Chapter 4 Chapter One

This incident was heard after the fact. that day... I heard that the mountain is already white. Although the weather is not very clear, it is quite bright outside. Perhaps it was the weak sunlight reflected irregularly by the snow. Mountain birds wailed. In this cold winter, will the birds still sing?Masasumi Imagawa was sitting in a fairly comfortable chair by the window, thinking about such insignificant things. The windows are floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and the outside is a place similar to a platform.Imagawa originally planned to go there to breathe the cold outdoor air as soon as he woke up, so as to drive away sleepiness, but he gave up because it was too cold.And just sitting on the bone-cold chair by the window, his eyes were already fully awake.

Imagawa shifted his gaze from the distant mountains to the forest in front, and then to the platform.The floor and crossbars of the platform seemed to have faded and turned white due to long-term exposure to wind and snow, but perhaps the snow accumulated on the handrails was too bright white, and it looked strangely dark on this day.Possibly due to wetness. The tip of the nose is getting cold.Imagawa got up slowly, and returned from the wooden room to the tatami guest room. The room was also very cold.The maid had just made the warm beds, and the room looked empty.There is brewed tea on the low table, but the tea should be cold too.

Imagawa shrugged his shoulders and looked into the brazier, where the charcoal fire was burning fiercely. Unfortunately, this room is too spacious for a single room. In order to let the charcoal fire burn more vigorously, Imagawa also closed the paper door separating the two rooms. The brightness dimmed. Even so, knowing that it was morning made Imagawa feel weird. He sat on the Japanese-style chair beside the low table, the thick silk cushion was extremely soft. "Ah, what a great chair." Imakawa stretched out his hands, waved them lightly, and said to himself. Of course no one responded.

But Imagawa only made a sound knowing this, and his tone was completely joking. Because he is boring. — and probably have nothing to do today. No, it may not be the case.Even though I hoped so much, I was looking forward to it yesterday. Rather than end up with nothing in the end, it would be better to give up at the beginning.Imagawa felt that it would be best if he waited without hope, waiting for the other party to appear. He has been waiting for five days. Although this is a time-honored hotel, it is located in a remote mountain area closed by heavy snow, and it is impossible to go out at will. Even if you leave the hotel, there are no places of interest nearby that you can visit.In this case, there is really nothing to do.At most, I can only soak in the hot spring, enjoy the food, drink a small wine with dinner, and then go to bed.The service of the hotel is first-class, and the wine brewed locally is also of a considerable level. Although the food and wine are delicious, they are still the same, and you will get tired of eating for three days.The bathhouse is made of cypress wood and is very luxurious. I heard that it was originally a famous spring, but Imagawa's purpose is not to soak in the hot spring for recuperation, so he can't always soak in the hot spring.

Imagawa is here for business.As the days went by, the cost of accommodation increased and profits dwindled. ——How much is that worth? Imagawa looked at the hanging scroll in the alcove and calculated in his heart. It's just a big circle drawn with dark and strong strokes.Imagawa couldn't tell if it was an inkblot or a painting. ——Is it a Zen painting? Imagawa is not very good at calligraphy and painting, and he is not very clear about the era and theme of calligraphy and painting.It would be fine if there was a signature collection box left, but just by looking at it, he couldn't judge its value at all, at most he could only tell if the mounting was good or bad.Although the sides of the hanging scroll are a bit dirty, the overall look should be quite delicate.But it is futile not to understand the most important point, namely the value of the painting itself.Imagawa is not a mounter, and it is useless to evaluate the mount.

Imagawa rested his cheeks and looked further at the hanging scroll. When thinking, Imagawa will show a really strange expression. In the eyes of others, that is a state of selflessness. Even if he doesn't make such an expression, Imagawa already has a unique face. All the people who knew him said with one voice that if they saw him once, they would never forget it.His appearance is so strange. Imagawa is by no means obese, but at first glance he appears to be short and fat, and to put it mildly, he is majestic.The most symbolic of his majesty is the majestic wine barrel nose.On the nose are a pair of huge round eyes, and on top of it are thick eyebrows like snakes.The lips are slightly baggy and thick, and the whiskers surrounding it are likewise thick.But Imagawa has almost no chin, but draws a gentle curve from the bottom of the lips, extending all the way to the neck.Every part of the face is exaggerated, forming a very exaggerated appearance.If he was old enough, he should have turned into an extremely calm and full-fledged businessman's face, but now he only looks young.

In meditation, the face became more relaxed. Ten minutes passed like this for Imagawa. However, after all, there is still no price to be seen. Imagawa continued to estimate the value of the pot in the alcove and the low table in front of him, but he couldn't make a firm judgment. Finally, he got tired of this futile game and walked out of the room. The hallway was polished to a shine, and the vestibule could be seen from the window.Although he still can't grasp the overall structure of the hotel, he knows that this courtyard is not the elegant atrium facing the hall downstairs.The landscape is completely different.When arriving at the hotel, Imagawa was supposed to pass by the vestibule, but was only impressed by the huge trash can.

Imagawa suddenly turned around.He saw the jug adorning the end of the corridor, which looked quite old and expensive.You can tell even from a distance. ——Shigaraki, right?No, it's Tokonameyaki. Compared with calligraphy and painting, ceramics are considered to be better at Imagawa.It's just that he can't value it.Just saying "it seems very old" or "it seems very expensive", even a layman can do it.Even if it is good to understand it, it is meaningless if it cannot be converted into money. Masasumi Imagawa is a fledgling antique dealer, and he still cannot estimate the price with confidence.

——But this should be a very good thing. All in all, all the utensils in this hotel, Xianshilou, are valuable antiques.Although Imagawa didn't understand, he judged like this.Speaking of which, the building itself is almost an antiquity. Imagawa walked down the stairs and walked through the corridor to the lobby.In the wide hall facing the courtyard, an old man sat alone. The scene was almost the same as yesterday.The old man, who had been familiar with him for the past few days, seemed to be still looking at the courtyard blankly, just like yesterday.The top of the old man's head is completely bald, and the outline is round, so if one looks at it against the light, it is really impossible to tell where the old man is facing.But Imakawa thinks that since the old man was looking at the garden yesterday, it should be the same today.

