I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 133 Enjoying food and chatting~ The happy Nohara family, and Nohara Tsuru who breathed a sigh of relief!

The izakaya's bento delivery service is very efficient; in less than half an hour, beautifully packaged food boxes were delivered to the door.

Nohara Saji paid the bill generously, his demeanor a far cry from the pained embarrassment he had shown when facing the menu. Instead, he exuded a confident air of being in charge.

After all, he's now the president of Nohara Sashi's company!
However, just as Nohara Sashi was about to put the expensive-looking skewers and sashimi on the table, Nohara Tsuru walked out of the kitchen with a smile, carrying a few simple blue and white porcelain plates.

"No matter how good the food outside is, it can't compare to what you make at home." She placed a plate of perfectly pickled sweet and sour radishes, a plate of cold salad made with blanched edamame grown at home, and a plate of golden and tempting tamagoyaki in the center of the table.

The dishes weren't particularly fancy, but they carried a unique, irreplaceable warmth that came with "mom's cooking."

"Exactly! Exactly!" Nohara Ginnosuke nodded in deep agreement. He picked up a piece of tamagoyaki and stuffed it into his mouth, squinting his eyes happily as he mumbled, "Tsuru, your cooking is still the best! Those restaurants outside are all show and no substance!"

Even so, his eyes were already uncontrollably scanning back and forth between the plates of glistening tuna belly sashimi and the tempting aroma of grilled chicken skewers, his Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably.

His feigned greed, though seemingly genuine, once again drew laughter from everyone in the room.

"Alright, alright, this isn't enough!" Hiroshi Nohara looked at the harmonious scene, his smile growing even gentler.

Like a magician performing a magic trick, he began to pull things out of the seemingly ordinary insulated box by the door.

"This is Iberian ham brought back from Spain. It tastes best with cantaloupe."

Thin slices of ham, as thin as cicada wings, crimson in color, and with beautiful marble-like marbling, were elegantly laid out on a pristine white porcelain plate.

"This is Parmesan Regano cheese from Italy. It can be paired with red wine or eaten on its own."

He used professional tools to cut a piece of golden cheese, which exuded a rich and mellow aroma, into small pieces.

"And this, French foie gras and Russian caviar, I had the best Western restaurant in Ginza prepare them for you, you can just spread them on bread."

The two crystal-clear glass jars were opened, and the luxurious and alluring atmosphere instantly transformed this rustic farmhouse into a top-notch Michelin-starred restaurant.

"Wow--!"

Misae and Ikuna, the two young girls, almost simultaneously let out a cry of amazement.

Especially for Yu Cai, who comes from a less privileged background, her beautiful eyes were already filled with stars when she saw those top-quality ingredients, full of exotic charm, that she had only ever seen in fashion magazines.

Nohara Sashi was already speechless, stunned by the string of zeros on the price tag.

Thankfully, this world doesn't have China, or even any terrain.

Otherwise, it would have to be compared with Chengdu.

Looking at his younger brother's nonchalant demeanor, Nohara Saji felt as if there was an insurmountable dimensional barrier between them.

Only Nohara Ginnosuke, after the initial shock, suddenly had a burning light in his small eyes that was comparable to a searchlight!

"Oh ho ho ho—!" He let out a burst of demonic laughter, snatched the jar of shiny black caviar, scooped out a large spoonful with his chopsticks, and stuffed it into his mouth without even looking at it.

"Mmm! Mmm mmm!" He squinted his eyes happily, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster, the salty and savory flavor exploded in his mouth, making him feel like he was ascending to heaven.

He swallowed the expensive "black gold" with difficulty, then glared at his eldest son, who was still in a daze, with a look of utter disappointment.

"Look at you, so pathetic! This is all your brother's gift to us! Eat up! Eat as much as you want! If he doesn't finish all this foreign stuff today, then he's being disrespectful to us old folks!"

After saying that, as if to set an example, he stretched out his chopsticks again and started stuffing the paper-thin slices of ham into his mouth as if they were free. His manner was as if he were not tasting a delicacy, but fighting a battle for the honor of his family.

Seeing this scene full of unexpected cuteness, everyone could no longer hold back and burst into hearty laughter.

For a time, the old house, marked by the passage of time, was filled with laughter, toasts, and joyful conversation.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

As everyone ate and chatted happily, the topic naturally shifted to the Nohara family's core business.

"...Now, we, Nohara Agriculture Co., Ltd., own twenty acres of land."

