After touring the house, the three returned to the living room.

Rin Kiyono loses interest in the game and sits in the hearth reading a book.

Toru Watanabe plugged in "Contra" to the red and white machine, and broke through the level with Kujou Mihime.

"Let's go in the water."

"Mei Ji, do you want this S bomb?"

"There's an invincible here, do you want to eat or not? Ah, ran. ”

"Contra" cleared the level, and played "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2" and "Bloody Fighting", Kujou Miki was sleepy and slept on her side.

Toru Watanabe plays "Heavy Loader" alone.

About two hours later, Akane began to appear on the horizon, and Watanabe's mother returned.

The village of Mizawa is a long way from the nearest town.

"Toru Koru, come and help mom peel peas!"

"Good!"

"I'm here to help." Rin Kiyono prepares to get up.

"No, no, Rin, you sit."

"Hurry up." Watanabe's mother confessed to Toru Watanabe and went to the kitchen.

After a while, I didn't see Toru Watanabe's figure, and Watanabe's mother shouted again.

"Toru Kotoru ——?"

"It's coming, it's coming!"

After a while, Watanabe's mother rushed straight from the kitchen.

"Toru Koto, what are you doing?" Mom reprimanded.

The two beautiful girls also looked at Toru Watanabe.

"It's coming, it's coming." Toru Watanabe manipulated the controller with a focused expression, "I'm about to get the Red Wolf Tank!" ”

“......”

Watanabe's mother walked over and turned off the TV directly.

"Ahh The dream of my life! Mom, what are you doing? ”

"Guests come to the house, I don't know how to be diligent! Come and help! ”

Toru Watanabe put down the handle and stood up from the quilt with a helpless face.

He followed Watanabe out of the living room and towards the kitchen.

"Didn't Kiyono say she got it? You'll let her figure it out. ”

"Let the guests do it? Lying there and playing games by yourself? How did I teach you? ”

"Then you can't let them eat and live for nothing, right?"

"What do you think all day, kid? Are you going to collect money from them? By the way, after peeling the peas, go to the field and pull some radishes back. ”

"Carrots, white radish?"

"Which ...... do Rin and Mihime like to eat?"

The two people in the living room can hear the conversation between the mother and son.

When dinner was almost ready, Toru Watanabe's father returned.

A man who is taciturn, but drinks with the village men, likes to brag loudly, and always wears a pair of old rubber shoes, called Tsuneo Watanabe.

"Dad, are you going to make a delivery?"

"Hmm." Tsuneo Watanabe nodded.

He took off his rubber shoes by himself, and did not react to his son, who had been in Tokyo for more than half a year.

"I brought my girlfriend back this time."

"Hmm."

"And another classmate."

Watanabe didn't even say a word, 'I see' and nodded.

"You two, come and help serve the food!" Watanabe's mother's voice came from the kitchen.

"Got it!" Toru Watanabe answered.

Tsuneo Watanabe didn't say a word, just walked to the kitchen with Toru Watanabe.

Watanabe's father is such a taciturn person.

But even so, he would raise rice ducks for his son and send them to Tokyo.

During dinner, Toru Watanabe introduced the two beautiful girls, and he didn't react.

Compared with Rin Kiyono, he said one more thing to Mihime Kujo:

"Archer is in trouble for you."

Toru Watanabe wanted to tell his father that Miki Kujo had caused him far more trouble than he had caused her.

"Alright, alright," Watanabe's mother greeted with a smile, "Let's eat." ”

At the long wooden table, Watanabe's father sat on the head, Watanabe's mother and Kiyono Rin sat on one side, and Toru Watanabe and Kujo Miki sat on the side.

Two beautiful girls face each other.

Before saying "I'm moving", Miki Kujou looked at the chopsticks in front of her.

"This is new?" She asked.

Watanabe's mother looked at her suspiciously, and subconsciously replied, "No." ”

Miki Kujou's gaze turned to Toru Watanabe.

"I was just going to give you mine." Toru Watanabe exchanged the two of them with dishes and chopsticks, as well as dishes, "This is my exclusive use, no one has used it." ”

Kujou Miki glanced at the dishes and chopsticks in Watanabe's parents' hands, and it was indeed a different color, so she nodded with satisfaction.

