she burst into laughter, and Iwahashi Shinichi felt a sense of foreboding.
"When you hear me say that, Shenyi, you will reply, 'I feel great that I can meet Akina, my dear, and I like you the most.'... Like this." She blinked and looked at the expression of embarrassment.
Iwahashi Shinichi deliberately asked: "Wouldn't you say that?"
...You just want me to call you "Akina baby", right?
Shinichi Iwahashi complained about her, "She's so narcissistic."
"Bang." I don't know how many times the idea fell through. Nakamori Akina was used to not hearing this "baby", so she didn't bother about it, but she still stuck out her tongue at him and said a little unconvinced.
: "You are the one who is narcissistic."
"If it was just 'getting to know me', I wouldn't make carrot cake for you," she said.
Iwahashi Shinichi smiled, "That's true." He became serious, "If it's only to the extent of 'knowing' me, then you won't feel that knowing me is good."
"Then you don't know that Akina can make radish cake that you are full of praise for." Akina Nakamori said childishly. At this moment, talking to Shinichi Iwahashi like this, these two people seemed funny.
of.
She leaned on Shinichi Iwahashi's shoulder... She didn't know how it felt to be entangled with such a troublesome woman. Thinking about this, Akina Nakamori felt a little want to laugh, but also had a bit of a sore nose.
"How about making carrot cake tomorrow?"
"Whatever you like to eat, do you have to eat it all at once? Like a child."
“You won’t get tired of it even if you eat it twice in a row.”
Iwahashi Shinichi was so eloquent that Nakamori Akina couldn't help but laugh. The two were bickering and laughing happily. Suddenly, Iwahashi Shinichi felt his trousers being pulled a few times. He lowered his head and saw Inuko Kenta running to their feet.
.
Today, I haven’t taken Kenta out to play yet.
When Akina Nakamori first brought her back, the dog was kept in the apartment most of the time, exploring on her own at home, so it was easy for the little puppy to dissipate its energy.
However, since Shinichi Iwahashi also joined the play, the two of them took turns taking the puppy out for a walk. In addition, Kenta was at his most lively and active age. Soon, the puppy was clamoring to go out and play all day long.
Although she always goes out with great energy, she is just waiting to be picked up like a spoiled brat.
"Let's go for a walk."
When Iwahashi Shinichi said a walk, the puppy swung its tail excitedly. He went to put a harness on the puppy, while Nakamori Akina went to change clothes and get a "dog walking and poop shoveling suit", and the two of them set off together.
…
When Kiyose's house was built, Akina was still a newborn baby. Her brothers and sisters, who were born before her, cheered for moving into their new home.
Not long after I moved into my new home, a new child was born. In the new year, my youngest daughter Mingsui was born. The big family was always noisy. As soon as the seasonal specialties from my parents’ family arrived, I packed them up quickly and gave them to my neighbors.
inside.
When such memories flashed through my mind, my nose seemed to smell the aroma of the wood of the new house again.
When Chieko came back to her senses, she realized that the aroma of the wood did not come from her memory, but from the house under construction and renovation that she had passed just now.
She got out of the car when she was still a short way from home, wanting to walk back slowly and take a walk alone.
In the prosperous era, even the rural town of Kiyose was blown by the winds of the times. Some people were prosperous for a while, while others lost all their money during the stock market crash. Some people renovated grand houses, and there were also sons and daughters of the shopping street who turned against each other for land.
The prosperous era may pass, just as the myth of the stock market was shattered overnight. But the scars and estrangements left in the hearts of family members and friends due to endless disputes over interests will not disappear, and the big family style of the past will also be gone.
return.
The life that Chieko once learned from her elders and that she took for granted has become a thing of the past. Just like the old house has been bulldozed and a new one has been built.
When Chieko was young, she didn't know what sentimentality was. She came to Tokyo from her hometown, worked hard to support herself, and at the same time took in the colorful Tokyo. She felt in her heart that the scenery of Tokyo could not be seen with just one pair of eyes.
We have gone through the era of material shortages, got married, and raised a large family of children. Thanks to the rapid economic growth, opportunities have increased, and we can make our children's lives as rich as possible by walking around on our own. We have also experienced the hardships of the oil crisis.
It's hard to pay the vegetable store with the money in the bag, but it won't cover the gas debt.
The children have grown up, their jobs have left home, Akina has become a big star, and an era of unprecedented prosperity has arrived.
After that, the big family of the past also disappeared in this unprecedented era.