"Good morning." "Oh, it's you." As expected, the old man was looking at the courtyard.Seeing Imagawa, he smiled happily. From the outside, the old man seemed to be close to seventy, but he seemed surprisingly young.Some of the only remaining sideburns are almost white. In contrast, the old man's face is rich and ruddy. Imagawa was very interested in the old man.He doesn't look like a guest, but he doesn't look like a hotel employee either.Judging from his tone, he didn't look like an innkeeper either.He only wore a padded robe over his day-use bathrobe, and he had nothing to do, just staying so leisurely.

"You..." The old man suddenly said in a voice that dropped his voice, "You don't look like a visitor to a hot spring. Excuse me, what are you here for?" asked the old man in a unique tone.It seems that just like Imagawa has doubts about the old man, the old man also has doubts about Imagawa. "Oh, I'm here for business, but the client I made an appointment with hasn't shown up yet." "Business? Why make an appointment to discuss business in this deep mountain in Hakone? It is also Hakone, and there are many places with convenient transportation. Like Yuan Hakone or Yumoto—no, in this area, there are also many hot spring hotels at the foot of the mountain. .” "No, this place was designated by the other party. He told me to wait here, so I waited like this for five days." "I've been waiting for five days. Although the guests who appoint this kind of place as a meeting place are strange, they are at their peak. The style is simple and they produce large-scale daily necessities. You don't know much about doing business with such people. It's not an ordinary business anyway. Bar?" "Unusual, very unusual. It was a monk who told me to wait here." "Monk?" "I'm waiting for a monk. That's all." "That's all?" "That's all. Hahaha." Imagawa ended the topic with a meaningless laugh, and told the old man his name and occupation.After the old man knew that Imagawa was an antique dealer, he tilted his head in disbelief, and reported his name: "My name is Jiuyuanji Jiaqin." The old man Kuonji said that he was a frequent visitor to this hotel, and visited almost every year before the war.But if you ask him if he is still a guest now, the situation is a little different.He seems to be here now in the fantastical status of "hotel guest." "To put it bluntly, it is abandoning the life of the city, but to put it bluntly, I can't stay in Tokyo anymore, it's like exile. It's not so much a seclusion, it's more like going to the capital, fleeing from the wilderness." The old man said emptily Laughed. Then he turned to Imagawa and asked, "Haven't you heard of me?" Imagawa replied that he hadn't heard of it, and the old man said "that's it", tilted his head and twitched his chin, and briefly described his life experience. The old man Kuonji was originally a practicing physician in Toshima. He lost his family in a certain incident and could no longer continue to practice. So he disposed of all the hospital and property, and left Tokyo almost as if he was driven away.The old man of Jiuyuan Temple didn't know where to go, but ended up staying here, and it has been two months now. "It was a commotion, and it was a great commotion. Even so, it took up only a small space in the newspaper. Even the major events that affect my life are nothing more than minor incidents to the world. Don't know There must be a lot of people here. Well, there should be a lot.” The old man finished speaking as if moaning, nodded as if he understood, and twitched his chin even more. This time he asked in a poetic tone, "Are you an antique dealer? Have you been in business for a long time?" "very short." Imagawa knew that this was a strange answer, so he smiled embarrassingly while sitting beside the old man. The old man picked up the soft cushion piled up beside him, and pushed it towards Imagawa as if sliding on the tatami. Imagawa knelt on the cushion, paused for a moment, and began to tell his story. Because Imagawa felt that the old man's eyes were asking him to tell. Speaking of Imagawa's hometown, it is a family of painters who have produced Maki-e for generations, and it is quite a famous family with a long history.His father's name was the thirteenth Izumiemon, and if Imagawa was the eldest son, he would inherit the fourteenth Izumiemon's name.However, I don't know whether to say it is luck or misfortune, because Imagawa is the second son, he did not inherit this ancient name.Imagawa was the first to explain this matter.This is an indispensable preface to tell how young he was as an antique dealer and how he became an antique dealer.However, Imagawa didn't explain it at all, and this remark seemed extremely abrupt.However, the old man did not look surprised, and asked instead: "Thirteen generations are quite old." "Uh, I heard that if you trace the origin, it can be traced back to Imagawa Yoshimoto." Imagawa often heard about it from his grandfather. Imagawa's grandfather was, of course, the twelfth generation Izumiemon.But Imagawa never listened carefully, so he didn't remember very clearly.Because