Tokyo Three Generations

She nodded with a smile. "Thank you!"

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According to the event schedule, today the strawberry orchard here is open to all participants for picking, and then it's strawberry buffet—meaning you can eat as many strawberries as you want.

In Tokyo, strawberries are very expensive, but in Akita, the place of origin, strawberries are so plentiful that they're practically everywhere and nothing special. This event was also a form of advertising, so strawberries could be considered part of the "advertising costs."

Jun Takasaki wasn't interested in these kinds of activities. He would just stroll around between the fields, picking a few strawberries from the trellises. Sometimes he would run into familiar villagers and exchange a few words (of course, most of the time the person on the other end recognized him, but he didn't recognize them, so he could only smile and give a vague reply).

In addition to dealing with the situation, he would occasionally check on Wakaba Mutsu's condition.

He was initially worried that Wakaba Mutsu might cause some trouble again, but he was surprised to find that Wakaba Mutsu seemed to be quite comfortable in the environment.

She walked through the fields, carefully avoiding the ridges, and then bent down slightly to check the condition of the strawberries. When she came across the best-growing strawberries that were fully ripe, she would pick them.

Moreover, her harvesting technique is quite meticulous. She doesn't just tear off the stem, as that would easily shake the plant. Instead, she holds the fruit stalk with her hand and then gently cuts it off with small scissors. She does it quickly and precisely, all in one smooth motion.

After picking the strawberries, she put them into the basket at her waist, and every now and then she would take out some small tools such as wet wipes, gardening shears and plastic bags from her canvas bag, looking focused and natural.

Yes, she seemed truly absorbed in it. Her already delicate face appeared even more serene because of her focus, and her white over-the-knee socks stood out conspicuously against the green plants and brown soil.

Facial expressions and smiles can be faked, but skilled movements cannot be faked, nor can they be learned in a short time.

Therefore, the only fact is that—as a top-tier second-generation star and also known as "Master Jing," Ruoye Mutsu is surprisingly knowledgeable about farmland.

Not only was Jun Takasaki surprised, but the village chief's wife next to him was also very surprised.

She never expected that this seemingly delicate young lady from Tokyo would actually have such a skill... No wonder Master Takasaki values ​​her so much.

With this thought in mind, the old lady's gaze toward Ruoye Mutsu became even more kind.

"Xiao Mu, you must be tired." Seeing the beads of sweat on Ruoye Mu's forehead, she called out with a touch of heartache, "Take a rest first."

Ruoye Mutsu wasn't actually tired; after all, the joy that gardening brought her was more than enough to overcome any physical fatigue.

However, the old man meant well, and she appreciated it.

So she stopped.

"Have some strawberries to replenish your fluids," the old woman said, pointing to the basket of strawberries she had just picked. "Child, it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor."

Hearing her say that, Ruoye Mu also felt thirsty, so she picked up a strawberry, washed it with a water bottle and a wet wipe, and put it in her mouth.

The high-quality strawberries were large and sweet, bringing a refreshing taste and cool juice. Ruoye Mu chewed them a few times and then swallowed them.

"It's delicious, thank you Grandma!" she politely thanked the elderly woman.

The old man watched her eat with a smile, seemingly experiencing the joy of feeding the small animals.

"Xiao Mu, you seem to know a lot about these things, you're very well prepared... Do you usually work in the fields?"

"Yes, I really enjoy gardening, and I've even joined the school's gardening club." Wakaba Mutsumi nodded gently. "We grow a lot of vegetables and fruits on campus."

"Oh? That's impressive!"

To others, "Wakaba Mutsumi's love of gardening" is just an ordinary hobby, but to this old lady who has spent her whole life working the land, it is quite a surprise.

Then she laughed, "Now I'm going to test you... What kind of strawberry did you just eat?"

This question was a bit difficult, but Ruoye Mu only frowned slightly and then savored the taste from before.

"It should be [Zhang Ji]."

After saying that, she glanced at the strawberries in her fruit basket again, "Among the strawberries I just picked, besides the [Akihime] variety, there were also [Berry Pop] varieties, both of which are very famous products of Akita..."

The old lady had only intended to give a casual test, but seeing how easily Ruoye Mutsu answered, she realized that she had truly met an expert.

"All correct, that's amazing!"

In an instant, Wakaba Mutsu was no longer seen as a delicate Tokyo rich girl, but as a lovable rival.