Today, when she passes by the houses under construction and smells the aroma of the wood of the new house, Chieko's memories surge and add to her sadness.
After all, in an era of shortage of supplies, dancing in a nightclub can soothe the soul. When the burden of raising children is on your shoulders, when the child cries, there is no time to think about the pain of savoring life. Nowadays, living alone, leisurely and comfortable, there is no need
Running for a living, there is no need to work hard for children, and life is so stable that even the memories of the past feel unbearable.
In the past, the burden of life that weighed on her shoulders was Chieko's motivation in life.
Now, I am relieved of my burden. Instead, I feel confused and have nowhere to go.
"You have nowhere to go, you just have to choose where to go."
Chieko couldn't help but smile when she recalled what Iwahashi Shinichi said to herself. With this young man's meticulous way of observing people, he must have noticed her thoughts.
At this age, my health is not very good. I have spent half my life living as "Chieko Nakamori" and waiting to die as "Chieko Nakamori". At this time, I want to get divorced and have nowhere to go.
Life.
However, aware of her thoughts, Iwahashi Shinichi encouraged her to live her own life.
When he decided to spend the rest of his life with Nakamori Akina, Iwahashi Shinichi seemed to naturally take over the responsibility for Chieko even though he originally did not have such a responsibility.
But perhaps it should be said that this responsibility to her is actually a responsibility to Akina Nakamori. Simply because, in Akina Nakamori's heart, her mother Chieko is her only concern and responsibility for this big family.
Shinichi Iwahashi knew about this, Chieko knew about it, and Akio Nakamori also knew about it.
If he hadn't known this well, Nakamori Akio wouldn't have been able to shamelessly go home after being unable to repay the debt. It was just because he was certain that Nakamori Akina would not turn a blind eye to his mother. That's right.
Because she knew exactly what Akio Nakamori was planning, Chieko became even more determined.
This is not only for the happiness of her daughter Akina, but also for herself, in order not to live like a hostage. When she feels that she has nowhere to go in this ordinary and stable life, Akina will do it for her ordinary and stable life.
They also need to be controlled by others.
Chieko avoids talking to her daughter Akina, but shows her true feelings to Iwahashi Shinichi, precisely because Iwahashi Shinichi is not her child.
Not only that, Iwahashi Shinichi also told her, "Live your own life."
Although, even if she wanted to, she could even enter his family's cemetery. Such words sounded ridiculous and rude, but Chieko understood his intentions after the incident.
This not only means that Shinichi Iwahashi is showing her that he will be on her side. It also means that if she can even enter the Iwahashi family's cemetery, then she can go anywhere and do anything without caring about anything else.
I saw Akina holding the door handle to happiness with my own eyes. As a mother, I sincerely hope that she can step into that door.
If he and Akio Nakamori divorced, it would most likely be reported to the media. By then, no one would know about it. I don’t know what kind of speculation and discussion it would cause.
Later, Akina and Akiho got married. During the wedding ceremony, when the two families stood in front of the golden screen and took pictures, what should they do? Even the older children who had already started their own families didn’t know how they would view old age.
Divorced parents.
It is not that Chieko does not feel worried and does not want to bring trouble to her children. However, being at ease and continuing to live a quiet and stable life and keeping the Nakamori family intact does not mean that her children will stay away from trouble.
It seems that people always have a self-defeating ability. The more they try to maintain something, the more they end up falling into pieces. Akina Nakamori, who once wanted the intimacy and harmony of the big family, is also full of enthusiasm.
Family relationships are not as strong as imagined, but after separation, each person is not so fragile.
Chieko returned home, turned on the light in the entrance hall, and slowly changed her shoes. The two-story house that was once noisy and crowded no matter where it was, now looked empty no matter how you looked at it.
She remembered her emotion to Iwahashi Shinichi, "...it's so easy to be the head of a family."
In this case, after getting divorced, putting up a new house number in a new home, and becoming the head of your own family, what is there to be afraid of?
Chieko, who had once lost interest in worldly affairs due to this uneventful life, suddenly regained her energy. It seemed that as long as she was not "Chieko Nakamori", she could become anyone.
The days of scrimping on food and clothing, and the days of shouldering heavy responsibilities gave Chieko endless energy. The peaceful and stable life made her feel that one day at a time counted. At this moment, she wanted to start a new life. Suddenly, I am full of expectations for the future.
The "unknown" thing may bring fear to others. But at this moment, what brings Chieko is a long-lost novelty.