he is not an heir, in a sense it can be said that he is in a position of not being responsible, which makes Imagawa unaware of his family background; or it may be that he will not inherit the family business anyway, so it is useless even if he listens to this awkward idea , making him cover his ears and refuse to listen.Although I don't know why, it doesn't matter to Imagawa whether the ancestor is Imagawa Yoshimoto or Takeda Shingen.As far as appearance is concerned, the Shingen statues that have been handed down in the world are more similar to himself——Imagawa's thoughts end there. In any case, Imagawa is undoubtedly a member of a family related to this family.Of course, Imagawa himself believes that such so-called monsters of family background will not bring any benefits except to form obstacles in modern society.In fact, families such as the Chinese or the gentry are almost all impoverished now, so Imagawa believes that this prejudice may not be wrong. However, the situation in Imagawa's hometown is a bit special.The Imagawa family is charged with the mission of inheriting technology and maintaining tradition.Perhaps thanks to this gift, the Imagawa family was able to avoid poverty and continue to this day; but when it comes to separation, the situation is different.Separation does not have a sense of mission based on history and tradition, and they have completely lost their ambitions. Therefore, those who are separated, without exception, only know how to use power to exercise power, and they have lost all dignity.The uncle of the branch family seems to be such a person. It is said that he would not submit to others to do things under any circumstances.And if it was in the old shogunate era, it would be fine. In the Showa era, this kind of mentality would not work.As a result, he was in a difficult situation for his livelihood, just like the saying "people are poor and short-sighted", and in a blink of an eye, they suffered a crushing defeat, and finally reached the point of being penniless.He is completely a typical Xieyang family. The uncle's son, that is, Imagawa's cousin or distant brother, entered the industry in order to make a comeback, which was an antique dealer. Even though he was down and out, he was originally a noble family, so there are mountains of ancient treasures in the warehouse.At the beginning, the cousin seemed to sell these things in order to dispose of them. Unexpectedly, this brought quite a lot of profits. Perhaps also because of his family background, the cousin seems to have an extremely precise appreciation for antiques.Not only that, but he also has a talent for doing business, and he made a name for himself as a connoisseur in a short time.Although he was just a speculator without a store at the beginning, after two or three years, he opened a large store in Qingshan.The name of the store is "Antique Imagawa". The first-line family in the big family of the main family-that is, Imagawa's hometown, seemed to regard the profession of the cousin as a waste at that time.Therefore, in order to deal with the separation of the family, a lot of disputes have been caused among the families.However, during this period, the Pacific War broke out, and the result was nothing. "Antique Imagawa" remained. Then…… My cousin was seriously injured on the battlefield and returned home. He passed away three years ago.The bloodline of the branch family was cut off, leaving only the antique shop, and heated disputes once again arose between the families.Imagawa hated such disputes, so he recommended himself, asking himself, the second son of the family, to inherit the store. Imakawa originally thought that all relatives would mobilize and oppose vigorously, but surprisingly, there was no voice of opposition, and no one dared to directly refute the proposal of the second son of the family.This is because Imakawa's father readily agreed, but Imagawa didn't understand what his father was thinking. In this way, Masasumi Imakawa became an antique dealer. The store name was also changed to "Daikoan". After Imagawa inherited the store, he removed the surname "Imagawa" from the store name, but there was no big reason for it. Imagawa’s childhood nickname was “Big Bone”, and he changed it to the homonym of “Daigu” because he felt that the two characters seemed to match the antique shop quite well, and there was no profound allusion.Imagawa thinks this is more in line with his own style, but most of the guests will self-righteously explain the meaning when they see those two words, and suddenly realize. Imagawa will not specifically explain. He thinks the world is like this.Imagawa always tries his best to manage Daiguan in his own way, but looks at the world with some cold eyes. This year—Showa 28 (1953)—is only the second year Imagawa has been an antique dealer. The old man Jiuyuanji seemed to be greatly admired, and after Imagawa finished speaking, he nodded repeatedly. "But it's really rare for your father to agree to you. This is not something that can be easily achieved by saying that I want to leave home to start a business. Speaking of the