Guandong Yunmengtan

On January 1th, the winter vacation was over. Gu Weidong’s Chinese school was closed due to a lawsuit. He went to a carpenter’s workshop in Shinagawa to apply for a job. When he was young, he was a well-known carpenter with outstanding craftsmanship. Japanese society with a high employment rate of middle-aged and elderly people also has a competitive advantage, and they are entrusted with important tasks as soon as they start their jobs.This uncle is down-to-earth, industrious, dedicated and pragmatic, and works overtime every day happily. The salary given by the workshop is not low. The monthly salary is 8, and the bonus is calculated according to the commission. On average, at least 30+, the total income is at the upper-middle level .

But Gu Yi couldn't bear to let his father, who was nearly sixty years old, engage in high-intensity physical labor every day, and was anxious to find something to do. He couldn't do the job in the Cowherd's shop, and he only had a high school diploma, so he could only do odd jobs first.Meng wanted to fear that he would encounter the same experience at the Komachi Ramen Restaurant again, so he told him not to rush to apply for the job, but to get to know the owner's character and working environment before making a decision.

This morning, work was over, and seeing that Song Tang had put up a notice to suspend business, he went back to Lili's house to take a bath.Lily is going to go abroad for business the day after tomorrow, so she has been going to bed late and getting up early these days, Meng Xiang even made her breakfast, since she came here to live here, this kind of situation is common, the host and guest will have a little chat during the meal, talk about the weather and current affairs , Lily chatted about a new topic today.

"I went shopping in Ikebukuro the day before yesterday, and found that the drugstores and shopping malls over there were crowded with Chinese people, everyone was carrying full shopping bags, and almost all the goods on the shelves were sold out by them. Pretty amazing."

The consumption power of Chinese aunts and wealthy women has already shocked the world. Some of Meng Xiang's relatives are also engaged in overseas purchasing business, so he introduced some information to her, and Lily was very interested.

"I knew early on that the purchasing of Japanese goods in China is very popular nowadays, and my relatives in my hometown in Northeast China also suggested that I develop this business. I didn't want to do it before, but after some practical investigations in the past six months, I found out that this is indeed a good prospect. business, I want to put a small investment first to test the waters.”

She had nothing to do with Northeast China at all, but because of her stepmother's early relationship, she met a group of relatives there, and called it her "hometown" from then on, which sounds very friendly to Chinese people.

Meng Xiang said: "You can register an online store on China's Taobao, and then use WeChat to promote it, but to do purchasing on behalf of you, you must first find a dealer in the mainland to help you pick up and deliver the goods."

Lily said: "I went to Taobao to see, and there are also Japanese-owned purchasing stores, which are not doing very well. I can find reliable managers in China, but in China...you know my company's business is enough I am so busy that I really don’t have the energy to take care of other things, unless I find someone I trust to help, this project will be difficult to implement.”

She inadvertently let Meng want to see an opportunity, and hurriedly asked: "Are you serious about starting a purchasing agent business?"

"Of course, otherwise, why would I spend my time doing market research? If I can really make money and have a bright future, I still want to develop a large-scale trade after I get it done. It's just that I don't have time to take care of it in the early stage, so I have to find someone to manage it for me. Such a candidate It doesn’t happen overnight.”

Meng wanted to recommend boldly: "Can I recommend someone to you? He is very upright and honest, and he is down-to-earth and serious in doing things, but he is a little older."

"Who is it?"

"Tsubasa's father."

Lily smiled and said, "So it's Gu Sang. I've had contact with him. He is indeed a good, loyal and steady man. He also seems to be quite obedient. He's the material for doing things."

"If you are interested, you can ask him to meet and talk first."

"Okay, I will contact him when I return to China. It would be great if we can cooperate."

Speaking of which, the meal was almost finished, so Lili went back to her room and brought her wallet, took out 2 yuan and handed it to Meng Xiang.

"Ahju is sick, I've been too busy these days, please help me buy some fruit for me to visit her home after school."

Meng Xiang was surprised: "Is Ah Ju sick? No wonder Songtang is closed today. I thought she had something to go out."

He likes Ah Ju's personality, and has received a lot of care from her, and has cultivated a kind of friendship with his grandparents. When he was shocked to hear that she was ill, he couldn't help worrying.

"I heard that it's a bad cold. It was quite serious a few days ago, but it's getting better now. You don't have to worry too much."

