The Elegant Life of the Maodao Family

Then he walked over there.

When he approached the warehouse, the family's Shiba Inu immediately started barking threateningly. If he was injured in any way, I would be ashamed to see Hatano and Secretary Koizumi.In a panic, I handed the luggage to Yingnan and ran to him.

"Mr. Chengren!"

I took his hand to keep him away from the barking dogs, and he looked up at me with a puzzled look on his face.

"Why is it called that?"

"That's because this dog doesn't know you. This guy is a guard dog, so he barks whenever he sees a stranger. It's a bit different from your Russian Shepherd in function and personality."

"Would you take it for a walk?"

"When I lived here, I probably took it for a walk once."

I was greeted by dogs who had finally calmed down and started wagging their tails.It pounced on me with its dirty feet, and I stroked its short-haired, rough-touched head, and called out "Liwan" a few times.Since he seemed to want to pet it too, I asked him to pet Rikimaru's head a little while I was holding it.Facing the completely different touch from the Rachmaninov he raised, he seemed to find it very fresh.

Perhaps hearing Rikimaru's cry, her younger sister Rinko came out of the house wearing an apron and slippers on her feet.

"elder brother!"

Lunzi smiled at me with a slightly rounded and rosy face, and called me first.

"Welcome back."

Then she turned her eyes to him, and she seemed to realize that he was a different type just by looking at him. She was usually not afraid of strangers at all, but this time she looked at me with inexplicable uneasy eyes.

I let him and Lunzi get to know each other, and for now only introduce his name.While I can't say he's my lover, having said that, it feels weird to say he's my friend.Isn't it weird to boast and call the owner of the place of work a friend?

After entering the entrance, I opened the sliding door on the side and walked into the living room about ten stacks in size. He took off his shoes and followed me without saying a word.The power of the large TV is turned on, playing in the tatami living room dyed coffee color. There are low tables that will become a warming table in winter, boxes with refreshments and coffee cups that have not been finished, and no one is left. Throw it on the table in the form of packing up.When I saw this scene, I realized, "Ah, I'm back home."

"I'm going to make a pot of tea."

Because of his presence, Rinko spoke a little nervously in a different voice than usual.After I let him sit down, I walked to the kitchen with Lunzi.

"Hey, is it okay to call that person 'Mr. Chishima'? Why did it suddenly become like this?"

When it was just the two of us, Rinko unceremoniously poked me with his elbow and asked questions one after another.

"I met him by chance at the airport, but because of the rare opportunity, I invited him to a rare country place."

"Is our house a rare country place?"

"...No, I think it's a very ordinary house."

"That is to say, there is no thatched roof or gable roof, it's just an old house."

In the kitchen, it seemed that she was cooking and couldn't leave. Even if she wanted to come out to greet her mother, she couldn't show up. She was wearing a white Japanese cooking uniform as usual.Mom felt a little thinner.

"Finally back, you unfilial son."

Mom wiped her wet hands with a towel, asked Rinko to stare at the heat of the boiler, and then turned to face me.Although I have surpassed my mother in height since I was in middle school, but when we face each other again like this, I deeply appreciate how petite my mother is.At the same time, the word "unfilial son" she said casually just now seemed to have a particularly profound meaning, and it pierced my heart fiercely.Even if my mother just used this word as a metaphor, I still have too many guilty consciences.

"Is the guest in the living room?"

"Well, that, sorry for being so sudden."

"That doesn't matter... But, isn't that so-called Mr. Maojima the young master of the family who takes care of you?"

"It's right to be at home."

I corrected.The previous owner passed away a long time ago, about a year after I first started working, but my mother's memory seems to be still very vague.

"Why would such a big man come to our house?"

Lunzi also interjected from the sidelines.

"He's a very capricious person, and besides, he has a lot of free time. And he's a lot younger than me, um... he adores me."

"That's right."

Mom showed some understanding.

"So, I remember his parents passed away at the same time, right? Plus he was an only child, right? It must be very lonely."

"So, that person treats his brother like his own brother?"

"do not know."

I can neither confirm nor deny, only vaguely.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter."

Lunzi murmured while stirring the contents of the pot with a wooden ladle.

