Tokyo: The life of a literary giant begins with home self-defense!

Chapter 21: Guests are coming to our house
After Ryukawa Toru sent out the manuscript of "Snow Country", he has been waiting for news.

This year the snow came in waves, and the winter solstice soon arrived.

Early in the morning, thick white smoke rose from the Ryukawa family's house, and Mrs. Takeda was preparing today's meals in the kitchen.

"Ryukawa Tetsu, go get the pumpkin I bought last time."

Across a long corridor, Mrs. Takeda called out to the living room.

Today is the winter solstice. In Japan, people have the custom of eating pumpkin and taking a yuzu bath.

The winter solstice is known as the day closest to death. Eating pumpkin can bring blessings, and taking a grapefruit bath can remove disasters.

In previous years, these tasks were done by Ryukawa Tetsu, but this year a young man took over and became the owner, so these tasks naturally fell on the temporary tenant, Mrs. Takeda.

"Pumpkin? Where did you put it?"

Longchuan Che opened the kitchen door, and the aroma of steamed pumpkin wafted into his nose.

The smoky white mist hit the boy, and Mrs. Takeda looked in the direction of the sound.

The boy was wearing a loose black sweater and casual straight pants.

He used the several thousand yen he saved last time to buy clothes. As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse. This man is getting more and more handsome.

Mrs. Takeda muttered to herself and said casually.

"In the empty water tank in the courtyard."

It’s not that Ryukawa Toru’s family doesn’t have a refrigerator, but in winter, the space outside the house serves as a natural fresh-keeping warehouse. Mrs. Takeda bought a large amount of food some time ago and placed them outside the house.

The boy ruffled his messy hair and walked out of the house lazily.

I opened the door and saw the outside world covered in snow. Mount Fuji in the distance was shrouded in clouds and mist, with a few rays of sunlight piercing the white snow.

For more than a week, Longchuan Che has been living a lazy life.

After submitting the first draft, I wrote during the day and watched TV by the fire at night.

Except for the fact that I stayed up all night the day I decided to become a writer, I was a bit idle during the following period.

"Is this just a three-minute enthusiasm?"

Longchuan Che touched his chin and felt that it definitely didn't count.

He was just taking it easy while waiting for the editor's reply. He would definitely be busy writing once he got the reply regarding the contract.

I wrote 20,000 words on the first day and 10,000 words in the following week.

When Longchuan Tetsu was thinking about how long it would take to serialize 30,000 words, there was a knock on the door of the wall.

"Good morning, Archer."

After opening the gate outside the courtyard, Longchuan Che first looked around, then lowered his head.

"Good morning, Xiaokui."

The cold wind swirled outside the house, and a little girl of seven or eight years old stood at the door outside Longchuan's house.

Her face was flushed by the cold wind and she was holding a box in her hand.

Longchuan Che bent down and squatted in front of her.

"School is on holiday?"

"It was released a long time ago."

"Come and play with me?"

"Ah."

The girl was the daughter of Mrs. Watanabe next door. She was in elementary school and had always followed Ryukawa Toru around since she was little.

"come in."

Longchuan Che pushed open the door and let the little girl in.

Watanabe Aoi looked at Ryuukawa Toru with a puzzled look.

She knew Ryukawa Toru's status in the family. He usually did housework. Sometimes he would be scolded by his sister if he sneaked out to play, not to mention bringing herself, whom Takeda Akane didn't like, to his home to play.

"It doesn't matter. I have the final say here now."

Longchuan Che patted the little girl's head, turned to the water tank and took out a pumpkin and a sea bream.

"Archer, this is for you too."

Seeing Ryukawa Toru taking something, Watanabe Aoi also handed over the thing in her hand.

"what is this?"

“Fresh bamboo shoots.”

“You already have this?”

"My father and I went to the mountain to dig it up a few days ago."

Little girls usually don't go from door to door empty-handed. Longchuan Che thought about it and took out another sea bream from the water tank for her to take back later.

"Let's go." Long Chuan Che led the other party into the house.