Chieko remembered that tonight, after running around, she happily entertained her daughter Akina. Her relaxed and soothing state was because she had entered a new life and entered a new stage in her relationship with Shinichi Iwahashi.
Previously, she was pleased with her daughter's condition, but now, she seemed to have more understanding.
A daughter, in order to pursue her own happiness, starts a new life with a man. A mother, in order to start a new life, has to cut off the relationship with a man until she becomes "herself".
There is a wonderful freedom lingering in Chieko's heart.
…
For Nakamori Akio, his goal is extremely clear. He must find ways to return to Kiyose's home.
Even though when he left in anger, he acted like he would never come back, it is not a shame to change his mind now.
It turned out that Kiyose's Nakamori house was built by his hard work, and the surname "Nakamori" was also hung on the door plate. If it were not for him, Akio Nakamori, then the "Nakamori house" would no longer exist.
Since he was young, he would leave home from time to time and then return home as if nothing had happened. Akio Nakamori only has rich experience in this matter.
Even though he had always been a quarrel, he knew that he was in the wrong and when he wanted to reconcile with his wife, he was able to bend the rules and say nice things. After running away from home for more than a year, he returned home and faced his wife's indifferent face. Face, Nakamori Akio felt neither ashamed nor angry, he just wanted to turn over this page and successfully resolve the difficulties at hand.
The debt of 15 million yen was enough to weigh down Akio Nakamori, who had always been timid and fearful of getting into trouble.
Although the creditor said something nice, he was threatening in his words. Akio Nakamori, who was born in the business world and indulged himself when he was young, could not detect the threat.
In the past, Nakamori Akio could still hold on. But now, Kenyin has made it clear that he will no longer have private financial dealings with him, and his daughter Akina knows what she means without asking.
Not only that, but her boyfriend, who is a producer, is also a difficult guy.
After Akio Nakamori ran away from home, the news that his daughter Akina was dating a young producer came to light. So far, Akio Nakamori has not met his daughter's boyfriend.
Only when I read the weekly magazine, I knew that he was a very promising producer and the president of a record company.
At the beginning of the year, in the first month of the year, when he met his youngest daughter Akiho, Nakamori Akio heard her say that on New Year's Eve, the producer followed Akina back to Kiyose, and Chieko welcomed him extremely.
According to Mingsui's description, he is a very impressive guy, "but he is also very difficult to mess with. He is not polite to others."
Nakamori Akio was still pouring beans to her father, and talked about the kind of fraternity that her friends went to. At the fraternity party, she saw Iwahashi, and heard Nakamori Akio sneer again and again. How can such a young and promising guy still do that?
What kind of person can be expected to live a simple life?
Although he has always preferred the younger daughter between his two daughters. But listening to Nakamori Akio complaining, Nakamori Akio still secretly laughed at the naivety of this younger daughter. He felt that she was making a fuss over her exaggeration that Shinichi Iwahashi was a romantic guy.
However, at a young age, he is already the head of a record company. With this status, even though Nakamori Akio has never met this person, he is already slightly afraid of him. Faced with such a powerful person, Nakamori Akio can't stand it.
Get started.
Although he was his daughter's boyfriend, Nakamori Akio first felt that this person was not easy to mess with. And this incident really confirmed his original guess.
This debt of 15 million yen was revealed to the paparazzi by creditors. A reporter from the weekly magazine even went to Akio Nakamori himself to ask him whether the matter was true.
At that time, although Akio Nakamori avoided the interview and said "no comment", he was somewhat secretly happy in his heart. He thought that when the reporter reported the matter, neither the firm nor Akina herself would
She can't just sit back and watch her reputation be damaged because of her father's debts, right? Then, the problem will be solved.
...But I didn’t expect that Yanyin would actually sit back and ignore it, without lending a hand to support.
Not only that, when he rejected Akio Nakamori's request for help, the manager who had always been responsible for dealing with Akio Nakamori also revealed to him that the weekly magazine was originally going to make a special report on the debt, but it was ignored by Iwahashi-san.
Pressed down.
"That Iwahashi-san had a tough attitude and demanded that the report be suppressed. He himself was very concerned about the media's excessive attention to Akina-chan's personal affairs. To be honest, if Iwahashi-san hadn't insisted, I probably wouldn't have been able to suppress it..."
Coming from the manager of such a big firm, Nakamori Akio felt that it was an exaggeration, but at the same time he felt that it was the truth. After all, the media had been reporting on the Nakamori family before, but this time, the news
was pressed down.
