novelraw Chapter 138: Social Niceties! Semashi's First Visit to Ikuna's Home~
Chapter 138: Social Niceties! Semashi's First Visit to Ikuna's Home~
In Ito Kenji's eyes, which appeared somewhat profound from years steeped in officialdom, sincerity shone through at this moment.
With both hands, he tightly gripped Nohara Hiroshi's hand, as if what he held wasn't the hand of a young man.
But the hope for the future of the entire Omagari City, and even the entire Akita Prefecture.
"Manager Nohara, rest assured! Regarding the magnificent conception of the 'Akita Inu Cultural IP' you just proposed, as soon as I get back, I will immediately establish a special task force! Policies, funding, land—as long as our City Hall can provide it, there will be absolutely no ambiguity! You... you are the ultimate strongest brain of our Omagari City!"
This statement, full of political awareness, made all the City Hall leaders present chime in agreement.
For a time, words of praise surged like a tide, almost thoroughly submerging this tiny living room of the Nohara family.
After another round of greetings full of human warmth, Ito Kenji finally led his subordinates away, still leaving them wanting more.
However, before leaving, he gave his personal business card to Nohara Hiroshi, earnestly stating that if Manager Nohara needed anything, he could call him anytime;
his phone was on twenty-four hours a day.
Those several Section Chiefs followed suit, each handing over their own business cards.
Compared to the bureaucratic reserve they had when they arrived, they were like completely different people. Thus, the mighty convoy slowly drove away under the envious and awe-struck gazes of the entire village.
Tranquility finally returned to the courtyard.
"Phew——" Village Head Yamada and those distant relatives exhaled a long breath in unison. That feeling was as if they had just survived a battle ten times more tiring than working in the fields.
They looked at that young man who had merely smiled calmly from beginning to end. That gaze was like looking at a living legend.
"Hiroshi, in the future... in the future, our village will completely rely on you!" Village Head Yamada patted Nohara Hiroshi's shoulder heavily, that tanned face also covered in pride.
After all, this was someone from his own younger generation.
So successful.
So outstanding.
He also felt honor shining on his own face!
However, when they glanced at Nohara Ginnosuke, who was still grinning mischievously and vulgarly to the side, helplessness surfaced on their faces.
How could such an outstanding young man be the child of a guy like Nohara Ginnosuke!?
So infuriating!
After another round of polite pleasantries and instructions full of rustic flavor, the relatives finally dispersed in twos and threes.
Nohara Tsuru looked at their retreating figures and then at her own tatami which had already been trampled somewhat messily. That gentle face became increasingly happy and proud.
"You old improperly behaved geyser!" However, Nohara Tsuru still glared grumpily at the old man who was still protruding his small belly to the side, his eyebrows almost dancing to the sky: "Hurry up and go sweep the yard! Look at this messy state, what does it look like!"
"Hehe, got it, got it." Nohara Ginnosuke was currently immersed in a massive sense of vanity, in an exceptionally good mood.
Regarding his old companion's orders, he surprisingly executed them without any complaints.
He hummed an out-of-tune little ditty, picked up the broom, and that triumphant appearance was as if what he was sweeping wasn't fallen leaves, but the future of the entire Akita Prefecture.
Nohara Tsuru shook her head helplessly and pulled Misae and Ikuna into the kitchen to start preparing for the evening family banquet.
In the living room, finally only the two Nohara brothers remained.
"Big brother, come sit." Nohara Hiroshi poured a cup of warm barley tea for himself and his older brother, a trace of a smile in his clear eyes.
Nohara Semashi sat down cross-legged in front of the low table. That robust body appeared somewhat tense due to the grand occasion just now. He picked up the teacup and took a large gulp. That simple, honest heart was still pounding violently.
"Hiroshi, are we... are we really going to collaborate on the Akita Inu like the Mayor and the others said?" On his tanned face, there still lingered somewhat of a dreamlike, unreal feeling.
"Of course." Nohara Hiroshi nodded. Looking at his older brother's appearance of not having fully recovered yet, that bit of helplessness in his heart was diluted by the warmth connected by blood.
Common folks seeing leaders truly are like this.
To this older brother of his who had been simple and honest his whole life, everything he experienced today had long exceeded the scope of what he could understand.
"Big brother, go prepare some things." Nohara Hiroshi set down his teacup, his voice calm.
"Prepare what?" Nohara Semashi asked blankly.
"Souvenirs."