second young master of the family, in the clan—how should I put it, the status is very high, right? ?” "That's not the case. The gap between the eldest son and the second son is vast. The five children in our family are all brothers, but the status does not start from the eldest son. The second son, the third son, and the fourth son descend in order. The eldest son Being the head of the family was equivalent to being the lord in the past, and everyone below the second son is a retainer, a courtier." "Is that right?" "That's how it is. For example—yes, our family has a secret about Makie's technique. This secret is passed down from generation to generation and passed down from generation to generation. As long as there is no accident with my brother, I will never learn this in my life. The secret. That's the difference." "That's really too much. Let me tell you, that kind of technology with cultural value can't go on like this. It can't be monopolized privately, it should be made public. By the way, if the family is famous, there should be ancient books and secrets. Books or something? Can't you read these things too?" "That kind of thing is all passed down by word of mouth, without leaving words." "Isn't this too unreasonable? If the person who knows it encounters an accident, won't those skills be lost?" "However, there are some things that cannot be recorded in words, right? Moreover, it may be because they may be lost at any time, so it is not certain that they are valuable. Maybe those secrets are actually meaningless, just because no one knows, so It’s valuable. If that’s the case, that’s fine. It’s just that I don’t have the qualifications to inherit it, that’s all. So even if I leave home and start a business, it won’t be a big problem.” "I see, that's really a rather delicate position. Hmm..." As the old man said, he murmured "uh..." again.I don't know what bothered him. After thinking for a while, he said as if he understood: "I said you, it's very good." Imagawa didn't know what was good and asked, the old man squinted his eyes and replied: "It's better to get rid of that old bad habit as soon as possible. Especially the thing of leaving the family earlier, it's really right. You made a good decision , really wise." Imakawa was a little surprised and opened his eyes wide. "No, I didn't do it out of a particularly strong will. I just didn't want to be in that half-baked position." "Do you mean half-baked in the sense caught between tradition and innovation, family and individual, the bondage of fame and the freedom of namelessness?" "No. It seems that the old man has exaggerated my words. Although my family is a distinguished family, it is not a family that is deeply bound by old habits; not only that, we can not guarantee a smooth life for the rest of our lives as long as we inherit the name. If technology No, that's it. Now that you have inherited the name, you must not act vaguely and shoddy. The heir of the family is equal to the master, and the skills must not be poor. In order to inherit the family business, you must pay more than others Work harder, keep improving, and acquire the skills to be qualified as a master. So the eldest son will have more pressure. Fortunately, I don’t have that kind of pressure. But I am the second son. When something happens, I must Inheriting the family business. In other words, I have to learn the basic skills. Then, even if I pursue other careers, I will always be uneasy. I don’t know whether it is easy or not. I said It's this kind of half-assed." "It's such a half-baked guy." "yes." "Oh." This time the old man stuck out his chin and said, "Well, it's not incomprehensible." But the old man's next question was very abrupt. "I'm asking a strange question—then do you have unnecessary inferiority complex towards your father or brother?" It seems that the way of thinking of the old man Kuonji is beyond the reach of Imagawa.All of Imagawa's speeches were arbitrarily changed by the old man's bald head, and they became back-to-back questions that deviated from the usual routine.The process of generating questions and turning them into words naturally followed a certain principle, but Imagawa didn't understand what the principle was.After all, those truths are based on the old man's outlook on life or doctrine, and that is really beyond what Imagawa can know. However, the opponent's situation should be the same. That is - each other. Therefore, Imagawa answered the old man without thinking too much: "Well, it would be a lie to say that there is no such thing. Even regardless of family background, my father is also a first-class maki-e artist. I regard my father as an artist and respect him very much. My brother's skills are also superb. It is very difficult for me to reach the realm of the two of them. So it is not completely without inferiority complex." "Oh?" The old man opened his mouth, "You are really honest." "But..." Imagawa continued, "My father is bold and unrestrained, and my brother is gentle, so our family relationship is actually very harmonious, and I have never had conflicts with my father or my