The Shimizu family can be said to be one of the few pure-blood traditional Japanese families in Japan.
When this large family was prosperous, there were more than 300 direct descendants in the clan. But now, since the Qingmizu family accepted Takahashi Yinji's marriage, the number of direct descendants in the clan has gradually decreased.
Today, when Boss Huang and I visited, there were less than twenty people left.
We were entertained by Qingshui Ou and the current patriarch Qingshui Yinji. As for the mysterious Qingshui Gen, neither Boss Huang nor I could see it.
After the simple greetings, there was a series of Japanese hospitality.
Tea ceremony, cooking, singing and dancing, wine tasting and bathing.
If in the past, when I was healthy, I would have enjoyed soaking in the hot springs and watching the snow scenery.
But now, the old man with a certain cyberpunk style in the mirror really lost his interest. But the monkeys who had been guarding the mountain all night rushed down the mountain with great interest after I left the hot spring and had a good soak.
It's really interesting to talk about these Japanese monkeys.
These guys are probably the only ones in the world who know how to enjoy themselves best, right?
I put on a clean and comfortable traditional Japanese bathrobe, sat barefoot in the room, drank tea and looked at the monkeys in the hot spring outside.
There are about twenty of them. If they rush into the hot spring all at once, they can barely occupy a small half of the hot spring pool. But even so, in the hierarchical group of monkeys, being the monkey king and his beloved concubines enjoys
When bathing in hot springs, the other low-status monkeys could only squat by the hot spring pool and shiver.
In fact, most of these monkeys are the children of the Monkey King or the previous Monkey King. Just because they are underage or male monkeys with no status at all, they can only squat by the hot spring pool and let the heavy snow fall on them.
When I saw this scene, I couldn't help but sigh, this kind of class nature is really deadly. To treat someone like a monkey in my own family like this really shows that there is no monkey spirit at all.
After sighing, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
When I put down the teacup, there was a knock on the door.
I got up to open the door and then stood there blankly.
is her.
Takahashi Ginko stood outside the door with an indifferent expression, and behind her was a maid who stood with her hands down and was very careful about breathing.
In fact, this is not the first time I met Takahashi Ginko today.
When I first arrived at Shimizu's house, as soon as I entered the gate of this ancient clan, I saw Ginko Takahashi standing in the snow in a white kimono and holding a small umbrella. At that time, she had shoulder-length short hair and a pretty face without any makeup.
Her lips, still as white as curdled milk and as red as blood stains, echoed her dark and bright eyes, giving people a strange sense of beauty.
But I subconsciously took a step back, and my body couldn't stop shaking.
Fortunately, Boss Huang held my shoulders in time and gave me some courage to face this monster that once pulled me into the bottomless abyss.
However, Takahashi Ginko just glanced at me lightly, with neither guilt nor smile in his eyes. It was just such a glance as Furui Muha, and then he turned his head and continued to enjoy the snow.
When I saw this scene, I was furious. I cursed in my heart, 'Damn, what the hell! Even if you don't intend to apologize, you don't have to pretend like you don't know me at all? It's a good thing I still trusted you so much in the beginning.
You! Bah!'
However, now that she was face to face with Takahashi Ginko again, her eyes were still calm, and there was even a slight smile on the corner of her mouth.
"Mr. Xian, Master Yinsi invites you to come over for tea."
I slowly relaxed my grip on the pistol behind my back and looked back at the time. It was already 11:30 in the night. Would I still invite someone to drink tea now?
I smiled lightly and said, "Okay, wait a moment, let me change my clothes."
Takahashi Ginko smiled slightly, nodded gently and closed the door for me.
The moment the door closed, I let out a deep breath. It felt like my body had just been suppressed by something, and now I felt a little more relaxed.
When I was changing my clothes, I saw my strange body again.
The mechanical prosthesis could have been wrapped with bionic sebum, and even through some cell transplantation, I could completely return to the same state as a normal person. But I chose to keep my current appearance, probably hoping that this would always remind me not to
Trust no one.