She had another basket of strawberries brought over, and then delivered it to Wakaba Mutsu.

"Try these too, they're all high-quality varieties that we're so proud of."

Ruo Yemu wasn't competitive, but seeing the old man's earnest gaze, she felt embarrassed to back down. So she picked up the basket, took out a few strawberries, examined their appearance and texture, and then took a few bites to check the taste.

“This one is Red Cheek, this one is Spring Day, this one is Kano…”

This small, unique competition attracted a large crowd, even drawing in Jun Takasaki.

Under his gaze, Wakaba Mutsu ate a strawberry while identifying its variety.

Jun Takasaki didn't know the specific answer, but he could tell from the looks in the eyes of the people present.

Even if it's not all correct, the accuracy rate is still astonishingly high.

He looked closely and realized that all the strawberries looked the same. Even if there were slight differences, they were all within the margin of error. How did Ruoye Mu manage to distinguish them?

But thinking about it carefully, I can also call out the name and class of dozens of almost identical anime faces. The reason is nothing more than practice makes perfect.

As the old saying goes, "a trade is like a mountain," and that is certainly true.

Ruoye Mu's "unique skill" amazed everyone present.

"What an amazing little girl!" After the initial shock, the village chief's wife exclaimed. "Even my granddaughter doesn't know this much! It's rare to see children these days who know such things!"

The others also gasped in astonishment. "Siguni!"

They really didn't expect that this young lady from Tokyo, who looked so frail, would actually know so much about farmland.

Faced with the gazes of the village chief and villagers, the usually shy Wakaba Mutsumi blushed instantly and could only lower her head timidly to explain, "Actually... I've been interested in gardening and plants since I was little, so... so I've learned a bit more, it's nothing special..."

Seeing her shy expression, everyone looked at each other for a moment, and then burst into laughter.

Ruoye Mu's performance naturally made these simple and honest villagers feel a sense of closeness to him.

"How adorable..." The village chief's wife smiled broadly, uttering a sentiment unique to the elderly.

Then, she took out a basket of strawberries from the side and enthusiastically handed it to Wakaba Mutsu, saying, "Eat more if you like, this is our best product this year."

During the taste test, Wakaba Mutsu had already eaten quite a few strawberries.

Although she felt the portion was too large, she forced herself to eat some more out of politeness.

Watching her eat with such contentment, the village chief's wife found her more and more adorable. She couldn't help but look at Takasaki Jun again and whispered, "Jun-kun, this child is so lovable. You should bring her over to play more often in the future."

Although there seemed to be nothing wrong with what she said, Jun Takasaki seemed to sense a strange implication in her words.

Jun Takasaki didn't know how to explain, so he at least smiled apologetically and said, "If there's a chance in the future, I definitely will."

The village chief's wife's enthusiasm actually stemmed from an unspoken expectation.

Since the death of Jun Takasaki's wife, Jun Takasaki's grandmother, the housewives of the Takasaki family have gradually drifted away from the local area.

Mio Takasaki had a bad relationship with her husband and had little interest in the countryside. Although she would go to the countryside with her husband to campaign for support when she first married into the family, over time, as the couple's relationship grew more distant, she became increasingly reluctant to perform populist shows and rarely came to her hometown anymore.

As a result, in recent years, the consensus among supporters of the Takasaki family has been that "Lady Mio does not like the local area".

Although it wasn't a big deal, it still caused some emotional distress for everyone.

Seeing that the young girl Tsun-kun brought this time was so knowledgeable about agriculture, the villagers naturally felt a sense of closeness to her. They also naturally hoped that she could become the next link between the parliamentarian's family and their hometown.

If something really did happen, they would definitely be happy to see it happen.

"Mumu, come to my house for lunch later." After whispering with Takasaki Jun, the old lady looked at Wakaba Mumu with a kind smile and extended a warm invitation, "We have the best handmade rice cakes in the whole area..."

"I really can't eat anymore..." Wakaba Muku cried out in her heart.

But seeing the old lady's expectant eyes, she found it hard to refuse, so she nodded gently.

"it is good."

"Jun-kun, you come too!" The old lady waved to Jun-kun Takasaki again.

42, a perfect couple?

After a lively morning of strawberry picking, the participants had a great time and ate their fill of strawberries.