Watanabe Eda looked at this scene and looked at Watanabe's father with a vague look.

Watanabe's father assumed not to see it.

"I'm moving."

After expressing your appreciation for the food, start your dinner.

Toru Watanabe took a bite of rice, ate two bites of food, and asked the two, "Are you used to eating?" ”

"It's okay." Kujou Miki said,

Rin Kiyono took a small sip of radish stew, ate fried mushrooms again, and said with satisfaction:

"The fresh vegetables, tender and delicious, I love it."

"Eat more if you like, there's still one in the kitchen." Watanabe's mother said happily.

"Thank you, Auntie, maybe you really want to add food." After speaking, she was a little distressed, "But you will get fat, forget it." ”

"You are so thin, I think at least ten pounds of weight will be considered normal." Toru Watanabe said.

"Watanabe-san, you don't understand how girls weigh you...... It stinks! Rin Kiyono's snow-white face wrinkled and covered her nose.

Watanabe's father, who was stirring natto, was stunned.

Watanabe's mother slapped the table and laughed, full of the arrogance of a country woman.

"This ......" Watanabe's father didn't know what to do, so he said without thinking about it, "I made it at home, it's delicious, do you want it?" ”

Rin Kiyono shook his head vigorously, "I'm sorry, I can't stand natto." ”

"That ......," Watanabe's father hesitated, ready to give up the natto that he had had at every meal for forty years.

"Please don't worry, uncle." Pinching his nose and his voice a little out of shape, Rin Kiyono said, "I'll just get used to it." ”

Watanabe's father hesitated for three seconds, continued to stir natto, and poured it into the rice bowl.

"Aha!" Watanabe's mother couldn't stop laughing, "Rin is so cute!" ”

"Auntie, I didn't deliberately pretend to be cute, but I was really cute."

"I understand, I understand, after so many years with his father, I can't stand natto! It stinks! ”

Saying that the vegetables are fresh and delicious, Rin Kiyono is not pleasing her; Natto smells bad, and she doesn't mean to provoke trouble, she only tells the truth.

However, with her etiquette, she shouldn't have just said 'it stinks', but the natto made by the Watanabe family is really too smelly.

Kujou Miki also frowned and warned Toru Watanabe, "You are not allowed to eat that." ”

"Why?" Toru Watanabe doesn't eat natto, but is curious about why.

"Why do you ask so much? That's an order. ”

"Okay, listen to you."

Watanabe's father silently ate natto bowls, and no matter what the three women said, he ate deliciously himself.

The only pity is that his son did not carry on this tradition.

The Watanabe family's natto-making technique was lost from his generation.

"By the way," Watanabe's father remembered one thing, "are you still going to do the postman's job?" ”

"Do it." Toru Watanabe drank up the soup and said to his mother, 'One more bowl' - Rin Kiyono hesitated and asked for a bowl as well, "It's okay in the morning anyway." ”

"Hmm." Watanabe's father stopped talking.

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

It was Toru Watanabe, who was not used to the water of a bathtub for the family, and asked his parents to help build it.

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

"I'm very tired today, you guys rest early, sleep lazy tomorrow, I'll take you around the village."

"Well, good night."

Toru Watanabe went downstairs and wanted to talk to his parents for a while before going to sleep.

Afraid of arguing with the two upstairs, he slowed down, and when he arrived in the living room, he heard the conversation between his parents.

"His father, how do you feel about Mei Ji's child?"

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

"How's that?" Watanabe's father asked.

"That kid seems to hate us." Watanabe's mother said.

"Where do you look down on it?"

"Can't you see? She didn't touch the things we used, just the towels and chopsticks, I helped Xiao Che clean up the room today, and when I came back, the quilts on the hearth were replaced with new ones. ”

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

"But we're Toru Kotoru's parents."

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

"Surely not, how is this possible? Koru can't learn from Reiko. ”

Reiko, an older young woman in the village.

I went to university, but I didn't find a job, so I ran back from Osaka to farm.

Later, when the school teacher retired, she was replaced, got a formal job, lived lazily every day, and did not get married.

She can't be blamed for getting married.