brother. The only thing that is famous is the inherited name, and that name It's not something you have to risk your life to fight against. I'm a little guy, that's all." "Why, I feel more and more that you are too honest. Surprisingly honest." The old man pouted and finished speaking, and then said: "Although you say so, maybe you are actually a big shot. Well, you don't look like an ordinary person on the outside." The old man laughed. Imagawa also laughed, but his heart was a little complicated. Indeed, Imagawa has a good relationship with his father and brother on the surface, and there is no sign of deterioration at present.There is nothing to worry about.As Imagawa said just now, he respects his father and has no dissatisfaction with his elder brother.As the old man said, that speech was undoubtedly from Imagawa's sincerity. However, Imagawa does have an inferiority complex. And that kind of inferiority complex is by no means just to the extent of "it's a lie to say that you don't have it". Once, my father criticized Imagawa's paintings so much. —You really want to draw it well. Of course, no one wants to ruin a painting.What is wrong with wanting to draw well?At that time, Imagawa couldn't understand it at all. that time-- Imagawa still harbored a sliver of expectation, thinking that the one who would inherit the family might not be his brother, but himself.Although he knew very well that it was impossible to leave the eldest son behind and let the second son inherit the family business, he still thought so, and there was a reason for it. Imagawa has liked painting since he was a child, and the finished products he painted are of a very good level. He has a premonition in his heart that he may have a "talent", which is embarrassing to say.No—perhaps he was so sure. So Imagawa was obsessed with painting, not only Japanese painting, but also Western painting techniques.On the other hand, the elder brother seems unable to see the connection between lacquer craft and painting, and only knows to imitate his father's style straightforwardly.In Imagawa's view, his brother's paintings are too down-to-earth, lacking in interest, and nothing new. This is why Imagawa thinks that he will surpass his elder brother and become the heir. Makie is not just a simple traditional craft.It is a Japanese art that should be spread overseas. However, Makie, who has been constantly improving and transforming since the Nara period, stopped in the late Edo period.After the Meiji era, even in modern times, it has been completely reduced to a handicraft.It can't go on like this.Makie - but art. Imagawa thought so.Perhaps it was because he respected his father that he was so self-righteous. I have the technology, but also the determination to learn, more talent.Even if the eldest son inherits the name of the fourteenth generation, the Imagawa family should need him in another sense——Imagawa still thinks so. But Imagawa's spirit of being close to certainty was easily destroyed. —You really want to draw it well. My father judged that Imagawa's skills did not belong to the category of manual dexterity at all. Painting is done with a brush.In other words, no matter how you paint, you still rely on handy techniques, so what else can you do?Imagawa didn't understand.Father still said so. ——Makie is not an artist.If you intend to inherit the family business, don't waste your labors on frivolous things. In Imagawa's concept, those who produce art are called artists.For Imagawa, Maki-e is an out-and-out art.So isn't Makie the same as an artist? What is wrong with exploring a new path? Since Makie established the technique of Makie in the Heian period (794-1185), Gao Makie, who pursued more exaggerated expressions, appeared in the Muromachi period, and Momoyama period (1573-1603) ) created the heavy decorative flat maki-e technique, absorbed European art in the process, and developed new styles such as Nanban maki-e.Makie has a history of adapting to the times and developing new styles at any time.And each of these styles has never been extinct, and coexisted at the same time. After entering the Edo period, masters such as Honami Koetsu and Ogata Korin were also born. However, Makie is now a craft. In fact, after the Meiji era, other genres also made various explorations and attempts.Naturally, Imakawa cannot just stick to tradition.How can one create art without lofty aspirations?Isn't it the reason for the degeneration to regard Makie as a mere handicraft? When Imagawa said that, his father was furious.Imagawa hastily defended himself. Because my father took Imagawa's speech as a mocking father.Of course not.It is precisely because Imagawa respects his father and speaks highly of his works that he does not want to be misunderstood.The so-called degeneration of Imagawa refers to the degeneration of Makie's own cultural value. However, my father correctly understood what Imagawa meant, and was still angry about it.Imagawa was baffled.At this time, Imagawa may have argued with his father for the first time in his life, all because of his youthful vigor. Father answered sternly. ——After