When she opened the door, she was greeted by warm air. Watanabe Aoi politely rubbed her feet at the door, put her shoes outside, and hung her scarf on the clothes hanger at the door.

"The Archer family is awesome."

The little girl shivered comfortably and said to Longchuan Che.

The other party's greatness probably refers to their dress and layout.

Although Longchuan Che's house is in the countryside, the furniture is stylish and the layout is warm.

Takako Takeda is a little lazy, but she has excellent vision.

"You can come here more often in the future."

Ryukawa Toru led Watanabe Aoi to sit on the sofa in the living room, then took the ingredients to the kitchen.

"Who's coming?"

"Xiao Kui."

"The one next door."

"Ah."

As soon as he entered the door, he talked to Mrs. Takeda for a few words. After thinking for a while, Ryukawa Toru handed the fresh bamboo shoots in his hand to her.

"Make me some tempura."

"You treat me as a servant? Longchuan Tetsu."

When there were guests at home, this person just threw all the work to her without any hesitation, which made Mrs. Takeda's face turn black.

"Why are you so angry?" Ryukawa Toru picked up a piece of nigiri sushi and put it in his mouth.

In addition to being the winter solstice today, teachers from Yamanashi Gakuin will also come to our house.

Normally, there are tripartite talks in Japan, and Takeda Akane's path to further education had been discussed a long time ago. However, because her goal was the National University of Tokyo, she was also an outstanding representative of the school.

People from the school will come to visit your home today, and even any problems you may encounter in your future studies will be solved together.

"Help me entertain Xiaokui. I will be a good boy and not cause any trouble when the teacher comes to school this afternoon."

Ryukawa Toru smiled at Mrs. Takeda, and when Takeda Takako saw this smile, her face inexplicably turned red.

Although Ryukawa Toru did not take advantage of her again in this week, Mrs. Takeda would be tricked by him every time he showed this smile in the past few times.

The place that was touched by the other person suddenly felt hot. Takeda Takako bit her lip and stopped talking. She turned around and took out the tender bamboo shoots to wash them.

The wife was wearing a slim-fitting sweater, sky blue jeans, and a black apron tied around her slender waist. Long Chuan Che's inexplicable smile made a blush rise on her beautiful swan neck.

Is this woman really the mother of a high school student?

Longchuan Che tilted his head in confusion.

It is said that women are like wolves at thirty and tigers at forty. Mrs. Takeda is indeed like a wolf and a tiger in some aspects.

But every time I tease myself a little, my face and neck turn red like a girl. Is there something wrong?

The head maid was very well behaved today, and Longchuan Che did not continue to tease her. He turned around and went into the room to get a small box, a few oranges and a small plate of biscuits and returned to the living room.

At this time, Watanabe Aoi was sitting next to the kotatsu table. The TV was playing "Bandage Club" starring Ishihara Satomi. The little girl was watching happily with her two pigtails swinging back and forth, which was very cute.

"Archer what are you doing?"

Watanabe Aoi was eating cookies baked by Mrs. Takeda when she saw Ryukawa Toru take out a thin bamboo stick and a ball of hair and pick them up.

“Make a brush.”

Longchuan Che put the rabbit hair of the same size together and scraped it with a knife.

"Written brush?"

"Doesn't the school have calligraphy lessons?"

“I hate calligraphy lessons.”

Among the people that Ryukawa Tetsu knows, there are few who can write well. Takeda Akane's handwriting is chicken claw-like, and the kid next to him is even worse.

Longchuan Che snorted and continued to do his own thing.

When children play together, they mostly stay together.

There is no purpose and nothing that must be done.

Watanabe Aoi was not interested in brushes and turned to look at the table.

There was a beautiful silk square scarf there.

The square scarf is thin and colorful.

Watanabe Aoi had never seen such beautiful fabric.

When she was about to reach out and touch it.

"What are you doing? Who let you in?"

On the stairs next to the living room, Takeda Akane, who had just gotten up, looked at the two people sitting at the table and frowned in disgust.

(End of this chapter)