There are no male young people in the village anymore, and if she wants to get married, in addition to marrying the old man, only Toru Watanabe, who is more than ten years younger than her, is left.

Watanabe's mother didn't look down on Reiko, and the relationship between the two was even very good, she just didn't want Toru Watanabe to be like her.

Today, when the birthrate is declining, there may be no young people living here in Mizawa Village since Toru Watanabe's generation.

Since they are leaving, she hopes that Toru Watanabe can go to Tokyo and find a comfortable and well-paid job.

"Isn't that enough?" Watanabe's father's voice was calm, unhurried or slow, "The people in the city look down on the countrymen, and it's not Meiji's child alone, but if she can accept Archer, doesn't it mean that she likes him very much?" Isn't it enough for two people to be together and like each other? ”

"But I look at that kid, and I'm drinking at Xiao Che."

Watanabe's father did not deny it, saying, "It's good that someone is in charge of Archer." ”

"But that's too much, isn't it? Didn't you listen to the tone of her voice? It's like commanding a servant. ”

"Archer is handsome, and he is also excellent in all aspects, he is not strong as his wife, and he doesn't know what will happen in the future."

"How could my son do something like that!"

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

He didn't want to do that kind of thing at first, he wanted to be a single-minded person, so he rejected Mai Tomorrow several times, but in the end, there was still no way.

"He doesn't do anything, but women do, can he refuse one, reject two, but can he guarantee the rejection of all women?" Tsuneo Watanabe said.

"That's just as well." Watanabe reluctantly chimed in.

The living room was silent for a moment.

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

"His father, how do you feel about that kid Rin?"

Mom's words in a low voice made Toru Watanabe stop again.

"Pretty cute kid." Watanabe's father replied perfunctorily.

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

"I think that kid is very nice, polite, cute, quiet, and very chatty with Xiao Che."

"Hmm."

"And I think she can control Toru too."

"You still blame Mei Ji for being fierce Archer, I think you should do it." Watanabe's father said.

"You don't feel good about Rin?" Watanabe lowered her voice, "I would rather have her as a daughter-in-law." ”

After saying that, as if she had seen Rin Kiyono calling her mother, Watanabe Eda laughed happily.

"Archer's own business, the days to come are his own." This is Watanabe's father's opinion on this matter.

"I'll find a chance to ask Toru and see what he thinks of Rin."

That's the end of the conversation about two beautiful girls.

Watanabe Eda asked her husband about the delivery during the day, and after that, she talked about the preparations for the New Year, and discussed buying some more expensive ingredients to entertain Mihime Kujo and Rin Kiyono.

Until Toru Watanabe got married, Watanabe Eda didn't ask him about Rin Kiyono.

Maybe her husband's previous words made her not know what kind of answer she wanted to hear from Toru Watanabe.

December 26, the first day of Toru Watanabe's return to Iwate Prefecture.

He got up early in the morning and took up a part-time job as a postman.

This job was only started after he went to junior high school in order to buy very expensive tutoring books.

Before doing this, after he didn't do it, the postman in Misawa Village had always been his father.

Now I continue to do it, just to let my parents know that he is a hardworking child and does not need to worry too much about him.

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

It's not dawn yet.

The Honda wolf crossed the field path and crossed the small bridge over the stream, and the mountain road with towering trees on both sides was flanked, and the cold wind blew on Toru Watanabe's face.

"My love has gone away with the south wind—"

◇

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

When I opened my eyes, I didn't hear the sound of Tokyo, but I heard the birdsong outside the window, and I could hear the steady breathing of Miki Kujo next to me.

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

Watanabe's mother cooks breakfast in the kitchen.

"Rin-chan?" Hearing the footsteps, Watanabe's mother raised her head, "Why don't you get up so early, why don't you sleep for a while?" ”

"Good morning, Auntie." After saying hello, Rin Kiyono explained, "I'm not used to sleeping when I change my pillow. ”

"So what to do?" Watanabe's mother was so worried that she stopped doing her work.

"It's okay, it only takes one night, and the next day." This is the experience of the wind club during the summer vacation.

"That's good." Watanabe's mother nodded reassuringly and continued to work on the food.

Rin Kiyono walked over, rolled up her sleeves, revealing her snow-white wrists, and helped wash the vegetables.