Meng Xiang was still worried after hearing this, so he packed the kitchen, bought some fruit and rushed to Aju's house.The house Ah Ju lives in is the old house of her husband's family. It is said that Yao's family used to be a big family in this area.Her husband was a well-known young talent back then and was once elected as a member of Congress. He died young due to an accident more than 40 years ago, leaving Aju a lonely widow.As the father-in-law and mother-in-law passed away one after another, the family fell into complete decline. The huge house was like an abandoned ant nest, echoing with lonely wind and lonely sighs of ghosts all year round.Every time Meng wants to be a guest, he can feel the loneliness that the sea water can't fill. Living alone here seems to be isolated from the world. I don't know why Aju has persisted for nearly half a century.

After he rang the bell outside the gate, there was no response for a long time. He tried to push it, and the unlocked iron door slid deftly, leaving a wide gap for the guests.Meng Xiang thought Ah Ju didn't hear the doorbell, so he went straight in, stepped into the door and stood in the porch, and said loudly to the empty room, "Is there anyone at home?"

The sound wave spread to every corner of the house, and the parrot hanging in front of the window in the distance shouted enthusiastically to him: "いらっしゃいませ (Welcome)", but there was no sign of the owner.

Meng Xiang was skeptical, and took off his shoes and entered directly, regardless of etiquette. This old-style building has two floors. In recent years, Ah Ju has reduced the living area to the first floor. The second floor has been unoccupied for a long time. .Meng Xiang walked and shouted on the first floor, found Aju's bedroom, pushed open the paper door, and saw the old lady lying on the tatami, already unconscious.

He paled, and hurried up to help, Ah Ju was well dressed and was not injured, and the breath still lingered in his nostrils, probably because of an illness and fainted.He decisively took out his mobile phone to call the emergency center, and found a blanket from the closet to cover the patient. After doing all this, he found that there were many ten thousand yuan bills scattered at his feet. He thought that Ah Ju scattered them when he was in a coma, so he picked them up one by one. After finishing the code, she saw an unopened letter in her right hand, and took it out and stacked it with the money.Thinking that I will accompany the old man to the hospital later, and there is no one at home, I need to find a safe place to store the money, so I lifted a piece of tatami in the middle of the room and put the money and letter under the floor.

The ambulance came quickly, and after being sent to the hospital for examination, the result was only anemia, and it was enough to stay in the hospital for observation for a day.The nursing service in Japanese hospitals is very good, and there is no need for family members to accompany him. Meng Xiang rushed to school to attend class before Aju woke up, and returned to the hospital after class. After learning that Aju woke up in the morning, he was discharged from the hospital.He planned to visit the door to express condolences, but when he walked to the entrance of the alley, he ran into a nasty ghost——Xuichi Akutagawa, a policeman in this area.

He wanted to turn his head to pretend to be blind, but Akutagawa approached him in a straight line, his small eyes fixed on him like a shark preying on him.

"It's Meng Sang, right? We have received a report from a resident, and the case is related to you. Please come with me to assist in the investigation."

Meng Xiangxiang heard the prank on April Fool's Day, and stared at him blankly for a long time. Jie Chuan had a sinister smile on his face, and actually grabbed his arm and forcibly pulled him. Seeing this posture, he seemed to regard him as a criminal suspect. Meng Xiangxiang again Surprised and angry, he threw him away, and asked with a black face: "Can you tell me what happened first? You bother me so much all of a sudden."

Akutagawa's cold-eyed and playful expression became more intense, and he spread his hands and said, "I'm on official business. It's inconvenient to say something on the street. It's not good to be heard by neighbors passing by. This is also to protect your reputation. Please You cooperate."

The more he talked, the more mysterious he was, deliberately creating tension. Meng Xiang wondered if he was accidentally involved in some right and wrong, and followed him to Jiaofan anxiously, not wanting to see Aju in the sentry box.

"Ju Sang, you're here too, are you feeling better? I'm just going to visit your home."

Meng wanted to greet him cordially, but Ah Ju was uncharacteristically indifferent, turning sideways to avoid him, her slightly frowned brows revealing repressed disgust.Meng Xiang was even more suspicious, and only heard Akutagawa say: "Meng Sang, Mrs. Eight Wei just came to report the crime and said that her property was stolen today. You were the first person to enter her house when the crime happened, so the police want to know about it from you first. Take a look at the situation."

Meng Xiang stared dumbfounded, and asked in a low voice, "What are you missing?"

Akutagawa pretended to open the notebook and read: "75 yen in cash, and there is also a letter from the United States."

Before Meng Xiang could say anything, Ah Ju said eagerly: "I don't need to pursue the money, but that letter is very important to me, please return it to me."