"But since you have to bring someone back... I would rather you bring your girlfriend back."

Hearing this sentence, my mother nodded with a sympathetic look, and I suddenly felt restless.I don't want to be asked long and stinky questions about marriage here again.

I made excuses that I couldn't leave him alone all the time, and hurriedly poured barley tea into a glass and left the kitchen.Although I know that he will drink hot black tea even in summer, but now I can only wrong him to drink this, because if I continue to stay in the kitchen, what awaits me seems to be an embarrassing situation that I cannot get out of.

When he returned to the living room, he straightened his back and sat upright on a summer cushion made of rush.I sat down next to him, and after making sure no one was around, I touched his buttocks lightly, asking him to relax his legs a bit.Although he was a little hesitant, he still changed his sitting position as I demonstrated.

"It's great that the ceremony is at NO.15. It will be full of relatives and friends when I wake up early that day. I have to listen to monks chanting scriptures, visit the tomb, and finally hold a noisy banquet. I don't know how to deal with that kind of occasion, so I deliberately go early Coming back...only this time I felt that I was really saved by doing this from the bottom of my heart."

"I know I'm causing you trouble."

"Hey, you're already here, there's nothing you can do about it."

I reached out to touch his slender chin, and gently stroked his left cheek with the pulp of my thumb.

"Sorry for hitting you."

He shook his head as if denying my apology.

When he showed such a foreign attitude, I regretted the violence against him even more.That was very childish, because I was embarrassing him in public.

"elder brother."

The outer sliding door opened, and Ying Nan walked in.

I quickly withdrew my hand from his face.

Yingnan didn't seem to notice anything, and sat down opposite me while smiling heartily.

"I sent my brother's luggage to the room in the newly built annex building last year, uh... how should I arrange Ms. Kashima's room?"

"It's fine to be in the same room as me, Chengito-san, is that okay?"

"It's ok."

"Ah, if that's the case, I just need to prepare another futon. Well, then I'll invite the two of you to use that room..."

"Well, thank you, Yingnan."

"You're welcome." Yingnan smiled shyly.

"I haven't seen my brother for a long time, so I seem a little nervous."

Yingnan and Lunzi got married three years ago, and I only saw Yingnan at the wedding and when I returned home the year before last.It is understandable for Yingnan to say so.

"Will you still go hiking on holidays? Is Rinko going with you?"

"This..."

Yingnan showed a more shy expression, and I vaguely guessed it when I saw this.The reason why Lunzi felt a little dull, seemed to be for this reason.

As I expected, Yingnan said that Rinko is now in her fourth month of pregnancy.I greeted the news that I was about to become an uncle with a strange mood, and at the same time felt a sense of peace of mind.Since it is impossible for me to have a child myself, the only people who can give my parents happiness and grandchildren are Lunzi and Yingnan.I have to thank them both.

The entrance door was pulled open with a bang.

"Hey—I'm back!"

Dad's vibrant voice came.

The sliding door was quickly opened, and Dad walked in carrying a big watermelon.

"Oh! Back? You bad son."

After Dad greeted me, he turned his gaze to him beside him and narrowed his eyes.

"Huh? Who is that?"

Surprisingly, before I could answer, he took the initiative to say hello, "I'm Mao Dao." I looked at the lover beside me with disbelief.Although it is rude, I was more surprised than seeing the monkey spin the plate, and I was also very moved.

"Ah——I see, it's Mr. Chishima."

I don't know if he knows that he is my employer, but my father hummed a song in a particularly good mood and walked to the kitchen where my mother and Lunzi were.

"Father-in-law has been in a good mood since morning."

Yingnan whispered as if revealing a secret.

"It must be because you're back, brother."

"Really? Is it that simple?"

"Well, my father-in-law always said that my brother is his proud son! I also heard that my ears were getting calloused. He said that you have a good mind and proficiency in sports since before, which made him very proud Woolen cloth."

"Is that so...he never said that to me before."

"It's embarrassing to keep boasting in front of me. He will mention it when he has something to do, and after that, the only thing he needs is a marriage partner."

I wanted to avoid talking about that, so I murmured: "I forgot to offer incense to the temple." Standing up, I poked his hand lightly.