After changing my clothes, I opened the door. Ginko Takahashi was still guarding the door, but there was another person behind her.
It's Boss Huang. This guy is obviously more handsome after tidying up.
I don't understand why this guy looks so much younger than me despite being over seventy years old.
After seeing me, Boss Huang smiled and asked, "Have you seen the monkey?"
I nodded.
"Hey, you said these monkeys are really interesting. They look just like humans. They just go to the hot springs. Why are they so class-oriented? If I want to see them, I have to give them a complete revolution!"
I squinted at Boss Huang with a puzzled look on his face and thought to himself, 'You must be sick, why are you saying this all of a sudden?'
Unexpectedly, this sentence seemed to hit the mind of the beautiful girl Takahashi Ginko, who was obviously weaker than me. She curled her eyes, smiled faintly, and then said, "Can you two go?"
I don’t have any objections. “Well, let’s ask the girl to lead the way.”
Takahashi Ginko nodded slightly and walked ahead.
Boss Huang and I followed behind their master and servant.
On the way, Boss Huang said to me secretly, "This Takahashi Ginko is not the one you know. Don't misunderstand me."
I was shocked when I heard this and looked at Lao Huang in confusion.
Boss Huang only said this and walked forward like a domineering warrior with splayed steps.
Stunned on the spot, I quickly followed up and asked, "What do you mean?
Are there still two Takahashi Ginko left?"
He grinned and touched his chin and said, "What two? Let's go drink tea first."
I don't understand this guy more and more.
There was silence all the way.
On the way, I was thinking about what happened yesterday.
The occurrence of three sinkholes of various sizes in Neo-Tokyo City has made international headlines. Rescue work has already begun, but judging from the situation, it is not optimistic.
Experts initially estimate that the number of casualties may reach 20,000. Even a conservative estimate would be that 10,000 people died in this disaster.
At the same time, due to the impact of the sinkhole, the construction of the last area of New Tokyo City, which was originally scheduled to start that afternoon, was postponed. At the same time, public opinion also criticized the interim government. After all, they were the ones who demanded the redevelopment of Tokyo City in this place against all opinions.
The interim government has really wronged the interim government on this point. Some geological experts have also come forward to say that there is no problem with the location of New Tokyo City, but the emergence of the sinkhole is indeed very unexpected. They will continue to pay attention and investigate the specific reasons for the formation of the sinkhole. Huang and I
The boss was helpless about the disaster in Neo-Tokyo City, so he had no choice but to stay away from the city and return home.
Not long after we stayed at a hotel near the airport, Qing Shuiyu came to visit Boss Huang and me with someone else.
And this time they were very sincere, except that Qing Shuiyu and two warriors in suits came over, and they were all dressed very low-key. Boss Huang couldn't refuse anymore and agreed.
I thought that Boss Huang agreed readily because he had other preparations, but I didn’t expect that that night we slipped out of the hotel and used the air passage to meet Zhang Fengyu, a veteran who had served in the National Security Department.
Before meeting Zhang Fengyu, I always thought that this man must be at least an old man, but I didn't expect that he was a handsome young man in his twenties.
Of course, youth is just an appearance. Even Zhang Fengyu himself admits that he is actually almost eighty years old. It was an accidental encounter that turned him into the immortal person he is now.
What surprises me even more is that the immortality that countless people dream of seems to have become extremely cheap for Zhang Fengyu, and is even mercilessly spurned by him. He has never felt that having such a body is a blessing. On the contrary, he has been thinking of ways to get rid of it.
This nightmare.
I don't quite understand it, but I respect his ideas.
After a brief acquaintance, Boss Huang directly took out the chips and a photo he had prepared.
The girl in the photo has her back to the camera. On the obviously cold black beach, she is actually walking on the beach barefoot and wearing only an aqua blue dress.
When he got the photo, Zhang Fengyu's hands couldn't stop shaking.