Meng Xiang understood why Jie Chuan called him here. It was Ah Ju who reported the crime and accused him of being a theft suspect.In the morning, he hid the money and letter under the tatami, and before he had time to explain to her, it was inevitable for ordinary people to suddenly lose such a large amount of cash, and it was reasonable to call the police.But he and Ah Ju are good friends who have known each other for several years, so they should understand each other's character, and they should ask first when this kind of thing happens, how can they arbitrarily blame each other?

A person with a lot of emotion can't bear the misunderstanding and hurt of his friends. He seems to swallow a big ice egg, his heart is cold and blocked, his throat is trembling, and he swallows several saliva before holding back and saying: "Qian and Xin I didn't even take it, so I left it at your house, please go back with me to find it now."

Aju was stunned, and Akutagawa was also surprised. After all, he was a policeman, and the scene could still hold. He immediately accompanied the two parties to the scene and witnessed Meng Xiang take out cash and letters from under the tatami in the bedroom and return them to their original owners. .

In the evening of that day, Meng Xiang was preparing to go to Gu's house for dinner. Aju came to visit with a big brocade-wrapped package. Meng Xiang was in a mixed mood when he saw her in the video doorbell, even though Aju had already left when she was looking for money at Yao's house. Chased after him in a panic and apologized countless times, but still couldn't get rid of his sense of humiliation. Knowing that she was here to make a formal apology, I thought in my heart that I didn't want to face it, but this is not my home, so it is inconvenient to reject people. Outside the door, besides, Aju is an elderly person, and in line with the etiquette of respecting the elderly, he can't go too far, so he opened the door to welcome the guests.

Aju walked to the entrance, knelt down on the floor without taking off her shoes, and confessed loudly with her forehead on the ground: "I'm sorry, I did something too much to you today, it's all my fault, please forgive me!"

Based on Meng Xiang's understanding of the Japanese, when he opened the door, he expected that she would kneel down and apologize, but he still couldn't accept it in real face, so he hurriedly stepped forward to help her, and asked her to go to the living room to talk.As soon as Ahju was seated, he untied the package, opened the gold-painted lacquer box inside, and presented several layers of colorful sushi.

"This is the sushi I ordered in Mr. Oe's shop, please try it."

Meng Xiang took a look, those sushi are all high-end products made of tuna, sea urchin, sea cucumber, and abalone. Such a large portion is worth at least a dozen or 20, which is too expensive as an apology for this matter. He hurriedly said: "Ju Sang, why do you spend so much money, it just makes me feel bad."

Aju bent down and bowed: "Compared to the harm I have done to you, this gift is not worth mentioning at all, please accept it with a smile."

From the moment she entered the door, she spoke cumbersome and standard honorifics, and she looked as if she was meeting the monarch of an enemy country. Meng Xiang felt as if she was talking with a stranger, and felt even more disappointed, and sighed: "Ju Sang, since you are here." , I just said some things face to face. I am really angry today. Being wronged is only one aspect. The most important thing is that I did not expect the person who wronged me to be you. You also know that I have no relatives and no reason in Tokyo, so you can say it There are not many people who talk to you, and you are one of them, and also the one I like the most. For more than three years, I have taken a bath in Songtang almost every morning, because you are kind and kind, and you take good care of me. I really appreciate you Treat me like my grandma, every time I see you and chat with you, I feel very happy. I thought you had the same thoughts as me, but today I realized that it was all my wishful thinking. You never really trusted me. Whenever something goes wrong Be wary immediately, it may be because I am Chinese."

He is determined to break off diplomatic relations in the future and is ready to speak freely, not because he is narrow-minded, but because he resents the Japanese's prejudice against the Chinese. He clearly despises it and pretends to be friendly and good-neighborly. It is completely an insult to the other party.Equality and sincerity should be emphasized in human-to-human communication, and there is no need to learn the strategy of strategic cooperation between countries.

Ah Ju listened intently to his speech, her eyes soon filled with tears, and when his statement came to an end, she slid off the sofa and kowtowed for the second time, this time no matter how Meng Xiang tried to persuade her, she refused to get up.

"I'm sorry, I'm so old-fashioned. I actually did such a vicious thing. I've never made such a mistake in my life. Damn it."

Meng Xiang was afraid that the old man would make a mistake if he lost control of his emotions, so he helped him with his persuasion. Aju grabbed his wrist and begged: "Meng Jun, I didn't mean to frame you, I have always treated you like a grandson, really. I like you very much, and I have never looked down on Chinese people. As I told you before, when I was young, I learned to write brush calligraphy. The first copybook I read was Wang Xizhi's "Huang Ting Jing", and I also recited a lot of Tang poems. If you like Chinese culture so much, how can you look down on Chinese people.”