Nohara Hiroshi's knuckles gently rubbed against the warm teacup: "The Juyondai I bought in Tokyo, the Spanish ham, the French cheese, and also the batch of premium rice newly harvested from our farm, prepare a few portions of each and package them presentably. Tomorrow, you will personally drive and deliver a portion to the families of those leaders who came today."
"Ah?!"
Nohara Semashi's mouth opened wide enough to stuff an egg. On that honest face was written the pain and incomprehension of a miser having his flesh cut: "Still... still giving gifts? Hiroshi, this meal today, with tea and pastries, has already cost quite a bit of money. They are officials, we are citizens;
we elected them, they should serve us. Besides, didn't they all say they would fully support us?"
Looking at his big brother's "I took a huge loss" expression, Nohara Hiroshi helplessly pressed his forehead.
He knew that talking about "social niceties" and "interest bundling" with this older brother who had been simple his whole life was tantamount to playing the lute to a cow.
"Big brother, listen to me." His voice carried the clarity of a person of the world: "Regarding words spoken in officialdom, just listen to them, you cannot believe them entirely. They were polite to us today because I have usage value, because I can bring them political achievements. This relationship appears solid, but in reality, it is very fragile."
"When we give gifts, we are not giving items, we are giving an attitude, giving a favor. We are telling them that our Nohara family understands the rules and knows how to conduct ourselves, and in the future, we are one of their own. With this layer of relationship, handling many things will be much smoother."
"This..." Nohara Semashi nodded, seemingly understanding yet not entirely. Although he still didn't quite understand the twists and turns within, he knew that listening to his younger brother was definitely right.
"Moreover." The corners of Nohara Hiroshi's mouth curled up into a meaningful arc. "Our Akita Inu breeding base project should also officially commence. For this matter, we still need a green light all the way from the City Hall."
"Are... are we really going to do it?" Confusion surfaced once again on Nohara Semashi's face: "Hiroshi, I still can't figure it out. Right now we are farming and also raising livestock;
isn't this operation spreading a bit too wide? Besides, Akita Inus... in our rural place, whose family doesn't raise a few? That thing, outside of guarding the house and yard, can it be sold for money?"
"Big brother, times have changed." Nohara Hiroshi smiled. That smile carried an absolute confidence belonging to someone executing a dimensional strike: "Do you think what we are raising are dogs?"
"Then what is it?"
"What we are raising is a story, a brand, a... cultural symbol that can make all of Japan, and even the whole world, go crazy over it."
Nohara Hiroshi looked at his older brother's face, which still had "I don't understand" written all over it, and slowly tossed out that ultimate trump card sufficient to completely reassure him.
"I am preparing, to shoot a movie."
"A movie?!"
"Yes, a movie." Nohara Hiroshi nodded, a wise light that saw through the future flashing in those clear eyes: "I have even thought of the title for the movie. It will be called—'Hachiko Monogatari'."
"Loyal Dog Hachiko?" Nohara Semashi scratched the back of his head. This name, to him, was as unfamiliar as a symbol from another world.
Nohara Hiroshi was not surprised. He knew that in this parallel world, that legend which moved countless people had not yet been brought to the big screen.
He lifted his teacup. The curling steam rising from the cup blurred his handsome face, and also blurred the sharp glint that flashed briefly in the depths of his eyes.
He smiled silently in his heart.
"In 1987 of my past life, 'Hachiko Monogatari' produced by Shochiku Eiga reaped an astonishing box office of over two billion yen in Japan, with admissions exceeding three million, becoming the box office champion of that year in one fell swoop."
He took a sip of the warm barley tea. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, bringing a trace of clarity belonging to a transmigrator.
"More importantly, this movie, in a manner almost akin to viral spread, deeply branded the concept of "Akita Inu = Loyalty" into the hearts of every Japanese citizen. Overnight, the value of an Akita Inu skyrocketed from an ordinary local dog worth a few thousand yen, to a luxury pet worth hundreds of thousands, or even millions of yen!"
"After all, the attribute of 'loyalty' is an attribute that has always been advocated in Japanese culture. It's almost a cultural symbol!"
"And I, Nohara Hiroshi, what I am going to do is, in this impending wealth storm ignited personally by me, become that, the only, rule-maker."
"Pedigree certification, identity chips, brand packaging..."
The corners of Nohara Hiroshi's mouth curled into a calm and indifferent smile belonging to a chess player.
"By that time, I won't need to personally go down to the field to sell a dog. I will only need to control pricing power over the Akita Inu, and the power to define "pure bloodline"."
"That, will be a perpetual money-printing machine more terrifying than all three of my projects at TV Tokyo combined."