Meiji, why Makie can no longer establish a new style, do you understand? ——Because of paying attention to skills and indulging in the pursuit of details. ——Where is the handicraft bad? ——Makie-shi is not an artist. ——After all, what is called art is the work itself, not the producer. ——If you can’t simply paint, simply do, — just quit. Imagawa couldn't understand, but these words were unforgettable. Since then, Imagawa has learned the basic skills, and then not only Makie, but also any painting will never be done.Because he thought that he would never be able to surpass his father, nor could he win against his elder brother.This incident brought him a great sense of inferiority. No matter how many times he thought about his father's words, he could only understand the superficial meaning.But he has already understood very well that that is not a field that he can reach. After that, my elder brother practiced steadily, and even if he was not as good as his father, he was able to produce quite excellent works.Although, as always, there is nothing new, Imagawa thinks those works are very remarkable.The elder brother may be inferior to Imagawa in technique, but from the beginning he understood something that Imagawa didn't.Even Imagawa, who didn't understand anything, really couldn't inherit the family business. Fortunately, he is the second son—the current Imagawa thinks so.And he respects his father and elder brother from the bottom of his heart.The relationship between the family members is also very harmonious.However, these are all out of some kind of reaction.Behind the respect is an inferiority complex that cannot be shaken off; behind the sense of liberation brought about by the position of not being responsible, there is an entangled sense of loss.So——Imagawa didn't violate family or tradition as the old man said, but the description of defeat is more appropriate.And it's not a decisive defeat, but a kind of abandonment or distortion.After distorting this distortion again, Imagawa was barely able to live with integrity. Imagawa's half-assed is actually such a half-assed. Complicated state of mind, in fact, is such a state of mind. Imagawa thought that this kind of thing would not be understood by outsiders anyway, and he just laughed along with the old man.Although I don't know what's funny, the old man Kuonji looks very happy.When the laughter was about to stop, as if attracted by the laughter, the maid who was already a familiar face poked her head out from the corridor lightly. "Well, the doctor and the guests are here. Well, there's not even a fire. I'll get the brazier. Well, is breakfast here, too?" "Oh, if it doesn't bother you, let's do it this way. I've always wanted to eat while looking at the garden. Fortunately, it didn't snow today. I said, Mr. Imagawa, how is it?" Imagawa said yes.The maid smiled. "Hey, although the doctor said so, but at this time of year, a little snow will add to the charm. It's so gloomy, the courtyard looks gloomy." "Is that so?" "That's right, and although it's not easy to say that in front of the guests, the boss is now—how should I put it, he can't tidy up the yard at all, and the snow just keeps piling up like this." "It's okay, it's okay. I don't know how to appreciate gardens anyway." The old man waved his hand exaggeratedly.The maid smiled wryly, said "Then I'll prepare right away", and left.The old man Kuonji looked at the back of the maid and said: "Mr. Imagawa, the boss here is just like you, what generation is it, and he is currently hospitalized. The previous generation passed away in the war, and the current boss inherited the hotel. The inheritance belongs to the inheritance." But his body is weak, obviously much younger than me, but his stomach is weak. He got a stomach ulcer at the end of the year and was hospitalized on New Year's Day. What a miserable New Year. The proprietress also came between the hotel and the hospital There is no time to be idle at all. It is really unfortunate that you came here." In other words, Imagawa has not seen the proprietress since the first day he greeted her. The old man looked out into the garden. Imagawa also looked towards the courtyard as if being drawn by his gaze. Great compound. Hearing that the owner has neglected to take care of it, if you look at it with this preconceived notion, it is indeed a lack of care.But even so, this is still a beautiful courtyard.First of all, the landscape is extremely elegant.There are pool springs, stone lanterns, and rockeries. The configuration of these things is amazing.Letting the snow pile up will not spoil its style, but it will brew a full of wild interest.Maybe it's because the original scenery structure is very good. Most importantly, this yard is full of energy. Imagawa believes that these vitality should come from the trees. A big tree stands next to the pool near the building.It was a big tree that was too big to meet the scale of the courtyard, which obviously destroyed the balance of the courtyard, but it did bring breadth and power to the courtyard instead.It seems to resist being confined in this small