Nohara Saji put down his glass, a hint of pride and seriousness, characteristic of a pragmatist, appearing on his dark face, flushed from the alcohol: "Last week, I finalized the deal with the second son of the Yamada family next door. They'll transfer their five acres of land to us after the autumn harvest. Also, Uncle Suzuki from the next village—his son works in Osaka and isn't coming back—has agreed to sell us his ten acres of prime paddy fields. All the paperwork went smoothly with the agricultural cooperative."

He paused, glanced at the boy beside him who was gazing at him with adoration, and his honest, simple heart was filled with immense satisfaction, his voice becoming louder:
"As you instructed, Guangzhi, I've already spoken with the heads of several surrounding villages. We want all the vacant land! I estimate that by the end of the year, our company's land holdings will at least double, reaching fifty mu! Next year, I'll strive... I'll strive to get it to two hundred mu!"

"it is good!"

Nohara Ginnosuke slapped his thigh hard, his old face beaming with a pride that would make the entire Akita Prefecture take notice: "As expected of my son, Nohara Ginnosuke! You have guts! Two hundred acres! When that happens, our Nohara family will be one of the top landowners in Omagari City! Hahahaha!"

"That's wonderful." Hiroshi Nohara listened calmly, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

Dad was right.

However, although Daqu City is called Daqu City, in the context of China in the previous life, it was just a small town-level city.

It consisted of about eight or nine towns and villages.

Then it became Daqu City.

The population is only a little over 80,000.

Therefore, once you own two or three hundred acres of land, you can indeed be considered a large landowner.

However, Hiroshi Nohara also knew that two hundred acres of land was nothing but a drop in the ocean compared to the agricultural giants who owned hundreds of hectares of land in this era.

But in his strategic vision that transcended his time, this was a crucial piece that could potentially shake up the entire power structure of Japan in the future.

"In the wake of the economic crisis, the Japanese government will inevitably introduce a series of policies to protect agriculture in order to stabilize society. The purchase price of grain, especially staple foods like rice, will be raised to an unprecedented level. At that time, government grain subsidies alone will be enough to make these large agricultural companies extremely wealthy."

Hiroshi Nohara raised his glass, the clear liquid reflecting his unfathomable eyes.

He was analyzing it in his mind.

More importantly, there's the farmers' association. This organization, seemingly serving farmers, is actually a massive political monster controlling millions of votes. Whoever controls the land, whoever employs more farmers, wields greater influence within the association. And that influence ultimately translates into direct political power.

'At that time, the foundation of my Nohara family will no longer be merely that seemingly prosperous but actually fragile cultural empire of Tokyo. It will be this most solid, most reliable, black soil.'

Thinking about this, Hiroshi Nohara also felt that the current pace was still too slow.

"Big brother."

Hiroshi Nohara put down his glass and said, "We need to speed up the land acquisition. If you don't have enough money, just let me know. While everyone's attention is still focused on the city, and while land in the countryside is still worthless, we need to complete the initial capital accumulation as quickly as possible. This opportunity will be fleeting."

"Yes! I understand!" Nohara Saji nodded heavily, his dark face filled with absolute trust in his younger brother.

Although he still didn't quite understand why.

But just do as instructed.

“Um… Hiroshi.” Nohara Sashi scratched the back of his head, and a hint of barely suppressed confusion finally surfaced on his honest face: “I still don’t quite understand. Tokyo’s housing prices are changing every day. The newspapers are saying that Japan is about to buy up the whole of America! Everyone’s scrambling to get into the city, buying houses and stocks. Why…why are we throwing money away on these unwanted wastelands? Isn’t this…like throwing money into the water?”

These questions, filled with simple values, caused everyone present to fall silent instinctively.

Misae wasn't interested in any of that. She just blinked her big, curious eyes, looking at this and then at that, thinking that whatever Hiroshi-kun said must be true.

But in Yu Cai's clear eyes, which always held a gentle smile, a deep sense of shock flashed.

She also came from a rural background, and she knew better than anyone what twenty acres of land meant to an ordinary farmer.

That was a family fortune that almost took generations of hard work and dedication to build.

And now, the Nohara family, or rather, this "younger brother-in-law" who looks a few years younger than himself, has actually accomplished this seemingly impossible task in just a few months, and is even expanding his territory at an even more terrifying speed.

This courage and vision were far beyond what a country girl like her could comprehend.

She looked at the young man who was calmly sipping sake.

She suddenly felt that being with Mr. Saji was perhaps the most correct and luckiest decision she had ever made in her life.