He set down the teacup, looking at his older brother across from him who was still distressed over "whether raising dogs can make money." That gaze was like a god who had already stood in a higher dimension, looking down upon the entire chessboard in a way that mortals completely could not comprehend.
"Big brother." His voice was calm, yet carried a confidence sufficient to make the entire room take notice: "You do not need to understand why."
"You only need to trust me."
"Then, build this breeding base that is about to change the destiny of the entire Akita Prefecture beautiful for me."
...
Early the next morning, when Nohara Semashi returned from outside with two faint dark circles under his eyes but in high spirits, the "President" aura on his face had already become increasingly natural.
He parked that domineering Land Cruiser steadily in the courtyard, still carrying a few presentably packaged gift bags in his hands.
"You're back?"
Nohara Hiroshi was sitting under the veranda, enjoying that unique tranquility of a rural morning.
A cup of warm barley tea, a few crisp bird chirps, were sufficient to wash away all the noise and impetuousness of the city.
"Mhm!" Nohara Semashi nodded heavily. He walked over and sat down beside his younger brother. On that tanned face was written irrepressible excitement and emotion: "Hiroshi, you are truly a god! Today I have thoroughly understood what enthusiasm is! Those officials, seeing me, were also very enthusiastic!"
Like a student eager to report his learning experience to a teacher, he embellished and described the gift-giving journey full of "social niceties" from this morning.
"You didn't see! Right after I arrived at the door of Chairman Suzuki's house, his wife, who usually has her eyes fixed higher than the top of her head, saw the things I was carrying in my hands, and the wrinkles on her face bloomed into a smile! Fetching tea and passing water, she was closer to me than if she had seen a relative from the main branch of the family!"
"And there's that Branch Manager Oshima. When I delivered the items, he was currently lecturing his good-for-nothing son. The moment he saw me, he immediately changed his face, grabbed my hand, and insisted on keeping me for lunch!"
He paused, a dumbfounded, strange expression surfacing on that honest face:
"The most outrageous one was that Mayor Ito. When I arrived at his house, he happened to be out, and it was his wife who opened the door. Guess what? The Mayor's wife heard I was your older brother, and without a second word, directly invited me into the house and pulled me in to chat about everyday matters for over half an hour! She asked how old I was, if I was married, and... and even said she wanted to introduce a partner to me!"
"Pfft——" Nohara Hiroshi almost spat out a mouthful of tea.
He looked at his big brother's embarrassed appearance of "I almost became the Mayor's son-in-law," and couldn't hold it back anymore, erupting into a burst of hearty, uninhibited laughter.
"Hahahaha! It seems that big brother, right now, you are also the most eligible bachelor in our Omagari City."
"Get lost!" Nohara Semashi's old face reddened, and he punched his younger brother grumpily.
After joking around, Nohara Hiroshi finally restrained his smile. A trace of understanding flashed in those clear eyes: "The Mayor's wife being polite to you, that's exactly right."
"Huh?"
"This shows that our 'investments' have already taken effect." Nohara Hiroshi's voice was calm: "The Mayor's wife accepted our gifts and her attitude was still this amicable;
it means Mayor Ito himself has already tacitly acknowledged the 'alliance' relationship between us. From now on, our 'Nohara Agricultural Corporation' in this Omagari City, is a golden signboard that no one dares to lightly touch."
Nohara Semashi nodded, seemingly understanding yet not entirely.
Although he still didn't quite understand the twists and turns within, he chose to listen to Nohara Hiroshi, this younger brother.
"Alright, you will慢慢 understand these things in the future." Nohara Hiroshi patted his older brother's shoulder, pulling the topic back on track: "Continue to buy land, and put the matter of the breeding base on the agenda as soon as possible. If there isn't enough money, go find Branch Manager Oshima. If he dares to say half a 'no', just call me directly."
"Mhm!" Nohara Semashi nodded heavily.
Looking at his older brother's energetic appearance, a warm current also surged in Nohara Hiroshi's heart.
The matters at home were finally thoroughly settled.
He could finally throw all his energy back into that battlefield full of infinite possibilities that truly belonged to him.
He returned to his room, that Japanese room which still retained the appearance of his teenage years. The air was filled with a lazy scent mixed with tatami and sunlight.
He didn't go to think about those complex business layouts, nor did he pay attention to the work reports flying over like snowflakes from Tokyo's side.
He merely sat down quietly in front of that low table, spread out a snow-white piece of drawing paper, and picked up that paintbrush which he had long regarded as a partner.
The tip of the pen dipped into ink, moving smoothly like flowing water on the paper.