After a while, she asked, "What about Watanabe-san?" ”

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

"The kid went to deliver the letter."

"Deliver a letter?"

"Well, the postman works. The reference books used by Xiao Che in junior high school are all bought with the money he saved from doing this job. ”

Rin Kiyono nodded.

"Aunt Eda, what kind of child was Watanabe-san when he was a child?"

"He'......"

◇

The melodious sound of a flute could be heard in the distance.

On the high ridge of the field, a girl with a bob head is practicing in front of the rising sun.

"So diligent?" Toru Watanabe stops the Honda wolf in front of the girl.

Ayako Honma put down her flute and looked at him suspiciously: "Watanabe? ”

"It's Uncle Ben." Toru Watanabe took off his helmet and rested his elbows on the handlebars.

"When did you come back?" Ayako Honma patted Toru Watanabe on the shoulder.

If only a year ago, Toru Watanabe would have hugged his shoulders and cried out in pain.

"Yesterday." Toru Watanabe looked at the silver flute in her hand, "What's going on?" ”

"What else could it be? I will be in my third year of high school next year, and it is the last semester, and I must enter the national competition, so I don't have regrets for my youth. ”

"Ahh Toru Watanabe looked at the cyan sky boredly, "I'm dominating the country in the first grade, so what should I do next?" ”

"You want to die, don't you?!"

"Isn't this Archer?" From the direction of Ayako's house in Honma, a middle-aged man carrying a hoe came on.

"Uncle Honma," Toru Watanabe turned around and took out a letter from his bag, "there is your letter." ”

Uncle Honma took the letter, muttered 'It's water and electricity bills again', raised his head and said to Toru Watanabe:

"Archer, I heard that you won the first place in the blowing competition?"

"It's not the first, it's just the gold award." Ayako Honma corrected.

"Isn't the gold award the first!" Uncle Honma retorted in a tone of 'daughter, you don't talk nonsense'.

"That's right, I'm number one." Toru Watanabe said with a smile.

Ayako Honma pouted.

Uncle Honma put the letter in his pocket, patted Toru Watanabe on the shoulder, and complimented:

"Really smart people are different, even if you go to Tokyo, you can get ahead, I have long seen that you are a genius."

"There, there."

"Come to my house later, your aunt's persimmons made this year are very sweet."

"By all means." Toru Watanabe put on his helmet, "Uncle Honma, I'm sending a letter." ”

"Good!"

"Ayako, come on, don't leave regrets for your youth~"

Ayako Honma kicked the back wheel of the Honda wolf.

After delivering the letter, Toru Watanabe returned home and smelled the aroma of breakfast.

"Mom, you're starving, aren't you okay?" Toru Watanabe shouted hunger as he took off his helmet.

"It's almost there." Watanabe replied without raising his head, "Is it cold to ride?" ”

"It's okay, it's just that my feet are a little cold."

Toru Watanabe changed into indoor shoes and walked into the kitchen.

Rin Kiyono rolled up her sleeves and was helping to stir the stew.

She wore a pale pink loose sweater, a long beige skirt that reached to her ankles, and her hair was loosely tied up and stuck to her back.

It looks gentle and relaxed, and it is very beautiful.

"Wake up so early? By the way," Toru Watanabe remembered one thing, "Mom, Kiyono only eats half-boiled eggs, so don't fry them all." ”

After saying that, he looked at Rin Kiyono, ready to ask her why she got up so early.

As a result, Rin Kiyono looked at him with a smile, a smile as gentle as a spring breeze.

"What's wrong?" Toru Watanabe asked her strangely, "My hair is messed up?" ”

"It's a bit of a mess." Rin Kiyono said with a smile.

"Then I'll have to tidy up."

Toru Watanabe came out of the kitchen, and Watanabe Eda asked Rin Kiyono with a low smile:

"How did Toru know you only eat soft-boiled eggs?"

"I know that we have breakfast together on a school trip." Rin Kiyono remembered the scene at that time, and couldn't help but smile and said, "At that time, we were still fully cooked or half-cooked, and we had a fight. ”

"Quarrel?"

"Hmm."

Watanabe looked at the smile on Rin's face and didn't ask again, just smiled.