I naturally guessed that the girl in this photo should be the great writer You Gege, whose true face I have never seen. But I don’t know what kind of story there is between Zhang Fengyu and her, and why this man is so emotional.
So excited.
Boss Huang waited for Zhang Fengyu to calm down for a while and then said, "I won't beat around the bush. This is a clue my people found in a tavern in Iceland nineteen years later. According to the boss, the photo was left there by a guest."
, said to leave a mark until a person returns, I thought... this person may refer to you, so I brought the photo."
Zhang Fengyu stared blankly at the shiny man in front of him. His brows were furrowed and the hand holding the photo was still trembling.
I am now accustomed to the way Huang speaks, and I no longer bother to worry about all the unscientific issues related to time travel. After all, I have no way of understanding or defending against it.
But Zhang Fengyu obviously knew better than me. He looked at Lao Huang for a while, then nodded and put away the photo.
Seeing this scene, I knew the business was basically done.
"So, what do you want from me?" Zhang Fengyu asked.
Unexpectedly, what Lao Huang said next made me very surprised.
He smiled, raised his hand and put it on my shoulder and said, "I don't ask too much. I just ask you to ensure his safety in the eighteen years before going to Iceland to find someone."
I was stunned when I heard this, and looked at Old Huang next to me in surprise. Didn't you mean that you came here in exchange for bargaining chips with the Qingshui family? Why did you turn into protecting me?
But Lao Huang just smiled and ignored me at all.
Zhang Fengyu looked at me and said, "Okay, but you have to take off the thing on your face first. I can't protect a person who I don't even know who he is."
I was even more surprised when I heard this, and at the same time I frowned and looked at Lao Huang, "What do you mean, you lied to me again! Didn't you say that even if his mother came here and put this thing on, she wouldn't recognize him as her son?"
Lao Huang still ignored my resentment. He laughed, then took out something and handed it to me, "Okay, Xiaobai, go and wash it."
I snorted, took the facial cleanser-like thing and went to the bathroom.
After a while I came back and found that Zhang Fengyu was no longer there.
Lao Huang was smoking alone, looking lonely.
I frowned and asked, "What's going on? Where are the people?"
"Let's go." Old Huang said lightly.
"Leave? This...is this business in vain?" I asked in surprise.
But Lao Huang smiled and said, "Don't worry, he will keep his promise."
I didn’t quite believe it. “Hasn’t he not seen me yet?”
Lao Huang laughed and scolded, "Damn you, now I'm starting to doubt that you are really me? Why did I still act like a stupid boy twenty years ago?"
I became angry when I heard this, "I doubt you too! Tell me, have you been lying to me?"
After hearing this, Lao Huang stared at me for a while and then stood up and sighed, "Hey, don't worry, he actually noticed that we were the same person as soon as we entered the room and didn't move directly.
He has already given us enough trust, and now that the business has been concluded, it would be unreasonable for us to doubt others."
I was thoughtful, and then asked, "What about you? Why did you change your mind temporarily?"
Lao Huang asked, "Why did you change your mind?"
"Didn't you say that what you came to him for was a bargaining chip for us to sort out our grievances and draw a clear line between the Qingshui family? How come you asked him to protect me?"
Lao Huang smiled slightly, "As long as you and I don't die, isn't this enough of a bargaining chip?"
I was stunned for a moment, and then I understood.
Instead, he sighed again, "Sure enough, an uncle in his fifties has been working hard for nothing for so many years. He is so stupid."
I immediately retorted, "No matter how much you scold you, you're still scolding yourself. Does that make sense?"
He laughed, "Of course it's interesting! Haha!"
…
Speaking of drinking tea, I still prefer our own Chinese tea.
Whether it’s Longjing or Pu’er, after all, it’s a tea that’s cooked to suit your own taste, and you’ll feel welcome no matter how you drink it. But this Japanese tea ceremony doesn’t mean it’s not as good as the teas I’m familiar with, but it always gives me a sense of joy after I take it in my mouth.
I can't really say I like the harshness.
So after only one drink, I declined the follow-up.