A station, a lonely Akita Inu waiting, a master who would never return again...
Those classic scenes that had moved billions of viewers in his past life, under his pen, like movie film pressed with a fast-forward button, smoothly and naturally reappeared on this small piece of drawing paper.
He didn't need to think, didn't need to compose the picture.
Because all the stories, all the storyboards, were already deeply carved into the depths of his soul like the most profound brands.
What he needed to do, was merely be the most faithful recorder.
...
Towards evening, the setting sun dyed the sky into a warm fiery orange.
The Land Cruiser drove steadily on the country path. Outside the car window were large expanses of emerald green rice paddies, churning with golden waves in the evening breeze.
The atmosphere inside the car, however, was not as tranquil as the scenery.
Sakurada Ikuna sat in the passenger seat. In those clear eyes that always carried a gentle smile, an uneasiness completely incongruous with this joyful atmosphere quietly surfaced at this moment.
She looked at the man beside her who was attentively driving the car. That resolute profile appeared increasingly steady and reliable under the afterglow of the setting sun.
But in her heart, it felt as if a heavy stone had been placed upon it.
She thought about yesterday, that family banquet full of shock at the Nohara family.
She thought about that god-like "brother-in-law" who could make the Mayor personally visit just while chatting and laughing.
She thought about that "sister-in-law" who, although they were only meeting for the first time, exuded a confidence and composure belonging to an elite woman of the metropolis from her dress to her speech and manners, completely different from herself.
She thought even more about the terrifying financial power of the Nohara family measured in units of "hundreds of millions," and that magnificent blueprint sufficient to change the future of the entire Akita Prefecture.
And what about herself?
An ordinary country girl, whose parents were farmers. The most valuable thing in her home might just be that old tractor that had been used for over ten years.
The gap between herself and Semashi-san, or rather, between herself and the Nohara family, was truly... too huge.
This gap, like a chasm that could not be crossed, lay across her heart, causing her heart—already somewhat sensitive due to love—to be completely submerged at this moment by a bitter tide named "inferiority."
"What are you thinking about?"
Nohara Semashi's deep and resonant voice pulled her back from those endless wild thoughts.
Although his mind was not as meticulous as his younger brother's, his rustic heart belonging to a farmer could observe the changes in the girl's emotions most intuitively.
"No... nothing." Ikuna hurriedly shook her head, forcing a somewhat strained smile onto her face.
Nohara Semashi didn't inquire further.
He only slowed the car down slightly, then took out a few exquisitely packaged gift boxes from the storage compartment in front of the passenger seat.
"Here, this is for uncle and auntie." He handed the boxes over. On his tanned face was an honest, even somewhat clumsy seriousness: "Inside here is the 'Juyondai' sake my younger brother brought back from Tokyo, and some Spanish ham and cheese. He said these things are what city folks like. I wonder if uncle and auntie will be accustomed to eating them."
He paused, seemingly remembering something again, and scratched the back of his head. An embarrassed blush surfaced on his resolute face.
"Um... Ikuna, I... I was thinking, in a few days, I'll find a formal time to visit uncle and auntie. To mention to them... the matter of our two families sitting together."
These plain words full of sincerity and respect acted like the warmest sunshine, instantly dispelling all the gloom in Ikuna's heart!
She stared blankly at this man beside her who, although not good at words, used the most direct and reliable actions to prove his feelings. In her initially somewhat dimmed eyes, a light as dazzling as stars instantly bloomed once more!
She suddenly felt how ridiculous those wild thoughts full of inferiority from just now were.
No matter how powerful the Nohara family was, it was still the Nohara family.
And the one she loved, was this man right before her, who although wearing a brand-name suit and driving a luxury off-road vehicle, deep down in his bones was still that simple, reliable Nohara Semashi who would be happy for half a day over a glass of lemon soda she mixed by hand.
"Mhm!"
She nodded heavily. Her voice carried a touched sob.
She didn't say anything more, merely hugging those heavy gift boxes in her arms. Her heart, long thoroughly filled with a massive sense of happiness and security, felt unprecedentedly steady at this moment.
...
The Sakurada family's farmhouse was a typical wooden structure of Showa-era style. Although it looked somewhat old, the courtyard was swept spotless. A few meticulously pruned bonsai trees silently highlighted the owner's diligence and simplicity.
When that domineering Land Cruiser slowly parked at the door, the Sakurada couple, who had already been waiting inside the house for a long time, almost immediately welcomed them out.
"Oh my, it's Semashi-kun who has arrived, right?"