"Hmph, you don't know anything!"

Just then, Ginnosuke Nohara's voice, filled with an aura of dominance, shattered the silence like a thunderclap.

He glanced at his eldest son, who was still agonizing over whether "land" or "house" was more valuable. His two thick eyebrows, just like his son's, twitched up and down triumphantly, like two caterpillars ready to dance.

“Let me tell you, Hiroshi! We men of the Nohara family do things with a sense of ‘scope’! Who is your brother Hiroshi? He’s a big shot who can stir up trouble in a place like Tokyo! Do you think his vision is the same as that of us country bumpkins who only know how to focus on our own little corner of the world?!”

He paused, picked up his glass, and downed the valuable "Juyondai" wine in one gulp. His weathered old face radiated a pride that would make the entire Akita Prefecture take notice.

“Listen to your brother, that’s the right thing to do! If he says to buy land, we’ll buy land! If he says this land will turn into gold nuggets, then it definitely will! Our Nohara family will soon become one of the top landowners in this Daqu City! When that happens, you, the company president, will be surrounded by followers, even more impressive than the town mayor! That’s what a man from the Nohara family should be like! Hahahaha!”

Nohara Ginnosuke had no idea about economic crisis, government subsidies, or the impending growth of agricultural cooperatives.

They don't even understand things like planning before acting or making long-term arrangements.

Nohara Ginnosuke only knew that.

just now.

The Nohara family now owns their own corporation and a lot of land; they've become large landowners!
That's it.

That's how straightforward it is.

That's just robber logic!

However, this statement, full of robber logic, acted like a powerful stimulant, instantly dispelling all of Nohara Sashi's confusion.

Looking at his father's smug expression and then at Yu Cai beside him, who was covering her mouth and chuckling, his honest and simple heart was completely filled with immense happiness and pride.

Yes, he may not understand those complex economics principles or those so-called grand theories.

But he knew he had a younger brother who was omnipotent.

This is enough.

"Okay! I'll listen to Hiroshi! I'll go find Uncle Suzuki tomorrow and sign the contract!" He stood up abruptly, downed the beer in his glass in one gulp, and the fiery passion of a pragmatist rekindled on his dark face!
Seeing this scene full of unexpected cuteness, Misae and Ikuna couldn't help but look at each other, and they both saw a heartfelt, happy smile in each other's eyes.

The entire Nohara family was immersed in a warm atmosphere filled with hope and anticipation.

The young man who orchestrated all of this simply watched calmly, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips, the smile of a chess player.

He knew that the grand scheme he had personally orchestrated, one that could change the fate of his entire family, had only just begun with the first insignificant piece.

The real feast is yet to come.

……

"Oh dear! Look at my memory!" In the midst of this joyful atmosphere, Nohara Tsuru suddenly seemed to remember something of utmost importance. He slapped his forehead, and a look of anxiety, as if he had almost messed up something important, appeared on his usually gentle and smiling face.

"What time is it! Hurry, turn on the TV! We almost missed it!" she said, quickly grabbing the remote control.

Their solemn demeanor made it seem as if what was about to unfold was not a television program, but an Olympic final concerning family honor.

"Hmm?" Hiroshi Nohara and Misae exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of confusion in each other's eyes.

Are there any must-watch programs at this time?
However, Nohara Ginnosuke and Nohara Sasuke, and even Ikuna standing to the side, seemed to have received some mysterious instruction. They all sat up straight instantly, their eyes fixed intently on the old CRT television. Their anticipation and tension were even stronger than when they had just discussed the ownership of the two hundred acres of land.

Nohara Tsuru skillfully switched the channel to TV Tokyo.

A burst of childlike and captivating electronic music, simple enough to brainwash you in three seconds, suddenly and cheerfully came from the speakers of that old television set.

"So this is it."

Hiroshi Nohara's lips curled into an uncontrollable smile.

On the screen, the huge stage was brightly lit, and the two hosts, who were already regarded as "ambassadors of happiness" by the Japanese people, were opening the show with their infectious, signature smiles.

It was the third episode of the second season of "Super Transformation".

"Of course! This 'Super Transformation' is now a very famous program in our whole family, no, I should say in our entire Daqu City! It's a must-watch program every Saturday afternoon at 2:30!" Nohara Ginnosuke proudly patted his chest: "This is a program produced by my son!"

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Ginnosuke Nohara and Tsuru Nohara, the couple, both looked proud.