When it was lunchtime, Senmina originally planned to have lunch with her daughter, but unexpectedly, the village chief and his wife gave her a surprise.

"Ms. Mori, I'm so sorry. I had a very pleasant chat with your daughter, Mutsu, today, and she seemed quite tired, so I took the liberty of inviting her to my house for lunch..." The old lady looked at Mori Minami apologetically. "If it's convenient for you, would you like to come along?"

Has Mu already agreed?

Minami's first reaction was surprise.

After all, she knew that her daughter was usually very shy and would not easily talk to strangers, let alone go to a stranger's house to play.

However, considering that her daughter has been acting a bit strange lately, it's not surprising—she's probably just pretending to be well-behaved.

And it seemed like a very good performance, fooling everyone.

She had discovered that in the eyes of the village chief and his wife, Ruoye Mutsu seemed to be more important than her, a big star, and they were clearly more attentive to Mutsu.

So they invited Mu first, and then, as a matter of courtesy, notified me, making me feel like an extra who could come or not.

Why? Is this reasonable? Didn't you all notice? I'm the main character of this event!

She was furious inside and gritted her teeth in anger.

However, she couldn't show her anger and jealousy; it was bottled up inside her and difficult to vent.

Her expression shifted subtly a few times before she smiled gently again.

"It is my honor to receive an invitation from your family. I will speak with my assistants."

So, after explaining to the people around her, she went to the village chief's house with the village chief's wife.

Although this is a backward rural area, it has its advantages—land is cheap.

The village chief's family has a separate courtyard. Although the house looks old-fashioned, it is quite impressive. There is also a courtyard of moderate size with various vines on it, which shows that it is well maintained.

As soon as Minami arrived in the courtyard, she saw her daughter standing under the porch.

At this moment, she was without makeup; the combination of her dress and over-the-knee socks made her look like an elf who had fallen to earth.

She has to admit that her daughter is indeed beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful than she was at that age—although Senmina is unwilling to admit it.

At the same time, Senmina suddenly noticed something else strange: a young man was standing next to her daughter, and the two seemed to be chatting and laughing.

My daughter, who is usually so serious and reserved, seemed to be able to communicate like a normal young girl.

Mori Minami frowned, feeling that something was amiss.

Isn't that the volunteer guy?

They met once at the airport when he was carrying his daughter's luggage; they met again at the hotel when he stopped his daughter from falling to her death; and this time, he was invited by the village chief and his wife to have dinner with his daughter...

Things won't happen more than three times; even the slowest person would eventually notice the problem.

Although her heart was in turmoil, she maintained a calm demeanor on the surface.

She looked at the village chief's wife, then tentatively asked, "Excuse me, who is that young man next to my daughter?"

"Eh? You didn't know? That's young master Takasaki." A hint of doubt flashed across the village chief's wife's face. "Didn't they tell you?"

"What young master?" Senmina was taken aback for a moment.

But soon, she guessed something from the surname Takasaki.

"Is this the son of that Councilor Takasaki?" she then asked urgently.

"Who else could it be but him... We don't recognize any other young masters like Takasaki here." The old lady smiled, then, as if showing off, added, "Isn't our young master handsome? I've watched him grow up..."

He is indeed quite handsome, but seeing him standing to the side chatting and laughing with his daughter, he suddenly lost his appeal.

Moreover, she was reminded of Representative Takasaki whenever he was mentioned.

Back when she had just debuted, Hiroshi Takasaki had pursued her.

At that time, he had not yet inherited the family business and was just a playboy. Although he was once tempted, he ultimately declined. Rather than declining, it was more accurate to say that the two families' pursuits were completely mismatched. He wanted to continue his career in the entertainment industry, while the Takasaki family only wanted a low-key wife.

Sure enough, not long after, Hiroshi Takasaki got married to the daughter of a businessman, and the two sides almost lost contact from then on, each going their own way.

Time flies, and unexpectedly, after twenty years, everything seems to have entered a cycle again.

This time, it was actually the young master of the Takasaki family who ran into his daughter.

Is it a tragic fate?

With everything now connected, Senmina suddenly had a moment of realization, as if she had pierced through all the fog and seen the hidden truth.

Previously, young master Takasaki deliberately concealed his identity and pretended to be a volunteer to get close to his daughter.

The daughter is not innocent either. Not only did she hide the truth from her mother, but she also flirted with him. Who knows how long they have been dating in private.