Ikuna's mother, a slightly plump middle-aged woman whose face always hung a kind smile, greeted them warmly.
Beside her stood a man with tanned skin, a lean figure, and looking somewhat reticent;
this was Ikuna's father.
His eyes, somewhat murky from years of labor, were like a falcon's, sharply evaluating the young man stepping out of the car from head to toe.
He had heard from his daughter that this young man named Nohara Semashi was an honest and proper farmer who opened a small agricultural company himself, was very hardworking, and was very motivated.
Regarding his daughter's choice, he was actually satisfied in his heart.
In this impetuous era, being able to find a down-to-earth young man willing to endure hardship was far more reliable than those oily-faced city brats who only knew sweet talk.
Whether there was money or not wasn't important.
What was important was character.
However, when his gaze fell upon the man stepping down from the driver's seat, wearing a crisp Armani suit, his every movement exuding an aura of a "President" completely incongruous with this rustic flavor...
He was completely stunned.
Is... is this the "honest and proper farmer" his daughter talked about?
This aura, this outfit, this... this car he's driving!
He looked at that Toyota Land Cruiser, which could be considered an "alien visitor" in the entire Omagari City. His heart of an old farmer, already somewhat weathered by reality, was directly shattered completely by an unprecedented state of befuddlement!
"Dad, Mom, I'm back. This is... Semashi-san."
Ikuna, carrying those heavy gift boxes, introduced him with a flushed face.
"Hello, uncle. Hello, auntie."
Nohara Semashi scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly. On that tanned face surfaced an honest and slightly nervous expression of visiting for the first time.
He handed over the few equally exquisitely packaged gift boxes in his hand. His voice carried an embarrassed sincerity: "Um... uncle and auntie, meeting for the first time, I didn't know what you like. These are some local specialties my younger brother brought back from Tokyo, it's not much, I hope you will... accept it with a smile."
The Sakurada couple completely lost their voices.
They stared blankly at this pile of "local specialties" full of exotic flavor before them, things they had only seen on TV and in fashion magazines.
That bottle of "Juyondai" sake packaged in an antique wooden box, that piece of Spanish ham exuding an alluring savory aroma, that block of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese full of mellow scent, and that box of Tokyo Wagyu with beautiful snowflake marbling, printed with "A5"...
They felt as if their brains had been thoroughly turned into mush by a high-speed blender!
How... how are these "local specialties"?
This is clearly a pile of walking Fukuzawa Yukichis!
"This... this is too precious! We cannot accept it!"
Ikuna's mother was the first to react. She hurriedly waved her hands. On that usually kind face was written unbelievable shock.
"Yes, yes!" Ikuna's father also woke up as if from a dream. He looked at this young man before him, who although looking honest, with a single gesture produced enough to make ordinary farmers like them struggle for a lifetime. His heart of an old father, already full of vigilance, was at this moment drawn tight like a fully drawn bowstring!
He even started to suspect, did this young man, perhaps... have any other motives?
Seeing his future father-in-law and mother-in-law's panicked appearance, Nohara Semashi's simple and honest heart instantly became anxious.
He hastily explained: "Uncle, auntie, please do not misunderstand! These... these truly are just a small token of my younger brother's appreciation! He... he works at TV Tokyo, earns a lot, and spends money extravagantly. He said that for the first visit, the etiquette must be comprehensive, we cannot lose the face of our Nohara family."
This plain and unadorned, honest truth caused the Sakurada couple to look at each other in dismay.
They looked at this young man before them, who although wearing designer clothes and driving a luxury car, deep down in his bones was still that simple farmer who would blush when nervous and bare his heart when speaking. Those two hearts, already full of vigilance, quietly loosened somewhat at this moment.
This young man, perhaps truly wasn't as "complex" as they imagined.
He just... had an overly "exaggerated" younger brother.
"Alright, alright, let's all stop standing at the door, come in quickly and sit down."
Ultimately, it was Ikuna's mother who broke this awkwardness filled with "the scent of money."
She carefully, as if offering sacrifices to deities, invited that pile of "local specialties" sufficient for them to brag about for a lifetime in front of the neighbors into the house.
After perceiving Nohara Semashi's honest personality, she also gained a lot of approval internally.
Especially after seeing the sincere love in Nohara Semashi's gaze towards Ikuna, she knew that her daughter, this time, perhaps truly found an ideal son-in-law she could entrust her whole life to.
PS: Brothers, continue to beg for some votes~ Don't stop the monthly tickets and recommendation tickets~ I thank you here~ If you have the means, please fully subscribe~
(End of Chapter)