Regardless of whether Kenin's words were exaggerated to shirk responsibility, these exaggerated words were enough to make Akio Nakamori feel that this producer whom he had never met before was not easy to deal with.
He is a man born with the talent of being self-taught, and he can sense who can be provoked and who is best not to have unnecessary dealings with. Because of this, over the years, small things have continued, but he has never fallen behind.
It was a big mistake. So, after being rejected by Yanyin, he kept his promise. Knowing that Shinichi Iwahashi was paying attention to this matter, he didn't have the courage to go there.
Not only that, the news of the 15 million yen debt was suppressed by Shinichi Iwahashi. This incident made Akio Nakamori feel somewhat shocked, and for the first time he felt that he should restrain his hands and feet.
Akina's boyfriend has such energy, which means that even if he, a father, threatens her by telling the media something scandalous about her and bringing her reputation into disrepute, what he says will be immediately dismissed.
Being pressed down.
Even if Nakamori Akio knows the personality of his daughter, the more he is threatened, the less he will do it. But this is not as clear as the fact that if he wants to do something, it will be in vain. It makes him clearly understand that he
Don't say or act randomly.
For such a capable young man, if he really married Akina, Nakamori Akio felt that he would not have the chance to get any advantage from this person.
After much deliberation, the only way back to Kiyose was the clearest and best way to go.
As long as she moves back into the Nakamori house, whether the debt collector calls her or goes to her house, the water will get mixed up. Chieko will have to help solve the problem of the fifteen million yen whether she wants it or not.
Chieko opened her mouth, could Akina still sit back and do nothing?
After running away from home for more than a year, Chieko returned after a long absence, and Chieko was lukewarm towards him. However, in the past, when he had finished his wanderings outside, he returned home in a gray state. Chieko was also the same, with a bad face.
Akio Nakamori has a plan in mind and is ready to achieve his goal step by step.
Chieko never mentioned a word about the debt, which made Akio Nakamori feel puzzled. Could it be that the creditors didn't call Kiyose with debt collection calls?
If that's the case, Akina and Iwahashi Shinichi are probably still hiding it from her... If they want to consider Chieko, they should help pay off the debt! Don't you think it's hypocritical to hide it from her?
However, another possibility is that Chieko knew about it but didn't say anything.
Akio Nakamori feels that this possibility may not be impossible.
In that case, Chieko faced him with such a lukewarm attitude even though she knew that he owed fifteen million yen.
If that's the case...it means that Chieko is ready to accept this matter and face it with him again.
This kind of imagination gave Nakamori Akio the confidence to tell the whole story to Chieko.
On Chieko's side, Akio Nakamori was unexpectedly calm.
If she was young and both of them had hot tempers, and her husband got into such a big trouble, Chieko would definitely have a big quarrel with him. She came from a humble background, worked hard in Tokyo, and worked as a salesman on the streets.
Chieko has a rough personality. Even if she knows she can't beat her husband, she still dares to pounce on him.
When Chieko became furious, Akio Nakamori also felt guilty.
But as the head of the family, if his wife takes the limelight, something bad will happen. At this moment, Akio Nakamori became so angry that he would kick anything he caught and knock it over, making the chickens and dogs jump.
But whether it's a quarrel or a fight, decades have passed.
Now that things have come to this, facing Chieko, Nakamori Akio feels that since the matter has come to this, no matter what happens, we should share it together. Otherwise, what kind of couple and family are we talking about?
…
When he returned home for the first time, he didn't encounter any problems. Nakamori Akio made up his mind and moved back to Kiyose's home.
After breaking up with his mama-san in Machida City, Nakamori Akio moved out of the other party's house and lived alone. In the small apartment, there was nothing worthy of nostalgia.
Thinking that he was "serious" in going back this time, Akio Nakamori went to thank the landlord, quit the lease and move. There was nothing big, and there was no need for a moving company. Akio Nakamori packed lightly when he left home, and now that he has returned, there is still no movement.
It didn't disturb the neighbors.
He has not been seen in person for more than a year. It is estimated that everyone in Kiyose already knows about Akio Nakamori leaving home.
However, this doesn't matter.
The taxi stopped outside the house, and the driver unloaded the suitcase for him. Akio Nakamori pushed open the door and walked in. He opened the door, stood in the entrance hall, raised his voice and shouted: "I'm back!"
Chieko was as lukewarm as ever. She didn't have any special reaction when she saw him moving the things back.