She was so excited that she couldn't stick her tongue out, and her tears flowed like bursting tap water. Meng Xiang was at a loss, so he had to coax her, and it took his boss a long time to persuade her to sit back on the sofa.Ah Ju still held onto him, wiped her tears and explained: "I was so impulsive today because of that letter, Meng Jun, maybe you can forgive me after listening to me explaining the reason."

This story has a long history, starting with her husband's death.Aju's husband, Shou Yao, died unjustly. In the 70s and 1971s, Japan's social security was not as good as it is now, and the underworld was especially rampant. In the spring of 60, gang fights broke out in the Shinjuku area of ​​Tokyo. The two opposing sides drove cars and chased on the road.Since he is the only child in the family, he was supposed to inherit the bathhouse that has been run for generations. Since he was a student, he was determined to enter politics to benefit the people. He promised his parents that he would return home to continue the business after retiring at the age of [-], and first let his wife Aju replace him as a helper for his parents.Aju loved her husband deeply, and decided to remain a widow after his death, and devoted herself to fulfilling his promise to his parents, staying at Yao's house to help run Songtang.

Sho Yao had just turned 30 years old when he passed away. Although he was a member of parliament, he insisted on keeping himself clean and doing his job well, leaving little legacy behind him.Aju was not yet a housekeeper at the time, and her parents-in-law were afraid that she would remarry, so they only gave her a small amount of pocket money every month, and her life was very tight.About half a year later, she suddenly received a remittance from the United States. The name of the remitter was Kazuma Nitta, who claimed to be a friend of Sho Eighto. He had done business with Sho Eighto in the first place. Later, because he wanted to make other investments, he couldn’t make it in time. pay them their dues.After learning of his unfortunate death, I plan to reinvest the money and send a bonus every six months as a living allowance for the widow.

Ah Ju had never heard her husband mention this friend, and at first suspected it was a liar, but half a year later, she really received remittances and letters, and since then they have been delivered on time every six months, rain or shine.Later, she tried to reply according to the address of the letter, and she also received a reply from the other party. She gradually let go of her fears, and developed a deep trust and affection for Mr. Nitta who selflessly supported her through correspondence. Every time she received a letter from him It is like a treasure.

However, more than 40 years passed in a blink of an eye, and Mr. Nitta never met her. Although he had received the photo, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would feel regretful.She also offered to visit the United States, but the other party could not find the right time to receive her. She guessed that Mr. Nitta might have some difficulties to meet, and it was not easy to force her. If I don't try to meet my benefactor again, I'm afraid I won't have the chance to thank him in person in this life.A month ago, she wrote sincerely to the other party, and then waited and waited. The postman finally delivered a reply this morning. At that time, she was just about to go to the bank to save money. She was so excited when she received the letter that she passed out before opening it. Fortunately, Meng wanted to visit for ambulance, which caused a misunderstanding.

A thought that has lasted for more than forty years should be like gold that has been smelted repeatedly, precious and heavy, and can make people breathless.Meng Xiang had a secret love experience before, so she can understand Ah Ju's mood very well.She should have long been in love with Mr. Nitta, who provided financial support and encouragement to her, but she was ashamed to speak out due to many factors, and she would not want to do anything else in her old age. Just seeing her once was enough to fulfill her wish.Therefore, when the other party's reply is lost, the position will be disturbed, the basic judgment will be lost, and others will be accidentally injured.

Meng Xiang has a good family education, and he is very tolerant. After learning Buddhism, his mind has become more peaceful. In ordinary things, he believes in being kind to others and making himself at ease, and letting others take a step. Aju sincerely apologized and explained the whole story, but he did not want to get in the way He immediately turned his anger into a smile, and became a Lin Xiangru who ignored the past, and was also concerned about the content of Mr. Nitta's reply, wondering whether Aju could fulfill his wish.

"He wrote back saying that his health is not very good recently, and he doesn't want to meet me with a sick appearance, and plans to send his son or grandson to Tokyo to visit me in the near future."

When the old lady said this, she had the shyness of a little girl on her face, and the regret was accompanied by joy, which made those who knew her happy for her.At this time, Lily came back, and when she saw the luxurious sushi on the coffee table, she stared in surprise.If the introduction was true, Ah Ju would definitely not be able to come down to the stage, Meng wanted to cover her embarrassment wittily.