Takahashi Ginko, who was sitting behind his father, kept his head lowered and remained silent.
Her father Kiyomizu Yinji is quite talkative.
This patriarch of the Shimizu family, who had clearly never been to China, actually talked about Chinese history and culture more broadly and deeply than I, a native Chinese.
I am actually a rough person. Even if I became a reporter and loved photography, I would still not be able to get into the limelight, let alone talk about the past and the present with others.
But the old man next to me is really awesome.
He and Qingshui Yinji got on very well with each other. The more they talked, the more interested they became, and they felt as if they had met each other so late.
I can't help but wonder, what happened to me in the next twenty years, and how could there be such a big change?
Seemingly sensing my boredom, Kiyomizu Yinji very considerately asked Takahashi Ginko to lead me to the yard to enjoy the snow, and specifically told me not to sleep for the time being, because when the snow stopped, the moon would rise to the west building.
There is a very rare classical dance performance.
To be honest, I personally am not attracted to these dances and traditional culture, but I am definitely not an enthusiast, so I have no interest in them.
But being alone with Takahashi Ginko, I have some expectations.
After leaving Qingshuiyinji's house, the corridor outside the house was obviously much cooler.
This place is not like the Northeast when I was in school. As long as there is a radiator, it will be very warm.
The Qingshui family's house has no heating supply except for the living quarters of a few owners and guests. In winter, it is as cold as an ice hole, which is extremely uncomfortable.
But the servants here seem to have long been accustomed to it and don't care whether it is a kind of torture.
Most of them are in good health, and they are used to living in unheated houses even in the winter when the temperature is minus ten degrees Celsius.
Takahashi Ginko and I walked side by side.
When we arrived at a yard with a relatively wide view, I looked at the vast white space outside the house and asked, "I haven't seen you in more than a year. Girl, you seem to have become a lot better?"
Unexpectedly, after hearing what I said, Takahashi Ginko asked me in confusion, "Have I met Mr. before?"
Her eyes were clear and there was no hypocrisy in her expression, but I had seen such clarity more than a year ago, so...
I didn't argue with her, I just nodded slightly, "I've seen it before, it was probably a night like this."
Takahashi Ginzi's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and she said with some distress, "Sir, he said he had seen it before, so he must have seen it before, but I don't remember very well, so I'm a little rude."
Seeing Ginko Takahashi look like this, and then comparing her look when I first met her, we are really two distinct people.
I can’t say that the Takahashi Ginko from more than a year ago was very beautiful. Probably because her life was not very comfortable and she was very rebellious, I failed to discover her beauty. But at that time, Takahashi Ginko was full of energy.
, she can really be called a energetic girl full of firepower.
But now, this person is so beautiful that it is beyond compare, so beautiful that it is astonishing, almost alluring, yet so beautiful that it is so strange.
I can no longer understand the Qingshui family and the man behind the Qingshui family.
How much have these "old gods" changed this family... to make everything here look beautiful, but also reveal unusual weirdness everywhere.
I took a deep breath and coughed violently as the biting cold wind invaded my lungs.
My body was already very weak, and now I have lost most of it. Such a simple deep breath almost made me cough up blood.
Upon seeing this, Takahashi Ginko quickly asked the servant to bring hot tea and a heater.
I waved my hands, trying to maintain my self-esteem as a man, but in the end I huddled in a windless corner holding the stove like a frail woman.
Takahashi Ginko seems to like snow very much.
After she saw that I stopped coughing, she walked out into the snow alone holding an umbrella.
The thin kimono hanging on her slender but still charming body made my heart beat with fear... I thought to myself, 'She is a Japanese girl after all, she is really not afraid of the cold.'
I just looked at her quietly, and she looked at the snow quietly.
This reminds me of Xu Zhimo’s classic sentence.
You are watching the scenery on the bridge, and the people watching the scenery are watching you upstairs.
At this moment, just as this sentence says.
She was admiring the snow in the snow, but the people watching the snow huddled in the pavilion to watch her.