Nohara Sashi and Ikuna also seemed proud of themselves.

Including Misae.

At this moment, he looked at Hiroshi Nohara with an expression of admiration.

"Well, everyone, let's continue watching the show." Hiroshi Nohara's lips curled up slightly; he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

That's exactly the feeling!
The show started right at the beginning with the most exciting part – announcing the winner of the second episode of the previous week's competition.

"...Based on the professional scoring by our 100 judges on site, and the combined votes of 1,736,421 popular votes cast by audiences across the country via telephone and pagers!"

The female host, Wei Lixiang, spoke in a loud and clear voice, exuding an unquestionable sense of authority. She held the envelope high in her hand and, amidst countless expectant gazes, announced the final answer, word by word.

"The team that won the second week's championship of our 'Super Transformation' Season 2 and successfully advanced to the national finals is—the 'Human Washing Machine' team from our capital, Tokyo! Congratulations to them!"

"yeah!"

As the male host, Hachigo Shin, made his energetic victory gesture, a shower of golden sequins instantly filled the air above the stage. Amidst the deafening cheers, the members of the Tokyo team, dressed in comical bodysuits, embraced each other and wept with excitement!

"Ugh……"

A sigh filled with "I knew it" rang out inappropriately in the Nohara family's living room.

Nohara Ginnosuke picked up the empty glass of "Juyondai" in front of him, smacked his lips listlessly, and his old face, which had just been full of pride, was now filled with the helplessness and resentment of a local commoner.

"I knew it." He curled his lip, his thick eyebrows drooping like two defeated caterpillars. "It's the Tokyo team again. These guys, having more people just gives them an advantage."

He pointed to the scrolling data bar at the bottom of the screen showing the vote counts for each region, his voice dripping with sarcasm: "Look at this, the popularity votes for Tokyo alone are almost equal to the total votes for all six prefectures in our entire Tohoku region! How can we even compete? This is just bullying us country bumpkins!"

Upon hearing this, Nohara Saji and Ikuna nodded subconsciously, their simple faces showing a resigned expression of "unwillingness but also helplessness."

Akita Prefecture, along with the entire Tohoku region, is as insignificant as a speck of dust compared to Tokyo, that behemoth that devours the nation's resources like a giant beast.

This inherent disadvantage, stemming from the sheer size of the population, cannot be overcome by any amount of creativity or effort.

"Dad, you can't say that."

Hiroshi Nohara looked at his family members, who were united in their hatred of the enemy, but he still wore that calm and serene smile on his face.

He refilled his father's already empty sake glass and explained slowly, "Popularity votes are important, but the judges' professional scores also account for 50%. Last week, didn't Hokkaido's 'Yuki-onna Team' overtake the more popular Nagoya Team with their creativity score? Ultimately, this is a stage where creativity speaks for itself."

These words were perfectly worded, both soothing the family members' pride in their "discriminated" local identity and tactfully maintaining the fairness of the program.

Of course, these were just polite words spoken to them.

In Hiroshi Nohara's strategic vision, which transcends this era, what lies hidden behind these seemingly fair rules is a cold reality filled with capitalist logic.

After all, Japan, to put it bluntly, is a deformed spindle.

Hiroshi Nohara raised his glass, the clear liquid reflecting his unfathomable eyes.

The Kanto region, with Tokyo at its core, accounts for nearly 40 percent of the nation's total economic output and population.

The Kansai region, centered around Osaka and Kyoto, accounts for 20% of the economy.

The remaining six regions and dozens of counties are merely sharing the last 40 percent of the scraps.

The so-called "national carnival" is essentially nothing more than a game of capital where top players set the rules, mid-level players participate, and bottom-level players contribute traffic.

What Hiroshi Nohara needs, or rather, what TV Tokyo needs, is viewership ratings, advertising revenue, and buzz.

Eighty percent of these things are concentrated in the two mega-metropolitan areas of Kanto and Kansai.

Of course, the rules should be made to be more favorable to them.

As for fairness?

Hiroshi Nohara's lips curled into a cold smile.

There is never absolute fairness in this world.

Only absolute strength matters.

He would never utter these thoughts, filled with dark military strategies, aloud.

He simply smiled, watching his family members' faces light up with relief after that seemingly fair explanation, and sighed inwardly.

this is the truth.

As long as my own family is doing well, that's all that matters.

The television program continued.

Each creative idea, full of whimsy yet rooted in life, is like a relentless, imaginative blizzard, overwhelming and bombarding the senses of all the viewers!