"Tachibana Sang fainted from anemia this morning. I happened to see her when I went to her house and called an ambulance for her. In order to thank me, she also came to thank you for the fruit you sent this morning. She went to Sakura Sushi and ordered a luxury platter."

The reasonable explanation did not arouse any doubts. The two women greeted and thanked each other, and Aju also handed Lily the chopsticks, asking her to try something new together.

Lily said: "This portion is enough for ten people. How can the three of us eat it all? Why don't we invite a few good neighbors to come over for a dinner, and the big guys will have fun together."

Meng Xiang agreed: "Yeah, Lilysan is going on a business trip to Europe soon, and I happen to hold a farewell party for her. I'll go and see what ingredients are left in the refrigerator, and make some side dishes along the way."

Lily clapped her hands happily: "That's it, I'll call for some pizza and tempura, and then I'll call everyone over."

They split up, Meng wanted to contact Gu Yi and said that he would not be going to his house tonight, and asked him if he would like to come over to play together, Gu Yi said that he was still checking job information on the Internet, and he didn't want to go out tonight, so he made an appointment to have dinner together at noon tomorrow.

Half an hour later, more than a dozen grandpas and aunts headed by Konosuke Noguchi were invited to visit one after another. They each brought food and drinks and made up a banquet with large plates and bowls.Except for Meng Xiang, this group of people are all elderly people who live alone. They usually spend their days in solitude, but when they have a chance to gather and have fun, everyone is in high spirits, singing and dancing, just like a festival.

During the dinner, an old lady specially brought a shamisen and invited Aju to play. It seemed that Aju was recognized as a master of the game. Aju repeatedly said that she hadn't touched a musical instrument for many years, but in the end she couldn't stand the applause of the crowd. Welcome, sit with the piano in your arms, pick up the ginkgo leaf-shaped plectrum and flick it, the strings make the sound of gold and stone.

Meng Xiang has never watched Japanese shamisen playing and singing. I read folklore introductions before and knew that this kind of qin music is mostly improvised by the performers. Aju’s technique of playing the qin is very skillful, and the melody is smooth and smooth without stagnation. , as if the piano was originally a part of her body, and she could control it as she wished.The tunes played are not like the pearls and jades of the Xunyang Pipa. It sounds ups and downs, the atmosphere is desolate, and it has the atmosphere of the snow field in the north, full of the primitive sense of struggle of life.The same is true of Aju's singing voice, the old singing voice is like an old crane, hovering low over the snow-covered pond, and like an ancient ghost, hovering on the cliff, telling his past and present, and then singing with the sound of the piano. For the car ride, travel to the distance.

People held their breaths and were moved by this wonderful performance. Meng Xiang couldn't comprehend the subtle esoteric meaning of the lyrics because the lyrics were in profound ancient Japanese like other elders. The response was most striking.

With tears in his eyes, the old man tightly held the hem of his clothes with his hands, and his whole body trembled slightly, as if his soul had been greatly shocked.When the song ended and people cheered and clapped their hands, he quietly left the venue and went outside. Meng Xiang became more and more puzzled, so he couldn't help but follow him out, and found the old man smoking silently under the shadow of the trees in the yard.

"Noguchi-san, it's too cold here, if you want to smoke, you can go to the bathroom in my room to smoke."

Noguchi shook his head: "I just want to be quiet here."

Meng Xiang asked, "Will I pour you a glass of shochu?"

His thoughtfulness was rewarded with a knowing smile, Noguchi beckoned him to sit beside him, and said, "You can talk to me here, I'm really bored right now."

He exhaled a puff of thick cotton-like smoke, stared blankly at it disintegrating into a transparent veil, his expression became more bewildered, and asked abruptly, "Ah Ju's playing and singing just now was great, right?"

Meng Xiang actually didn't know the way, because Noguchi was Ah Ju's loyal suitor, so he had to nod his head in praise.

"Well, it's very good, almost professional level."

Noguchi showed a proud expression: "That's for sure. She was the top geisha in Kyoto back then. Her singing voice was more beautiful than the egrets on the Kamogawa River, and her appearance was as beautiful and dignified as a magnolia flower. No matter how many years have passed, I will never forget it."

Meng Xiang heard for the first time that Aju was a geisha when he was young, and he listened attentively, wanting to understand the legend in the middle, but Noguchi remained silent, sucking the end of his cigarette fiercely, as if he was killing a hateful enemy, and his mouth seemed to be opened The Tianmen continuously gushes out clouds of smoke, forming one mystery after another under the bright night.