However, when he came back for the first time, his wife's indifference gave Nakamori Akio the confidence to come back. But at this moment, faced with her indifference, Nakamori Akio suddenly felt unsure.
If Chieko is in a more intense mood, you can still tell what she is thinking. But when she is treated indifferently, it becomes impossible to guess what she is thinking. When she had a big fight with her wife, she felt that she was unreasonable. At this moment, the same
Not comfortable.
Nakamori Akio swaggered and sat down at the low table in the living room, "Make me a cup of tea. I moved back from Machida. I'm tired and thirsty."
Chieko calmly walked into the kitchen.
Putting the tea cup on the table, Akio Nakamori stretched out his legs, picked it up, and took a sip. Chieko looked at him and suddenly asked, "Just come back like this. Is there no problem with Machida's debt?"
Akio Nakamori showed a relaxed smile, "No one would think that I would run away without repaying my debt."
After all, there is a big star daughter here.
Outside, when I was anxious because of the debt problem, I didn’t know the bottom line yet. But when I got home, drinking tea made by my wife, I felt that everything was fine, and I had room to talk big.
Chieko heard the hidden meaning of her husband's words and felt it was harsh.
"Of course you can't default on your debt." Her tone was naturally cheerful.
Chieko said slowly, "Anyway, since there is a debt problem, the first thing to consider is to pay it back properly. Even when it was difficult, I never denied it."
"Yeah." Akio Nakamori nodded, wanting to discuss it with her, "Fifteen million yen is not a small amount."
So, it’s up to you to come forward and tell Akina...
"This house." Chieko looked around the living room, "It must be worth tens of millions of yen." She estimated in a calm tone, "Although the building on the ground was built for twenty-six years... and Akina-chan's
Same age."
This house was built the year Akina was born.
At that time, no one as a parent could have imagined that this child would one day become a big star. Even as parents, they were all happy for the birth of a new life.
Chieko mentioned the age of this house, which made Nakamori Akio feel that she was demonstrating to him.
But Chieko didn't care about his thoughts at all and continued to talk about her own, "The building is old, and it's not a very well-built house. If another family moves here, they may find this house an obstruction and have to tear it down and rebuild it."
"
"You..." Akio Nakamori felt that his wife's words were unkind and raised his eyebrows.
Chieko turned a blind eye to his reaction, "Even if the building is not very valuable, but it is just the land, the current price is quite high. In total, it will not be a problem to sell it for tens of millions of yen. Fifteen million yen
Debt is not a problem either.”
"When did I say that I wanted to sell the house?"
Chieko finally stopped talking, and Nakamori Akio seized the opportunity and said loudly as if he was afraid of being robbed by her.
"Otherwise?" Chieko asked him, "Fifteen million yen... it may become more at any time. What will be used to repay it?"
"...!!"
His wife looked at him with calm eyes and asked this question slowly. Even Nakamori Akio couldn't help but be speechless. Faced with such an expression, it seemed as if he would be condemned once he said the name "Akina".
But such thoughts lasted only for this moment.
Nakamori Akio came back to his senses and replied angrily, "Wouldn't it be better to discuss with Akina-chan and ask her for a favor? Could it be that she has to watch her parents helplessly because they can't pay the debt?
Isn’t it okay to lose the house you’ve lived in for decades?”
"Could it be that Akina-chan wants to pay off the debt for her father's misdeeds outside?"
Chieko was tit for tat.
Finally, Nakamori Akio felt his wife's intense emotions again, and the familiar feeling came back. He became more energetic, straightened up, and cursed: "What's wrong with a daughter paying off her father's debt? What kind of unfilial daughter would stand by and watch.
, asking her father to move out of the house he has lived in for decades?!"
Facing Akio Nakamori's anger, Chieko did not respond to the strong and responded with the same loud voice. She asked unhurriedly: "What kind of bad father would treat his daughter like this?"
Nakamori Akio felt that his momentum was menacing, so she gently caught him and threw him aside.
"Anyway, I'm going to call Akina." He said gruffly.
Chieko refused to give in, "Even if it's one hundred yuan, I can't take it from Akina-chan." She looked at her husband calmly, "Since it's her own debt, she must take responsibility."
"We are a family, does the family know?!"
"Is this what the family is like?" Chieko found her husband's words funny. She began to realize that the two of them could not talk to each other at all.
Her tone was firm and clear, "Sell this house and divide the property. The share Mingnan Sang gets will be enough to pay off the debt."
"Are you going to..." Akio Nakamori felt a little panicked for the first time.