The Nohara family's living room was soon filled with bursts of pure, joyful laughter once again.

"Hahahaha! This 'whack-a-mole' game is so ingenious! It's exactly like the arcade games I played when I was young!" Nohara Ginnosuke laughed so hard he almost dropped the kebab in his hand onto the tatami mat.

"Yes, yes, that actor who played the groundhog had such expressive face!" Yu-na covered her mouth and let out a silvery laugh, her clear eyes filled with pure amusement.

Misae was already laughing so hard she was practically hanging on Hiroshi Nohara. Her uninhibited and adorable appearance made Hiroshi Nohara, who was standing next to her, unable to contain himself.

Thankfully, my family was there, otherwise I would have executed this little girl on the spot!

Just then, on the screen, a team from Okinawa used the simplest blue sheets and white foam to vividly imitate an elephant playing and spouting water in the sea.

The scene, full of childlike fun and imagination, drew enthusiastic applause from the audience.

"Hmph, another elephant."

Ginnosuke Nohara suddenly exhaled a breath of stale air mixed with alcohol and disdain from his nose. He downed the expensive "Juyondai" in his glass in one gulp, and a look of indignation, as if "my idea has been plagiarized," appeared on his old face.

"Let me tell you, if Ah He hadn't stopped me from going, my idea would have been a hundred times more brilliant than this damn elephant!"

"Oh?" Hiroshi Nohara was taken aback. "Dad, do you have any secret skills that we don't know about?"

"of course!"

These words were like a lit fuse, instantly igniting the powder keg of Nohara Ginnosuke's desire for self-expression!
He stood up suddenly, and his weather-beaten face showed an expression of anger at having his artistic attainments looked down upon.

"My idea is a true artistic treasure passed down through generations of the Nohara family! Back in the day, your great-grandfather stood out from dozens of suitors of your great-grandmother with this very skill!"

As he spoke, his thick eyebrows twitched up and down a few times uncontrollably, and his eyes were filled with boundless pride in his family's ancestral skills.

However, when Nohara Tsuru and Nohara Saji, who were standing next to him, heard the words "ancestral secret technique," their faces darkened visibly.

"You...you old lecher! You wouldn't be thinking of performing...that in front of the children, would you?!" Nohara Tsuru's voice was stammering, and his usually gentle smile turned gloomy.

"Dad! You...you mustn't do anything rash!" Nohara Saji panicked. He even subconsciously glanced at Ikuna, who was still looking bewildered, and her dark face instantly turned liver-colored.

"Hey hey hey..."

Ginnosuke Nohara let out a devilish laugh, completely ignoring the warning looks from his family. After a rustling sound, he suddenly turned around!

He lifted up his white sweatshirt, revealing his belly which was still well-maintained despite being over fifty years old.

"Elephant~ Elephant~ Why is your trunk so..."

"Shut up—!"

A roar filled with shame, anger, and despair, accompanied by a soft cushion falling from the sky, landed precisely and hard on Nohara Ginnosuke's old face, which was immersed in the world of art!
Nohara Tsuru could hold on any longer!
Like a lioness completely enraged, she covered her old man's still-talking mouth with her hand. In those eyes that were always gentle and tender, there was now a raging fire that could burn everything!

"I...I was wrong! Ah He! I was really wrong! Let go! In front of the children and my daughter-in-law, please give me some face!!"

Ginnosuke Nohara's whimpering, filled with the will to survive, came intermittently from Tsuru Nohara's small, seemingly boneless but actually incredibly strong hand.

Seeing this scene full of unexpected cuteness, Hiroshi Nohara, Misae, and Ikuna couldn't help but look at each other, and they all saw a heartfelt, happy smile in each other's eyes.

The entire Nohara family was immersed in a warm and joyful atmosphere.

Nohara Tsuru let out a long breath, a breath filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.

'Thankfully... thankfully, neither Hiroshi nor Sashi inherited this old rascal's shameful art.'

Looking at her two sons, who had long since grown up—one as steady as a mountain, the other as wise as the sea—she finally felt a sense of peace, a mother's heart at ease.

'This 'ancestral skill,' which would make the Nohara family unable to hold their heads high in the entire Omagari City, seems to be destined to be lost.'

While pressing hard on Nohara Ginnosuke's temples, Nohara Tsuru breathed a sigh of relief at the impending loss of the 'family's secret technique'.

How could something like this possibly be passed down?
What a shame!

(End of this chapter)