pattern.Imagawa half-subconsciously and half-said what he felt in his heart: "It's such a big tree." "You mean the cypress tree?" "It's really big." "As expected of an antique dealer, he has a good eye. The garden needs a cypress tree, but that tree seems to be natural. According to the owner of the previous generation, that tree seems to be older than this building. So this garden It was built to match that tree. If it is that big, it is usually cut down, but the person who built this garden must be a skilled master. By leaving that tree behind, the whole garden came alive —that’s what I heard from the previous generation, too.” The old man looked around the courtyard while explaining.Although it is a bit exaggerated to say that Huiyan is not necessarily inappropriate. The old man continued: "Let me tell you, what kind of business do you do, and what kind of family do you come from, you should understand these things, right?" "What do these refer to?" "Here, it's the wind, flowers, snow and moon, what Tuo, Ji, etc..." "Oh……" "I'm not good at these things. Should I say I don't know the humor or the style? I don't understand at all. Even if I look at the yard, I only know, ah! There are trees, there is a pond, there are fish in it, and there are stones. Speaking of Tuo , referring to old things, sabi, are rotten things. But if you understand it in this way..." "That's right." Hearing what Imagawa said, the old man slapped his knees and said, "That's it, that's it", very happy. Speaking of which, Imakawa himself didn't quite understand. "For decades, I have lived like this. I only know that one plus one equals two in my head. Of course, one plus one equals two, but I have never discovered that this two is actually of various kinds, so I have lived to this age. This It’s my limit. But, after coming here, looking at the garden without doing anything like this, I feel as if I have a little understanding, it’s really amazing.” "Oh……" Me too——Imagawa didn't agree so much. Imagawa also thinks he understands, but this is often not true.It is because of the desire to prove what this ambiguity is that mortals crave unnecessary knowledge.What is the era and style of this courtyard, and what is the meaning of this configuration—even if you recite a long list like a scripture, it can't prove that you understand anything.Just know, don't understand.At such times, knowledge may become a hindrance instead. The same goes for antiques.Although Imagawa is now able to study the historical styles of antiques, he does not think he understands the true value of so-called antiques.The reason why there is no confidence in valuation is caused by this. But do other antique dealers really understand what antiques are and do this business?It's hard to say.Antique dealers are not antique lovers, and it is not a problem not to know these things.Since it is a business, knowing the market and trends is more important than enjoying antiques.It's just that Imagawa feels that relying on these alone for valuation always disgusts him. But Imagawa also thinks that if he can understand, maybe he won't feel inferior to his father and brother. Therefore, regardless of knowledge, Imagawa and this old man who thinks he doesn't know how to be funny are actually the same kind.What Imagawa said just now was just out of his mouth when he saw the big tree, and he didn't have any thoughts at all.It was just a whim. "I think it's more important to know--isn't it important?" So Imagawa replied. “觉得了解是什么意思？”老人问，“意思是这么觉得比较重要吗？” “是的，不牵强附会才是正确的态度吧。” “原来如此啊……”老人不甚服气地说，一瞬间沉思起来。 “可是啊，今川，就算再怎么觉得了解，那也只是错觉而已。” "An illusion?" “噢。你看啊，那个——不是有假山吗？那个东西啊，这里的老板说它是真的山。但是在我看来，那不过是一堆土罢了。老板说，这叫做比拟。我是觉得很美。形状很漂亮，很有均衡感——我是用这种角度在看的。但是就算叫我把比拟的事物当成真的，我也没办法。石头就是石头，沙子就是沙子。以前我去京都慈照寺的时候，也觉得那里的庭院的……” “银沙滩和向月台吗？” “对对对。竟然能用沙子做出那么漂亮的造型，我是非常佩服，但是我佩服的是那种美感。除此之外，我看不出别的了。” "Oh." “因为我是个医生啊，又不能用比拟来动手术。” "Oh……" “所以这座庭院也是，到底好在哪里，其实我并不懂。可是也不觉得它不好。” "that's fine." 不这样认为的话，今川就撑不下去了。 “这样就行了呀？”老人咏唱似的说。 Rustle - the sound sounded. 树上的积雪掉落了。 “或许吧。这里我也来过好几次了，却完全不记得以前曾经看过什么庭院。听说秋景其实才是最棒的。像这样，对面的山上整片红叶……” 老人指向庭院背景的山峦。 庭院被像是篱笆的东西区隔开来——不过它也被雪埋没了——对面高上一段，那里已经是山了。后面只是一片连绵的山峦。 “听说有月亮的话，景致会更美。” 今川想像了一下明月高挂山顶的情景，却只浮现出单纯的山与月的简陋构图，立刻中止了想像。 此时—— 今川雅澄看见了一样极为奇妙的东西。 山中立着一个人偶。 刘海像童女般齐剪成一排。 远远地也看得见那双漆黑浑圆的眼睛。 那是——市松人偶。 树木的漆黑、雪景的皓白之中，立着一个市松人偶。 华丽地穿着一身艳红的长袖和服。 与荒山风景格格不入。宛如水墨画中点了一抹朱红，画面极不安定。事实上，周边几乎是一片灰色调，拥有色彩的只有那个人偶。 人偶以空虚的视线望着这里。并不是在看今川与老人。若要说的话，感觉像是在眺望整栋建筑物。人偶的瞳眸本来就没有焦点，这也是理所当然的。 一股厌恶感油然而生。 是不好的预感吗？ 一股极为不祥的感觉自下腹泉涌而出，今川冻住了似的全身僵直。不知何故，他非常不安。How strange. so big. 那个市松人偶大得异常。今川与人偶相距如此遥远，却还能够看见的话，那么它的尺寸几乎与人类无异了。怎么可能会有等身大的市松人偶？ "What's wrong?" 久远寺老人出声唤道，今川暂时回过神来，瞬间从人偶身上移开了视线。 "what--" 就在这短暂的一刹那，人偶消失了。与其说是消失，倒不如说是走掉了。今川好像看到了一截和服的长袖子扫过树荫，不过或许只是他眼花了。 "Is it a hallucination?" “噢，你是说那位姑娘吗？” "girl?" “是穿着长袖和服的姑娘吧？站在那里。” “姑娘？那是人吗？” “怎么，难道你以为是妖物吗？” 今川不以为那是妖物，只是不觉得那是生物。但冷静想想，这是非常符合一般常识的结论。积雪覆盖的深山中，怎么可能会摆着什么等身大的市松人偶——虽然这种东西本身就不寻常了。 原来是人。 就算是人，这种深山中…… “你在想，怎么会有人穿着长袖和服出现在这种深山是吧？哈哈哈，这也难怪。我一开始也以为眼花看错了。” "Well, that's right." 这种乖违就是不快的根源。而且雪山与长袖和服这样的组合，在背离常识这一点上，也是五十步笑百步。所以今川才会把它误认为人偶，这并不是不可能的事。 “那是住在这一带的姑娘，有一点那个……” 老人用中指戳戳自己的秃头。 “脑子有问题？” “嗯，似乎有一点迟缓，只是好像也没到太严重的地步。不，搞不好只是看起来这样，其实是正常的——嗯，身为医生的我不可以未经诊断，只凭印象就下判断。惟独这种事啊，是不能够用'觉得了解'这种说法带过的。不过，这一带的人也都说她好像一年到头都穿着那身衣服四处游荡，也没见过她开口说话。很不寻常。” “可是老先生，你说她住在这附近，但这一带并没有人家啊。” “是没有呢。” “我前来这里的途中曾经过村落，但就算是最近的地方，也有相当的距离。那个姑娘从那么远的地方，穿着那身衣服，晃晃悠悠地爬到这么偏僻的山里头来吗？如果那个姑娘——那是个女孩子对吧？” "It's a girl." “如果她是一个智能略有障碍的姑娘，那就更……” “不，今川，你这话说得不对。你是想说危险吧？我也认为放任她四处游荡很危险，但是她就像字面上说的，是栖息在这座山里头。我不知道是哪里，但是她是从比这里还要偏僻的山里过来的。” “更偏僻的山里？自己一个人吗？” “自己一个人没办法生活吧？据旅馆老板说，她可能是居住在这上面的寺院里头。只是女性禁制的禅寺里居然有个穿长袖和服的女子，那可真是意想不到的道成寺哪。不过其实她好像是寺男的女儿还是孙女。而那个寺男好像也有相当的年纪了，他是住在寺院里呢，还是在哪里盖了小屋居住，完全没有人知道。所以或许那真是魔性之物——山中魔女也说不定呢。” “哦——这么说的话，她不是爬上来，而是下山喽？” “应该是这样吧。话说回来，那个姑娘在看些什么呢？难道在看这棵柏树吗？” 老人再度望向巨大的柏树。从大厅这里，别说是树木整体，连它枝叶伸展的形状都看不见。只能够看见被御寒用的稻草包裹住的粗大树干。今川住宿的房间在二楼，但是现在身处的有大厅的建筑物是平房，这棵树的枝叶一定长在比屋顶更高的地方。 “这么说来……”老人突然把视线从粗大的树干转向今川。“你刚才说你和和尚约在这里吧。那个和尚是这后面的——明慧寺的和尚吗？” “是的，我是被明慧寺的僧侣叫来的。这么说的话，刚才提到的寺院——疑似长袖和服姑娘居住的寺院，就是那座明慧寺吗？” “就是明慧寺。” “这样啊。唔，其实我正打算今天若还是没有人来的话，就过去看看呢。老先生知道那座明慧寺吗？” “什么知道不知道，从这里能够去的，也只有那座寺院了。我上个月也曾动念想去参观……哎，还是别去吧。别去的好。” “有那么远吗？” “夏天不算什么，但是现在不行。因为得在陡峭的雪径走一个小时以上，我在中途就放弃了。” 老人说完，深深地收起下巴。 沙沙——雪落下了。 今川感觉第五天也将空等。 此时，方才的女佣端来火盆，接着送来早膳。今川觉得昨天比起前天、今天比起昨天，早饭的时间越来越晚了。住了五天就会变成这样吗？或者是因为老板住院，人手不足呢？今川望着膳食，想着这些事。 "are you busy?" 今川问道，女佣以和刚才相同的表情苦笑。 “不。说起来丢脸，其实闲得发慌哪。像今天，就只有两位。听说从去年开始，大众流行起泡温泉，但我们这儿却乏人问津……” “门可罗雀到布谷筑巢哀哀的地步吗？的确看报纸什么的，上面都写着国民生活逐渐有了余裕。像这个新年，听说其他的温泉旅馆都客满了。” 趁着女佣在盛装味噌汤的空当，久远寺老人揶揄似的这么接着说。 女佣以近似羞赧的动作抬起头来，瞪了老人一眼说：“讨厌啦医生，明知道还这样讲。” 好像真的很闲。今川来的那一天还有四五个客人，不过似乎也都在这四天当中回去了。 “对了，阿鹭，应该还有一位女客吧？昨天白天一个人踏雪而来。我一直没瞧见她，总不会连她也回去了吧？” “那位客人啊……” 被老人称做阿鹭的女佣表情顿时暗了下来。 “很令人担心呢。我为了收拾床铺而前去打扰时，那位客人说她一大早身体就不太舒服，还说希望能换个房间，所以刚才请她搬到旧馆这边来了，可是她还是卧床不起。” “怎么，感冒吗？” “好像也不是。我问要不要请医生，客人却说不必。对了，医生，可以请您去瞧瞧吗？” “我是外科的。不管这个，重点是那个客人该不会是来寻短的吧？年轻女子只身到这种地方来，太奇怪了。她的模样也不寻常，脸色很苍白。今川，你看到她了吗？” 今川不记得。 在他回答“不知道”之前，阿鹭说了：“什么嘛，说这种不吉利的话。这一点您甭担心。客人说，她的同伴不久就会来了。其实他们原本是预定三个人一起来的，却临时生变。” “总算有得忙，不是挺好的吗？不过话说回来，她在这种时节跑到这种鬼地方来做什么呢？” “您这个食客真是越来越失礼了。什么叫做这种鬼地方？” “可是啊阿鹭，现在的年轻妇女不时兴什么泡汤疗养吧？也不可能独自一个人来观光。哎，慢一点跟上来的八成是老头子老太婆吧？” “不对，听说是东京出版社的人哟。好像有事要拜访明慧寺。要去明慧寺的话，最好就是住在我们这里喽。” 阿鹭说到这里，顿了一下，望向今川。 “哎呀，都是医生净说些多余的事，害我在客人面前失了分寸，多嘴长舌起来了。客人，不好意思在您用餐中失礼了。” 的确，今川错失了开始用餐的契机，却不觉得被打扰。反倒想多听一些。 “我无所谓的。话说回来，关于明慧寺……” 今川完全没有任何客户的情报。 换句话说，他对明慧寺一无所知。 阿鹭发出“啊？”的诧异声，“明慧寺怎么了吗？” “它和这里有什么关系吗？” “不，完全没关系。只是——我们这儿的年代很久远了，但明慧寺的年代还要早得多。而且因为位于那种深山，檀家——我想应该是檀家吧，要前往参拜的人，都一定会在我们这儿留宿。还有来自乡下地方的大师们要去明慧寺时，也多住宿在这里。可是，那也是战前的事了。中日战争以后，客人渐渐减少，战争结束后就几乎再也无人造访了。” “竟然有来自乡下地方的大师来访，那座明慧寺的地位有那么高吗？” “你啊，跟人家约在这里，竟然对对方一无所知？”久远寺老人咽下饭粒，把嘴唇噘得像章鱼般问道。 “呃，完全不知。我连它的宗派都不晓得。” “应该是禅宗吧。可是仔细想想，其实我也不太清楚。不过，为什么会约在这里见面呢？” “哦，其实是我前几年过世的堂兄弟在战前与那座明慧寺的和尚有过交易。只是对方似乎不晓得我的堂兄弟已经过世，在年底寄了一封信过来。我写明了目前的状况，回信给对方，结果收到了一封指定日期与地点的信。” “对方指定的地点，就是这家仙石楼吗？” “是的。看样子我的堂兄弟以前也曾在这里与那位和尚进行买卖。请教一下，我的堂兄弟应该在这里住宿过两三次，你还记得吗？” 阿鹭愣了一下。 久远寺老人似乎总算明白今川的状况了。他请教今川的堂兄弟之名，再次询问阿鹭记不记得这个名字。 “是姓今川的先生对吧？” 女佣纳闷地偏着头。 “真的非常抱歉，我不记得了——对了，我去看看过去的住宿账本好了。” 阿鹭想到的瞬间，突然露出兴致勃勃的样子，连招呼都马马虎虎，就往柜台跑去。 “阿鹭她啊，在现在的女佣当中是最老资格的，就是嘴巴不牢靠，又爱凑热闹，是惟一美中不足之处。我从她还是个小姑娘的时候就认识她了，她不管长到几岁，人就是沉稳不下来哪。” 老人伸长了脖子，望着阿鹭离去的方向说，接着出声嚼起腌菜来。明明是他煽风点火的，却说得一副事不关己的样子。雪又落下来了。今川陷入回想。这的确是件离奇之事。和尚一开始寄来的书简当中写道：此番欲出让之物异于以往，为不世出之神品也。 当然，店主感到一头雾水。首先，他不知道堂兄弟与和尚之间的关系，至于青山的古董店与箱根寺院之间会有什么关联，他更是想破了头也不明白。所以他打算说明堂兄弟已死，店主已更迭之事，婉拒和尚。 但是为了慎重起见，今川翻阅过去的账簿，想法稍微改变了。 从那名和尚手中购得之物，全都以高得惊人的价格卖出了。收购金额虽然也相当可观，但是当中有些物品卖出了数倍，甚至数十倍的价钱。而且尽管价格昂贵，那些物品全都脱售一空。可见物品之珍奇。 今川动心了。不是金钱欲，而是想拜见和尚说的远胜于过去任何一个物件的神品。所以他立刻写信，过年之后很快地收到了回信。和尚以流丽的毛笔字，和今川约在这家仙石楼。 和尚名叫…… “那个把你找来的和尚叫什么来着？”久远寺老人吃完饭。一面喝着自己倒的茶，一面以悠哉的口吻询问。 “哦，他叫小坂了稔。” “了稔？哦，好像有这样的名字吧。” “老先生认识他吗？” “不认识不认识，”老人挥挥手。“叫这种名字的和尚多得是。那里啊——是啊，听说也有不少和尚呢。根据我听说的，好像有三四十人吧。” “有那么多吗？” 今川以为顶多只有两三个人。 “刚才阿鹭不也说了吗？以前还有高僧大老远跑来拜访呢。” "Oh……" “我在将近二十年前，曾经与要去明慧寺的和尚一行人共同留宿在这儿。其中一位和尚的打扮看起来真的地位非凡哟。袈裟金光闪闪，服装也华丽无比，光是随从的小和尚就有好几十个。听说那和尚在日本的佛教界可是屈指可数的有名人物。我是个医生，完全不懂宗教，不知道他是曹洞宗还是临济宗的，反正有人告诉我说，比起那个看起来很了不起的和尚，明慧寺的和尚们地位还要高得多。” "Is that so?" “是啊。有名无名和地位高低似乎并不是对等的。明慧寺可是历史悠久哪。” 这和今川对明慧寺的想像相去甚远，他以为那顶多是一座小山寺罢了。事前也曾向别人打听，却没有人知道这座寺院。 就在今川说出下一句话之前，柜台传来了声音。 好像是阿鹭的声音。 “在吵些什么啊？客人还在吃饭呢。就算是闲暇，这样子可是会让老字号旅馆的名号蒙羞的。” 久远寺老人慵懒地站起身来，好像要去看看情况。今川还剩下烫山菜没吃，打算继续坐着吃完。 老人带着阿鹭，很快就回来了。戴眼镜的掌柜跟在后面，他一看到今川，便慌忙行礼。 “是老鼠，有老鼠，一定是老鼠。” “医生，虽然您这么说，但是我打从十五岁来到这里，到今年已经做了十九年的女佣了呢。这种事我还是头一遭碰见。对吧，掌柜的？” “嗯。我不敢说连一只也没有，但这里从来没有遭遇过任何鼠害。我到今年已经干了二十四年……” “好好好，知道了、知道了。我知道你们老得快要可以媲美这家旅馆了。可是这肯定是老鼠干的。知道吗？不可以小看老鼠。那玩意儿只要肚子饿，什么都啃。我忘了是什么时候了，曾经有个母亲抱着婴儿，几近疯狂地冲到我这儿来。仔细一看，婴儿浑身是血，天可怜见的，鼻子竟然不见了。我急忙治疗，总算保住了婴儿一命，调查后发现，原来是老鼠干的好事。饥肠辘辘的老鼠爬下天花板，把小婴儿那令人垂涎欲滴的鼻子给……” 老人说到这里，注意到今川，吞回了后面的话。 “噢！这真是失礼了。” 接着他回过头去，交互望着掌柜和阿鹭，大声地说：“啊啊！因为今川在这里，所以你们才坚称没有老鼠是吧？啊，我真是太疏忽了。掌柜跟女佣不可能在吃饭的客人面前说有老鼠出现嘛。” “久远寺医生，您说的虽然没错，但是这种事真的从未发生过。如果就像您说的，那是老鼠干的，那就是在昨天左右突然冒出了大量的老鼠，这……” 掌柜显得有些狼狈。 今川按捺不住，放下筷子询问：“到底发生了什么事？不管听到什么，我都不会介意，请你们告诉我吧。” “呃，就是……厨房的食材不见了……” 掌柜补充阿鹭的回答似的接着说：“敝楼的料理也是我们的骄傲，每餐都从外面采购刚好客人人数的新鲜食材料理，但是今天早上，厨子一不注意，早餐用的鱼竟然……” “他们说不见了。”久远寺老人如此作结。 所以早膳才会上得迟了。早膳里没有鱼，所以应该是去筹措替代的食材了吧。 今川还是老样子，说出内心想到的：“鱼的话，是猫偷的吧。” “客人，这种深山里更不会有猫。” "Oh……" “鱼的事无关紧要，今川，问题是这个。阿鹭要去查你堂兄弟的事，结果，喏……” 老人甩着疑似老旧记录账本的东西。两三张纸屑在空中飞舞。看样子，账本变得像破布般残缺不堪了。 “我也是刚才看到的，柜台的柜子里被弄得乱七八糟，乱成一团。先祖代代毫无间断记录下来、弥足珍贵的住宿账本，也成了这副德性。” 老人说得简单，但是掌柜的脸色变得有些苍白。老人说的住宿账本，应该也不是这一两天才有的。说到自江户时代开业至今的老字号旅馆的住宿账本，几乎具有文化价值了吧。几乎是古董了。而这一切全都发生在老板和老板娘不在的时候。 今川有些同情掌柜。 “喏，猫才不会干出这种事。所以我就说了，这是老鼠干的。除此之外别无可能了嘛。到底还有什么会干出这种事？” 久远寺老人自信满满地说完，再次坐回膳食前。阿鹭确认料理大致用完，开始收拾。 掌柜好一阵子不知所措，最后转向今川：“不好意思惊动客人了。” 他说完这些就离开了。 阿鹭一副依旧无法释然的模样，只是好几次对今川投以歉疚的眼神。然后她悄声说了：“客人，真对不起。可是刚才的事……” 她想请今川保密。听说最近旅馆的卫生管理变得非常严格，若是孳生鼠害的传闻被保健所得知，一定会引来不少麻烦。而且不好的风评会让客人退避三舍。 “哦，我不